Oracle11g: Zero Sized Unusable Indexes (Zeroes)

Following on from my previous discussion on “Create On Demand” segments, Oracle 11g R2 has also introduced storage saving initiatives in relation to useable indexes.  Starting with a simple Oracle 10g example, we create a table and associated index:
 

 
SQL> create table bowie as select rownum id, 'BOWIE' name from dual connect by level <= 1000000;
 
Table created.
 
SQL> create index bowie_id_i on bowie(id);
 
Index created.
 
SQL> exec dbms_stats.gather_table_stats(ownname=>null, tabname=>'BOWIE', cascade=> true, estimate_percent=> null, method_opt=> 'FOR ALL COLUMNS SIZE 1');
 
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.

 
  

If we now make the index unusable:
 

 
SQL> alter index bowie_id_i unusable;
 
Index altered.
 
SQL> select index_name, blevel, leaf_blocks, num_rows, status, dropped from dba_indexes where index_name = 'BOWIE_ID_I';
 
INDEX_NAME     BLEVEL LEAF_BLOCKS   NUM_ROWS STATUS   DRO
---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- -------- ---
BOWIE_ID_I          2        2226    1000000 UNUSABLE NO
 

SQL> select segment_name, bytes, blocks, extents from dba_segments where segment_name = 'BOWIE_ID_I';
 
SEGMENT_NAME      BYTES     BLOCKS    EXTENTS
------------ ---------- ---------- ----------
BOWIE_ID_I     18874368       2304         18

 
  

We notice that the storage associated with the segment remains, even though the data within the index is now totally useless to us now. The index definition is of course vital but why bother continuing to assign 18 extents of storage (in this example) to the index ?  Oracle 11g Release 2 has now by default changed this behaviour. 
 
Using the same demo as before but running Oracle11g R2:
 

 
SQL> create table bowie as select rownum id, 'BOWIE' name from dual connect by level <= 1000000;
 
Table created.
 
SQL> create index bowie_id_i on bowie(id);
 
Index created.
 
SQL> exec dbms_stats.gather_table_stats(ownname=>null, tabname=>'BOWIE', cascade=> true, estimate_percent=> null, method_opt=> 'FOR ALL COLUMNS SIZE 1');
 
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
 
SQL> alter index bowie_id_i unusable;
 
Index altered.
 
SQL> select index_name, blevel, leaf_blocks, num_rows, status, dropped from dba_indexes where index_name = 'BOWIE_ID_I';
 
INDEX_NAME     BLEVEL LEAF_BLOCKS   NUM_ROWS STATUS   DRO
---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- -------- ---
BOWIE_ID_I          2        2226    1000000 UNUSABLE NO
 
SQL> select segment_name, bytes, blocks, extents from dba_segments where segment_name = 'BOWIE_ID_I';
 
no rows selected

 
  

We notice that the storage associated with the object is all gone. The index object remains but the underling segment and storage have been automatically dropped.

If we now look at a partitioning example, where we create 3 types of indexes:
 

 
SQL> CREATE TABLE big_album_sales(id number, album_id number, country_id number,
          release_date date, total_sales number)  PARTITION BY RANGE (release_date)
(PARTITION ALBUMS_2007 VALUES LESS THAN (TO_DATE('01-JAN-2008', 'DD-MON-YYYY')),
 PARTITION ALBUMS_2008 VALUES LESS THAN (TO_DATE('01-JAN-2009', 'DD-MON-YYYY')),
 PARTITION ALBUMS_2009 VALUES LESS THAN (TO_DATE('01-JAN-2010', 'DD-MON-YYYY')),
 PARTITION ALBUMS_2010 VALUES LESS THAN (MAXVALUE));
 
Table created.
  

SQL> INSERT INTO big_album_sales SELECT rownum, mod(rownum,5000)+1, mod(rownum,100)+1, sysdate-mod(rownum,2000), ceil(dbms_random.value(1,500000)) FROM dual CONNECT BY LEVEL <= 1000000;
 
1000000 rows created.
 
