1. INDEX REORGANIZATION
AND REBUILDING FOR
SUCCESS
An end-to-end Enterprise re-indexing process

2. ABSTRACT
Dean will introduce a process and accompanying tools to make Index
reorganization/rebuilding successful. Applicable on small databases and multi-Tb
databases with over 20,000 tables (including examples of what can go horribly wrong
without the right preparation). Bonus: PowerShell monitoring script included.

3. AGENDA
• Indexing - What can go wrong?
• Process Overview
• Pre-requisites (initial setup/configuration)
• Pre-index preparation
• Running Index optimization
• Index progress monitoring (awesome PowerShell script)

4. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

5. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO
WRONG?
Lose your job BAD
• Disk out of space
• Tlog or Database files
• Tlog backup files
• Exponential Tlog growth
Temporarily pain
• Tlog or database growth initialization causing application timeout

6. CONSIDERATIONS
• Enterprise Edition
• Online Index rebuild
• Tlog auto-growth settings
• % or size
• Size planning
• Full backups during re-index
• Tlog will not truncate during a full backup even if log backups are being taken
• Big database (4 hr backup + recovery)  use differentials during re-index?
• TODO: Add log_reuse_wait_desc to Powershell monitoring tool when log used percent is >
warning threshold.
• Re-Index vs. Re-Organize
• MaxDOP?
• TempDb

7. PROCESS OVERVIEW

8. PROCESS OVERVIEW

9. INITIAL SYSTEM SETUP/CONFIGURATION
Pre-requisites to using the proposed (demo) process

10. OLA HALLENGREN’S INDEX
MAINTENANCE SCRIPT
• https://ola.hallengren.com/
• Optional, but recommended
• CommandLog table

11. OLA’S INSTALL SCRIPTS
• Demo uses a DBA AdminUtility
database (instead of master)
• @CreateJobs set to Yes
• @LogToTable set to Yes

12. SQL AGENT JOBS
• Ola’s scripts will add these jobs
• The IndexOptimize – USER_DATABASES job is the
one of interest for indexing

13. ADMINISTRATIVE DATABASE OR
TABLES

14. SP_WHOISACTIVE
• Adam Machanic’s sp_WhoIsActive script is a new and improved version of sp_who2
• http://sqlblog.com/blogs/adam_machanic/archive/tags/who+is+active/default.aspx
• Shows current connections, % progress of index re-organization, and much more

15. SCHEDULED TASK

16. SCHEDULED TASK - TRIGGER
• How often to run during indexing

17. SCHEDULED TASK - ACTION
• ExecutionPolicy Bypass

18. SCHEDULED TASK - RUN

19. PRE-INDEX PREPARATION

20. PRE-INDEX PREPARATION FOR VLDB
• Tlog backup schedule
• Shorten duration
• Full backup schedule
• Temporarily switch to differential backups
• Open monitoring tools or schedule the Sweet Powershell script

21. INDEX MAINTENANCE

22. INDEX MAINTENANCE
• Ola Hallengren Index Maintenance Solution (recommended)
• Queryable maintenance database (read: Sweet PowerShell monitoring)
• Post maintenance review (% fragmentation, re-org vs. rebuild, etc.)
• Maintenance Plans

23. PROGRESS MONITORING

24. INDEX MONITORING – OLD SCHOOL
• DMV – Disk Usage
• Windows Explorer – .trn backup file sizes
• Windows Explorer – tlog backup duration
• sp_who2

25. INDEX MONITORING – LIKE A BOSS
• Powershell Script
• sp_WhoIsActive (by Adam Mechanic)
• Queries
• Completed indexes
• Current index rebuild progress (%, rows remaining)
• Current index reorg progress (%)
• Disk space used (Database files and Tlog
• Tlog backup size and backup duration
• Windows Scheduler
• Email

26. TLOG ABOUT TO GROW
• Transactions are paused while TLOG file
is growing
• Truncation should prevent growth
depending on initial size
• Autogrowth settings…

27. DATA FILE ABOUT TO GROW

28. TLOG ACTIVITY
Re-org (~1 Gb/minute) Re-build (~200Kb/minute)

29. TLOG BACKUP DURATION
• Durations shown in the query don’t
include the –WithVerify time
• I usually use a 3X multiplier for
estimating actual tlog backup time
• Look at start time of next backup

30. INDIVIDUAL INDEX PROGRESS
Re-Org Re-Build

31. WARNING SIGNS
• VLDB data file about to grow
• TLOG file about to grow
• TLOG backup duration + Verify taking
longer than backup schedule schedule
• Log file not truncating (excessive
growth)
• Wait times on sp_WhoIsActive
• File sizes growing larger than available
disk space

32. DEAN WILLSON
• Director of Application Development, Aunt Millie’s Bakeries
• Long time member of NUFW
• Former President of fwPASS
• Twitter: @deanwillson
• Blogs: dean-o.blogspot.com, practicalhoshin.blogspot.com
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/deanwillson