Patent ID: 7747578

Claim:
A method for reducing database fragmentation, comprising: initiating an initial build of an index of data to be stored in physical data storage space, the index including a plurality of sub-ranges wherein each sub-range comprises a set of logically contiguous data pages to be stored in the physical data storage space; determining a size of a sub-range of the index to be built; initially allocating a block of physical data storage space for the sub-range to accommodate the set of logically contiguous data pages of the sub-range in physically contiguous data storage space; determining whether the size of the sub-range of the index exceeds a predetermined size; and pre-allocating a block of physical data storage space that is contiguous to the block of physical data storage space initially allocated for the sub-range to accommodate only subsequent inserts of data pages that are logically contiguous to data pages of the sub-range, if the size of the sub-range exceeds the predetermined size.