SQL Server - Bulk load blocking queries on heaps

SQL Server books online say in SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL:

"Optimized bulk load operations on heaps block queries that are running under the following isolation levels:

SNAPSHOT

READ UNCOMMITTED

READ COMMITTED using row versioning".

What does optimized bulk load mean here exactly?

Optimized bulk load means SQL Server is using a special bulk load code path (fast load) and minimal logging.

These concepts are described in:

• SQL Server 2016, Minimal logging and Impact of the Batchsize in bulk load operations

• Prerequisites for Minimal Logging in Bulk Import

• The Data Loading Performance Guide

From that last link:

Although readers under RCSI are not affected by X locks, there are two bulk load situations that will block RCSI queries (as well as NOLOCK queries) in SQL Server 2008:

• When populating a heap with TABLOCK using BULK INSERT, INSERT-SELECT, or other bulk load operations. This is because the heap load acquires a BULK OPERATION intent exclusive (IX) lock and the NOLOCK or RCSI readers acquire a BULK OPERATION shared (S) lock. To bulk load a heap and permit concurrent readers even using RCSI or NOLOCK, you must eliminate the TABLOCK hint and thus give up minimal logging.

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#220570, answer score: 6