Find size of SQL Server tables and other objects with stored procedure

Richard Ding 04.09.2008 Rating: -4.38- (out of 5)

Sp_spaceused is a stored procedure that ships with SQL Server and is used to display the disk space taken by a SQL Server object. Very often, I find it inadequate to eet y intentions. !or instance, when I want an overview of user table si"es in a #iven SQL Server database, or wish to see the top $% bi##est inde&ed objects or need to su ari"e the total space owned by a #roup of tables, sp_spaceused is of no use. So, I created stored procedure sp_S'S, an e&panded version of sp_spaceused, which can be used to calculate SQL Server object space and to perfor other functions. (ith sp_S'S I wanted to retain the core functionality of sp_spaceused )) i.e., the al#orith to su up data, inde& and reserved and unused spaces for an object. I knocked out the database si"in# part and will co e up with a separate stored procedure solely for a database si"e report.

Click here to do nload !i"ting #: $he co%&lete $-'(! definition for "&)'*'. '&)'*' take" eight input parameters +riefl, de"cri+ed in $a+le #. Variable -D+.a%e -'che%a.a%e -*+2ect.a%e -$o&Clau"e -*+2ect$,&e Data type ","na%e ","na%e ","na%e Nullable Default Default implication /e" /e" /e" .0!! Current data+a"e .0!! 1ll "che%a" 3 4ncluding all o+2ect" in 5!4675 clau"e .0!! 1ll o+2ect". Can +e 5$*9 .5 or 5$*9 . 97RC7.$5 1ll o+2ect" that can +e "i:ed. ;alid 8alue" are '(","te%)< 0(u"er)< ;(inde=ed 8ie )< '(("er8ice .0!! +roker >ueue)< 4$(internal ta+le) or an, co%+ination of the% .0!! 4nclude" internal ta+le. $he 9arent e=clude" it in "i:e ?, o+2ect na%e< can +e an, "i:e related colu%n. ;alid .0!! "hort ter%" are .(na%e)< R(ro )< $(total)< 0(u"ed)< 4(inde=)< D(data)< @(free or unu"ed) and /(t,&e) 0 Do not run 5D?CC 09D1$70'1A75

n8archar(20) /e" n8archar(50) /e" /e"

-'ho 4nternal$a+le n8archar(3) -*rder?, -0&date0"age

n8archar(#00) /e" +it /e"

Table ! 9ara%eter 8aria+le" for "&)'*' and their characteri"tic".

I prefer to use a for ula)like style that akes it easy to interpret the fi#ure relationships.

*he for ula is "Total(MB) - Unused(MB) == Used(MB) = Index(MB) + Data(MB) +, i.e., the used space is the si ultaneous result of total inus unused as well as inde& plus data. *he +reserved+ colu n in sp_spaceused is actually equivalent to the total si"e in sp_S'S. *here,s a new concept of the internal table in SQL Server -%%. and SQL Server -%%/. *hey are inter ediate posredni0ka tables for parent objects to process 12L pri ary inde&es, Service 3roker queues, fullte&t inde&es and query notification subscriptions. (hen su in# up parent objects, the internal tables of type -%- 4& l_inde&_nodes5 and -%6 4fullte&t_catalo#_ ap5 should be co puted to add to the total si"e. 3ecause of this, I desi#ned a te porary base object table 4773'5 in sp_S'S in two parts. *he left half co prises si& colu ns representin# the dau#hter objects. *he ri#ht half is for the parent objects. (hen a parent owns a dau#hter object, it shows different sche a, sche a id, object na e and object id. 'therwise, the na es and ids are identical. (hen an internal table is shown, their parent na e is included in parenthesis for clear correlation. *he object type initials are consistent with 2icrosoft SQL Server 3ooks 'nline. *hey can be syste table

4S5, user table 485, view 4V5, service queue 4SQ5 or internal table 4I*5. 9ach type is separated by space4s5, co a4s5 or se icolon4s5. *he nu ber or order of the separators does not atter. If you provide characters other than those allowed, sp_S'S will raise an error and quit. :nd the stored procedure is 8nicode)co patible and case)insensitive. Sp_S'S works on SQL Server -%%%, -%%. and -%%/. In SQL Server -%%%, values reported by sp_S'S ay not be updated. *he ;8pdate8sa#e para eter can dictate a +<3== 8><:*98S:?9+ pre)run to ensure the values are current in the followin# report. 3ut be cautious as it could i pact perfor ance in lar#e databases. Startin# in SQL Server -%%., sp_spaceused always reports correct fi#ures, which akes the <3== co and obsolete. @ere are several typical scenarios to illustrate how to use sp_S'SA ;<bBa e is the database na e where you want to find object space in SQL Server. If it,s not supplied, it will use the current database. !or e&a ple, if you want a quick overview of space taken by all database objects in :dventure(orks database, you ay run the *)SQL state ent in Listin# -A 8S9 AdventureWorks; EXEC dbo.sp_SOS; Listing 2: 'verview of all object space in :dventure(orks database. Bote all para eters are by default. *he result displays all objects owned by all sche as in alphabetical order. 3oth ;Sche aBa e and ;'bjectBa e can take wildcard C as the default. *his allows you to su up a #roup of objects that bear a si ilar pattern in na es or owner na es. (hile we are still usin# :dventure(orks as the sa ple database, we want to list all Sales sche a)owned objects that look like +Sales+ in the order of used disk space. (e don,t want to show internal tables yet. I like to run +<3== 8><:*98S:?9+ first to update any incorrect values. *he *)SQL state ent looks like this in Listin# D. sp_S'S 'AdventureWorks', 'Sales%', 'Sales%', NULL, ' S ,;u v ;!";', 'no', 'U', # Listing 3A List objects owned by Sales sche a and na ed like +Sales+, in a descendin# order of used disk space. Si ilar to Listin# D, in Listin# 6 the co and can be run to retrieve the si"e infor ation for a particular object. Bote that the si"es account for the discrepancy between that displayed on the object properties ?8I and that returned by either sp_S'S or sp_spaceused. Bote, too, that the supple ented parent na e is placed behind the 12L inde& to show its affiliation. sp_S'S 'AdventureWorks', NULL, '$%l_!nde$_nodes_&'()*+#,#_&-'''', NULL, '."', '/es', 'N', ' Listing : =heck space for a specified object. Since it,s an internal table, the sche a na e is i#nored. 'bviously one object does not need to be ordered, so the ;'rder3y is skipped too. 3elow are two screenshots for sp_S'S e&ecutin# in one of y ana#ed SQL Server -%%% databasesA

