Slow response from sys.syscomments

  • SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition 9.00.3042.00. I work with an application that uses it's own schema management sub-app. The sub-app queries sys.syscomments to determine actions needed for the app schema like column modifications, etc.

    My problem: I have one database where the following query takes 2-5 seconds:

    select text from syscomments where object_name(id) = '<some name>';

    The problem is that this query is called several hundred times so a 2 minute process can take 20-30 minutes. I copied the database to a new database in the same server instance - the query is instant. I understand I can 'fix' this by simply export/importing the database to a new one - but I would really like to understand what the problem is.

    Ideas?

    Thanks!

  • Your query causes a full table scan.

    To get good performance the query should look like this:

    select text from syscomments where id=object_id('dbo.ObjectName')

  • Thank you for the response. I'm still concerned though, I understand a full scan would cause the difference in time. What I don't get (and I'm not finding the information on research) is why this system view would differ in results like that.

    Here's a better explanation of the results:

    use master

    select text from syscomments where object_name(id) = '<some name>'

    [ 0 rows; 0 sec]

    use <bad db>

    select text from syscomments where object_name(id) = '<some name>'

    [ 0 rows; 2 sec]

    use <copy of bad database from "SQL Management Object method" on the same lun>

    select text from syscomments where object_name(id) = '<some name>'

    [ 0 rows; 0 sec]

    Index fragmentation is small - database is not busy.

  • Sounds like a fragmentation issue with some system tables, or perhaps some kind of database corruption.

    To me the best fix seems to be to simply avoid full scans of the syscomments view

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