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📄 Contents

  1. SQL Server Reference Guide
  2. Introduction
  3. SQL Server Reference Guide Overview
  4. Table of Contents
  5. Microsoft SQL Server Defined
  6. SQL Server Editions
  7. SQL Server Access
  8. Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
  9. Online Resources
  10. Microsoft SQL Server Features
  11. SQL Server Books Online
  12. Clustering Services
  13. Data Transformation Services (DTS) Overview
  14. Replication Services
  15. Database Mirroring
  16. Natural Language Processing (NLP)
  17. Analysis Services
  18. Microsot SQL Server Reporting Services
  19. XML Overview
  20. Notification Services for the DBA
  21. Full-Text Search
  22. SQL Server 2005 - Service Broker
  23. Using SQL Server as a Web Service
  24. SQL Server Encryption Options Overview
  25. SQL Server 2008 Overview
  26. SQL Server 2008 R2 Overview
  27. SQL Azure
  28. The Utility Control Point and Data Application Component, Part 1
  29. The Utility Control Point and Data Application Component, Part 2
  30. Microsoft SQL Server Administration
  31. The DBA Survival Guide: The 10 Minute SQL Server Overview
  32. Preparing (or Tuning) a Windows System for SQL Server, Part 1
  33. Preparing (or Tuning) a Windows System for SQL Server, Part 2
  34. Installing SQL Server
  35. Upgrading SQL Server
  36. SQL Server 2000 Management Tools
  37. SQL Server 2005 Management Tools
  38. SQL Server 2008 Management Tools
  39. SQL Azure Tools
  40. Automating Tasks with SQL Server Agent
  41. Run Operating System Commands in SQL Agent using PowerShell
  42. Automating Tasks Without SQL Server Agent
  43. Storage – SQL Server I/O
  44. Service Packs, Hotfixes and Cumulative Upgrades
  45. Tracking SQL Server Information with Error and Event Logs
  46. Change Management
  47. SQL Server Metadata, Part One
  48. SQL Server Meta-Data, Part Two
  49. Monitoring - SQL Server 2005 Dynamic Views and Functions
  50. Monitoring - Performance Monitor
  51. Unattended Performance Monitoring for SQL Server
  52. Monitoring - User-Defined Performance Counters
  53. Monitoring: SQL Server Activity Monitor
  54. SQL Server Instances
  55. DBCC Commands
  56. SQL Server and Mail
  57. Database Maintenance Checklist
  58. The Maintenance Wizard: SQL Server 2000 and Earlier
  59. The Maintenance Wizard: SQL Server 2005 (SP2) and Later
  60. The Web Assistant Wizard
  61. Creating Web Pages from SQL Server
  62. SQL Server Security
  63. Securing the SQL Server Platform, Part 1
  64. Securing the SQL Server Platform, Part 2
  65. SQL Server Security: Users and other Principals
  66. SQL Server Security – Roles
  67. SQL Server Security: Objects (Securables)
  68. Security: Using the Command Line
  69. SQL Server Security - Encrypting Connections
  70. SQL Server Security: Encrypting Data
  71. SQL Server Security Audit
  72. High Availability - SQL Server Clustering
  73. SQL Server Configuration, Part 1
  74. SQL Server Configuration, Part 2
  75. Database Configuration Options
  76. 32- vs 64-bit Computing for SQL Server
  77. SQL Server and Memory
  78. Performance Tuning: Introduction to Indexes
  79. Statistical Indexes
  80. Backup and Recovery
  81. Backup and Recovery Examples, Part One
  82. Backup and Recovery Examples, Part Two: Transferring Databases to Another System (Even Without Backups)
  83. SQL Profiler - Reverse Engineering An Application
  84. SQL Trace
  85. SQL Server Alerts
  86. Files and Filegroups
  87. Partitioning
  88. Full-Text Indexes
  89. Read-Only Data
  90. SQL Server Locks
  91. Monitoring Locking and Deadlocking
  92. Controlling Locks in SQL Server
  93. SQL Server Policy-Based Management, Part One
  94. SQL Server Policy-Based Management, Part Two
  95. SQL Server Policy-Based Management, Part Three
  96. Microsoft SQL Server Programming
  97. An Outline for Development
  98. Database
  99. Database Services
  100. Database Objects: Databases
  101. Database Objects: Tables
  102. Database Objects: Table Relationships
  103. Database Objects: Keys
  104. Database Objects: Constraints
  105. Database Objects: Data Types
  106. Database Objects: Views
  107. Database Objects: Stored Procedures
  108. Database Objects: Indexes
