7 Database Performance Books That Experts Rely On

Benjamin Nevarez's decades of experience as a SQL Server expert culminate in this book, offering an in-depth look into query optimization and performance tuning for Microsoft SQL Server 2022. You’ll gain a clear understanding of the query optimizer’s inner workings, learn to troubleshoot slow queries using tools like extended events and dynamic management views, and master techniques like indexing, caching, and cardinality estimation correction. Chapters on intelligent query processing and new SQL Server 2022 features, such as in-memory OLTP and columnstore indexes, provide practical insights for improving both transactional and data warehouse workloads. If you're tasked with enhancing SQL Server applications, this book equips you with the skills to diagnose and boost query performance effectively.

When Silvia Botros and Jeremy Tinley combined decades of hands-on MySQL expertise, they created a guide focused on unlocking MySQL's full potential in demanding environments. You dive deep into advanced schema design, indexing strategies, and query optimization while also mastering server tuning and hardware configuration tailored for scale. The book breaks down complex topics like replication, load balancing, and high availability with practical examples, such as automating traditional database management tasks. If you manage or architect MySQL deployments aiming for operational stability and growth, this book delivers insightful, experience-driven guidance without fluff.

This personalized book explores custom solutions that optimize database performance effectively, tailored to match your background and specific goals. It delves into core principles of database tuning, query execution, indexing strategies, and server configuration, focusing on the areas you find most relevant. By synthesizing expert knowledge into a path aligned with your experience and interests, it reveals how to enhance efficiency and troubleshoot performance challenges with precision. Through this tailored approach, the book covers advanced optimization techniques while addressing your unique database environments and workloads. It offers a clear learning journey that balances foundational concepts with practical applications, ensuring you gain mastery over database performance that directly supports your needs.

Markus Winand, a seasoned database performance expert, wrote this book to clarify the complexities of SQL performance across all major databases. You gain concrete skills in optimizing SQL queries, including mastering multi-column indexes, understanding the impact of SQL functions, and navigating the challenges posed by ORM tools like Hibernate. The book breaks down crucial operations such as joins, pagination, and clustering to improve scalability and speed. If you work with SQL databases and want an in-depth understanding of how to tune queries efficiently without getting bogged down in product-specific details, this book offers clear, focused guidance.

Drawing from his extensive 15-year career as a MySQL DBA and contributor to major open-source tools, Daniel Nichter offers a focused exploration of MySQL performance that cuts through common confusion. You’ll gain clear insight into optimizing query response times and understanding InnoDB row locking, with practical explanations that avoid unnecessary jargon. Nichter’s experience at Percona and current role at Block bring real-world credibility, making this a solid guide for database administrators and developers aiming to deepen their technical proficiency. While it zeroes in on MySQL, the book also sharpens your grasp of database performance tuning principles relevant to demanding environments.

While fine-tuning massive Teradata Data Warehouses, Roland Wenzlofsky developed deep insights into optimizing SQL queries and system architecture. This book walks you through the entire lifecycle of a Teradata data warehouse, from design to execution plans, teaching you how to transform slow queries and batch jobs into efficient operations. You'll gain practical knowledge on data access paths, parallel processing, and performance testing—skills crucial for developers, DBAs, and designers working with Teradata. The detailed exploration of architecture and tuning strategies makes it clear who benefits most: those committed to squeezing maximum performance from Teradata environments.

This tailored book explores actionable tactics to enhance query speed within a focused 90-day timeline. It examines key elements such as query execution plans, indexing improvements, and caching techniques, all aligned with your specific database environment and skill level. By concentrating on areas most relevant to your background and goals, this personalized guide reveals how to diagnose and resolve bottlenecks efficiently. The book covers foundational concepts and progresses through advanced optimization topics, offering a clear pathway that matches your unique challenges. It creates a tailored learning experience that bridges expert knowledge with your practical needs, helping you accelerate query performance improvements quickly and confidently.

What started as Gregory Smith's deep dive into PostgreSQL’s source code evolved into a guide aimed at database professionals seeking to unlock the full potential of their systems. You’ll learn how to optimize everything from hardware choices and operating system tuning to query optimization and advanced techniques like connection pooling and replication. The book offers practical insights into monitoring your database’s performance and scaling it effectively, with examples tailored for PostgreSQL versions 8.1 through 9.0. If you're managing or developing with PostgreSQL and want to foresee and prevent common bottlenecks, this book provides a concrete roadmap without unnecessary jargon.

After analyzing numerous SQL Server environments, Grant Fritchey developed a methodical approach to query performance tuning that goes beyond quick fixes. You will learn how to use tools like Query Store and Extended Events to establish performance baselines and identify bottlenecks before they impact users. The book dives deep into T-SQL best practices, adaptive execution plans, and the latest features in SQL Server 2017, including Azure SQL Database automated tuning. If you write or maintain queries and want to design systems that sustain good performance through upgrades and growth, this book provides the technical insight you need.