Oracle Database 11g DBA Handbook

Product Description

The Essential Resource for Oracle DBAs--Fully Updated and Expanded

Manage a flexible, highly available Oracle database with help from the expert information contained in this exclusive Oracle Press guide. Fully revised to cover every new feature and utility, Oracle Database 11g DBA Handbook shows how to perform a new installation, upgrade from previous versions, configure hardware and software for maximum efficiency, and employ bulletproof security. You will learn to automate the backup and recovery process, provide transparent failover capability, audit and tune performance, and distribute your enterprise databases with Oracle Net.

*
Plan and deploy permanent, temporary, and bigfile tablespaces
* Optimize disk allocation, CPU usage, I/O throughput, and SQL queries
* Develop powerful database management applications
* Guard against human errors using Oracle Flashback and Oracle Automatic Undo Management
* Diagnose and tune system performance using Oracle Automatic Workload Repository and SQL Tuning Sets
* Implement robust security using authentication, authorization, fine-grained auditing, and fine-grained access control
* Maintain high availability using Oracle Real Application Clusters and Oracle Active Data Guard
* Respond more efficiently to failure scenarios by leveraging the Oracle Automatic Diagnostic Repository and the Oracle Repair Advisor
* Back up and restore tables, tablespaces, and databases with Oracle Recovery Manager and Oracle Data Pump Export and Import
* Work with networked databases, data warehouses, and VLDBs
* Put the latest Oracle Database 11g tools to work--Oracle Total Recall, Oracle Flashback Data Archive, and more



Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #45982 in Books
* Published on: 2007-12-06
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 670 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bob Bryla has more than 20 years of MIS experience as a database designer, systems analyst, and DBA. He currently handles the DBA activities on Lands' End's Oracle Internet databases. Bob is the coauthor, with Kevin Loney, of the previous edition of this book.

Kevin Loney is a veteran Oracle consultant, developer, and DBA. He is a regular presenter at Oracle User Group conferences and is the bestselling author of several Oracle Press titles.

Customer Reviews

A best buy4
Bought this product as a gift for my bookworm cousin. It was brand new, delivered so quick and a little bit more than i expected in every sense. Highly recommended for the Oracle freak or novice.

Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices

Product Description

In this compact book, Steven Feuerstein, widely recognized as one of the world's leading experts on the Oracle PL/SQL language, distills his many years of programming, teaching, and writing about PL/SQL into a set of best practices-recommendations for developing successful applications. Covering the latest Oracle release, Oracle Database 11g, Feuerstein has rewritten this new edition in the style of his bestselling Oracle PL/SQL Programming. The text is organized in a problem/solution format, and chronicles the programming exploits of developers at a mythical company called My Flimsy Excuse, Inc., as they write code, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes-and each other. This book offers practical answers to some of the hardest questions faced by PL/SQL developers, including: What is the best way to write the SQL logic in my application code? How should I write my packages so they can be leveraged by my entire team of developers? How can I make sure that all my team's programs handle and record errors consistently? Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices summarizes PL/SQL best practices in nine major categories: overall PL/SQL application development; programming standards; program testing, tracing, and debugging; variables and data structures; control logic; error handling; the use of SQL in PL/SQL; building procedures, functions, packages, and triggers; and overall program performance. This book is a concise and entertaining guide that PL/SQL developers will turn to again and again as they seek out ways to write higher quality code and more successful applications. "This book presents ideas that make the difference between a successful project and one that never gets off the ground. Itgoes beyond just listing a set of rules, and provides realistic scenarios that help the reader understand where the rules come from. This book should be required reading for any team of Oracle database professionals." --Dwayne King, President, KRIDAN Consulting
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #82225 in Books
* Published on: 2007-10-22
* Format: Illustrated
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 292 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
'...(the book) is a good length for a computer book ... 182 pages. Too many computer books these days have many pages and little value. ...So don't buy a copy of this book; instead, buy 12 and make everybody on your team read it - only that way will you get the full benefit of the best practice.' - James Youngman, new@UK, December 2001

About the Author
Steven Feuerstein is considered one of the world's leading experts on the Oracle PL/SQL language. He is the author or coauthor of Oracle PL/SQL Programming, Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices, Oracle PL/SQL Programming: Guide to Oracle8i Features, Oracle PL/SQL Developer's Workbook, Oracle Built-in Packages, Advanced Oracle PL/SQL Programming with Packages, and several pocket reference books (all from O'Reilly & Associates). Steven is a Senior Technology Advisor with Quest Software, has been developing software since 1980, and worked for Oracle Corporation from 1987 to 1992.
Customer Reviews

Just a note5
I really enjoyed reading this book. Even if I don't agree with everything, it's an extremely usefull book to read.

Nice story-telling style to explain the do's and don'ts5
A few years ago I bought the first edition of this book. It had a meaningful classification of the suggested best practices and each of them was presented in a consistent way e.g. Title, Example, Benefits, and Challenges.

