---
id: video/1x3QyBX3swg
type: video
title: "Microsoft presents: Index management"
summary: "Business Central index management: a page for enabling and disabling table indexes, per-company control, index usage, size and fragmentation statistics, and how the DAMS maintenance service rebuilds indexes and creates tuning-advisor indexes. Also covers extension fields merging into base tables in version 29 (early access preview)."
tier: community
language: en
tags:
  - index management
  - sql server indexes
  - storage optimization
  - index usage statistics
  - index maintenance
  - telemetry
  - performance tuning
  - fragmentation
  - missing indexes
  - disabled indexes
  - per-company indexes
  - just-in-time enabling
system: platform
review:
  state: reviewed
  by: opus
  at: "2026-10-07T23:18:14.341Z"
  flags: []
generated:
  at: "2026-10-07T23:18:14.431Z"
  pipeline: 0.2.0
  prompts:
    extract-video: 1
    summarize-video: 2
  input_hash: de506a9ca62083ed3c9d440dd245a0a8afcbbb4e3348310886ea660f0d4a4713
evidence:
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1802s
    title: "Extension fields merging to base tables in version 29: preview"
    date: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 1802
    quote: we actually have it out in the early access preview now. We're merging back the extension fields into the base table.
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2313s
    title: "SIFT index management in future: announced"
    date: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 2313
    quote: the full management of sift indexes we plan to add that to the index management later
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2415s
    title: "Index virtual provider API expansion to cloud: announced"
    date: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 2415
    quote: So, yes, it is something that we're looking at and planning to add in the future.
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=43s
    title: "Microsoft presents: Index management"
    date: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 43
    quote: indexes, you know, I think most of you probably know that keys get mapped down to indexes in SQL. But yeah, it was a
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=110s
    title: "Microsoft presents: Index management"
    date: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 110
    quote: We have sift indices for example and the reason why I don't talk about them here is because in the first version of this
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=319s
    title: "Microsoft presents: Index management"
    date: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 319
    quote: You can disable them immediately, as you saw. You can enable them immediately in Docker locally, on prem. Uh but in SaaS, we'll be
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=388s
    title: "Microsoft presents: Index management"
    date: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 388
    quote: primary keys, system ID, sift, and unique indexes cannot be disabled. It would be a semantic like well, semantic in a different meaning, but
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=724s
    title: "Microsoft presents: Index management"
    date: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 724
    quote: And then we have what is that? Three times as much just for the indices, right?
links:
  learn: []
  objects:
    - object/table/32
    - object/page/8700
    - object/table/405
    - object/table/5802
  features: []
  topics: []
  localizations: []
  videos: []
  posts: []
  guidelines: []
video_id: 1x3QyBX3swg
channel: yt-mibuso
source_name: mibuso.com / BC TechDays
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg
published_at: "2026-10-01T05:38:50.000Z"
duration_s: 2434
captions: derived
audience:
  - administrator
  - developer
  - partner
chapters:
  - t: 0
    title: Introduction to Index Management
  - t: 151
    title: Finding and Discovering Index Management
  - t: 232
    title: "Demo: Enabling and Disabling Indexes"
  - t: 319
    title: Index Management Rules and Telemetry
  - t: 404
    title: Benefits and Costs of Indexes
  - t: 612
    title: When to Disable Indexes and Storage Impact
  - t: 756
    title: Index Usage Statistics and Fragmentation Analysis
  - t: 1003
    title: Missing Indexes and Per-Company Index Enabling
  - t: 1218
    title: Just-in-Time Enabling, Archived Data, and Auto-Created Indexes
  - t: 1496
    title: DAMS Maintenance and User Feedback
  - t: 1748
    title: "Version 29 Preview: Extension Fields Merging"
  - t: 1933
    title: Early Access and Index Management UI
  - t: 2097
    title: Maintenance Windows, SIFT Indexes, and Include Columns
  - t: 2334
    title: On-Premises Scope and Future API Expansion
features:
  - name: Index Management Page
    status: unclear
    t: 124
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Enable/Disable Indexes
    status: unclear
    t: 256
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Per-Company Index Management
    status: unclear
    t: 353
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Index Usage Statistics
    status: unclear
    t: 774
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Index Storage Information on Table Information Page
    status: unclear
    t: 124
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Index storage metrics
    status: unclear
    t: 939
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Index fragmentation metrics
    status: unclear
    t: 965
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Telemetry for Index Changes
    status: unclear
    t: 404
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Non-AL Defined Indexes
    status: unclear
    t: 199
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Database missing indexes advisor
    status: unclear
    t: 1041
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Just-in-time index enabling
    status: unclear
    t: 1262
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Disabled index management for archived data
    status: unclear
    t: 1321
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Auto-created index cleanup
    status: unclear
    t: 1376
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: DAMS - Data Administration and Management Service
    status: unclear
    t: 1435
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Automatic index rebuild
    status: unclear
    t: 1461
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Automatic statistics updates
    status: unclear
    t: 1482
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: DAMS re-index stats table
    status: unclear
    t: 1534
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Automatic Database Tuning Advisor
    status: unclear
    t: 1562
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Extension fields merging to base tables in version 29
    status: preview
    t: 1779
    verified: true
    status_source: video
  - name: Index management upgrade performance impact
    status: unclear
    t: 1887
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Indexes list part page
    status: unclear
    t: 1990
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Record length validation in version 28
    status: unclear
    t: 2083
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Index maintenance window scheduling
    status: unclear
    t: 2153
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: SIFT index management in future
    status: announced
    t: 2265
    verified: true
    status_source: video
  - name: Index virtual provider API expansion to cloud
    status: announced
    t: 2346
    verified: true
    status_source: video
objects_mentioned:
  - table Item Ledger Entry
  - page Table Information
  - table GL Entry
  - table Change Log
  - table DAMS re-index stats
  - table change log entry
  - table value entry
  - table Dams re-index stats table
  - page indexes list part page
quotes:
  - t: 43
    text: indexes, you know, I think most of you probably know that keys get mapped down to indexes in SQL. But yeah, it was a
    check: exact
  - t: 110
    text: We have sift indices for example and the reason why I don't talk about them here is because in the first version of this
    check: exact
  - t: 319
    text: You can disable them immediately, as you saw. You can enable them immediately in Docker locally, on prem. Uh but in SaaS, we'll be
    check: exact
  - t: 388
    text: primary keys, system ID, sift, and unique indexes cannot be disabled. It would be a semantic like well, semantic in a different meaning, but
    check: exact
  - t: 724
    text: And then we have what is that? Three times as much just for the indices, right?
    check: exact
---

