Automating the Mundane: How Automatic Indexing Can Streamline Database Management

Oracle Database:

• Introduced in version 19c, Automatic Indexing automatically analyzes workload, identifies queries that could benefit from indexes, and creates them without manual intervention. It can also recommend dropping unused indexes to avoid unnecessary storage overhead.

Example: (Simplified)

EXEC DBMS_AUTO_INDEX.CONFIGURE('AUTO_INDEX_MODE','IMPLEMENT');

Microsoft SQL Server:

• While not offering fully automated creation, SQL Server provides tools like:
  • Missing Index Groups: This functionality identifies potential missing indexes based on query patterns and helps DBAs decide on their creation. You can access this information through the dm_db_missing_index_groups system view.
  • Automatic Tuning: This option analyzes workload and recommends adjustments, including potential index creation, but requires manual configuration and activation.

SELECT * FROM sys.dm_db_missing_index_groups;

Azure SQL Database:

• Similar to SQL Server, Azure SQL Database offers automatic tuning with the ability to recommend index creation. However, it does not automatically create them, requiring manual approval.

Related Issues and Solutions:

• Over-indexing: While automatic features can be beneficial, creating unnecessary indexes can negatively impact performance by increasing storage usage and write overhead. Careful monitoring and configuration are crucial to avoid this.
• Limited scope: Automatic indexing might not always suggest indexes for complex queries or specific use cases. DBAs still play a vital role in understanding the data and query patterns to optimize indexing strategies.