The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Architecture and Internals [With CDROM]

by Ken Henderson

Book Overview

bull; Contains the most depth and breadth of coverage of any book on SQL Server architecture, internals, and tuning bull; Will be a key reference for anyone working with SQL Server, no matter what... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0201700476
• ISBN13: 9780201700473
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
• Length: 1021 Pages
• Weight: 3.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 7.0" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Must Have for SQL Server developers & DBA's

I have been working RDBMS for more than 10 years and with SQL Server for more than 5 years. I have not seen a book in SQL server which explains exactly how internals of SQL Server is implemented. There are lots of SQL books out there which are nothing but the repeat of SQL books online. This books stand out from the crowd. First 400 pages of the book talks about the windows OS, which crucial to understand SQL Server internals since the database engine lot of OS features. I like this author's straightforward style and the sample programs are excellent in demonstrating the concepts. I would strongly recommend this book for anybody interested in understanding SQL Server beyond its syntax. I wish I had an opportunity to study this kind of book few years back.

Pretty Balanced Content

This is one of the best books that I have read so far on Windows and SQL Server. It gives the user a good understanding of some of the basic windows concept that are so fundamental to SQL Server internal workings.

Latest GG is an essential technical SQL Server Reference

.Ken's latest Guru's Guide is an important book for SQL Server Professionals who build or manage SQL Server systems. SQL Server is tightly integrated with Windows, so understanding how SQL Server uses Windows services is essential to managing it effectively. This book covers the important Windows / SQL Server topics in significant depth, exploring each one from both a pure Windows perspective and then how it relates to SQL Server. The first half of the book is dedicated to covering technical Windows concepts such as I/O, Memory, Thread scheduling, Synchronisation & Sockets as well as covering how SQL Server uses each of these. The second half of the book explores various SQL Server features in the depth you'd expect one of Ken's Guru's Guides.This is not a beginners' book. It will feel at home on your shelf if you're reading books such as "Inside SQL Server" (another excellent SQL book) or "Inside Windows", both MS Press. These are all technically deep references for SQL people which offer real answers to the problems & issues we face in working with SQL Server & Windows. Many other books simply skim the edges of the technical topics that this book covers in depth.If you're trying to learn how to write simple SQL statements, this is not the book for you. If you need or want to understand how SQL Server works inside & interoperates with the Windows environment, this is an excellent guide & reference.

Excellent Reference

Don't let the 1000 pages deter you. Some of the chapters are likely to be considered too in-depth, but the book is loaded with so much info that you're sure to find something that makes it a worthwhile purchase. The material is presented well and the kiddy stuff is skipped so you're not wasting time flipping through material you've known for the last few years. I like the inclusion of the MS Debugger. The examples in the book have given me an introduction to it, and in time I expect that it will come in handy. In my years of reading SQL Server books, few have been as comprehensive as this one. It goes somewhat beyond Inside SQL Server, though I have not purchased that book since SQL 7. This is the type of book from which certification questions should be derived. It describes the nuances in using SQL Server and I've enjoyed reading several chapters of this book highlighting along the way. I consider it a better reference than SQL Server 2000 Resource Kit, and my only complaint is that it doesn't include other important subject areas such as security and hacking. Those areas are addressed in other references like SQL Server Security by Andrews, Litchfield, and Grindlay which I've got ready to read as soon as time permits.

Complex optimisations

Microsoft's SQL Server does not have all the functionality of Oracle or IBM's databases. But Microsoft has put a huge amount of work into beefing it up, as shown in this book. Henderson has done far more than just write a straightforward guide to the query syntax. In fact, the latter is not the emphasis here. Rather, he explains how SQL Server integrates into the Microsoft operating system, for one thing. Like memory mapped files, WinSock and network connections, and how they relate to SQL Server. He provides a long discussion of its memory management; crucial if you are heavily loading up the database. With queries and table joins, you get help on how to optimise, based on knowledge of SQL Server's innards. At over 900 pages, the breadth might seem daunting. But it reflects the complexity and potential of SQL Server.Henderson also provides some nice extra touches. Each chapter ends in a quick list of review questions, to see if you have been paying attention. Plus, at the book's end, he has 2 essays. One is on the drivel that constitutes most [all?] management fads. The second is on pseudo experts in newsgroups. The entire book is worth it, just for these essays! Very biting.