Preface

I love SQL Server. I often find myself defending its various shortcomings as I'd defend a good friend. In a relatively short period of time, it's developed from a good small-tomedium- size departmental database management system into a world class, enterprise- ready system capable of handling the most intense transaction workloads. That's a staggering achievement, and it's only getting better. SQL Server 2008 continues to build on the solid foundation provided by recent versions, and the future for SQL Server looks very bright indeed.

While I only began writing this book in January 2008, it's been a work in progress for about 15 years. Ever since I started working with SQL Server in the mid 1990s, I've been compiling notes on the best way to execute various DBA tasks. In the early years, as I fumbled my way around SQL Server 6.0, I made plenty of mistakes. Although frustrating, they were excellent learning experiences, and I committed to never repeating a previous mistake. A colleague of mine recently said, "Experience is realizing when you've just made the same mistake twice!"

Keen to share in the knowledge I'd collected, my colleagues and clients encouraged me to convert my personal file of SQL Server best practices into a format that others could access. In late 2007 I started the sqlCrunch.com website for that purpose. This book takes the concept further, and while all the information contained in these pages can be found in other locations, I believe SQL Server 2008 Administration in Action is valable in that it presents a large collection of best practices in a single book. In short, it's the sort of book I wish I had had when I first started as a SQL Server DBA!

This book has two goals, and which of these applies to you depends on your background. For experienced DBAs, the goal is to introduce you to the new features of SQL Server 2008 that will improve your administration routines. For new DBAs, or for those who administer databases on a part-time basis, the goal is to fast-track your adherence to best practices by avoiding common mistakes. In either case, the intention is not to give you step-by-step instructions on how to do a particular task but to provide general directions on best practices. You'll need to do the hard yards yourself, but my hope is that this book will steer you in the right direction and save you a lot of time and energy by avoiding the mistakes that I've made myself—sometimes more than once!