What indexing approach best supports typical Clarity queries?

• A. Index only primary keys
• B. Use no indexes
• C. Index foreign keys, join keys, frequently filtered attributes; consider covering indexes and composite indexes; monitor performance
• D. Index all columns

Answer: (C)

Indexing should align with how queries access data. In typical Clarity queries, you want to optimize the parts of the plan where data is joined and filtered. This means creating indexes on the columns that participate in joins and on attributes that are frequently used in filters: foreign keys that link tables, join keys that connect entities, and columns often restricted in WHERE clauses. Building covering indexes helps even further by including all columns the query needs, so the engine can satisfy it from the index without extra lookups to the table. Composite indexes are especially powerful when queries filter or join on several columns together; the order of the columns in the index should reflect the common query patterns. At the same time, avoid over-indexing because each index adds write overhead and storage cost, and not every column benefits from an index. Regularly monitor performance, review query plans, and adjust your indexing strategy as query usage evolves.