Customer Reviews

Administrator's Guide to SQL Server 2005

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, I'm not a DBA but I install, maintain, and use SQL Server 2005 in lab and workgroup settings.

I found this book to work well as an advance organizer and a good source of advice for DBA tasks. I've use the book mainly for topic overviews and guidance on management issues. (I haven't read the reporting and BI chapters -- at least not yet.) I've found the checklists helpful and the script snippets very useful. Scripts, of course, are a great way to capture and document your actions and the book often takes this approach to tasks.

Reviewers who mention the content of SQL Server 2005 books are right that the content is likely to be in Books On Line (BOL). However, I bought this book to organize and filter these topics for me. If you can get what you need from BOL as quickly and conveniently as you can with this book then use BOL. I can't, so I bought a copy.

I bought Buck's other book because I was new to being a DBA, and needed a quick guide. I looked at this one and bought it as well. It has all the features in SQL 2005 that I needed to know, without focusing on programming. I really liked the chapter on the Service Broker, because I heard a few people trying to explain it that just confused me. This one did a great job of laying it out in plain English. He didn't do as well a job on Reporting Services, but he does cover the basics and even shows you how to create a report.

Way too much, here's what I'm gonna tell you and not enough telling you. Also way too much background and theory instead of actually doing anything.

The Administrator's Guide to SQL Server 2005 is a great reference for DBAs and System Administrators planning to implement and maintain SQL Server 2005. While the book is written for Administrators, database developers will benefit from it as well. For example, one of my day to day activities includes testing various SQL Server configurations before they are implemented into production environments that require near 100% uptime. The chapter covering high-availability provided thorough step by step instructions on how to set up database mirroring and replication. I was especially delighted to find instructions on how to create a production-like test environment using virtual machine technology at the end of the chapter. Each chapter is well written and loaded with good practical advice. I highly recommend this book!

During reading the first 3 chapters. this book was very promising. The the author kept repeating himself "I will show you how to do this, to do that". But after the first 3 chapters, his writing becomes dull. Nothing useful to go on reading. Maybe He was rushing to publish this book or the style that he prepared to go into his writing just died out. Whatever reason, one thing I learned from this book is: What a SQL Server DBA is supposed to do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. I read so many 5 stars books going into details about writing code to backup, restore, scheduling...etc. But those books forget one point: What a SQL Server DBA is supposed to do on a daily basis. Maybe it is not important for an experienced DBA but it may be important for other I.T guys who want to be DBA. That's why we read books for.
After all if you are looking for a deep down details of T-SQL programming, Integration Services, Report Services...etc. Then this book is not for you. If you'd like to know what you are supposed to do as a DBA, this book may be helpful to you.

A pet peeve i have w/ Microsoft books is they just mirror the help files. This admin guide is not much more than regurgitated help files. I was hoping for some useful examples, closer to real life problems & solutions. Not there. Plz use the help files in Books Online to look up topics THEN examine the same topic in this book at a local bookstore BEFORE buying it.