SQL SERVER: Display Row count of all the tables

Recently we have performance issue in SQL SERVER and we decided to move some large tables to different file group, so we can improve SQL SERVER performance, as it uses other disks I/O. Now challenge is to identify large tables from many tables (approx 700 tables).

There are few ways to display row count of all the tables:

1. Use Procedure: sp_msForEachTable (Simplest way)


2. Read information from system tables ( approximate count, Preffered)

Let me explain both of the method:

1. Use Procedure: sp_msForEachTable:

This is the simplest way that we can make COUNT(*) to each table to find number of rows from each table. This is undocumented stored procedure,"sp_msForEachTable" gives ability to make a query to all tables.

EXEC sp_msForEachTable 'SELECT ''?'' AS TableName,COUNT(*) AS NoOfRows FROM ?'

Its nothing but just a simple dynamic SQL statement where "?" will be replaced by table name. So query will be like:

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM BuildVersion

This procedure, "sp_msForEachTable", will loop to each table for current database and count rows from each table. So it gives result like:



By this way, we can get row count from all the tables for current database. But question is: How to use this result set? How to find out which table has maximum rows? To find out this, I need to check each table's rows manually and then only I can find out which table has maximum rows. This is time consuming and not the good way to find out table with maximum rows. Let see another method on which we can find it out it easily.

2. Read information from system tables:

By reading system tables, we can also find out rows from each table. We can use following query to find out number of rows from each table.

SELECT 
 st.Name AS TableName,
 SUM(  
  CASE  
   WHEN (p.index_id < 2) AND (a.type = 1) THEN p.rows  
   ELSE 0  
  END  
 ) AS NoOfRows
FROM sys.partitions p
INNER JOIN sys.allocation_units a ON p.partition_id = a.container_id
INNER JOIN sys.tables st ON st.object_id = p.Object_ID
INNER JOIN sys.schemas sch ON sch.schema_id = st.schema_id
GROUP BY st.name

NOTE: This method is used to get an *approximate* count for all tables.

This query solved my purpose. In this query, it will give result in single result set, so we can manipulate it easily.



E.g. List out all tables and sort it out based on the NumberOfRows.
So, my query will be:

SELECT 
 st.Name AS TableName,
 SUM(  
  CASE  
   WHEN (p.index_id < 2) AND (a.type = 1) THEN p.rows  
   ELSE 0  
  END  
 ) AS NoOfRows
FROM sys.partitions p
INNER JOIN sys.allocation_units a ON p.partition_id = a.container_id
INNER JOIN sys.tables st ON st.object_id = p.Object_ID
INNER JOIN sys.schemas sch ON sch.schema_id = st.schema_id
GROUP BY st.name
ORDER BY NoOfRows DESC

Let me know your opinions.

SQL SERVER Session at Dotnetchaps - Developer Conference 2010

Dotnetchaps is a group of people focused on Microsoft technologies .Net and SQL Server. The User Group organizes technical sessions for sharing knowledge on .Net and SQL Server. The motto of this group is to Learn, Share and Grow.

DotNetChaps user group is also associated with www.sqlpass.org community and officially opened the SqlPass chapter at Anand. The chapter name is Anand India Sql Server Users group.

Today, I am presenting a SQL SERVER session in this User Group meeting organized at SURAT, GUJARAT.

My session is at 2:10 PM which consists of following:

1. What's new in SQL SERVER 2008 R2?

2. Demo of SSRS Reports

In my SQL SERVER session, I am going to explain Utility Control Point (UCP), Data-Tier Application (DAC), Unicode compression. I am going to explain this feature by making examples on SQL SERVER R2, so people have better idea about it.

For SQL SERVER Reporting Services, its very simple to Design, develop and deploy report to report Server. It is very simple to integrate deployed report to web application.

Please find registration and venue details at: http://www.dotnetchaps.com/Blogs/Dotnetchaps-Blog/June-2010/Dotnetchaps---Developer-Conference-2010.aspx

SQL SERVER: Find executing queries

Recently my company owner reported that SQL SERVER is running slow. I searched for it and get following T-SQL query. SQL SERVER provides dynamic views, which contains current information about all details.

 

SELECT OBJECT_NAME(ObjectID) as ObjectName,
  st.Text, 
  DB_NAME(database_ID) as dbname,
  Blocking_session_ID as BlockingSessionID,  
  *
FROM sys.dm_exec_requests r
CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_sql_text(sql_handle) AS st

 

It will give us details like about running SQL Objects, with Database name:

 

 

Reference : Tejas Shah http://www.SQLYoga.com