What I thought was a strange filtered index problem but turned out to be a DB settings problem  Read more...

Foreign Keys are one of the fundamental characteristics of relational databases and enforce the referential integrity. Is it a good idea to index a FK relationship? When can it help?  Read more...

In this article, James Munro demonstrates an example of a simple query without an index and then that same query again with the index. A simple introduction to database indexing.  Read more...

The article show a simple way we managed to schedule index rebuild and reorg for an SQL instance with 106 databases used by one application using a Scheduled job.  Read more...

Grant Fritchey reviews Midnight DBA's Minion Reindex, a highly customizable set of scripts that take on the task of rebuilding and reorganizing your indexes.   Read more...

Presents an open-source T-SQL based version tracking system for MSSQL  Read more...

By this stage, you should be familiar with the basics of SQL Server indexes. We've discussed what an Index actually is, as well as some of the most common types you're likely to encounter. Now that we've seen some simple examples of how Indexes can be useful, we're going to delve deeper into nonclustered indexes, as we'll see how they can improve the performance of more complex queries.  Read more...

When a table has multiple indexes defined on the same columns, it produces duplicate indexes that waste space and have a negative impact on performance. This metric measures the number of possible duplicate indexes per database above a set threshold. You can then consider dropping the indexes and reverse the change.  Read more...

Indexes are the database objects that enable SQL Server to satisfy each data access request from a client application with the minimum amount of effort, resulting in the maximum performance of individual requests while also reducing the impact of one request upon another. Prerequisites: Familiarity with the following relational database concepts: Table, row, primary key, foreign key  Read more...

The MidnightDBAs have developed a free reindexing solution to help DBAs perform maintenance on their instances. Read about the solution and attend their webinar.  Read more...

SQL Server 2012 introduced columnstore indexes, which can immensely improve the performance of OLAP queries. How were they updated and improved in SQL Server 2014?  Read more...

Unique indexes are the database developer's responsibility. Non-unique indexes can be more easily maintained directly on the production database by an automated process.  Read more...

Duplicate & Overlapping Indexes can be a drag on write speed and disk resources. How do we find and eliminate them quickly and effectively?  Read more...

An important part of regular database maintenance is to monitor index usage and make adjustments as needed. How can we monitor, store, and trend this data effectively over time?  Read more...

The first thing you need to understand about SQL Server is indexes, but somehow many of the basic questions don't often get asked or answered much on forums. Rob Sheldon answers some of these questions about SQL Server Indexes and indexing.  Read more...

This tip will explore two features to speed up SQL Server index and statistics maintenance in the SQL Server Enterprise, Standard and Express editions.  Read more...

As a developer, if you need to go into the database and write queries, design tables, or determine the configuration of your SQL Server Systems, these tips should help make sure you're not unnecessarily sacrificing database performance. This eBook has 45 easy tips to improve the performance of your indexes and T-SQL queries, and hunt down problems within ORM tools and database design.   Read more...

Internal and external fragmentation – Causes, cures, and when not to care  Read more...

Understanding indexes and how they work can be complicated enough for a Jr. DBA, but throw in all the different options and properties and an index can soon be overwhelming. Brady Upton takes an introductory look at creating an index in SQL Server using SQL Server Management Studio. He explains what each index property is meant for and the various options presented.  Read more...

New author Nilav Ghosh brings us a performance tuning article to help your queries run better. This article examines how indexes can help reduce blocking.  Read more...