defrag SQLServer

Hi All,
Is it safe to defrag SQL server? What's the best utility for this if any?
thanks,
joel"Joel Gacosta" <joel@.bluemediacomm.com> wrote in message
news:#J#AnMWpDHA.3612@.TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Is it safe to defrag SQL server? What's the best utility for this if any?
>
If you are running a file level defragmenter, then you should have no
issues. If the disk is severely fragmented then the first time it's run, it
would not be a bad idea to stop the MSSQLServer service as this would close
the open database files and allow them to be de-fragmented. As far as
products, we use Diskkeeper on all of our servers, no issues with this
product...
Steve|||Hi Joel
Take a look at this whitepaper which contains almost everything you'll ever
need to know about SQL Server fragmentation:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechn
ol/sql/maintain/optimize/ss2kidbp.asp
--
HTH
--
Kalen Delaney
SQL Server MVP
www.SolidQualityLearning.com
"Joel Gacosta" <joel@.bluemediacomm.com> wrote in message
news:#J#AnMWpDHA.3612@.TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Hi All,
> Is it safe to defrag SQL server? What's the best utility for this if any?
> thanks,
> joel
>|||There is nothing called Defragmenting SQL Server.
I think you are asking about DeFragmenting SQL Server
Database objects. If so,then "YES".
As part of database maintenance to improve performance,
you have to regularly DEFRAGMENT the Fragmented objects.
Table fragmentation occurs through the process of data
modifications (INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements) made
against the table. Because these modifications are not
usually distributed equally among the rows of the table,
the fullness of each page can vary over time.
"DBCC SHOWCONTIG" , Displays fragmentation information for
the data and indexes of the specified table.
When an index is heavily fragmented, there are two choices
for reducing fragmentation:
1. Drop and re-create a clustered index.
2. You can defragment the indexes using "DBCC INDEXDEFRAG"
Also,If you want to shrink the databases, you can do using
SQL Server maintenance plans or in the database options.
Hope this helps.
-SQLVarad(MCDBA-1999,MCSE-1999)
>--Original Message--
>Hi All,
>Is it safe to defrag SQL server? What's the best utility
for this if any?
>thanks,
>joel
>.
>|||Some of what SQLVarad said below is incorrect.
> As part of database maintenance to improve performance,
> you have to regularly DEFRAGMENT the Fragmented objects.
You should only defragment indexes if you have empirical evidence that
increasing fragmentation is causing decreasing performance.
> When an index is heavily fragmented, there are two choices
> for reducing fragmentation:
> 1. Drop and re-create a clustered index.
> 2. You can defragment the indexes using "DBCC INDEXDEFRAG"
To reduce fragmentation in an index (clustered or non-clustered) there are 3
options:
1) run DBCC INDEXDEFRAG
2) run DBCC DBREINDEX
3) manually drop and re-create the index
3) is just a manual version of 2). Read the whitepaper Kalen referenced for
a description of these and when to use them.
Regards,
Paul.
--
Paul Randal
DBCC Technical Lead, Microsoft SQL Server Storage Engine
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"SQLVarad" <SQLVarad@.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:040e01c3a568$665b09d0$a101280a@.phx.gbl...
> There is nothing called Defragmenting SQL Server.
> I think you are asking about DeFragmenting SQL Server
> Database objects. If so,then "YES".
> As part of database maintenance to improve performance,
> you have to regularly DEFRAGMENT the Fragmented objects.
> Table fragmentation occurs through the process of data
> modifications (INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements) made
> against the table. Because these modifications are not
> usually distributed equally among the rows of the table,
> the fullness of each page can vary over time.
> "DBCC SHOWCONTIG" , Displays fragmentation information for
> the data and indexes of the specified table.
> When an index is heavily fragmented, there are two choices
> for reducing fragmentation:
> 1. Drop and re-create a clustered index.
> 2. You can defragment the indexes using "DBCC INDEXDEFRAG"
> Also,If you want to shrink the databases, you can do using
> SQL Server maintenance plans or in the database options.
> Hope this helps.
> -SQLVarad(MCDBA-1999,MCSE-1999)
> >--Original Message--
> >Hi All,
> >
> >Is it safe to defrag SQL server? What's the best utility
> for this if any?
> >
> >thanks,
> >joel
> >
> >.
> >