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Sahil Sahu

Software engineer & writer

Notes, essays, and practical guides on software, systems, and building things.

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    The small cache with big trade-offs

    2 min read

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Databases

Data structures, indexes, transactions, and the stories our data tells.

2 articles

Databasestutorial

What a database index really buys you

Sample article · An index makes some questions cheaper by doing work ahead of time. The useful question is which questions deserve that work.

Sahil Sahu-Aug 30, 2026-2 min read
An illustrated notebook with hand-drawn code symbols
Databasesreference

Reading an execution plan, one question at a time

Sample article · Start with the work being done and the rows being visited. An execution plan is an explanation, not a grade.

Sahil Sahu-Jun 3, 2026-2 min read
An illustrated notebook with hand-drawn code symbols

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A personal notebook on software, systems, engineering, and building things. Written as I learn, experiment, and ship.

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