diff --git a/include/util/trbtree.h b/include/util/trbtree.h
index 9d5cc606665e7bf9131eb7868e1ab63746fe8ba0..060d5a791840ee4e74049ce18fe5a2f8ae7459f8 100644
--- a/include/util/trbtree.h
+++ b/include/util/trbtree.h
@@ -29,11 +29,12 @@ typedef struct SRBTreeIter SRBTreeIter;
 typedef int32_t (*tRBTreeCmprFn)(const void *, const void *);
 
 // SRBTree =============================================
-#define tRBTreeCreate(compare) \
-  (SRBTree) { .cmprFn = (compare), .root = NULL, .min = NULL, .max = NULL }
+#define tRBTreeMin(T) ((T)->min == ((T)->NIL) ? NULL : (T)->min)
+#define tRBTreeMax(T) ((T)->max == ((T)->NIL) ? NULL : (T)->max)
 
-SRBTreeNode *tRBTreePut(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *pNew);
-void         tRBTreeDrop(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *pNode);
+void         tRBTreeCreate(SRBTree *pTree, tRBTreeCmprFn cmprFn);
+SRBTreeNode *tRBTreePut(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *z);
+void         tRBTreeDrop(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *z);
 SRBTreeNode *tRBTreeDropByKey(SRBTree *pTree, void *pKey);
 SRBTreeNode *tRBTreeGet(SRBTree *pTree, void *pKey);
 
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ struct SRBTreeNode {
   SRBTreeNode *parent;
   SRBTreeNode *left;
   SRBTreeNode *right;
-  uint8_t      payload[];
+  uint8_t      payload[0];
 };
 
 struct SRBTree {
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ struct SRBTree {
   SRBTreeNode  *root;
   SRBTreeNode  *min;
   SRBTreeNode  *max;
+  SRBTreeNode  *NIL;
+  SRBTreeNode   NILNODE;
 };
 
 struct SRBTreeIter {
diff --git a/source/dnode/vnode/src/tsdb/tsdbMerge.c b/source/dnode/vnode/src/tsdb/tsdbMerge.c
index 3a078131a1c9d1e61831cc5fe0a1655a13dceddb..186db38461c3e5cacef9d5c89045574d09848c3f 100644
--- a/source/dnode/vnode/src/tsdb/tsdbMerge.c
+++ b/source/dnode/vnode/src/tsdb/tsdbMerge.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static int32_t tRowInfoCmprFn(const void *p1, const void *p2) {
 
 static void tDataMergerInit(SDataMerger *pMerger, SArray *aNodeP) {
   pMerger->pNode = NULL;
-  pMerger->rbt = tRBTreeCreate(tRowInfoCmprFn);
+  tRBTreeCreate(&pMerger->rbt, tRowInfoCmprFn);
   for (int32_t iNode = 0; iNode < taosArrayGetSize(aNodeP); iNode++) {
     SRBTreeNode *pNode = (SRBTreeNode *)taosArrayGetP(aNodeP, iNode);
 
@@ -90,8 +90,9 @@ static int32_t tDataMergeNext(SDataMerger *pMerger, SRowInfo **ppInfo) {
       }
     }
 
-    if (pMerger->pNode && pMerger->rbt.min) {
-      int32_t c = tRowInfoCmprFn(pMerger->pNode->payload, pMerger->rbt.min->payload);
+    SRBTreeNode *pMinNode = tRBTreeMin(&pMerger->rbt);
+    if (pMerger->pNode && pMinNode) {
+      int32_t c = tRowInfoCmprFn(pMerger->pNode->payload, pMinNode->payload);
       if (c > 0) {
         pMerger->pNode = tRBTreePut(&pMerger->rbt, pMerger->pNode);
         ASSERT(pMerger->pNode);
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ static int32_t tDataMergeNext(SDataMerger *pMerger, SRowInfo **ppInfo) {
   }
 
   if (pMerger->pNode == NULL) {
-    pMerger->pNode = pMerger->rbt.min;
+    pMerger->pNode = tRBTreeMin(&pMerger->rbt);
     if (pMerger->pNode) {
       tRBTreeDrop(&pMerger->rbt, pMerger->pNode);
     }
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ static int32_t tsdbMergeFileDataStart(STsdbMerger *pMerger, SDFileSet *pSet) {
   if (code) goto _err;
 
