Beginning SQL Server 2008 Administration

Beginning SQL Server 2008 Administration is essential for anyone wishing to learn about implementing and managing SQL Server 2008 database. From college students, to experienced database administrators from other platforms, to those already familiar with SQL Server and wanting to fill in some gaps of knowledge, this book will bring all readers up to speed on the enterprise platform Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

• Clearly describes relational database concepts
• Explains the SQL Server database engine and supporting tools
• Shows various database maintenance scenarios

What you'll learn

• Understand core concepts of relational databases
• Install SQL Server in your environment
• Use the tools that come with SQL Server to perform daily administrative tasks
• Design and implement a database maintenance plan in SQL Server
• Configure database security and protect your sensitive data from intruders
• Meet regulatory and government compliance requirements like Sarbanes-Oxley and the Payment Card Industry (PCI) regulations

About the Authors

Rob Walters works with Microsoft as a data platform technology specialist covering the Northeast district. Rob’s extensive experience with Microsoft SQL Server started over 8 years ago when he worked as a consultant for Microsoft Consulting Services in Denver, Colorado. Shortly after the dot–com bubble burst, Rob returned to Microsoft’s headquarters and worked as a program manager in the SQL Server product unit. There he owned various features within SQL Server including SQL Server Agent, various management features, and the security for the database engine. Rob is lead author on Accelerated SQL Server 2008 and has coauthored other texts including Pro SQL Server 2005. Mr. Walters holds a bachelors of science in electrical engineering from Michigan State University and a masters degree in business administration from Seattle University.

Grant Fritchey is currently working as a development DBA for FM Global, an industry–leading engineering and insurance company. In his previous time as a DBA and developer, he has worked at three failed dot–coms, a major consulting company, and a global bank. He has developed large–scale applications in languages such as VB, C#, and Java and has lived with SQL Server from the hoary days of 6.0, right through to 2008. His nickname at work is “The Scary DBA.” He even has an official name plate, and he displays it proudly.

Grant volunteers for the Professional Association of SQL Server Users (PASS) and has written and published articles on various topics relating to SQL Server at Simple–Talk, SQL Server Central, SQL Server Performance, the PASS web site, SQL Standard, and the SQL Server Worldwide Users Group. He is the author of the book Dissecting SQL Server Execution Plans. He is one of the founding officers of the Southern New England SQL Server Users Group (SNESSUG).

Carmen Taglienti is a SQL Server Business Intelligence Architect for Microsoft in the Microsoft Technology Center in Boston. Prior to Microsoft he managed a Business Intelligence project for a Microsoft partner in which he built large scale data warehouse and analytic solutions using SQL Server. His academic background is in Systems Engineering/Computer Science. Over the course of his career he has managed his own consulting business and worked as a 3D graphics programmer for a government contractor.

Carmen spends a lot of time working with customers creating SQL Server platform solutions. He has published papers on data warehousing, frequently speaks at conferences and teaches internal Microsoft Courses on Business Intelligence and SQL Server.