  109. Database Objects: User Defined Functions
  110. Database Objects: Triggers
  111. Database Design: Requirements, Entities, and Attributes
  112. Business Process Model Notation (BPMN) and the Data Professional
  113. Business Questions for Database Design, Part One
  114. Business Questions for Database Design, Part Two
  115. Database Design: Finalizing Requirements and Defining Relationships
  116. Database Design: Creating an Entity Relationship Diagram
  117. Database Design: The Logical ERD
  118. Database Design: Adjusting The Model
  119. Database Design: Normalizing the Model
  120. Creating The Physical Model
  121. Database Design: Changing Attributes to Columns
  122. Database Design: Creating The Physical Database
  123. Database Design Example: Curriculum Vitae
  124. NULLs
  125. The SQL Server Sample Databases
  126. The SQL Server Sample Databases: pubs
  127. The SQL Server Sample Databases: NorthWind
  128. The SQL Server Sample Databases: AdventureWorks
  129. The SQL Server Sample Databases: Adventureworks Derivatives
  130. UniversalDB: The Demo and Testing Database, Part 1
  131. UniversalDB: The Demo and Testing Database, Part 2
  132. UniversalDB: The Demo and Testing Database, Part 3
  133. UniversalDB: The Demo and Testing Database, Part 4
  134. Getting Started with Transact-SQL
  135. Transact-SQL: Data Definition Language (DDL) Basics
  136. Transact-SQL: Limiting Results
  137. Transact-SQL: More Operators
  138. Transact-SQL: Ordering and Aggregating Data
  139. Transact-SQL: Subqueries
  140. Transact-SQL: Joins
  141. Transact-SQL: Complex Joins - Building a View with Multiple JOINs
  142. Transact-SQL: Inserts, Updates, and Deletes
  143. An Introduction to the CLR in SQL Server 2005
  144. Design Elements Part 1: Programming Flow Overview, Code Format and Commenting your Code
  145. Design Elements Part 2: Controlling SQL's Scope
  146. Design Elements Part 3: Error Handling
  147. Design Elements Part 4: Variables
  148. Design Elements Part 5: Where Does The Code Live?
  149. Design Elements Part 6: Math Operators and Functions
  150. Design Elements Part 7: Statistical Functions
  151. Design Elements Part 8: Summarization Statistical Algorithms
  152. Design Elements Part 9:Representing Data with Statistical Algorithms
  153. Design Elements Part 10: Interpreting the Data—Regression
  154. Design Elements Part 11: String Manipulation
  155. Design Elements Part 12: Loops
  156. Design Elements Part 13: Recursion
  157. Design Elements Part 14: Arrays
  158. Design Elements Part 15: Event-Driven Programming Vs. Scheduled Processes
  159. Design Elements Part 16: Event-Driven Programming
  160. Design Elements Part 17: Program Flow
  161. Forming Queries Part 1: Design
  162. Forming Queries Part 2: Query Basics
  163. Forming Queries Part 3: Query Optimization
  164. Forming Queries Part 4: SET Options
  165. Forming Queries Part 5: Table Optimization Hints
  166. Using SQL Server Templates
  167. Transact-SQL Unit Testing
  168. Index Tuning Wizard
  169. Unicode and SQL Server
  170. SQL Server Development Tools
  171. The SQL Server Transact-SQL Debugger
  172. The Transact-SQL Debugger, Part 2
  173. Basic Troubleshooting for Transact-SQL Code
  174. An Introduction to Spatial Data in SQL Server 2008
  175. Performance Tuning
  176. Performance Tuning SQL Server: Tools and Processes
  177. Performance Tuning SQL Server: Tools Overview
  178. Creating a Performance Tuning Audit - Defining Components
  179. Creating a Performance Tuning Audit - Evaluation Part One
  180. Creating a Performance Tuning Audit - Evaluation Part Two
  181. Creating a Performance Tuning Audit - Interpretation
  182. Creating a Performance Tuning Audit - Developing an Action Plan
  183. Understanding SQL Server Query Plans
  184. Performance Tuning: Implementing Indexes
  185. Performance Monitoring Tools: Windows 2008 (and Higher) Server Utilities, Part 1
  186. Performance Monitoring Tools: Windows 2008 (and Higher) Server Utilities, Part 2
  187. Performance Monitoring Tools: Windows System Monitor
  188. Performance Monitoring Tools: Logging with System Monitor
  189. Performance Monitoring Tools: User Defined Counters
  190. General Transact-SQL (T-SQL) Performance Tuning, Part 1
