Press "Enter" to skip to content

Errors Updating Stats on Columnstore Indexes

Max Vernon walks us through some problems trying to update statistics on columnstore indexes:

The first error above would be seen if you have a SQL Server Agent job that updates statistics. The second error is how it looks in an SSMS Query window.

The error message claims that UPDATE STATISTICS can only be used on a columnstore index with the STATS_STREAM option. However, the Microsoft Docs UPDATE STATISTICS shows very “thin” documentation for the option, showing only these two tidbits:

<update_stats_stream_option>
Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.

Columnstore indexes really don’t want their stats updated, apparently, and will fight you tooth and nail to prevent it.