Course Description

This course is designed to provide the right amount of internal knowledge and a wealth of practical tuning and optimization techniques that you can put into production. The course provides comprehensive coverage of SQL Server architecture, indexing and statistics strategies, optimizing transaction log operations, tempdb and data file configuration, transaction and isolation levels, and locks and locks. The course also teaches how to create baselines and compare SQL Server performance, how to analyze the workload, and discover where performance problems are and how to fix them. Coverage of in-memory tables and stored procedures is included along with an introduction to this exciting new technology.

Audience profile

The primary audience for this course is people who manage and maintain SQL Server databases and are responsible for the optimal performance of the SQL Server instances they manage. These people also write queries on data and need to ensure optimal execution performance of workloads.
The secondary audience for this course is people who develop applications that deliver content from SQL Server databases.

Goals

• Understand and use the new cardinality estimator.
• Understand and use memory-optimized tables.
• Understand performance.
• Understand and use startup stored procedures.
• Understand database structures.
• Understand and use instant file initialization.
• Understand how SQL stores data.
• Understand how SQL locates data.
• Understand the internal parts of temporary tables.
• Understand and use table-valued parameters.
• Understand concurrency.
• Understand and use transactions.
• Understand isolation levels.
• Understand and use the SQL Server locking architecture.
• Understand SQL and storage area networks (SAN).
• Understand and use SQL in virtual machines.
• Understand the SQLIO utility and its uses.
• Understand and use partitioned tables and indexes.
• Understand and use the Resource Governor.
• Understand and use Activity Monitor.
• Understand live query statistics.
• Understand how to monitor SQL using Transact-SQL.
• Understand and use DMV performance.
• Understand the indices and their importance.
• Understand the types of index.
• Create and modify indexes.
• Understand and use index metadata.
• Understand and use Database Tuning Advisor.
• Understand and use index data management objects.
• Understand index fragmentation and use page splits.
• Understand index storage strategies.
• Understand and use indexed views.
• Understand tracking rates.
• Understand index best practices.
• Understand and use statistical objects.
• Understand and use the histogram.
• Understand and use a new versus old cardinality estimator.
• Understand and use incremental statistics.
• Understand and use calculated columns.
• Understand and use filtered statistics.
• Understand and use ascending cues.
• Understand and use the statistics maintenance plan.
• Understand architecture.
• Understand and use tables and indexes.
• Understand and use the hash index.
• Understand and use natively compiled stored procedures.
• Understand the restrictions.
• Understand and use the Analyze Migration Report tool.
• Understand and use in-memory data management views.
• Understand and use the SQL Trace Default template.
• Understand and use the SQL profiler tuning template.
• Create and use a template for slow-running queries.
• Understand and identify long-lasting queries.
• Use Profiler to detect dead spots.
• Use Profiler to detect a blocked process.
• Understand and use query tips.
• Create and test a plan guide.
• Allow SQL Profiler to help you create a plan.
• Understand and use plan freezing.

Course outline

Module 1: Course Overview

This module explains how the class will be structured and introduces course materials and additional administrative information.

Lessons

• Introduction
• Course Materials
• Facilities
• Prerequisites
• What We'll Be Discussing

Lab 1: Course Overview

Module 2: SQL 2014 Architecture

• Understand and use the new Cardinality Estimator.
• Understand and utilize memory-optimized tables.
• Understand performance.
• Understand and use startup stored procedures.
• Understand database structures.
• Understand and use Instant File Initialization.
• Understand how SQL stored data.
• Understand how SQL locates data.

Module 3: The Database Engine

The SQL Server Database Engine is split into two major components, which are the storage engine and the relational engine. The relational engine is also called the query processor which is a more descriptive term for what it actually does. In this module, we explore how the engines work, and cover concepts that will help you understand their behavior.

Lessons

• Four Important Concepts
• Temporary Tables Internals
• Concurrency
• Transactions
• Isolation Levels
• SQL Server Locking Architecture
• SQL and Storage Area Networks (SAN)
• SQL on VMs
• SQLIO Utility
• Partitioned Tables and Indexes

Lab 1: The Database Engine

• Understand temporary table internals.
• Understand and use table valued parameters.
• Understand concurrency.
• Understand and use transactions.
• Understand isolation levels.
• Understand and use SQL Server locking architecture.
• Understand SQL and Storage Area Networks (SAN).
• Understand and use SQL on virtual machines.
• Understand SQLIO Utility and its uses.
• Understand and use partitioned tables and indexes.

Module 4: SQL Performance Tools

Lessons

• The Resource Governor
• Activity Monitor
• Live Query Statistics
• Monitoring SQL with Transact-SQL
• Dynamic Management Objects (DMOs) and Performance Tuning

Lab 1: SQL Performance Tools

• Understand and utilize the Resource Governor.
• Understand and use Activity Monitor.
• Understand Live Query Statistics.
• Understand how to monitor SQL using Transact-SQL.
• Understand and utilize performance DMVs.