  191. General Transact-SQL (T-SQL) Performance Tuning, Part 2
  192. General Transact-SQL (T-SQL) Performance Tuning, Part 3
  193. Performance Monitoring Tools: An Introduction to SQL Profiler
  194. Performance Tuning: Introduction to Indexes
  195. Performance Monitoring Tools: SQL Server 2000 Index Tuning Wizard
  196. Performance Monitoring Tools: SQL Server 2005 Database Tuning Advisor
  197. Performance Monitoring Tools: SQL Server Management Studio Reports
  198. Performance Monitoring Tools: SQL Server 2008 Activity Monitor
  199. The SQL Server 2008 Management Data Warehouse and Data Collector
  200. Performance Monitoring Tools: Evaluating Wait States with PowerShell and Excel
  201. Practical Applications
  202. Choosing the Back End
  203. The DBA's Toolbox, Part 1
  204. The DBA's Toolbox, Part 2
  205. Scripting Solutions for SQL Server
  206. Building a SQL Server Lab
  207. Using Graphics Files with SQL Server
  208. Enterprise Resource Planning
  209. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  210. Building a Reporting Data Server
  211. Building a Database Documenter, Part 1
  212. Building a Database Documenter, Part 2
  213. Data Management Objects
  214. Data Management Objects: The Server Object
  215. Data Management Objects: Server Object Methods
  216. Data Management Objects: Collections and the Database Object
  217. Data Management Objects: Database Information
  218. Data Management Objects: Database Control
  219. Data Management Objects: Database Maintenance
  220. Data Management Objects: Logging the Process
  221. Data Management Objects: Running SQL Statements
  222. Data Management Objects: Multiple Row Returns
  223. Data Management Objects: Other Database Objects
  224. Data Management Objects: Security
  225. Data Management Objects: Scripting
  226. Powershell and SQL Server - Overview
  227. PowerShell and SQL Server - Objects and Providers
  228. Powershell and SQL Server - A Script Framework
  229. Powershell and SQL Server - Logging the Process
  230. Powershell and SQL Server - Reading a Control File
  231. Powershell and SQL Server - SQL Server Access
  232. Powershell and SQL Server - Web Pages from a SQL Query
  233. Powershell and SQL Server - Scrubbing the Event Logs
  234. SQL Server 2008 PowerShell Provider
  235. SQL Server I/O: Importing and Exporting Data
  236. SQL Server I/O: XML in Database Terms
  237. SQL Server I/O: Creating XML Output
  238. SQL Server I/O: Reading XML Documents
  239. SQL Server I/O: Using XML Control Mechanisms
  240. SQL Server I/O: Creating Hierarchies
  241. SQL Server I/O: Using HTTP with SQL Server XML
  242. SQL Server I/O: Using HTTP with SQL Server XML Templates
  243. SQL Server I/O: Remote Queries
  244. SQL Server I/O: Working with Text Files
  245. Using Microsoft SQL Server on Handheld Devices
  246. Front-Ends 101: Microsoft Access
  247. Comparing Two SQL Server Databases
  248. English Query - Part 1
  249. English Query - Part 2
  250. English Query - Part 3
  251. English Query - Part 4
  252. English Query - Part 5
  253. RSS Feeds from SQL Server
  254. Using SQL Server Agent to Monitor Backups
  255. Reporting Services - Creating a Maintenance Report
  256. SQL Server Chargeback Strategies, Part 1
  257. SQL Server Chargeback Strategies, Part 2
  258. SQL Server Replication Example
  259. Creating a Master Agent and Alert Server
  260. The SQL Server Central Management System: Definition
  261. The SQL Server Central Management System: Base Tables
  262. The SQL Server Central Management System: Execution of Server Information (Part 1)
  263. The SQL Server Central Management System: Execution of Server Information (Part 2)
  264. The SQL Server Central Management System: Collecting Performance Metrics
  265. The SQL Server Central Management System: Centralizing Agent Jobs, Events and Scripts
  266. The SQL Server Central Management System: Reporting the Data and Project Summary
  267. Time Tracking for SQL Server Operations
  268. Migrating Departmental Data Stores to SQL Server
  269. Migrating Departmental Data Stores to SQL Server: Model the System
  270. Migrating Departmental Data Stores to SQL Server: Model the System, Continued
