Should I create a new index ? why or why not

  • Hi All,

    I got confused with indexes so i really appreciate if someone clear me about it. Let's say I have 10 indexes for a table. And I need one more. My question is what should i do before creating the new one.

    1) Execute a script that shows usage statistics. If any index is not being used then i should drop it.

    2) After 1st step, I check out if the new index covers the existing ones. In case of the new index does not cover, I create it.

    These are the only things i consider about. What should i add to my steps ? Any suggestions ?

    Thanks in advance.

  • If the other indexes were created for a reason and the code hasn't been modified, then the likely answer is that they're still needed. You can look at the usage stats, but since that gets reset by a number of factors, it might not accurately reflect when and how the index gets used. Maybe it's only important once a month or something.

    First, before adding another index where there are already 10, I would measure the INSERT speed on that table. Also, I'd evaluate all 10 indexes to ensure they're not already duplicating one another (for example, how many of them start with the same column in the key?). Then, I might consider if adding another is warranted.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Look at existing index usage and missing index stats. The first thing is to verify that you have the best clustered index. Once that is done, you can work on the nonclustered index(es).

    The longer SQL Server has been continuously running, the more complete your index usage stats will be.

    Please (1) put your db name and table name/pattern into the following code (2) run the code and (3) post the results.

    --!! chg to your db name

    USE [<your_db_name>]

    SET DEADLOCK_PRIORITY LOW --probably irrelevent, but just in case

    DECLARE @list_missing_indexes bit

    DECLARE @table_name_pattern sysname

    SET @list_missing_indexes = 1 --1=list missing index(es); 0=don't.

    --!! put your table name/name pattern here

    SET @table_name_pattern = '%'

    PRINT 'Started @ ' + CONVERT(varchar(30), GETDATE(), 120)

    --SELECT create_date FROM sys.databases WITH (NOLOCK) WHERE name = N'tempdb'

    IF @list_missing_indexes = 1

    BEGIN

    SELECT

    GETDATE() AS capture_date,

    DB_NAME(mid.database_id) AS Db_Name,

    OBJECT_NAME(mid.object_id /*, mid.database_id*/) AS Table_Name,

    mid.equality_columns, mid.inequality_columns, mid.included_columns,

    ca1.sql_up_days AS days_in_use,

    migs.*,

    mid.statement, mid.object_id, mid.index_handle

    FROM sys.dm_db_missing_index_details mid WITH (NOLOCK)

    CROSS APPLY (

    SELECT DATEDIFF(DAY, create_date, GETDATE()) AS sql_up_days FROM sys.databases WHERE name = 'tempdb'

    ) AS ca1

    LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.dm_db_missing_index_groups mig WITH (NOLOCK) ON

    mig.index_handle = mid.index_handle

    LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.dm_db_missing_index_group_stats migs WITH (NOLOCK) ON

    migs.group_handle = mig.index_group_handle

    --order by

    --DB_NAME, Table_Name, equality_columns

    WHERE

    1 = 1

    AND mid.database_id = DB_ID()

    AND OBJECT_NAME(mid.object_id) LIKE @table_name_pattern

    ORDER BY

    --avg_total_user_cost * (user_seeks + user_scans) DESC,

    Db_Name, Table_Name, equality_columns, inequality_columns

    END --IF

    -- list index usage stats (seeks, scans, etc.)

    SELECT

    ius2.row_num, DB_NAME() AS db_name,

    i.name AS index_name,

    OBJECT_NAME(i.object_id/*, DB_ID()*/) AS table_name,

    i.index_id, --ius.user_seeks + ius.user_scans AS total_reads,

    dps.row_count,

    SUBSTRING(key_cols, 3, 8000) AS key_cols, SUBSTRING(nonkey_cols, 3, 8000) AS nonkey_cols,

    ius.user_seeks, ius.user_scans, ius.user_lookups, ius.user_updates,

    ius.last_user_seek, ius.last_user_scan, ius.last_user_lookup, ius.last_user_update,

    fk.Reference_Count AS fk_ref_count,

    FILEGROUP_NAME(i.data_space_id) AS filegroup_name,

    ca1.sql_up_days AS days_in_use,

    ius.system_seeks, ius.system_scans, ius.system_lookups, ius.system_updates,

    ius.last_system_seek, ius.last_system_scan, ius.last_system_lookup, ius.last_system_update

