SQL Server® 2008 Administration: Real World Skills for MCITP Certification and Beyond

Managing Indexes

Indexes must be managed. You cannot simply create them and then forget they exist. For instance, you may need to delete an index if the method of data access changes. You can also disable an index temporarily in order to test performance or functionality without it. When testing is complete, you'll want to enable it. Indexes can also become fragmented and, when this happens, you'll need to either reorganize or rebuild the indexes in order to maintain acceptable levels of performance. All of these issues will be addressed in the following sections.

Dropping an Index

Indexes may be deleted at any time. The proper SQL term for object deletion or removal is drop. You drop databases, tables, indexes, triggers, stored procedures, and ...