SQL Server Administration. Beginning Microsoft. Chris Leiter, Dan Wood, Michael Cierkowski, Albert Boettger

Transcription

1 Beginning Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administration Chris Leiter, Dan Wood, Michael Cierkowski, Albert Boettger Updates, source code, and Wrox technical support at

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3 Beginning Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administration Introduction...xxvii Chapter 1: Introducing SQL Server Chapter 2: Installing SQL Server Chapter 3: SQL Server 2008 Tools Chapter 4: SQL Server 2008 Storage Architecture Chapter 5: SQL Server 2008 Databases Chapter 6: SQL Server 2008 Security Chapter 7: Configuring SQL Server Network Communication Chapter 8: Automating Administrative Tasks Chapter 9: Disaster Prevention and Recovery Chapter 10: Monitoring SQL Server Chapter 11: Optimizing SQL Server Chapter 12: SQL Server High Availability Chapter 13: Introduction to Replication Chapter 14: Introduction to the Common Language Runtime Chapter 15: An Administrator s Guide to Business Intelligence Chapter 16: Introduction to SQL Server Integration Services Chapter 17: Introduction to SQL Server Analysis Services Chapter 18: Introduction to SQL Server Reporting Services Chapter 19: Introduction to Service Broker Index

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5 Beginning Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administration

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7 Beginning Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administration Chris Leiter Dan Wood Albert Boettger Michael Cierkowski Wiley Publishing, Inc.

8 Beginning Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administration Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN Copyright 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Beginning Microsoft SQL server 2008 administration / Chris Leiter... [et al.]. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN (paper/website) 1. SQL server. 2. Database management. 3. Relational databases. I. Leiter, Chris, QA76.9.D3B dc No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) , fax (978) Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) , fax (201) , or online at Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. For general information on our other products and services please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (877) , outside the United States at (317) or fax (317) Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, Wrox, the Wrox logo, Wrox Programmer to Programmer, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Microsoft and SQL Server are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

9 For my wife, Bridget Your patience, love, and support have made everything I have, and everything I am, possible. Thanks for believing in me Chris Leiter I dedicate my contribution of this book to my dad, Reginald Kaaikaula Wood, who lost his battle with cancer while I was writing this book. He was a great encouragement and proud that his son was a published author even though he said, I don t understand a darn word of it. My dad left an amazing legacy and he will be missed. Dan Wood I dedicate this book to my daughter, Rachel. Watching you grow and re-experiencing the beauty and wonder of the world through your eyes, is and has been the greatest joy in my life. So few years to give you wings to fly. I love you. Albert Boettger I would like to dedicate this accomplishment to my daughter, Alina. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I love you very much. Michael Cierkowski

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11 About the Authors Chris Leiter (Auburn, WA) is a Senior Consultant for Hitachi Consulting. His primary focus is Microsoft s Business Intelligence and Performance Management products. Chris has been a Microsoft Certified Professional since 1997 and a Microsoft Certified Trainer since He currently holds the MCSE: Security, MCITP: Database Administrator, and ITIL: Foundation certifications. Chris is also co-author of Beginning SQL Server 2005 Administration by Dan Wood, Chris Leiter, and Paul Turley from Wrox Press When not writing about or working with Microsoft SQL Server, he enjoys watching movies from his extensive DVD collection with his wife, Bridget, and their cat, Cosmo. Chris contributed Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, and 19. Dan Wood (Silverdale, WA) is the senior database administrator for Avalara, a sales tax compliance company where he both administers and develops database solutions for several enterprise applications that handle global address validation, tax rate calculation, and sales tax remittance for e-commerce and ERP clients. He has been working with SQL Server as a DBA, consultant, and trainer since Dan was a co-author on Beginning Transact-SQL with SQL Server 2000 and 2005 by Paul Turley and Dan Wood (2005) and Beginning T-SQL with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and 2008 by Paul Turley and Dan Wood (2008) and the lead author of Beginning SQL Server 2005 Administration, all from WROX press. Dan contributed Chapters 4 and 9. Albert Boettger (Federal Way, WA) is the Senior Software Engineer and Database Administrator for Sagem Morpho, Inc. Albert has more than 20 years of experience as a solution developer, database architect, and software engineer. Albert contributed Chapters 10 and 11. Michael Cierkowski (Maple Valley, WA) currently works as an instructor for Netdesk Corporation, with a primary focus on SQL Server Administration. Michael has been a Microsoft Certified Professional and Trainer since He currently holds his MCSD, MCDBA, MCAD, MCSA, MCPD: (Windows, Web, and Enterprise), and MCITP: (Database Administrator, Database Developer, BI Developer, Server Administrator, and Enterprise Administrator). Michael contributed Chapters 5, 14, and 18.

