Summary of Material Studied in Class I - 29th March 09

Course 6231A

Maintaining a Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Database

Exam number and title	Core exam for the following track
70-432: Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008—Implementation and Maintenance	Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Database Administrator
70-433: Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008, Database Development	Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Database Administrator

 

1.     Course 6231A: Maintaining a Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Database

2.     Course 6232A: Implementing a Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Database

Below is the modules included in 6231A:

•          Module 1: Installing and Configuring SQL Server

•          Module 2: Managing Databases and Files

•          Module 3: Disaster Recovery

•          Module 4: Managing Security

•          Module 5: Transferring Data

•          Module 6: Automating Administrative Tasks

•          Module 7: Implementing Replication

•          Module 8: Maintaining High Availability

•          Module 9: Monitoring SQL Server

•          Module 10: Troubleshooting and Performance Tuning

 

Question:  Which editions of SQL Server would you most likely deploy in your organization?

Question:  Why would you choose those editions?

Answer:  Enterprise edition would satisfy the needs of large corporate SQL deployments. Other editions would be appropriate in difference scenarios.

Question:  What hardware platform would you design for an enterprise-class SQL Server?

Answer:A fast, multi-core CPU, with lots of RAM (at least 2 Gigs, 8 Gigs or more for an enterprise server), and a redundant disk array.

Question:  Which components do you think would be most critical for performance?

Answer:Amount of RAM, number of CPUs, and highly optimized disk storage arrays (in that order) are the most critical items for performance.

Default Instances - The default instance is identified solely by the name of the computer on which the instance is running, it does not have a separate instance name. When applications specify only the computer name in their requests, the SQL Server client components attempt to connect to the default instance of the database engine on that computer. This preserves compatibility with existing SQL Server applications. There can only be one default instance on any computer, the default instance can be any version of SQL Server.

Named Instances - All instances of the database engine other than the default instance are identified by an instance name specified during installation of the instance. Applications must provide both the computer name and the instance name of any named instance to which they are attempting to connect. Named instances are identified by the network name of the computer, plus an instance name, in the format computername\instancename.

Browser Service - The SQL Server Browser program runs as a Windows service. SQL Server Browser listens for incoming requests for Microsoft SQL Server resources and provides information about SQL Server instances installed on the computer.

Question:  Which components would you leave off in an enterprise deployment in your organization?

Answer: The Analysis, Reporting, and Management tools may be left off some enterprise SQL Server deployments if they are not being used.

Question:  Are you aware of any other tools that can be used by the administrator to manage SQL Server?

Answer: The command prompt tool, sqlcmd.exe, and PowerShell can both be used to manage SQL Server.

 

References

Version and Edition Upgrades: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143393(SQL.100).aspx

SQL Server 2005 Features: Comparison http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/features/compare-features.mspx

Module 1:
Installing and Configuring SQL Server 2008

What are the Editions of SQL Server 2008?

Edition	Description
Express	For disconnected clients or stand-alone applications
Workgroup	Database for workgroup or branch office operations
Standard	Database server for department-level applications
Enterprise	Highly scalable and available enterprise-level database
Developer	Enterprise edition, licensed for development and testing
Web	Enables hosting companies to provide low cost, highly scalable hosting with a low monthly licensing fee
Mobile	Compact database for smart handheld devices

 

What are the 32-bit Operating Systems Requirements?

 

Operating System	Express	Standard	Workgroup	Enterprise	Developer
Windows® Vista® 32-bit		ü	ü	ü	ü
Windows Server® 2008 32-bit	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Windows Server 2003 SP2	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Windows XP Professional SP2	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Windows XP SP2 (all editions)	ü

 

What are the Options for Installing Components?

Component	Description
SQL Server Database Engine	Core database engine, replication, search, and tools for managing data
Analysis Services	Server and tools for online analytical processing and data mining
Reporting Services	Server and client components for generating and distributing reports
Integration  Services	Tools and components for transferring data
Notification Services	Platform for applications that send notifications
Management Tools	Tools to access, configure, manage, and administer SQL Server components

 This is the end of class 1 material.