- Paperback: 290 pages
- Publisher: Red Gate Books (28 Feb 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1906434344
- ISBN-13: 978-1906434342
- Product Dimensions: 15.6 x 23.4 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
1,479,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #74 in Books > Computers & Internet > Computer Science > Databases > Applications > Microsoft SQL Server > Introduction
Brad's Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plans
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
In his new book, Brad's Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plans, Brad McGehee takes you on a comprehensive tour of two SQL Server tools designed to help DBAs ensure that a "required minimum" level of maintenance takes place on their SQL Server instances: the Maintenance Plan Wizard and the Maintenance Plan Designer. Table of Contents * Chapter 01: Why is Database Maintenance Important? Chapter 02: Before you Create any Maintenance Plans Chapter 03: Getting Started with the Maintenance Plan Wizard Chapter 04: Task Scheduling Chapter 05: Check database Integrity Task Chapter 06: Shrink Database Task Chapter 07: Rebuild Index Task Chapter 08: Reorganize Index Task Chapter 09: Update Statistics Task Chapter 10: Execute SQL Server Agent Job Task Chapter 11: History Cleanup Task Chapter 12: Define Back Up Database (Full) Task Chapter 13: Define Back Up Database (Differential) Task Chapter 14: Back Up Database (Transaction Log) Task Chapter 15: Maintenance Cleanup Task Chapter 16: Using the Maintenance Plan Designer Why read this book? Millions of SQL Server instances run in the offices of small and medium-sized organizations and there are many "accidental" DBAs out there whose job it is to maintain them. Often, they find that they don't have the knowledge, experience, or critically the time, to perform the correct level of maintenance on their SQL Server databases, much as they might like to. This can mean poor performance and reduced availability. Regardless of the size of your organization, if your mission critical data becomes unavailable, then business will suffer greatly. The Maintenance Plan Wizard and Designer allow you to configure and schedule eleven core database maintenance tasks, ranging from integrity checks, to database backups, to index reorganizations and rebuilds. Brad walks through every one of these tasks covering: * The intent of each task and why it's important * How to configure each task and what all the options mean * Scheduling considerations: when and how often should you run the task? * Customizing and extended your Maintenance Plans using the Designer Used carefully, these Maintenance Plan tools represent powerful time-saving devices for any DBA. At each stage of the book, Brad explains clearly the correct and incorrect uses for the tool, and indicates where more advanced solutions, using T-SQL or PowerShell scripting, would be more appropriate.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
This book is aimed at what the author calls "accidental database administrators". I certainly qualify in this classification. Having used SQL Server for many years and having been coerced into being responsibile for DB maintenance I wish the book had been available many years ago. The book contains very simple to following instructions (with diagrams) on the configuration tasks necessary to create very usable maintenance plans. The author is very clear about the dos and don'ts of using the tools.
The book starts with a very important discussion on why DB maintenance is important before explaining the two different approaches described in the book - those being the Maintenance Plan Wizard (MPW) and the Maintenance Plan Designer (MPD)
Chapter 3 starts with an introductory (simple) example of the use of the MPW which results in a very usable maintenance plan. This is followed by 12 chapters that give details of the various components that can be configured using the (MPW). Very few stones are left unturned related to the available options.
Chapter 16 then introduces the MPD. The MPD is graphical tool that enables maintenance plans to be created in a dynamic fashion. The final few chapters then cover the detail on the MPD including amending exists plans created by using the MPW.
This book is a very welcome aid to help the amateur become a more fully rounded professional. The explanations are clear the reading style is very easy. The clear guidelines on the pros and cons of each tool on top of the recommendations on things to avoid will save much time both in one's learning curve and on the eventually performance and effectiveness of created maintenance plans.
The book starts with a very important discussion on why DB maintenance is important before explaining the two different approaches described in the book - those being the Maintenance Plan Wizard (MPW) and the Maintenance Plan Designer (MPD)
Chapter 3 starts with an introductory (simple) example of the use of the MPW which results in a very usable maintenance plan. This is followed by 12 chapters that give details of the various components that can be configured using the (MPW). Very few stones are left unturned related to the available options.
