Optimising Query based on Views

I would be grateful for some advice.
I have a query which selects from a view which, in turn, is based on three
other view. I want to optimise the query.
The query is built dynamically so cannot be made into a stored procedure. Is
it worth my while making the main view into a user-defined function so that
I can select from it. (I understand that you can't do "SELECT * FROM
SP_MYPROC GROUP BY etc.", whereas you can do "SELECT * FROM UDF_MYFUNC GROUP
BY etc." where SP_MYPROC is a stored procedure and UDF_MYFUNC is a
user-defined function.) I am suggesting this because I have the impression
that stored procedures and user-defined functions are pre-compiled with an
execution plan by SQL server, whereas this is not possible for views.
Many thanks in advance,
Richard Cox.Yes and no. Views are totally transparent to the optimizer and are only
useful as an abstraction layer and security feature.. The optimizer looks
at the underlying tables rather than the view, EXCEPT for partitioned views
which I will conveniently ignore here.
The big advantage to a stored procedure is query plan reuse. The optimizer
figures out its 'best' plan once and reuses it until it is no longer valid
or it is aged out of cache. If you call the procedure once a day, this
won't help much. On the other hand, even stored procedures have limits.
Temporary tables and dynamic SQL are two of the biggest reasons why a stored
procedure will be recompiled.
From your description, the result set and filter conditions may change from
execution to execution so the advantage of plan reuse just doesn't apply.
You may have to construct a few samples and see if the optimizer does what
you think it should. Use the 'View Estimated Execution Plan' button in
Query Analyzer to see what SQL will do with various combinations of your
query.
--
Geoff N. Hiten
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Senior Database Administrator
CareerBuilder.com
"Richard Cox" <rpcox@.traqs.com> wrote in message
news:en6D1q54DHA.2736@.TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> I would be grateful for some advice.
> I have a query which selects from a view which, in turn, is based on three
> other view. I want to optimise the query.
> The query is built dynamically so cannot be made into a stored procedure.
Is
> it worth my while making the main view into a user-defined function so
that
> I can select from it. (I understand that you can't do "SELECT * FROM
> SP_MYPROC GROUP BY etc.", whereas you can do "SELECT * FROM UDF_MYFUNC
GROUP
> BY etc." where SP_MYPROC is a stored procedure and UDF_MYFUNC is a
> user-defined function.) I am suggesting this because I have the impression
> that stored procedures and user-defined functions are pre-compiled with an
> execution plan by SQL server, whereas this is not possible for views.
> Many thanks in advance,
> Richard Cox.
>
>|||Thanks very much for your explanation, Geoff. Looks like there is nothing
much to be gained in this case then.
Richard.|||Richard
Query Optimyzer does not produce query plan for views. On other hand when
you create clustered index on view it is materialized and store in the same
way as store clusetred index created on the table. I have seen queries that
after adding clustered index have ran more faster.
"Richard Cox" <rpcox@.traqs.com> wrote in message
news:e8IESL$4DHA.1852@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Thanks very much for your explanation, Geoff. Looks like there is nothing
> much to be gained in this case then.
> Richard.
>