Although the title of the book mentions SQL Server 2008, the book has a broader focus, on database administration as a profession. SQL Server 2008 seems to be only the tool used to describe it. The book presents SQL Server 2008 and its tools in great depth and detail, but each tool seems to be almost a welcome excuse for presenting the administrative task that lies behind it, its complexities, and its relevance within the corporate environment. Another hint about the relevance of the corporate environment and its corresponding frame of mind is the fact that, unlike many other books about SQL Server, this one makes no mention of Microsoft Access or migrating existing Access databases. This implies that running large corporate databases requires a different approach, from the very beginning.

The world of professional database administrators (DBAs), with all of its related career risks and rewards, is presented in the first chapter of the book. The second chapter deals with planning a SQL Server 2008 installation--judging by the intellectual resources and careful steps needed for the task, we understand that we are light years away from the casual user hitting a series of “Next” buttons in a setup wizard. Chapters 3 to 7 are the most technical--they deal with the internals of SQL Server 2008 and how to build a database application. Then, the reader is introduced to the everyday management of the system just built, from the mundane tasks of backup, restore, and other maintenance activities, to their automation through SQL Server 2008 planning tools, the not-so-obvious activities of performance monitoring and optimization, and database encryption and security at large. Finally, chapters 15 and 16 deal with activities that can literally make the difference between corporate survival and failure: database auditing and compliance with domestic and international regulations.

Conceptual topics are explained mostly in plain prose, while practical tasks are presented through actual application screen shots. The book makes it implicitly clear that much time and effort, and certainly much more than a bunch of screen shots, are required to master all the complexities of real-life corporate data environments. This concern is reflected in the last chapter, which deals with references and additional data sources. While in most books these are nothing more than pointers to static entities such as books, papers, and Web sites, in this book there are also references to conferences, user groups, and certification bodies--all of the entities that force DBAs to remain actively current in their field.

For these reasons, the book seems suited mostly for junior DBAs who have previously worked on specific parts of corporate databases and need a broader coverage of the subject before tackling more ambitious projects. However, this book might also turn out to be useful to people with experience with small-scale databases only, as they will immediately realize the complexities of database administration in corporate data environments and, at the very least, the correct frame of mind to succeed at it.