Book Description
Announcing an all-new MCTS Training Kit designed to help maximize your performance on Exam 70-431, a core exam for the new Microsoft IT Professional certifications. This kit packs the tools and features wanted mostincluding in-depth, self-paced training based on final exam content; rigorous, objective-by-objective review; exam tips from expert, exam-certified authors; and a robust testing suite. It also provides real-world scenarios, case study examples, and troubleshooting labs for skills and expertise that you can apply to the job. Focusing on SQL Server 2005, this official study guide covers topics such as installing and configuring SQL Server, implementing database mirroring, managing database snapshots, working with XML and flat files, managing replication, backing up and restoring a database, and more.
Book Description
A comprehensive, hands-on reference for database developers and administrators, this book focuses on advanced querying techniques using Transact-SQL (T-SQL), the database programming language built into SQL Server. Includes code and table examples.
Customer Reviews:
Pedantic.......2007-09-20
The MS SQL books have dramatically risen in quality in a few short years. When SQL 7 and 2000 were released, there were may be 1-3 book which were truly outstanding. For SQL 2005, however, there are at least 5-10 books which are truly worthwhile and this is one of them.
The reason why the quality of books has risen is the expertise of the authors. For this book, the authors are either MS SQL MVP or have been involved with the creation of MS SQL at Microsoft.
Generally speaking, the book has high level expert description of the underlying MS SQL 2005 architecture and T-SQL commands. But it lacks a nice flowing writing style which hempers the understanding to a willing reader. This book is an another example of authors who are inept at explaining the subject matter which they are an expert much like a professor who can't teach.
I also felt some parts of the book were sloppy or not as detailed. For example, the authors state that one of the steps of T-SQL query tuning is the need to correlate wait stats with problematic queries. Yet they never provide an adequate example (other than providing a useless query of SYS.DM_OS_PERFORMANCE_COUNTERS table) of how to connect wait stat with a specific transaction. This is a huge missing link.
PROS:
1)Awesome details on Indexes and Query plans
2)Solid advice on how to improve T-SQL for better performance.
Cons:
1)Not for the beginners. The book goes straight to the harder subjects (PIVOT, APPLY, complex joins etc).
2)Does not cover simple or fundamental subject matters.
Excellent.......2007-09-20
Normally I don't write a review but I liked this book enough to do so. I am a programmer not an SQL developer. I knew the basics but not the details and I had to write complex queries in SQL 2005 so I researched books for couple days before I bought this one. I have never heard of CTE, APPLY, ROW_NUMBER or PIVOT to mention few. This book at the beginning gives you the basics to understand how queries are processed internally, the difference between the types of indexes and how to read the execution plans. Then it dives into the language. Each example is well thought. The example goes over the syntax, performance and also optimization. I read all of it and did most of the examples.
Not a handy reference book.......2007-09-19
Coming from an Oracle shop over to a MSS shop I was looking for a book that would provide me with the features of T-SQL, as well as act as a handy reference. The book is likely good as a teaching resource, albeit the English usage is horrible. As a quick reference, though, it's less handy than navigating the M$ online resources.
A must for every MSS dba's desk? Nah. Not even close. I have a doctorate in MIS and this is exactly the kind of convoluted writing that makes practitioners wince when they see someone with a Ph.D.
A Timely Release & A Great Resource.......2007-09-17
This book fits perfectly between SQL Books Online and the deeper T-SQL Programing books. For me the detailed theory of operation behind how T-SQL runs queries and making note of that flow as it applies to each type of query through out the book makes it all "Click".
If this is your style too and you don't want to just copy and tweak queries THIS is the book for you.
very very good book.......2007-08-26
Deep inside the way sqlserver compile and compute the tsql
very good for semi - new users
Tal g
Book Description
Microsoft's Reporting Services product is a vital part of the SQL Server 2005 business intelligence platform, but it works with virtually any data source. This hands-on guide explains how to transform data into insightful and interactive Web-based reports using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. With coverage of everything from installation to administration, the book demonstrates how to use this powerful server-based reporting solution to improve business decision-making and facilitate company-wide -- even worldwide -- communication.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome Book.......2007-09-15
This book got me up and running with SSRS in no time. I even had a problem with getting something to work, emailed Brian, the author, and he replied to my email within the same day and my problem was solved. This is definately a great book.
