OPTION FAST N tells SQL Server to plan for the first N rows, so the first rows arrive in milliseconds and the whole result costs much more. This post measures both sides on 300,000 rows with logical reads and time to the first row. It also explains why the hint belongs to paging and not to tuning.
Reasons for Slow Performance in SQL Server: The Top Five
The reasons for slow performance in SQL Server fall into five groups: schema design, T-SQL code, indexing, server deployment and hardware. This post tests three of them on a demo database, with logical reads as proof. It also shows a query that checks four deployment settings.
What is the Replacement of DBCC DBREINDEX? – Interview Question of the Week #263
Question: What is the Replacement of DBCC DBREINDEX?
Answer: The answer to this question is very simple.
Here is the syntax:
DISABLE_OPTIMIZER_ROWGOAL: How a Row Goal Changes the Plan
DISABLE_OPTIMIZER_ROWGOAL switches off a row goal, the optimizer’s bet that a query needs only a few rows, and TOP, FAST, IN and EXISTS all place that bet. This post reads the estimates behind it, shows how the plan shape changes, and shows when the bet fails. A covering index fixes the failure, and the hint does not.
Counting Ranked-Choice Votes With a Loop and a Table
Four people rank three topics and nobody has a majority. Here is a small loop that eliminates the weakest topic, moves its ballots and logs every round.
Dynamics SQL Server Settings: Five Checks for NAV, AX and CRM
Dynamics SQL Server settings decide most of the speed you get from NAV, AX and CRM, because you rarely control the application code. Five read-only checks cover tempdb, autogrowth, MAXDOP, automatic statistics and statistics age. Each one comes with a short query and a clear rule.







