Rebuilding dataset indexes using the Rebuild Indexes tool

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Standard and ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

An index can exist on a single field or a set of fields. As datasets in a geodatabase are edited over time, the indexes may need to be rebuilt for optimal performance. Rebuilding indexes on these datasets is a good way to improve index efficiency.

The Rebuild Indexes geoprocessing tool in ArcGIS is used to rebuild indexes on datasets in an ArcSDE geodatabase. This tool can be used by the data owner to rebuild both attribute and spatial indexes for one or many different datasets at once. When executed, indexes can be rebuilt for the base (or business) tables and associated delta tables if the dataset is registered as versioned.

When you run the Rebuild Indexes geoprocessing tool, you have the option to only update the indexes on the delta tables of a chosen dataset. You might want to do this if you have loaded a large amount of data into your table or feature class or deleted or edited a large amount. Also, after the administrator has compressed the geodatabase, you might want to rebuild your dataset indexes if you know you had a lot of versioned edits.

When you rebuild indexes for a feature dataset, indexes are rebuilt on all the feature classes and other classes in that feature dataset. If the feature dataset contains a topology, the topology tables are also updated.

The tool also has an option to rebuild indexes for the geodatabase system tables, which can be used only by the geodatabase administrator. See Using the Rebuild Indexes tool on system tables for more information.

To rebuild indexes on your datasets using the Rebuild Indexes tool, do the following:

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap or ArcCatalog and connect to the enterprise geodatabase that contains the data you own for which you want to rebuild indexes.
2. Open the Rebuild Indexes geoprocessing tool.

   This tool can be found in the Geodatabase Administration toolset of the Data Management toolbox.

3. Use the connection you created in step 1 as the input workspace.
4. Choose the datasets on which you want to rebuild indexes by checking the box next to the dataset in the Datasets to Rebuild Indexes For list.
5. If you only want to rebuild indexes on the delta tables of the chosen dataset, click outside the datasets list and check Rebuild Delta Tables Only.
6. Click OK to run the tool.