5 Responses to “SQL Server 2008 Administration in Action”

1. Tariq Ahmed says:

   February 9, 2010 at 9:06 am

   Currently I manage a small Web/RIA software development team, and my background is in making Web/RIA applications in ColdFusion and Flex. Our team uses SQL Server 2000, however we’re actively working on our plan to upgrade to SQL Server 2008.

   Timing wise I fortunate as I was able to get an early access version of Rod Colledge’s SQL Server 2008 Administration in Action, by Manning Publications. Manning has a program called MEAP (Manning Early Access Program) that allows you to get drafts of a book as it is being developed, which is pretty cool.

   I’m not a DBA, and being in a small I.T company, most of the techies wear many hats. So our DBAs are also full time web programmers too.

   The book starts off by giving you an overview of the landscape, such as what exactly are the job duties of a DBA, what tools are available, and what are the differences between the SQL Server 2008 editions. We learn things about such new features as policy based management, the resource governor, data collectors, data compression, and encryption.

   After laying down the landscape, it’s time to lay down the infrastructure. What kind of system will your organization need, disk strategies such as the number of disks, RAID levels, SANs, solid state disks, calculating I/O requirements, server virtualization, partition strategies, network utilization, fail over clustering, etc…

   Having you infrastructure in place, the focus moves onto configuration where you establish your security model, performance tune your system, and overall data management. It’s here where you learn that a lot of performance issues arise from not laying out or sizing your database files properly. You can’t rely on the default settings, because as your database grows you’ll encounter issues such as disk fragmentation. Getting a solid understanding of file configuration, volume separation, and sizing can save you a lot of headache in the future.

   One you have your system up and running it’s all about maintaining it. And the last section is more about the day to day operations of being a DBA such as conducting backups, employing high availability for redundancy and DR purposes, dealing with issues, general maintenance (e.g. indexing strategies), performance tweaking, etc…

   What I like near the end is the book gives you a DBA action plan of what your routine should include, along with best practices, and worst practices.

   The database is often viewed as a business critical system, and when it’s not functioning its best it can impact the business significantly. So if you’re looking to run SQL 2K8, this book is a worthwhile investment.
   Rating: 5 / 5

   [Reply]
2. Paul M. Scotchford says:

   February 9, 2010 at 10:06 am

   This book has been invaluable to me. It does not matter if you are a DBA, BI Specialist, Developer etc, if you touch SQLServer 2008 at any time, this book should be at your side for a first base reference.
   Rating: 5 / 5

   [Reply]
3. Big Lion says:

   February 9, 2010 at 10:50 am

   At a SQL Server class I attended several years ago, someone asked the instructor which book he recommended. The answer was none, because everything is documented in BOL, which should be installed on any machine you would be using as a DBA. I followed that advice until this book came along.

   As has been mentioned in other reviews, this book is not going to teach you how to code the syntax, and it is not going to get you from zero knowledge to certification. Unless you are a very experienced DBA, you are familiar with the features that your job requires, and maybe a few more. If you suddenly need to pick up soemthing new, this book is very useful. Also, while SQL Server 2008 has been out for barely a year and a half as I write this, not many shops have done a lot with it yet. So you can get up to speed quickly, instead of using 2008 just like you did with 2005, or even 2000. And in this day on ‘getting more done with less’, the book is a good way of getting your skills up-to-date.
   Rating: 5 / 5

   [Reply]
4. David Evans says:

   February 9, 2010 at 11:01 am

   Rod Colledge’s book is a well written and reliable reference for the Operational SQL DBA, the Windows Admin or even the Oracle DBA who has been lumped with the task of handling their Departments’ SQL Databases and who wants to have an easy to digest resource close at hand.

   While obviously this book is targeting SQL 2008 administrators, there are certainly areas that those working with SQL 2005 will find quite useful as well.

   Rod’s dialogue throughout the book is easy and this in no way compromises the substance of what is being written. It is refreshing if you are used to the standard technical references that leave you feeling like you’re doing dog paddle through a quagmire of technical jargon.

   As a DBA myself for 10 years I also appreciate another DBA describing what in some sites are “peripheral DBA tasks” such san storage/disk configuration in the context of how a DBA would tackle these activities. Often any delving by the DBA in these areas is greeted with dismissive gestures by SYS and SAN admins and ambiguous comments like “Thanks for that. We hear you… leave it with us…. we know what we’re doing…….. whoa hoa hoaar!)”

   This book is a bit like having that DBA beside you who took you under his wing and taught you all those tricks that old DBA’s seem to know – the ones that don’t appear no matter how many hours you spend Googling or bouncing back and forth through Books Online.

   For the Operational DBA this is Comprehensive, easy to digest and value for money.
   Rating: 5 / 5

   [Reply]
5. C. Harrison says:

   February 9, 2010 at 1:20 pm

   If you’re looking for a “how to” book, this is not it. Don’t get me wrong, there are some step by step instructions scattered throughout the book, but that’s not the goal. The goal is “how should I?” This book is designed for DBA’s young and old who are trying to get a grasp on SQL Server 2008 or improve their understanding on how to best deploy it. The book succeeds admirably at that goal.

   I’ve been working with SQL Server since 2001 (SQL 2000) and still picked up quite a bit from this book. I also recommend it to anyone who’s just getting in to SQL 2008, has maybe just taken a course and is trying to figure out when best to apply [insert feature here].

   It’s a must have on ever DBA’s bookshelf.
   Rating: 5 / 5

   [Reply]

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