Chapter 9. Analyzing indexes

Indexes, as I’ve mentioned in previous chapters, are hugely important to SQL Server. They also represent a complete compromise: every index has the potential to help certain types of query run faster, while slowing other types. It’s extremely, extremely, extremely important that you understand what indexes are, how they work, and what you can do with them. This is also a good time to analyze an existing database to see what indexes it has. Becoming familiar with a database’s indexing strategy is a real key to helping understand any performance issues that may crop up.

9.1. Index basics

Indexes in SQL Server apply to tables, not to entire databases, but when we talk about indexes we tend to think about their impact ...

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