Changing FILLFACTOR by Updating sys.indexes

  • I have a database that is getting too large for a simple index rebuild periodically. As a result I am developing a plan to update statistics, reorganize or rebuild based on fragmentation and when the last statistics update happened.

    My question is, can I just update the FILLFACTOR in the sys.indexes table so that the next reorganize or rebuild will pick up the new FILLFACTOR automatically without having to manually do a reorganize to change the FILLFACTOR?

    Pat



    Pat Buskey

  • no you can't...all sys.* items are read only views; MS wanted to remove the ability to update meta data tables directly, because too many times an unintended consequence resulted in corrupt databases when you could do stuff like that in SQL 2000;

    you'll need to simply use the meta data to generate the scripts for your indexes to specifically include a fill factor;

    at the bottom of this post is a script i wrote to script out your indexes(it does not create/recreate them...only scripts them); change the case statement near the bottom for the situation where the fill factor is not included in the definition to have your new default. you cna then tweak the resulting script so that tables you know that need more or less of a fill factor.

    see if this gets you what you are after:

    --1. get all indexes from current db, place in temp table

    select

    tablename = object_name(i.id),

    tableid = i.id,

    indexid = i.indid,

    indexname = i.name,

    i.status,

    isunique = indexproperty (i.id,i.name,'isunique'),

    isclustered = indexproperty (i.id,i.name,'isclustered'),

    indexfillfactor = indexproperty (i.id,i.name,'indexfillfactor')

    into #tmp_indexes

    from sysindexes i

    where i.indid > 0 and i.indid < 255 --not certain about this

    and (i.status & 64) = 0 --existing indexes

    --add additional columns to store include and key column lists

    alter table #tmp_indexes add keycolumns varchar(4000), includes varchar(4000)

    go

    --################################################################################################

    --2. loop through tables, put include and index columns into variables

    declare @isql_key varchar(4000), @isql_incl varchar(4000), @tableid int, @indexid int

    declare index_cursor cursor for

    select tableid, indexid from #tmp_indexes

    open index_cursor

    fetch next from index_cursor into @tableid, @indexid

    while @@fetch_status <> -1

    begin

    select @isql_key = '', @isql_incl = ''

    select --i.name, sc.colid, sc.name, ic.index_id, ic.object_id, *

    --key column

    @isql_key = case ic.is_included_column

    when 0 then

    case ic.is_descending_key

    when 1 then @isql_key + coalesce(sc.name,'') + ' DESC, '

    else @isql_key + coalesce(sc.name,'') + ' ASC, '

    end

    else @isql_key end,

    --include column

    @isql_incl = case ic.is_included_column

    when 1 then

    case ic.is_descending_key

    when 1 then @isql_incl + coalesce(sc.name,'') + ', '

    else @isql_incl + coalesce(sc.name,'') + ', '

    end

    else @isql_incl end

    from sysindexes i

    INNER JOIN sys.index_columns AS ic ON (ic.column_id > 0 and (ic.key_ordinal > 0 or ic.partition_ordinal = 0 or ic.is_included_column != 0)) AND (ic.index_id=CAST(i.indid AS int) AND ic.object_id=i.id)

    INNER JOIN sys.columns AS sc ON sc.object_id = ic.object_id and sc.column_id = ic.column_id

    where i.indid > 0 and i.indid < 255

    and (i.status & 64) = 0

    and i.id = @tableid and i.indid = @indexid

    order by i.name, case ic.is_included_column when 1 then ic.index_column_id else ic.key_ordinal end

    if len(@isql_key) > 1 set @isql_key = left(@isql_key, len(@isql_key) -1)

    if len(@isql_incl) > 1 set @isql_incl = left(@isql_incl, len(@isql_incl) -1)

    update #tmp_indexes

    set keycolumns = @isql_key,

    includes = @isql_incl

    where tableid = @tableid and indexid = @indexid

    fetch next from index_cursor into @tableid,@indexid

    end

    close index_cursor

    deallocate index_cursor

    --remove invalid indexes,ie ones without key columns

    delete from #tmp_indexes where keycolumns = ''

    --################################################################################################

    --3. output the index creation scripts

    set nocount on

    --separator

    select '---------------------------------------------------------------------'

    --create index scripts (for backup)

    SELECT

    'CREATE '

    + CASE WHEN ISUNIQUE = 1 THEN 'UNIQUE ' ELSE '' END

    + CASE WHEN ISCLUSTERED = 1 THEN 'CLUSTERED ' ELSE '' END

    + 'INDEX [' + INDEXNAME + ']'

    +' ON [' + TABLENAME + '] '

    + '(' + keycolumns + ')'

    + CASE

    WHEN INDEXFILLFACTOR = 0 AND ISCLUSTERED = 1 AND INCLUDES = '' THEN ''

    WHEN INDEXFILLFACTOR = 0 AND ISCLUSTERED = 0 AND INCLUDES = '' THEN ' WITH (ONLINE = ON)'

    WHEN INDEXFILLFACTOR <> 0 AND ISCLUSTERED = 0 AND INCLUDES = '' THEN ' WITH (ONLINE = ON, FILLFACTOR = ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(10),INDEXFILLFACTOR) + ')'

    WHEN INDEXFILLFACTOR = 0 AND ISCLUSTERED = 0 AND INCLUDES <> '' THEN ' INCLUDE (' + INCLUDES + ') WITH (ONLINE = ON)'

    ELSE ' INCLUDE(' + INCLUDES + ') WITH (FILLFACTOR = ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(10),INDEXFILLFACTOR) + ', ONLINE = ON)'

    END

    FROM #tmp_indexes

    where left(tablename,3) not in ('sys', 'dt_') --exclude system tables

    order by tablename, indexid, indexname

    set nocount off

    --drop table #tmp_indexes

    Lowell


    --help us help you! If you post a question, make sure you include a CREATE TABLE... statement and INSERT INTO... statement into that table to give the volunteers here representative data. with your description of the problem, we can provide a tested, verifiable solution to your question! asking the question the right way gets you a tested answer the fastest way possible!

  • Sys.indexes isn't even a table. It's a view. The real system tables are hidden, completely undocumented and changing them is the fastest way yo really mess up your database beyond recovery.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Thank You! Nice script too.

    Any ways, you answered my question. I can't just update the sys.indexes table to change future rebuild/reorganize FILLFACTORs. 🙂 I tried.

    Pat



    Pat Buskey

  • Thank You! Nice script too.

    Any ways, you answered my question. I can't just update the sys.indexes table to change future rebuild/reorganize FILLFACTORs. 🙂 I tried.

    Pat



    Pat Buskey

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