When working with large tables in SQL Server, it is important to efficiently determine the total row count. The traditional method of using the SELECT COUNT(*) statement can be time-consuming, especially for large tables. In this article, we will explore an alternative approach to improve the speed of determining the total row count.

One way to determine the total row count is by using the sysindexes system table. This table contains a field called ROWS, which stores the total row count for each table in the database. By querying the sysindexes table, we can retrieve the row count without performing a full table scan.

Here is an example of how to use the sysindexes table to determine the total row count:

SELECT rows FROM sysindexes WHERE id = OBJECT_ID('table_name') AND indid < 2;

By replacing the table_name with the actual name of the table, you can retrieve the row count directly from the sysindexes table. This approach eliminates the need for a full table scan, resulting in improved performance.

To further optimize the performance, you can use the SET STATISTICS IO ON command to see the number of logical and physical read operations performed during the query execution. This can help identify any potential bottlenecks and optimize the query accordingly.

Here is an example of how to enable the SET STATISTICS IO ON command:

SET STATISTICS IO ON;

After enabling the SET STATISTICS IO ON command, you can execute the query to retrieve the row count. The results will include information about the number of logical and physical reads performed.

By utilizing the sysindexes table and enabling the SET STATISTICS IO ON command, you can significantly improve the speed of determining the total row count in SQL Server. This approach is applicable to both SQL Server 6.5 and SQL Server 7.0.

Thank you for reading this article. We hope you found these tips helpful in optimizing the performance of your SQL Server queries.