How to Choose a Database Index

#3 Data Warehouse December- clustered vs non-clustered indexes

Two weeks ago we compared optimizing our data warehouse to the organization of a grocery store. The goal of each is to help us find what we need, quickly.

The process of data pruning is similar to scanning the aisles to narrow down our search for pickles, or tomato sauce. Indexing is one of the tools in our tool belt to help prune our data, speeding overall performance.

To refresh your memory, indexes map the values of your data to a physical location within the database. Assigning data a predictable, physical location makes it easier to find.

In today’s newsletter, we will discuss the different types of indexes you can apply to your tables and the benefits of each. We’ll look at how to do this, including what makes a good index and what indexing looks like in each major data warehouse.

Again, we are building a foundational knowledge of indexes that you can apply to any data warehouse you use.

When to index your tables