Database Performance Standards

Standard Metadata

• Area: Performance
• Owner: Technical Leadership group
• Last reviewed: 2026-09-09
• Next review due from: 2026-12-01
• Enforcement: Roslyn Analysis / Code review
• Status: Active

Regular database reindexing must be performed · PERF-01.1 · MUST · DEV

Where possible, regular database reindexing should be automated, e.g. a script running on a schedule.

Data archiving must be considered · PERF-01.2 · MUST · DEV

This may not always be possible, but must always be considered.

Database queries must be optimized · PERF-01.3 · MUST · DEV

Basic optimizations must be performed, for example:

• Projecting entities to a DTO if an untracked subset of data is needed
• Applying in-database filtering to restrict data returned to what is required
• Using the most efficient aggregation technique, e.g. if using Entity Framework, prefer Any() over Count() > 0
• If using Entity Framework, eliminate unnecessary Include() statements and don’t track entities that will not be updated