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Why do sequential GUID keys perform faster than sequential INT keys in my test case?
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guidcasewhythansequentialkeysfasterperformtestint
Problem
After asking this question comparing sequential and non-sequential GUIDs, I tried to compare the INSERT performance on 1) a table with a GUID primary key initialized sequentially with
This shows the average time usage (ms) for the test runs:
Can anyone explain this?
The following experiment was used:
UPDATE:
Modifying the script to perform the insertions based on
newsequentialid(), and 2) a table with an INT primary key initialized sequentially with identity(1,1). I would expect the latter to be fastest because of the smaller width of integers, and it also seems simpler to generate a sequential integer than a sequential GUID. But to my surprise, INSERTs on the table with the integer key were significantly slower than the sequential GUID table.This shows the average time usage (ms) for the test runs:
NEWSEQUENTIALID() 1977
IDENTITY() 2223Can anyone explain this?
The following experiment was used:
SET NOCOUNT ON
CREATE TABLE TestGuid2 (Id UNIQUEIDENTIFIER NOT NULL DEFAULT NEWSEQUENTIALID() PRIMARY KEY,
SomeDate DATETIME, batchNumber BIGINT, FILLER CHAR(100))
CREATE TABLE TestInt (Id Int NOT NULL identity(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
SomeDate DATETIME, batchNumber BIGINT, FILLER CHAR(100))
DECLARE @BatchCounter INT = 1
DECLARE @Numrows INT = 100000
WHILE (@BatchCounter <= 20)
BEGIN
BEGIN TRAN
DECLARE @LocalCounter INT = 0
WHILE (@LocalCounter <= @NumRows)
BEGIN
INSERT TestGuid2 (SomeDate,batchNumber) VALUES (GETDATE(),@BatchCounter)
SET @LocalCounter +=1
END
SET @LocalCounter = 0
WHILE (@LocalCounter <= @NumRows)
BEGIN
INSERT TestInt (SomeDate,batchNumber) VALUES (GETDATE(),@BatchCounter)
SET @LocalCounter +=1
END
SET @BatchCounter +=1
COMMIT
END
DBCC showcontig ('TestGuid2') WITH tableresults
DBCC showcontig ('TestInt') WITH tableresults
SELECT batchNumber,DATEDIFF(ms,MIN(SomeDate),MAX(SomeDate)) AS [NEWSEQUENTIALID()]
FROM TestGuid2
GROUP BY batchNumber
SELECT batchNumber,DATEDIFF(ms,MIN(SomeDate),MAX(SomeDate)) AS [IDENTITY()]
FROM TestInt
GROUP BY batchNumber
DROP TABLE TestGuid2
DROP TABLE TestIntUPDATE:
Modifying the script to perform the insertions based on
Solution
I modified @Phil Sandler's code to remove the effect of calling GETDATE() (there may be hardware effects/interrupts involved??), and made rows the same length.
[There have been several articles since SQL Server 2000 relating to timing issues and high-resolution timers, so I wanted to minimise that effect.]
In simple recovery model with data and log file both sized way over what is required, here are the timings (in seconds): (Updated with new results based on exact code below)
The code used:
After reading @Martin's investigation, I re-ran with the suggested TOP(@num) in both cases, i.e.
and here are the timing results:
I wasn't able to get the actual execution plan, as the query never returned! It seems a bug is likely. (Running Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (RTM) - 10.50.1600.1 (X64))
[There have been several articles since SQL Server 2000 relating to timing issues and high-resolution timers, so I wanted to minimise that effect.]
In simple recovery model with data and log file both sized way over what is required, here are the timings (in seconds): (Updated with new results based on exact code below)
Identity(s) Guid(s)
--------- -----
2.876 4.060
2.570 4.116
2.513 3.786
2.517 4.173
2.410 3.610
2.566 3.726
2.376 3.740
2.333 3.833
2.416 3.700
2.413 3.603
2.910 4.126
2.403 3.973
2.423 3.653
-----------------------
Avg 2.650 3.857
StdDev 0.227 0.204The code used:
SET NOCOUNT ON
CREATE TABLE TestGuid2 (Id UNIQUEIDENTIFIER NOT NULL DEFAULT NEWSEQUENTIALID() PRIMARY KEY,
SomeDate DATETIME, batchNumber BIGINT, FILLER CHAR(88))
CREATE TABLE TestInt (Id Int NOT NULL identity(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
SomeDate DATETIME, batchNumber BIGINT, FILLER CHAR(100))
DECLARE @Numrows INT = 1000000
CREATE TABLE #temp (Id int NOT NULL Identity(1,1) PRIMARY KEY, rowNum int, adate datetime)
DECLARE @LocalCounter INT = 0
--put rows into temp table
WHILE (@LocalCounter < @NumRows)
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #temp(rowNum, adate) VALUES (@LocalCounter, GETDATE())
SET @LocalCounter += 1
END
--Do inserts using GUIDs
DECLARE @GUIDTimeStart DateTime = GETDATE()
INSERT INTO TestGuid2 (SomeDate, batchNumber)
SELECT adate, rowNum FROM #temp
DECLARE @GUIDTimeEnd DateTime = GETDATE()
--Do inserts using IDENTITY
DECLARE @IdTimeStart DateTime = GETDATE()
INSERT INTO TestInt (SomeDate, batchNumber)
SELECT adate, rowNum FROM #temp
DECLARE @IdTimeEnd DateTime = GETDATE()
SELECT DATEDIFF(ms, @IdTimeStart, @IdTimeEnd) AS IdTime, DATEDIFF(ms, @GUIDTimeStart, @GUIDTimeEnd) AS GuidTime
DROP TABLE TestGuid2
DROP TABLE TestInt
DROP TABLE #temp
GOAfter reading @Martin's investigation, I re-ran with the suggested TOP(@num) in both cases, i.e.
