Best Microsoft SQL Server Books To Be Awesome

You'll learn methodically, systematically, and simply–in 22 short, quick lessons that will each take only 10 minutes or less to complete. With the Fourth Edition of this worldwide bestseller, the book has been thoroughly updated, expanded, and improved. Lessons now cover the latest versions of IBM DB2, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, and Apache Open Office Base. And new full-color SQL code listings help the beginner clearly see the elements and structure of the language.
What You Will Learn
- Use the major SQL statements
- Construct complex SQL statements using multiple clauses and operators
- Retrieve, sort, and format database contents
- Pinpoint the data you need using a variety of filtering techniques
- Use aggregate functions to summarize data
- Join two or more related tables
- Insert, update, and delete data
- Create and alter database tables
- Work with views, stored procedures, and more.
2. Training Kit (Exam 70-461) Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (MCSA) (Microsoft Press Training Kit)
Ace your preparation for Microsoft Certification Exam 70-461 with this 2-in-1 Training Kit from Microsoft Press. Work at your own pace through a series of lessons and practical exercises, and then assess your skills with practice tests on CD–featuring multiple, customizable testing options.
What You Will Learn
- Create database objects
- Work with data
- Modify data
- Troubleshoot and optimize queries.
Master the fundamentals of Transact-SQL—and develop your own code for querying and modifying data in Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012. Led by a SQL Server expert, you’ll learn the concepts behind T-SQL querying and programming, and then apply your knowledge with exercises in each chapter. Once you understand the logic behind T-SQL, you’ll quickly learn how to write effective code—whether you’re a programmer or database administrator.
What You Will Learn
- Work with programming practices unique to T-SQL
- Create database tables and define data integrity
- Query multiple tables using joins and subqueries
- Simplify code and improve maintainability with table expressions
- Implement insert, update, delete, and merge data modification strategies
- Tackle advanced techniques such as window functions, pivoting and grouping sets
- Control data consistency using isolation levels, and mitigate deadlocks and blocking
- Take T-SQL to the next level with programmable objects.
SQL can seem daunting to those with little to zero programming knowledge and can even pose a challenge to those that have experience with other languages. Most resources jump right into the technical jargon and are not suited for someone to really grasp how SQL Actually Works. That’s why we created this book. Our goal here is simple: show you exactly everything you need to know to utilize SQL in whatever capacity you may need in simple, easy to follow concepts. Our book provides Multiple Step-by-Step Examples of how to master these SQL concepts to ensure you know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it every step of the way.
What You Will Learn
- What are Relational Databases and How are They Structured!
- Why Knowing SQL Is Important To Almost Any Database!
- The Fundamentals of SQL Programming Syntax!
- How To Retrieve Any Type of Data You May Need Within Your Database!
- The Important Differences in SQL Syntax Across Database Programs!
- The Top Mistakes to AVOID That Those New To SQL Make.
Structured Query Language or SQL is famously used to interact with database. You may be working at a hotel, bank, government, or any industry, SQL is certainly a necessity to run your daily operations! SQL: The Ultimate Guide From Beginner To Expert – Learn And Master SQL In No Time is a book that will introduce you to a computer language that has helped so many business owners and information technologists with daily reports and database management without the fear of crashing.
What You Will Learn
- The Fundamentals of SQL
- The Syntax of SQL
- Data Types in SQL
- The Basics of Functions in SQL
- A Guide to Scalar Functions
- Creating a Table in SQL
- Recommendations.
Learning how to solve these problems will give you the skill and confidence to step up in your career. With SQL Practice Problems, you can get that level of experience by solving sets of targeted problems. These aren't just problems designed to give an example of specific syntax. These are the most common problems you encounter when you deal with data. You will get real world practice, with real world data. I'll teach you how to "think" in SQL, how to analyze data problems, figure out the fundamentals, and work towards a solution that you can be proud of. It contains challenging problems, which develop your ability to write high quality SQL code.
What You Will Learn
- Setup instructions for MS SQL Server Express Edition 2016 and SQL Server Management Studio 2016 (Microsoft Windows required). Both are free downloads.
- A customized sample database, with a video walk-through on setting it up.
- Practice problems - 57 problems that you work through step-by-step. There are targeted hints if you need them, which help guide you through the question. For the more complex questions, there are multiple levels of hints.
- Answers and a short, targeted discussion section on each question, with alternative answers and tips on usage and good programming practice.