# Microsoft presents: Index management

> Business Central index management: a page for enabling and disabling table indexes, per-company control, index usage, size and fragmentation statistics, and how the DAMS maintenance service rebuilds indexes and creates tuning-advisor indexes. Also covers extension fields merging into base tables in version 29 (early access preview).

[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg) · mibuso.com / BC TechDays · 2026-10-01 · 40:34 · tier community · reviewed (checked by Opus)

## Overview

The session from BC TechDays shows a new index management page where indexes on a table can be viewed, disabled immediately and enabled on demand. In SaaS, enabling happens overnight in local time; in Docker and on-premises it is immediate. Primary keys, system ID, SIFT and unique indexes cannot be disabled. Indexes can be defined with enable false in AL and enabled per company for company tables, but the method to enable them in setup code is currently on-premises scope only.

The talk also covers usage statistics (seek, scan, lookup, update counts since the last database restart), per-index storage, fragmentation, and the missing indexes advisor. It explains DAMS, which rebuilds indexes above about 25% fragmentation, updates statistics and runs the Database Tuning Advisor, and notes about 40,000 databases have DAMS-created indexes. It closes with extension fields merging into base tables in version 29 (early access preview, no shipping date promised), a version 28 record length warning, open questions on maintenance windows, and plans for SIFT management and wider API scope.

