Reverse indexing reverses index values before they are indexed, improving efficiency in accessing archived information. B-tree, r-tree, and bitmap are three types of reverse indexing processes. Reverse indexing is efficient for accessing critical information quickly, but may not be worth the cost for small businesses.
A reverse index is a term used to describe the practice of reversing index values in a database management system before they are indexed. This process is especially useful for indexing and accessing sequentially organized archived information. Within transaction processing systems that have a high volume of data transmission, reverse indexing allows database management systems to operate faster and more efficiently.
There are three types of reverse index processes including b-tree, r-tree and bitmap. B-trees are tree-like data structures that are responsible for sorting data and facilitate data insertions, sequential access, and searches. This process is also capable of handling systems that read and write huge chunks of data. Internal nodes in a b-tree have multiple child nodes within a specific range and in case data is added or deleted from a node, the number of child nodes changes. Internal nodes can be merged or separated to maintain the specific range.
A reverse index uses process key values before entering b-tree structures. The b-trees will put the same values inside an index block, therefore improving the efficiency of the database when looking up a particular value. They also improve efficiency when looking up a value in a range.
An r-tree is a tree-like data structure similar to a b-tree. Unlike b-trees, r-trees are applied in spatial access methods. This means that r-trees are applied in indexing information with multiple dimensions. The r-tree has nodes and each has several entries. Each entry within a non-leaf node contains two data points, which is the method used in identifying a child node, including all entries contained within the child node.
A bitmap is a data selection structure responsible for storing individual bits in a compact way. Bitmaps enable greater efficiency and are responsible for increasing the operating speed of hardware devices. Many database systems are unable to manipulate individual bits, thus making bitmaps one of the least used reverse index processes.
Overall, a reverse index is efficient at getting data from a database as quickly and efficiently as possible. Large companies routinely use reverse indexing techniques as a means of accessing critical information in a timely manner. However, small businesses may find that the cost of implementing a reverse indexing process may not be worth the increased functionality in their database management system.
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