If so, “Easy SQL Programming & Database Management For Beginners. Your Step-By-Step Guide To Learning The SQL Database” by Felix Alvaro is the book for you! It breaks down the fundamental elements that are essential to make you a confident SQL programmer and proficient in Database Management.SQL is a software language that is powerful yet simple, flexible, portable and, most of all, integrated into numerous database applications. The current trend now is to become more digital in managing databases.
What You Will Learn
- The history of SQL and its uses
- The fundamentals of Relational Databases and Database Management Systems
- The SQL Structure
- The SQL Data Types
- Data Definition Language Statements
- Data Manipulation Language Statements
- Data Query Language Statements
- Transactional Control Commands
- Working with Database Views
- Enhancing Database Designs Using Primary and Foreign Keys, Index and Normalization
- Understanding Cursors, Triggers and Errors
- And much more!
SQL: The Ultimate Beginners Guide - Learn SQL Today
In addition, the concepts of SQL are laid out in a simple, concise language and instructions to help you learn the steps properly. Specific examples and sample tables is showcased to help you practice most of the SQL queries.
Get up and running on Microsoft SQL Server 2012 in no time with help from this thoroughly revised, practical resource. Filled with real-world examples and hands-on exercises, Microsoft SQL Server 2012: A Beginner's Guide, Fifth Edition starts by explaining fundamental relational database system concepts. Then, you'll learn how to write Transact-SQL statements, execute simple and complex database queries, handle system administration and security, and use the powerful analysis, business intelligence, and reporting tools. XML, spatial data, and full-text search are also covered in this step-by-step tutorial.
What You Will Learn
- Install, configure, and customize SQL Server 2012
- Create and modify database objects with Transact SQL statements
- Write stored procedures and user-defined functions
- Handle backup and recovery
- Automate administrative tasks
- Tune your database system for optimal performance, availability, and reliability
- Implement security measures using authentication, encryption, and authorization
- Work with SQL Server Analysis Services, SQL Server Reporting Services, and other business intelligence tools
- Store, display, and query XML documents
- Manage spatial data
- Query documents using MS Full-Text Search (FTS).
Teach yourself the programming fundamentals of SQL Server 2012—one step at a time. Ideal for beginning SQL Server database administrators and developers, this tutorial provides clear guidance and practical, learn-by-doing exercises for building database solutions that solve real-world business problems.
What You Will Learn
- Install and work with core components and tools
- Create tables and index structures
- Manipulate and retrieve data
- Secure, manage, back up, and recover databases
- Apply techniques for building high-performing applications
- Use clustering, database mirroring, and log shipping.

The 2014 release of Microsoft's SQL Server Integration Services provides enhancements for managing extraction, transformation, and load operations, plus expanded in-memory capabilities, improved disaster recovery, increased scalability, and much more. New tools come with new best practices, and Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Integration Services will keep you ahead of the curve. SQL Server MVP Brian Knight is the most respected name in the business, and your ultimate guide to navigating the changes to use Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services 2014 to your utmost advantage.
What You Will Learn
- Implement new best practices for effective use of SSIS
- Work through tutorials for hands-on learning of complex techniques
- Read case studies that illustrate the more advanced concepts
- Learn directly from the foremost authority on SSIS.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Integration Services (SISS) builds on the revolutionary database product suite first introduced in 2005. A team of SQL Server experts deciphers this complex topic and provides detailed coverage of the new features of the 2012 product release. In addition to technical updates and additions, the authors present you with a new set of SISS best practices, based on years of real-world experience that have transpired since the previous edition was published.
What You Will Learn
- Details the newest features of the 2012 SISS product release, which is the most significant release since 2005
- Addresses the keys to a successful ETL solution, such as using the right enterprise ETL tool and employing the right ETL architecture in order to meet the system requirements
- Includes additional case studies and tutorial examples to illustrate advanced concepts and techniques.

Four leading SQL Server experts present deep practical insights for administering SQL Server, analyzing and optimizing queries, implementing data warehouses, ensuring high availability, tuning performance, and much more. You will benefit from their behind-the-scenes look into SQL Server, showing what goes on behind the various wizards and GUI-based tools. You’ll learn how to use the underlying SQL commands to fully unlock the power and capabilities of SQL Server.
What You Will Learn
- Understand SQL Server 2014’s new features and each edition’s capabilities and licensing
- Install, upgrade to, and configure SQL Server 2014 for better performance and easier management
- Streamline and automate key administration tasks with Smart Admin
- Leverage powerful new backup/restore options: flexible backup to URL, Managed Backup to Windows Azure, and encrypted backups
- Strengthen security with new features for enforcing “least privilege”
- Improve performance with updateable columnstore indexes, Delayed Durability, and other enhancements
- Execute queries and business logic more efficiently with memoryoptimized tables, buffer pool extension, and natively-compiled stored procedures
- Control workloads and Disk I/O with the Resource Governor
- Deploy AlwaysOn Availability Groups and Failover Cluster Instances to achieve enterprise-class availability and disaster recovery
- Apply new Business Intelligence improvements in Master Data Services, data quality, and Parallel Data Warehouse.
