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Execution plans show you what's going on behind the scenes in SQL Server. They can provide you with a wealth of information on how your queries are being executed by SQL Server, including:• Which indexes are being used, and where no indexes are being used at all.• How the data is being retrieved, and joined, from the tables defi ned in your query.• How aggregations in GROUP BY queries are put together.• The anticipated load and the estimated cost that all these operations place upon the system.Grant Fritchey's book is the only in-depth look at how to improve your SQL query performance through careful design of execution plans. Sample chapters of the ebook have garnered stunning reviews, such as: "All I can say is WOW. This has to be the best reference I have ever seen on Execution Plans in SQL Server. My hats off to Grant Fritchey" Jonathan Kehayias.

SQL Server Profiler is one of the most useful of SQL Server's "built-in" tools, recording data about various SQL Server events. "Mastering SQL Server Profiler" will make it easier for you to learn how to use Profiler, analyze the data it provides, and to take full advantage of its potential for troubleshooting SQL Server problems. All the examples have been optimized to work with both SQL Server 2005 and 2008.

This book will help you learn and use XML Schema collections in SQL Server. Prior knowledge of XSD is not required to start with this book, although any experience with XSD will make your learning process easier. This book starts with the basics of XML schemas and then walks you through everything you need to know, with examples and labs, in order to build powerful XML schemas in SQL Server.

For as long as there has been something to communicate between two persons there has been data. Today, vast volumes of it are gathered about almost every individual and business. It is the information that we provide when we sign up for an account at our favorite website, fill out a job application, or apply for a mortgage.These valuable, often sensitive, data assets are stored in a SQL Server database, and entrusted to the Database Administrator, who must use every weapon and strategy at his or her disposal in the "war" to protect this sensitive data from would-be hackers, phishers, rumor mongers and identity thieves. Encryption is one of the primary weapons with which this battle can be won, and yet it is treated with trepidation by many, who fear that it will prove "just another way for data to be lost" or "an unjustifiable cost on performance".This book holds the key to "encryption without fear". In it, the author goes way beyond the usual demonstration of the SQL Server cryptographic functions. He explains how to assess and categorize data elements according to sensitivity, regulate access to the various categories of data using database roles, views and stored procedures, and then how to implement an efficient and secure data architecture using the available SQL encryption features, such as cell-level encryption, transparent data encryption and one-way encryption.At each stage the author covers not only how the features work, but also described the situations when they are and are not suitable, and at all times stresses the steps that must be taken to ensure that the solution is maintainable.

Over the past two years, Simple-Talk has published articles on a variety of SysAdmin topics, from Exchange to Virtualization, and including everything from Powershell to Unifi ed Messaging. We have brought the best of these articles together to form The SysAdmin Handbook. With over fi fty articles packed into this book, it will be an essential reference for any Systems Administrator, whether you have years of experience or are just starting out.

Challenge you in a variety of ways about the different aspects of SQL Server. Some of the questions are arcane, some very common, but you'll learn something and the wide range of questions will help you get your mind agile and ready for some quick thinking. This version is a compilation of SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 questions, to bring you up to date on the latest version of SQL Server. So read on, in order, randomly, just start going through them, but do yourself a favor and think about each before turning the page. Challenge yourself and see how well you do.

This book shows how to use of mixture of home-grown scripts, native SQL Server tools, and tools from the Red Gate SQL Toolbelt, to successfully develop database applications in a team environment, and make database development as similar as possible to "normal" development.

The SQL Server Query Optimizer is perceived by many to be a magic black box, transforming SQL queries into high performance execution plans in the blink of an eye through some unknowable process. The truth is that, while the Query Optimizer is indeed the highly-complex result of decades of research, learning how it works its magic is not only possible, but immensely useful to DBAs and Developers alike.A better understanding of what the Query Optimizer does behind the scenes can help you to improve the performance of your databases and applications, and this book explains the core concepts behind how the SQL Server Query Optimizer works. With this knowledge, you'll be able to write superior queries, provide the Query Optimizer with all the information it needs to produce efficient execution plans, and troubleshoot the cases when the Query Optimizer is not giving you the best plan possible.With over 15 years of experience in the use of Relational Databases (including SQL Server since version 6.5), Benjamin has watched the SQL Server Query Optimizer grow and evolve. His insight will leave you with an excellent foundation in the practicalities of the Query Optimizer, and everything you need to know to start tuning your queries to perfection.

Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 is the latest incarnation of Microsoft's Messaging and Collaboration platform, and is has a lot of new, compelling features. It is the seventh major version of the product, and it rolls out some important changes and plenty of small improvements. Even better, a lot of complex issues from previous versions have seen solved, or simply removed, making the administrator's life much easier!As a trainer and consultant, Jaap knows exactly how chaotic and frustrating major platform upgrades can be, especially when they need to happen seamlessly. Having watched Exchange Server evolve over the last 14 years, Jaap has seen SysAdmins confronting the same problems again and again. He has also seen how big a difference it makes to have a straight-forward, simple guide to the 'brave new world' that each new platform promises.This book is that straight-forward and, above all, practical guide to Exchange Server 2010 SP1, and Jaap has aimed to give Systems Administrators everything they need to get started as soon as it's available. Inside, you'll find step-by-step guides to Installation, Upgrading from Exchange Server 2010, Coexistence scenarios with Exchange Server 2003 & 2007, Managing your new Exchange server, and information on the new High Availability features.

This book starts with an introduction to the core concepts of .NET memory management and garbage collection, and then quickly layers on additional details and intricacies. Once you're up to speed, you can dive into the guided troubleshooting tour, and tips for engineering your application to maximise performance. And to finish off, take a look at some more sophisticated considerations, and even a peek inside the Windows memory model.

The duties and responsibilitie:s of a Database Administrator (DBA) make for long and dynamically changing list, ranging from offering query tuning advice, to cutting stored procedures, all the way through to system process design and implementation for high availability. A DBA's tasks, from day-to-day, are rarely constant; with one exception: the need to ensure each and every day that any database in their charge can be restored and recovered, in the event of error of disaster. This means that if a database, for whatever reason, gets corrupted, dropped, or otherwise becomes unusable, then it is the DBA's responsibility to restore that database to the state it was in before the problem occurred, or as close as is possible.Of course, this doesn't mean that a DBA is required to restore a database each and every day, just that if disaster does strike the DBA must be prepared to deal with it, regardless of when or why it occurs. If a DBA isn't prepared, and significant data is lost, or databases become unavailable to end users for long periods of time, then that DBA probably won't be in their job for too long. This is why a good, and tested, SQL Server backup and restore plan must be on the top of every administrative DBA's list of tasks.In this book, you'll discover how to perform each of these backup and restore operations using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), basic T-SQL scripts and Red Gate's SQL Backup tool. Capturing backups using SSMS or simple scripts is perfectly fine for one-off backup operations, but any backups that form part of the recovery strategy for any given database must be automated and you'll also want to build in some checks that, for example, alert the responsible DBA immediately if a problem arises. The tool of choice in this book for backup automation is Red Gate SQL Backup. Building your own automated solution will take a lot of work, but we do offer some advice on possible options, such as PowerShell scripting, T-SQL scripts and SQL Server Agent jobs.

When a SQL Server database is operating smoothly and performing well, there is no need to be particularly aware of the transaction log, beyond ensuring that every database has an appropriate backup regime and restore plan in place. When things go wrong, however, a DBA's reputation depends on a deeper understanding of the transaction log, both what it does, and how it works. An effective response to a crisis requires rapid decisions based on understanding its role in ensuring data integrity.