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13 Executive Editor Bob Elliott Development Editor Maureen Spears Technical Editor Jim Adams Senior Production Editor Debra Banninger Copy Editor Cate Caffrey Editorial Manager Mary Beth Wakefield Production Manager Tim Tate Credits Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Richard Swadley Vice President and Executive Publisher Barry Pruett Associate Publisher Jim Minatel Project Coordinator, Cover Lynsey Stanford Proofreader Nancy Carrasco Indexer J&JIndexing

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15 Acknowledgments First and foremost, I thank my wife, Bridget, for once again supporting and encouraging me through this process. It ll be nice to have our evenings back. Thanks also to Dan Wood, for letting me take the reins on this one. I m really glad that you were able to stay on as a Contributing Author. Michael Cierkowski and Albert Boettger also deserve my gratitude for stepping up to the plate and co-authoring this book. Both of you are absolutely brilliant, and I m lucky to know you. I also thank Lance Baldwin, one of the best people I ve had the privilege of working for (twice!), and Paul Turley, who helped Dan and me get introduced to Wiley. And speaking of Wiley, I must also thank Bob Elliott for his support on this project and faith that I could pull it all together; Maureen Spears for having the patience of a saint; and Jim Adams, who never let anything get by him (and provided a huge contribution to Chapter 17!). There are several other people whom I would like to thank for helping me in one way or another during the process of creating this book. They include (in no particular order) Jeff Sparks, for constantly feeding my ego; Rick Kinglsan, for setting the bar and letting me raise it; D.J. Norton, for being as much of a gadget geek as I am; Stephanie Gulick, for being so supportive; everyone at Hitachi Consulting; and, of course, the Banz and Leiter families, who put up with me working through yet another holiday season. Chris Leiter A great deal of thanks to Chris Leiter for taking over this book and being an outstanding Project Lead. Special thanks to all the wonderful people at Wrox for their patience for missed deadlines and support when my dad was ill. Lastly, but most importantly, my gratitude and undying love goes to my beautiful wife, Sarah, who supported me through yet another book project and expressed her pride and love while spending many nights and weekends without me. Thank you, my love. Dan Wood A special thanks to Chris Leiter for convincing me to join the team and introducing me to Wiley Publishing. You were right. Thank you to Jeff Sparks for being a friend and mentor, and for always pushing me to explore and master new technologies. Your opinions and insights were invaluable. Thanks to everyone at Wiley Publishing who helped to make this book a reality, and especially to Bob Elliot for all his hard work. Thanks, Maureen, for keeping us all on schedule and answering all of our questions (kind of like herding cats), and to Jim for his excellent technical editing. To my loving wife, Elise, and beautiful daughter, Rachel, thank you for your love, patience, and understanding. You mean more to me than words can convey. Albert C. Boettger First, I thank both Dan and Chris for considering me for this project. It has been a wonderful experience working with you, and I hope we can do it again sometime. I also thank everyone at Wrox for making the entire process a fairly painless affair. And finally, I thank my wife, Stacy, for dealing with many nights of neglect while I worked on my many projects. I love you more each and every day. A task that I didn t think was possible. Michael Cierkowski

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17 Contents Introduction xxvii Chapter 1: Introducing SQL Server A Condensed History of SQL Server 1 In the Beginning 1 The Evolution of a Database 1 Microsoft Goes It Alone 2 BI for the Masses and Beyond! 3 What Is SQL Server 2008? 3 Database Engine 3 Integration Services 5 Analysis Services 5 Reporting Services 6 Service Broker 6 Data Tier Web Services 6 Replication Services 6 Multiple Instances 6 Database Mail 7 A Note about Notification Services 7 SQL Server 2008 Editions 7 SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1 8 SQL Server 2008 Express Edition 9 SQL Server 2008 Web Edition 9 SQL Server 2008 Workgroup Edition 10 SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition 10 SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition 10 SQL Server 2008 Architecture 11 SQL Server 2008 Communication 11 SQL Server 2008 Services 13 SQL Server 2008 Database Objects 15 Server 15 Database 16 Schema 16 Object Names 16

