# Also relevant
# What is an Index?
An index is a data structure that improves the speed of data retrieval operations on a database table. Instead of iterating through a whole table in a DB, the DB searches for an index - to find the position, where the data is stored. It works similar to an table of contents in a book, providing a quick reference to the location of data based on specific columns.
# Why Do I Need an Index?
Improves DataBase performance - especially when dealing with large datasets. Increase efficiency of a DataBase.
- Advantages of Using Index:
- Faster Search Operations: Indexes accelerate search operations.
- Improved Query Performance: Indexes can enhance the performance of queries.
- Disadvantages of Using Index:
- Increased Storage Space: Indexes consume additional storage space in the database.
- Update Costs: Frequent updates, inserts, or deletes in the table can lead to increased maintenance costs for indexes.
- Overhead in Insert Operations: Adding indexes may impact the performance of insert operations due to the need for index updates.
What are Index Structures?
Indexes are often implemented using tree structures such as:
- B-Tree
- R-Tree
- …
The details for Trees - DB_Trees