  271. Migrating Departmental Data Stores to SQL Server: Decide on the Destination
  272. Migrating Departmental Data Stores to SQL Server: Design the ETL
  273. Migrating Departmental Data Stores to SQL Server: Design the ETL, Continued
  274. Migrating Departmental Data Stores to SQL Server: Attach the Front End, Test, and Monitor
  275. Tracking SQL Server Timed Events, Part 1
  276. Tracking SQL Server Timed Events, Part 2
  277. Patterns and Practices for the Data Professional
  278. Managing Vendor Databases
  279. Consolidation Options
  280. Connecting to a SQL Azure Database from Microsoft Access
  281. SharePoint 2007 and SQL Server, Part One
  282. SharePoint 2007 and SQL Server, Part Two
  283. SharePoint 2007 and SQL Server, Part Three
  284. Querying Multiple Data Sources from a Single Location (Distributed Queries)
  285. Importing and Exporting Data for SQL Azure
  286. Working on Distributed Teams
  287. Professional Development
  288. Becoming a DBA
  289. Certification
  290. DBA Levels
  291. Becoming a Data Professional
  292. SQL Server Professional Development Plan, Part 1
  293. SQL Server Professional Development Plan, Part 2
  294. SQL Server Professional Development Plan, Part 3
  295. Evaluating Technical Options
  296. System Sizing
  297. Creating a Disaster Recovery Plan
  298. Anatomy of a Disaster (Response Plan)
  299. Database Troubleshooting
  300. Conducting an Effective Code Review
  301. Developing an Exit Strategy
  302. Data Retention Strategy
  303. Keeping Your DBA/Developer Job in Troubled Times
  304. The SQL Server Runbook
  305. Creating and Maintaining a SQL Server Configuration History, Part 1
  306. Creating and Maintaining a SQL Server Configuration History, Part 2
  307. Creating an Application Profile, Part 1
  308. Creating an Application Profile, Part 2
  309. How to Attend a Technical Conference
  310. Tips for Maximizing Your IT Budget This Year
  311. The Importance of Blue-Sky Planning
  312. Application Architecture Assessments
  313. Transact-SQL Code Reviews, Part One
  314. Transact-SQL Code Reviews, Part Two
  315. Cloud Computing (Distributed Computing) Paradigms
  316. NoSQL for the SQL Server Professional, Part One
  317. NoSQL for the SQL Server Professional, Part Two
  318. Object-Role Modeling (ORM) for the Database Professional
  319. Business Intelligence
  320. BI Explained
  321. Developing a Data Dictionary
  322. BI Security
  323. Gathering BI Requirements
  324. Source System Extracts and Transforms
  325. ETL Mechanisms
  326. Business Intelligence Landscapes
  327. Business Intelligence Layouts and the Build or Buy Decision
  328. A Single Version of the Truth
  329. The Operational Data Store (ODS)
  330. Data Marts – Combining and Transforming Data
  331. Designing Data Elements
  332. The Enterprise Data Warehouse — Aggregations and the Star Schema
  333. On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP)
  334. Data Mining
  335. Key Performance Indicators
  336. BI Presentation - Client Tools
  337. BI Presentation - Portals
  338. Implementing ETL - Introduction to SQL Server 2005 Integration Services
  339. Building a Business Intelligence Solution, Part 1
  340. Building a Business Intelligence Solution, Part 2
  341. Building a Business Intelligence Solution, Part 3
  342. Tips and Troubleshooting
  343. SQL Server and Microsoft Excel Integration
  344. Tips for the SQL Server Tools: SQL Server 2000
  345. Tips for the SQL Server Tools – SQL Server 2005
  346. Transaction Log Troubles
  347. SQL Server Connection Problems
  348. Orphaned Database Users
  349. Additional Resources
  350. Tools and Downloads
  351. Utilities (Free)
  352. Tool Review (Free): DBDesignerFork
  353. Aqua Data Studio
  354. Microsoft SQL Server Best Practices Analyzer
  355. Utilities (Cost)
  356. Quest Software's TOAD for SQL Server
  357. Quest Software's Spotlight on SQL Server
  358. SQL Server on Microsoft's Virtual PC
  359. Red Gate SQL Bundle
  360. Microsoft's Visio for Database Folks
  361. Quest Capacity Manager
  362. SQL Server Help
  363. Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals
  364. Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator
  365. Aggregating Server Data from the MAPS Tool