As the technology evolved (and the links mentioned were not there anymore), I bought this second edition expecting an update in the available tools to support the best practices and probably one or two chapters related to the new Oracle PL/SQL features. Those things were definitely there but I was surprised to find a totally rewritten book. Steven Feuerstein opted for a story-telling style instead of the formal approach followed in the first edition. By describing a project inside an imaginary company with its imaginary employees (each of them with a different character and a different way of working), it is definitely easier (and funnier) to read.

Good programming practices are common to all languages so I didn't expect any big surprises (naming conventions, layout, keeping procedures short, avoid repeating code, etc). What I found extremely valuable was the chapter about exception handling, the advice about how to implement a test-driven approach for the PL/SQL code, the reference to software tools (free and commercial) that can be used in the development process, and the online resources (PL/SQL code, articles).

My only criticism would be the Quick Reference provided in the book. After having read the book, it was not so easy for me to find again a particular section or example. I had to re-read a few pages in order to find what I was looking for (contrary to the first edition where this was very easy done).

I would recommend this book to any beginner or intermediate PL/SQL developer, although I am sure that even experienced ones will learn valuable things.

A set of 'best practices' for developing applications5
Steven Feuerstein's ORACLE PL/SQL BEST PRACTICES, 2ND EDITION provides the author's years of programming, teaching and writing experiences in a set of 'best practices' for developing applications. The latest release of Oracle is covered in chapters which cover nine categories in chapters which are quick and easy to consult, arranged in a problem/solution format to reflect real-world programming examples and challenges.

Professional XML Databases by Michael Brundage

Product Description

: In this book, we look at how to integrate XML into your current relational data source strategies. With the increasing amount of data stored in relational databases, and the importance of XML as a format for marking up data - whether it be for storage, display, interchange, or processing - you need to have command of four key skills: understanding how to structure, process, access, and store your data.

By introducing guidelines for how to model your XML documents in relational databases and how to model relational database information as XML, we will establish structures that enable quick and efficient access, and make our data more flexible. We then look at the developer's XML toolbox, discussing associated technologies and strategies that will help us in describing, processing, and manipulating data. We also discuss common techniques for data access, data warehousing, transmission, and marshalling and presentation, giving working examples in every chapter.

Whether you are using XML for storage, as an interchange format, or for display, this book looks at some of the key issues you should be aware of when structuring, processing, accessing, and storing your documents.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #722608 in Books
Published on: 2000-01-15
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
1005 pages
Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
In addition to being a tutorial for learning how to use XML as an effective way to represent and transmit data across the Web, Professional XML Databases also covers how to work with XML in the current generation of Microsoft tools, like Internet Explorer and SQL Server 2000. For any developer or manager who works with databases on the Windows platform, this book shows how you can delve into XML today for real projects.

With endorsements from virtually every major vendor (including Microsoft), XML looks to be a compelling standard for sharing corporate data between organizations. Professional XML Databases examines how to integrate XML into your organization's database infrastructure. Early sections concentrate on the rules and strategies for designing effective XML documents (DTDs) that mimic traditional tables (including links between tables). By providing almost a dozen rules on how to do this correctly, the book assures that you'll learn not only the basics of XML syntax but also the correct way to create DTDs that are efficient, easy to maintain, and readable across your business. (Further sections reverse this process and show you how to create database tables based on XML.)

Subsequent sections cover many of the standards and APIs in today's XML, from XML Schemas, the XML W3C Document Object Model (DOM), and the Simple API for XML (SAX), to related standards like XSLT, XPath, and XPointer. A number of books cover these APIs, but this one provides a unique focus by examining Microsoft tools and their support for XML. This means there is coverage of Microsoft ADO (and ADO+, now called ADO.NET) for querying databases and packaging the results as XML. Sections on SQL Server 2000 highlight ways to use XML in this product, both as results and through XML views.

Closing sections explore options for working with XML for data warehousing and transmitting data efficiently across organizations. Sections on Java and the DB Prism (an open-source XML framework) help give this book a perspective that extends beyond the Microsoft platform.

For any database developer or designer who needs to architect XML documents in order to share data in real projects, this advanced treatise on the right way to define and use XML will prove highly valuable. For anyone who uses SQL Server 2000, this book also points the way toward using XML standards in actual shipping products on the Microsoft platform. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:
Hints for effective XML document design (including XML for text and XML for databases)
Designing XML for existing database tables
Creating database tables from XML
Standards guidelines for XML used within (and between) organizations
XML Schemas
The XML W3C Document Object Model (DOM)
Using the Simple API for XML (SAX)
XSLT
XPath used with style sheets and templates
Resource linking with XLink
Overview of additional emerging XML-based standards (including XBase, XInclude, XHTML, and XForms)
The XML Query language
Converting between flat file databases and XML
Introduction to Microsoft ADO, ADO+ (ADO.NET), and XML
Storing and retrieving XML in SQL Server 2000 (including OPENXML and XML views)
Tutorial for JDBC programming
JDBC used with XML
Data warehousing
Data transmission with XML
The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
Marshalling and presentation with XML (including a WML example for generating wireless content)
Sample case studies for SQL Server 2000 showing XML techniques
DB Prism (an open-source dynamic XML framework)
XML and database primers
References for XML datatypes and SAX

Book Info
A text for programmers and analysts familiar with XML and relational databases, focusing on the development and implementation of XML databases. Looks at key issues in structuring, formatting, accessing, and storing documents, also discussing techniques for data transmission, marshalling, and presentation. Softcover.