Chapter 16 then introduces the MPD. The MPD is graphical tool that enables maintenance plans to be created in a dynamic fashion. The final few chapters then cover the detail on the MPD including amending exists plans created by using the MPW.
This book is a very welcome aid to help the amateur become a more fully rounded professional. The explanations are clear the reading style is very easy. The clear guidelines on the pros and cons of each tool on top of the recommendations on things to avoid will save much time both in one's learning curve and on the eventually performance and effectiveness of created maintenance plans.
Format:Paperback
This book will enable any person responsible for data stored in a SQL Server database to ensure it is being managed to a required minimum with a small amount of effort and possibly limited experience. This is not a book long time DBAs who have scripts already in place to maintain their databases will get a lot out of, it's for the people who are becoming known as `Accidental DBAs'. Maybe you were closest to the server when the last DBA quit, or you are a system administrator with a new system based on SQL Server and you don't have a DBA in-house. Whichever way you have happened to find yourself looking after SQL Server databases, this book is for you.
It explains very clearly what a maintenance plan is designed to do, what it can and can't do and in some cases why you don't want it to do some things. Once the intent of each feature is established Brad then walks you through configuring the task options to your requirements and how it can be linked to or affects other tasks you need carried out on your databases. A clear format of what the task does, why you want it done (or not) and how to make it happen is followed in each chapter. Pitfalls and limitations of the various tasks are explained clearly and where there are options to avoid or work around these they are explained so that they can be implemented. The tasks are described with enough background information that someone unsure about SQL Server will clearly understand what the task is attempting to achieve and will then be able to decide whether that is something they want to apply to their systems.
While the majority of the book refers to the process followed by the Maintenance Plan Wizard Brad also explains how to make your own custom Maintenance Plan or alter existing plans with the Maintenance Plan Designer. Implementing schedules and operator notifications into your plan is explained so that a user can keep up to date with the status of any executions without having to read through the detailed reports along with using logic to control flow from one step to another within a plan and adding multiple copies of tasks in order to get the exact results needed.
If you have any databases in your remit and you are wondering how to look after them, or want a guide on how to make your existing maintenance plans more effective, then this book will be a valuable asset to you.
It could be as simple as reading this book for a couple of hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then over a similar time on Thursday and Friday you could have your SQL databases fully covered by a set of maintenance plans to ensure your data is well maintained and backed up.
It explains very clearly what a maintenance plan is designed to do, what it can and can't do and in some cases why you don't want it to do some things. Once the intent of each feature is established Brad then walks you through configuring the task options to your requirements and how it can be linked to or affects other tasks you need carried out on your databases. A clear format of what the task does, why you want it done (or not) and how to make it happen is followed in each chapter. Pitfalls and limitations of the various tasks are explained clearly and where there are options to avoid or work around these they are explained so that they can be implemented. The tasks are described with enough background information that someone unsure about SQL Server will clearly understand what the task is attempting to achieve and will then be able to decide whether that is something they want to apply to their systems.
While the majority of the book refers to the process followed by the Maintenance Plan Wizard Brad also explains how to make your own custom Maintenance Plan or alter existing plans with the Maintenance Plan Designer. Implementing schedules and operator notifications into your plan is explained so that a user can keep up to date with the status of any executions without having to read through the detailed reports along with using logic to control flow from one step to another within a plan and adding multiple copies of tasks in order to get the exact results needed.
If you have any databases in your remit and you are wondering how to look after them, or want a guide on how to make your existing maintenance plans more effective, then this book will be a valuable asset to you.
It could be as simple as reading this book for a couple of hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then over a similar time on Thursday and Friday you could have your SQL databases fully covered by a set of maintenance plans to ensure your data is well maintained and backed up.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
8 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A Very Useful Text For Beginners
11 May 2010
Format:Paperback
Brad McGehee's latest book, "Brad's Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plans", is aimed squarely at inexperienced DBAs, but as there's a lack of starter administrative texts, this is definitely a good thing.