Module 5: Query Optimization and Operators

SQL Server query optimization remains a very important part of today's database applications. In this module we examine the tuning process, options for troubleshooting, execution plans, Performance Monitor, and much more.

Lessons

• Tuning Process
• Performance Monitor Tool
• SQL Query Processing Steps
• Understanding Execution Plans
• SET STATISTICS TIME and SET STATISTICS IO
• Data Access Operators
• Troubleshooting Queries

Lab 1: Query Optimization and Operators

• Performance Monitor (perfmon)
• Estimated vs Actual Plans and XML Plans
• Viewing a Non-Trivial Execution Plan
• SET STATISTICS TIME and SET STATISTICS IO
• Data Access Operators
• DMVs
• View Information About Extended Events
• Wizard Templates
• Creating a Session Without a Wizard
• Configuring MDW and Viewing Reports

• Understand the tuning process.
• Understand and use Performance Monitor tool.
• Understand SQL query processing steps.
• Understand and use execution plans.
• Understand and use SET STATISTICS TIME and SET STATISTICS IO.
• Understand and use Data Access Operators.
• Understand and use DMVs.
• Understand and use Extended Events.
• Understand and utilize sessions.
• Understand how to troubleshoot queries.
• Understand how to configure a Management Data Warehouse and view reports.

Module 6: Understanding Indexes

The entire concept of indexing is speedy retrieval. In this module we explain everything you need to know about creating, utilizing, managing, and monitoring indexes.

Lessons

• Introduction to Indexes
• Index Types by Storage
• Index Types by Column Designation
• Creating and Altering Indexes
• Metadata
• Data Management Views for Indexing
• Database Engine Tuning Advisor
• Index Data Management Objects
• SQL Server Fragmentation
• patterns
• Index Storage Strategies
• Indexed Views
• Monitoring Indexes
• Index Dynamic Management Objects (DMOs)
• Best Practices

Lab 1: Understanding Indexes

• Create Indexes
• Index Metadata
• Database Tuning Advisor
• Missing Index DMOs
• Fragmentation and Page Splits
• Data Compression
• Indexed Views
• DMO Index Stats

• Understand indexes and their importance.
• Understand index types.
• Create and alter indexes.
• Understand and use index metadata.
• Understand and use Database Tuning Advisor.
• Understand and use Index Data Management Objects.
• Understand fragmentation of indexes and use page splits.
• Understand index storage strategies.
• Understand and use indexed views.
• Understand monitoring indices.
• Understand index best practices.

Module 7: Understanding Statistics

Module 8: In-Memory Database

The most important new feature in SQL Server 2014 is the new In-Memory OLTP engine. In this module we will cover the architecture, restrictions, and other exciting features.

Lessons

• Architecture
• Tables and Indexes
• Natively Compiled Stored Procedures
• Restrictions
• Analyze Migrate Report Tool
• In-Memory Data Management Views (DMV)

Lab 1: In-Memory Database

• Creating an In-Memory Enabled Database with Code and SSMS
• Creating a Memory-Optimized Table
• View Hash Index
• Natively Compiled Stored Procedure
• AMR Tool
• In-Memory DMVs

• Understand architecture.
• Understand and use tables and indexes.
• Understand and use the hash index.
• Understand and use natively compiled stored procedures.
• Understand restrictions.
• Understand and use the Analyze Migrate Report tool.
• Understand and utilize in-memory data management views.

Module 9: SQL Profiler and SQL Trace

The SQL Server 2014 Profiler is essentially the same as the SQL Server 2012 Profiler. This is not surprising because many new features that were added in SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 addressed gaps identified in previous versions. In this module, we cover both SQL Profiler and SQL Trace.

Lessons

• SQL Trace
• SQL Trace Architecture
• SQL Server Profiler

Lab 1: SQL Profiler and SQL Trace

• SQL Trace Default Template
• SQL Profiler Tuning Template
• Create a Template for Slow Running Queries
• Identifying Long Running Queries
• Using Profiler to Detect Deadlocks
• Use Profiler to Detect a Blocked Process

• Understand and use the SQL Trace Default template.
• Understand and use the SQL Profiler Tuning template.
• Create and use a template for slow running queries.
• Understand and identify long running queries.
• Use Profiler to detect deadlocks.
• Use Profiler to detect a blocked process.

Module 10: Query Issues and Hints

In this module, we will examine query issues, how to identify them, and how to resolve them. We'll also cover query hints, plan guides, and explore plan freezing.

Lessons

• Query Hints
• Plan Guides
• Freezing Plan
• Join Orders

Lab 1: Query Issues and Hints

• Create and Test a Plan Guide
• Allow SQL Profiler to Help Create a Plan
• Freezing Plan

• Understand and use query hints.
• Create and test a plan guide.
• Allow SQL Profiler to help create a plan.
• Understand and use plan freezing.

Language

• English course

• Labs: English