What Happens with the Distribution Scheme?

You can attach a nonfragmented table to a table with any type of supported distribution scheme. In general, the resulting table has the same fragmentation strategy as the prior fragmentation strategy of the surviving table.

When you attach two or more nonfragmented tables, however, the distribution scheme can either be based on expression or round-robin.

Only the following distribution schemes can result from combining the distribution schemes of the tables in the ATTACH clause.
Prior Distribution Scheme of Surviving Table Prior Distribution Scheme of Consumed Table Resulting Distribution Scheme
None None Round-robin or expression
Round-robin None Round-robin
Expression None Expression