TempDB is a vital cog in the complex machine that is SQL Server, and its main purpose is to act as a repository for transient data, which you may already know.
The question, then, is why it is a necessary facet in the first place and what benefits come from having a place where data can exist on a temporary basis, before being discarded altogether. To answer that, let’s dive into the intricacies of TempDB in a little more detail and bring newcomers up to speed with its role in SQL Server.
The data involved
When considering SQL Server’s perks and pitfalls when storing transient data using TempDB, it is important to recognize that there are several types of information that can end up in this database.
Firstly, it is responsible for storing user data and objects that are generated by whatever apps and services are reliant on your particular SQL Server instance at any one time.
Secondly, internal data and objects created by whatever actions SQL Server is implementing itself are harbored by TempDB.
Finally, version store is also housed here, allowing processes to access data and run smoothly without constantly blocking and locking one another.
In short, all of this comes together to mean that TempDB is essential because it is the central scratchpad on which all other SQL Server functions can operate, empowering the concurrency model that is so valuable to the platform as a whole.
The performance implications
Now you know why SQL Server makes use of TempDB to store transient data, it is worth establishing how this can impact performance as and when issues arise.
For example, if TempDB is not correctly configured then its storage resources could become exhausted and an entire server instance may be incapable of operating as intended.
Likewise, if there are page contention complications involving TempDB, operations may take longer to carry out than expected and end users will be forced to twiddle their thumbs when they could really be getting on with something else.
Version store itself can be a millstone around the neck of TempDB if the cleanup operations which are used to remove older versions do not manage to complete in good time.
If any or all of these common problems rear their ugly heads, then it will quickly become apparent just how crucial TempDB is in this context.
The monitoring advantage
For all of the reasons covered so far, it is sensible to take TempDB monitoring seriously and empower yourself with the information you need to highlight concerning aspects of its operation and troubleshoot them as soon as possible.
With the help of modern monitoring tools it is simple to keep an eye on TempDB and also to automate the processes needed to remedy unhelpful scenarios that are brewing just beneath its calm surface. As with learning any skill, over time you will know what to look for and how to patch problems before they are exacerbated through inattentiveness.
