Which DMV should you use to find index utilization?

Using the dynamic management view (DMV) sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats is the appropriate choice for finding index utilization. This DMV provides statistics about how successful each index is in a database. It includes information on the number of seeks, scans, lookups, and updates that have been performed on each index since the last SQL Server instance restart. This data allows database administrators to analyze how often indexes are being used and identify which indexes may be underutilized or overutilized.

Understanding index utilization is crucial for optimizing database performance, as it helps ensure that the indexing strategy aligns with actual query patterns, potentially guiding decisions on index maintenance and optimization. The statistics provided by this DMV enable the identification of indexes that are rarely used, which can then be candidates for removal to streamline database operations.

Other options do not provide the same information regarding index utilization. For instance, sys.dm_db_index_structures provides insights into the structure of indexes, while sys.dm_exec_query_stats focuses on execution statistics of queries, and sys.dm_exec_requests gives details about currently executing requests, but none directly indicate how frequently indexes are used in the database context.