## Key points

- Disabled indexes take effect immediately; enabling is done overnight in SaaS (local time) but immediately in Docker and on-premises.
- Primary keys, system ID, SIFT and unique indexes cannot be disabled. Non-AL-defined indexes that are disabled are deleted and cannot be re-enabled, though SQL Server-generated ones can be recreated.
- SIFT indexes cannot be managed in the first version; full SIFT management is planned later. Include columns on a well-defined index can often replace a SIFT index.
- Usage statistics (seek, scan, lookup, update, last used) reset on database restart, so they are more meaningful after long uptime; exporting to Excel on a schedule is the suggested way to keep history. They only cover existing indexes; the missing indexes page shows suggestions.
- Indexes can be defined with enabled false in AL and enabled per company at runtime for company tables. Use cases are just-in-time enabling for yearly closing and disabling indexes on backup companies to cut storage and write cost. The method to enable from code is currently scoped OnPrem only, with plans to open it up.
- DAMS rebuilds large indexes with fragmentation above about 25% nightly at low priority, updates statistics, and runs the Database Tuning Advisor, creating _DTA-prefixed indexes. Backup companies can slow the nightly fragmentation checks.
- Version 29 early access preview merges extension fields into base tables, allowing keys on extension fields and cutting inserts from two SQL inserts to one. Upgrade may take longer and no shipping date is promised.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=0s) Introduction to Index Management
- [2:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=151s) Finding and Discovering Index Management
- [3:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=232s) Demo: Enabling and Disabling Indexes
- [5:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=319s) Index Management Rules and Telemetry
- [6:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=404s) Benefits and Costs of Indexes
- [10:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=612s) When to Disable Indexes and Storage Impact
- [12:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=756s) Index Usage Statistics and Fragmentation Analysis
- [16:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1003s) Missing Indexes and Per-Company Index Enabling
- [20:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1218s) Just-in-Time Enabling, Archived Data, and Auto-Created Indexes
- [24:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1496s) DAMS Maintenance and User Feedback
- [29:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1748s) Version 29 Preview: Extension Fields Merging
- [32:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1933s) Early Access and Index Management UI
- [34:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2097s) Maintenance Windows, SIFT Indexes, and Include Columns
- [38:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2334s) On-Premises Scope and Future API Expansion

## Features

| Feature | Status | At | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index Management Page | status not stated, demoed | [2:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=124s) |  |
| Enable/Disable Indexes | status not stated, demoed | [4:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=256s) |  |
| Per-Company Index Management | status not stated, demoed | [5:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=353s) |  |
| Index Usage Statistics | status not stated, demoed | [12:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=774s) |  |
| Index Storage Information on Table Information Page | status not stated | [2:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=124s) |  |
| Index storage metrics | status not stated, demoed | [15:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=939s) |  |
| Index fragmentation metrics | status not stated, demoed | [16:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=965s) |  |
| Telemetry for Index Changes | status not stated | [6:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=404s) |  |
| Non-AL Defined Indexes | status not stated | [3:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=199s) |  |
| Database missing indexes advisor | status not stated | [17:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1041s) |  |
| Just-in-time index enabling | status not stated | [21:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1262s) |  |
| Disabled index management for archived data | status not stated | [22:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1321s) |  |
| Auto-created index cleanup | status not stated | [22:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1376s) |  |
| DAMS - Data Administration and Management Service | status not stated | [23:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1435s) |  |
| Automatic index rebuild | status not stated | [24:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1461s) |  |
| Automatic statistics updates | status not stated | [24:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1482s) |  |
| DAMS re-index stats table | status not stated | [25:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1534s) |  |
| Automatic Database Tuning Advisor | status not stated | [26:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1562s) |  |
| Extension fields merging to base tables in version 29 | preview, demoed | [29:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1779s) | "we actually have it out in the early access preview now. We're merging back the extension fields into the base table." ([30:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1802s)) |
| Index management upgrade performance impact | status not stated | [31:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1887s) |  |
| Indexes list part page | status not stated, demoed | [33:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1990s) |  |
| Record length validation in version 28 | status not stated | [34:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2083s) |  |
| Index maintenance window scheduling | status not stated | [35:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2153s) |  |
| SIFT index management in future | announced | [37:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2265s) | "the full management of sift indexes we plan to add that to the index management later" ([38:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2313s)) |
| Index virtual provider API expansion to cloud | announced | [39:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2346s) | "So, yes, it is something that we're looking at and planning to add in the future." ([40:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2415s)) |

