How Can I Safely Remove an Identity Property from a Large Table Column in T-SQL?

Remove identity attributes of columns from large tables

In database management, maintaining table structure integrity is crucial. However, removing identity attributes from columns in large tables can pose challenges as it can time out due to the sheer volume of data. Let's explore alternatives using T-SQL.

Delete identity column

Unfortunately, once an identity specification is set, it cannot be removed. So the solution is to delete the entire column containing the identity attribute. To do this, execute the following T-SQL command:

<code class="language-sql">ALTER TABLE yourTable
DROP COLUMN yourColumn;</code>

Keep data

In some cases, you may need to remove the identity column while retaining the data. In this case, the following steps are recommended:

1. Create new column: Adds a new column to the table that does not have an identity attribute.
2. Transfer data: Use appropriate queries to transfer data from existing identity columns to new columns.
3. Delete Identity Column: After the data transfer is complete, delete the existing identity column.
4. Rename new column: Rename the new column to a name that matches the original column name.

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