Script out all SQL Server Indexes in a Database using T-SQL

Problem

Sometimes as a DBA we need to generate a T-SQL script for dropping and creating indexes in our SQL Server databases. However, SQL Server Management Studio does not have an easy way via the wizard to complete these tasks at the same time. In this tip, we look at a creating a script to drop and create all SQL Server indexes for a SQL Server database.

Solution

As DBA we have to be proactive and be ready to recover our indexes in case:

The indexes are not in a source control system
The indexes are dropped
The indexes are corrupted
The indexes need to be recreated for another copy of the same database for testing, development or training purposes
There is a need to recreate the indexes on a different FILEGROUP

T-SQL Script to Drop All SQL Server Indexes

Another related task is dropping all SQL Server indexes in a test environment then recreating them. The following script allows you to generate a script to drop all regular non-unique indexes in a database:

DECLARE @SchemaName VARCHAR(256)DECLARE @TableName VARCHAR(256)
DECLARE @IndexName VARCHAR(256)
DECLARE @TSQLDropIndex VARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE CursorIndexes CURSOR FOR
 SELECT schema_name(t.schema_id), t.name,  i.name 
 FROM sys.indexes i
 INNER JOIN sys.tables t ON t.object_id= i.object_id
 WHERE i.type>0 and t.is_ms_shipped=0 and t.name<>'sysdiagrams'
 and (is_primary_key=0 and is_unique_constraint=0)
OPEN CursorIndexes
FETCH NEXT FROM CursorIndexes INTO @SchemaName,@TableName,@IndexName
WHILE @@fetch_status = 0
BEGIN
 SET @TSQLDropIndex = 'DROP INDEX '+QUOTENAME(@SchemaName)+ '.' + QUOTENAME(@TableName) + '.' +QUOTENAME(@IndexName)
 PRINT @TSQLDropIndex
 FETCH NEXT FROM CursorIndexes INTO @SchemaName,@TableName,@IndexName
END
CLOSE CursorIndexes
DEALLOCATE CursorIndexes

T-SQL Script to Create All SQL Server Indexes

This T-SQL code is designed to generate a script to create all regular non-unique indexes in a specific SQL Server database. This code queries the index metadata by using four views: sys.tables, sys.indexes, sys.index_columns and sys.columns. These views offer all the information needed to generate the scripts related to index creation.

Here are some things to be aware of when generating the creation script:

If the index was disabled, then the code to disable it will also be generated.
If the index has included columns then they will be included in the same order.
The creation script considers all properties of the index (FILEGROUP, ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS, STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE, FILLFACTOR, SORT_IN_TEMPDB, etc.). You will not lose any index properties, the final script will create the original index.
Will not script indexes linked to the primary key
Will not script partitioned indexes

declare @SchemaName varchar(100)declare @TableName varchar(256)
declare @IndexName varchar(256)
declare @ColumnName varchar(100)
declare @is_unique varchar(100)
declare @IndexTypeDesc varchar(100)
declare @FileGroupName varchar(100)
declare @is_disabled varchar(100)
declare @IndexOptions varchar(max)
declare @IndexColumnId int
declare @IsDescendingKey int 
declare @IsIncludedColumn int
declare @TSQLScripCreationIndex varchar(max)
declare @TSQLScripDisableIndex varchar(max)
declare CursorIndex cursor for
 select schema_name(t.schema_id) [schema_name], t.name, ix.name,
 case when ix.is_unique = 1 then 'UNIQUE ' else '' END 
 , ix.type_desc,
 case when ix.is_padded=1 then 'PAD_INDEX = ON, ' else 'PAD_INDEX = OFF, ' end
 + case when ix.allow_page_locks=1 then 'ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = ON, ' else 'ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = OFF, ' end
 + case when ix.allow_row_locks=1 then  'ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = ON, ' else 'ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = OFF, ' end
 + case when INDEXPROPERTY(t.object_id, ix.name, 'IsStatistics') = 1 then 'STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE = ON, ' else 'STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE = OFF, ' end
 + case when ix.ignore_dup_key=1 then 'IGNORE_DUP_KEY = ON, ' else 'IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ' end
 + 'SORT_IN_TEMPDB = OFF, FILLFACTOR =' + CAST(ix.fill_factor AS VARCHAR(3)) AS IndexOptions
 , ix.is_disabled , FILEGROUP_NAME(ix.data_space_id) FileGroupName
 from sys.tables t 
 inner join sys.indexes ix on t.object_id=ix.object_id
 where ix.type>0 and ix.is_primary_key=0 and ix.is_unique_constraint=0 --and schema_name(tb.schema_id)= @SchemaName and tb.name=@TableName
 and t.is_ms_shipped=0 and t.name<>'sysdiagrams'
 order by schema_name(t.schema_id), t.name, ix.name
open CursorIndex
fetch next from CursorIndex into  @SchemaName, @TableName, @IndexName, @is_unique, @IndexTypeDesc, @IndexOptions,@is_disabled, @FileGroupName
while (@@fetch_status=0)
begin
 declare @IndexColumns varchar(max)
 declare @IncludedColumns varchar(max)
 