From the Publisher
This book has been selected by the editors of Wrox Press to be part of the Wroxbase website.

While this book will discuss some conceptual issues, its focus is on development and implementation. This is a book for programmers and analysts who are already famaliar with both XML and relational databases.
Customer Reviews

Book Rocks!!
this is very well written book. the material presented in this book are exhaustive and gets you good insight on how xml would be used with dbms. the chapters 2,3 and 4 are very informatiove as they list ou tthe steps required for converting db table to xml and vice versa.

No details on NATIVE XML DBs???
Interesting that you basically ignore native XML DBs. They are the definitive choice in most XML Document Centric environments. While RDBs remain quite strong in XML Data Centric models, they must resort to BLOBs or risk an order of magnitude of sluggishness compared to native XML DBs, such as our GoXML DB. Even with BLOBs, you cannot create a new document from multiple existing documents because of the columnar structure. The lack of a full table of contents when your title is 'Professional XML Databases' is disappointing...

Concerned XML Enthusiast

Good overview of new XML and database trends
I read through this book at more of an advanced developer level, so I'm going to treat it from that level.

The chapter on XQuery was great; it answered many of my questions concisely. There is very little information on the web about XQuery outside the W3.org site, so I was surprised to find such high quality information in a book.

XPath is also a newer API that is covered well in this book, giving you enough information to get your project going.

If you're planning to do any kind of development with XML coming in or going out of a relational database, this is an excellent book to buy. I also recommend Professional XML from Wrox and O'Reilly's XML in a nutshell.

Professional XML Databases by Michael Brundage

Product Description

: In this book, we look at how to integrate XML into your current relational data source strategies. With the increasing amount of data stored in relational databases, and the importance of XML as a format for marking up data - whether it be for storage, display, interchange, or processing - you need to have command of four key skills: understanding how to structure, process, access, and store your data.

By introducing guidelines for how to model your XML documents in relational databases and how to model relational database information as XML, we will establish structures that enable quick and efficient access, and make our data more flexible. We then look at the developer's XML toolbox, discussing associated technologies and strategies that will help us in describing, processing, and manipulating data. We also discuss common techniques for data access, data warehousing, transmission, and marshalling and presentation, giving working examples in every chapter.

Whether you are using XML for storage, as an interchange format, or for display, this book looks at some of the key issues you should be aware of when structuring, processing, accessing, and storing your documents.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #722608 in Books
Published on: 2000-01-15
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
1005 pages
Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
In addition to being a tutorial for learning how to use XML as an effective way to represent and transmit data across the Web, Professional XML Databases also covers how to work with XML in the current generation of Microsoft tools, like Internet Explorer and SQL Server 2000. For any developer or manager who works with databases on the Windows platform, this book shows how you can delve into XML today for real projects.

With endorsements from virtually every major vendor (including Microsoft), XML looks to be a compelling standard for sharing corporate data between organizations. Professional XML Databases examines how to integrate XML into your organization's database infrastructure. Early sections concentrate on the rules and strategies for designing effective XML documents (DTDs) that mimic traditional tables (including links between tables). By providing almost a dozen rules on how to do this correctly, the book assures that you'll learn not only the basics of XML syntax but also the correct way to create DTDs that are efficient, easy to maintain, and readable across your business. (Further sections reverse this process and show you how to create database tables based on XML.)

Subsequent sections cover many of the standards and APIs in today's XML, from XML Schemas, the XML W3C Document Object Model (DOM), and the Simple API for XML (SAX), to related standards like XSLT, XPath, and XPointer. A number of books cover these APIs, but this one provides a unique focus by examining Microsoft tools and their support for XML. This means there is coverage of Microsoft ADO (and ADO+, now called ADO.NET) for querying databases and packaging the results as XML. Sections on SQL Server 2000 highlight ways to use XML in this product, both as results and through XML views.

Closing sections explore options for working with XML for data warehousing and transmitting data efficiently across organizations. Sections on Java and the DB Prism (an open-source XML framework) help give this book a perspective that extends beyond the Microsoft platform.

