How to Think Like the Engine
The first database course you should ever take. Learn basic internals of Microsoft SQL Server and PostgreSQL, but only the important stuff that will influence your tuning.
Free
What you will get:
- Watch on any Device
- 4 sections
- lectures
- of video
Last updated: 26 Oct 2026
Your Instructor
I make databases go faster. I've been working with Microsoft SQL Server since the late 1990s, and PostgreSQL since the 2010s. I love teaching, travel, and laughing. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Course Description
You’re a developer, DBA, or data professional, and you’re comfortable writing queries to get the data you need. You’re much less comfortable trying to design the right indexes for your database server.
In my totally free How to Think Like the Engine class, you’ll learn how the Microsoft SQL Server and PostgreSQL database engines look at your indexes and build your query results. You’ll learn the differences between clustered and nonclustered indexes, how the various database engines store them, and how to read an execution plan.
There are 3 versions of the class: SQL Server & Postgres, SQL Server only, and a Big Data on SQL Server version. Watch the one that matches your pain points.
Course Curriculum
- Prefer Reading Instead of Videos?
- Part 1: Clustered Indexes and the WHERE Clause (25:38)
- Part 2: ORDER BY and Caching (15:44)
- Part 3: Nonclustered Indexes, Seeks vs Scans (15:46)
- Part 4: Key Lookups, the Tipping Point, and Cost-Based Optimization (21:39)
- Part 5: Bad Queries and Wider Indexes (20:51)
- Part 6: Recap and Next Steps (5:56)