Microsoft has made several changes in the tools area for each release of SQL Server for the past few years. One of the largest jumps was from SQL Server 2000 to 2005. They changed the main graphical management tools in two ways. The first was that they combined the object-navigation tool, called Enterprise Manager, and the graphical query-writing tool, called Query Analyzer into one tool, called SQL Server Management Studio, or SSMS. I'll spend the bulk of this overview there, and in subsequent tutorials I'll show you how to use other management tools such as the SQL Server Profiler, PowerShell and SQLCMD. I will briefly cover those tools here so that you're aware of them, but they deserve their own articles.

Another major change Microsoft made in the management tools is that they based the SSMS tool on Visual Studio, instead of the Microsoft Management Console, or MMC. They had to rewrite the tools to work in this new "shell," but it gave them certain advantages. Keep in mind that you don't have to install Visual Studio to get this new shell — Microsoft created a single installation that uses a customized version of the Visual Studio shell to house the new tools.

This change wasn't without its critics. Even though this new shell had great advantages, it was a change. And, in the midst of these changes, some features that existed in version 2000 were lost in the translation, such as the Transact-SQL Debugger and Object Search.

But as time went on, SSMS got new fixes and enhancements with each Service Pack. Reports were added, and then the ability to have custom reports of your own. The Activity Monitor had everything you needed to track down a pesky query, and the right-click menu added new actions for them. In SQL Server 2008, even more enhancements and fixes were added, as well as a return of the T-SQL Debugger and Object Search.

For new features such as Analysis Services and Reporting Services, a separate set of tools was created, called the Business Information Development Studio, or BIDS. This is also based on Visual Studio, even more closely related to the developer environment, creating a Project to hold the work and so on. I won't focus on that tool in this overview, since it deals more with designing solutions than managing systems.

