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  • Back to Basics,  Performance Tuning

    What’s a Key Lookup?

    April 3, 2019 /

    One of the easiest things to fix when performance tuning queries are Key Lookups or RID Lookups. The key lookup operator occurs when the query optimizer performs an index seek against a specific table and that index does not have all of the columns needed to fulfill the result set. SQL Server is forced to go back to the clustered index using the Primary Key and retrieve the remaining columns it needs to satisfy the request. A RID lookup is the same operation but is performed on a table with no clustered index, otherwise known as a heap.  It uses a row id instead of a primary key to do…

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    Monica Morehouse (Rathbun)

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About Me

Monica Morehouse (Rathbun)

Microsoft MVP, Performancing Tuning Expert, Leader Hampton Roads SQL Server User Group, Read More…

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Top Posts & Pages

  • What’s a Key Lookup?
    What’s a Key Lookup?
  • Understanding Columnstore Indexes in SQL Server Part 2
    Understanding Columnstore Indexes in SQL Server Part 2
  • Hide and Group Columns in SSRS Using a Parameter
    Hide and Group Columns in SSRS Using a Parameter
  • What does this little check box do? Query Governor SQL Database Setting
    What does this little check box do? Query Governor SQL Database Setting
  • SQL Index Creation Using DROP EXISTING= ON
    SQL Index Creation Using DROP EXISTING= ON
  • DMV’s for the Beginner
    DMV’s for the Beginner
  • Sorting in Stored Procedures – Food for Thought
    Sorting in Stored Procedures – Food for Thought
  • Run Book, Run!!!
    Run Book, Run!!!
  • Resizing Tempdb (When TEMPDB Wont Shrink)
    Resizing Tempdb (When TEMPDB Wont Shrink)
  • SQL Sequence vs Identity Column
    SQL Sequence vs Identity Column
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