   pMerger->dReader.merger.pNode = NULL;
-  pMerger->dReader.merger.rbt = tRBTreeCreate(tRowInfoCmprFn);
+  tRBTreeCreate(&pMerger->dReader.merger.rbt, tRowInfoCmprFn);
   for (int8_t iLast = 0; iLast < pSet->nLastF; iLast++) {
     SRBTreeNode *pNode = (SRBTreeNode *)taosMemoryCalloc(1, sizeof(*pNode) + sizeof(SLDataIter));
     if (pNode == NULL) {
diff --git a/source/util/src/trbtree.c b/source/util/src/trbtree.c
index 02c5113904401910a42c962b48d89c5be01b64bf..ba011de0d7bfe020153c2a47b63e9c3fa9b8a496 100644
--- a/source/util/src/trbtree.c
+++ b/source/util/src/trbtree.c
@@ -15,17 +15,14 @@
 
 #include "trbtree.h"
 
-#define RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(N) ((N) ? (N)->color : BLACK)
-
-// SRBTree ================================================
 static void tRBTreeRotateLeft(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *x) {
   SRBTreeNode *y = x->right;
   x->right = y->left;
-  if (y->left) {
+  if (y->left != pTree->NIL) {
     y->left->parent = x;
   }
   y->parent = x->parent;
-  if (x->parent == NULL) {
+  if (x->parent == pTree->NIL) {
     pTree->root = y;
   } else if (x == x->parent->left) {
     x->parent->left = y;
@@ -39,269 +36,263 @@ static void tRBTreeRotateLeft(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *x) {
 static void tRBTreeRotateRight(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *x) {
   SRBTreeNode *y = x->left;
   x->left = y->right;
-  if (y->right) {
+  if (y->right != pTree->NIL) {
     y->right->parent = x;
   }
   y->parent = x->parent;
-  if (x->parent == NULL) {
+  if (x->parent == pTree->NIL) {
     pTree->root = y;
-  } else if (x == x->parent->left) {
-    x->parent->left = y;
-  } else {
+  } else if (x == x->parent->right) {
     x->parent->right = y;
+  } else {
+    x->parent->left = y;
   }
   y->right = x;
   x->parent = y;
 }
 
