Professional SQL Server 2005 Administration

SQL Server 2005 is the largest leap forward for SQL Server since its inception. With this update comes new features that will challenge even the most experienced SQL Server DBAs. Written by a team of some of the best SQL Server experts in the industry, this comprehensive tutorial shows you how to navigate the vastly changed landscape of the SQL Server administration.

Drawing on their own first-hand experiences to offer you best practices, unique tips and tricks, and useful workarounds, the authors help you handle even the most difficult SQL Server 2005 administration issues, including blocking and locking. You'll learn how to fine-tune queries you've already written, automate redundant monitoring and maintenance tasks, and use hidden tools so that you can quickly get over the learning curve of how to configure and administer SQL Server 2005.

What you will learn from this book

• How to use some of the more advanced concepts of installation
• Techniques for properly administering development features such as SQL CLR
• Ways to secure your SQL Server from common threats
• How to choose the right hardware configuration
• Best practices for backing up and recovering your database
• Step-by-step guidelines for clustering your SQL Server

Who this book is for

This book is for experienced developers and database administrators who plan to administer or are already administering an SQL Server 2005 system and its business intelligence features.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working technologists to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

Brian Knight, SQL Server MVP, MCSE, MCDBA, is the co-founder of SQLServerCentral.com and JumpstartTV.com. He runs the local SQL Server users group in Jacksonville (JSSUG) and was recently on the Board of Directors of the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS). Brian is a contributing columnist for SQL Server Standard, maintains a regular column for the database Web site SQLServerCentral.com, and does regular Web casts at Jumpstart TV. He is the author of Admin911: SQL Server (Osborne / McGraw-Hill Publishing) and coauthor of Professional SQL Server DTS and Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (Wrox Press). Brian has spoken at conferences like PASS, SQL Connections and TechEd and many code Camps.  Brian is an independent consultant at White Knight Technology.

Ketan Patel, B.E. Electronics Engineering, MCSE, MCDBA, is a Development Manager for the Business Intelligence Center of Excellence group at Microsoft. He has worked with SWL Server and other Microsoft technologies for nearly eight years. Ketan has also spoken at TechEd. he spends his spare time with his family and playing cricket, especially in the summer.

Wayne Snyder is recognized worldwide as a SQL Server expert and Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP), with over 25 years of experience in project management, database administration, software design, performance measurement, and capacity planning. He is a sought-out consultant, trainer, writer, and speaker and produces a series of web-based seminars on SQL Server 2005. Wayne has edited many SQL Server books, has SWL Training CDs with Learnkey, is on the Board of Directors for PASS (Professional Association for SQL Server), plays keyboard for a cover band named SoundBarrier, and is a managing consultant for Mariner, a Business Intelligence Company.

Jean-Claude Armand is a Senior SWL Server technology specialist with Microsoft Corporation. Jean-Claude has been working with SQL Server since version 4.21a at dun & Bradstreet. He also worked as a senior consultant for MicroAge and CompuCom Systems prior to coming to Microsoft where he has been working for the past seven years. Jean-Claude has spoken at events such as TechEd, SQL Connection,VSLive, SQL Server Magazine Connections, numerous other partner forums, and various Pass Chapters.

Ross LoForte is a SQL technology architect at the Microsoft technology Center Chicago who specializes in Microsoft SQL Server solutions. Ross has more than 16 years of business development, project management, and architecting SQL solutions on large and mission-critical database platforms. For the past six years, Ross has been working with the Microsoft Technology Centers and has led architecture design and proof-of-concept sessions for Microsoft's largest and most strategic customers to design enterprise, mission-critical SQL Server solutions. Additionally, Ross presents at TechEd, SQL PASS, Gartner , TDWI, and other conferences as well as delivering Microsoft customer presentations around SQL Server. Ross has been active with the Professional Association for SQL Server, with the Chicago SQL Server Users Group, and with the SQL Server community for many years.

Brad McGehee, SQL Server MVP, MCSE, MCSD, is the founder of SQL-Server Performance.com. He is a well-known SQL Server industry expert, focusing on writing, speaking, and teaching about SQQL Server. he specializes in SQL Server Performance tuning and clustering.

Steven Wort has been working with SQL Server for the past 12 years. He spend much of that time working as a freelance application developer and database architect building VB and web applications on SQL Server for many of the London' largest financial institutions. He moved to the United States seven years ago, joining Microsoft over five years ago as a SQL Expert in PSS on the SIE team. he spent three years traveling the world working on many very interesting customer issues. Two years ago, he moved over to the SQL Server Product group spending a year working on SQL Server Scalability and took a brief diversion into the SQL Server Best Practices Team before moving onto the SQL Playback team. Earlier this year, Steven moved to the the Windows Reliability team and now spends his time writing nasty SQL queries, building SSIS packages, designing SSRS reports, and analyzing Crash and Hang dumps. When he is not involved with technology, Steven is a member of the Pacific Northwest Adventure Racing community and a passionate kayaker, cyclist, runner, inline skater, and downhill and cross-country Skier.

Joe Salvatore is a Microsoft Solutions Technical Lead for Idea Integration. He is presently focused on architecting Business Intelligence and reporting solutions using SQL Server 2005. He has had more than 10 years of programming experience, focused on getting meaningful information out of systems using Crystal Reports, Crystal Enterprise, Visual Basic.Net, T-SQL, Integration Services, Analysis Services, and Reporting Services. Joe has spoke at the Jacksonville SQL Server Users Group (JSSUG), the Jacksonville Developer's User Group (JAXDUG) and many Microsoft Code Camps in the Southeastern United States.

Haidong Ji, MCSD and MCDBA, is a developer and senior database administrator. He manages enterprise SQL Server systems, along with Oracle and MySql systems on Unix and Linux. Haidong enjoys sharing his expertise through technical writing, consulting, training, and mentoring. He has coauthored Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (Wrox Press).