Best of SQLServerCentral, Volumes 1 – 4

Best of SQLServerCentral vols 1-4 pulls together some of the best contributions to SQLServerCentral.com between 2002 & 2006.

SQL Server XML Schemas

When information is exchanged in XML format, there needs to be an agreement between the sender and receiver about the structure and content of the XML document. An XSD (XML Schema Definition Language) Schema can be used to enforce this contract and validate the XML data being exchanged. Jacob Sebastian’s book explains all.

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Best of SQLServerCentral, Volume 5

Best of SQLServerCentral vol 5 pulls together some of the best contributions to SQLServerCentral.com in 2007.

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Best of SQLServerCentral, Volume 6

"Best of SQLServerCentral v6" pulls together some of the best, most popular, and the most read articles of 2008, in dead tree format, covering database administration, BI, design, security, T-SQL, and most things in between.

How to Become an Exceptional DBA

Brad McGehee provides a "career guide" for DBAs. It is intended both to help prospective DBAs find a "way in" to the profession, and to advise existing DBAs on how they can excel at their jobs, and so become Exceptional DBAs.

Brad’s Sure Guide to SQL Server 2008

SQL Server 2008 has hundreds of new features and improvements for Production DBAs, Developer DBAs, and Business Intelligence specialists…in this book I focus on what I thought were the ten most important new features for Production DBAs.

SQL Server Crib Sheet Compendium

As a developer, DBA or manager, you may not really want to know all about XML, replication or Reporting Services, but if your next project uses one or more of these technologies heavily then the best place to start is with the ‘jungle roof’ view of each topic that this Crib Sheet compendium provides.

SQL Server Execution Plans

Every day, out in the SQL Server forums, the same questions come up again and again: why is this query running slow? Why isn’t my index getting used? In order to arrive at the answer you have to ask the same return question in each case: have you looked at the execution plan? Grant Fritchey provides the only dedicated and detailed book on this essential topic.

Mastering SQL Server Profiler

SQL Server Profiler can troubleshoot a wide range of SQL Server issues, such as poorly-performing queries, locking and blocking, excessive table/index scanning, and a lot more. Brad’s book will allow you to master the use of this versatile tool.

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