SQL Server Performance Optimization as a Database Designer
SQL Server performance optimization is one of the most debated topics in database management. When performance issues arise, the first question teams ask is:
Hence the short answer is, everyone shares responsibility, but at different stages and in different ways.
To understand the responsibilities as a Database Designer, we must follow below listed tasks while designing a Database in the beginning itself.
Performance Optimization as a Database Designer (Structure Level)
1. Correct Data Modeling
What it means:
Design tables correctly for the workload.
Why it matters:
Bad design = complex queries = slow performance.
Example:
- OLTP → normalized tables
- Reporting → some denormalization
2. Appropriate Data Types
What it means:
Choose smallest data type that fits.
Why it matters:
Smaller data = fewer reads = faster queries.
Bad:
Name NVARCHAR(1000)
Good:
Name VARCHAR(100)
3. Primary Key Design
What it means:
Primary key uniquely identifies a row.
Why it matters:
Clustered index is built on it.
Example:
OrderID INT IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY
Better than:
OrderID UNIQUEIDENTIFIER
4. Index Strategy Design
What it means:
Indexes should support queries.
Why it matters:
Wrong indexes = table scans.
Example:
CREATE INDEX IX_Orders_CustomerID
ON Orders (CustomerID)
INCLUDE (OrderDate, TotalAmount);
5. Clustered Index Selection
What it means:
Defines physical order of table.
Why it matters:
Poor choice increases page splits.
Good Choices:
- Identity column
- Date-based column
6. Partitioning Strategy
What it means:
Split large tables into smaller chunks.
Why it matters:
Improves manageability and performance.
Example:
- Orders table partitioned by year
7. Avoid Unnecessary Objects
What it means:
Every index and trigger adds overhead.
Why it matters:
INSERT/UPDATE becomes slower.
Example:
Remove unused indexes found via:
sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats
8. Referential Integrity with
Performance in Mind
What it means:
Foreign keys ensure data consistency.
Why it matters:
Unindexed foreign keys slow deletes/updates.
Example:
CREATE INDEX IX_Orders_CustomerID
ON Orders(CustomerID);
9. Schema for Concurrency
What it means:
Design to allow many users at once.
Why it matters:
Wide rows cause lock escalation.
Example:
Split large text columns into separate tables.
10. Scalability Planning
What it means:
Design for future growth.
Why it matters:
Redesigning later is expensive.
Example:
100K rows today → 100M rows in 3 years.
About the author:
I am an Vivekanand Jha. I specialize in database management and optimization, sharing my journey and technical insights here on SQLwithVJ.
Connect with me on LinkedIn →
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