As Microsoft's bestselling database manager, SQL Server is highly flexible and customizable, and has excellent support--the 2008 version offers several significant new capabilities. This book offers accurate and expert coverage on the updates to SQL Server 2008 such as its enhanced security; the ability to encrypt an entire database, data files, and log files without the need for application changes; a scalable infrastructure that can manage reports and analysis of any size and complexity; and its extensive performance data collection.

Michael Lee, MCT, MCITP, MCPD, SCJP, has been teaching SQL Server since 1995. Over the last 13 years, Michael has provided trainingand consulting services in SQL Server and Enterprise Data Architecture to companies across the U.S. and Europe. Gentry Bieker, MCT, MCITP, MCDBA, MCSE, has been a consultant, mentor, and trainer since 1998. He has been architecting, developing, and administering SQL Server databases since version 6.0.

Harness the Powerful New Features of SQL Server 2008

Whether you're a database administrator or application developer, this in-depth guide is your key to delivering improved data collection, storage, reporting, and security with SQL Server 2008. Mastering SQL Server 2008 brings you up to speed on architecture, installation, and configuration essentials, before moving to the step-by-step instruction you need for more advanced topics such as procedural programming, query optimization, how to use spatial data, SQL Server in the .NET world, and more.

You'll master the extensive toolset, explore useful third-party tools, and most importantly, find out how to choose and use the right SQL Server features for the specific tasks you have.

Coverage includes:

• Installing and configuring SQL Server 2008

• Understanding SQL Server's place within the Microsoft architecture

• Making data reliably and efficiently available to your consumers

• Securing your data with SQL Server 2008's new Transparent Data Encryption feature

• Integrating XML technology into SQL Server

• Creating index architectures for maximum benefit and minimum cost

• Exploring new geometry and geography data types for today's businesses

• Maximizing data warehousing and business intelligence tools

2. Understanding SQL Server Architecture.

3. Databases, Files, and Resource Management.

4. Tables and CRUD Operations.

5. Procedural programming.

6. Managing Data Integrity.

7. SQL Server and XML.

8. Managing User Security.

9. Data Recovery.

10. Monitoring SQL Server Activity.

11. Using the SQL Server Agent Service.

12. Data Availability and Distribution.

13. SQL Server Data Security.

14. Indexing Strategies for Query Optimization.

15. Transactions and Locking Strategies.

16. Using Resource Governor and Policy-Based Management.

17. SQL Server and the .NET Client.

18. Leveraging the SQL Server .NET CLR.

19. Using Spatial Data.

20. Service Oriented Architecture and the Service Broker.

21. Full Text Search Services.