SQL> commit;
 
Commit complete.

 
  

We first create a Non-Partitioned Index:
 

 
SQL> CREATE INDEX big_album_tot_sales_i ON big_album_sales(total_sales);
 
Index created.

 
  

Next a Global Partitioned Index:
 

 
SQL> CREATE INDEX big_album_country_id_i  ON big_album_sales(country_id)
     GLOBAL PARTITION BY RANGE (country_id)
     (PARTITION TS1 VALUES LESS THAN (26),
      PARTITION TS2 VALUES LESS THAN (51),
      PARTITION TS3 VALUES LESS THAN (76),
      PARTITION TS4 VALUES LESS THAN (MAXVALUE));
 
Index created.

  

Finally,  a Local Partitioned index:
  

 
SQL> CREATE INDEX big_album_album_id_i ON big_album_sales(album_id) local;
 
Index created.
 
SQL> exec dbms_stats.gather_table_stats(ownname=> 'BOWIE', tabname=> 'BIG_ALBUM_SALES', estimate_percent=> null, method_opt=> 'FOR ALL COLUMNS SIZE 1');
 
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.

 
  

If we now split the last table partition, this will effectively make the:
 
1) Non-Partitioned Unusable
2) All partitions of the Global Partitioned index unusable
3) Just the last 2 partitions of the Local Partitioned Index unusable
  

 
SQL> ALTER TABLE big_album_sales SPLIT PARTITION ALBUMS_2010
     AT (TO_DATE('01-JAN-2011', 'DD-MON-YYYY'))
     INTO (PARTITION ALBUMS_2010, PARTITION ALBUMS_2011);
 
Table altered.
 
SQL> select index_name, status from dba_indexes where table_name = 'BIG_ALBUM_SALES';
 
INDEX_NAME               STATUS
------------------------ --------
BIG_ALBUM_TOT_SALES_I    UNUSABLE
BIG_ALBUM_COUNTRY_ID_I   N/A
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I     N/A
 
SQL> select index_name, partition_name, status, leaf_blocks from dba_ind_partitions where index_name like 'BIG_ALBUM_%';
 
INDEX_NAME              PARTITION_NAME STATUS   LEAF_BLOCKS
----------------------- -------------- -------- -----------
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I    ALBUMS_2007    USABLE           807
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I    ALBUMS_2008    USABLE           381
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I    ALBUMS_2009    USABLE           383
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I    ALBUMS_2010    UNUSABLE
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I    ALBUMS_2011    UNUSABLE
BIG_ALBUM_COUNTRY_ID_I  TS1            UNUSABLE         629
BIG_ALBUM_COUNTRY_ID_I  TS2            UNUSABLE         629
BIG_ALBUM_COUNTRY_ID_I  TS3            UNUSABLE         629
BIG_ALBUM_COUNTRY_ID_I  TS4            UNUSABLE         629
 
SQL> select segment_name, partition_name, bytes, blocks from dba_segments where segment_name like 'BIG_ALBUM_%' and segment_type like 'INDEX%';
 
SEGMENT_NAME          PARTITION_NAME    BYTES BLOCKS
--------------------- -------------- -------- ------
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I  ALBUMS_2007     7340032    896
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I  ALBUMS_2008     3145728    384
BIG_ALBUM_ALBUM_ID_I  ALBUMS_2009     4194304    512
BIG_ALBUM_TOT_SALES_I                23068672   2816

 
  

We notice that all segments associated with the Global Partitioned index which are now unusable have been dropped. As have both unusable partitions from the Local Partitioned Index. However, the segment and storage associated with the unusable Non-Partitioned index still remains. Perhaps a missing feature for another time …
 
It’s a nice little touch that the unusable and somewhat useless index segments now get automatically cleaned out in Oracle11g R2, although they did previously act as “placeholders” in that nothing else within the tablespace could come along and use the occupied storage.