Chapter 7. Indexes: internals and management

Kalen Delaney

Microsoft SQL Server doesn’t have a configuration option or a knob that allows you to make it run faster—no panacea. However, indexes—when created and designed appropriately—are probably the closest thing to a panacea. The right index, created for the right query, can reduce query execution time from hours down to seconds. You have absolutely no other way to see these kinds of gains; adding hardware or tweaking configuration options often give only marginal gains. What about indexes can make a query request drop from millions of I/Os to only a few? And does just any index improve performance? Unfortunately, great performance doesn’t just happen; all indexes aren’t equal, nor will just any ...

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