SQL Server: One Inequality, Two B-Trees Add a <> and key order suddenly matters SELECT * FROM dbo.Users WHERE DisplayName = 'alex' AND Location <> 'Seattle, WA'; IX_DisplayName_Location page reads: 1 2 3 Root Root page 1:100 aaron, Houston → 1:200 brent, Chicago → 1:201 maria, Austin → 1:202 aaron, Houston → 1:200 Intermediate Intermediate page 1:200 aaron, Houston → 1:301 alex, Portland → 1:302 amy, Boston → 1:303 alex, Portland → 1:302 Page 1:201 brent, Chicago → … Page 1:202 maria, Austin → … Leaf · keys Page 1:301 aaron · Houston, TX · 8,114 aaron · Seattle, WA · 19,406 Page 1:302 alex · Portland, OR · Id 77,351 alex · Seattle, WA · Id 41,209 alex · Seattle, WA · Id 88,554 alex · Tampa, FL · Id 2,290 alexa · Boise, ID · Id 9,201 Page 1:303 amy · Boston, MA · 44,120 amy · Denver, CO · 61,003 IX_Location_DisplayName page reads: 1 5 7 Root Root page 1:150 Austin, chris → 1:250 Portland, alex → 1:251 Spokane, dana → 1:252 ← range 1: < 'Seattle, WA' ← range 2: > 'Seattle, WA' Intermediate Intermediate 1:250 Austin, brent → 1:400 Boise, alexa → 1:401 Intermediate 1:251 Portland, alex → 1:402 Seattle, aaron → 1:403 Intermediate 1:252 Spokane, dana → 1:404 Walla Walla, pat → 1:405 Leaf · keys Page 1:400 Austin, TX · brent · 12,040 Austin, TX · chris · 55,491 Austin, TX · dana · 60,332 Page 1:401 Boise, ID · alexa · 9,201 Chicago, IL · brent · 33,177 Houston, TX · aaron · 8,114 Page 1:402 Portland, OR · alex · 77,351 Portland, OR · sam · 24,615 Renton, WA · sam · 52,077 Page 1:403 Seattle, WA · aaron · 19,406 Seattle, WA · alex · 41,209 Seattle, WA · alex · 88,554 skipped the only page <> rules out Page 1:404 Spokane, WA · dana · 7,036 Tampa, FL · alex · 2,290 Tulsa, OK · jamie · 91,882 equality leads: 3 reads · inequality leads: almost every page