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Database Optimization in Practice With Indexes: Introduction To Indexes and Mysql Indexes

This document discusses the importance of indexes in MySQL for optimizing database performance, particularly for SELECT queries. It explains how to create indexes on specific table columns to improve query efficiency and highlights the potential drawbacks of indexing on data modification operations. The case study of Lucky Shrub illustrates the practical application of indexing to enhance query performance in a large client database.

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Rama krishna p
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1 views3 pages

Database Optimization in Practice With Indexes: Introduction To Indexes and Mysql Indexes

This document discusses the importance of indexes in MySQL for optimizing database performance, particularly for SELECT queries. It explains how to create indexes on specific table columns to improve query efficiency and highlights the potential drawbacks of indexing on data modification operations. The case study of Lucky Shrub illustrates the practical application of indexing to enhance query performance in a large client database.

Uploaded by

Rama krishna p
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Database optimization in practice with

indexes
This reading provides an overview of how MySQL utilizes indexes on query operations and
how indexes can be used to optimize database performance in a practical scenario.

Introduction to Indexes and MySQL Indexes


As you may know already, an index is a data structure that is used to help search for data in a
table for a given SELECT query without scanning every row. Indexes help retrieve data
faster and speed up search queries. This means that indexes play a key role in database
optimization.

In MySQL, indexes are created on table columns. However, not all the columns in a table
should be indexed. You must decide which columns to index in a table based on which ones
are used to regularly filter SELECT queries.

An indexed column’s data is stored in a separate location known as the index. The data is
ordered according to type (for example numeric, alphabetical or date order). Each piece of
data in the index points to the original table row. By creating a relationship, or reference,
between the index and table, it becomes easier and faster to search for data.

It is important to note that indexes may hinder the performance of data change queries
(INSERT, UPDATE or DELETE queries) while improving the performance of SELECT
queries. The reason for this is that when inserting, updating or deleting a row in a table, data
also needs to be inserted, updated or deleted in the index as well.

Query operations and indexes in MySQL


It is important to be aware of what query operations MySQL uses indexes on. This can help
you to identify which table columns you need to create indexes on when creating SQL
queries.

MySQL uses indexes when performing the following operations in queries:

 Filtering rows using the WHERE clause: If there are multiple indexes used on the same
column, MySQL chooses the index that works with the minimum number of rows.
 Performing JOIN operations: To get the best performance from an index, the columns used in
a JOIN should both have the same data type.
 MIN and MAX functions: An index can be used with these functions to find the minimum
and maximum value of a specific column.
 Sorting and grouping operations: An index can be used with these operations.
When you know which operations MySQL uses indexes on, you can then inspect your
queries and create indexes on columns that are used to perform those operations. This helps
the MySQL query optimizer optimize your queries to a greater extent.
Using indexes to optimize query
performance
If a queried table contains very high data volumes (such as thousands or even millions of
records), then performing search operations and obtaining results gives rise to slow response
times. This leads to a suboptimal and inefficient database.

Let’s take a few moments to see how Lucky Shrub can use indexes to optimize query
performance.

Lucky Shrub expands their business rapidly across many cities within the state of Arizona
and gains tens of thousands of new clients. As part of this expansion, they have also
introduced a loyalty scheme. So, the database’s clients table now stores data on each client’s
city, state, date of birth (DOB) and loyalty points in addition to their id, full name and contact
number.

Lucky Shrub need to query the Clients table to retrieve the following data:

1. The names of clients who are from Tucson, Arizona.


2. The names of clients who are from Arizona but outside of Tucson.
3. A list of clients with the maximum loyalty points.
4. A list of clients whose date of birth falls on a given date.
To retrieve this data, they can write the following queries:

1. All clients from Tucson, Arizona

1
SELECT ClientID, FullName FROM Clients WHERE City = Tucson;

2. The names of clients who are from Arizona but outside of Tucson.

1
SELECT ClientID, FullName FROM Clients WHERE State = Arizona AND City <
> Tucson;

3. A list of clients with the maximum loyalty points.

1
SELECT ClientID, MAX(LoyaltyPoints) FROM Clients;

4. A list of clients whose date of birth falls on a given date.

1
SELECT ClientID, FullName FROM Clients WHERE DOB = 1990-01-01;

With tens of thousands of clients in the table, these queries will take a long time to return the
results. This is an inefficient approach and doesn't adhere to database optimization guidelines.

The solution is for Lucky Shrub to create indexes on the columns within the Client’s table
that MySQL uses to carry out these searches. These are the City, State, LoyaltyPoints, and
DOB columns. By creating indexes on these columns, Lucky Shrub significantly reduce the
time it takes to execute each query. This leads to a more efficient and more optimal database.

Conclusion
Indexes help speed up searches on a database by allowing the MySQL query optimizer to
execute queries according to the best possible plan. The real performance impact of indexes
is best observed in a database that has a large amount of data as opposed to a database that
has a small amount of data. It’s important that indexes are created on the correct table
columns. Don’t create indexes unnecessarily as they could have a negative impact on data
change statements like INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE.

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