-static SRBTreeNode *tRBTreeSuccessor(SRBTreeNode *pNode) {
-  if (pNode->right) {
-    pNode = pNode->right;
-    while (pNode->left) {
-      pNode = pNode->left;
-    }
-  } else {
-    while (true) {
-      if (pNode->parent) {
-        if (pNode == pNode->parent->left) {
-          pNode = pNode->parent;
-          break;
-        } else {
-          pNode = pNode->parent;
-        }
-      } else {
-        pNode = NULL;
-        break;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  return pNode;
-}
-
-static SRBTreeNode *tRBTreePredecessor(SRBTreeNode *pNode) {
-  if (pNode->left) {
-    pNode = pNode->left;
-    while (pNode->right) {
-      pNode = pNode->right;
-    }
-  } else {
-    while (true) {
-      if (pNode->parent) {
-        if (pNode == pNode->parent->right) {
-          pNode = pNode->parent;
-          break;
-        } else {
-          pNode = pNode->parent;
-        }
-      } else {
-        pNode = NULL;
-        break;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  return NULL;
-}
-
-SRBTreeNode *tRBTreePut(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *pNew) {
-  pNew->left = NULL;
-  pNew->right = NULL;
-  pNew->color = RED;
-
-  // insert
-  if (pTree->root == NULL) {
-    pNew->parent = NULL;
-    pTree->root = pNew;
-  } else {
-    SRBTreeNode *pNode = pTree->root;
-    while (true) {
-      ASSERT(pNode);
-
-      int32_t c = pTree->cmprFn(pNew->payload, pNode->payload);
-      if (c < 0) {
-        if (pNode->left) {
-          pNode = pNode->left;
-        } else {
-          pNew->parent = pNode;
-          pNode->left = pNew;
-          break;
-        }
-      } else if (c > 0) {
-        if (pNode->right) {
-          pNode = pNode->right;
-        } else {
-          pNew->parent = pNode;
-          pNode->right = pNew;
-          break;
+static void tRBTreePutFix(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *z) {
+  while (z->parent->color == RED) {
+    if (z->parent == z->parent->parent->left) {  // z.parent is the left child
+
+      SRBTreeNode *y = z->parent->parent->right;  // uncle of z
+
+      if (y->color == RED) {  // case 1
+        z->parent->color = BLACK;
+        y->color = BLACK;
+        z->parent->parent->color = RED;
+        z = z->parent->parent;
+      } else {                        // case2 or case3
+        if (z == z->parent->right) {  // case2
+          z = z->parent;              // marked z.parent as new z
+          tRBTreeRotateLeft(pTree, z);
         }
-      } else {
-        return NULL;
+        // case3
+        z->parent->color = BLACK;        // made parent black
+        z->parent->parent->color = RED;  // made parent red
+        tRBTreeRotateRight(pTree, z->parent->parent);
       }
-    }
-  }
-
-  // fix
-  SRBTreeNode *pNode = pNew;
-  while (pNode->parent && pNode->parent->color == RED) {
-    SRBTreeNode *p = pNode->parent;
-    SRBTreeNode *g = p->parent;
-
-    if (p == g->left) {
-      SRBTreeNode *u = g->right;
-
-      if (RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(u) == RED) {
-        p->color = BLACK;
-        u->color = BLACK;
-        g->color = RED;
-        pNode = g;
-      } else {
-        if (pNode == p->right) {
-          pNode = p;
-          tRBTreeRotateLeft(pTree, pNode);
-        }
-        pNode->parent->color = BLACK;
-        pNode->parent->parent->color = RED;
-        tRBTreeRotateRight(pTree, pNode->parent->parent);
-      }
-    } else {
-      SRBTreeNode *u = g->left;
-
-      if (RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(u) == RED) {
-        p->color = BLACK;
-        u->color = BLACK;
-        g->color = RED;
+    } else {                                     // z.parent is the right child
+      SRBTreeNode *y = z->parent->parent->left;  // uncle of z
+
+      if (y->color == RED) {
+        z->parent->color = BLACK;
+        y->color = BLACK;
+        z->parent->parent->color = RED;
+        z = z->parent->parent;
       } else {
-        if (pNode == p->left) {
-          pNode = p;
-          tRBTreeRotateRight(pTree, pNode);
+        if (z == z->parent->left) {
+          z = z->parent;  // marked z.parent as new z
+          tRBTreeRotateRight(pTree, z);
         }
-        pNode->parent->color = BLACK;
-        pNode->parent->parent->color = RED;
-        tRBTreeRotateLeft(pTree, pNode->parent->parent);
+        z->parent->color = BLACK;        // made parent black
+        z->parent->parent->color = RED;  // made parent red
+        tRBTreeRotateLeft(pTree, z->parent->parent);
       }
     }
   }
   pTree->root->color = BLACK;
-
-  // update min/max node
-  if (pTree->min == NULL || pTree->cmprFn(pTree->min->payload, pNew->payload) > 0) {
-    pTree->min = pNew;
-  }
-  if (pTree->max == NULL || pTree->cmprFn(pTree->max->payload, pNew->payload) < 0) {
-    pTree->max = pNew;
-  }
-
-  return pNew;
 }
 
 static void tRBTreeTransplant(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *u, SRBTreeNode *v) {
-  if (u->parent == NULL) {
+  if (u->parent == pTree->NIL)
     pTree->root = v;
-  } else if (u == u->parent->left) {
+  else if (u == u->parent->left)
     u->parent->left = v;
-  } else {
+  else
     u->parent->right = v;
-  }
-  if (v) {
-    v->parent = u->parent;
-  }
+  v->parent = u->parent;
 }
 