For any database developer or designer who needs to architect XML documents in order to share data in real projects, this advanced treatise on the right way to define and use XML will prove highly valuable. For anyone who uses SQL Server 2000, this book also points the way toward using XML standards in actual shipping products on the Microsoft platform. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:
Hints for effective XML document design (including XML for text and XML for databases)
Designing XML for existing database tables
Creating database tables from XML
Standards guidelines for XML used within (and between) organizations
XML Schemas
The XML W3C Document Object Model (DOM)
Using the Simple API for XML (SAX)
XSLT
XPath used with style sheets and templates
Resource linking with XLink
Overview of additional emerging XML-based standards (including XBase, XInclude, XHTML, and XForms)
The XML Query language
Converting between flat file databases and XML
Introduction to Microsoft ADO, ADO+ (ADO.NET), and XML
Storing and retrieving XML in SQL Server 2000 (including OPENXML and XML views)
Tutorial for JDBC programming
JDBC used with XML
Data warehousing
Data transmission with XML
The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
Marshalling and presentation with XML (including a WML example for generating wireless content)
Sample case studies for SQL Server 2000 showing XML techniques
DB Prism (an open-source dynamic XML framework)
XML and database primers
References for XML datatypes and SAX

Book Info
A text for programmers and analysts familiar with XML and relational databases, focusing on the development and implementation of XML databases. Looks at key issues in structuring, formatting, accessing, and storing documents, also discussing techniques for data transmission, marshalling, and presentation. Softcover.

From the Publisher
This book has been selected by the editors of Wrox Press to be part of the Wroxbase website.

While this book will discuss some conceptual issues, its focus is on development and implementation. This is a book for programmers and analysts who are already famaliar with both XML and relational databases.
Customer Reviews

Book Rocks!!
this is very well written book. the material presented in this book are exhaustive and gets you good insight on how xml would be used with dbms. the chapters 2,3 and 4 are very informatiove as they list ou tthe steps required for converting db table to xml and vice versa.

No details on NATIVE XML DBs???
Interesting that you basically ignore native XML DBs. They are the definitive choice in most XML Document Centric environments. While RDBs remain quite strong in XML Data Centric models, they must resort to BLOBs or risk an order of magnitude of sluggishness compared to native XML DBs, such as our GoXML DB. Even with BLOBs, you cannot create a new document from multiple existing documents because of the columnar structure. The lack of a full table of contents when your title is 'Professional XML Databases' is disappointing...

Concerned XML Enthusiast

Good overview of new XML and database trends
I read through this book at more of an advanced developer level, so I'm going to treat it from that level.

The chapter on XQuery was great; it answered many of my questions concisely. There is very little information on the web about XQuery outside the W3.org site, so I was surprised to find such high quality information in a book.

XPath is also a newer API that is covered well in this book, giving you enough information to get your project going.

If you're planning to do any kind of development with XML coming in or going out of a relational database, this is an excellent book to buy. I also recommend Professional XML from Wrox and O'Reilly's XML in a nutshell.

Making Sense of Data: A Practical Guide to Exploratory Data Analysis and Data Mining by Glenn J. Myatt

Product Description

A practical, step-by-step approach to making sense out of data

Making Sense of Data educates readers on the steps and issues that need to be considered in order to successfully complete a data analysis or data mining project. The author provides clear explanations that guide the reader to make timely and accurate decisions from data in almost every field of study. A step-by-step approach aids professionals in carefully analyzing data and implementing results, leading to the development of smarter business decisions. With a comprehensive collection of methods from both data analysis and data mining disciplines, this book successfully describes the issues that need to be considered, the steps that need to be taken, and appropriately treats technical topics to accomplish effective decision making from data.

Readers are given a solid foundation in the procedures associated with complex data analysis or data mining projects and are provided with concrete discussions of the most universal tasks and technical solutions related to the analysis of data, including:
* Problem definitions
* Data preparation
* Data visualization
* Data mining
* Statistics
* Grouping methods
* Predictive modeling
* Deployment issues and applications

Throughout the book, the author examines why these multiple approaches are needed and how these methods will solve different problems. Processes, along with methods, are carefully and meticulously outlined for use in any data analysis or data mining project.

From summarizing and interpreting data, to identifying non-trivial facts, patterns, and relationships in the data, to making predictions from the data, Making Sense of Data addresses the many issues that need to be considered as well as the steps that need to be taken to master data analysis and mining.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #118634 in Books
Published on: 2006-11-28
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
292 pages
Editorial Reviews

Review
"…a well-written book on data analysis and data mining that provides an excellent foundation…" (CHOICE, May 2007)

"This is a must-read book for learning practical statistics and data analysis" (Computing Reviews.com, May 22, 2007)


"…the book should be accessible to all its intended readers." (MAA Reviews, December 28, 2006)

From the Back Cover
A practical, step-by-step approach to making sense out of data

Making Sense of Data educates readers on the steps and issues that need to be considered in order to successfully complete a data analysis or data mining project. The author provides clear explanations that guide the reader to make timely and accurate decisions from data in almost every field of study. A step-by-step approach aids professionals in carefully analyzing data and implementing results, leading to the development of smarter business decisions. With a comprehensive collection of methods from both data analysis and data mining disciplines, this book successfully describes the issues that need to be considered, the steps that need to be taken, and appropriately treats technical topics to accomplish effective decision making from data.

