9.10.10

Sparse Columns in SQL Server 2008

Memory handling on NULL values using sparse columns:

It's a new feature in SQL Server 2008. It enables us to store the null values effectively. Ideally, if the column is NULL. Then, the data won't be stored in the database and it's cost effective solution to save the space. If your table has more Null values, we can opt this solution.

Sparse column is associated with two specialised sub-features:

1. Column Sets - This will provide you the consolidated report of all the sparse columns. We will see this one in our example below.

2. Filtered index - Index will be created on the not null data in the sparse columns.

Limitations and conditions to use Sparse column:

1. We can create index on the sparse column.
2. Sparse column cannot be added on certain column types like text, filestream datatype, geography, image, ntext etc..,
3. Sparse column could not be bounded with default value or rule cannot be applied on it.

Let's see an example,

drop table Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck
go
-- created a table to check the sparse column
CREATE TABLE dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck
(
ID INT IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
FIRST_NAME NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
LAST_NAME NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
ADDRESS1 NVARCHAR(20) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
ADDRESS2 NVARCHAR(20) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
CITY NVARCHAR(20) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
STATE NVARCHAR(2) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
COUNTRY NVARCHAR(10) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
ZIP_CODE NVARCHAR(20) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
CONSTRAINT PK_Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck PRIMARY KEY (ID)
)

GO
set nocount on
go

insert into dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck (first_name, last_name, ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, city, STATE, country, zip_code)
values ('Venkatesan', 'Prabu', '1, first raod', null, 'Dharmapuri', 'TN', 'India', NULL);
insert into dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck (first_name, last_name, ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, city, STATE, country, zip_code)
values ('Subs', 'subs', '2 Second road', null, 'trichy', 'tr', 'india', '636701');
insert into dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck (first_name, last_name, ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, city, STATE, country, zip_code)
values ('Janu', 'C', '3 Third road', null, 'trichy', 'tr', 'india', '636701');

-- Here, we are getting a very ordinary output.
Select * from dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck


To see the exact data storage, we need to use the column sets functionality.
Column Set should be defined with datatype as XML and it should be given the condition as ALL_SPARSE_COLUMNS

drop table Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck
go

-- created a table to check the sparse column
CREATE TABLE dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck
(
ID INT IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
FIRST_NAME NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
LAST_NAME NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
ADDRESS1 NVARCHAR(20) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
ADDRESS2 NVARCHAR(20) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
CITY NVARCHAR(20) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
STATE NVARCHAR(2) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
COUNTRY NVARCHAR(10) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
ZIP_CODE NVARCHAR(20) SPARSE NULL, -- Sparse columns
ADDRESS_SET XML COLUMN_SET FOR ALL_SPARSE_COLUMNS, -- Column Set to get all the details of the sparse columns
CONSTRAINT PK_Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck PRIMARY KEY (ID)
)
GO

set nocount on
go

insert into dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck (first_name, last_name, ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, city, STATE, country, zip_code)
values ('Venkatesan', 'Prabu', '1, first raod', null, 'Dharmapuri', 'TN', 'India', NULL);
insert into dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck (first_name, last_name, ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, city, STATE, country, zip_code)
values ('Subs', 'subs', '2 Second road', null, 'trichy', 'tr', 'india', '636701');
insert into dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck (first_name, last_name, ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, city, STATE, country, zip_code)
values ('Janu', 'C', '3 Third road', null, 'trichy', 'tr', 'india', '636701');

-- Here, we are getting a very ordinary output.
Select * from dbo.Venkat_Sparse_ColumnCheck


Output for the first record,

1, first raod
Dharmapuri
TN
India

Output for the Second record,

2 Second road
trichy
tr
india
636701

Output for the Third record,

3 Third road
trichy
tr
india
636701

Cheers,

Venkatesan Prabu .J

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SQL Server Interview questions - Part 1

What is the significance of NULL value and why should we avoid permitting null values?
Null means no entry has been made. It implies that the value is either unknown or undefined.We should avoid permitting null values because Column with NULL values can't have PRIMARY KEY constraints. Certain calculations can be inaccurate if NULL columns are involved.

What is SQL whats its uses and its component ?
The Structured Query Language (SQL) is foundation for all relational database systems. Most of the large-scale databases use the SQL to define all user and administrator interactions. It enable us to retrieve the data from based on our exact requirement. We will be given a flexibility to store the data in our own format.


The DML component of SQL comprises four basic statements:
* SELECT to get rows from tables
* UPDATE to update the rows of tables
* DELETE to remove rows from tables
* INSERT to add new rows to tables

What is DTS in SQL Server ?
Data Transformation Services is used to transfer the data from one source to our required destination. Considering am having some data in sql server and I need to transfer the data to Excel destination. Its highly possible with dialogue based tool called Data Transformation services. More customization can be achieved using SSIS. A specialized tool used to do such migration works.


