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RE: Bitmap Indexes

From: Shaibal Talukder <shaibal_talukder_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 06:42:58 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.00409F5C.20020208055821@fatcity.com>


Kirti,
Just cureous. Normally bitmap indexes ae ae used for low cardinality columns. I am confused when you state - "Just one table uses it(bitmap index), with b-tree indexes 

>for PKry and one other non-unique index"
If you mean - you use Bitmap index for the non unique index with b-tree index for PKey I am OK with that. 
Shaibal

>From: "Deshpande, Kirti" 
>Reply-To: ORACLE-L@fatcity.com 
>To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L 
>Subject: RE: Bitmap Indexes 
>Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 19:58:20 -0800 
> 
>Ethan, 
> I have been using bitmap and b-tree indexes on the same table in our data 
>mart since 7.3.4. Never had a problem with query performance. Now we have 
>partitioned the tables in 8.1.7.x and most tables that were using bitmaps do 
>not need to use them anymore. Just one table uses it, with b-tree indexes 
>for PKry and one other non-unique index. No problems so far. 
> The only issue we had with bitmap indexes was the way it used up extents, 
>if those were not droppped before the dataloads. The problem still exists 
>with 8.1.7.x. Have not tried with 9i yet.. 
> 
>HTH, 
> 
>- Kirti 
> 
> 
>-----Original Message----- 
>Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:07 PM 
>To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L 
> 
> 
>Posted on behalf of a friend... 
> 
> 
>Fellow Oracle data warehouse DBAs (if this isn't you, you can delete this 
>note now): 
> I have a question regarding Oracle's bitmap indexes. We have been DABBLING 
>with bitmap indexes with mixed results here. In 
>many cases, they are great solutions. In some cases, where we have a mix of 
>bitmap and b-tree indexes on the same table, we occasionally get into 
>trouble --- this has to do with the Oracle optimizer deciding, on the fly, 
>to convert a regular b-tree index into a bitmap. It does this so that it 
>can AND or OR the various bitmap indexes together. Sounds great on the 
>surface but when this occurs, response time goes in the toilet. 
> 
>In one situation we have, we have a fact table with two bitmap indexes and a 
>few other b-tree indexes. A particular query we run bogs down (NEVER 
>COMPLETES) with this mix of indexes. Based on the access path that's being 
>chosen, we know which b-tree index is being converted on the fly. If we 
>convert that b-tree index into a bitmap (so we now have 3 bitmap indexes and 
>Oracle does not need to create the third one on the fly), the query really 
>runs well. If we replace the bitmap indexes with b-tree indexes (so we only 
>have b-tree indexes), we get decent response times. (This is all on Oracle 
>8.1.7.2.0, by the way.) 
> 
>I'm wondering if the rest of you data warehouse DBAs have gone "whole hog" 
>with bitmap indexes. My testing shows that when Oracle doesn't have to 
>create a bitmap index on the fly, the queries respond wonderfully. So, I'm 
>wondering if our dabbling is actually a bad validation approach and, 
>instead, we should be 'running' with LOTS bitmap indexes instead of 
>'crawling' with only a few of them. In other words, maybe we're not "taking 
>all of our medication", as someone else put it recently. 
> 
>Any insight would be most appreciated. I'm not looking for insight on the 
>query I have used as an example. I'm looking for a generalized answer that 
>says, "Yes, if you start using bitmap indexes, you should go TOTALLY to 
>bitmap indexes" or, "Hmmm, we're using some bitmap indexes and some b-tree 
>indexes and don't have the problem you have". 
>-- 
>Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com 
>-- 
>Author: Post, Ethan 
> INET: Ethan.Post@ps.net 
>-- 
>Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com 
>-- 
>Author: Deshpande, Kirti 
> INET: kirti.deshpande@verizon.com 
> 
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-- 
Author: Shaibal Talukder
  INET: shaibal_talukder@hotmail.com

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Received on Fri Feb 08 2002 - 08:42:58 CST

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