sql

Packed with practical, real-world information for anyone involved with SQL Server Administration, "Beginning SQL Server 2000 DBA: From Novice to Professional" is one of the most complete administration books available. It is not without its problems but they are generally pretty minor and in fact somewhat humorous at times. For example, page 84 has a section titled "Upgrading to SQL Server 6.5" and page 90 a section titled "Upgrading to Earlier Versions of SQL Server". Obviously you don't upgrade to an earlier version nor do you upgrade from 2000 to 6.5. So, while there are errors, they are so obvious as to not be a big problem. When it comes to the technical details where accuracy is critical, I didn't find any obvious errors.

So what does the book cover? It starts with the different types of DBAs, the different versions of SQL Server 2000 available, installation methods and resolving installation problems. After getting everything installed and working correctly it moves on to working with the database with things like creating a database, basic considerations for databases (such as raid levels), and everyday administrative activities like making the database read-only, removing databases, adding databases, changing the path, creating and deleting tables. One of the things I liked about this section (and most of the sections of the book) was that it explained how to do each task by using the database manager and by using the Transact-SQL language.

Each of the sections follows logically from the prior one. With all the database management section completed the next part covers doing queries, joins, creating indexes, and similar tasks, basic backing up and restoring databases, generating a database script, creating and adding jobs, working with security and authentication, user permissions, roles, application security, ODBC, ADO, performance monitoring, and other tasks.

Although it was mentioned in brief in an earlier chapter, chapter eight provides a thorough treatment of backup and recovery. This is a very important chapter, I have run across many, many SQL installations where people did not understand the correct backup and restore procedures for SQL and made a complete mess of their system using copy and paste techniques. The author does an excellent job here and it will keep you out of trouble if you follow his advice.

The remaining portion of the book covers replication (a particularly well-done chapter), writing Transact-SQL code, creating views, error handling, writing triggers, data warehousing, data analysis, and creating a data transformation package using the data transformation package editor. Due to the breadth of coverage "Beginning SQL Server 2000 DBA: From Novice to Professional" is exactly as advertised and useful to both the complete novice and the experienced professional. Note that although it covers some of the more common uses of T-SQL for administrative purposes it is not a book on programming, it is a book on administration and within that defined area it is excellent. "Beginning SQL Server 2000 DBA" is a highly recommended read.