He steps you through creating a dataset, creating the report and explaining all the intricacies of creating the report and there are a lot of details involved and the report works. The few times my report didn't work, I went back and realized I missed a step and after reworking things, the report worked. Definately a must have if you need to learn SSRS.
Excellent Learning Tool.......2007-09-12
I thought this book was an excellent learning tool. It introduces information one chapter at a time, and each subsequent chapter reinforces what was previously learned. The only complaint I have about this book is that you have to read it cover to cover to get the most out of it, so it isn't a very good quick reference, but I would still highly recommend it for anyone wanting to learn SQL Reporting Services.
Probably best book out on SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.......2007-07-04
Very well done. Lots of good hands on exercises that all work, well, except for one that deals with web service I had a problem with. Lots of good tips on both creating and managing reports.
Excellent overview.......2007-06-14
Brian manages to give the reader everything one would need to know to start creating their own reports in a very readable, approachable book.
Brian starts by introducing his case study and walking the reader through the install of the database. What I like about the database is it's sized well (not oppressively large, but large enough to allow you to create realistic reports). He then spends a chapter on SQL basics. Most people first getting into Reporting Services haven't done a lot of SQL, so it's nice to have the chapter there.
He then moves on to the wizard. He shows off both the table as well as the matrix, and how you can modify the reports that the wizard creates.
Several chapters are spent on creating reports from scratch, highlighting all of the major tools in SSRS - charts, tables, etc. Every example is succinct, but realistic enough. Each exercise is step-by-step with an explanation at the end as to what it is you just did.
I do have a couple of small complaints here. I could not find the SQL queries anywhere on the site or in the download. Maybe I missed them, but it would have been nice to have the SQL ready to go. The book, while fantastic for first learning SSRS, doesn't lend itself well to being a reference guide. There are several options that show up that Brian doesn't stop to explain fully.
From there, he moves into managing your report server using the Report Manager. He was mostly step-by-step here, but I did think the section on Security could have been a tad clearer.
He finishes up in the Appendix with the Report Builder, easily one of the biggest features in SSRS 2005.
All-in-all this is a fantastic book if you are looking to get into SSRS for the first time. Don't let the size of the book fool you; since the majority of it is steyp-by-step instructions, it reads much faster than its size would indicate. You will need to be in front of a computer in order to read the book, which works well for me since I need to do it to grok it.
My only small complaint about the book is that it doesn't lend itself well to being a reference guide later. It's not enough of a beef, though, to knock a star off the review.
great book.......2007-05-10
we have over a dozen SQL SERVER 2005 suite books in our office. The thing that makes this better then all the others, is that while some people like reading these books, and others like books as references only - this book seems to satisfy both groups of developers at my office.
The most used SSRS book at the office by a mile.
Book Description
This thorough, hands-on reference for database developers and administrators delivers expert guidance on sophisticated uses of Transact-SQL (T-SQL)#151;one of the most familiar and powerful programming languages for SQL Server. Written by a T-SQL guru, this guide focuses on language features and how they are interpreted and processed by the SQL Server execution engine. You'll get in-depth coverage of the sophisticated uses of T-SQL, including triggers, user-defined functions, exception handling, and more. The book explains and compares solutions to database-development problems in both SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005, discussing the new T-SQL programming features added to SQL Server 2005 in detail. Includes extensive code samples, table examples, and logic puzzles to help database developers and administrators understand the intricacies and help promote mastery of T-SQL.
Customer Reviews:
Very little actual T-SQL.......2007-09-25
Book actually has very limited T-SQL. Mostly triggers, USP, functions, but little actual code.
Too clever by half.......2007-08-06
Please see review by C. Mialaret. S/he is spot on.
One gets the impression that the author may have been more focused on impressing you with his eruditeness, rather than writing a practical book with useful examples and clear explanations.
Affecianados of Kalen Delaney's 'Inside SQL Server 2000' will be disappointed.
