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SQL Server 2008 Resource Database, Metadata Storage, Catalog Views and Hidden secrets

Today let us discus more on how SQL Server stores metadata (Data about Data) inside SQL Server:

The metadata is stored in special System Tables. Starting with SQL 2005, System Tables are hidden and they cannot be directly queried. Even with full DBA rights, System Tables are restricted. Although not directly accessible, there are built in views and procedures for extracting metadata.

a. System Views
System Views are predefined Microsoft created views for extracting SQL Server metadata.
Let us discuss these views in a order
1. Information Schema
These System Views belongs to the Information Schema which is an ANSI specification for obtaining metadata. There about twenty different views for displaying most physical aspects of … Read the rest