Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 8
Windows Azure SQL Database
Views, Indexes, and Federations
Objectives
◾
Develop views for database applications
◾
Create and manage indexes
◾
Work with federations
8.1 Introduction
After a database is created, the next step is to develop database applications such as forms and
reports. Database applications are used to display and manage the data extracted from various data
sources such as databases or spreadsheets. In the previous chapter, several SQL programming units
such as functions, procedures, and triggers are introduced. hese programming units in general
include multiple SQL statements to accomplish tasks such as extracting information from data-
bases, managing database objects, and dynamically responding to certain events. In this chapter,
more database SQL programming units such as views, indexes, and federations will be introduced.
hese SQL programming units are used for improving the performance and scalability.
Often, a database application extracts data from databases, displays data for front-end users,
or saves new data or modiied data back to the databases. For many interaction-intensive appli-
cations, using tables directly will generate frequent table searching and updating that hold back
database performance. It is also not secure to allow the front-end users to directly access a database
through a database application. he SQL programming unit,
view
, can be developed to improve
the database performance by precollecting the data needed for a database application. A view can
be used to carry out calculations, which signiicantly reduce the database performance if they are
done on tables. If database applications directly communicate with views, not tables, this will
improve performance and security.
