Guided track
PostgreSQL Foundations
2 weeks3 modules12 steps
Developers moving from app-level SQL to database engineering fundamentals.
Start hereMVCC internals: how rows are versionedFree
Module 1
How PostgreSQL sees a row
- LessonFreeMVCC internals: how rows are versioned
- LessonProThe page layout: how rows sit on disk
- ConceptSnapshots and visibility
- LessonFreeWhy VACUUM matters: reclaiming dead tuples
You can reason about row visibility and reader/writer behavior from first principles.
Module 2
Transactions under pressure
- LessonProSnapshots, visibility, and isolation levels
- ConceptIsolation anomalies and SSI
- ErrorSerialization failure, SQLSTATE 40001
- ErrorDeadlock detected, SQLSTATE 40P01
You can choose isolation levels and implement safe retry behavior.
Module 3
From symptoms to root cause
- LessonFreeThe lock manager: how access is coordinated
- ConceptLock manager
- ReferenceGuided triage trees
- ReferenceThe SQLSTATE error reference
You can move from a runtime failure to a reliable remediation plan quickly.
What you will be able to do afterwards
- • Explain MVCC, locking, and isolation levels without hand-waving.
- • Recognize the difference between a planner issue and a transaction issue.
- • Diagnose common concurrency errors with a repeatable workflow.