This document discusses using JSON in SQL Server. It begins with background on the author and an overview of topics to be covered. The document then defines what JSON is, why it would be used, and when it is appropriate to store JSON in SQL. Examples of using JSON for ETL, reporting, and database object maintenance are provided. Performance comparisons are shown between JSON, XML, and .NET. The document concludes that JSON can be fully manipulated in SQL Server 2016 and is preferable to XML for new projects, especially with improvements in SQL Server 2017.
3. Background
• BI developer @ Progressive Insurance for 6+ years
• I ❤ JSON – I use it in APIs, hardware projects, websites
• I also ❤ SQL – relational database structures
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4. Overview
• What is JSON?
• Why use JSON?
• When is it appropriate to store JSON in SQL?
• Usage examples:
• ETL and reporting
• Database object maintenance
• Performance parsing
• Performance comparisons
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Demo code and slides available at bertwagner.com
15. Demos
1. ETL and reporting
2. Database object maintenance
3. Performance parsing w/ computed column indexes
4. SQL JSON vs XML vs .NET performance comparisons
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16. Performance Results - XML
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• JSON faster in almost all categories
• If considering entire app performance, maybe faster in
all categories
17. Performance Results - .NET
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• Competitive with C# libraries
• Indexes on computed columns are BLAZING!
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JSON – What’s new in SQL Server 2017?
• Clustered column store indexes support nvarchar(max)
• Compression
• Faster (maybe)
• In memory-optimized tables
• Computed columns
• All JSON functions supported
19. Recap
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• Many good (and bad) uses for JSON in SQL exist
• JSON can be fully manipulated in SQL Server 2016
• JSON is preferable to XML for new projects
• JSON performance is comparable to .NET, faster with
computed column indexes
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Appendix
Software for keeping screen region on top
• On Top Replica
Blog posts and YouTube videos:
• SQL Server JSON Usage - Parsing
• SQL Server JSON Usage - Creating
• SQL Server JSON Usage - Updating, Adding, Deleting
• Performance Comparisons - .NET
• Performance Comparisons - XML
• Performance Comparisons - .NET and XML Redux
• JSON Computed Column Indexes
• Jovan Popovic’s JSON posts
Microsoft Connect
• Add an option to JSON_MODIFY() to fully delete values from arrays