## AL objects mentioned

As heard in the captions. A name that matches one object page by exact type and name links to it; the others stay as named.

- [table 32 "Item Ledger Entry"](../objects/table/32.md) at [1:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=67s)
- [page 8700 "Table Information"](../objects/page/8700.md) at [2:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=124s)
- table "GL Entry" at [7:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=467s)
- table "Change Log" at [11:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=679s)
- table "DAMS re-index stats" at [25:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1534s)
- [table 405 "Change Log Entry"](../objects/table/405.md) at [28:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1683s)
- [table 5802 "Value Entry"](../objects/table/5802.md) at [28:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1683s)
- table "Dams re-index stats table" at [27:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1629s)
- page "indexes list part page" at [33:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2021s)

Not found in BC28-30: table "GL Entry", table "Change Log", table "DAMS re-index stats", table "Dams re-index stats table", page "indexes list part page".

## Quotes

- [0:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=43s) "indexes, you know, I think most of you probably know that keys get mapped down to indexes in SQL. But yeah, it was a"
- [1:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=110s) "We have sift indices for example and the reason why I don't talk about them here is because in the first version of this"
- [5:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=319s) "You can disable them immediately, as you saw. You can enable them immediately in Docker locally, on prem. Uh but in SaaS, we'll be"
- [6:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=388s) "primary keys, system ID, sift, and unique indexes cannot be disabled. It would be a semantic like well, semantic in a different meaning, but"
- [12:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=724s) "And then we have what is that? Three times as much just for the indices, right?"

## Disclaimers in the video

- [1:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=110s) not-in-this-release: sift indices for example and the reason why I don't talk about them here is because in the first version ...
- [3:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=199s) subject-to-change: non AL defined index or it will be called something different maybe when you see it
- [4:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=292s) subject-to-change: when you enable an index, it doesn't happen immediately. It happens overnight, except if you are on my magical machine here, which is a local development
- [16:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1003s) coming-later: will you be covering what we plan to add later or Ah. No, no, no. Maybe a little later
- [20:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1218s) subject-to-change: Right now, unfortunately, the method is on prem only, scope on prem. But that is something we are thinking very much about changing
- [20:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1228s) preview: we're a little chicken. Because we'll we just want to make to experiment with it in our own app first ...
- [29:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1779s) preview: if you take the early access preview build now, this is possible. No, actually this is not possible yet because ...
- [30:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1802s) preview: we actually have it out in the early access preview now. We're merging back the extension fields into the base table
- [30:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1802s) subject-to-change: if all the testing goes well, this is without I'm not promising an exact shipping date
- [31:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1910s) preview: if it comes in version 29, this feature might take longer than other majors because we have to do that again
- [32:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=1933s) preview: When so, this is available in early access preview, we'll also be spinning preview clusters later when we get closer to the release
- [38:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2313s) coming-later: the full management of sift indexes we plan to add that to the index management later
- [39:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x3QyBX3swg&t=2387s) coming-later: the plan is of course to enable some of these moving forward

Presenters (as heard): Mads Gram, Preetham, Jens, Giulio, Jesper, Stefan.