Advantages/Disadvantages of using a multicolumn clustering index

What are the advantage/ disadvantages of using a primary key that is a combination of multiple columns?

I have come across a table that has a unique non clustered index as a GUID but the clustering index is applied on the combination of 9 columns. In total the table has 29 columns.

Can anyone help me understand what might be the benefits of having such a clustering key? As per Kimberly Tripp || Index Debate by Kimberly Tripp the clustering Index should be narrow, unique and static, but this case is totally opposite to what Kimberly states:

• the primary key is susceptible to changes so its not static

• It is definitely not narrow as it spans multiple columns and other non clustering indexes refer to it for mapping. so it is definitely expensive for IAM/PFS.

A narrow, static, unique clustering key is better in situations like these:

• The table is referenced by another table (because the referencing table needs to include the primary key which is usually the same as the clustering key)

• The table has many non-clustered indexes (because non-clustered indexes include the clustering key)

• No other field or combination of fields is guaranteed to be unique

• Queries against the table usually retrieve one row and use a surrogate key to do so (e.g. because the query comes from an application that has learned the surrogate key, not a user who is searching by natural key)

A multi-column clustering key is better in situations like these:

• No other table references this one (e.g. a fact table in a data warehouse)

• Queries against this table usually refer to the natural key, or part of it, and not the surrogate key (e.g. queries that scan for a date range)

• There are zero, or few, non-clustered indexes on this table (including a wide clustering key in these indexes would make them very large)

• A unique, natural key exists

https://www.toadworld.com/platforms/sql-server/w/wiki/9547.data-warehousing-indexing-considerations

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#154581, answer score: 3