PAD_INDEX : activating or not ?

Hi all,

On SQL Server 7 SP4.

3 tables with about 100 000 rows each one, frequently updated.
1 clustered index on primary key, and 2 non clustered index on columns used by JOIN and by queries.

Fillfactor for index : 90.
PAD_INDEX : not activated.

I have some deadlocks problems, probably due to index pages and key locking (as precised in error log). Is it possible that the cause of that is splitting index pages while UPDATE ?

May I activate PAD_INDEX to solve part of this problem ?

Thanks for any helpIt's a performance issue thing, I don't think that's your problem

http://www.sql-server-performance.com/oltp_performance.asp|||Well, the nature of deadlocks has NOTHING to do with performance, thus cannot be fixed by recommendations given in the link. The only applicable advice which is not even in the section implied is to keep your transactions short. This will minimize the possibility of deadlocks, but will not eliminate them. As you all know, it deals with object access order, and should be addressed accordingly, by examining all possible transactions involving the same set of objects in reverse order.|||Thanks all, I'm going to have a look at it.|||pad index is really not neccesary. i have chased this guy down many roads
i even had extended conversations with kimberly tripp and kalen delaney on this and everyone i have talked to has told me that pad index is just not gonna provide any real advantage.