Section 2: Systems Basics

You know SQL and the architectural tradeoffs. Now, let's dissect how a database actually executes those operations.

The Key Problems We Solve

1. The I/O Bottleneck

Hardware dictates software behavior.

• The Problem: Why does one operation fly while another crawls? Why does a query suddenly choke the server?

• The Reality: We build an I/O Cost Model based on the latency gap between RAM and Disk. You'll see how databases use paging to sidestep costly disk access.

2. The Search Problem

Scanning a billion rows? That's a fool's errand.

• The Problem: How do systems pinpoint a record, or confirm its absence, without combing through everything?

• The Reality: We'll dive into Basic Hashing and Bloom Filters. Learn how databases use mathematical shortcuts to dodge unnecessary disk reads.

3. The Physical Constraints Problem

Data centers aren't infinite.

• The Problem: How do you store petabytes without ballooning costs or delays?

• The Reality: We explore Compression techniques, showing how databases squeeze more into fewer bytes by trading CPU cycles for savings on pricey disk operations.

Let's peek under the hood.