Useful but COULD be much better. Needs major editorial intervention........2007-07-26
You should think of this book as of the second volume of the two-volume set on the 2005-Server SQL. If you get this one, you'll get the other one too; neither tome is self-sufficient; in fact there's a lot of explicit interdependence. This book, Programming, deals with slightly more esoteric features than the first tome, Querying -- although I can't say you must read the first entire volume before touching this one. Both books can be read at the same time (but see what I say about the target reader below).
So, real quick:
1. Target reader: someone with a good grasp of the 2000 Server wishing to learn the new stuff that came with the 2005 server (there's a lot: the 2005 product is _much_ better than the previous: covering new features is probably the only thing that's unequivocally good about this book). This is NOT your first, nor second, nor third book on SQL in general or MS SQL Server in particular. You must have a good grasp of the basics to be able to overcome this book. I say 'overcome' advisedly; more on it below.
2. Content: Data-type subtleties (datetime, xml, CLR user-defined types -- a lot of CLR in this volume); temporary tables, cursors, dynamic SQL, views, user-defined funcs, stored procs, triggers, a bit on transactions, exception handling, a bit on service broker.
3. Very clean technically: no technical errors (and while we're here: I found no typos either).
4. Depth vs breadth: the book is more extensive than deep, although on average it's (inevitably) more in-depth than the first volume. Some reviewers here say it's very deep or difficult -- and difficult is true, although not because of PhD anything. This, unfortunately, brings me to the next point:
5. Writing: ABHORRENT. (Both volumes, Querying, and Programming, in about the same degree). That's why it seems difficult, PhD and so on -- except this difficulty isn't due to, say, conceptual complexity of the subject matter. It's the authors' extreme inability to use the English language to explain things that makes reading this book such a chore. There is also conceptual muddle (unsurprisingly: people write as they think).
Now, experience taught me to forgive literary incapacity to a _technical_ author (to a degree; and I do take notice and, if possible, avoid him in the future). In cases like that I put the blame squarely on the publisher, especially if otherwise I know the publisher to be solid. I have a pile of books from Microsoft Press and I consider them a good publisher, so what's the matter?
Although (strangely) a bit better than the first volume, this book (Programming) is also strewn with unimaginable, fantastic garbage of every possible kind, from grating usage errors to a pervasive lack of unity, coherence, and logical connectedness on the page/paragraph level, to a frequent lack of the overall unity. When I bought this book and read it a bit I was so p-off I almost sent it back (I got as far as getting an RMA from Amazon). I did keep it though. Both of them, actually.
Do I recommend this book? It has been useful to me (especially the UDF section: there's a lot of new stuff, all very handy), so -- with great reservation, and only to the right reader -- yes, kinda. And please check out what else is available (there's tons of books on the 2005 server these days). The Programming book is part of the three-volume update and extension of the server-2000 version by Delaney. Delaney's server-2000 book was extremely useful and quite decently written. I wish they let her write the new version, even though it's now three books instead of one, and I suppose it's difficult for one person to do it all.
T-SQL Book at Its Best!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-23
This book has lots of sample code for developers to follow. I bought a book "Advanced Transact-SQL for SQL Server 2000" written by Itzik Ben-gan about five years and loved the book. This book did great job in the SQL Scripts where you might need to spent sometime read through it.
This book is a gem for SQL developers!!! Highly recommanded!!!
Excelent.......2007-05-07
This book is a must-have, even for those who uses other SQL Databases... Totally Amazing!
Book Description
Get comprehensive information to plan, deploy, administer, and support Microsoft SQL Server 2005 in organizations of any size. With the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Administrators Companion, you get mission-critical information in a single volumestraight from the experts.
Customer Reviews:
Great Reference Book for DBA'a.......2007-05-14
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.
Review for the RIGHT Edition.......2007-01-23
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.
Average customer rating:
- Not too bad for a technical book.
- The Best SSIS Book I Have Read
- Pick another book!
- Excellent book.
