Professional Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Programming

Chapter 22. Administration

So, at this point we've covered all of the core database topics and then some. We still have a chapter or two to clean up the edges around our development effort, but we've mostly covered everything — heh, NOT!!! For the developer, we like to think our job is done, but for the application we're building, it's just beginning. And so, it's time to talk a bit about maintenance and administration of the databases you develop.

If there is anything I hope to instill in you in your database development efforts, it's to avoid the "hey, I just build 'em — now it's your problem" attitude that is all too common in the world of database-driven applications. Far too many developers are guilty of attempting to build relatively bug-free code, and calling it good. Well, just because it runs, doesn't mean your end user is going to be successful with your software over the long haul. It is, therefore, important for you to look at how your system is going to be used, and what will be necessary to keep it functioning properly.

In this chapter, we're going to take a look at some of the tasks that are necessary to make sure that your end users can not only recover from problems and disasters but also perform some basic maintenance that will help things keep running smoothly.

Among the things we'll touch on are:

• Scheduling jobs

• Backing up and recovering

• Basic defragmenting and index rebuilding

• Setting alerts

• Archiving

• Using PowerShell

• Considering Policy-Based Management

While these are ...