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Batch Mode Normalization

Paul White digs into batch mode normalization and its consequences for performance:

I mentioned in the introduction that not all eight-byte data types can fit in 64 bits. This fact is important because many columnstore and batch mode performance optimizations only work with data 64 bits in size. Aggregate pushdown is one of those things. There are many more performance features (not all documented) that work best (or at all) only when the data fits in 64 bits.

In our specific example, aggregate pushdown is disabled for a columnstore segment when it contains even one data value that does not fit in 64 bits. SQL Server can determine this from the minimum and maximum value metadata associated with each segment without checking all the data. Each segment is evaluated separately.

Paul goes deep into the concept, making this well worth your while.