18 Contents SQL Server 2008 Databases 18 System Databases 18 User Databases 20 Distribution Databases 20 SQL Server 2008 Database Storage 20 Data Files and Filegroups 21 Log Files 21 SQL Server Security 22 Windows Authentication Mode 22 SQL Server and Windows Authentication Mode (Mixed Mode) 22 Summary 23 Chapter 2: Installing SQL Server SQL Server Installation Planning 25 Hardware Considerations 26 Processor Considerations 27 Memory Considerations 27 Storage Considerations 28 Virtualization Considerations 32 Software Prerequisites 32 SQL Server Installation Center 34 Setup Support Rules (for Setup Support Files) 34 Setup Support Rules (for Installation) 36 Feature Selection 37 Installing to a Windows Cluster 45 Configuring the Virtual Server Name 46 Sample Databases 49 Installation Review 50 Summary 50 Chapter 3: SQL Server 2008 Tools 51 SQL Server Management Studio 52 Tool Windows 53 Toolbars 65 SQL Server Management Studio Configuration 82 Log File Viewer 90 SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio 91 SQL Server Profiler 93 SQL Server Trace 93 Trace Properties 94 xvi

19 Contents Database Engine Tuning Advisor 97 General Tab 98 Tuning Options Tab 99 SQL Server Configuration Manager 100 Reporting Services Configuration Manager 100 Command-Line Tools 102 SQLCMD 102 Bulk Copy Program (BCP) 104 PowerShell 106 Summary 109 Chapter 4: SQL Server 2008 Storage Architecture 111 The Resource Database 112 The sys Schema 112 SQL Server Database Physical Structure 113 Physical Storage Data Types 114 FILESTREAM Data 118 Other Data Types 119 SQL Server Database Files 119 Data Files 120 Transaction Log 123 Summary 127 Chapter 5: SQL Server 2008 Databases 129 System Databases 129 User Databases 129 Database Planning 129 Capacity Planning 130 Creating Databases 131 Getting Started 132 Creating a New Database 132 Schemas 152 Tables 155 Indexes 165 Enforcing Data Integrity 181 Database Diagrams 190 Views 191 System Views 191 Synonyms 192 Programming Objects 193 xvii

20 Contents Stored Procedures 193 Functions 193 Triggers 194 Assemblies 196 Types 196 Defaults 199 Rules 200 Summary 200 Chapter 6: SQL Server 2008 Security 201 SQL Server Authentication Modes 201 Changing the Authentication Mode from Management Studio 202 Using the xp_instance_regwrite Extended Stored Procedure 202 Principals 204 Logins 205 Credentials 210 Server Roles 212 Database Users 214 Fixed Database Roles 219 Permissions 225 Server Permissions 229 Database Scope Permissions 235 Schema Scope Permissions 238 Using SQL Server Management Studio for Managing Permissions 240 SQL Server Encryption 243 Extensible Key Management (EKM) 246 Encryption Tools 246 Best Practices 257 Summary 259 Chapter 7: Configuring SQL Server Network Communication 261 SQL Server 2008 Network Protocols 261 Shared Memory 262 Named Pipes 262 TCP/IP 262 Virtual Interface Adapter (VIA) 264 SQL Native Client Configuration 264 SQL Server Endpoints 265 Default TSQL Endpoints 266 TSQL TCP Endpoints 269 Database Mirroring Endpoints 270 xviii

21 Contents SOAP Endpoints 272 Service Broker Endpoints 278 Securing Endpoints 278 Summary 284 Chapter 8: Automating Administrative Tasks 285 Policy-Based Management 286 Targets 286 Facets 287 Conditions 287 Policies 288 Policy Categories 289 Effective Policies 289 Central Management Servers 292 Database Mail 294 How It Works 294 How to Configure Database Mail 295 Configuring Database Mail Options 300 Managing Profiles and Accounts 301 Guidelines for Deleting Mail Objects 309 Sending Mail 310 Managing Messages 314 Event Notifications 315 SQL Server Agent 316 Configuring the SQL Server Agent Service 316 SQL Server Agent Security 321 Creating Jobs 323 Creating Schedules 335 Creating Operators 342 Creating Alerts 345 Creating Proxies 353 Multi-Server Jobs 356 Maintenance Plans 358 Maintenance Plan Wizard 358 Maintenance Plan Designer 358 Best Practices 360 Summary 361 Chapter 9: Disaster Prevention and Recovery 363 Chapter Preparation 363 Database Recovery Models 365 xix

