| | | Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Administrator's Companion, by J.C. Mackin and Charlie Russel By Melissa von Tschudi-Sutton, content project editor, Microsoft Press Microsoft Windows Essential Business Server (EBS) 2008 is a new product whose purpose is to dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of running a midsize business network. A multi-server product, Windows EBS is installed on three servers in Standard Edition and four in Premium Edition. Included in the package are many component technologies—Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, and Microsoft System Center Essentials 2007, to name a few—which, as part of Windows EBS, are discounted 30 percent relative to the sum of their individual costs. But Windows EBS is no mere software bundle. It is installed through a single setup procedure, and its components are automatically configured according to best practices. Out of the box, you get a central administration console, a new or upgraded Active Directory domain, preconfigured Group Policy objects, a preconfigured firewall with anti-malware capabilities, a preconfigured mail server, Remote Web Workplace, Outlook Web Access, and many, many other features, all of which are automatically configured and integrated with the other Windows EBS components. Though simple in its vision, Windows EBS is huge in its scope, and as such, writing a book on this product presents a particular set of challenges. Realistically, for each component technology such as Exchange or System Center Essentials, a full book is needed to cover the administration of that component in detail. Given the scale of Windows EBS, writing a single book that thoroughly covers every facet of its administration would simply be impossible. To meet this challenge, we decided to focus first on the many aspects of Windows EBS that are unique to the product—aspects such as planning for your Windows EBS network and using the Windows EBS Administration Console. In the remaining chapters, we provide an overview of the Windows EBS component technologies so that you can get started administering your network. As a result, Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Administrator's Companion is an indispensable guide for Windows EBS deployment and administration, as well as a great introduction to this exciting new product if you are simply exploring it as a solution. |
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For Developers
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The book's Foreword, written by César Galindo-Legaria, Ph.D., manager of the Query Optimization Team, Microsoft SQL Server, follows:
I had met Itzik Ben-Gan briefly a couple of times and knew of his reputation, so I was looking forward to his afternoon session on avoiding cursors in SQL programming at PASS. I was lucky to get there early, as the large room filled up quickly. Itzik took a couple of SQL programming problems and diced them up in the most skillful and entertaining way, showing the elegance and efficiency of set-oriented thinking. The audience loved it—and so did I, except I had a different angle. Having worked on the internals of SQL Server, I could see Itzik touch the product nerves in his demos, and I admired how he turned features into beautiful solutions. After the session, I asked one of the attendees what had been his main takeaway, curious about which of the many techniques would have stood out for him. He looked at me, mildly surprised, and just said, "The man is a genius!" That pretty much sums it up.
This question of cursors is more fundamental than it may appear at first. It points to a deep dichotomy of tremendous practical importance. Most of us were taught to program by chopping up a task into smaller steps that, when executed in sequence, perform a desired computation. But if you approach SQL programming this way, you will get only mediocre results. Your code will be much larger and harder to maintain. It will be less efficient, less flexible, and less tunable. Using SQL effectively is not about an incremental extension of your procedural programming skills or about a specific collection of tricks. Writing SQL well requires approaching problems with a different mindset—one that is declarative and set oriented, not procedural. This is the dichotomy.
Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2008: T-SQL Querying puts together all the ingredients you need to understand this declarative and set-oriented way of thinking and become a proficient SQL programmer, thus making an important contribution to the SQL Server development community. Its chapters on formal foundations help you understand the basis for the language philosophy and get a sense for its potential. The language itself is covered thoroughly, from the basic operations to the most advanced features, all of them explained in the context of real problem solving. The many examples show you what good SQL looks like, and they cover common patterns you are likely to find when writing applications. A comprehensive chapter on query tuning explains in detail the factors that impact performance in the system, how to go about identifying issues, and how to address them effectively.
Itzik assembled a strong team of collaborators to write this book. Coming from different backgrounds, all of them share a deep expertise in SQL, a passion for database technology, extensive teaching experience, and a recognized track record of contributions to the SQL Server community. Steve Kass is known for his depth of understanding and clarity of thought. Dejan Sarka contributes an extensive knowledge of the relational model and a breadth of database technologies. As for Lubor Kollar, I've had the pleasure of working with him on the definition, design, and implementation of the Query Processing engine of SQL Server for over a decade, and I deeply respect his insight. They make an outstanding team of guides who can help you improve your skills.
SQL is a very powerful language, but I believe only a minority of developers really know how to get the most out of it. Using SQL well can mean code that is 10 times more efficient, more scalable, and more maintainable. Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2008: T-SQL Querying tells you how.
| For Home and Office Users
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Reviewed by Sandra Haynes, content development manager, Microsoft Press
Get the basics, plus a whole lot more... this book will make you look at your operating system in a whole new light. Windows Vista Step by Step, Deluxe Edition takes you through the fundamentals of working with Microsoft's newest operating system to get the most out of your computer—whether you're using it for work, home, play, or all three. This deluxe edition of the popular Windows Vista Step by Step, in addition to being updated for Windows Vista SP1, includes expanded coverage of Windows Vista features as well as the information you need to prepare for the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist exam. The authors help you discover smart and efficient ways to stay organized with Windows Mail, Windows Contact, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Meeting Space, Windows Calendar, and Windows Sidebar. You'll also learn how to work with graphics and documents by using Windows Paint, Notepad, and WordPad. You'll see how easy it is to organize your digital media or create your own home videos, or learn how to navigate the new user interface and how to use Instant Search to find anything on your desktop. Easily manage files and folders to simplify your work, and hook up printers and other devices. And finally, the authors help you learn how to identify and troubleshoot potential problems and help keep your system secure.
As with all books in the successful Step by Step series, the book is structured in an easy-to-read format, with many helpful tips along the way; you can read the book from cover to cover or jump in and take just the lessons you need. On the book's CD, you get the practice files, sample chapters from other books, and an electronic version of this print book, plus links to tools and resources to further enhance your Windows Vista experience. Windows Vista Step by Step, Deluxe Edition is a handy reference that provides the information you need to take your computing experience to the next level.
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| |  | April 15, 2009  | | 25th Anniversary
Free E-Book Offers: | | Latest Releases For Developers Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services Step by Step, by Scott Cameron, Hitachi Consulting Microsoft ASP.NET and AJAX: Architecting Web Applications, by Dino Esposito For IT Professionals Windows Small Business Server 2008 Administrator's Pocket Consultant, by Craig Zacker For Certification MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-562): Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5—ASP.NET, by Mike Snell, Glenn Johnson, Tony Northrup, and GrandMasters MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-448): Microsoft SQL Server 2008—Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance, by Erik Veerman, Teo Lachev, and Dejan Sarka of Solid Quality Mentors | | Coming Soon For Developers Programming for Unified Communications, by Rui Maximo, Chris Mayo, Oscar Newkerk, Albert Kooiman, Kurt De Ding, Vishwa Ranjan, and the Microsoft OCS team Windows Internals, Fifth Edition, by Mark E. Russinovich and David A. Solomon with Alex Ionescu For IT Professionals Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Administrator's Companion, by J.C. Mackin with Charlie Russel and the Microsoft Small Business Server Team Windows PowerShell 2.0 Administrator's Pocket Consultant, by William R. Stanek | | |
