Pro SQL Server 2012 Administration

Book description

Pro SQL Server 2012 Administration is a one-stop source for all the knowledge you'll need to professionally manage a database under Microsoft SQL Server 2012. SQL Server administration is a complex field requiring an unusually broad and well-rounded skill set. A good database administrator must be part system administrator, part database design expert, and part SQL tuning optimization guru. Above all, he or she must be capable of restoring a damaged database at any time. Database administration requires excellent people skills for dealing with management and clients, and solid technical skills for dealing with the hardware and the software.

Pro SQL Server 2012 Administration addresses all aspects of database administration, regardless of the size of the implementation. Install SQL Server 2012 and create new database environments. Develop a sound backup strategy for your database. Perform recovery as needed, which many consider to be job #1. Authors Ken Simmons and Sylvester Carstarphen also help you automate your work through the use of policy-based management. Performance optimization gets good coverage, so that you can render assistance when developers need help with problem queries.

Rare among database and other technical books is solid guidance on the people side of the equation. Success as a database administrator comes from working well with others, becoming involved in the community, and building the right combination of technical knowledge and people skills to solve problems and get things done professionally and amicably. Simmons and Carstarphen pay special attention to these aspects of the job in this new edition of their comprehensive book on SQL Server administration.

  • Helps you manage a SQL Server 2012 database at professional level

  • Covers the gamut of database administration skills

  • Provides guidance on performance optimization

  • Table of contents

    1. Title
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents at a Glance
    4. Contents
    5. About the Authors
    6. PART 1: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012
      1. Chapter 1: New Features Overview
        1. Availability Enhancements
        2. Manageability Enhancements
        3. Programmability Enhancements
        4. Summary
      2. Chapter 2: Pre-lnstallation Considerations
        1. Choosing a SQL Server Edition
        2. SQL Server 2012 Licenses
        3. Determining Hardware Requirements
        4. Determining CPU Needs
        5. Disk Subsystems
        6. Determining RAID Levels
        7. Final Disk Storage Configuration
        8. Determining Memory Requirements
        9. Choosing the Server
        10. SQL Server Consolidation
        11. Consolidation with Virtual Servers
        12. Summary
      3. Chapter 3: Choosing a High-Availability Solution
        1. What Exactly Is High Availability Anyway?
        2. Failover Clustering
        3. Database Mirroring
        4. Copying Data with Log Shipping
        5. Making Data Available Through Replication
        6. AlwaysOn
        7. Other High-Availability Techniques
        8. High Availability Feature Comparison
        9. Summary
    7. PART 2: Getting Started
      1. Chapter 4: Installing and Upgrading
        1. User Accounts
        2. Preparation and Prerequisites
        3. SQL Server Installation Center
        4. Installing Your First Instance
        5. Installing More Than One Instance
        6. Command-Line Installation
        7. Configuration File Installation
        8. SysPrep Installation
        9. Upgrading to Microsoft SQL Server 2012
        10. Summary
      2. Chapter 5: Post-Installation
        1. SQL Server Configuration Manager
        2. Configuring the Instance
        3. Preproduction Tasks
        4. Summary
    8. PART 3: Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012
      1. Chapter 6: Multi-Server Administration
        1. Policy-Based Management
        2. Central Management Servers
        3. SQL Dependency Reporting
        4. Summary
      2. Chapter 7: Managing Security Within the Database Engine
        1. Security Language
        2. Creating SQL Server Principals
        3. Database Security
        4. Securables
        5. Permissions
        6. Encryption
        7. Summary
      3. Chapter 8: Working with Database Objects
        1. Working with Contained Databases
        2. Working with System Databases
        3. Working with Database Snapshots
        4. Working with Tables
        5. Working with Views
        6. Working with Synonyms
        7. Working with Stored Procedures
        8. Working with Functions
        9. Working with Triggers
        10. Working with the Common Language Runtime
        11. Summary
      4. Chapter 9: Indexing for Performance
        1. Index Concepts and Structures
        2. Creating Indexes via T-SQL
        3. Post-Index Creation
        4. Putting It All Together
        5. Summary
      5. Chapter 10: Managing Backups
        1. Recovery Models
        2. Backup Architecture
        3. Backup Types
        4. Backup Compression
        5. Logical Backup Devices
        6. The GUI Backup Interface
        7. Backups from T-SQL
        8. Using Encryption
        9. Backing Up the System Databases
        10. Backup History
        11. Summary
      6. Chapter 11: Restore and Recovery Strategies
        1. Restore Vocabulary
        2. The Importance of Recovery Models
        3. Practicing Your Recovery Strategy
        4. Types of Restores
        5. Restoring Full Backups
        6. Restoring Transaction Logs
        7. Restoring Differential Backups
        8. Restoring Files and Filegroups
        9. Restoring Pages
        10. Piecemeal Restores
        11. Restoring Snapshots
        12. RESTORE HEADERONLY
        13. RESTORE FILELISTONLY
        14. RESTORE VERIFYONLY
        15. Online Recoveries
        16. Restore Considerations
        17. Recovery Examples
        18. Summary
      7. Chapter 12: Automating Routine Maintenance
        1. Database Mail
        2. SQL Server Agent
        3. Maintenance Plans
        4. Summary
    9. PART 4: Troubleshooting and Tuning
      1. Chapter 13: Monitoring Your Server
        1. Baseline Your Server
        2. Familiarizing Yourself with the Performance Monitor
        3. Monitoring Your CPU
        4. Monitoring Your Memory
        5. Monitoring Disk IO
        6. Monitoring Miscellaneous Counters and DMVs
        7. Using Server-Side Tracing
        8. Automating Your Monitoring
        9. Summary
      2. Chapter 14: Auditing SQL Server
        1. Choosing Your Audit Type
        2. Creating SQL Server Audits with T-SQL
        3. Creating Server Audit Specifications
        4. Creating Database Audit Specifications
        5. Creating SQL Server Audits Using the GUI
        6. Audit-Related Startup and Shutdown Problems
        7. Useful SQL Server Audit Objects
        8. Other Auditing Methods
        9. Summary
      3. Chapter 15: Extended Events Interface
        1. Key Terms
        2. SQL Trace
        3. Creating an Event Session
        4. Viewing Events
        5. Summary
      4. Chapter 16: Managing Query Performance
        1. Correlating Profiler and Performance Monitor
        2. Finding Problematic Queries Using DMVs
        3. Finding Similar Queries Using DMVs
        4. Optimizing for Specific Parameter Values
        5. Forcing Index Seeks
        6. Forcing Index Scans
        7. Forcing a Specific Execution Plan
        8. Adding Hints Through Plan Guides
        9. Managing Resources with the Resource Governor
        10. Monitoring Resource Governor
        11. Summary
      5. Chapter 17: Secrets to Excelling as a Professional DBA
        1. Be Good at What You Do
        2. Go Above and Beyond
        3. Communicate Effectively
        4. Remain Calm Under Pressure
        5. Be an Effective Leader
        6. Staying at the Top
        7. Saying Goodbye
        8. Summary
      6. Chapter 18: What’s Next?
        1. Ongoing Experimentation and Learning
        2. Sharing Feedback With Microsoft
        3. Podcasts
        4. Blogs
        5. Free Training Events
        6. Social Networking
        7. SQL Support Options
        8. Web Sites Dedicated to SQL Server
        9. Summary
    10. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Pro SQL Server 2012 Administration
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: May 2012
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430239154