22 Contents Full Recovery Model 365 Bulk-Logged Recovery Model 366 Simple Recovery Model 366 SQL Server 2008 Database Backup 367 Backup Devices 367 SQL Server 2008 Backup Types 369 Full Backup 369 Differential Backup 370 File/Filegroup Backup 370 Transaction Log Backup 371 Partial Backup 371 Copy Only Backup 372 Backup Options 372 Backup Stripe 372 Mirrored Backup 372 Compressed Backup 373 WITH Options 373 Backup Strategies 375 Full Backup Only 375 Full Backup with Differential 376 Full Backup with Transaction Log 376 Full and Differential Backup with Transaction Log 377 File and Filegroup Backup 377 Filegroup with Differential 378 Partial Backup 378 Backup Summary 378 Restoring Databases 379 Restore Process 379 Delaying Recovery 380 RESTORE Command 380 RESTORE DATABASE database_name 381 FROM Options 382 WITH Clause 382 Database Restore Preparation 385 Restoring User Databases 387 Recovering System Databases 393 Database Restore Summary 395 Database Snapshots 396 Database Snapshot Limitations 398 Disaster Recovery and Database Snapshots 398 Summary 400 xx

23 Contents Chapter 10: Monitoring SQL Server 401 Performance Monitoring 401 Performance Monitoring Strategy 402 Creating a Performance Baseline 403 Tools and Techniques for Monitoring 409 Log File Viewer 410 Activity Monitor 411 System Stored Procedures 413 Using Profiler 420 Monitoring Files 427 Auditing 430 SQL Server Audit 430 Login Auditing 438 C2 Audit Mode 440 Security Audit Event Category 441 SQL Trace 442 Tracking Changes 444 Change Data Capture 444 Change Tracking 452 Data Collection 455 Terminology 456 Architecture and Processing 456 Configuring Data Collection 458 Data Collector Types 461 Data Collection Sets 461 Error Handling 465 Reporting 466 Management Data Warehouse 466 Monitoring Database Modifications 468 Data Definition Language (DDL) Triggers 469 Summary 472 Chapter 11: Optimizing SQL Server 473 Hardware Optimization 474 CPU Selection 475 Hyperthreading 475 Memory 475 Storage Options 476 Network Design 477 Virtualizing SQL Server 478 xxi

24 Contents Design Considerations 478 Database Recovery Model 479 Designing Efficient Tables 480 Declarative Referential Integrity (DRI) 485 Constraints versus Triggers 488 Deciding What to Index 488 Indexed Views and Filtered Indexes 494 Minimizing Blocking 497 Hidden Dangers of Time-Outs 498 Query Optimization 499 Execution Plans 500 Updating Statistics 504 Managing Indexes 504 Query Optimizer Hints 510 Plan Guides 512 Database Engine Tuning Advisor 517 T-SQL Optimization Tips 526 Limiting Result Sets 527 ANSI-Style Join Syntax 530 Dealing with Null Values 531 Alternatives to Cursors 533 Merge Joins 534 Grouping Sets 536 Distinct Aggregation 537 How Many Records Are in That Table? 538 Temp Tables versus Table Variables 539 Resource Governor 540 Configuring the Resource Governor 541 Monitoring the Resource Governor 545 Summary 551 Chapter 12: SQL Server High Availability 553 xxii Introduction to High Availability 553 Failover Clustering 554 Windows Clustering A Quick Primer 555 Clustering Components 556 Active/Passive Clustering 556 Active/Active Clustering 557 Considering Clustering 558 Log Shipping 558 Preparing for Log Shipping 558 Configuring Log Shipping with SQL Server Management Studio 558

25 Contents Configuring Log Shipping with Transact-SQL 563 Configuring Failover 571 Database Mirroring 572 Client Redirection 574 Database Mirroring Modes 574 Configuring Database Mirroring 576 Monitoring Database Mirroring 581 Managing Database Mirroring 584 Summary 587 Chapter 13: Introduction to Replication 589 Replication Overview 589 SQL Server Replication Agents 590 Snapshot Agent 591 Log Reader Agent 591 Distribution Agent 591 Merge Agent 591 Queue Reader Agent 591 SQL Server Replication Types 591 Distributed Transactions 592 Transactional Replication 593 Snapshot Replication 594 Merge Replication 594 Oracle Replication 595 SQL Server Replication Models 595 Single Publisher/Multiple Subscribers 595 Multiple Publishers/Single Subscriber 596 Multiple Publishers/Multiple Subscribers 596 Replication Tools 596 Filtering 596 Replicating Partitioned Tables and Indexes 598 New Publication Wizard 598 New Subscription Wizard 601 Replication Monitor 602 Summary 605 Chapter 14: Introduction to the Common Language Runtime 607 Databases and Programming 607 Is Transact-SQL Going Away? 608.NET and the CLR 609 xxiii

