SQL Server Plans : difference between Index Scan / Index Seek

Question

In a SQL Server Execution plan what is the difference between an Index Scan and an Index Seek

I\'m on SQL Server 2005.

Answer 1

With an Index Scan, all rows in the index are being scanned to find a matching row. This can be efficient for small tables. With an Index Seek, it only needs to touch the rows that actually meet the criteria and so is generally more performant