Readers are given a solid foundation in the procedures associated with complex data analysis or data mining projects and are provided with concrete discussions of the most universal tasks and technical solutions related to the analysis of data, including:
Problem definitions
Data preparation
Data visualization
Data mining
Statistics
Grouping methods
Predictive modeling
Deployment issues and applications

Throughout the book, the author examines why these multiple approaches are needed and how these methods will solve different problems. Processes, along with methods, are carefully and meticulously outlined for use in any data analysis or data mining project.

From summarizing and interpreting data, to identifying non-trivial facts, patterns, and relationships in the data, to making predictions from the data, Making Sense of Data addresses the many issues that need to be considered as well as the steps that need to be taken to master data analysis and mining.

About the Author
GLENN J. MYATT, PhD, is cofounder of Leadscope, Inc., a data mining company providing solutions to the pharmaceutical and chemical industry. He has also acted as a part-time lecturer in chemoinformatics at The Ohio State University and has held a series of industrial and academic research positions. Dr. Myatt is the author of numerous journal articles.
Customer Reviews

Good Overview of Data Mining and Analysis
This book is a relatively good survey of the main issues and concepts involved in data mining and analysis. It covers a wide breadth of material and does so in a fluid way, but I do have one gripe with it. The problem I have with this book is the level of detail on some subjects. I would say that this book is written for someone of an advanced undergraduate level to understand the concepts involved in data mining, even though someone with that degree would not have a serious position doing data mining. This perplexes me somewhat, because I somehow expected slightly more rigor in the way topics were covered in a data mining book. Not to the level of a math stat book, clearly, but still.

In summary, there's a lot here about how data mining is done, but not a lot about how to mine data. Perhaps I expected the wrong things, or perhaps I expected too much, but that's my initial take on the book. If you're looking for depth and detail you won't find it here, but if you want a thorough introduction to data mining, and I do mean only an introduction, this text definitely will serve you well.

Again, don't misunderstand, this text definitely has it's value. It gives you a lot of information about the basics of data mining under a variety of circumstances (variable types, for example ordinal vs. nominal vs. ratio and so forth) and how to approach the analysis in each case. It mainly centers on the univariate case and seems to only touch briefly on multivariate models (which, in practice, are usually the norm).

As stated, for an introduction to the process, concepts and main issue of data mining and predictive modeling, this text is absolutely fine. I just think it needs to be made more clear what the target audience is for this text. I'm not saying I was disappointed, because there is much to learn in this book even for the practicing statistician, but I would argue that I expected more, based on the description.

Even so, 4 stars for the good quality of the writing, the breadth of coverage and the layout of the book. This should be required reading for those entering (or thinking about entering) the field of quantitative analysis and modeling.

Data Lifecycles: Managing Data for Strategic Advantage by Roger Reid

Product Description

Businesses now rely almost entirely on applications and databases, causing data and storage needs to increase at astounding rates. It is therefore imperative for a company to optimize and simplify the complexity of managing its data resources.

Plenty of storage products are now available, however the challenge remains for companies to proactively manage their storage assets and align the resources to the various departments, divisions, geographical locations and business processes to achieve improved efficiency and profitability. Data Lifecycles identifies ways to incorporate an intelligent service platform to manage and map the storage of data. The authors give an overview of the latest trends and technologies in storage networking and cover critical issues such as world-wide compliance.

Data Lifecycles:
Provides a single-source guide to data and storage methodologies, processes, technologies and compliance issues.
Addresses the need of an encompassing intelligent data and storage management platform for modern businesses.
Gives an overview of the latest data technologies and concepts such as utility computing and information lifecycle management.
Clearly defines and describes lifecycle management and strategies to ensure growth of critical business data.
Shows how to dramatically reduce the total cost of storage ownership and provide rapid return on investment.
Enables customers to make decisions directed toward the purchase of storage tools and storage management solutions.

This text is an ideal introduction to modern data lifecycle management for network managers, system administrators, storage/system architects, network managers, information management directors as well as CIO/CTOs and their teams, senior IT managers and decision makers, and database administrators.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #409714 in Books
Published on: 2007-01-29
Number of items: 1
Binding: Hardcover
268 pages
Editorial Reviews

Review
"This quick and easy read is recommended for decision makers…" (Computing Reviews.com, May 31, 2007)

From the Back Cover
Businesses now rely almost entirely on applications and databases, causing data and storage needs to increase at astounding rates. It is therefore imperative for a company to optimize and simplify the complexity of managing its data resources.


Plenty of storage products are now available, however the challenge remains for companies to proactively manage their storage assets and align the resources to the various departments, divisions, geographical locations and business processes to achieve improved efficiency and profitability. Data Lifecycles identifies ways to incorporate an intelligent service platform to manage and map the storage of data. The authors give an overview of the latest trends and technologies in storage networking and cover critical issues such as world-wide compliance.


