SQL Server 2008 Query Performance Tuning Distilled presents a direct trouble shooting methodology for identifying poorly-performing stored procedures and queries, isolating the causes of that poor performance, and fixing the underlying problems. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the top causes of poorly performing queries and shows methods for identifying and dealing with the problems in that chapter's domain. Emphasis is always put upon or placed upon practical methods that you can put to immediate use in your day to day work. SQL Server 2008 functionality, tips, and tricks are emphasized in each subject area. * Emphasizes the practical. Does not bury readers in theory. * Gives readers practical techniques to immediately apply in their daily work. * Dedicates a chapter to each of the most common, performance related problem areas. What you'll learn * Identify and fix poorly performing queries that are hurting your business. * Read query execution plans and identify bottlenecks in performance. * Record system performance metrics for trend analysis. * Learn to design databases and write Transact SQL code to avoid common problems. * Understand what an index is, what it does, and how to build one. * Use industry accepted best practices and understand how to develop your own to arrive at optimal database performance. Who this book is for SQL Server Query Performance Tuning Distilled is aimed at anyone writing business critical Transact SQL queries, and also at those responsible for the continued good performance of those queries. Developers, database administrators, business intelligence analysts, and any others who develop Transact SQL queries will find this book an indispensible resource for getting the most out of what SQL Server 2008 has to offer.