Updated to remove all union
declare @tbl table (
idx int identity(1,1) primary key,
startdate datetime,
enddate datetime);
insert into @tbl (startdate, enddate)
select '2009-01-01', '2009-01-05'
union all select '2009-01-02', '2009-01-04'
union all select '2009-01-01', '2009-01-03'
union all select '2009-01-03', '2009-01-06'
union all select '2009-01-04', '2009-01-07'
union all select '2009-01-05', '2009-01-08'
select idx, startdate
, (select sum(in_or_out)
from (
select case when startdate<=all_events.startdate then 1 else 0 end
+ case when enddate <= all_events.startdate then -1 else 0 end as in_or_out
from @tbl
where startdate <= all_events.startdate
or enddate <= all_events.startdate) as previous
) as concurent
from @tbl all_events
order by startdate
This gives a timeline for the start session with counting matching sessions at the time of starting a new session:
idx startdate concurent
3 2009-01-01 00:00:00.000 2
1 2009-01-01 00:00:00.000 2
2 2009-01-02 00:00:00.000 3
4 2009-01-03 00:00:00.000 3
5 2009-01-04 00:00:00.000 3
6 2009-01-05 00:00:00.000 3
To get the original request (a set of matching sessions with maximum consistency), you need to run this request twice, once to get the maximum matching sessions and once to get the start dates of the sessions that have the maximum amount of time, and then you must go through these sessions.
Update
OK, so here is one query that retrieves the maximum matching sessions. I changed the test data to remove the overlap of the end and the beginning: [/ p>
declare @tbl table (
idx int identity(1,1) primary key,
startdate datetime,
enddate datetime);
insert into @tbl (startdate, enddate)
select '2009-01-01', '2009-01-04 23:59:59'
union all select '2009-01-02', '2009-01-03 23:59:59'
union all select '2009-01-01', '2009-01-02 23:59:59'
union all select '2009-01-03', '2009-01-03 23:59:59'
union all select '2009-01-04', '2009-01-04 23:59:59'
union all select '2009-01-05', '2009-01-05 23:59:59'
select max_concurent_starts.startdate as concurentdate
, session.*
from (
select *
,(
select sum(in_or_out)
from (
select case when startdate<=all_events.startdate then 1 else 0 end
+ case when enddate <= all_events.startdate then -1 else 0 end
as in_or_out
from @tbl
where startdate <= all_events.startdate
or enddate <= all_events.startdate) as previous
) as concurent
from @tbl all_events) as max_concurent_starts
join @tbl as session
on session.startdate <= max_concurent_starts.startdate
and session.enddate >= max_concurent_starts.startdate
where concurent = (
select top 1 concurent
from (
select (
select sum(in_or_out)
from (
select case when startdate<=all_events.startdate then 1 else 0 end
+ case when enddate <= all_events.startdate then -1 else 0 end
as in_or_out
from @tbl
where startdate <= all_events.startdate
or enddate <= all_events.startdate) as previous
) as concurent
from @tbl all_events) as all_events_with_concurent
order by concurent desc)
order by concurentdate, startdate;
This gives the result:
concurentdate idx startdate enddate
2009-01-02 00:00:00.000 3 2009-01-01 00:00:00.000 2009-01-02 23:59:59.000
2009-01-02 00:00:00.000 1 2009-01-01 00:00:00.000 2009-01-04 23:59:59.000
2009-01-02 00:00:00.000 2 2009-01-02 00:00:00.000 2009-01-03 23:59:59.000
2009-01-03 00:00:00.000 1 2009-01-01 00:00:00.000 2009-01-04 23:59:59.000
2009-01-03 00:00:00.000 2 2009-01-02 00:00:00.000 2009-01-03 23:59:59.000
2009-01-03 00:00:00.000 4 2009-01-03 00:00:00.000 2009-01-03 23:59:59.000
: 2009-01-02 00:00:00 3 (3, 1 2), . , 2009-01-03 00:00:00 3 (1, 2 4) .
. 1 SQL 2005 CTE.