New features in ApexSQL Defrag include:
- Online index rebuild
- Scanning for duplicate indexes
- Scanning for unused indexes
- Showing indexes larger than user preset number of pages
- Limited, sampled and detailed index scanning modes
- Fast and deep index analysis
- Predefined policies and policy templates
Online index rebuild
This feature enables the users of Enterprise versions of Microsoft’s SQL Server (from SQL Server 2005 onwards) the ability to perform index maintenance without pulling the indexes offline and making them unavailable for access during the process of rebuild.
To rebuild the indexes online in ApexSQL Defrag, simply check the indexes you want to rebuild in the fragmentation grid view (or pre-check highly fragmented, medium and high or all fragmented indexes from the context menu in the fragmentation grid view), and in the main ribbon press Rebuild Online, or select the Online rebuild method when creating a new policy or edit existing one.
Scanning for duplicate indexes
This feature enables the user to search the databases for duplicate indexes. After analyzing a database or multiple databases in one server, pressing on Duplicates button in the main ribbon brings up the Duplicates window where the user can review all of the duplicate files and choose which ones to delete, and pressing on the Delete script creates a T-SQL script which can then be saved and executed on the server.
Scanning for unused indexes
ApexSQL Defrag now shows unused indexes in the fragmentation grid view after analyzing the indexes under the Unused column.
Showing indexes larger than user preset number of pages
In the new version of ApexSQL Defrag, the user can now set in options whether he would like to add the minimum number of index pages which should be shown in the fragmentation grid view of ApexSQL Defrag.
Limited, sampled and detailed index scanning modes
A user can select which mode of index scanning he wants to use by checking the appropriate box in the ribbon.
Limited mode is the fastest as it scans only the pages above the leaf level of an index.
Sampled mode scans the heap of index.
Detailed mode scans all of the index pages. It is the slowest of all the modes available, but offers the greatest accuracy.
Fast and deep index analysis
Fast index analysis returns fragmentation results from the start of the application. The results of this analysis aren’t written to the central repository database.
Deep index analysis does a full index scan, which makes the analysis last longer, but is more accurate.
The user can choose the type of index analysis from the dropdown menu when the Analyze button is pressed.
Another way of choosing the analysis type is through the context menu
Predefined policy templates
Templates are a new and easy way to make new policies within ApexSQL Defrag. They allow the users to setup a template which suits their needs for policy creation, or use some of the predefined, as well as setting their own settings and saving those as a template. When creating a policy from a template, the user just needs to select the target indexes, setup a schedule and create the policy.
May 29, 2017
