Using SORT_IN_TEMPDB to improve Index Performance

The SORT_IN_TEMPDB option directs the index creation processing to the tempdb database, instead of the database in use.

This option may increase rebuild performance for large tables on a high activity environment, if the tempdb system database is located on a separate disk. Although the index creation time may decrease, the disk space requirements increase while using this option.

Note: Make sure a dedicated disk is allotted to the tempdb database and it has sufficient disk space. When using the SORT_IN_TEMPDB option, DBA’s usually calculate the disk space requirement while doing capacity planning.

By default SORT_IN_TEMPDB is OFF. You can enable this option as shown below:

CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX AddIndexNmHere ON
DBNm.TableNm (ColumnName)
WITH (SORT_IN_TEMPDB = ON)

About The Author

Suprotim Agarwal, MCSD, MCAD, MCDBA, MCSE, is the founder of DotNetCurry, DNC Magazine for Developers, SQLServerCurry and DevCurry. He has also authored a couple of books 51 Recipes using jQuery with ASP.NET Controls and a new one recently at The Absolutely Awesome jQuery CookBook.

Suprotim has received the prestigous Microsoft MVP award for nine times in a row now. In a professional capacity, he is the CEO of A2Z Knowledge Visuals Pvt Ltd, a digital group that represents premium web sites and digital publications comprising of Professional web, windows, mobile and cloud developers, technical managers, and architects.

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