Frequently Asked Questions About Query Performance This section answers some of the frequently asked questions about query performance. What is Query Performance? What is the fastest type of text query? Should I collect statistics on my tables? How does the size of my data affect queries? How does the format of my data affect queries? What is a functional versus an indexed lookup? What tables are involved in queries? How is $R contention reduced? Does sorting the results slow a text-only query? How do I make an ORDER BY score query faster? Which memory settings affect querying? Does out-of-line LOB storage of wide base table columns improve performance? How can I make a CONTAINS query on more than one column faster? Is it OK to have many expansions in a query? How can local partition indexes help? Should I query in parallel? Should I index themes? When should I use a CTXCAT index? When is a CTXCAT index NOT suitable? What optimizer hints are available and what do they do?