- Wouldn't miss this book if I lost it
|
Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (Programmer to Programmer)
Brian Knight ,
Allan Mitchell ,
Darren Green ,
Douglas Hinson ,
Kathi Kellenberger ,
Andy Leonard ,
Erik Veerman ,
Jason Gerard ,
Haidong Ji , and
Mike Murphy
Manufacturer: Wrox
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Professional SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
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Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services 2005
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Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SQL Server Series)
ASIN: 0764584359 |
Book Description
This book will help you get past the initial learning curve quickly so that you can get started using SSIS to transform data, create a workflow, or maintain your SQL Server. Offering you hands-on guidance, you'll learn a new world of integration possibilities and be able to move away from scripting complex logic to programming tasks using a full-featured language.
What you will learn from this book
- Ways to quickly move and transform data
- How to configure every aspect of SSIS
- How to interface SSIS with web services and XML
- Techniques to scale the SSIS and make it more reliable
- How to migrate DTS packages to SSIS
- How to create your own custom tasks and user interfaces
- How to create an application that interfaces with SSIS to manage the environment
- A detailed usable case study for a complete ETL solution
Who this book is for
This book is for developers, DBAs, and users who are looking to program custom code in all of the .NET languages. It is expected that you know the basics of how to query the SQL Server and have some fundamental programming skills.
Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
Customer Reviews:
Not too bad for a technical book........2007-08-22
I am about 1/3 through the Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services book. It was worth buying. I don't view this as a Step-By-Step type book. You need a little SSIS background first. A background in DTS will not necessarily prepare you for SSIS.
Watching the videos on the LearnIntegrationServices,com web site FIRST is definitely the way to go. The major negative that I have thus far is that it is somewhat difficult to follow when trying to complete the example packages. More step1, step2, etc. would have been helpful. However, I have been able to make all of the examples work. Sometimes that is a major accomplishment with these type books. Also, be sure to view the corrections errata on the Wrox website.
The Best SSIS Book I Have Read.......2007-07-04
I got this book in hopes that it would unlock the mysteries of SSIS. After reading the hype about what a great improvement SSIS is over Data Transformation Services (DTS), I really wasn't getting much more done with SSIS. Sure, the GUI is better, but it is quirky, a real 1.0 effort by a company famous for not getting it right until at the least 3.1 version. There are lots of bells and whistles, but documentation is really sparse.
What I found was that there really is not a great deal more in this book than in the SQL Server Books On Line documentation, particularly after the BOL update in February 2007. In fact, this is really more about how things are supposed to work than how they actually work. I only use SSIS because I've been told to use it, but more and more of my production work is going back into stored procedures, JScript and custom C# code because it is just as difficult to use SSIS as it was to use DTS. Really, do we still need VB Scipt as the only scripting language? Why don't basic text exiting commands work in some of the text boxes?
My company has bought just about every SSIS book on the market, and none are any better than this one. So that says its the best, right?
Pick another book!.......2007-06-25
***NOTE TO WROX*** Before you release a tutorial, have someone other than the authors (or their friends) try each and every lesson!
This has to be one of the WORST tutorial/step-by-step books ever written.
I'm a seasoned DBA that has worked on every version of MS-SQL ever released. Starting with 4.9.2. I've also worked on Sybase, Oracle, Postgress and MySQL. Add to this several years of VB/C experience and time spent as a corporate trainer, and you can guess my technical aptitude. My experience with DTS/ETL includes hundreds (if not thousands) of packages on 7.0 & 2000. This book was purchased as a means of ramping up for a new consulting gig on SSIS. It was a complete waste of money.
The "tutorials" are disorganized, confusing, and the instructions don't match the examples. Even more annoying are the sections that appear to be lessons that aren't. You won't realize this until you start inputting the example and then get to a new paragraph that tells you this subject will be covered in another chapter. Even worse are the real examples whose instructions refer you back to a step that was left out or edited out of the book. This begins in chapter two when you are told to create a new "project" and then later told to add another project to the "solution", but, there was never any mention on how to start a "solution". This sets the tone for the rest of the book. You'll learn early on to read the entire chapter, then go back to the beginning and "try" the examples. Don't even get me started on the explanations being on one page, while the diagrams for the explanation are on the back of that page. Read a few sentences; turn the page to see the diagram; turn back to read some more; turn back to see the diagram (lather, rinse, repeat...)
It normally takes me only a few hours to breeze through five or six chapters of a technical tutorial. After TWO DAYS (a full Saturday and Sunday) of frustration that got me as far as half way through the fourth chapter, I discarded the book, drove to a local bookstore and bought something else off the self.