Exam Ref 70-761 Querying Data with Transact-SQL, 9781509304332, offers professional-level preparation that helps candidates maximize their exam performance and sharpen their skills on the job. It focuses on the specific areas of expertise modern database professionals need to succeed with T-SQL database queries.
Exam Ref 70-762 Developing SQL Databases, 9781509304912, offers professional-level preparation that helps candidates maximize their exam performance and sharpen their skills on the job. It focuses on the specific areas of expertise modern database professionals need to succeed with SQL database development.
As the most significant update since 2008, Microsoft SQL Server 2012 boasts updates and new features that are critical to understand. Whether you manage and administer SQL Server 2012 or are planning to get your MCSA: SQL Server 2012 certification, this book is the perfect supplement to your learning and preparation. From understanding SQL Server's roles to implementing business intelligence and reporting, this practical book explores tasks and scenarios that a working SQL Server DBA faces regularly and shows you step by step how to handle them.
What You Will Learn
- Includes practice exams and coverage of exam objectives for those seeking MSCA: SQL Server 2012 certification
- Explores the skills you'll need on the job as a SQL Server 2012 DBA
- Discusses designing and implementing database solutions
- Walks you through administrating, maintaining, and securing SQL Server 2012
- Addresses implementing high availability and data distribution
- Includes bonus videos where the author walks you through some of the more difficult tasks expected of a DB.

Explore the core engine of Microsoft SQL Server 2012—and put that practical knowledge to work. Led by a team of SQL Server experts, you’ll learn the skills you need to exploit key architectural features. Go behind the scenes to understand internal operations for creating, expanding, shrinking, and moving databases—whether you’re a database developer, architect, or administrator.
What You Will Learn
- Dig into SQL Server 2012 architecture and configuration
- Use the right recovery model and control transaction logging
- Reduce query execution time through proper index design
- Track events, from triggers to the Extended Event Engine
- Examine internal structures with database console commands
- Transcend row-size limitations with special storage capabilities
- Choose the right transaction isolation level and concurrency model
- Take control over query plan caching and reuse.
With Microsoft SQL Server 2016, a variety of new features and enhancements to the data platform deliver breakthrough performance, advanced security, and richer, integrated reporting and analytics capabilities.
In this ebook, we introduce new security features: Always Encrypted, Row-Level Security, and dynamic data masking; discuss enhancements that enable you to better manage performance and storage: TemDB configuration, query store, and Stretch Database; review several improvements to Reporting Services; and also describe AlwaysOn Availability Groups, tabular enhancements, and R integration.
Learn SQL Server Administration in a Month of Lunches is the perfect way to get started with SQL Server operations, including maintenance, backup and recovery, high availability, and performance monitoring. In about an hour a day over a month, you'll learn exactly what you can do, and what you shouldn't touch. Most importantly, you'll learn the day-to-day tasks and techniques you need to keep SQL Server humming along smoothly.
What You Will Learn
- Master the basics—indexes, logins, backup, recovery ... and more
- Learn what you can and cannot do when supporting a third-party application
- Monitor and improve performance
- Written by expert trainer and bestselling author Don Jones
- Accessible to readers of any level of experience, the book covers techniques for all versions of SQLServer 2005-2014.
Pro SQL Server Internals covers a multiple SQL Server versions starting with SQL Server 2005 all the way up to the recently released SQL Server 2014. You’ll learn about new SQL Server 2014 features including the new Cardinality Estimator, In-Memory OLTP Engine (codename Hekaton), and Clustered Columnstore Indexes. With Pro SQL Server Internals, you have a solid roadmap for understanding the depth and power of the SQL Server database backend, regardless of the version and edition of SQL Server you use.
What You Will Learn
- Design and develop efficient database solutions utilizing SQL Server as the database backend.
- Troubleshoot and address design, concurrency, and performance issues in systems.
- Choose the right database objects and technologies for the job.
- Improve system availability and manageability and reduce implementation costs with data partitioning.
- Design efficient Disaster Recovery and High-Availability strategies for systems.
- Improve the performance of OLTP and Data Warehouse systems by utilizing new SQL Server 2014 features, such as the In-Memory OLTP Engine and Clustered Columnstore Indexes.