Several Teradata indexes comparison

The comparison here aims at demystifying some index structures in

Teradata.

NUSI

MultiTableJI

SingleTableJI

Relationship
between each
other

HashIndex

AggregateJI

a special
form of
single table
JI

Can be multi- or
single table JI

Index on single Single

table or multiple
tables?

Multiple

Single

Single

Either

Has its own PI? N

Y (default to
NUPI on 1st
column
defined)

Has its own SI? N/A

Ordering by
Hash or by
Value?

Either

Hash

Either

Either
(default by
Value)

Hash

Has subtable
structure?

N (regular
table)

Either

Globally

Globally

Either

Partial covering

Partial
covering

Either full or
partial covering

Hash distributed Locally Globally

locally or
globally?
Either

Compressed or
uncompressed?

Query covering
capability

Partial Either full or

covering partial
covering

Carry base table Y

rowid (pointing
to base row)?

Either

Client
Y
supportability
(MultiLoad,
FastLoad, ARC)

Hash-ordered

Always

A COUNT(*) is

Other notes

NUSIs have been

functionally
replaced by
Single-table join
indexes

carry the
base table
primary
index values

automatically
added to the index
structure; cannot
specify outer joins;
cannot be
partitioned