Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant

If specialization is for insects, those of us who have only two legs are bound to need reminders when we sit down to perform a specialized task. For those times in which the specialized task at hand involves the latest version of Microsoft's high-end database management system (DBMS), Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant will provide how-to answers on the double-quick. This small, inch-thick volume fits nicely into a briefcase, and opens flat for easy reference. It makes little attempt to explain how SQL Server works, assuming instead that the reader knows what he or she needs. For example, a quick scan of the index for "Logins, Assigning Roles for Multiple" yields a reference to a page that explains exactly what to do, step by step.

Procedures are a large part of the appeal of this book; value tables and Transact-SQL syntax documentation contribute the rest. A typical value table lists all standard database roles, along with commentary on what sort of user is appropriate for each role. Transact-SQL documentation includes generic "all available options" statements of syntax, followed by usage examples. Deeper explanations of what each option does would make the syntax documentation stronger, but what's here is certainly enough to jog readers' memories and point them to heavier reference material, if they need it. Keep this book handy if your job requires you to hop from DBMS to DBMS. --David Wall

Topics covered:

• Installing and configuring Microsoft SQL Server 2000
• Creating databases
• Controlling access to databases
• Manipulating database contents with Transact-SQL
• Backup, recovery, and performance tuning
• Data Transformation Services (DTS)