SQL Saturday PreCon - Mastering Execution Plan Analysis - Paul White

Expert-level query tuning and performance analysis requires a deep understanding of both the query optimizer and the execution plans it produces.

This full-day workshop begins by covering the design and operation of the SQL Server Query Optimizer. Starting with a clear overview of the basics, the session progresses rapidly to examine the detailed and often subtle behaviours that have real impact on almost every query you write. At the end of the query optimizer section, you will understand how it works, its strengths and weaknesses, and how to design databases and write queries to get the best from it.

The second part of the workshop starts with an introduction to the Query Execution Engine, looks at query plan operators in detail, and covers the main things you need to check for in execution plans. We then move on to further developing the deep technical knowledge and practical skills you will need to start analyzing execution plans to an expert level.

About Paul White

Paul White is an international SQL Server technical consultant, specializing in performance tuning the SQL Server Core Engine. He lives in New Zealand and has worked with SQL Server for more than 15 years. Paul has been a SQL Server MVP since 2011, and regularly speaks at user groups, SQL Saturdays, the annual PASS Summit, and other international conferences.