Glossary

B-Tree

A read-optimized, in-place-update index structure used by most SQL databases.

1 min read·4 sections
Open the interactive version → diagrams, practice & more

Definition

A read-optimized, in-place-update index structure used by most SQL databases.

How it works

O(log n) point and range queries; great reads, but random writes are costlier than an LSM-tree.

Common questions

What is B-Tree?

A read-optimized, in-place-update index structure used by most SQL databases.

How does B-Tree work?

O(log n) point and range queries; great reads, but random writes are costlier than an LSM-tree.

What is B-Tree used for in system design?

O(log n) point and range queries; great reads, but random writes are costlier than an LSM-tree.

Part of Glossary on SystemLore — system design explained with 148 deep topics, interactive diagrams, and a build-it-yourself game. Build this one →