Online Documentation for SQL Administrator for SQL Server

Missing Indexes

When the query optimizer generates a query plan, it analyzes what are the best indexes for a particular filter condition. If the best indices do not exist, the query optimizer generates a suboptimal query plan, but still stores information about these indexes. The Missing Indexes section enables you to access information about these indexes so you can decide whether they should be implemented.

The list displays missed indexes as a grid with the following columns: Database Name, Schema Name, Object Name, Index Columns, Creation Index Benefit. If more convenient, you can change the order of the columns by dragging their headers horizontally. See the Working with grid section of the SQL Administrator documentation to find out operations that can be performed with the grid.

To restore a missed index use the Create Index... context menu item or click the corresponding button on the toolbar. In the window appeared edit the script if needed and press OK button to create the index.

Use the Print context menu item or the corresponding toolbar button to create and print the report.

When you choose a particular index the lower area displays the following detailed information about the Missing Index Estimated Usage: Index Columns: Compared with Equality, Included, Compared with Inequality; User Queries That May Use Index: Index Seeks, Index Scans, Last Seek, Last Scan, Avg Total Query Cost, Query Cost Benefit (%); System Queries That May Use Indexes: Index Seeks, Index Scans, Last Seek, Last Scan, Avg Total Query Cost, Query Cost Benefit (%); Total Benefit.