26 Contents Assemblies 609 Namespaces 609 Classes 609 Methods 610 SQL Server CLR Objects 610 Enabling SQL CLR 611 Creating a SQL CLR Assembly 611 Adding an Assembly 617 Compatible Data Types 618 User-Defined Functions 619 Stored Procedures 621 Triggers 622 User-Defined Types 623 Aggregates 627 Deployment with Visual Studio 629 Programming Support 632 Threading 633 Impersonation 633 Security Options 633.NET Security 634 Securing SQL CLR 634 SQL Server CLR Permission Sets 634 Summary 637 Chapter 15: An Administrator s Guide to Business Intelligence 639 Understanding BI 639 Performance Management 640 Business Intelligence Components 640 Data Goes In, Data Comes Out 640 Analyze This! 641 Did You Get the Memo about Cover Pages? 642 Beyond SQL 642 The BI Side of SharePoint 642 ProClarity and PerformancePoint Server 643 So Many Tools, So Little Time 644 Summary 644 Chapter 16: Introduction to SQL Server Integration Services 645 About SSIS 645 Integration Services 646 Integration Services Object Model 647 xxiv

27 Contents Integration Services Run Time 648 Integration Services Data Flow 648 Importing and Exporting Data 649 Using the Import Wizard 649 Using the Export Wizard 656 Transforming Data with SSIS 658 Understanding the Development Environment 659 Package Elements 661 Creating a Simple Package 670 Summary 675 Chapter 17: Introduction to SQL Server Analysis Services 677 Understanding OLAP 677 OLAP Terminology 678 Working with SSAS 679 Creating the Project 679 Defining a Data Source 679 Creating the Data Source View 682 Defining Dimensions 684 Creating the Cube 684 Create Hierarchies 686 Deploying the Project 695 Managing SSAS 696 Browsing the Cube 697 SSAS Security 698 Advanced SSAS Concepts 702 MDX 703 Data Mining 704 Summary 705 Chapter 18: Introduction to SQL Server Reporting Services 707 SQL Server Reporting Services Overview 707 Components and Tools 708 Installation and Configuration 717 Hardware and Software Requirements 717 Security Considerations 718 Installation Mode 719 Multiple Instances and Versions 719 Creating Reports 720 Report Designer 720 Report Builder 721 xxv

28 Contents Report Delivery 729 Caching 729 Snapshots 729 Subscriptions 730 Summary 731 Chapter 19: Introduction to Service Broker 733 Service-Oriented Architecture 733 Service Broker Overview 734 Service Broker Elements 734 Conversations 734 Contracts 737 Queues 737 Services 737 Routes 737 Security Considerations for Service Broker 738 Dialog Security 738 Transport Security 739 Creating a Sample Application 739 Creating and Preparing the Database 740 Creating the Service Broker Objects 741 Creating Objects for the TicketInputService 744 Creating Objects for the TicketNotifyService 746 Testing the Application 749 Managing Service Broker with SSMS 753 Summary 753 Index 755 xxvi

