Index Structures

Efficient SQL Server Indexing by Design

Having a good set of indexes on your SQL Server database is critical to performance. Efficient indexes don't happen by accident; they are designed to be efficient. Greg Larsen discusses whether primary keys should be clustered, when to use filtered indexes and what to consider when using the Fill Factor.

Clustered indexes

Proactive Database Index Creation

Indexes help your application find your data quickly and provide users with a well performing application, while minimizing server resources. This article discusses indexing guidelines related to join tables and covering indexes.

SQL Server Column Considerations and Column Placement

Determining which columns to select for your indexes is critical. Having a little knowledge of how your application is using your database columns and how SQL Server processes indexes helps you make good decisions when you create your indexes.

Index usage overview

This view reports almost everything you want to know about your indexes

Primary Keys

Index Seeks, Scans, and Lookups

This script may help identify tables impacted by frequently-occurring scans.

Indexes in SQL Server 2005

Database Indexing Development Lifecycle...Say What?

Creating good indexes on your database doesn't happen by mistake--you need to have a plan. Greg Larsen shows you how, beginning with a discussion on the indexing development lifecycle.