B-Trees: A Deep Dive into Database Optimization

This article delves into the practical application of B-trees, particularly their optimization strategies within databases. By comparing B-trees and binary search trees in disk storage, the author explains how the high fan-out of B-trees reduces the number of disk I/O operations, thereby enhancing database performance. The article details B-tree optimizations such as slotted pages, separator key truncation, overflow pages, and sibling pointers, and how these techniques improve data locality, space utilization, and query efficiency. Finally, the author points out that real-world B-tree applications are far more complex than theoretical models, requiring consideration of specific hardware and operating system constraints.