Rule #1 for tutorial books: The instructions must be COMPLETE.
Rule #2: The instructions must be in the order necessary to complete the lesson, (ie. 1-2-3-4, not, 1-4-3-5, oops...did we forget or edit out a step?)
Excellent book........2007-06-08
This book does a very good job in explaining the features of BIDS in SQL 2005. Easy to read and understand, includes step by step instructions
Wouldn't miss this book if I lost it.......2007-06-02
Probably the people that gave this book a good review are the same people onthe covor - there are 10 people on the cover, count 'em ten. How can 10 people write a cohesive book?
Anyway, I got this book when I wasa beginner in SSIS, and now have a lot of experience with SSIS. Hardly ever have I found this book helpful. The instructions and examples are thin, and never seem to cover what I'm looking for. Only found a couple of topics like logging, or event handling with a little good info to get me started.
If I threw this book away I wouldn't miss it
Book Description
A hands-on reference for developers and database administrators, this book covers the basics of developing customized database applications with Microsoft SQL Server 2005. Includes code samples and real-world, expert insight.
Customer Reviews:
Nice Intro but Little Content........2007-02-09
This is your typical intro book, good for a tour through the highlights. But it is not a reference book, and because it covers so many topics it can spend very little time on any one subject. You will find all the material at the MS web site. You will still need to find more thorough reference material in order to be successful.
Great Reference!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-11-07
From the beginning, this text illustrated an overview of the SQL CLR with a sufficient amount of detail so that someone just starting to learn SQL could understand it, but also a developer familiar with this topic would benefit from this review. Debugging was covered extensively in Chapter 9. I was impressed with all of the scenerios that were brought to light for debugging SQL Server code. I especially liked Chapter 7 on Security. The chapter started off slow to make sure the reader understood the four themes of SQL Server 2005 security, and then went on to explain encryption support and protecting SQL 2005 with great examples. I would definitely recommend this book to any developer interested in learning about new features in SQL Server 2005. I found it to be extremely well-written, interesting, and helpful!
New Favorite Reference Book.......2006-11-05
I've had this book for a little over a week, looking for time to give it some proper due. Now I only wished I had delved into it right away. Or gotten it sooner. It's now moved to the front of the line as my favorite reference book.
Clearly written and organized, it took me all of 15 minutes to follow a new concept (to me). It was logical, building upon itself and fully explained what was going on, and HOW it works too. It's been my experience in the past that developer books fall into one of two categories: Tutorial and Reference. This is the first one that I have seen sucessfully split the two and combine the best of both. The author right up front explains what the book does and does not cover.
This book isn't for DBAs or people who want to know how to use SQL Server 2005. The book is for developers who want to know how to use the new features of SQLServer 2005, and how to use them in .NET 2.0.
I'm not sure how I've gone so long with out this book. Just in the last hour, it's been a life savor. I'm learning about capabilities that I'd never seen documented anywhere else.
Great book on programming new features.......2006-09-11
This book is clearly written and I feel it does a good job of covering the major new features of SQL Server 2005 well enough so you can get up to speed quickly and save enough time versus puzzling things out using just the online materials that come with SQL Server 2005 to easily justify the purchase price and reading time. A number of people with expertise in various aspects of SQL Server collaborated on this book, and the value of the information in each area reflects the depth of expertise.
The book is thick, but it's not bloat -- there is just a heck of a lot of stuff to cover in SQL Server 2005. If anything, I'd be happy to buy the book again if another edition comes out with 300 more pages full of more details and more complex examples in several areas. In the mean time, there is plenty to get one going and fill out specific details with the online doco and the 'net.
I think this book is too advanced for programmers who aren't already up to speed with .NET and relational database server programming. For those of us for which MS SQL 2005 is mostly just another iteration of good ol' Squirrel Server (albeit a big whopping upgrade architecturally and feature-wise), and who've already moved to C# + VS 2005 + .NET 2.0, this is the best book I've found so far.
