Question

Is there a way to tell SQL server to use specific default seed value for IDENTITY columns – assuming the (to be run) CREATE TABLE statements do not specify one? I don’t really care about altering existing data or altering the seed values for specific IDENTITY columns. I want the same seed for all newly created identity columns. Assume I cannot modify the individual CREATE TABLE statements in any way.

Answer 1

the syntax is:

IDENTITY [ ( seed , increment ) ]

You must specify both the seed and increment or neither. If neither is specified, the default is (1,1). There is no way to set a different global default other than the (1,1). The only way to set a value other than (1,1) is to code it on the column.

here is the documentation: IDENTITY (Property)

EDIT

Based on this command:

DBCC CHECKIDENT ( 'table_name', RESEED, new_reseed_value )

You could use this script to reset all identity columns to the same @new_reseed_value value:

DECLARE @Tables table (RowNumber int identity(1,1) primary key, TableCommand sysname)
DECLARE @new_reseed_value     int
       ,@CurrentRow           int
       ,@MaxRows              int
       ,@CurrentTableCommand  nvarchar(4000)

SET @new_reseed_value=9876

INSERT INTO @Tables
        (TableCommand)
    SELECT
        'DBCC CHECKIDENT ( ''['+SCHEMA_NAME( OBJECTPROPERTY( OBJECT_ID, 'SCHEMAID' ))
            +'].['+OBJECT_NAME( OBJECT_ID )+']'', RESEED, '+COALESCE(CONVERT(varchar(10),@new_reseed_value),'1')+' ) '
        FROM  SYS.COLUMNS
            WHERE COLUMNPROPERTY(OBJECT_ID, NAME, 'IsIdentity') = 1
            --AND exclude some tables here ifnecessary
SELECT @MaxRows=@@ROWCOUNT,@CurrentRow=0

WHILE @CurrentRow<@MaxRows
BEGIN
    SELECT @CurrentTableCommand=''
          ,@CurrentRow=@CurrentRow+1
    SELECT 
        @CurrentTableCommand=TableCommand
        FROM @Tables
        WHERE RowNumber=@CurrentRow
    --PRINT @CurrentTableCommand
    EXEC(@CurrentTableCommand)
END