In SQL Server, checkpoints are essential for maintaining data integrity and ensuring efficient recovery. During a checkpoint, changes made in memory (dirty pages) are written to disk, ensuring that the database state can be accurately recovered in the event of a failure. This process is governed by a mechanism called Write-Ahead Logging (WAL), which ensures that all log records related to changes are written to disk before the corresponding data pages.
Category: Internals
Configuring Max Degree of Parallelism for Heavy SQL Server Workloads
In SQL Server, the Max Degree of Parallelism (MAXDOP) is a configuration setting that dictates the maximum number of processor cores that can be used for the execution of a single query. Properly configuring MAXDOP is crucial for optimizing performance, especially for databases with heavy workloads. This blog post provides detailed guidance on understanding and configuring MAXDOP and the cost threshold for parallelism to ensure optimal performance in high resource-consuming environments.
Understanding the Importance of Bucket Counts in Hash Indexes for Memory-Optimized Tables
In the realm of memory-optimized tables, every table must have at least one index to connect its rows. Notably, every index on such tables is also memory-optimized. Among the various types of indexes available, hash indexes stand out for their unique structure and functionality. Understanding the importance of bucket counts in hash indexes for memory-optimized tables is crucial for maintaining optimal performance in SQL Server. This post looks at the structure of hash indexes, how to specify and adjust bucket counts, and the consequences of incorrect bucket counts. Learn best practices for planning and optimizing your hash indexes to ensure efficient data management and avoid common performance pitfalls.
Understanding In-Memory Tables with Always On in SQL Server
In today’s dynamic database management landscape, achieving high performance and reliability is paramount. SQL Server’s Always On availability groups offer a robust framework for high availability and disaster recovery. When combined with the power of in-memory tables, the capabilities of your SQL Server deployment are significantly amplified. This blog explores the benefits of using in-memory tables with Always On availability groups and demonstrates how these technologies can work together to optimize performance and ensure reliability in your SQL Server environment.
Using SQL Server .NET CLR Integration for Advanced Database Programming
Explore how to use SQL Server CLR Integration to enhance database functionality with .NET languages. This detailed guide covers enabling CLR, creating and deploying .NET assemblies, and executing CLR functions in SQL Server. Learn the benefits of using managed code for complex operations and accessing extensive .NET libraries, with a step-by-step example for practical implementation.
Worker Threads in SQL Server Always On Availability Groups
Explore the role of worker threads in SQL Server Always On Availability Groups. This post covers how worker threads function, their management, and the impact on database availability and performance, with practical tips on calculating and monitoring thread usage to optimize your SQL Server configurations.
System Level Performance Tuning for SQL Server 2022 on Linux
Running SQL Server on Linux offers many advantages, including cost savings and robust management tools. To fully realize these benefits, certain Linux-specific configurations must be tuned. This post focuses on three specific areas: I/O scheduler, swapfiles, and swappiness. So let’s jump in and start tinkering!
Flow Control in Availability Groups and SQL Server 2022 Enhancements
SQL Server’s flow control in Availability Groups ensures optimal resource usage by managing log message distribution, thus safeguarding system performance. This mechanism operates seamlessly without compromising replica synchronization, with monitoring options available for detailed analysis. The latest iteration in SQL Server 2022 further refines flow control, enhancing the database’s efficiency and stability.
Optimizing SQL Server with the Tuple Mover and Columnstore Indexes
SQL Server’s performance and efficiency hinge on its ability to manage and store data effectively. At the heart of this capability are Columnstore Indexes and the Tuple Mover, a duo that works together to ensure data is stored efficiently, making it readily accessible for fast query execution. This post takes a look into the interplay between Columnstore Indexes and the Tuple Mover, highlighting the operational details and the impact of recent enhancements introduced in SQL Server 2019.
SQL Server Performance Tuning: Dealing with Last Page Contention
Last Page Insert Contention, commonly referred to as “last page contention,” is a specific type of contention in SQL Server related to the last page of an index, typically a clustered index. This happens because SQL Server uses a mechanism where multiple sessions try to insert records on the last page of an index, leading to contention.