Creating indexes (details required)

I need some idea of how SQLServer 2000 creates indexes, particularly
clustered indexes.
I imagine that creating a clustered index is rather similar to defragmenting
a hard disk. Data has to be read from disparate areas, stored "somewhere"
until there is a large enough area and then written to that area in a
contigious manner.
If that premise is correct, where is the temporary storage area? Is it in
the database itself or is it in the TempDB?
The reason I ask is because SQLServer is crashing my machine when it builds
indexes (for details see my posting "SQLServer crashing server!" in
"microsoft.public.sqlserver.server".
Thanks in advance
Griff
When indexes are created the temporary storage for the duplicate ( if
replacing indexes), etc is on the SAME filegroup as the index will be on..
Wayne Snyder, MCDBA, SQL Server MVP
Mariner, Charlotte, NC
www.mariner-usa.com
(Please respond only to the newsgroups.)
I support the Professional Association of SQL Server (PASS) and it's
community of SQL Server professionals.
www.sqlpass.org
"Griff" <Howling@.The.Moon> wrote in message
news:%232qla4KaEHA.2216@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> I need some idea of how SQLServer 2000 creates indexes, particularly
> clustered indexes.
> I imagine that creating a clustered index is rather similar to
defragmenting
> a hard disk. Data has to be read from disparate areas, stored "somewhere"
> until there is a large enough area and then written to that area in a
> contigious manner.
> If that premise is correct, where is the temporary storage area? Is it in
> the database itself or is it in the TempDB?
> The reason I ask is because SQLServer is crashing my machine when it
builds
> indexes (for details see my posting "SQLServer crashing server!" in
> "microsoft.public.sqlserver.server".
> Thanks in advance
> Griff
>