Blogs

Batch Mode Hacks for Rowstore Queries in SQL Server

What’s batch mode?

Batch mode was introduced as a way to help SQL Server process data from columnstore indexes faster. The whole idea with columnstore is that you pull big compressed sets of rows out for aggregation or other operations in big chunks.

Batch mode is a way that operators can work on a “batch” of up to 900 values at a time, instead of working on individual rows. Batch mode can reduce the overhead of metadata and make more efficient use of your CPUs.

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New Course! Query Tuning with Hints & Optimizer Hotfixes

Want to up your query tuning game? For a limited time, you can snag a free enrollment to the new course, Query Tuning with Hints & Optimizer Hotfixes.

About the Course

Learn the pros and cons of using hints and optimizer hotfixes in SQL Server, and see how hints can give you insight into the optimization process. Sorry, this free giveaway has ended.

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SQLServer:Databases(_Total)\Transactions/sec vs SQL Statistics\Batch Requests/sec (video)

Perfmon counters are great for measuring workload, but choosing which counter to baseline can be confusing.

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Should I Get Certified as a DBA? (Dear SQL DBA Episode 41)

Find out if getting certified will help you land an entry level DBA job. If you do want to get certified, get Kendra’s tips on preparing for the exam in this 17 minute episode.

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Checking for the Existence of Global Temp Table in TSQL

Every now and again, I need use a global temporary table for some testing or demo code.

Each time I do, I stumble a little bit when it comes to checking for the existence of the global temp table, in order to make my code re-runnable.

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Use Report View in Perfmon to Compare Database Counters (free video)

Sometimes you need to compare lots of counters at once - for example, counters that report at the database level. This can be frustrating in “Line” view, but the “Report” view in perfmon makes life much simpler.

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How Does a DBA Build Confidence After Making Mistakes? (Dear SQL DBA Episode 40)

Ever had a database change go horribly wrong? It can feel awful in the moment, then eat away at your confidence for days afterward.

In this 20 minute episode, I give you practical steps that help you cope with change over the course of your DBA career.

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