Answer
SQL requests memory for sorting and hashing. Over-grants cause waits; under-grants cause spills to TempDB.
Quick Answer
SQL Server pre-allocates memory (a memory grant) for sort and hash operations based on cardinality estimates. Too small → spills to TempDB, slowing the query. Too large → wastes memory, blocks other queries from getting grants. Fix bad grants by fixing statistics so estimates are accurate.
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SugharaIQ Editorial Team
Verified Answer
This answer has been peer-reviewed by industry experts holding senior engineering roles to ensure technical accuracy and relevance for modern interview standards.
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Source: SugharaIQ