How Data Works
From a Written Record to a Global Database
Shikhar Singh
Founder & Chairman · KedByte Technologies Private Limited
- Chapters
- 52Chapters
- Parts
- 8Parts
- Words
- 243KWords
- Print pages
- 792Print pages
From a written record to a global database: a simple-first, technical-after guide to meaning, queries, correct changes, recovery, distributed systems and operation.
973 glossary entries · 201 source records · KedByte Press
Reading blocks in this book
These labels come from the chapters in How Data Works. Use them to choose a plain-language explanation, technical detail or terminology.
| # | Block | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PLAIN | in simple words |
| 2 | PLAIN | a picture in your head |
| 3 | PLAIN | a worked example |
| 4 | PLAIN | what is really happening inside |
| 5 | TECHNICAL | the engineer’s version |
| 6 | WORDS | remember these |
The single pass
Read in order, beginning with Chapter 1: The Whole Data System in One Look. The opening part is Meaning Before Machines.
The double pass
Start with the blocks marked PLAIN, then return to the TECHNICAL blocks for more detail.
Find a topic
Use the contents to browse 52 chapters across 8 parts, from Meaning Before Machines to Running Data Systems.
From a Written Record to a Global Database
8 parts, 52 chapters. Open any part to see its chapters, or start at the beginning and keep going.
AMeaning Before MachinesLearn what a record says, what it leaves out, and what a system can safely conclude from it.Chapters 1–6/Volume A
BFrom Records to DatabasesMove from ordinary files to explicit relationships, enforceable rules and useful questions.Chapters 7–13/Volume B
CFinding AnswersFollow a query through scans, indexes and plans, then measure the actual work.Chapters 14–20/Volume C
DCorrect ChangesKeep related changes consistent when requests overlap, fail or arrive more than once.Chapters 21–26/Volume D
EStorage and RecoveryTrace a write into storage and learn how to recover after failures without inventing certainty.Chapters 27–32/Volume E
FData Across MachinesUnderstand copies, partitions, coordination and the limits of promises made over a network.Chapters 33–39/Volume F
GFrom Records to InsightBuild pipelines, analytical systems and search while preserving the meaning of the source data.Chapters 40–46/Volume G
HRunning Data SystemsOperate, change, protect and retire a data system, then assemble the complete case study.Chapters 47–52/Volume H
The complete edition, free
792 pages as a single PDF, with 8 individual volumes also available. Chapter numbers are identical in every edition, so a cross-reference means the same thing wherever you read it.