What Every Developer Should Know About SQL Server Performance from Pluralsight

This course is designed to teach developers the fundamentals of SQL Server performance, showing you the tools you will need to troubleshoot and resolve SQL Server performance problems.

As a developer, SQL Server performance can be tricky. In this course, What Every Developer Should Know About SQL Server Performance, you will see how to diagnose what is happening with a slow running SQL statement and what strategies are available to make these statements run faster. First, you will be shown how developers should use database indexes throughout their database, including what columns should be indexed and how to make sure a SQL statement will use an index. Next, you'll go over how some built in diagnostic tools in SQL Server can help you find performance issues in your application, including how to identify the slowest running SQL in your application. Then, you will see how to trace all of the SQL that your application is generating inside of SQL Server and how to understand this data. Finally, you'll take a look at practices you can implement inside of your application to insure the best performance possible. By the end of this course, you as an application developer will have the tools you need to troubleshoot performance problems you may encounter when using SQL Server.

What's inside

Syllabus

Getting Started

Analyzing SQL Statements for Performance

Building Effective Indexes

Finding Performance Bottlenecks in SQL Server

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores practical ways to improve SQL Server database performance, ranging from setting up efficient indexes to tracing SQL queries

Taught by David Berry, a recognized authority in SQL Server performance optimization

Designed for developers who want to enhance the performance of their applications that utilize SQL Server

Covers essential concepts like indexing strategies, performance monitoring tools, and best practices for optimizing SQL queries

Provides hands-on guidance through real-world examples and demonstrations

Reviews summary

Essential sql server performance for developers

According to students, this course offers a solid and practical foundation for understanding SQL Server performance, making it particularly valuable for developers. Learners frequently commend the instructor's clear explanations and the utility of hands-on demos and practical examples, allowing for immediate application of learned concepts. The content on indexing strategies, execution plans, and troubleshooting bottlenecks is often highlighted as strong. While it provides a comprehensive overview for its length, some experienced developers found the course too introductory, wishing for more depth on advanced optimization techniques. A few older reviews noted outdated examples or audio quality issues, though recent feedback suggests these may be less prevalent.

Excellent for new or less experienced developers.

"Good course for beginners in SQL Server performance. It provides a solid understanding of the basics."

"It's probably best suited for developers who are new to performance tuning or have limited database experience."

"Overall a very solid course for understanding SQL Server performance... it provides a great foundation."

Provides immediately applicable, real-world techniques.

"I found the hands-on demos incredibly helpful. The pace was perfect, and I could immediately apply what I learned to my current projects."

"It's practical and directly applicable."

"The practical examples and tips are invaluable. I especially liked the module on applying common performance practices."

The instructor effectively explains complex topics.

"The instructor, particularly, does a great job explaining complex topics like indexing strategies and execution plans in a clear and concise manner."

"The instructor's explanations are quite good."

"The instructor clearly knows his stuff."

Occasional issues with lecture audio quality.

"Also, the audio quality in some lectures was poor, which was distracting. This course needs an update to remain current."

Some outdated examples, but a possible trend of improvement.

"While the topics covered are relevant, I found some of the examples in the course to be outdated, making it a bit difficult to follow along..."

"Outdated examples were a small issue."

"The information seems relevant, even if a few tools mentioned are slightly older versions."

May be too basic for seasoned professionals.

"The course has good information, but I felt it was a bit basic for my level. I've been working with SQL Server for years, and I was hoping for more advanced topics."

"My only minor gripe is that some parts felt a bit rushed, and I would have liked more depth on advanced optimization techniques."

"For more experienced people, it might be a bit too introductory."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in What Every Developer Should Know About SQL Server Performance with these activities:

Read "SQL Server Performance Tuning" by Itzik Ben-Gan

Show steps

Gain in-depth knowledge of SQL Server performance tuning techniques.

View T-SQL Querying (Developer Reference) on Amazon

Show steps

Learn about SQL Server indexes

Show steps

Build effective indexes to improve performance and reduce the execution time of SQL statements.

Show steps

Understand different types of indexes (clustered, non-clustered, unique, etc.) and their impact on performance.
Identify which columns should be indexed based on query patterns and data distribution.
Use tools like SQL Server Management Studio or Azure Data Studio to create and manage indexes.