To give my SQL Server background - I have around 10 years development experience on the platform and am a Microsoft Certified IT Professional in SQL Server 2008 Development. However, my administration experience is limited, and I am what Brad would call an "accidental" DBA, i.e. I manage the servers alongside my other daily work.
My company has recently been upgrading its network, and this has involved the addition of more SQL Servers. As we're now starting to see lots of capacity coming through these servers, I decided it was high time I started maintaining the servers properly, and this book seemed like a good place to start.
Maintenance plans are essentially the "easy" way to manage SQL Servers. The book concentrates on the two methods used to create maintenance plans - the wizard and the designer.
The first half of the book is dedicated to the maintenance plan wizard. This is a useful tool that can create plans that run scheduled maintenance tasks. It does have some limitations, and Brad points these out throughout the book. Each task the wizard can perform is well explained and there's lots of helpful screenshots to walk the reader through the process. Crucially, Brad also highlights which tasks should not be performed using the wizard, which is great for those less experienced. The book continually states that if more control needs to be exerted over a particular task, PowerShell or custom T-SQL scripts should be used.
The second part of the book moves on to the more powerful maintenance plan designer, which allows DBAs to exert more influence over their maintenance plans. Again, the various parts of the process are well explained, and Brad clearly shows why the designer is often a better choice than the wizard (improved control over scheduling and support for different database backup types are just two examples).
This is a great book for inexperienced DBAs and DBAs who are not really DBAs but have "acquired" the job as an addendum to their daily work. More experienced DBAs will probably find its handholding approach and the lack of technical depth annoying, but then it isn't aimed at them. It will help experienced DBAs is in the training arena. For anybody running classes on SQL Server maintenance, this is an ideal starter text as it clearly and reasonably concisely shows the principal maintenance tasks DBAs should be performing.
In short, this is a well written and information book, and will help beginners just starting to learn about SQL Server maintenance. Well done Brad.
To give my SQL Server background - I have around 10 years development experience on the platform and am a Microsoft Certified IT Professional in SQL Server 2008 Development. However, my administration experience is limited, and I am what Brad would call an "accidental" DBA, i.e. I manage the servers alongside my other daily work.
My company has recently been upgrading its network, and this has involved the addition of more SQL Servers. As we're now starting to see lots of capacity coming through these servers, I decided it was high time I started maintaining the servers properly, and this book seemed like a good place to start.
Maintenance plans are essentially the "easy" way to manage SQL Servers. The book concentrates on the two methods used to create maintenance plans - the wizard and the designer.
The first half of the book is dedicated to the maintenance plan wizard. This is a useful tool that can create plans that run scheduled maintenance tasks. It does have some limitations, and Brad points these out throughout the book. Each task the wizard can perform is well explained and there's lots of helpful screenshots to walk the reader through the process. Crucially, Brad also highlights which tasks should not be performed using the wizard, which is great for those less experienced. The book continually states that if more control needs to be exerted over a particular task, PowerShell or custom T-SQL scripts should be used.
The second part of the book moves on to the more powerful maintenance plan designer, which allows DBAs to exert more influence over their maintenance plans. Again, the various parts of the process are well explained, and Brad clearly shows why the designer is often a better choice than the wizard (improved control over scheduling and support for different database backup types are just two examples).
This is a great book for inexperienced DBAs and DBAs who are not really DBAs but have "acquired" the job as an addendum to their daily work. More experienced DBAs will probably find its handholding approach and the lack of technical depth annoying, but then it isn't aimed at them. It will help experienced DBAs is in the training arena. For anybody running classes on SQL Server maintenance, this is an ideal starter text as it clearly and reasonably concisely shows the principal maintenance tasks DBAs should be performing.
In short, this is a well written and information book, and will help beginners just starting to learn about SQL Server maintenance. Well done Brad.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Just The Facts
21 April 2010
Format:Paperback
One of my peeves is verbose books on technology by publishing companies who assume to offer great value and content by over stuffing their books with a lot of superficial words and pages in my opinion.
