Why maintenance plans matter

ADMINISTRATORON-PREMISE ONLY

Database maintenance matters because it ensures data is stored and accessed efficiently, keeping performance consistent over time. Regular tasks like index optimization, statistics updates, and integrity checks help prevent fragmentation, outdated query plans, and data corruption. Without maintenance, databases can become slower, less reliable, and more prone to errors, impacting both user experience and business operations. Proactive database maintenance helps maximize performance, extend system lifespan, and reduce the risk of unexpected downtime.

Without routine maintenance, these issues may occur:

• Index fragmentation increases

• Statistics become outdated

• Query plans become inefficient

• Storage becomes fragmented

• Backup reliability may decline

Essential Maintenance Tasks

A properly configured maintenance plan should include the following:

• Index rebuild or reorganization

• Statistics updates

• Database integrity checks

• Backup management

• Cleanup of maintenance history

Failure to maintain database maintenance tasks can gradually lead to performance degradation. See Database maintenance planning and backup for more information.