In SQL Server 2008, Microsoft has kept the same structure for the management tools as in SQL Server 2005, and by and large that's a good thing. Imagine having to learn yet another set of management tools, to say nothing of the time it would have added to the development schedule for SQL Server 2008. But there have been significant changes and improvements to the tools. Let's focus on SSMS in this overview, with a brief stop at the Configuration Manager.

Configuration Manager

I'll start with the primary tool you need to configure your server to allow connections. In SQL Server 2000, configuration options are set using a combination of registry entries, Windows Control Panel Applets, SQL Server Enterprise Manager, and the sp_configure stored procedure in Query Analyzer. In SQL Server 2005, all of these settings are combined into just two tools: the Configuration Manager and the Surface Area Configuration tool (SAC). In SQL Server 2008, the Surface Area Configuration tool is gone (more on that later) and the Configuration Manager remains the same.

The Configuration Manager tool is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) application that consolidates the settings involving the services and network information for SQL Server. From here you can stop and start the services for the database engine and other features such as the SQL Server Agent and Analysis Services. You can also enable or disable network protocols for SQL Server, and even change the ports the services listen on.

To change the service account or startup type for a SQL Server service, double-click the service name in the right-hand side of the panel. Clicking the Service and Advanced tabs within this panel allows you to configure startup options, locations and other information for each service.

To change the network settings for a SQL Server Instance or a SQL Server Client, expand the item and double-click the protocol name.

Each protocol has properties, settings and options based on what the protocol provides. Click on the various tabs within this panel to change a setting. I'll show you some other interesting uses for this tool in other tutorials.

SQL Server Management Studio

The primary interface for the Database Administrator is the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). As I mentioned earlier, this tool uses a Visual Studio-based interface which provides a set of development and management tools in one location with a full editing and properties screens, scripting support and other features. In SQL Server 2008, several new enhancements are added such as Object Search, an enhanced details panel, “Intellisense”, the Transact-SQL Debugger and more.

When you open SSMS, you're presented with a panel that allows you to select which Instance of SQL Server you want to connect to. You're also allowed to select the type of engine you want to connect to, such as the database engine or Analysis Services. Enter your SQL Server login credentials, or select Windows Authentication to use your current login. There are also options to set the protocol, encryption and so on. And in SQL Server 2008, there's yet another panel that allows you to enter additional connection parameters. That panel uses the same connection strings that you use in a .NET connection — more on those here: http://www.connectionstrings.com/?carrier=sqlserver.

There are many ways to configure the screen, so you may have panels open that aren't shown or you may have them arranged differently. If you want to put them back to the way they were originally, just pick "Reset Layout" from the "View" menu. If you do that now, you can follow along with the descriptions in this overview. After you finish reading this overview, you should experiment with the layouts by using the "View" menu item, displaying the screens you want, and using the small arrow icons on them to set them to "float", which allows you to put them all over your screen.

Object Explorer

There are two primary parts to the default screen layout. The first is the Object Explorer pane, which is shown in the left side of the SSMS screen. This is the primary view you can use to work with objects. You can navigate the objects it shows by clicking once on the small "plus-sign" icon next to an object, or by double-clicking it. If you have a query window open (more on that in a moment), you can also click and drag an object onto it, and the text of the name of the object will be placed there for you.

Right-clicking any object brings up a context-sensitive menu for that object. As an example, you can click the plus-sign next to the "Databases" object and select a database. Right-click that database name and select "Properties" from the menu that appears to show the general properties that you can set or read.

There are several areas within the Properties panel that show or set information about the database. The information can be sorted or grouped, depending on the type of information. Any changes made in a panel can be saved to a set of Transact-SQL commands by clicking the Script button in the top part of the panel. A new query window is created to hold the commands. From there you can save the script or run it.

