Can we fix query performance issues without any code changes? Making application changes can be an expensive undertaking or entirely out of your control. Hence, developers and DBAs want the query processor to adapt to their workload needs vs. using options and trace flags to gain performance. Adaptation is the idea behind Intelligent Query Processing (IQP) in the newer versions of SQL Server. In this demo-heavy presentation, I will walk you through seven intelligent query processing features introduced in SQL Server 2022, 2019, and 2017. I will help you identify features built on top of the Query Store. We will look at the pros and cons of using these features and control them if you are not ready to utilize them.

Attending this session will teach you the new capabilities of intelligent query processing and equip you with powerful tools to convince your peers to upgrade SQL Server and databases to the latest build on-premises and in the cloud.

Prerequisites:
A basic understanding of query processing, familiarity with estimated and actual execution plans, and knowledge of measuring query execution performance are required.

Goals:
1. Learn about the members of Intelligent Query Processing that have developed since SQL Server 2017
2. Understand what kind of issue each feature solves and how it does so.
3. How to enable or disable these features at the server, database, session, and query level