disable /enable indices? Is it worth it?

  • We are loading large number of records in table and i am trying to find the best approach.

    i) Disable all indices including cluster and non-cluster.

    ii) Load all the data

    iii) Re-enable all indices.

    I came across mixed responses online. Since we are enabling the indices anyway, why even disable them? I am guessing it will take the same amount of time to enable them back compared to have it enabled when we are loading the data. If we do not disable the index , we will need to update the stats which will also take some time.

    Also, wouldn't i just need to re-enable clustered index and that should also take care of nc indices?

    If there is a better way to do this please let me know.

  • If you disable the clustered index, the entire table is inaccessible (can't be read or modified), so you can't do that before a load or the load will fail.

    As for disable NC indexes before and enable afterwards, maybe. There's no hard answer that works everywhere. It depends on the overhead the indexes would put on the insert and on how long it takes to rebuild them. You have to test and see what works in your situation

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • GilaMonster (10/6/2013)


    If you disable the clustered index, the entire table is inaccessible (can't be read or modified), so you can't do that before a load or the load will fail.

    As for disable NC indexes before and enable afterwards, maybe. There's no hard answer that works everywhere. It depends on the overhead the indexes would put on the insert and on how long it takes to rebuild them. You have to test and see what works in your situation

    what happens if i drop the clustered index and re-create the clustered index after the load? Would that speed up the process?

  • Drop the clustered index = recreate the entire table and rebuild all nonclustered indexes

    Create the clustered index = recreate the entire table (again) and rebuild all nonclustered indexes (again)

    Given that, what do you think?

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • GilaMonster (10/6/2013)


    Drop the clustered index = recreate the entire table and rebuild all nonclustered indexes

    Create the clustered index = recreate the entire table (again) and rebuild all nonclustered indexes (again)

    Given that, what do you think?

    Got it, what if PK is not a clustered index, so basically PK is a non-clustered index. Can we disable PK which is nc index?thanks

  • curious_sqldba (10/6/2013)


    Can we disable PK which is nc index?thanks

    you cant disable PK infact you can drop the constraint and think how would you maintain the uniqueness

    because

    if duplicate records get inserted and it will need extra and useless attention to remove duplicacy and create PK

    -------Bhuvnesh----------
    I work only to learn Sql Server...though my company pays me for getting their stuff done;-)

  • curious_sqldba (10/6/2013)


    Can we disable PK which is nc index?thanks

    Do you want to disable data integrity constraints in your table? Do you want to potentially allow bad data in and have it so that the constraints can't be recreated?

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

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