Eou can see two #roups of tables, :F=@IV9<_@IS*'FE and @IS*'FE sets of tables in !i#ure $. I often have to #et the #rand total of the @IS*'FE tables. (ith sp_S'S, I can su up the values at the botto of the result. !i#ure - shows the details of <3== 8><:*98S:?9 for each table involved. *he arrow 4G GH5 indicates the actual co ands followed by updatin# details.

Fi"ure ! "&)'*' "ho " the grou&ing of u"er ta+le" that ha" "i%ilar na%e" and the "u+total "&ace for that grou& in a '(! 'er8er 2000 u"er data+a"e. (Click on image for enlarged view.)

Fi"ure #! '(! 'er8er 2000 (uer, 1nal,:er "ho " the "&)'*' "ni&&et and detailed re"ult of 5D?CC 09D1$70'1A75 co%%and. 4n thi" ca"e< the %a2orit, of o+2ect" need to u&date their "i:e infor%ation. (Click on image for enlarged view.) !a"tl,< hereB" ho "&)'*' ork" on '(! 'er8er 2008 C$9. 0"ing the "cri&t in !i"ting 5< e o+tained the re"ult "ho n in @igure 3.
EXEC dbo.sp_SOS 01bNa%e 2 N'AdventureWorks-''3', 0S45e%aNa%e 2 NULL, 0Ob6e4tNa%e 2 NULL, 0"opClause 2 NULL, 0Ob6e4t"/pe 2 N'U7."S ', 0S5o8.nternal"able 2 N'9es', 0Order:/ 2 N'9', 0UpdateUsa;e 2 #

Listin" $! Rank all u"er ta+le"< 8ie "< internal ta+le" and "er8ice >ueue" fro% 1d8entureCork"2008 data+a"e on '(! 'er8er 2008 C$9 in the order of o+2ect t,&e". Run D?CC 09D1$70'1A7 +efore finali:ing the re&ort. 'ho internal o+2ect" a" ell.

Fi"ure %! "&)'*'< co%&ati+le ith '(! 'er8er 2008 C$9< run" in 1d8entureCork"2008 data+a"e to "ho a li"t of all o+2ect" ordered +, o+2ect t,&e". (Click on image for enlarged view.) 4 canBt "ho ,ou all in"tance" of differentl, &ara%eteri:ed "&)'*' e=ecution". 4f ,ou find "o%ething intere"ting or conflicting ith it" e=&ected +eha8ior< &lea"e dro& %e a line and 4Bll "ee if 4 can i%&ro8e it. Check out %, follo -u& ti& on the "tored &rocedure "&)'D'. .ot onl, ill "&)'D' deter%ine 5'(! Data+a"e '&ace<5 +ut it can al"o +e u"ed to %onitor data+a"e gro th< alert a D?1 on data or log file gro th< e=ecute a tran"action log +acku& and e8en &ro8ide a detailed +reakdo n at the file le8el "o a D?1 can then "hrink file" ith the %o"t e%&t, "&ace. &'()T T*+ &)T*(,! data+a"e ad%ini"trator at .orthea"tern 0ni8er"it, in ?o"ton< ha" orked ith '(! 'er8er "ince the late #990". Di" intere"t" co8er data+a"e ad%ini"tration< $-'(! de8elo&%ent< di"a"ter reco8er,< re&lication and &erfor%ance tuning. De rite" for "e8eral %aga:ine" for the '(! 'er8er &roduct< including SQL Server Magazine and SQL Server Standard. De i" a freelancer at 'earch'(!'er8er.co% and a %e%+er of 8ariou" '(! 'er8er online foru%". De"&ite an earlier degree in %edicine and a doctorate in ?io 'cience< Richard a&&arentl, en2o," +eing a creati8e '(! 'er8er &rofe""ional. Contact Richard Ding at rding-rcn.co%. -opyri"ht #../ $ech$arget
,ichard Din"<