Log-Structured Merge Tree

A log-structured merge tree buffers new records in memory and moves them into sorted structures on storage. Background merging consolidates those structures and removes obsolete versions according to the engine’s rules.

This favors sequential write activity, while reads may need to examine several components. Bloom filters, indexes, and compaction policies help control that read cost, but the design introduces tradeoffs involving write amplification, storage space, and maintenance work.