SQL Server 2008 is a firstrate database management system. It offers more capability than any previous release of SQL Server. More than just a classic relational database management system, SQL Server 2008 includes exciting and powerful features that make it useful for everything from large corporate data warehouses to ad hoc departmental databases. Youll find enhanced support for XML, new support for spatial data, transparent data encryption, a policybased management system, and more. Author and developer Robin Dewson will show you the way from beginner to SQL Server 2008 professional. Learn to install SQL Server 2008 and navigate around Management Studio before getting right to the heart of mastering fundamental SQL Server 2008 tasks: creating tables, storing data, securing data, and retrieving it again. Dewson ensures youll be fully prepared to use all the basics and create a solid foundation for your own projects. Dont forget about backups! Your database will house important data, so backing up is essential to protect yourself from inevitable hardware failure. Dewson walks you through SQL Server 2008s easytouse backup and recovery feature set, giving you the grounding that you need in order to set up a reliable plan for recovery in your own environment. Learn to use TransactSQL, a fullblown procedural language that is built right into the database system. TransactSQL is the key to unlocking everything that SQL Server 2008 has to offer. Using TransactSQL, you can write centrally encapsulated business logic through the use of stored procedures, automatically trigger processing through the use of triggers, and manipulate data within the server without having to move data back and forth across the network. Finally, youll learn a bit about SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services, a powerful tool that allows enterprise reporting. Reporting Services enables you to develop and serve reports across your organization and even to business partners outside your company. Reporting Services also gives end users the ability to create their own reports, helping them transform business data into valuable, usable information to guide their daytoday decisions. What youll learn Install and manage SQL Server on your system Create and secure tables Store and query data; use indexes to improve query performance Sleep when the wind blows, because you have a solid backup and recovery process Run procedural code inside your database in the form of TransactSQL procedures and triggers Serve up business reports to inhouse users and outside business partners via SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services Who this book is for Developers new to SQL Server 2008. If you are just beginning to develop software using SQL Server 2008, or if you are planning to do so in the near future, this book will set you on the road to success.