Microsoft SQL Server 2012 A Beginners Guide 5/E

Microsoft SQL Server 2012: A Beginner's Guide, Fifth Edition by Dusan Petkovic offers a thorough introduction to setting up and managing your SQL Server environment. This practical guide starts by explaining the fundamental concepts of relational databases before progressing to more advanced topics such as writing Transact-SQL statements and executing both simple and complex queries. Spanning 832 pages in its fifth edition, the book provides step-by-step instructions on installing, configuring, and customizing SQL Server 2012. You will learn to create and modify database objects, write stored procedures and user-defined functions, and manage backup and recovery processes. Additionally, the guide addresses the automation of administrative tasks, performance tuning for optimal system reliability, and the implementation of robust security measures using authentication, encryption, and authorization techniques. Special chapters on utilizing SQL Server's analysis, reporting, and business intelligence tools, as well as handling XML data, spatial information, and full-text search, ensure that you build a solid foundation in this powerful database management system.