asked
Best way to learn SQL Server
I am an Oracle DBA who has to manage SQL Server DBs, what is the best way to learn it? Is there a good book to read or an internet site that has training for free? TY
Lots of free SQL Server resources out there. PASS has a lot of resources for people just like you. Check out my blog on the topic. [My Blog](
http://timradney.com/2011/06/28/getting-ahead-and-getting-involved/) A quick list of things for you. [24 Hours of PASS](
http://timradney.com/2011/08/03/register-for-24-hours-of-pass-now-sqlpass/) SQL Saturday's SQL Lunches Local PASS Chapters Virtual PASS Chapters Blogs [SSC Blogs](
http://sqlservercentral.com/blogs)
Other than attending free training sessions that are available the best way to learn is to do. Get ahold of a developer edition of SQL Server, download Adventureworks and start playing. Do you know what area of SQL you want to build your skill set in? Business Intelligence, Production DBA, Database Developer? Knowing that may help direct your focus but if you are like many of us you need to know a little about it all.
There have been some good discussions around learning SQL Server on the site before. Here are a couple previous ones to get you rolling: - [
http://ask.sqlservercentral.com/questions/21767/how-to-learn-sql-server][1] - [
http://ask.sqlservercentral.com/questions/5058/what-topicstools-should-i-need-to-know-to-become-best-production-dba][2] [1]:
http://ask.sqlservercentral.com/questions/21767/how-to-learn-sql-server [2]:
http://ask.sqlservercentral.com/questions/5058/what-topicstools-should-i-need-to-know-to-become-best-production-dba
As KenJ mentioned, this has been discussed several times here and those discussions list good resources. But those conversations tended to assume you were just starting out and you are instead coming with experience in Oracle. For that particular case, I would start with the [Oracle to SQL Server][1] articles by Jonathan Lewis on Simple Talk. Also, I will highlight one crucial distinction: Oracle is highly optimized for using cursors, so cursor based approaches are sometimes the best approach there. SQL Server is highly optimized for set based code and a cursor is rarely (some have even said never) the right approach there. Welcome to SQL Server incidentally. [1]:
http://www.simple-talk.com/sql/learn-sql-server/oracle-to-sql-server-crossing-the-great-divide,-part-1/
There is also a Oracle to SQL Server talk Buck Woody and Kevin Kline did on Quest Software's on-demand webcast. It was called something like "SQL Server for the Oracle Professional", I think.
One of my favorite resources is
sqlshare.com - it offers a ton of free, short videos on SQL Server topics.
And most importantly, when learning about SQL Server, come here to ASKSSC with all your questions. We'd love to answer them.
Thank you. Now the race is for 40K then 50K. After that, who cares til someone gets near 3 digits.
And I already voted up your answer here, so I'm doing my part.
Download and install SQLExpress - it's free, and an installer is available through Microsoft's Web Platform Installer . For more advanced stuff, there's SQL Express with Advanced Services. For the full experience, as @TRAD says, get the Developer edition - it's pretty much the Enterprise edition but designed to run on a Client OS rather than Server - and the best bit is it's cheap. One afternoon I paid (in rip-off Britain) less than £50 to get a copy delivered unto me the following morning. Oh, and RTFM. The Books On-Line is easily searched via Google by using, for example, the following search string: "sql server 2008" +site:
msdn.microsoft.com And round here, we will help. We like it if people RTFM, though. See Paul Randal's recent blog post:
