Understanding how SQL Server organizes your data can seem like a daunting task. But we will make it fun by telling humorous stories from my past as we explore the guts of a SQL Server database.

You’ll hear how these concepts tie into your work as a DBA or developer. You’ll get to see the concepts in action through demos and learn how you can use this knowledge to design better solutions. We will also demo and look at some neat tools to help you dig in and learn further.

We will cover the following:
• The three basic types of storage in SQL Server (Allocation Units)

• The physical structure of rows and pages

• Differences in how SQL Server works with heaps and clustered indexes

• How pages are allocated and tracked

• How to use various tools to continue your learning