SQL Server GUID sort algorithm. Why?

问题:

Problem with UniqueIdentifiers

We have an existing database which uses uniqueidentifiers extensively (unfortunately!) both as primary keys and some nullable columns of some tables. We came across a situation where some reports that run on these tables sort on these uniqueidentifiers because there is no other column in the table that would give a meaningful sort (isn't that ironic!). The intent was to sort so that it shows the items in the order they were inserted but they were not inserted using NewSequentialId() - hence a waste of time.

Fact about the Sort Algorithm

Anyway, considering SQL Server sorts uniqueidentifiers based on byte groups starting from the ending 5th byte group (6 bytes) and moving towards the 1st byte group (4 bytes) reversing the order on the 3rd byte-group (2 bytes) from right-left to left-right,

My Question

I was curious to know if there is any real life situation that this kinda sort helps at all.

How does SQL Server store the uniqueidentifier internally which might provide insight on why it has this whacky sort algorithm?

Reference:

Alberto Ferrari's discovery of the SQL Server GUID sort

Example

Uniqueidentifiers are sorted as shown below when you use a Order By on a uniqueidentifier column having the below data.

Please note that the below data is sorted ascendingly and highest sort preference is from the 5th byte group towards the 1st byte group (backwards).

-- 1st byte group of 4 bytes sorted in the reverse (left-to-right) order below -- 

01000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
10000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
00010000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
00100000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
00000100-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
00001000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
00000010-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

-- 2nd byte group of 2 bytes sorted in the reverse (left-to-right) order below -- 

00000000-0100-0000-0000-000000000000
00000000-1000-0000-0000-000000000000
00000000-0001-0000-0000-000000000000
00000000-0010-0000-0000-000000000000

-- 3rd byte group of 2 bytes sorted in the reverse (left-to-right) order below -- 

00000000-0000-0100-0000-000000000000
00000000-0000-1000-0000-000000000000
00000000-0000-0001-0000-000000000000
00000000-0000-0010-0000-000000000000

-- 4th byte group of 2 bytes sorted in the straight (right-to-left) order below -- 

00000000-0000-0000-0001-000000000000
00000000-0000-0000-0010-000000000000
00000000-0000-0000-0100-000000000000
00000000-0000-0000-1000-000000000000

-- 5th byte group of 6 bytes sorted in the straight (right-to-left) order below -- 

00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000010
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000100
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000001000
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000010000
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000100000
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000001000000
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000010000000
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000100000000
00000000-0000-0000-0000-001000000000
00000000-0000-0000-0000-010000000000
00000000-0000-0000-0000-100000000000

Code:

Alberto's code extended to denote that sorting is on the bytes and not on the individual bits.

With Test_UIDs As (--                     0 1 2 3  4 5  6 7  8 9  A B C D E F
            Select ID =  1, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-100000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID =  2, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-010000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID =  3, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-001000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID =  4, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000100000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID =  5, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000010000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID =  6, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000001000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID =  7, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000100000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID =  8, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000010000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID =  9, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000001000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 10, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000100' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 11, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000010' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 12, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 13, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0001-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 14, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0010-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 15, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-0100-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 16, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0000-1000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 17, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0001-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 18, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0010-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 19, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-0100-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 20, UID = cast ('00000000-0000-1000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 21, UID = cast ('00000000-0001-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 22, UID = cast ('00000000-0010-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 23, UID = cast ('00000000-0100-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 24, UID = cast ('00000000-1000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 25, UID = cast ('00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 26, UID = cast ('00000010-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 27, UID = cast ('00000100-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 28, UID = cast ('00001000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 29, UID = cast ('00010000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 30, UID = cast ('00100000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 31, UID = cast ('01000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
    Union   Select ID = 32, UID = cast ('10000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' as uniqueidentifier)
)
Select * From Test_UIDs Order By UID, ID

回答1:

The algorithm is documented by the SQL Server guys here: How are GUIDs compared in SQL Server 2005?

Plus, the sort follows byte groups endianness (see here: Globally unique identifier). The groups 10-15 and 8-9 are stored as big endian (corresponding to the Data4 in the wikipedia article), so they are compared as big endian. Other groups are compared using little endian.