Data Lifecycles:
Provides a single-source guide to data and storage methodologies, processes, technologies and compliance issues.
Addresses the need of an encompassing intelligent data and storage management platform for modern businesses.
Gives an overview of the latest data technologies and concepts such as utility computing and information lifecycle management.
Clearly defines and describes lifecycle management and strategies to ensure growth of critical business data.
Shows how to dramatically reduce the total cost of storage ownership and provide rapid return on investment.
Enables customers to make decisions directed toward the purchase of storage tools and storage management solutions.


This text is an ideal introduction to modern data lifecycle management for network managers, system administrators, storage/system architects, network managers, information management directors as well as CIO/CTOs and their teams, senior IT managers and decision makers, and database administrators.

About the Author
Roger Reid is an Enterprise Storage Architect for VERITAS Software Corporation with over ten years’ combined industry experience supporting various Fortune 500 customers in architecting and implementing a variety of storage solutions including storage area networks, storage virtualization, active storage resource management, backup and hierarchal storage management products.

Gareth Fraser-King is the Manager for Product Marketing in the European, Middle East, and African emerging territories producing high level messaging, white papers, articles, presentations, and marketing deliverables. He has worked as a writer and marketer for over 20 years, the last 10 within the IT industry, and possesses a wide range of marketing experience, including copywriting, business, technical and service authoring, as well as business development, operation efficiency, strategic planning, affinity marketing, product development and quality management.
Customer Reviews

ok, but somewhat overpriced
The authors attempt to raise the consciousness of the technical reader about clarifying the different types of data that her company stores. The reader might perhaps be an IT manager, who has to deal with issues like deciding when to buy new storage media, and what type of media this should be.

The text suggests that many companies simply view storage as being of infinite capacity, and always available, ie. online. This is too simplistic and very costly. There should be a scrutiny that classifies data. Specifically, you should decide what data really needs to be continuously online. Data outside this category should be either deleted or committed to offline storage, which is invariably much cheaper. Here, the cost savings arise from the offline media being cheaper and by lower power costs. Since the offline media should be held without any power consumption.

The authors are all from Symantec. But the book is careful to mention Symantec only a few times. Its advice is broadly applicable and vendor independent.

The discussion is useful. But the list price of $100 [!] seems excessive.

Professional ADO.NET 2: Programming with SQL Server 2005, Oracle, and MySQL by Wallace B. McClure

Product Description

ADO.NET revolutionized the way data was accessed through SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. With Microsoft's release of ADO.NET 2, ADO and the .NET Framework are integrated with SQL Server for the first time-enabling you to program .NET applications directly within the SQL Server database.

Packed with sample code and recommended best practices for using ADO.NET 2, this code-intensive book explores the new data types that are available in the 2.0 Framework and discusses the appropriate time and way to use them. You'll learn how to make repetitive, mundane tasks much simpler and you'll walk away with a solid foundation for developing database-driven applications.

What you will learn from this book
The basics of creating a connection, executing a query, and returning a result
Best uses for Oracle in the ADO.NET Framework
The many new features that are available for XML
How to use the full text search capabilities of Microsoft(r) SQL Server 2005
Methods for retrieving data and presenting it in various ways
Why MySQL is a viable option for data storage

Who this book is for

This book is for experienced database developers who want to learn the latest release of ADO.NET 2.0. Knowledge of ADO.NET 1.0, general .NET development, and Microsoft SQL Server is necessary.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #529523 in Books
Published on: 2005-12-05
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
648 pages
Editorial Reviews

Download Description
ADO.NET revolutionized the way data was accessed through SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. With Microsoft's release of ADO.NET 2, ADO and the .NET Framework are integrated with SQL Server for the first time-enabling you to program .NET applications directly within the SQL Server database. Packed with sample code and recommended best practices for using ADO.NET 2, this code-intensive book explores the new data types that are available in the 2.0 Framework and discusses the appropriate time and way to use them. You'll learn how to make repetitive, mundane tasks much simpler and you'll walk away with a solid foundation for developing database-driven applications. What you will learn from this book The basics of creating a connection, executing a query, and returning a result Best uses for Oracle in the ADO.NET Framework The many new features that are available for XML How to use the full text search capabilities of Microsoft(r) SQL Server 2005 Methods for retrieving data and presenting it in various ways Why MySQL is a viable option for data storage Who this book is for This book is for experienced database developers who want to learn the latest release of ADO.NET 2.0. Knowledge of ADO.NET 1.0, general .NET development, and Microsoft SQL Server is necessary. Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

From the Back Cover
ADO.NET revolutionized the way data was accessed through SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. With Microsoft's release of ADO.NET 2, ADO and the .NET Framework are integrated with SQL Server for the first time—enabling you to program .NET applications directly within the SQL Server database.

Packed with sample code and recommended best practices for using ADO.NET 2, this code-intensive book explores the new data types that are available in the 2.0 Framework and discusses the appropriate time and way to use them. You'll learn how to make repetitive, mundane tasks much simpler and you'll walk away with a solid foundation for developing database-driven applications.

