Denali: Improved T-SQL Query Optimization
Part of the value in the ongoing evolution of the T-SQL language is that we are moving further and further towards being declarative rather than prescriptive ie: we are able to tell SQL Server what we want, rather than how to do it. Over time, that raises more and more possibilities for the optimizer to work with us to achieve a better outcome.
For example, note the following query against the AdventureWorksDW database:
2011-09-11