Effects on access paths when converting data to Unicode

If you convert your data to Unicode, the access paths for queries on that data do not change simply because the data is now in Unicode. However, valid reasons might exist for a change in the access path for a Unicode table.

For example, the schemas are likely different in Unicode tables than EBCDIC tables. The index key might be longer. For example, an index might be 5 levels in Unicode instead of 4 levels in EBCDIC. Also, the number of rows per page might be fewer.

All of the regular rules for access paths and tuning queries still apply to Unicode tables.