Focusing on SQL Server Standard Edition, authors Waymire and Sawtell explain how to install the software under Windows NT Server 4. After a quick synopsis of the tools and utilities on the SQL Server CD-ROM, the authors walk you through the process of creating databases (and related entities) and establishing accounts for the people and processes that will access them.
The authors place considerable emphasis on security, showing you exactly how to set up user logins and access permissions. They also include information on preparing for and recovering from disasters, RAID schemes, backup routines, and restoration of backed-up data. The book wraps up by showing you how to use SQL Server's programming abilities to create customized applications. On top of their coverage of triggers and stored procedures--and of Structured Query Language (SQL) generally--the authors include a good tutorial on the fundamentals of Transact-SQL programming. There's also information on automating administrative tasks with the SQL Server Agent. --David Wall