The rate at which a database increases in size over time due to new data insertion, log accumulation, index expansion, or increased row versions.
- Monitoring data growth trends is a core DBA responsibility for capacity planning: It ensures storage does not run out unexpectedly and helps minimize file autogrowth events.
- Uncontrolled autogrowth events can cause fragmentation and performance degradation: This is especially true when small increments or percentage-based settings are used.
- DBAs should pre-size database files based on projected growth: Autogrowth should be configured only as a safety net and not as a primary sizing strategy.
- Factors driving unexpected data growth include: Uncontrolled transaction log growth, Row Version Store (snapshot isolation), CDC/CT change tables, large object (LOB) data, and audit tables.
- Best practice: Monitor database file sizes weekly and review growth trends monthly, with alerts configured when databases exceed defined thresholds.
- Relevant Idera tools: SQL Diagnostic Manager tracks database size history, projects growth trends, and alerts on threshold breaches.
- Related terms: Autogrowth, Disk Usage, Bloat, TempDB, Capacity Planning.
