relational databases

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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.

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.

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.