INF: ISQL Is Faster When Output Is Sent to Disk File (73212)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft SQL Server 4.2x
  • Microsoft SQL Server 6.0
  • Microsoft SQL Server 6.5
  • Microsoft SQL Server 7.0
  • Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Service Pack 1
This article was previously published under Q73212

SUMMARY

Performing large queries or using the DBCC CHECKALLOC or DBCC CHECKDB commands can generate a great deal of output. When using ISQL, the execution speed of these queries increases significantly if you send the output from ISQL to a hard disk file.

MORE INFORMATION

For example, execute SELECT * FROM MASTER..SYSMESSAGES from ISQL. On one test computer, sending the output to the screen took about one minute and 30 seconds. Sending the output to a hard disk file took less than 15 seconds.

To direct the output to a file, run ISQL with the following command line:

ISQL /S<server> /U<login> /P<password> /i<input_file> /o<output_file>


where <input_file> is an ASCII text file that contains the TRANSACT-SQL commands and <output_file> is the disk file that stores the results. Note that the command is case-sensitive and there are no spaces between the switches and the parameters. For example:

ISQL /Sgizmo /Usa /P /isqlin.txt /osqlout.txt

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:2/14/2005
Keywords:KB73212
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