Primary Index Defaults - Teradata Vantage - Analytics Database

Database Design

Deployment
VantageCloud
VantageCore
Edition
VMware
Enterprise
IntelliFlex
Product
Analytics Database
Teradata Vantage
Release Number
17.20
Publication Date
June 2022
Content Type
Administration
User Guide
Publication ID
B035-1094-172K
ft:locale
en-US
ft:lastEdition
2025-11-21
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dita:id
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lifecycle
lifecycle
Product Category
Teradata Vantage™

You should always explicitly specify a primary index, a primary AMP index, or explicitly specify no primary index for your tables. If you don’t, a default is used which might not be appropriate for the object.

Vantage never creates a partitioned PI or NoPI by default and never creates a PA by default

Use the PrimaryIndexDefault field in DBS Control to determine whether Vantage automatically creates a table with a PI or NoPI if the table is created without the PRIMARY INDEX, PRIMARY AMP INDEX, and NO PRIMARY INDEX clause. For more information on the PrimaryIndexDefault field, see Teradata Vantage™ - Database Utilities, B035-1102.

Problematic Selection of a Primary [AMP] Index Column Set

When the selection of a PI or PA column set is problematic, consider either of the following possible solutions.
  • Specify NO PRIMARY INDEX when you create the table.

    You can load rows into a NoPI table while you continue to determine an appropriate PI or PA. Such a table is sometimes referred to as a sandbox or staging table.

  • Use an identity column as the PI for the table (see Surrogate Keys).