Introduction

Welcome to the SQL Server 2008 Bible. SQL Server is an incredible database product. It offers an excellent mix of performance, reliability, ease of administration, and new architectural options, yet enables the developer or DBA to control minute details when desired. SQL Server is a dream system for a database developer.

If there's a theme to SQL Server 2008, it's this: enterprise-level excellence. SQL Server 2008 opens several new possibilities for designing more scalable and powerful systems. The first goal of this book is to share with you the pleasure of working with SQL Server.

Like all books in the Bible series, you can expect to find both hands-on tutorials and real-world practical applications, as well as reference and background information that provides a context for what you are learning. However, to cover every minute detail of every command of this very complex product would consume thousands of pages, so it is the second goal of this book to provide a concise yet comprehensive guide to SQL Server 2008 based on the information I have found most useful in my experience as a database developer, consultant, and instructor. By the time you have completed the SQL Server 2008 Bible, you will be well prepared to develop and manage your SQL Server 2008 database.

Some of you are repeat readers of mine (thanks!) and are familiar with my approach from the previous SQL Server Bibles. Even though you might be familiar with this approach and my tone, you will find several ...

Get Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Bible now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.