Are Stored Procedures Always More Efficient Than Inline SQL in Modern RDBMSs?

Are Stored Procedures More Efficient than Inline Statements on Modern RDBMSs?

Conventional wisdom dictates that stored procedures have always outperformed inline statements. However, with advancements in modern Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMSs), it's essential to re-evaluate this assumption.

Historical Performance Benefits of Stored Procedures:

Traditionally, stored procedures offered performance enhancements due to:

• Pre-parsed SQL
• Pre-generated query execution plans
• Reduced network latency
• Potential cache benefits

Modern Considerations:

• Pre-parsed SQL: While still an advantage, parsing overhead is negligible on modern CPUs.
• Pre-generated Query Execution Plans: Many RDBMSs now cache query plans for individual SQL statements, reducing the performance difference with stored procedures.
• Network Latency: High-speed Ethernet networks have made this benefit less significant.
• Cache Benefits: Stored procedures can still provide an edge when server-side data transformations are required.

Parameterization and Ad Hoc SQL:

• Parameterized SQL: Utilizes parameters for query values, enabling query execution plan caching and performance gains similar to stored procedures.
• Ad Hoc SQL: Some RDBMSs can abstract ad hoc SQL into parameterized versions, blurring the performance distinction.

Conclusion:

While stored procedures can still provide performance benefits in certain scenarios, such as complex SQL queries or server-side data transformations, they are not universally more efficient than inline statements in modern RDBMSs. Parameterization and advanced optimizer capabilities have significantly closed the gap. Therefore, it's important to avoid overusing stored procedures for performance reasons alone and to carefully assess each situation to determine the optimal approach.

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