Microsoft® SQL Server 2005 Unleashed

Chapter 30. Understanding Query Optimization

IN THIS CHAPTER

• What’s New in Query Optimization

• What Is the Query Optimizer?

• Query Compilation and Optimization

• Query Analysis

• Row Estimation and Index Selection

• Join Selection

• Execution Plan Selection

• Query Plan Caching

• Other Query Processing Strategies

• Parallel Query Processing

• Common Query Optimization Problems

• Managing the Optimizer

Query optimization is the process SQL Server goes through to analyze individual queries and determine the best way to process them. To achieve this end, SQL Server uses a cost-based Query Optimizer. As a cost-based Query Optimizer, the Query Optimizer’s purpose is to determine the query plan that will access the data with the least amount of processing time in terms of logical and ...