1
The choice between a Materialized View and a Table with a Stored Procedure (SP) depends on the use case, performance requirements, and how frequently the data needs to be updated.
1. Materialized View
A Materialized View (MV) is a precomputed result set that is stored physically and can be refreshed periodically.
Pros:
- Fast Read Performance – Since the data is precomputed, querying a materialized view is much faster than computing the result every time.
- Automatic Refresh Options – Can be refreshed on a schedule (
ON COMMIT or ON DEMAND).
- Indexes and Optimizations – Can be indexed just like a table for faster queries.
- Reduces Load on Base Tables – Since queries run on the materialized view, the base tables are not hit frequently.
Cons:
- Storage Overhead – Since data is physically stored, it takes up space.
- Refresh Cost – Keeping data updated requires running a refresh process (
FAST, COMPLETE, or INCREMENTAL refresh).
- Not Always Real-Time – Depending on refresh frequency, data may not always be up-to-date.
2. Table with Stored Procedure
A Table with an SP means creating a table to store precomputed results and using a stored procedure to update/populate the table.
Pros:
- More Control Over Updates – You can decide when and how the table gets updated.
- Optimized for Writes – Can use batch updates, indexes, and partitions efficiently.
- Better for Complex Logic – A stored procedure allows using loops, conditions, and transactions to handle more advanced data processing.
- Triggers and Scheduling Possible – Can be scheduled via jobs (SQL Server Agent, Cron, etc.).
Cons:
- More Maintenance Overhead – You have to write and manage the stored procedure.
- Slower Read Performance (Compared to MV) – Querying a table might be slightly slower than an MV, depending on indexing and optimizations.
- Risk of Stale Data – If the stored procedure is not executed at the right frequency, data might become outdated.
Which One is Best?
| Factor |
Materialized View |
Table with SP |
| Performance |
Faster reads, precomputed data |
Slightly slower reads but optimized writes |
| Storage |
Requires extra storage for MV |
Requires storage for the table |
| Flexibility |
Limited flexibility (based on SQL query) |
Highly flexible (can use procedural logic) |
| Refresh Control |
Can be auto-refreshed, but limited control |
Full control over when and how data updates |
| Use Case |
Best for frequent reads with fewer updates |
Best for complex transformations and controlled updates |
When to Use What?
1 Why Use a Table with a Stored Procedure?
- The company wants full control over when the data is updated.
- The report may need to include additional logic or transformations that are easier to implement in a stored procedure.
- Real-time data is not required, but flexibility in updating the data is important.
Implementation
-
Create the Table
CREATE TABLE DailySalesReport (
StoreID INT,
TotalSales DECIMAL(18, 2),
AverageSales DECIMAL(18, 2),
TotalTransactions INT
);
-
Create the Stored Procedure
CREATE PROCEDURE UpdateDailySalesReport
AS
BEGIN
TRUNCATE TABLE DailySalesReport;
INSERT INTO DailySalesReport (StoreID, TotalSales, AverageSales, TotalTransactions)
SELECT
StoreID,
SUM(SalesAmount) AS TotalSales,
AVG(SalesAmount) AS AverageSales,
COUNT(TransactionID) AS TotalTransactions
FROM Sales
GROUP BY StoreID;
END;
-
Execute the Stored Procedure Run the stored procedure manually or schedule it using a job scheduler:
EXEC UpdateDailySalesReport;
-
Query the Table
SELECT * FROM DailySalesReport WHERE StoreID = 101;
Advantages
- Full control over when the data is updated.
- Flexibility to add custom logic or transformations in the stored procedure.
- No additional storage overhead for maintaining a separate materialized view.
Disadvantages
- Query performance may be slower compared to a materialized view, especially for large datasets.
- Requires manual execution or scheduling of the stored procedure.
Choose Materialized View If:
- You need fast query performance for read-heavy workloads.
- The data does not need to be real-time.
- You want to simplify querying by precomputing results.
Choose Table with Stored Procedure If:
- You need full control over when the data is updated.
- The report requires complex logic or transformations.
- You want to avoid additional storage overhead for a materialized view.
1 Both Materialized Views and Tables with Stored Procedures (SP) have their own use cases, advantages, and disadvantages. The choice between them depends on the specific requirements of your application, such as performance, data freshness, and complexity.
There is a common case for example a retail company wants to generate a daily sales report for all stores. The report includes:
- Total sales per store.
- Average sales per product category.
- Total number of transactions.
The company needs to decide whether to use a Materialized View or a Table with a Stored Procedure to generate this report.
Why Use a Materialized View?
- The sales report is generated daily and does not require real-time data.
- The report is read-heavy, and performance is critical.
- The materialized view can be refreshed once a day during off-peak hours.
Implementation
-
Create the Materialized View
CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW DailySalesReport AS
SELECT
StoreID,
SUM(SalesAmount) AS TotalSales,
AVG(SalesAmount) AS AverageSales,
COUNT(TransactionID) AS TotalTransactions
FROM Sales
GROUP BY StoreID;
Refresh the Materialized View Schedule a daily refresh using a database job (e.g., in PostgreSQL or Oracle):
REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW DailySalesReport;
Query the Materialized View
SELECT * FROM DailySalesReport WHERE StoreID = 101;
Advantages
- Fast query performance for read-heavy operations.
- Simplifies querying by precomputing the results.
- Reduces the load on the database during peak hours.
Disadvantages
- Data is not real-time; it is only as fresh as the last refresh.
- Requires additional storage for the materialized view.
