6.5830/6.5831: Database Systems
Fall 2022
This lecture will cover various issues related to the physical storage of relations on disk, as well as index data structures we might use to efficient access those stored relations.
  • Read Chapter 2 on B+Tree basics in Database Internals by Alex Petrov.
  • "The R*-Tree: An Efficient and Robust Access Method for Points and Rectangles." Beckmann et al, in The Red Book.

As you read, think about and come to class prepared to answer the following questions:

  • Under what circumstances is a secondary index superior to a sequential (in-order) scan of a heap file? Under what circumstances would the secondary index scan be preferable?
  • What is the purpose of the neighbor pointers in a B+Tree? When are they useful?
  • Why are B+Trees insufficient for storing and indexing the types of data stored by R*-Trees?