How to properly make asynchronous / parallel database calls

Question

I\'m looking for the proper way to handle multiple database calls that would likely benefit from running simultaneously. The queries are just to stored procedures that are

Answer 1

Here is an example of how you would do it:

Here I am creating two methods to wrap two operations, you need to do the same for the other operations:

public async Task<int> MergeOneDataTableAsync()
{
    // Merge One procedure
    using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("MergeOneProcedure", dbc))
    {
        // 5 minute timeout on the query
        cmd.CommandTimeout = 300;
        cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
        cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@TVP", MergeOneDataTable);

        return await cmd.ExecuteNonQueryAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
    }
}


public async Task<int> MergeTwoDataTableAsync()
{
    // Merge Two procedure
    using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("MergeTwoProcedure", dbc))
    {
        // 5 minute timeout on the query
        cmd.CommandTimeout = 300;
        cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
        cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@TVP", MergeTwoDataTable);

        return await cmd.ExecuteNonQueryAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
    }
}

Notice that I am using the ExecuteNonQueryAsync method to execute the query.

And then your original method would look like this:

using (var dbc = new SqlConnection(db.Database.Connection.ConnectionString))
{
    dbc.Open();

    Task<int> task1 = MergeOneDataTableAsync();
    Task<int> task2 = MergeTwoDataTableAsync();

    Task.WaitAll(new Task[]{task1,task2}); //synchronously wait

    recordedStatistics.Add("mergeOne", task1.Result);
    recordedStatistics.Add("mergeTwo", task2.Result);
}

Please note that I am keeping this method synchronous. Another option (actually a better one) is to convert the method into an asynchronous one like this:

public async Task<Dictionary<string, int>> MyOriginalMethod()
{
    //...
    using (var dbc = new SqlConnection(db.Database.Connection.ConnectionString))
    {
        dbc.Open();

        Task<int> task1 = MergeOneDataTableAsync();
        Task<int> task2 = MergeTwoDataTableAsync();

        int[] results = await Task.WhenAll(new Task<int>[]{task1,task2});

        recordedStatistics.Add("mergeOne", results[0]);
        recordedStatistics.Add("mergeTwo", results[1]);
    }

    //...
    return recordedStatistics;
}

But this would mean that you have to invoke it asynchronously (async all the way).