Monday 15 April 2013

SQL Server 2012 Administration Essentials - Sean McCown - Train Signal


SQL Server 2012 Administration Essentials


Sean McCown


This course is designed to teach you the basics of becoming an SQL administrator. Sean does not presume any previous knowledge or experience, but he also does not spoon feed everything. He expects you to work and he gives you the tools to learn SQL and the tools to know where and how to start looking when you run into issues. With just over 14 hours of material, there is a lot to learn here. Sean does not, for the most part, use a prebuilt Database so you cannot follow along exactly but you can use and database and do most of what he is doing. Sean is very passionate about SQL and his passion makes the materiel even more inviting and interesting to learn. The lessons are:

1. Introduction
2. Planning
3. Installing SQL Server 2012
4. Advance Installation
5. Basic Database Objects
6. Using SQL Server Management Studio
7. Database File Management
8. Database Configuration Options
9. Special Database Space Considerations
10. Server-Level Configurations
11. Database Console Commands (DBCC)
12. Server-Level Security
13. Database-Level Security
14. Transaction Logs and Recovery Models
15. Instance Configuration and Management
16. Working with Concurrency Problems
17. Collecting Troubleshooting Data
18. Auditing SQL Server
19. Backup Basics
20. Restore Basics
21. Indexes
22. Basic Ex3ecution Plans
23. Query Tuning
24. SQL Server Agent
25. Database Mail
26. Importing and Exporting Data
27. High Availability Basics
28. PowerShell

The one quirky thing was that the last lesson ends with "see you in the next lesson". When I reached out to Sean he said that the final order for the lessons was not 100% and likely just got missed during editing. Also every other SQL course I have ever looked at, or book I have read, people use ALL CAPS for writing their queries, Sean skips that; he also skips an intro about himself, he just jumps in and starts teaching. And that teaching is great.

Now let me give you some background.  A year ago, all I had ever really done with SQL was install it and hand it over to developers or administrators. Last year I changed roles and was soon primary for supporting 12 SQL servers across three different tiers and numerous lines of business and financial applications. I do not want to know enough to just get by. I want to know SQL inside and out. This course by Sean has gone a long way to meeting that goal! In the last year I have done 5 courses through TrainSignal online, and another 10 courses through other vendors or virtual classrooms and this was one of the best. So I can highly recommend this course.  My subscription to TrainSignal was worth it last year for this course alone!

Sean McCown is a Microsoft SQL Master and VMP. His wife Jen is also, and SQL MVP and together they have a number of online involvements in the SQL Community:
and more. Check them out. There is always something more to learn. And if I get the chance to do more courses created or taught by Sean, I will jump at the chance and so should you.



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