Chapter 5. Automating SQL Server
Much of the work that a database administrator does is repetitive: backing up databases, rebuilding indexes, and checking for file sizes and disk-space availability. Responding to events such as the transaction log being full or being out of disk space may also be part of daily life for some DBAs. The problem grows rapidly with the number of servers you must administer. Automating this work is more than a convenience; it is a requirement for enterprise systems.
Two features in SQL Server 2008 come to the rescue of the DBA — maintenance plans, and SQL Server Agent.
Maintenance plans enable you to automate the routine maintenance activities for a database, Backups, database integrity checks, and index maintenance tasks can now all be automated with maintenance plans. The Maintenance Plan Wizard makes it easy to create maintenance plans by answering simple questions.
SQL Server Agent enables you to manually create a schedule of jobs to be run on a SQL Server, further enhancing the ability of the DBA to automate routine activities.
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