I have been playing around with the latest SQL Server 2008 CTP while trying to keep both my performance tuning and DBA classes updated with the latest changes. When I review new releases of SQL Server, I tend to evaluate the release by determining which features and functionalities that will help me solve problems that I could not solve or could not solve easily in earlier releases.

One of the problems that did not have easy solutions in earlier versions was the one faced when dealing with large amounts of data. Many times I have incorporated many different strategies to lessen the impact of large amounts of data on queries by trying to lessen the amount of data contained within the indexes on a table. This often involved partitioning the tables in SQL Server 2005 or archiving data in earlier versions. Any method that worked to create a smaller set of active data to be queried during each SELECT statement and a smaller index to be maintained during data modifications.

One of the great new performance improvements in SQL Server 2008 is the new filtered index. Filtered indexes basically allow you to create a filter on an index – think WHERE clause. The index B-Tree will only contain the rows of data that meet the filtering criteria. This allows you to reduce the amount of data contained in an index which means that you are also reducing the data affected in an index by data modifications.

I am going to walk through a very small and simple demo that illustrates the impact of filtered indexes.

First let’s create a demo table with some demo data

SET NOCOUNT ON

--Create demo table

IF OBJECT_ID('TestTable','table') IS NOT NULL

DROP TABLE TestTable

GO

--Create demo table

CREATE TABLE TestTable

(colID INT IDENTITY(1,1)

,colDate DATETIME

,colSession INT

,colDesc VARCHAR(100)

)

--Insert data into table

DECLARE @loop INT

SET @loop = 1000

WHILE @loop > 0

BEGIN

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070301',1,'20070301-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070401',1,'20070401-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070501',1,'20070501-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070601',1,'20070601-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070701',1,'20070701-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070801',1,'20070801-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070901',1,'20070901-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071001',1,'20071001-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071101',1,'20071101-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071201',1,'20071201-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080101',1,'20080101-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080201',1,'20080201-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080301',1,'20080301-1' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070301',2,'20070301-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070401',2,'20070401-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070501',2,'20070501-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070601',2,'20070601-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070701',2,'20070701-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070801',2,'20070801-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070901',2,'20070901-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071001',2,'20071001-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071101',2,'20071101-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071201',2,'20071201-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080101',2,'20080101-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080201',2,'20080201-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080301',2,'20080301-2' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070301',3,'20070301-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070401',3,'20070401-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070501',3,'20070501-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070601',3,'20070601-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070701',3,'20070701-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070801',3,'20070801-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20070901',3,'20070901-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071001',3,'20071001-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071101',3,'20071101-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071201',3,'20071201-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080101',3,'20080101-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080201',3,'20080201-3' )

      INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080301',3,'20080301-3' )

      SET @loop = @loop - 1

END

Next we will create a clustered Index and a non-filtered nonclustered index

--Create clustered index on table

CREATE CLUSTERED INDEX cl_TestTable_1 ON TestTable(colID)

--Create nonclustered index on table

CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX ncl_TestTable_1 ON TestTable(colDate) INCLUDE (colSession)

After creating the indexes, let’s take a look at the number of rows in the indexes

--View number of rows in indexes

SELECT name, i.index_id, [rows]

FROM sys.partitions p

INNER JOIN sys.indexes i

ON p.[object_id] = i.[object_id]

AND p.index_id = i.index_id

WHERE p.[object_id] = OBJECT_ID('TestTable')

You should get an output similar to the one below

/*

name              index_id    rows

cl_TestTable_1    1           39000

ncl_TestTable_1   2           39000

*/

Now let’s create a filtered index and look at the number of rows of data

--Create filtered index

CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX ncl_TestTable_2 ON TestTable(colDate) INCLUDE (colSession)

WHERE colDate > '12/31/2007 23:59:59'

--View number of rows in indexes

SELECT name, i.index_id, [rows]

FROM sys.partitions p

INNER JOIN sys.indexes i

ON p.[object_id] = i.[object_id]

AND p.index_id = i.index_id

WHERE p.[object_id] = OBJECT_ID('TestTable')

You should get an output similar to the one below

/*

name              index_id    rows

cl_TestTable_1    1           39000

ncl_TestTable_1   2           39000

ncl_TestTable_2   3           9000

*/

Once we are done with creating the infrastructure, let’s look at how they affect performance.

