seniorT-SQL

What is SQL Server columnstore index compression architecture?

Updated May 17, 2026

Short answer

Columnstore indexes compress data by storing columns separately in compressed row groups.

Deep explanation

Columnstore indexes group rows into segments (row groups) of up to 1 million rows. Each column is compressed independently using dictionary, run-length encoding, and bit-packing. This reduces IO and improves analytical query performance. It also supports batch mode execution for vectorized processing.

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