Do SQL Server compressed indexes remain compressed on rebuild without specifying data compression?

Question

After one rebuilds their SQL Server indexes using page compression (ALTER INDEX IX1 REBUILD PARTITION = ALL WITH (DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE)), do subsequent rebuilds (as done by some maintenance scripts past a certain fragmentation threshold) need to specify data compression again? Would the indexes otherwise be effectively decompressed?

Answer 1

Indexes remain compressed when rebuilding / reorganizing them.

Create table and compressed index

 CREATE TABLE DBO.TEST_INDX(id int, bla varchar(255));
 CREATE INDEX IX1 ON dbo.TEST_INDX(id)  WITH (DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE);

Check Compression

 SELECT i.name, p.data_compression_desc 
 FROM sys.partitions P
 INNER JOIN sys.indexes I ON I.object_id = P.object_id AND I.index_id = P.index_id
 WHERE P.data_compression > 0 and I.name = 'IX1';

Result

name    data_compression_desc
IX1     PAGE

Rebuild the index

ALTER INDEX IX1 on  DBO.TEST_INDX rebuild 

Check Compression

 SELECT i.name, p.data_compression_desc 
 FROM sys.partitions P
 INNER JOIN sys.indexes I ON I.object_id = P.object_id AND I.index_id = P.index_id
 WHERE P.data_compression > 0 and I.name = 'IX1'

Result

name    data_compression_desc
IX1     PAGE

---

Disabling them and then rebuilding has a different result, since disabling removes the index, while keeping the index definition.

alter index IX1 on  DBO.TEST_INDX DISABLE ;
alter index IX1 on  DBO.TEST_INDX REBUILD ;

Result

name    data_compression_desc

Compression was lost, compression definition would also be lost when dropping and creating the index via SSMS without adapting the Index create script.

Why?

Because the data_compression option is not retained when scripting out the Index create statement.

however, if we disable the index , rebuild with compression and then rebuild again:

alter index IX1 on  DBO.TEST_INDX DISABLE ;
alter index IX1 on  DBO.TEST_INDX REBUILD  WITH (DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE);
alter index IX1 on  DBO.TEST_INDX REBUILD;

Result

name    data_compression_desc
IX1 PAGE

---

Testing a rebuild with Ola hallengren's maintenance solution

The parameters are modified for testing purposes.

Add some data to get to one page, as it is needed for the MinNumberOfPages parameter.

INSERT INTO dbo.TEST_INDX(id,bla)
VALUES(5,'test');
go 10 

Execute the index optimize proc to print out the statement.

EXECUTE dbo.IndexOptimize
@Databases = 'TestDB',
@FragmentationLow = 'INDEX_REBUILD_ONLINE',
@FragmentationMedium = 'INDEX_REBUILD_ONLINE,INDEX_REBUILD_OFFLINE',
@FragmentationHigh = 'INDEX_REBUILD_ONLINE,INDEX_REBUILD_OFFLINE',
@FragmentationLevel1 = 5,
@FragmentationLevel2 = 30,
@Indexes = 'TestDB.DBO.TEST_INDX',
@Execute = 'N',
@MinNumberOfPages = 1;

Result:

Command: ALTER INDEX [IX1] ON [TestDB].[dbo].[TEST_INDX] REBUILD WITH (SORT_IN_TEMPDB = OFF, ONLINE = ON, RESUMABLE = OFF)

Comment: ObjectType: Table, IndexType: NonClustered, ImageTex
t: No, NewLOB: No, FileStream: No, ColumnStore: No, AllowPageLocks: Yes, PageCount: 1, Fragmentation: 0
Outcome: Not Executed
Duration: 00:00:00
Date and time: 2019-01-09 14:48:12

Executing the generated command

ALTER INDEX [IX1] ON [TestDB].[dbo].[TEST_INDX] REBUILD WITH (SORT_IN_TEMPDB = OFF, ONLINE = ON, RESUMABLE = OFF)

Compression is retained

name    data_compression_desc
IX1 PAGE

---

Testing a rebuild with a maintenance plan (I would strongly argue for ola's solution)

Rebuild indexes

Choose the test table

Add some test fragmentation levels.

Insert some values to get the fragmentation going

INSERT INTO dbo.TEST_INDX(id)
SELECT id from TEST_INDX
go 4

Check the fragmentation percentage

SELECT 
I.[name] AS  INDX ,
IPS.avg_fragmentation_in_percent,
IPS.page_count
FROM sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats (DB_ID(), object_id('[dbo].[TEST_INDX]'), NULL, NULL, NULL) AS IPS
INNER JOIN sys.indexes AS I ON I.[object_id] = IPS.[object_id]
AND IPS.index_id = I.index_id
WHERE IPS.database_id = DB_ID()
and I.name = 'IX1'

Result

INDX    avg_fragmentation_in_percent    page_count
IX1 66,6666666666667    3

Run the plan

The interesting part here, when looking at the plan report, is that the DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE option is added to the generated REBUILD command!

Command:USE [TestDB]
GO
ALTER INDEX [IX1] ON [dbo].[TEST_INDX] REBUILD PARTITION = ALL WITH (PAD_INDEX = ON, STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE = OFF, SORT_IN_TEMPDB = OFF, RESUMABLE = OFF, ONLINE = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = ON, ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = ON, FILLFACTOR = 80, DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE)

Fragmentation:

INDX    avg_fragmentation_in_percent    page_count
IX1 0   2

Compression:

name    data_compression_desc
IX1 PAGE