The next area is just to the right, and it contains a Query window, the Object Explorer Details pane or the Activity Monitor. As you add more views to SSMS, some of them will show up in this second area on the right. In this area you have several buttons that deal with the display content across the tab. The first navigates up through the list, the second refreshes the panel, the third synchronizes the display panel to the Object Browser list (more on that in a moment) and the fourth filters the list based on criteria you select. The last two buttons switch between a list display of the contents and various reports and dashboards that show the status of the object.

To show a new query, click the "New Query" button. To show the Activity Monitor, click the "Activity Monitor" icon in the icon bar (hover over the icons to see the text for that). We'll come back to those in a moment — but first let's go over the Object Explorer Details (OED) pane, since it has been enhanced in SQL Server 2008.

Object Explorer Details

To show OED, press F7. OED shows general information about the current object you have selected in Object Explorer (OE). As you navigate through OE, the contents of the OED area are replaced. You have a back, up and refresh button to control that navigation.

You can double-click items in OED to move down a node, or open its default action. Most of the time that involves opening the "Properties" panel, but that varies based on the object. You can also right-click an object in OED, to get a menu for the actions of that object, along with a "Synchronize" choice which will place you on that object in the Object Explorer pane if it is also showing.

In SQL Server 2008, you can choose the columns that you want to display in OED. Right-click in the header area and select the columns you want. You can sort these columns, left-click and drag them, and they will stay that way for your login until you make a change. An interesting feature is that you can select rows in the OED panel, and then press CTRL-C, and everything you selected, including the headers, will be placed in the clipboard in tab-delimited format. That means you can paste it easily into Microsoft Excel, Word or Outlook mails and the columns will be maintained.

There's another area just at the bottom of OED. Select an Object in OED, and then left-click and drag the bar separating the lower area in OED, and you'll see more properties of that object displayed. A small icon to the far right of a Property allows you to copy its value into the clipboard.

There's one more trick Object Explorer Details has up its sleeve. Just at the top of the OED area is the "Search" bar, where you can type in all or part of an object name to locate and display it in OED. If you type in the entire name, you get an exact match. To get a partial match, use the T-SQL wildcard characters (such as %). So "Buck" will get you all items named Buck, and "Buck%" will get you all items with Buck as the starting letters, and %Buck% will find all items with Buck anywhere in the name.

The Query Window

Your query window can change based on the options set on your system. Click the "Tools" and then "Options" item in the menu bar to change features such as line numbering, fonts and even the destination for the results of a query, such as "To grid" and "To File" or "To Text".

When you're working with a query, the tab name will display an asterisk next to the name of the file if it isn't saved. As you're editing a line, a thin yellow line appears next to the lines that have changed since the file was last changed. As you save the document you're working on, the lines are marked wtih a thin green bar at the left. As you make changes, the lines you change have a yellow bar next to them. It's a great way to keep track of your changes.

As you type your Transact-SQL statements, the system will automatically begin to fill things out for you. This is called "Intellisense," and you can turn it off or on in the "Options" area I mentioned earlier.

As you type your commands won't execute — you have to press F5 or click the "Execute" icon in the menu bar. The results are sent to the lower half of the screen, although you can set an option to have them go to their own panel, which is what I do. You can see the results in a grid, which is the default, or in plain text, which is useful for copying to other applications.

You can save what you've typed to a file, or open a file to display in this area using the "File" menu. You can also drag a file from Windows onto a Query Window, and the system will read the file and place the text there.

We'll use the Query Window throughout this site.

The Transact-SQL Debugger

In the top icon bar you’ll see a green triangle icon that will take your query text and start it in the Transact-SQL Debugger. This is a tool that walks through your code one line at a time, allowing you to see the results of the statements. You can also put a “break point” so that the code stops in a certain place, and more. Try entering a system stored procedure (such as sp_adduser ‘Buck’) to see how this works.