What you will learn from this book
The basics of creating a connection, executing a query, and returning a result
Best uses for Oracle in the ADO.NET Framework
The many new features that are available for XML
How to use the full text search capabilities of Microsoft® SQL Server 2005
Methods for retrieving data and presenting it in various ways
Why MySQL is a viable option for data storage

Who this book is for

This book is for experienced database developers who want to learn the latest release of ADO.NET 2.0. Knowledge of ADO.NET 1.0, general .NET development, and Microsoft SQL Server is necessary.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

About the Author
Wallace B. McClure graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1990 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He continued his education there, receiving a master’s degree in the same field in 1991. Since that time, he has done consulting and development for such companies as Coca-Cola, Bechtel National, Magnatron, and Lucent Technologies, among others. Products and services have included work with ASP, ADO, XML, and SQL Server, as well as numerous applications in the Microsoft .NET Framework. Wally McClure specializes in building applications that have large numbers of users and large amounts of data. He is a Microsoft MVP and an ASPInsider, and a partner in Scalable Development, Inc. You can read Wally’s blog at http://weblogs.asp.net/wallym/.

Gregory A. Beamer is a solutions architect specializing in Microsoft Internet technologies. Greg got involved in programming in the early 1990s with Visual Basic 3 and has stayed on the leading edge of Microsoft Internet technologies since the Denali beta (ASP 1.0). Greg first worked with .NET with the PDC 2000 beta and has been on both the SQL Server 2005 and .NET 2.0 betas since spring 2003. When Greg is not working, he spends his time with his wife, Tiffany, and their four daughters, Rebecca, Emily, Annabelle, and Miranda.

John J. Croft IV graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1991, receiving a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He then spent five years consulting for large companies, including Coca-Cola, BellSouth, and MCI. Work at these companies primarily involved C and C++ programming and object-oriented systems analysis. His various clients have included both Fortune 100s and small startup companies. Their problems have ranged drastically, from large databases and executive information systems to lithotripter control and satellite telemetry. Croft has completed projects with Java, XML, and, recently, C# and .NET applications. He is a partner in Scalable Development, Inc.

J. Ambrose Little is the editor-in-chief of the ASPAlliance, an ASPInsider, and a Microsoft ASP.NET MVP who currently works as a Web architect for a large credit union in Tampa, Florida. Previously, he worked as a consultant at Verizon, creating XMLWeb Services and middle-tier components, and for BOK Financial’s Web Services department creating ASP.NET applications for their intranet. His pre-.NET programming experience consists mostly of developing Web applications using ASP and VB COM/DCOM for several years. He has a bachelor’s degree in medieval European history, which remains an interest. Apart from developing software, he enjoys movies, reading, writing, foosball, chess, tennis, badminton, and spending time with his wonderful family.

Bill Ryan currently works as a senior software developer for TiBA Solutions in Greenville, SC. He is also a Windows Embedded MVP, has served on Macromedia’s Flash Advisory Board, and helps run two popular .NET Focused Web sites (www.devbuzz.com and www.knowdotnet.com) and his blog www.msmvps.com/WilliamRyan. After earning his master’s degree in business administration, Bill began work as a statistical analyst, but quickly realized that his true love was programming. He has worked in multiple industries, including financial services/securities, manufacturing, health care, pharmaceuticals, and, currently, consulting. Bill is a frequent speaker at user’s group meetings, has spoken at multiple Microsoft Code Camps, and has hosted multiple MSDN Webcasts. Although technologically related things consume most of his time, Bill’s other interests include cult films, economics, Freemasonry, cuckoo clocks, and, most important, his girlfriend, Kim, and her daughter, Sarah.

Phil Winstanley is a Web applications developer working for Portfolio Europe, located in Manchester, England. He has been involved with ASP.NET since its inception, and has developed a deep understanding of the platform. As a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional), member of the ASPInsiders, co-owner of Microsoft Web Developers UK, and the North West England Regional Director for the .NET Exchange, Phil is deeply embedded in the development community and works closely with the Web Platforms team at Microsoft, regularly visiting the developers in Redmond, Washington.

David Yack is the president of Colorado Technology Consultants, Inc. He is a hands-on technology consultant with solid management experience in privately held and Fortune 500 companies and has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry. David is currently responsible for leading Colorado Technology Consultants’ focus on Microsoft .NET technologies. David is an active participant in the Microsoft development community, ranging from the Denver .NET user group to Microsoft’s Public Communities, such as www.asp.net and http://aspalliance.com. David is the leader of the South Colorado .NET user group. David is recognized by Microsoft as a .NET MVP (Most Valuable Professional).

Jeremy Zongker is a software development manager who works primarily on data-driven ASP.NET applications with Microsoft SQL Server databases. He is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer for .NET and a 2004 MVP for ASP.NET. Jeremy is the founder and senior developer for Trilitech, LLC, a Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, software development company.
Customer Reviews

A good ADO.Net reference
This book has a lot of good information. I found myself skimming forward just a little but there was still lots of good info to make me want to keep reading. I wish there was sometimes more explanation of why the author feels a certain way but all and all this is book worth owning.