I addition to covering the new features of SQL Server 2005, this book also provides deeper coverage of several advanced relational database techniques than just the enhancements specific to the 2005 edition of SQL Server. OLAP and XML operations being prime examples. I think the authors made a good choice by providing more than just an overview of the 2005 enhancements as without the broader coverage, presentation of the enhancements themselves wouldn't have made much sense to me.
I also think the book is pretty well organized so you don't have to waste time hunting down what you need. I do warn you however, that you may have to read some parts of the book first before plunging into the specific topic you need first. It's not a fault: SQL Server 2005 includes the CLR, and much of the rest of the book sensibly uses C# on the SQL Server CLR examples, so you kinda have to get up to speed programming in the SQL server CLR first, don't you?
great way to explore new features of sql server 2005 for professionals.......2006-09-05
i was looking forward for this title recently and i am happy to have read it finally. this title digs in deep in most of the subjects that i was not able to find out by myself with my sql server 2000 knowledge and helped me a lot while getting into the details of advanced olap and reporting services.
a must buy title!
Book Description
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services is definitive guide to programming Analysis Services 2005. It will give you unparalleled insight into the ways in which Analysis Services functions straight from the members of the Analysis Services team at Microsoft . It not only explains ways to use Analysis Services 2005 to design and create multidimensional objects, databases, dimensions, cubes, but it also provides invaluable information about the reasons behind design decision taken by the development team.
Chapters include:
- Introduction to Analysis Services
- Creating Multidimensional Models using Analysis Services
- Security
- High availability
- Localization and Globalization
Customer Reviews:
buyer be aware, you need this book.......2007-07-17
If you're serious about using Analysis Services this book is a must have. No other book gives you as much detail about inner workings of MSAS 2005, period. Anything less than 5 stars would be unfair. Nor can we expect anyone to know MSAS better than the people who wrote it.
Having said that, however, you should keep the following in mind:
1. This book is not for beginners. If you need MSAS "click here" type of book, look elsewhere. I really wish this book had been condensed a bit so it would be more focused on advanced material. My guess is that the authors were trying to capture a wider audience. If you're just now trying to build your first cube, come back to this book in 6 months.
2. Although the book gives a great deal of detail about the inner workings of MSAS it does NOT tell you exact steps for tuning your solutions. There is a severe shortage of case studies documenting how you can tune / scale MSAS applications. For now we're limited to performance guides and white papers which are typically shallow and too general. Unfortunately this book does not fill the void. Much like knowing the structure of system tables won't make you a great SQL DBA, knowledge of MSAS storage structures doesn't immediately help with building great solutions. However, the knowledge of internals does help you wrap your brain around how the product works.
3. The writing is sometimes hard to follow. This is not a novel you should be reading before falling asleep, so let's not be too picky. For the next edition it probably wouldn't hurt to have more professional writers on the team.
4. This is not an MDX book. There are several chapters on MDX, but I'd recommend scanning through these relatively quickly. There is still not a book that measures up to MDX Solutions (Spofford, et al). Will there ever be one?
5. This book is written by developers. They tell you how the product is supposed to work. Sometimes you might find that the product doesn't work the way it's supposed to. If so, be sure to report bugs to MSFT.
Even with the points above, I highly recommend this book.
More Than You Ever Want to Know About Analysis Services.......2007-07-04
My title says it all: if you want a nuts and bolts book about Analysis Services and MDX, this is the book for you. If you want to know how to implement OLAP from a higher level, their are other books I recommend (Mundy and Thornwaite, for example). So far I haven't found a book that explains what goes on under the hood as well as this one, but then these guys invented it.
However, if you have specific implementation problem, there are really no solution short cuts in the book. On the other hand, you can probably figure out if you will be able to solve it by digging into the specifics of Analysis Services implementation.
Best book on Analysis Services.......2007-05-20
The book is not meant for beginners, but, doesn't expect the reader to be an expert on OLAP either. Some introductory knowledge of OLAP would be enough to derive a great deal of benefit from this book. Most books on Analysis services deal with the user facing aspects of it - MDX or database modelling. This is the only book that covers the storage engine of Analysis Services and not just covers it - offers a great deal of detail in a way that is easily understood. This is not to say that query evaluation through MDX is given a short shrift. Both aspects of Analysis services are covered in a very detailed fashion. No other book talks about the implementation of processing algorithms, memory management, query evaluation and the like in such a clear and in depth fashion. Topics like Distinct count and Many to Many dimensions that many implementations stumble over are explained well. The book will pay for itself over and over again when you have to implement Analysis Services. It should really have been called Inside Microsoft Analysis Services 2005.