-static void tRBTreeDropFixup(SRBTree *t, SRBTreeNode *x) {
-  while (x != t->root && x->color == BLACK) {
+static void tRBTreeDropFix(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *x) {
+  while (x != pTree->root && x->color == BLACK) {
     if (x == x->parent->left) {
       SRBTreeNode *w = x->parent->right;
-      if (RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(w) == RED) {
+      if (w->color == RED) {
         w->color = BLACK;
         x->parent->color = RED;
-        tRBTreeRotateLeft(t, x->parent);
+        tRBTreeRotateLeft(pTree, x->parent);
         w = x->parent->right;
       }
-      if (RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(w->left) == BLACK && RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(w->right) == BLACK) {
+      if (w->left->color == BLACK && w->right->color == BLACK) {
         w->color = RED;
         x = x->parent;
       } else {
-        if (RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(w->right) == BLACK) {
+        if (w->right->color == BLACK) {
           w->left->color = BLACK;
           w->color = RED;
-          tRBTreeRotateRight(t, w);
+          tRBTreeRotateRight(pTree, w);
           w = x->parent->right;
         }
         w->color = x->parent->color;
         x->parent->color = BLACK;
         w->right->color = BLACK;
-        tRBTreeRotateLeft(t, x->parent);
-        x = t->root;
+        tRBTreeRotateLeft(pTree, x->parent);
+        x = pTree->root;
       }
     } else {
       SRBTreeNode *w = x->parent->left;
-      if (RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(w) == RED) {
+      if (w->color == RED) {
         w->color = BLACK;
         x->parent->color = RED;
-        tRBTreeRotateRight(t, x->parent);
+        tRBTreeRotateRight(pTree, x->parent);
         w = x->parent->left;
       }
-      if (RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(w->right) == BLACK && RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(w->left) == BLACK) {
+      if (w->right->color == BLACK && w->left->color == BLACK) {
         w->color = RED;
         x = x->parent;
       } else {
-        if (RBTREE_NODE_COLOR(w->left) == BLACK) {
+        if (w->left->color == BLACK) {
           w->right->color = BLACK;
           w->color = RED;
-          tRBTreeRotateLeft(t, w);
+          tRBTreeRotateLeft(pTree, w);
           w = x->parent->left;
         }
         w->color = x->parent->color;
         x->parent->color = BLACK;
         w->left->color = BLACK;
-        tRBTreeRotateRight(t, x->parent);
-        x = t->root;
+        tRBTreeRotateRight(pTree, x->parent);
+        x = pTree->root;
       }
     }
   }
   x->color = BLACK;
 }
 
-void tRBTreeDrop(SRBTree *t, SRBTreeNode *z) {
+static SRBTreeNode *tRBTreeSuccessor(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *pNode) {
+  if (pNode->right != pTree->NIL) {
+    pNode = pNode->right;
+    while (pNode->left != pTree->NIL) {
+      pNode = pNode->left;
+    }
+  } else {
+    while (true) {
+      if (pNode->parent == pTree->NIL || pNode == pNode->parent->left) {
+        pNode = pNode->parent;
+        break;
+      } else {
+        pNode = pNode->parent;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return pNode;
+}
+
+static SRBTreeNode *tRBTreePredecessor(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *pNode) {
+  if (pNode->left != pTree->NIL) {
+    pNode = pNode->left;
+    while (pNode->right != pTree->NIL) {
+      pNode = pNode->right;
+    }
+  } else {
+    while (true) {
+      if (pNode->parent == pTree->NIL || pNode == pNode->parent->right) {
+        pNode = pNode->parent;
+        break;
+      } else {
+        pNode = pNode->parent;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return pNode;
+}
+
+void tRBTreeCreate(SRBTree *pTree, tRBTreeCmprFn cmprFn) {
+  pTree->cmprFn = cmprFn;
+  pTree->NIL = &pTree->NILNODE;
+  pTree->NIL->color = BLACK;
+  pTree->NIL->parent = NULL;
+  pTree->NIL->left = NULL;
+  pTree->NIL->right = NULL;
+  pTree->root = pTree->NIL;
+  pTree->min = pTree->NIL;
+  pTree->max = pTree->NIL;
+}
+
+SRBTreeNode *tRBTreePut(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *z) {
+  SRBTreeNode *y = pTree->NIL;  // variable for the parent of the added node
+  SRBTreeNode *temp = pTree->root;
+
+  while (temp != pTree->NIL) {
+    y = temp;
+
+    int32_t c = pTree->cmprFn(z->payload, temp->payload);
+    if (c < 0) {
+      temp = temp->left;
+    } else if (c > 0) {
+      temp = temp->right;
+    } else {
+      return NULL;
+    }
+  }
+  z->parent = y;
+
+  if (y == pTree->NIL) {
+    pTree->root = z;
+  } else if (pTree->cmprFn(z->payload, y->payload) < 0) {
+    y->left = z;
+  } else {
+    y->right = z;
+  }
+
+  z->color = RED;
+  z->left = pTree->NIL;
+  z->right = pTree->NIL;
+
+  tRBTreePutFix(pTree, z);
+
   // update min/max node
-  if (t->min == z) {
-    t->min = tRBTreeSuccessor(t->min);
+  if (pTree->min == pTree->NIL || pTree->cmprFn(pTree->min->payload, z->payload) > 0) {
+    pTree->min = z;
   }
-  if (t->max == z) {
-    t->max = tRBTreePredecessor(t->max);
+  if (pTree->max == pTree->NIL || pTree->cmprFn(pTree->max->payload, z->payload) < 0) {
+    pTree->max = z;
   }
+  return z;
+}
 
