Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

Chapter II.1. Setting Up a Database

When you want to store data in SQL Server, your first responsibility is to define a database that will serve as a container for your information. Your next task is to create the tables where the actual data will reside, along with any restrictions on what you can place in these tables. Finally, by defining relationships among your information, you help SQL Server ensure good data integrity and protect your business rules.

In this chapter, you get started on this road. To begin, you discover how the built-in system databases each have an important job to perform. With that out of the way, you find how to connect to a database server, and then see all its existing databases. After that, we tell you about the primary database objects you're likely to encounter. Finally, you get the hang of creating new databases by using the powerful SQL Server Management Studio tool, which allows you to perform all the database management tasks we describe throughout the chapter. Because you might have other preferences when it comes to data management tools, we also show you some different approaches you can take to achieve the same results.