Complete but complex.......2007-05-15
Actually its not that easy to beginners, however if the reader are already introduced to the subject, it does worth.
Not for beginners!!.......2007-05-15
I have been around and working with SQL Server for 8 years. This book doesn't teach the beginner anything, I don't understand a word they are talking about. After reading the first 100 pages I put it away..too confusing. Ask me what I remember from reading it? Zero. I will pick it up again after I have a better grasp of the subject.
Book Description
The fast-answers, daily administration guide to Microsoft SQL Server 2005. This pocket-sized guide features concise tables, listings, and step-by-step instructions for fast, accurate answers on the spot.
Customer Reviews:
A must have!.......2007-08-25
This handy pocket consultant is a must have for administrators and developers. It delivers exactly what is promised: a handy guide for daily administration. Out of all my sql server books this is the one I refer to the most.
Excellent resource for DBAs.......2007-07-11
SQL Server 2005 Administrator's Pocket Consultant is an excellent 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. This one does a great job of laying it out in plain English. The focus is on daily administration tasks, and there's a heaping helping of SQL commands as well. Highly recommended.
EXCELLENT BOOK FOR ADMINISTRATORS AND DEVELOPERS.......2007-01-10
Sometimes when I read reviews people have written I wonder if they've actually read the book or simply thumbed through it in a bookstore or did a search of the pages. This is an excellent book and I've found it to be extremely helpful in setting up and configuring SQL Server 2005. This book isn't meant to be an allinone monster book, its a concise, focused book covering the core of SQL Server 2005, particularly for administrators but also extremely helpful for developers who are setting up sql boxes too. If you are developing databases for SQL Server 2005 you'll need a focused development book too especially if you are doing datawarehousing or datamart work or reporting services.
I got more out of this book's 548 pages than books nearly twice as big. The book has T-SQL examples throughout and I've used them for administration. The book has excellent coverage of SQL security, nearly 100 pages of security information covered in Chapter 3 "Managing Security, Access, and Network Configuration" and in Chapter 8 "Managing SQL Server 2005 Security". Excellent coverage of log shipping and database mirroring. The book covers schemas for administration perspectives but not in a database development perspective.
I used this book to gain a solid understanding of SQL Server 2005 setup, configuration and management. I refer to it all the time.
This is a great book for your everyday needs and I use it all the time. Highly recommended.
Basic things for beginners.......2007-01-06
This book is clearly targeted for the beginners and it is a good reference for them. Also, if you are an experienced SQL 2000 DBA/developer and want to get basic but neccessary information on SQL 2005 administration, this is an excellent book.
This covers most areas well except:
1)Security, user, and schema administration. This book's coverage is very scanty.
2)Replication: very basic coverage at best and it will not help you understand SQL 2005 replication very much.
3)Data Mirroring: this part is OK, except it doesn't cover it in details as it needs to.
4)Log shipping: Maybe half a page dedicated to it.
5)Clustering: no coverage whatsoever.
6)T-SQL: almost no coverage except for administrative matters ("alter database/table" etc).
7)Performance tuning: almost none.
GREAT MANUAL!.......2006-12-27
After reading this book, I felt like I had to stand up or at least applaud. It was really a masterpiece: extremely concise yet pretty comprehensive, easy to understand, and expertly organized. The pocket consultant series by Microsoft claims to be "The practical, portable guide that delivers immediate answers" and it absolutely is. This book is to computer manuals what iPods are to digital music. Compact, powerful, and easy to use.
The book is designed for both new and experienced professionals. Someone who has never used SQL Server before and will get as much out of it as someone who's been using it for a long while. Unlike some books, he doesn't talk down to you and respects the fact that you can learn things if shown how to use them.
This book doesn't just cover SQL Server, but also covers SQL itself. In fact, I really don't consider this just a SQL Server manual. It's really a SQL Server/SQL Command Guide, covering pretty much every aspect of daily administration, configuration, and tuning of SQL Server through the GUI and commands.
