SQL Aloha

What Would You Like to See in a New Book on Indexing?

I am currently in the early stages of writing an outline for a new book on indexing, targeted towards novice DBAs. While this topic has been done to death in hundreds of articles, presentations, and books, I think there is still room for a book that makes the topic easy to read and easy to ...read more

Free eBook on SQL Server Maintenance Plans Now Available

My new eBook, Brad’ Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plans is now available as a free, 269 page PDF eBook. The book is designed for part-time or novice DBAs who want to learn how to properly create Maintenance Plans using the tools that come with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) in SQL Server 2005/2008.
These ...read more

Free Books at Red Gate Booth at PASS Summit

Red Gate Software will be handing out a limited number of free paperback books at their booth at the 2009 PASS Community Summit. They include:

Protecting SQL Server Data by John Magnabosco
SQL Server Tacklebox by Rodney Landrum
How to Become an Exceptional DBA by Brad M McGehee

If you can’t make the PASS Summit, or the booth runs ...read more

Amazon.com Author Central Page

If you are a book author, Amazon.com now allows authors to promote their books with a new author’s page. The new feature is called Author Central.
Mine is at:
http://www.amazon.com/Brad-M-McGehee/e/B002RWVEB8/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
The page allows you to add a photograph, a short bio, your blog RSS feed, and even a discussion forum. So if you are a SQL Server, or ...read more

Download the Free eBook “The SQL Server Tacklebox”

Rodney Landrum, SQL Server MVP, is the author of the new book, The SQL Server Tacklebox: Essential Tools and Scripts for the Day-to-Day DBA. This 240 page book, and accompanying scripts, is chock full of advice for DBAs, from novice to experienced.

Free E-Book on XSD SQL Server Schema Collections

Whether you like it or not, as a SQL Server DBA or Developer, you will eventually have to learn about XML and XSD (XML Schema Definition Language). XML has become, and continues to grow, as a popular format for exchanging data. If you are not up to speed on this technology, check out the ...read more

SQL Server MVP Deep Dives Early Access Edition Now Available

SQL Server MVP Deep Dives, a new book written by 53 SQL Server MVPs, is now available as an eBook, and will be available in paperback in November.
The book, which is edited by Paul Nielson, Kalen Delaney, Greg Low, Adam Machanic, Paul S. Randal, and Kimberly L. Tripp, includes 59 chapters divided into five sections:

Database ...read more

Free eBook: “Protecting SQL Server Data”

SQL Server security expert, John Magnabosco, has just authored the new book, Protecting SQL Server Data, the first book of its kind to be devoted to the protection of SQL Server data using encryption.
Covering both SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008, the book handholds the reader, step-by-step, throughout this entire topic, from beginning topics, ...read more