回答2:

Necromancing.
A special service for those that find that the accepted answer a bit vague.
The code speaks for itselfs, the magical parts are

System.Guid g
g.ToByteArray();
int[] m_byteOrder = new int[16] // 16 Bytes = 128 Bit 
    {10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 8, 9, 6, 7, 4, 5, 0, 1, 2, 3};


public int Compare(Guid x, Guid y)
{
    byte byte1, byte2;

    //Swap to the correct order to be compared
    for (int i = 0; i < NUM_BYTES_IN_GUID; i++)
    {
        byte1 = x.ToByteArray()[m_byteOrder[i]];
        byte2 = y.ToByteArray()[m_byteOrder[i]];
        if (byte1 != byte2)
            return (byte1 < byte2) ? (int)EComparison.LT : (int)EComparison.GT;
    } // Next i 

    return (int)EComparison.EQ;
}

Full code:

namespace BlueMine.Data
{


    public class SqlGuid
        : System.IComparable
        , System.IComparable<SqlGuid>
        , System.Collections.Generic.IComparer<SqlGuid>
        , System.IEquatable<SqlGuid>
    {
        private const int NUM_BYTES_IN_GUID = 16;

        // Comparison orders.
        private static readonly int[] m_byteOrder = new int[16] // 16 Bytes = 128 Bit 
        {10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 8, 9, 6, 7, 4, 5, 0, 1, 2, 3};

        private byte[] m_bytes; // the SqlGuid is null if m_value is null


        public SqlGuid(byte[] guidBytes)
        {
            if (guidBytes == null || guidBytes.Length != NUM_BYTES_IN_GUID)
                throw new System.ArgumentException("Invalid array size");

            m_bytes = new byte[NUM_BYTES_IN_GUID];
            guidBytes.CopyTo(m_bytes, 0);
        }


        public SqlGuid(System.Guid g)
        {
            m_bytes = g.ToByteArray();
        }


        public byte[] ToByteArray()
        {
            byte[] ret = new byte[NUM_BYTES_IN_GUID];
            m_bytes.CopyTo(ret, 0);
            return ret;
        }

        int CompareTo(object obj)
        {
            if (obj == null)
                return 1; // https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.icomparable.compareto(v=vs.110).aspx

            System.Type t = obj.GetType();

            if (object.ReferenceEquals(t, typeof(System.DBNull)))
                return 1;

            if (object.ReferenceEquals(t, typeof(SqlGuid)))
            {
                SqlGuid ui = (SqlGuid)obj;
                return this.Compare(this, ui);
            } // End if (object.ReferenceEquals(t, typeof(UInt128)))

            return 1;
        } // End Function CompareTo(object obj)


        int System.IComparable.CompareTo(object obj)
        {
            return this.CompareTo(obj);
        }


        int CompareTo(SqlGuid other)
        {
            return this.Compare(this, other);
        }


        int System.IComparable<SqlGuid>.CompareTo(SqlGuid other)
        {
            return this.Compare(this, other);
        }


        enum EComparison : int
        {
            LT = -1, // itemA precedes itemB in the sort order.
            EQ = 0, // itemA occurs in the same position as itemB in the sort order.
            GT = 1 // itemA follows itemB in the sort order.
        }


        public int Compare(SqlGuid x, SqlGuid y)
        {
            byte byte1, byte2;

            //Swap to the correct order to be compared
            for (int i = 0; i < NUM_BYTES_IN_GUID; i++)
            {
                byte1 = x.m_bytes[m_byteOrder[i]];
                byte2 = y.m_bytes[m_byteOrder[i]];
                if (byte1 != byte2)
                    return (byte1 < byte2) ? (int)EComparison.LT : (int)EComparison.GT;
            } // Next i 

            return (int)EComparison.EQ;
        }


        int System.Collections.Generic.IComparer<SqlGuid>.Compare(SqlGuid x, SqlGuid y)
        {
            return this.Compare(x, y);
        }


        public bool Equals(SqlGuid other)
        {
            return Compare(this, other) == 0;
        }


        bool System.IEquatable<SqlGuid>.Equals(SqlGuid other)
        {
            return this.Equals(other);
        }


    }


}