kevin.kembel (1/2/2013)
Or maybe someone in SSC can turn it into an article, showing specific examples and proof of temp tables/variables that exist only in RAM and are never written to disk?
I believe, unfortunately, the only way to actually get a definitive answer would be to directly inquire of the SQL Server team at Microsoft and ask them to provide a white paper. I do believe that everyone hanging around here would read it thoroughly, too. It's one of those 'quasi-answered' topics that the experts here (like Gail and Wayne) have done their best to determine.
It'd be harder to go deeper into the rabbit hole without significant access to the developers themselves, and it's quite possible the algorithm itself is being kept as a trade secret. I've never seen anything quite as defined as you're looking for in this regards that's official.
Never stop learning, even if it hurts. Ego bruises are practically mandatory as you learn unless you've never risked enough to make a mistake.
For better assistance in answering your questions[/url] | Forum Netiquette
For index/tuning help, follow these directions.[/url] |Tally Tables[/url]
Twitter: @AnyWayDBA