    FROM sys.indexes i WITH (NOLOCK)

    INNER JOIN sys.objects o WITH (NOLOCK) ON

    o.object_id = i.object_id

    CROSS APPLY (

    SELECT DATEDIFF(DAY, create_date, GETDATE()) AS sql_up_days FROM sys.databases WHERE name = 'tempdb'

    ) AS ca1

    OUTER APPLY (

    SELECT

    ', ' + COL_NAME(object_id, ic.column_id)

    FROM sys.index_columns ic

    WHERE

    ic.key_ordinal > 0 AND

    ic.object_id = i.object_id AND

    ic.index_id = i.index_id

    ORDER BY

    ic.key_ordinal

    FOR XML PATH('')

    ) AS key_cols (key_cols)

    OUTER APPLY (

    SELECT

    ', ' + COL_NAME(object_id, ic.column_id)

    FROM sys.index_columns ic

    WHERE

    ic.key_ordinal = 0 AND

    ic.object_id = i.object_id AND

    ic.index_id = i.index_id

    ORDER BY

    COL_NAME(object_id, ic.column_id)

    FOR XML PATH('')

    ) AS nonkey_cols (nonkey_cols)

    LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.dm_db_partition_stats dps WITH (NOLOCK) ON

    dps.object_id = i.object_id AND

    dps.index_id = i.index_id

    LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats ius WITH (NOLOCK) ON

    ius.database_id = DB_ID() AND

    ius.object_id = i.object_id AND

    ius.index_id = i.index_id

    LEFT OUTER JOIN (

    SELECT

    database_id, object_id, MAX(user_scans) AS user_scans,

    ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY MAX(user_scans) DESC) AS row_num --user_scans|user_seeks+user_scans

    FROM sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats WITH (NOLOCK)

    WHERE

    database_id = DB_ID()

    --AND index_id > 0

    GROUP BY

    database_id, object_id

    ) AS ius2 ON

    ius2.database_id = DB_ID() AND

    ius2.object_id = i.object_id

    LEFT OUTER JOIN (

    SELECT

    referenced_object_id, COUNT(*) AS Reference_Count

    FROM sys.foreign_keys

    WHERE

    is_disabled = 0

    GROUP BY

    referenced_object_id

    ) AS fk ON

    fk.referenced_object_id = i.object_id

    WHERE

    i.object_id > 100 AND

    i.is_hypothetical = 0 AND

    i.type IN (0, 1, 2) AND

    o.type NOT IN ( 'IF', 'IT', 'TF', 'TT' ) AND

    (

    o.name LIKE @table_name_pattern AND

    o.name NOT LIKE 'dtprop%' AND

    o.name NOT LIKE 'filestream[_]' AND

    o.name NOT LIKE 'MSpeer%' AND

    o.name NOT LIKE 'MSpub%' AND

    --o.name NOT LIKE 'queue[_]%' AND

    o.name NOT LIKE 'sys%'

    )

    --AND OBJECT_NAME(i.object_id, DB_ID()) IN ('tbl1', 'tbl2', 'tbl3')

    ORDER BY

    --row_count DESC,

    --ius.user_scans DESC,

    --ius2.row_num, --user_scans+user_seeks

    -- list clustered index first, if any, then other index(es)

    db_name, table_name, CASE WHEN i.index_id IN (0, 1) THEN 1 ELSE 2 END, index_name

    PRINT 'Ended @ ' + CONVERT(varchar(30), GETDATE(), 120)

    SQL DBA,SQL Server MVP(07, 08, 09) "It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear." "Norm", on "Cheers". Also from "Cheers", from "Carla": "You need to know 3 things about Tortelli men: Tortelli men draw women like flies; Tortelli men treat women like flies; Tortelli men's brains are in their flies".

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