Professional SQL Server™ 2005 Programming

1.1. So, What Exactly Do We Have Here?

What makes up a database? Data for sure. (What use is a database that doesn't store anything?) But a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is actually much more than data. Today's advanced RDBMSs not only store your data, they also manage that data for you, restricting what kind of data can go into the system, and also facilitating getting data out of the system. If all you want is to tuck the data away somewhere safe, you can use just about anydata storage system. RDBMSs allow you to go beyond the storage of the data into the realm of defining what that data should look like. In the case of SQL Server, it doesn't just stop there. SQL Server provides additional services that help automate how your data interacts with datafrom other systems through such powerful features as the SQL Server Agent, Integration Services, Notification Services, and more.

This chapter provides an overview to the rest of the book. Everything discussed in this chapter will be covered again in later chapters, but this chapter is intended to provide you with a roadmap or plan to bear in mind as we progress through the book. As such, in this chapter, we will take a high-level look into:

• Database objects

• Data types

• Other database concepts that ensure data integrity