The Handbook for Reluctant Database Administrators

Rating:
Summary: Very useful guide
Review: Not a thorough reference book, but a very helpful book for someone who doesn't have the time to digest the entire set of books online. Full of practical advice.

Rating:
Summary: The author writes...
Review: Whether you are a programmer who is now responsible for creating and maintaining a SQL Server database or someone who wants to understand the basics of database administration, this book is for you. Reluctant DBAs are those of us who haven't had formal training in administering a database and are surviving on a combination of our wits, Books Online and technical manuals. The biggest problem with Books Online and most tech manuals is they assume prior knowledge. This book, on the other hand, is designed for the programmer who has to handle database administration in addition to normal programming duties. It doesn't go into all of the arcane detail that some of the other books do. Instead, it gives you the knowledge you need to do your job and points you to where you can get more information if you're interested. And many of the headings are in the form of questions, making it easy to scan the table of contents to find the answer you need quickly and easily. In addition, the book comes with easy to use examples that build throughout the book. These examples explain everything from properly normalizing a database to the real reason for building error handling into your stored procedures, all written in a manner that relates back to my roots as a programmer. You can download a sample chapter from the book's supporting website.