 set @IndexColumns=''
 set @IncludedColumns=''
 
 declare CursorIndexColumn cursor for 
  select col.name, ixc.is_descending_key, ixc.is_included_column
  from sys.tables tb 
  inner join sys.indexes ix on tb.object_id=ix.object_id
  inner join sys.index_columns ixc on ix.object_id=ixc.object_id and ix.index_id= ixc.index_id
  inner join sys.columns col on ixc.object_id =col.object_id  and ixc.column_id=col.column_id
  where ix.type>0 and (ix.is_primary_key=0 or ix.is_unique_constraint=0)
  and schema_name(tb.schema_id)=@SchemaName and tb.name=@TableName and ix.name=@IndexName
  order by ixc.index_column_id
 
 open CursorIndexColumn 
 fetch next from CursorIndexColumn into  @ColumnName, @IsDescendingKey, @IsIncludedColumn
 
 while (@@fetch_status=0)
 begin
  if @IsIncludedColumn=0 
   set @IndexColumns=@IndexColumns + @ColumnName  + case when @IsDescendingKey=1  then ' DESC, ' else  ' ASC, ' end
  else 
   set @IncludedColumns=@IncludedColumns  + @ColumnName  +', ' 
  fetch next from CursorIndexColumn into @ColumnName, @IsDescendingKey, @IsIncludedColumn
 end
 close CursorIndexColumn
 deallocate CursorIndexColumn
 set @IndexColumns = substring(@IndexColumns, 1, len(@IndexColumns)-1)
 set @IncludedColumns = case when len(@IncludedColumns) >0 then substring(@IncludedColumns, 1, len(@IncludedColumns)-1) else '' end
 --  print @IndexColumns
 --  print @IncludedColumns
 set @TSQLScripCreationIndex =''
 set @TSQLScripDisableIndex =''
 set @TSQLScripCreationIndex='CREATE '+ @is_unique  +@IndexTypeDesc + ' INDEX ' +QUOTENAME(@IndexName)+' ON ' + QUOTENAME(@SchemaName) +'.'+ QUOTENAME(@TableName)+ '('+@IndexColumns+') '+ 
  case when len(@IncludedColumns)>0 then CHAR(13) +'INCLUDE (' + @IncludedColumns+ ')' else '' end + CHAR(13)+'WITH (' + @IndexOptions+ ') ON ' + QUOTENAME(@FileGroupName) + ';'  
 if @is_disabled=1 
  set  @TSQLScripDisableIndex=  CHAR(13) +'ALTER INDEX ' +QUOTENAME(@IndexName) + ' ON ' + QUOTENAME(@SchemaName) +'.'+ QUOTENAME(@TableName) + ' DISABLE;' + CHAR(13) 
 print @TSQLScripCreationIndex
 print @TSQLScripDisableIndex
 fetch next from CursorIndex into  @SchemaName, @TableName, @IndexName, @is_unique, @IndexTypeDesc, @IndexOptions,@is_disabled, @FileGroupName
end
close CursorIndex
deallocate CursorIndex

Next Steps

Test this script in a test environment to validate all of your indexes are included.
Setup an automated process to script your database indexes on a regular basis if your databases are not in source control.
Read these additional related tips:

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