The index and table of contents is well organized so you can focus on the sections you want to learn more about.
The ideal book for anyone who works with or wants to work with SQL Server whether admin or not.
Book Description
Your hands-on, practical guide to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. Get started using Business Intelligence tools that simplify data analysis and reporting with this popular, learn-by-doing tutorial.
Customer Reviews:
Typical poor quality MS Step-By-Step.......2007-08-05
I agree with the other reviewer that had trouble installing the sample files: there's no excuse that Microsoft Press should have let this book out the door without some basic technical review. In order to successfully install the files, you must manually edit the attach_databases.sql file to map the @physname paths to the .mdf files stored in your My Documents folder rather than c:\rs2005sbs (which is never created by the installer). For the intended audience of this book, that's an unnecessary hastle that the use user should have to go through.
Lost In SQL.......2007-05-19
I am migrating our databases from Pervasive to MS SQL. We have a large amount of compiled (V7) Crystal Reports that will need to be updated and I was hoping to use the 2005 SQL Reporting Services instead.
The major problem with this book is the very first script used to load the sample database fails. From this point on you might as well trash the book since none of the exercises will work. To run the first script the author gives you the complete file path for the command and the sample database. This path is 8 layers deep. The actual SQL query used to install the sample database has a completely different path, so the installation fails. Ok....I figured out the path problem and moved the files to where the SQL query wants them to be. I ran the installation script again and now I able to install the sample database. The next problem....the SQL query also configures the user logins to the database.....it fails!!!! I am new to SQL so I am now lost since I can not configure the user logins.
I bought this book as a learning tool!! Now it sits collecting dust!!
In reply to Dr. Ribeiro Silva's comments
Point taken, but you missed the point completely.
I will try to explain it another way. You need to learn how to drive a car. You buy a training package from Eddie's Driving School. It includes a training manual and a used car. The package is delivered by UPS. You stay up all night reading the manual and the next day you are ready to drive. You get in the car and turn the key....nothing happens. The car will not start! You re-read the driving manual and find nothing in it about troubleshooting why your car will not start!!
This is the problem with this book. It is supposed to teach you how to create reports from a 2005 SQL server. It is not a training course on installing and troubleshooting a 2005 SQL database. The book provides a pre-configured 2005 SQL database and the installation scripts to install the database. When you run the installation script, the installation fails with numerous errors. In other words, the provided database "engine" is broken and will not run!! Since the database is not installed properly by the provided software you can not do any of the exercises.
Since I need to learn this subject, I took the official Microsoft SQL Reporting class. I brought the book to my class and the instructor spent his entire lunch hour trying to follow the directions in the book to install the provided 2005 SQL database. He could not.
Needs technical review but has a ton of information........2006-07-21
I found the book extremely useful in getting me pointed in the right direction with Reporting Services. I used the book less as a technical reference and more as an overview of how Reporting Services works and what options are available for solving reporting problems in SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).
I agree with the other reviewers that the book needs additional technical editing. For example, in Chapter 9 Stacia states that the rs.exe utility can be used with C# and that sample scripts are installed with SQL Server 2005. I have not seen a reference anywhere else on the web that states rs.exe can be used with C# and after installing SQL Server 2005 multiple times with every sample database I could find I did not get any sample scripts in the location specified.
If you use the book for an overview of SSRS you will gain many insights into how Reporting Services works but for the detailed technical details I would recommend the MSDN books.
Books:
- Microsoft .NET Compact Framework (Core Reference)
- Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Resource Kit (With CD-ROM)
- Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0: Deluxe Learning
- Microsoft Windows XP Step by Step (With CD-ROM)
- Modern Operating Systems (2nd Edition)
- Network+ Exam Prep 2 (Exam Prep N10-003) (Exam Cram 2)
- Object-Oriented Thought Process, The (2nd Edition) (Developer's Library)
- PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide, 3rd Edition
- Practical Guidelines and Best Practices for Microsoft Visual Basic and Visual C# Developers (Pro-Developer)
- Practical Switching Power Supply Design (Academic Press Professional and Technical Series)
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