What is the difference between SQL and Pl/Sql ?

Straight forward. SQL is a single statement to finish up our work.Considering, I need some data from a particular table. “Select * from table” will fetch the necessary information. Where as I need to do some row by row processing. In that case, we need to go for Procedural Logic / SQL.

What is the significance of NULL value and why should we avoid permitting null values?
Null means no entry has been made. It implies that the value is either unknown or undefined.We should avoid permitting null values because Column with NULL values can't have PRIMARY KEY constraints. Certain calculations can be inaccurate if NULL columns are involved.

Difference between primary key and Unique key?
Both constraints will share a common property called uniqueness. The data in the column should be unique. The basic difference is,
· Primary key won’t allow null value. Whereas, unique key will accept null value but only one null value.
· On creating primary key, it will automatically format the data inturn creates clustered index on the table. Whereas, this characteristics is not associated with unique key.
· Only one primary key can be created for the table. Any number of Unique key can be created for the table.

Select Statement in SQL Server

Select Statement in SQL Server

String Functions in sql server

String Functions in sql server
Substring/Len/replace/Ltrim/Rtrim

SQL Server Interview Question - Part 2

What is normalization?

Normalization is the basic concept used in designing a database. Its nothing but, an advise given to the database to have minimal repetition of data, highly structured, highly secured, easy to retrieve. In high level definition, the Process of organizing data into tables is referred to as normalization.


What is a stored procedure:
Stored procedures are precompiled T-SQL statements combined to perform a single task of several tasks. Its basically like a Macro so when you invoke the Stored procedure, you actually run a set of statements. As, its precompiled statement, execution of Stored procedure is compatatively high when compared to an ordinary T-SQL statement.


What is the difference between UNION ALL Statement and UNION ?
The main difference between UNION ALL statement and UNION is UNION All statement is much faster than UNION,the reason behind this is that because UNION ALL statement does not look for duplicate rows, but on the other hand UNION statement does look for duplicate rows, whether or not they exist.

Example for Stored Procedure?
They are three kinds of stored procedures,1.System stored procedure – Start with sp_2. User defined stored procedure – SP created by the user.3. Extended stored procedure – SP used to invoke a process in the external systems.Example for system stored proceduresp_helpdb - Database and its propertiessp_who2 – Gives details about the current user connected to your system. sp_renamedb – Enable you to rename your database


What is a trigger?

Triggers are precompiled statements similar to Stored Procedure. It will automatically invoke for a particular operation. Triggers are basically used to implement business rules.


What is a view?
If we have several tables in a db and we want to view only specific columns from specific tables we can go for views. It would also suffice the needs of security some times allowing specfic users to see only specific columns based on the permission that we can configure on the view. Views also reduce the effort that is required for writing queries to access specific columns every time.


What is an Index?
When queries are run against a db, an index on that db basically helps in the way the data is sorted to process the query for faster and data retrievals are much faster when we have an index.


What are the types of indexes available with SQL Server?

There are basically two types of indexes that we use with the SQL ServerClustered -

1. It will format the entire table, inturn physically sort the table.

2. Only one clustered index can be created for a table.

3. Data will be located in the leaf level.

4. By default, primary key will create clustered index on the table.

Non-Clustered Index

1. It wont touch the structure of the table.

2. It forms an index table as reference to the exact data.

3. A reference to the data will be located in the leaf level.

4. For a table, we can create 249 non clustered index.

Happy Learning!!!
Regards,
Venkatesan Prabu .J

SQL Interview question

Extent Vs Page?

Pages are low level unit to store the exact data in sql server. Basically, the data will be stored in the mdf, ldf, ndf files. Inturn, pages are logical units available in sql server.The size of the page is 8KB.

Eight consecutive pages will form an extent 8 * 8KB = 64KB.

Thus I/O level operation will be happening at pages level.The pages will hold a template information at the start of each page (header of the page).

They are,

1. page number,

2. page type,

3. the amount of free space on the page,

4. the allocation unit ID of the object that owns the page.

Extents will be classifed into two types,

1. Uniform extents

2. Mixed extents

Uniform Extents:It occupied or used by a single object. Inturn, a single object will hold the entire 8 pages.Mixed

Extents:Mulitple objects will use the same extent. SQL Server will allow a max of eight objects to use a shared extent.

Property of SQL Server :Initally if an object is created, sql server will allocate the object to the mixed extent and once if the size reaches 8 pages and more... immediately, a new uniform extent will be provided for that particular object.

Herecomes, our fragmentation and reindexing concepts.



Best Joke - Enjoy it

Best Joke - Enjoy it