Customer Reviews

Microsoft® SQL Server(TM) 2005 Administrator's Companion (Pro-Administrator's Companion)

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Looks like all the reviews for this book are for SQL 7.0. I have the SQL 2005 version of this book and I have to say it is VERY complete. It is not a rehash of online material, but in depth coverage of essential SQL technologies and system administration. If you want a programming guide, skip this book. If you want to know how SQL works, and what to do if it is broken (better yet, read this book and learn how not to break it first), then buy this book. Essential for any DBA.

My department is in the process of migrating to MS SQL2005 from SQL2000 and this book is a must have for any administrator. If your familar with previous administrator companion books, this one is very similar in nature. The book has already paid for itself in tips in performance configurations. The author's include small 'Real World' sections in most area's that provide a good information and suggestions.

In addition, if you are new to MS SQL2005, this book will provide good background information and review all the concepts that make a good DBA.

I have read the book as a pro.. i do have been working with sql server for a number of years now. So going thru the initial sections was pretty quick... i am quite impressed with the format and the step by step approach to a number of configuration procedures which is not so common and where it hurts the most.

Enjoy reading...

Kumar

This is one of the most complete books on SQL 2005 available.
It may be a bit much for a beginner, though. Brush up on the terminology
and basic concepts first, and then this book will explain a great deal
about the day to day workings of a database in a production environment.

The information is displayed in a easy-to-find manner. The style is clear and concise.

If you are new to SQL Server 2005 administration, this is the book to keep on your desk.

I (perhaps naively) attempted to use this book to educate myself on SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS. This is an awful, terrible, retarded book, even for Microsoft Press. Here's just a few of its many problems:

- 90% of its content is just walkthroughs, most likely pasted in from MS help docs and KB articles.

- No actual educational surveys of the topics in chapters are provided, apart from a couple paragraphs introducing it and telling you how thankful you should be that MS added some lame features to it in this version.

- The walkthroughs are literally unreadable unless you're actually performing that task right now. What few explanations of concepts there are, are buried in reams of "click this button, now click the drop-down selector, now click OK."

- This presentation becomes instantly useless when a new version comes out (which already happened) since the text is married to this version's GUI.

- The occasional typo and grammar error complete the tardfest.

Basically, this book is just 1200 pages of filler with a hardcover for cubicle-shelf eyewash purposes. Only the most clueless MS weenies would actually use this for a reference on the job when the KB has the same thing, only more up to date. Even more pathetic is it took 5 people to "write" this. Typical mall bookstore-grade tech book detritus.

It is a big heavy book with lots of screen shots and descriptions of each screen shot with some process description. The CD that comes with it is good to search for topics using key words.
Chapter 31 is good - it explains what each of the management views provide.

However, it does not explain how to accomplish something or what the best practice is.
For Example: How do I set up a user login to have read only access to a specific schema? What do I create first a login, schema, or a role? All the security screens seem to have overlapping inputs. I set up a login user. I setup roles. I setup schemas. I create a View but I still only find the dbo schema? What about the other 2 schemas I created? How do I know the security I am setting up will not lock me out of the database next time I login? What is the highest level adimin security I should set and must have - the "super level" that I should not change so I have access and no one else does. Is it possible to check the wrong thing and lock everyone out of the database?
The book tells me what is in each screen and the things I can check off....
The SQL Server 2005 Pocket Consultant explains more on some of these subjects....

This is a great book that every developer and dba should read. It start from the installation of SQL Server and touch every little aspect of the configuration and the administration of the server.
Every chapter is well designed and full of important tips.

Being new to SQL 2005 and a "part time" DBA, this book has helped me with a number of situations I needed to solve. I use it daily.