SQL with Manoj

Column Store indexes were introduced in SQL Server 2012 with a flavor of Non-Clustered index i.e. “Non-Clustered ColumnStore” index. However there is a big limitation that the underlying table becomes read-only as soon as you create one.

In SQL Server 2014 this behavior is unchanged and addition to this you can also create ColumnStore index as a Clustered index. And the good thing is that the table having “Clustered ColumnStore” index can also be updated. However there is one more big limitation here that there is no Clustered Key with this type if index, thus risking the Uniqueness in the table.
 

–> Here we will see this limitation and a workaround which can be used in some scenarios:

USE tempdb
GO

-- Create a simple table with 3 columns having 1st column to contain Unique values:
CREATE TABLE dbo.TableWithCCI
(
	PKCol int NOT NULL,
	Foo int,
	Bar int
)
GO

-- Now create a "Clustered ColumnStore" index on this table:
CREATE CLUSTERED COLUMNSTORE INDEX CCI_TableWithCCI ON dbo.TableWithCCI
GO

Notice: While creating this index there is no provision to provided the “Clustering Key”, as this index includes all of the columns in the table, and stores the entire table by compressing the data and store by column.

On checking the metadata (by ALT+F1) of the table, you will see NULL under the index_keys column:

– Now let’s check this feature of absence of Uniquenes. We will enter 2 records with same value:

insert into dbo.TableWithCCI
select 1,2,3

insert into dbo.TableWithCCI
select 1,22,33
GO

SELECT * FROM dbo.TableWithCCI
GO

You will see 2 records with same duplicate value.
 

– Now, let’s create another Unique index to enforce this constraint:

CREATE UNIQUE INDEX UX_TableWithCCI ON dbo.TableWithCCI(PKCol)
GO

We get an error that you cannot create more indexes if you have a Clustered ColumnStore index:

Msg 35303, Level 16, State 1, Line 25
CREATE INDEX statement failed because a nonclustered index cannot be created on a table that has a clustered columnstore index. Consider replacing the clustered columnstore index with a nonclustered columnstore index.

 

–> Workaround: As a workaround we can create an Indexed/Materialized View on top this table, with Clustering Key as the PK (1st column of the table/view):

CREATE VIEW dbo.vwTableWithCCI 
	WITH SCHEMABINDING
AS 
	SELECT PKCol, Foo, Bar
	FROM dbo.TableWithCCI
GO

-- Delete duplicate records entered previously:
DELETE FROM dbo.TableWithCCI
GO

-- Create a Unique Clustered Index on top of the View to Materialize it:
CREATE UNIQUE CLUSTERED INDEX IDX_vwTableWithCCI ON dbo.vwTableWithCCI(PKCol)
GO

– Now let’s try to enter duplicate records again and see if these can be entered or not:

insert into dbo.TableWithCCI
select 1,2,3

insert into dbo.TableWithCCI
select 1,22,33
GO

– As expected we get an error after we inserted 1st records and tried to insert the 2nd duplicate record:

(1 row(s) affected)
Msg 2601, Level 14, State 1, Line 48
Cannot insert duplicate key row in object ‘dbo.vwTableWithCCI’ with unique index ‘IDX_vwTableWithCCI’. The duplicate key value is (1).
The statement has been terminated.

–> Not sure why Microsoft has put this limitation of not maintaining the Uniqueness with these indexes. While using this workaround you need to consider this approach if possible. Like in some scenarios where the table is very big and there are frequent updates (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETES) this approach of maintaining another Indexed-View would be expensive. So this approach should be evaluated before implementing.
 

-- Final Cleanup:
DROP VIEW dbo.vwTableWithCCI
GO
DROP TABLE dbo.TableWithCCI
GO

I look forward in new versions of SQL Server to address this limitation.
You can also refer to MSDN BOL [here] for checking all limitations with ColumnStore Indexes.
 

[Update as of May-2015] with SQL Server 2016 you can make unique Clustered ColumnStore Index indirectly by creating Primary/Unique Key Constraint on a heap with a Non-Clustered Index, [check here].
 

Update: Know on ColumnStore Indexes as of SQL Server 2016:

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