dbTrace to find Index Non-Use - How To?

I read somewhere or heard you can trace for activity on table indexes to
ultimately find where indexes are NOT being used when users perform
searches...
Any idea how to set this up? I don't see events related to indexes...
TIA,
ChrisHi,
Easy method is "Use the Execution Plan" graphical option in Query
Analyzer -- Query option --"Show Execution plan"
Thanks
Hari
SQL Server MVP
"Chris" <Chris@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F5880B81-77A8-4BC2-92A7-4A1B01BE6EE8@.microsoft.com...
> I read somewhere or heard you can trace for activity on table indexes to
> ultimately find where indexes are NOT being used when users perform
> searches...
> Any idea how to set this up? I don't see events related to indexes...
> TIA,
> Chris|||Chris,
You might try the Index Tuning Wizard.
HTH
Jerry
"Chris" <Chris@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F5880B81-77A8-4BC2-92A7-4A1B01BE6EE8@.microsoft.com...
> I read somewhere or heard you can trace for activity on table indexes to
> ultimately find where indexes are NOT being used when users perform
> searches...
> Any idea how to set this up? I don't see events related to indexes...
> TIA,
> Chris|||I need to monitor ALL indexes on all db tables, then find those that are NOT
being used... can't do that w/ Query Analyzer show plan, can't do that w/ the
tuning wizard. I need to collect this activity either thru a dbTrace or
PerfMon counters...
Any ideas'
"Chris" wrote:
> I read somewhere or heard you can trace for activity on table indexes to
> ultimately find where indexes are NOT being used when users perform
> searches...
> Any idea how to set this up? I don't see events related to indexes...
> TIA,
> Chris|||Chris,
What about ITWIZ?
See:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/coprompt/cp_isqlw_8p2x.asp
HTH
Jerry
"Chris" <Chris@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:34A64A78-9F16-4851-A5C3-1DB66D7B390A@.microsoft.com...
> I need to monitor ALL indexes on all db tables, then find those that are
> NOT
> being used... can't do that w/ Query Analyzer show plan, can't do that w/
> the
> tuning wizard. I need to collect this activity either thru a dbTrace or
> PerfMon counters...
> Any ideas'
> "Chris" wrote:
>> I read somewhere or heard you can trace for activity on table indexes to
>> ultimately find where indexes are NOT being used when users perform
>> searches...
>> Any idea how to set this up? I don't see events related to indexes...
>> TIA,
>> Chris|||Capture the execution plan over a relevant time period, parse it, compare against the indexes you
have in your tables. Anything in the trace that isn't in sysindexes? There you have it, those
indexes wasn't used by the SQL submitted over that trace. There will be better ways in 2005 to do
this...
--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
Blog: http://solidqualitylearning.com/blogs/tibor/
"Chris" <Chris@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:34A64A78-9F16-4851-A5C3-1DB66D7B390A@.microsoft.com...
> I need to monitor ALL indexes on all db tables, then find those that are NOT
> being used... can't do that w/ Query Analyzer show plan, can't do that w/ the
> tuning wizard. I need to collect this activity either thru a dbTrace or
> PerfMon counters...
> Any ideas'
> "Chris" wrote:
>> I read somewhere or heard you can trace for activity on table indexes to
>> ultimately find where indexes are NOT being used when users perform
>> searches...
>> Any idea how to set this up? I don't see events related to indexes...
>> TIA,
>> Chris|||Hi Chris
I do it by using trace to capture a workload over as long a period of time
as I can, and then run that through the Index Tuning Wizard. ITW generates a
set of reports, one of which is a list of which of your current indexes are
being used what percent of the time.
--
HTH
Kalen Delaney, SQL Server MVP
www.solidqualitylearning.com
"Chris" <Chris@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F5880B81-77A8-4BC2-92A7-4A1B01BE6EE8@.microsoft.com...
> I read somewhere or heard you can trace for activity on table indexes to
> ultimately find where indexes are NOT being used when users perform
> searches...
> Any idea how to set this up? I don't see events related to indexes...
> TIA,
> Chris
>