-  // drop impl
+void tRBTreeDrop(SRBTree *pTree, SRBTreeNode *z) {
   SRBTreeNode *y = z;
   SRBTreeNode *x;
-  ECOLOR       oColor = y->color;
+  ECOLOR       y_orignal_color = y->color;
 
-  if (z->left == NULL) {
+  // update min/max node
+  if (pTree->min == z) {
+    pTree->min = tRBTreeSuccessor(pTree, pTree->min);
+  }
+  if (pTree->max == z) {
+    pTree->max = tRBTreePredecessor(pTree, pTree->max);
+  }
+
+  // drop impl
+  if (z->left == pTree->NIL) {
     x = z->right;
-    tRBTreeTransplant(t, z, z->right);
-  } else if (z->right == NULL) {
+    tRBTreeTransplant(pTree, z, z->right);
+  } else if (z->right == pTree->NIL) {
     x = z->left;
-    tRBTreeTransplant(t, z, z->left);
+    tRBTreeTransplant(pTree, z, z->left);
   } else {
-    y = tRBTreeSuccessor(z);
-    oColor = y->color;
+    y = tRBTreeSuccessor(pTree, z);
+    y_orignal_color = y->color;
     x = y->right;
     if (y->parent == z) {
       x->parent = z;
     } else {
-      tRBTreeTransplant(t, y, y->right);
+      tRBTreeTransplant(pTree, y, y->right);
       y->right = z->right;
       y->right->parent = y;
     }
-    tRBTreeTransplant(t, z, y);
+    tRBTreeTransplant(pTree, z, y);
     y->left = z->left;
     y->left->parent = y;
     y->color = z->color;
   }
 
   // fix
-  if (oColor == BLACK) {
-    tRBTreeDropFixup(t, x);
+  if (y_orignal_color == BLACK) {
+    tRBTreeDropFix(pTree, x);
   }
 }
 
@@ -318,7 +309,7 @@ SRBTreeNode *tRBTreeDropByKey(SRBTree *pTree, void *pKey) {
 SRBTreeNode *tRBTreeGet(SRBTree *pTree, void *pKey) {
   SRBTreeNode *pNode = pTree->root;
 
-  while (pNode) {
+  while (pNode != pTree->NIL) {
     int32_t c = pTree->cmprFn(pKey, pNode->payload);
 
     if (c < 0) {
@@ -330,23 +321,23 @@ SRBTreeNode *tRBTreeGet(SRBTree *pTree, void *pKey) {
     }
   }
 
-  return pNode;
+  return (pNode == pTree->NIL) ? NULL : pNode;
 }
 
 // SRBTreeIter ================================================
 SRBTreeNode *tRBTreeIterNext(SRBTreeIter *pIter) {
   SRBTreeNode *pNode = pIter->pNode;
 
-  if (pIter->pNode) {
+  if (pIter->pNode != pIter->pTree->NIL) {
     if (pIter->asc) {
       // ascend
-      pIter->pNode = tRBTreeSuccessor(pIter->pNode);
+      pIter->pNode = tRBTreeSuccessor(pIter->pTree, pIter->pNode);
     } else {
       // descend
-      pIter->pNode = tRBTreePredecessor(pIter->pNode);
+      pIter->pNode = tRBTreePredecessor(pIter->pTree, pIter->pNode);
     }
   }
 
 _exit:
-  return pNode;
+  return (pNode == pIter->pTree->NIL) ? NULL : pNode;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/util/test/trbtreeTest.cpp b/source/util/test/trbtreeTest.cpp
index 1e0768c32f017cea055eac1bc1ba9dde9a222a4c..518ffed2cfc87bec40538b980cbb6ea8136da2e9 100644
--- a/source/util/test/trbtreeTest.cpp
+++ b/source/util/test/trbtreeTest.cpp
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ static int32_t tCmprInteger(const void *p1, const void *p2) {
 }
 
 TEST(trbtreeTest, rbtree_test1) {
-  SRBTree rt = tRBTreeCreate(tCmprInteger);
-  int     a[] = {1, 3, 4, 2, 7, 5, 8};
+  SRBTree rt;
+  tRBTreeCreate(&rt, tCmprInteger);
+  int a[] = {1, 3, 4, 2, 7, 5, 8};
 
   for (int i = 0; i < sizeof(a) / sizeof(a[0]); i++) {
     SRBTreeNode *pNode = (SRBTreeNode *)taosMemoryMalloc(sizeof(*pNode) + sizeof(int));