Show all two activities

Career center

Learners who complete What Every Developer Should Know About SQL Server Performance will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Software Engineer

As a Software Engineer, you will be tasked with designing, developing, and maintaining software applications. Understanding SQL Server performance is crucial in this role, as it will enable you to create efficient and scalable applications that can handle large volumes of data and complex queries. This course covers the fundamentals of SQL Server performance, providing you with the tools and techniques to diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks, ensuring the optimal performance of your software applications.

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Database Administrator

Database Administrator is responsible for managing and maintaining database systems, ensuring their availability, performance, and security. This course aligns perfectly with this role, as it provides a comprehensive understanding of SQL Server performance. You will learn how to identify and resolve performance issues, implement effective indexing strategies, and monitor and tune SQL Server to achieve optimal performance, ensuring the smooth functioning of the database systems you manage.

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Data Analyst

As a Data Analyst, you will be involved in collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data to extract meaningful insights and inform decision-making. This course is highly relevant, as it equips you with the skills to understand how SQL Server performance impacts data retrieval and analysis. You will learn how to optimize SQL queries for faster data retrieval, ensuring efficient and timely data analysis, leading to more accurate and actionable insights.

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Business Intelligence Analyst

Business Intelligence Analyst plays a crucial role in transforming raw data into actionable insights that drive business decisions. This course aligns well with this role, as it provides a solid understanding of SQL Server performance, a key factor in ensuring efficient data retrieval and analysis. By optimizing SQL queries and addressing performance issues, you can significantly improve the accuracy and timeliness of your insights, leading to more informed decision-making and better business outcomes.

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Data Scientist

As a Data Scientist, you will work with large and complex datasets, using statistical and machine learning techniques to uncover patterns and make predictions. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, which is essential for efficient data retrieval and analysis. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can improve the accuracy and efficiency of your data analysis, leading to more valuable insights and better predictive models.

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Solutions Architect

Solutions Architect designs and implements IT solutions that meet the specific needs of an organization. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a critical consideration in designing and implementing scalable and efficient data solutions. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can ensure that the solutions you design and implement meet the performance requirements of the organization.

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Systems Analyst

Systems Analyst analyzes and designs computer systems, working closely with end-users to understand their needs and develop solutions that meet those needs. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key factor in designing and implementing efficient and responsive systems. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can ensure that the systems you design and implement meet the performance expectations of the end-users.

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Software Developer

Software Developer designs, develops, and maintains software applications. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key consideration in developing scalable and efficient software applications. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can ensure that the applications you develop meet the performance requirements of the end-users.

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IT Manager

IT Manager plans, organizes, and directs the activities of an organization's IT department. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key factor in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of IT systems and applications. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can ensure that the IT systems and applications meet the performance requirements of the organization.

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Database Developer

Database Developer designs and develops database systems, working closely with database administrators to ensure the efficient and reliable storage and management of data. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key factor in designing and implementing scalable and efficient database systems. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can ensure that the database systems you design and develop meet the performance requirements of the organization.

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Technical Support Specialist

Technical Support Specialist provides technical support to users of computer systems and applications. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key factor in troubleshooting and resolving performance issues experienced by users. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can more effectively assist users in resolving performance-related problems, improving their overall satisfaction and productivity.

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Project Manager

Project Manager plans, organizes, and executes projects, ensuring their successful completion within the specified time, budget, and scope constraints. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key factor in managing and executing projects that involve the use of SQL Server. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can ensure that the projects you manage are completed on time, within budget, and meet the performance expectations of the stakeholders.

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Quality Assurance Analyst

Quality Assurance Analyst tests and evaluates software applications to ensure they meet the specified requirements and quality standards. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key factor in ensuring the performance and reliability of software applications. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can more effectively test and evaluate software applications, ensuring their quality and fitness for purpose.

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Data Warehouse Architect

Data Warehouse Architect designs and implements data warehouse systems, ensuring the efficient and reliable storage and management of large volumes of data. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key factor in designing and implementing scalable and efficient data warehouse systems. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can ensure that the data warehouse systems you design and implement meet the performance requirements of the organization.

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Database Designer

Database Designer designs and develops database schemas, ensuring the efficient and reliable storage and management of data. This course may be useful to you, as it provides a foundation in SQL Server performance, a key factor in designing and implementing scalable and efficient database schemas. By understanding how to optimize SQL queries and troubleshoot performance issues, you can ensure that the database schemas you design and develop meet the performance requirements of the organization.

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