--How does a filter index help SELECTS

--Clear cache for demo

CHECKPOINT

DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS

--Get execution plan and IO statistics

SET STATISTICS PROFILE ON

SET STATISTICS IO ON

--Select by date

--This has a bookmark lookup

SELECT * FROM TestTable WITH (INDEX = 2) WHERE colDate > '12/31/2007 23:59:59'

--Table 'TestTable'. Scan count 1, logical reads 19692

--TotalSubtreeCost: 2.11023

--Use filtered index

--This has a bookmark lookup

SELECT * FROM TestTable WITH (INDEX = 3) WHERE colDate > '12/31/2007 23:59:59'

--Table 'TestTable'. Scan count 1, logical reads 18598

-- TotalSubtreeCost: 2.096156

--Select by date

--This does not have a bookmark lookup

SELECT colID, colDate, colSession FROM TestTable WITH (INDEX = 2) WHERE colDate > '12/31/2007 23:59:59'

--Table 'TestTable'. Scan count 1, logical reads 27

-- TotalSubtreeCost: 0.03095978

--Use filtered index

--This does not have a bookmark lookup

SELECT colID, colDate, colSession FROM TestTable WITH (INDEX = 3) WHERE colDate > '12/31/2007 23:59:59'

--Table 'TestTable'. Scan count 1, logical reads 27

-- TotalSubtreeCost: 0.0168857

--Turn off execution plans

SET STATISTICS PROFILE OFF

SET STATISTICS IO OFF

--Clear cache for demo

CHECKPOINT

DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS

--Insert new rows of data

--Will affect filtered index

INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20080301',3,'20080301-3')

--View number of rows in indexes

SELECT name, i.index_id, [rows]

FROM sys.partitions p

INNER JOIN sys.indexes i

ON p.[object_id] = i.[object_id]

AND p.index_id = i.index_id

WHERE p.[object_id] = OBJECT_ID('TestTable')

/*

name              index_id    rows

cl_TestTable_1    1           39001

ncl_TestTable_1   2           39001

ncl_TestTable_2   3           9001

*/

--Determine which pages have been changed

SELECT DB_NAME(bd.database_id) AS 'Database Name'

,dtab.object_name AS 'Object Name'

,dtab.index_id AS 'Index number with dirty page'

,bd.page_id AS 'Page ID of dirty page'

,bd.page_type AS 'Type of Page'

,bd.page_level AS 'Page Level'

FROM sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors AS bd

    INNER JOIN

    (

        SELECT OBJECT_NAME([object_id]) AS object_name

            ,index_id ,allocation_unit_id

        FROM sys.allocation_units AS au

            INNER JOIN sys.partitions AS p

                ON au.container_id = p.hobt_id

                    AND (au.type = 1 OR au.type = 3)

        UNION ALL

        SELECT OBJECT_NAME([object_id]) AS object_name  

            ,index_id, allocation_unit_id

        FROM sys.allocation_units AS au

            INNER JOIN sys.partitions AS p

                ON au.container_id = p.partition_id

                    AND au.type = 2

    ) AS dtab

        ON bd.allocation_unit_id = dtab.allocation_unit_id

WHERE bd.is_modified = 1

AND bd.database_id = DB_ID()

AND [object_name]   = 'TestTable'

ORDER BY bd.database_id, [Object Name],index_id, page_type

/*

*/

--Clear cache for demo

CHECKPOINT

DBCC DROPCLEANBUFFERS

--Will not affect filtered index

INSERT INTO TestTable (colDate,colSession,colDesc ) VALUES ('20071101',3,'20071101-3')

--View number of rows in indexes

SELECT name, i.index_id, [rows]

FROM sys.partitions p

INNER JOIN sys.indexes i

ON p.[object_id] = i.[object_id]

AND p.index_id = i.index_id

WHERE p.[object_id] = OBJECT_ID('TestTable')

/*

name              index_id    rows

cl_TestTable_1    1           39002

ncl_TestTable_1   2           39002

ncl_TestTable_2   3           9001

*/

--Determine which pages have been changed

SELECT DB_NAME(bd.database_id) AS 'Database Name'

,dtab.object_name AS 'Object Name'

,dtab.index_id AS 'Index number with dirty page'

,bd.page_id AS 'Page ID of dirty page'

,bd.page_type AS 'Type of Page'

,bd.page_level AS 'Page Level'

FROM sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors AS bd

    INNER JOIN

    (

        SELECT OBJECT_NAME([object_id]) AS object_name

            ,index_id ,allocation_unit_id

        FROM sys.allocation_units AS au

            INNER JOIN sys.partitions AS p

                ON au.container_id = p.hobt_id

                    AND (au.type = 1 OR au.type = 3)

        UNION ALL

        SELECT OBJECT_NAME([object_id]) AS object_name  

            ,index_id, allocation_unit_id

        FROM sys.allocation_units AS au

            INNER JOIN sys.partitions AS p

                ON au.container_id = p.partition_id

                    AND au.type = 2

    ) AS dtab

        ON bd.allocation_unit_id = dtab.allocation_unit_id

WHERE bd.is_modified = 1

AND bd.database_id = DB_ID()

AND [object_name]   = 'TestTable'

ORDER BY bd.database_id, [Object Name],index_id, page_type

/*