One of the things we see all the time is databases that are simply larger than they need to be.
Over time, technical debt piles up, old data sticks around, and suddenly your SQL Server is lugging around a bunch of extra weight. The result? Queries slow down, backups take forever, and your storage costs creep up.
The good news: most of that extra data isn’t actively used. Some of it is rarely — if ever — needed. That means there are plenty of ways to put SQL Server on a “diet” and get it back into fighting shape.
Let’s walk through some of the most effective ways to trim down your database and keep it lean.
1. Toss Out the Junk: Unused or Redundant Data
The simplest place to start is with the stuff you don’t need anymore. Tables full of old, unused data? Delete it. But I get it — sometimes regulations say you can’t.
Here’s the key: retaining data doesn’t mean it has to live on your production system forever. If you have compliance requirements, back up the data and store it somewhere cheap (hello, cloud blob storage) instead of letting it bloat your live environment.
2. Move It to Storage: Archive Tables
If you still need to query the historical data occasionally, think about moving it into archive tables (_Archive or _History). This way, your primary tables stay slim, and your day-to-day queries don’t have to churn through years of old records.
Pro tip: put archive tables on a cheaper filegroup. No sense in burning your expensive storage on rarely accessed data.
3. Partition Your Data for Smarter Access
Partitioning can be a powerful tool when you’ve got big tables with a natural split — like dates. Imagine breaking your table into monthly partitions so this month’s queries only scan a fraction of the data.
But partitioning isn’t “set it and forget it.” You’ll need regular maintenance (like rotating old partitions into a “history” bucket). Done right, though, it can drastically improve performance without requiring changes to your application code.
4. Filtered Indexes: Keep It Lean
Ever see a table with an IsActive or IsDeleted column? If your queries are always filtering on that field, a filtered index can be a lifesaver.
Instead of indexing the whole table, you just index the active rows. That makes your index smaller, faster, and way more efficient.
5. Cut Down on Wide Indexes
Indexes are great — until they’re packed with too many columns. Every extra column increases storage and memory usage. Run a query against sys.indexes and you’ll probably find some “Frankenstein” indexes with way more columns than necessary.
Trim them down. Your buffer pool will thank you.
6. Fix Fragmentation
If you’re not doing index maintenance, your database probably has some gnarly fragmentation. That’s just the reality of updates and deletes over time.
Run sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats and take a look. If you see high fragmentation in large indexes, rebuild or reorganize them. Better yet, automate the process with Ola Hallengren’s index maintenance scripts.
7. Squeeze It: Compression
SQL Server has solid options for compression:
-
Row and Page Compression: reduces table size and helps OLTP workloads.
-
Columnstore Compression: game-changing for warehouses with lots of repeated values.
Be mindful of your edition and workload, but if you’re struggling with space or memory pressure, compression can make a big difference.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a strong starting point if you want to put SQL Server on a diet. Smaller data means faster queries, faster backups, and less wasted storage.
At the end of the day: leaner databases are healthier databases.
If you’re dealing with SQL Server bloat and want help trimming it down, we’d love to jump in.
