Database Indexing Strategies for High-Performance Applications

Database performance is often the bottleneck in high-traffic applications. Understanding indexing strategies is crucial for building systems that can scale.

Types of Indexes

B-Tree Indexes

The most common type of index, perfect for range queries and equality lookups.

Hash Indexes

Excellent for equality lookups but cannot be used for range queries.

Bitmap Indexes

Efficient for columns with low cardinality and complex WHERE clauses.

Indexing Best Practices

1. Index Selectivity

Create indexes on columns with high selectivity (many unique values).

2. Composite Indexes

Order columns in composite indexes based on query patterns and selectivity.

3. Covering Indexes

Include all columns needed by a query in the index to avoid table lookups.

Performance Considerations

Indexes speed up reads but slow down writes. Balance is key in high-throughput systems.

Monitoring Index Performance

Use database-specific tools to monitor index usage and identify unused indexes.