...
--Do inserts using GUIDs
DECLARE @num INT = 2147483647;
DECLARE @GUIDTimeStart DATETIME = GETDATE();
INSERT INTO TestGuid2 (SomeDate, batchNumber)
SELECT TOP(@num) adate, rowNum FROM #temp;
DECLARE @GUIDTimeEnd DATETIME = GETDATE();
--Do inserts using IDENTITY
DECLARE @IdTimeStart DateTime = GETDATE()
INSERT INTO TestInt (SomeDate, batchNumber)
SELECT TOP(@num) adate, rowNum FROM #temp;
DECLARE @IdTimeEnd DateTime = GETDATE()
...and here are the timing results:
Identity(s) Guid(s)
--------- -----
2.436 2.656
2.940 2.716
2.506 2.633
2.380 2.643
2.476 2.656
2.846 2.670
2.940 2.913
2.453 2.653
2.446 2.616
2.986 2.683
2.406 2.640
2.460 2.650
2.416 2.720
-----------------------
Avg 2.426 2.688
StdDev 0.010 0.032I wasn't able to get the actual execution plan, as the query never returned! It seems a bug is likely. (Running Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (RTM) - 10.50.1600.1 (X64))
Code Snippets
Identity(s) Guid(s)
--------- -----
2.876 4.060
2.570 4.116
2.513 3.786
2.517 4.173
2.410 3.610
2.566 3.726
2.376 3.740
2.333 3.833
2.416 3.700
2.413 3.603
2.910 4.126
2.403 3.973
2.423 3.653
-----------------------
Avg 2.650 3.857
StdDev 0.227 0.204SET NOCOUNT ON
CREATE TABLE TestGuid2 (Id UNIQUEIDENTIFIER NOT NULL DEFAULT NEWSEQUENTIALID() PRIMARY KEY,
SomeDate DATETIME, batchNumber BIGINT, FILLER CHAR(88))
CREATE TABLE TestInt (Id Int NOT NULL identity(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
SomeDate DATETIME, batchNumber BIGINT, FILLER CHAR(100))
DECLARE @Numrows INT = 1000000
CREATE TABLE #temp (Id int NOT NULL Identity(1,1) PRIMARY KEY, rowNum int, adate datetime)
DECLARE @LocalCounter INT = 0
--put rows into temp table
WHILE (@LocalCounter < @NumRows)
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #temp(rowNum, adate) VALUES (@LocalCounter, GETDATE())
SET @LocalCounter += 1
END
--Do inserts using GUIDs
DECLARE @GUIDTimeStart DateTime = GETDATE()
INSERT INTO TestGuid2 (SomeDate, batchNumber)
SELECT adate, rowNum FROM #temp
DECLARE @GUIDTimeEnd DateTime = GETDATE()
--Do inserts using IDENTITY
DECLARE @IdTimeStart DateTime = GETDATE()
INSERT INTO TestInt (SomeDate, batchNumber)
SELECT adate, rowNum FROM #temp
DECLARE @IdTimeEnd DateTime = GETDATE()
SELECT DATEDIFF(ms, @IdTimeStart, @IdTimeEnd) AS IdTime, DATEDIFF(ms, @GUIDTimeStart, @GUIDTimeEnd) AS GuidTime
DROP TABLE TestGuid2
DROP TABLE TestInt
DROP TABLE #temp
GO...
--Do inserts using GUIDs
DECLARE @num INT = 2147483647;
DECLARE @GUIDTimeStart DATETIME = GETDATE();
INSERT INTO TestGuid2 (SomeDate, batchNumber)
SELECT TOP(@num) adate, rowNum FROM #temp;
DECLARE @GUIDTimeEnd DATETIME = GETDATE();
--Do inserts using IDENTITY
DECLARE @IdTimeStart DateTime = GETDATE()
INSERT INTO TestInt (SomeDate, batchNumber)
SELECT TOP(@num) adate, rowNum FROM #temp;
DECLARE @IdTimeEnd DateTime = GETDATE()
...Identity(s) Guid(s)
--------- -----
2.436 2.656
2.940 2.716
2.506 2.633
2.380 2.643
2.476 2.656
2.846 2.670
2.940 2.913
2.453 2.653
2.446 2.616
2.986 2.683
2.406 2.640
2.460 2.650
2.416 2.720
-----------------------
Avg 2.426 2.688
StdDev 0.010 0.032Context
StackExchange Database Administrators Q#9821, answer score: 19
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