"Sgt. Sausage" <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:402d2d58$0$52159$a0465688@nnrp.fuse.net...
> Quick question:
>
> Does SQL do table/schema changes "in place"?

>
> I've got a large table (140+ million rows of very wide
> data) that we want to change the schema on -- basically
> to remove a number of the unused data elements that we
> don't use.

>
> Anyway, does anyone know if SQL will do an in-place
> change, or if it will copy the table to a new table, thereby
> increasing my space allocation needs? I'd effectively,
> temporarily, need space for two tables while the change
> is happening if it copies the table first. This is not good as
> I do not have enough available space at the moment.
>
> If you've got pointers to specific MS docs regarding
> this issue, please let me have 'em.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>

"Sgt. Sausage" <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:402d2d58$0$52159$a0465688@nnrp.fuse.net...
> Quick question:
>
> Does SQL do table/schema changes "in place"?
>
> I've got a large table (140+ million rows of very wide
> data) that we want to change the schema on -- basically
> to remove a number of the unused data elements that we
> don't use.
>
> Anyway, does anyone know if SQL will do an in-place
> change, or if it will copy the table to a new table, thereby
> increasing my space allocation needs? I'd effectively,
> temporarily, need space for two tables while the change
> is happening if it copies the table first. This is not good as
> I do not have enough available space at the moment.
>
> If you've got pointers to specific MS docs regarding
> this issue, please let me have 'em.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>