Lsm Models < 2025 >

See what your data isn’t telling you — with LSM models.

This write-up explores the mechanics, advantages, and trade-offs of the LSM model. lsm models

Because the MemTable is in RAM, writing to it is instantaneous. This is the secret to LSM’s high write performance. See what your data isn’t telling you — with LSM models

| Feature | LSM Trees (LSM Models) | B-Trees | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Excellent. Sequential writes are much faster. | Good/Average. Requires random disk I/O for in-place updates. | | Read Speed | Good. Can be slower than B-Trees due to checking multiple files. | Excellent. Key is usually found in 2-3 disk hops. | | Disk Space | Efficient. Data is compressed efficiently in SSTables. | Less Efficient. Fragmentation and fixed page sizes waste space. | | Write Amplification | Variable. High during compaction (rewriting data multiple times). | Consistent. Occurs during page splits/updates. | | Concurrency | Easier to handle due to append-only nature. | Complex locking mechanisms required (latches). | This is the secret to LSM’s high write performance

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