SQL Server metadata

SQL Server maintains a set of tables that store information about all objects, data types, constraints, configuration options, and resources available to SQL Server. In SQL Server 2012, these tables are called the system base tables. Some of the system base tables exist only in the master database and contain system-wide information; others exist in every database (including master) and contain information about the objects and resources belonging to that particular database. Beginning with SQL Server 2005, the system base tables aren’t always visible by default, in master or any other database. You won’t see them when you expand the tables node in the Object Explorer in SQL Server Management Studio, and unless you are a system ...

Get Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Internals now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.