The Activity Monitor

The Activity Monitor, which you can get to from the icon bar, shows four graphs of system activity, along with bands of information that show even more information about the activity on your system. When you expand those bands, you can right-click a running query to kill it, send the output to the SQL Profiler tool, or even open the query in a new Query Window.

Other Views

There are several panels you can show, all selectable from the View menu bar item. Two of the most important are the Registered Servers panel and the Object Browser panel.

On my screens I have other panels hidden, with only their titles shown vertically. Your screen may have these panels displayed. If you would like them to hide automatically when you work with another area of the screen, click the push-pin icon in the upper right hand corner of that panel. The panel will then "slide out" when you work with it, and "slide in" when you click any other area of the screen. This is useful if you don't have a lot of screen real-estate to work with.

In the Registered Servers panel you can set the server names and credentials you'll use to make connections to the servers. In the top portion of the Registered Servers panel you'll see several icons that represent the type of servers and engines you can connect to.

Once you click an icon, you can right-click the title of that item (for example you can select Database Engine) and select “New” and then “Server Registration...” to provide the name and security credentials to connect to a new server. You can remove a server in a similar fashion. Having all of the various types of servers consolidated to one location makes it simple to keep track of what you have to administer.

In SQL Server 2008, there's another kind of Registered Server. The Central Management Server is a place where you can define a server name, just like you would normally, but in this case others can also register the same server name in this node. When they do, whatever you register underneath it automatically shows up for everyone.

And yet one more enhancement — you can click not only a single server and get a Query Window, but you can click on a group name and run a query. All the servers will run the query and return the results to the main query results window.

There's a lot more to this versatile environment that I'll show throughout this site.

PowerShell for SQL Server

Within SSMS, you can right-click almost any object in the Object Explorer and get a PowerShell window. I've covered PowerShell elsewhere on this site, but this is different. The PowerShell environment in SQL Server 2008 is aware of SQL Server, and it drops you right in the path of the object you selected. From there you can use standard PowerShell commands, including DIR and CD to move through the database. I'll cover this great new feature in great depth in another tutorial.

SQLCMD

The SQLCMD tool is an operating system command-line based query tool. With it you can connect to a server and run a command and receive the output on the current command window. You can also run a script from a file, send the results to a file, and even use variables with it. To see all the options, drop to a command-line in the operating system where the tool is installed and type SQLCMD /?.

SQL Profiler

The SQL Server Profiler tool shows activity on a server. It's a kind of "SQL Sniffer" in that it can read the information going to and from a SQL Server Database Engine or Analysis Services server. It functions similarly to the tool by the same name in SQL Server 2000, although in this version you can include Windows Performance Monitor objects and counters so that you can observer platform information along with the SQL Server activity to correlate the two. Using this feature you can determine what T-SQL statement is running when the processor or memory load is high.

Database Tuning Advisor

In SQL Server 2000, you could monitor activity for index performance issues with a tool called the Index Tuning Wizard. In SQL Server 2005 and 2008, this capability is enhanced with the Database Tuning Advisor. Available as a tool of its own or from within SQL Server Management Studio, this tool can tune not only indexes but the physical layout as well.

The process is to start the tool while a set of operations are run on the server. This process is normally done on a testing server, but one similar in size and capability to the production server. Once the activity completes, the Database Tuning Advisor will make suggestions on everything from table arrangements to filegroup and index layouts, based on settings you choose.

I'll explain how to use the Database Tuning Advisor along with SQL Server Profiler to tune and optimize your SQL Server instances in another tutorial.

InformIT Articles and Sample Chapters

If you’re using the Compact Edition of SQL Server, here is a free article on the tools for it.

Books and eBooks

SQL Server 2005 DistilledThere are more tricks and tips on SSMS (although it’s the 2005 version) in this “distilled” book on SQL Server. (Read in Safari Books Online)






Online Resources

The starting point for a full tutorial on SSMS is here.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020