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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

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    DMV’s for the Beginner
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    Understanding Columnstore Indexes in SQL Server Part 1
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    What’s a Key Lookup?
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    Query Predicates in SQL Server
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    SSRS Report Won’t Render in VS Preview
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    Respectfully Responding
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    What is Azure SQL Database Serverless?
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    Just Check ALL the Boxes - SQL Server Installs
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