Microsoft SQL Server

A production-focused SQL Server curriculum covering T-SQL, storage engine internals, indexing, Query Store, intelligent query processing, security, backup/recovery, Availability Groups, replication, columnstore, in-memory OLTP, observability, and SQL Server 2025 capabilities.

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25chapters

125lesson paths

Intermediate → Advancedlearning level

Publishedcourse state

Coverage baselineSQL Server 2025 (17.x) baseline with current developer, security, HA, and AI/vector features

Course brief

From engine fundamentals to advanced production operations.

This syllabus deliberately separates conceptual foundations, hands-on SQL, engine internals, operational tooling, reliability, security, performance, and capstone work so each lesson can go deep without compressing advanced subjects into generic chapters.

By the end

You will be able to

Write production T-SQL and reason about storage, transactions, tempdb, indexes, and plans
Use Query Store, statistics, DMVs, wait analysis, and Extended Events for diagnosis
Design backup/PITR, Availability Groups, replication, and DR with explicit RPO/RTO
Apply SQL Server security, encryption, auditing, Agent automation, and integrity checks
Evaluate columnstore, In-Memory OLTP, vector/AI features, upgrades, and hybrid deployment choices

Complete syllabus

25 chapters · 125 lessons.

Every lesson path was reserved in the planned syllabus and is now linked because its lesson HTML is available. The sequence moves from foundations through internals, advanced features, administration, reliability, security, tuning, upgrades, and a production capstone.

Chapter 1

SQL Server Platform Foundations, Editions, Licensing Awareness, and Lab Setup

5 lessons

SQL Server Architecture, Database Engine Roles, Common Workloads, and Deployment ModelsPublished lesson · Chapter01/Lesson1.html

Microsoft SQL Server

From engine fundamentals to advanced production operations.

You will be able to

25 chapters · 125 lessons.

SQL Server Platform Foundations, Editions, Licensing Awareness, and Lab Setup

Instance Architecture, Services, Configuration, Databases, and Files

T-SQL Foundations, Data Types, NULL, Conversion, and Expressions

Schema Design, Keys, Constraints, Sequences, and Temporal Features

Core Querying: Joins, Subqueries, APPLY, CTEs, and Set Operations

Advanced T-SQL: Windows, Aggregation, PIVOT, MERGE Alternatives, and JSON

Transactions, Locking, Row Versioning, Isolation, and Deadlocks

Storage Engine Internals: Pages, Extents, Heaps, B-Trees, and Transaction Log

Index Engineering: Rowstore, Filtered, Included, Computed, and Specialized Indexes

Query Optimizer, Cardinality Estimation, Plans, and Statistics

Query Store, Parameter Sensitivity, and Intelligent Query Processing

tempdb, Memory Grants, Spills, Sorts, Hashes, and Workspace Performance

Stored Procedures, Functions, Views, Triggers, Dynamic SQL, and CLR Boundaries

Security: Logins, Users, Roles, Permissions, Encryption, and Auditing

Backup, Restore, Recovery Models, and Point-in-Time Recovery

Always On Availability Groups, Failover Cluster Instances, and HA Design

Replication, Log Shipping, Distributed Availability, and Data Movement

Change Tracking, CDC, Service Broker, and Integration Patterns

Columnstore, Batch Mode, Analytics, and Hybrid Transactional/Analytical Workloads

In-Memory OLTP and Memory-Optimized Data Structures

SQL Server Agent, Maintenance, Automation, Policy, and Operational Governance

Observability: DMVs, Extended Events, Wait Stats, Perf Counters, and Incident Analysis

SQL Server 2025 Features: Vector Data, AI-Oriented Workloads, and Modern Development

Upgrades, Compatibility Levels, Migration, Cloud/Hybrid Paths, and Change Management

Production Capstone: Design, Secure, Tune, Automate, and Recover SQL Server

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