A rule of thumb: LESS IS MORE.
If most IT professionals are like me, when I need answers, I don't want to be spending realms of my precious time shifting through endless pages of "page stuffing" to get the information I really need and want. Goodness knows that our project timelines are already too short and expectations are already off the chart.
So that being said, here is what I look for when I start to read a book on technology (How-Tos and Reference books alike), what is it about, what are the facts. This is what I like about "Brad's Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plan", he is giving me the facts and not the fluff.
For a guy like me who doesn't do a lot of administration, Brad gave me some great advice on how to maintain my databases with little effort. I think this is a must have book for developers who also do maintenance on database servers. I can't speak for DBAs because one I'm not. I didn't even know of some of the topics Brad's wrote about existed like the Maintenance Plans and the Maintenance Designer. He also showed me through his simple and clear examples how to use and write PowerShell scripts. I, like a lot of people in IT, have heard of PowerShell but haven't used it before.
Great job Brad
A rule of thumb: LESS IS MORE.
If most IT professionals are like me, when I need answers, I don't want to be spending realms of my precious time shifting through endless pages of "page stuffing" to get the information I really need and want. Goodness knows that our project timelines are already too short and expectations are already off the chart.
So that being said, here is what I look for when I start to read a book on technology (How-Tos and Reference books alike), what is it about, what are the facts. This is what I like about "Brad's Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plan", he is giving me the facts and not the fluff.
For a guy like me who doesn't do a lot of administration, Brad gave me some great advice on how to maintain my databases with little effort. I think this is a must have book for developers who also do maintenance on database servers. I can't speak for DBAs because one I'm not. I didn't even know of some of the topics Brad's wrote about existed like the Maintenance Plans and the Maintenance Designer. He also showed me through his simple and clear examples how to use and write PowerShell scripts. I, like a lot of people in IT, have heard of PowerShell but haven't used it before.
Great job Brad
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
"Must-have" for DBAs in early career time
12 April 2010
Format:Paperback
I heard about the author from the well-known "Brad's DBA checklist" on Simple-talk. Surely this book is a well-done job for Brad. Not a lot of people use the maintenance plan. But the book's content is quite enough to be used by those who do (or plan to) use this tool in daily work.
I like the book for these particular reasons.
1. The book describes the maintenance plan wizard and designer in a proper detailed level. It is kind of a "step-by-step" guide for the audience.
2. Brad also mentions a lot of good tips on what are the "must-do" or "must-not-do" things as the maintenance work. This is particular good for junior DBAs.
3. The overall language and presentation of the book is direct and clear. That's like a operational handbook for DBAs.
There are two things that I would like to add. First, one should be clear that maintenance plan can still be used in large organizations with TBs of data in databases. The reason is that there are plenty of "small" databases in such organizations and DBAs for different departments still have plenty of chances to use this tool. Second, I think the book can be a 5-star if a few (real life) case study can be included to make the readers more experienced after learning the basic steps and the technical comments.
All in all, this is an excellent book for DBAs in the early career life. I will suggest the book to my friends.
I like the book for these particular reasons.
1. The book describes the maintenance plan wizard and designer in a proper detailed level. It is kind of a "step-by-step" guide for the audience.
2. Brad also mentions a lot of good tips on what are the "must-do" or "must-not-do" things as the maintenance work. This is particular good for junior DBAs.
3. The overall language and presentation of the book is direct and clear. That's like a operational handbook for DBAs.
There are two things that I would like to add. First, one should be clear that maintenance plan can still be used in large organizations with TBs of data in databases. The reason is that there are plenty of "small" databases in such organizations and DBAs for different departments still have plenty of chances to use this tool. Second, I think the book can be a 5-star if a few (real life) case study can be included to make the readers more experienced after learning the basic steps and the technical comments.
All in all, this is an excellent book for DBAs in the early career life. I will suggest the book to my friends.
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