What a letdown
I have 16 years experience as an adjunct instructor at a community college. I have a BS in Engineering and I'm 3 credits away from my Master's in Comp Sci.
I'm taking time from my class prep to write this review...
I have been assigned to teach a Visual Basic programming class with this book. Had I been given the opportunity to read the text beforehand, I would have fought hard to use some other book. The example code is formatted so poorly that I am embarassed to use it in class. Some of the example code in the book doesn't even match what's available for download on the WROX web site. The QC staff at WROX should be reassigned. I've QC'd many programming textbooks myself and I can see that this stinker was rushed to print without enough editing.
Don't be fooled by the title. The majority of the examples are SQL Server-specific. OK, Visual Studio has a SQL Server bent, given that both are Microsoft Products. That's no secret. However, if the title of the book references Oracle and MySQL, then all the examples should also. If a particular paradigm can only be implemented in SQL Server, then the authors have a responsibility to provide work-arounds for the other DBMS's that are listed on the cover of the book. Arrrgh.

Chapter 1 covers the History of Data Access. That doesn't fit with the remainder of the book. Part of chapter 2 covers normalization, also not a good fit with the remainder of the book. The authors even admit that the book is aimed at software developers who have prior knowledge of ADO .Net and SQL Server. That implies prior knowledge of normalization and database design.

Recently I was at the bookstore with my 11 year-old. I was agonizing over which ASP .Net book (both WROX titles) to purchase, so I held up two possibilities and asked her to help. She noted that one cover had 3 author's faces on it and the other had two. She concluded that the book with 3 faces must be better. I couldn't argue with that logic. This book has seven faces on it, but it just doesn't deliver.

Could not get download code to work. Wiley no help!
I had hoped that working through this book would bring extra insight and new techniques. After all, I have been a database consultant for 15 years and designed, programed and implemented many large solutions.

I found that the book left much unsaid and detailed instructions non existant. I had problems with the download code. It appears to be tied up with VS team system, so if you are a home or small business who is unfamiliar with tem system then you may have problems.

I contacted Wiley Customer Support, but they just told me the code works and provided nothing helpful.

I will not be buying any more Wrox / Wiley books.

Professional SQL Server 2005 XML (Programmer to Programmer) by Scott Klein

Product Description

Discusses SQL Server 2005 XML from the server and client sides
Examines using XSLT to render the XML data that is retrieved from SQL Server, particularly for ASP.NET
Addresses SQL Server relationship with schemas, SOAP, XML security, and .NET
Makes extensive use of examples to solve problems that programmers face on an everyday basis and features Server 2005 XML best practices
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #314875 in Books
Published on: 2006-01-11
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
552 pages
Editorial Reviews

Download Description
Discusses SQL Server 2005 XML from the server and client sides Examines using XSLT to render the XML data that is retrieved from SQL Server, particularly for ASP.NET Addresses SQL Server relationship with schemas, SOAP, XML security, and .NET Makes extensive use of examples to solve problems that programmers face on an everyday basis and features Server 2005 XML best practices

About the Author
Scott Klein is a software developer and architect, and his passion for SQL Server, .NET, and all things XML led him to Greenville, South Carolina, where he currently works as a SQL/.NET developer for CSI, a software solutions company. He has written several articles for TopXML (www.TopXLM.com) and is a frequent speaker at SQL Server and .NET user groups around Greenville and the surrounding areas. When he is not sitting in front of a computer or spending time with his family, he can usually be found aboard his Yamaha at the local motocross track.

Download Description
Discusses SQL Server 2005 XML from the server and client sides Examines using XSLT to render the XML data that is retrieved from SQL Server, particularly for ASP.NET Addresses SQL Server relationship with schemas, SOAP, XML security, and .NET Makes extensive use of examples to solve problems that programmers face on an everyday basis and features Server 2005 XML best practices
Customer Reviews

lazy edition
I didn't read all of it but the code samples in the first 3 chapters has a terrible mismatch with variables names. Some of the chapter's paragraphs are repeating them self.
I got the feeling they get to rush in this edition.
But you should take into account that i'm very pedantic.
Search inside before you make your decision.

examples and rest of book do not correlate.
Just been thru Chapter 1 - what is in the book and the snippets of the code that follow do not correlate. This is just like a developer code, wrote something and threw it across the wall for testing, never matters if the code matches requirements or not.

You Need this Book
If you are considering using XML in SQL Server 2005, this book will pay for itself quickly. The clear examples of creating XML Schema collections, altering them, etc. are very helpful.

The only problem with this book is that SQL Server 2005 does not fully support XML Schemas. Because this book was written using a beta product (I believe) perhaps the author could not have know exactly how the final version would shake out. However, partial support of standards is important to any developer. You often find out only by trial and error what is supported and what isn't. The Wrox web site offers nothing of the kind for this book. So buy this book, but be aware if you are using complex XML Schemas there may be some surprises (e.g., notation not supported).