Chapter 5. SQL Server 2008 Databases
The database is the heart of SQL Server 2008, handling everything from storing user information for later retrieval to acting as a temporary storage area for SQL Server operations. Previous chapters discussed the SQL Server installation process and the internal structure of all the files that make up a SQL Server 2008 database. This chapter delves into creating user databases and the various options that can be configured on them.
System Databases
As mentioned in Chapter 1, when SQL Server 2008 is installed, five system databases are created to store system information and support database operations. Four of the system databases (master, model, msdb, and tempdb) are visible during normal database operations, but the fifth (the resource database, as described in Chapter 4) is not. Distribution databases can also be created if the SQL Server instance is configured as a distributor for SQL Server Replication.
User Databases
User databases are those databases that are created by any server login that possesses the appropriate permissions. In past versions of SQL Server, you had the option to install the AdventureWorks2008 sample databases that were briefly described in Chapter 1, but this ability has since been removed from the product. You can download the AdventureWorks2008 sample database and code samples from the "Microsoft SQL Server Community Projects and Samples" located at www.codeplex.com/sqlserversamples.
Database Planning
One of the key responsibilities ...
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