Sql-server – Reorganise index vs Rebuild Index in Sql Server Maintenance plan

maintenance-planrebuildreorganizesql-server

In the SSW rules to better SQL Server Database there is an example of a full database maintenance plan: SSW. In the example they run both a Reorganize Index and then a Rebuild Index and then Update Statistics. Is there any point to this? I thought Reorganize Index was a fast but less effective version of Rebuild Index? and that an index rebuild would also update the statistics automatically (on the clustered index at least).

Best Solution

The reorganize and rebuild are different things.

Reorganize: it's a defrag for indexes. Takes the existing index(es) and defragments the existing pages. However if the pages are not in a contiguous manner, they stays like before. Only the content of the pages are changing.

Rebuild: actually it drops the index and rebuilds it from scratch. It means that you will get a completely new index, with defragmented and contiguous pages.

Moreover with rebuild you can change partitioning or file groups, but with reorganize you can defrag not only the whole index, but also only one partition of the index.

The update statistics is automatic on clustered indexes, but not on the non-clustered ones.

Syntax:

ALTER TABLE {TABLENAME} 
ADD {COLUMNNAME} {TYPE} {NULL|NOT NULL} 
CONSTRAINT {CONSTRAINT_NAME} DEFAULT {DEFAULT_VALUE}
WITH VALUES

Example:

ALTER TABLE SomeTable
        ADD SomeCol Bit NULL --Or NOT NULL.
 CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol --When Omitted a Default-Constraint Name is autogenerated.
    DEFAULT (0)--Optional Default-Constraint.
WITH VALUES --Add if Column is Nullable and you want the Default Value for Existing Records.

Notes:

Optional Constraint Name:
If you leave out CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol then SQL Server will autogenerate
a Default-Contraint with a funny Name like: DF__SomeTa__SomeC__4FB7FEF6

Optional With-Values Statement:
The WITH VALUES is only needed when your Column is Nullable
and you want the Default Value used for Existing Records.
If your Column is NOT NULL, then it will automatically use the Default Value
for all Existing Records, whether you specify WITH VALUES or not.

How Inserts work with a Default-Constraint:
If you insert a Record into SomeTable and do not Specify SomeCol's value, then it will Default to 0.
If you insert a Record and Specify SomeCol's value as NULL (and your column allows nulls),
then the Default-Constraint will not be used and NULL will be inserted as the Value.

Notes were based on everyone's great feedback below.
Special Thanks to:
@Yatrix, @WalterStabosz, @YahooSerious, and @StackMan for their Comments.

Sql – How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, @your_date))

for example

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, GETDATE()))

gives me

2008-09-22 00:00:00.000

Pros:

No varchar<->datetime conversions required
No need to think about locale

Best Solution

Related Solutions

Sql – Add a column with a default value to an existing table in SQL Server

Syntax:

Example:

Notes:

Sql – How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

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