29 Introduction Microsoft officially announced SQL Server 2008, codenamed Katmai, at the first Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI) conference in May I suppose I had the same reaction as many others Already? SQL Server 2005 had only been released a year and a half earlier, and I started to wonder if it was too soon. I can t tell you why I thought that. I also knew that it wasn t unusual for Microsoft s product teams to start planning for the next version of a product by the time the current version had been released. I knew that the time between the SQL Server 2000 and the SQL Server 2005 releases was too long. And I knew that Microsoft was committed to more frequent and consistent release cycles of two to three years for new versions of SQL Server. I expected SQL Server 2008 to be more of a product refresh than a full new release. Most of the public material available hinted at that. It was designed to build on the framework laid out by SQL Server 2005, which offered two benefits. First, organizations that had already migrated to SQL Server 2005 would find the transition to SQL Server 2008 to be easier than moving from SQL Server 2000, or other database products. Additionally, Microsoft had solidified itself as a player in the BI market space by bundling Analysis Services, Integration Services, and Reporting Services as part of the SQL platform. What I didn t expect was that some of the changes made were not incidental, but fairly significant. As you ll read in this book, Notification Services is gone, and Reporting Services no longer uses Internet Information Services to publish access to the Report Server. Having decided to withhold judgment for the time being, I have to admit I was concerned about how existing implementations of both these tools would be affected. As information about Katmai became available, I tried to absorb as much as I could. I read articles online and in print magazines that outlined new features to make management of the system, and data, much easier. One of the more compelling features for me was FILESTREAM, which allowed files to be stored in an NTFS file system while still being maintained through SQL. I immediately saw how this feature could be leveraged for a product that had been developed by my co-workers for receiving, archiving, and forwarding Electronic Fingerprint Transmission records. Looking beyond that, I could envision how other Microsoft products, like SharePoint, might eventually leverage FILESTREAM for storing extremely large files that, if stored as BLOB data, would cause the database size to quickly become unwieldy and difficult to manage. In 2007, Microsoft announced that it intended to release Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Visual Studio 2008 on February 27, They had been releasing CTPs on a fairly regular schedule every couple of months or so. However, by the time CTP 6 had come around in February 2008, it was clear that SQL Server 2008 (and Visual Studio 2008) would not be ready by the intended release date. Microsoft has announced that they were targeting Q3 of 2008 for a release. Being somewhat of a cynic, I honestly didn t expect to see a release until November In fact, I thought it would have been appropriate to release it on November 7, coinciding with the third anniversary of the release of SQL Server 2005.

30 Introduction CTP 6 was considered to be feature complete, which meant that changes from that point on were likely to be cosmetic, or relatively insignificant. At this point, components such as Data Compression, Policy-Based Management, and the Resource Governor had been through the ringer by beta testers and application developers, and most were happy with what they saw. SQL Server 2008 was officially released on August 6, 2008 (although MSDN and TechNet subscribers had already been able to access it for a week). By this time, its features, tools, and components had gone through rigorous internal certification processes as well as significant public beta testing through the CTP availability. As I write this, it s been just over five months since the release of SQL Server I, and my associates, have had a chance to put SQL Server 2008 through its paces in both production and test environments. While, admittedly, there have been some growing pains, I believe that SQL Server 2008 is a solid product. I have worked with a number of people who often state, I won t install Product X until at least Service Pack 1! Because SQL Server 2008 is built on a stable SQL Server 2005 platform and improves upon it, I find it hard to justify a statement like that. A common theme I reiterate with my clients, and also throughout this book, is that SQL Server is much more than a relational database management system. While the heart of SQL Server is, and always will be, the Database Engine, it s the client features, the performance management tools, the data integrity components, and the Business Intelligence solutions that make SQL Server an attractive solution to many people DBAs and business users alike. If you re reading this book, then chances are you re responsible for managing a SQL Server 2008 system, or you will be. Several years ago, when I worked for a training company in Seattle, I would find that students would usually (although not always) fit into one of three categories. The most common was IT administrators who have inherited a SQL Server. Typically, this would be a new server that was required by a new application or service the business was implementing. These students would have a good working knowledge of Windows system management, but were new to SQL. If you find that you fit in this category, this book is for you. Another type of student I frequently saw was the developer who was involved in a project that used a SQL Server database for storing application data. These developers understood how the data needed to be stored, but were responsible for configuring and managing the development and test environments. Often, they would have limited (if any) knowledge of systems administration, but they knew what they were trying to accomplish. If you re one of these developers, this book is for you. A third category of students I sometimes saw, although admittedly less frequently than the first two, were experienced DBAs who were familiar with Oracle, or other database technology, who needed to know how things worked in the Microsoft realm. Although there may be a difference in terminology or implementation, for the most part, the core technology is pretty standard. If you have experience with other database applications and are looking to get a better understanding of how Microsoft SQL Server 2008 can meet your needs, this book is for you. Some of you may not fit into any of these categories, or you may fit into more than one. Whatever your intent for reading this book is, the subject matter is the same. This book, as the title suggests, is all about database administration. But what is database administration? Database administrators are more and more often being called on to perform duties that are not strictly administrative in nature. Along with typical administrative duties such as backups, database maintenance, and user management, database administrators are increasingly being asked to perform tasks such as building complex data xxviii