Expert SQL Server in-Memory OLTP 1st Edition

Hi,I have written a detailed chapter-by-chapter review of this book on www DOT i-programmer DOT info, the first and last parts of this review are given here. For my review of all chapters, search i-programmer DOT info for STIRK together with the book's title.This book aims to explain SQL Server In-Memory OLTP, which can dramatically improve performance, how does it fare?In-Memory OLTP is the primary reason to migrate to SQL Server 2014. Under the right conditions it can offer significant performance benefits, with code typically running 20 to 40 times faster.This book is targeted at SQL Server developers and architects wanting to know how to take advantage of the potential performance improvements. Some background knowledge of SQL Server, especially performance, will be useful.This is a single topic book, having 11 chapters and 4 short appendices, contained within around 240 working pages.Below is a chapter-by-chapter exploration of the topics covered.Chapter 1 Why In-Memory OLTP?The chapter opens with a look at the background of In-Memory OLTP. Historically, memory was expensive, it made sense to store data on disks and bring it into memory for processing. With the advent of much cheaper memory, a different processing model could be used. In-Memory OLTP was designed for scalable fast processing. The design resulted in In-Memory structures, a concurrency model that eliminates locks and latches, and natively compiled stored procedures that use significantly fewer CPU cycles – all of which can significantly improve performance.Additionally, In-Memory OLTP is integrated seamlessly with other SQL Server 2014 components, there is no need for system refactoring – this is a major advantage when compared with other database vendors. There are some limitations, but you can expect these to reduce with future versions of SQL Server.The chapter continues with a look at In-Memory OLTP architecture. While In-Memory objects are fully integrated into SQL Server, and can be used transparently, internally they are different. The objects are stored in memory, they live outside the buffer pool, and have different structures compared with on-disk structures. Classic (i.e. interpreted) SQL can access In-Memory tables via interop, and this is typically 2 to 4 times faster than accessing the corresponding on-disk table. Natively compiled stored procedures can only access In-Memory tables, and are typically much faster than using interpreted SQL.This chapter provides a useful overview of how In-Memory OLTP arose, together with its major components.Useful discussions, diagrams, practical example code, website links, and inter-chapter links are given throughout. These traits apply to the whole of the book....ConclusionThis book has well-written discussions, helpful examples, diagrams, website links, inter-chapter links, and useful chapter summaries. It contains plenty of practical code to help you understand the subject matter.In-Memory OLTP is the primary reason to move to SQL Server 2014, it typically provides much faster processing. The book has a good flow between chapters, discussing what In-Memory OLTP is and how to implement it, culminating in a collection of impressive recommendations and best practices.Any criticisms I have are exceedingly minor. The book contains around 50% overlap with the author’s broader Pro SQL Server Internals book, see my review, which for me, that is the best SQL Server internals book I’ve read.If you want a practical discussion on In-Memory OLTP, including recommendations and best practices, I can highly recommend this erudite book.