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What are Index Fragmentation and Fill Factor?

Entry MS SQL
Quick Answer Fragmentation happens when index pages get out of order after many inserts, updates, and deletes. Logical fragmentation means pages are out of sequence รขโ‚ฌโ€ sequential reads become random I/O. Fill Factor controls how full each page is when the index is built, leaving room to grow and reducing future splits.

Answer

Fragmentation occurs when index pages become disordered, slowing scans and seeks.

Fill factor controls how much free space to leave during index creation to reduce fragmentation.

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SugharaIQ Editorial Team Verified Answer

This answer has been peer-reviewed by industry experts holding senior engineering roles to ensure technical accuracy and relevance for modern interview standards.

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Source: SugharaIQ

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