System Requirements… Really?

So this surprised me, but Mark Long said to be sure to know the system requirements for installing SQL Server 2000. Apparently it is a commonly asked question on the certification test (MCDBA).

So the two most commonly asked system requirement questions are about the processor and the RAM needed to install SQL Server 2000. You need a 166 MHz processor or high and you need 128 MB of RAM on Windows XP. He said you might be asked about the hard disc space (250 MB) needed for an installation, so it’s also good to memorize that. I thought it was strange that these questions would be asked now seeing as how its would be difficult to find a computer that did not me these requirements. However, the questions make more sense if you look at when they were written, and if you look at them as knowing SQL Server better over all.

So, you may ask, if you can’t see what your working on how do you work with it. Well, you work though the control panel SQL provides. Though this you can view what is happening in the database, update a database, and also send queries (requests for specific information). However, this is a screen that only the administrators and developers usually see, as the functions of SQL exist only as background of a computer interface.

You navigate with this screen which looks very much like the drive exploration on most computers. Though it looks complicated it is fairly easy to understand. and I’ll explain it in more depth later.

Also as a side note I am taking my SQL pictures from the videos because I believe Half Price Books might be angry if I published screen shots of server side applications.

Two Main Types of Databases

According to Mark Long there are two main types of databases. They are the Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) and the Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) databases. Most databases fall somewhere in between these to types.

The course that I’m taking focuses on the OLTP database, and I will mostly be writing about this type for the foreseeable future. OLTP are designed for a high volume of input, but are slow to retrieve data. They allow for simultaneous updates and are quick and responsive to updates. They are normalized . Normalization refers to the way a database is organized, meaning that it has several interconnected tables. These tables are linked though shared key words. Because this database has several interconnected tables it has little wasted space. For example, if a database stores someone name and addresses along with other information, but has two slots for addresses the second address would be on its own table. Thus if someone only had a single address entered in this database it would not be creating and storing an empty slot, and only people with multiple address would appear in the second address table.

OLAP databases are typically called data warehouse or a data mart and are mostly used for data analysis or data mining. I am interested in learning about this database but unfortunately it’s not covered in this course. They are designed for fast retrieval of data but are slower to accept input. They are denormalized. As you might imagine denormalization is basically the opposite of normalization. Therefore in denormalization you have fewer, larger tables that hold data. OLAP databases tend to be very larger than OLTP databases.

What is a Database?

Sorry it’s been a while since my last database related post. However, I’ve been working through the VTC site and am very pleased with it thus far. So, because I’m behind on my posts I’m going to rattle off several in a row so I can catch up.

The first step in learning SQL Server 2K always involve a brief history of SQL and the explanation of databases in a general since. (I say always, but mean in the books that I’ve started to read and in this video format.) I will not go into the background of SQL as you can read about it on Wikipedia. Instead, I will attempt to explain databases.

I probably don’t need to write this but, databases are spaces where information is stored and can be referenced. They are used by all businesses, be it a receipt book, file cabinet, or SQL. I as you might expect will be focused on SQL. Unlike most things made, SQL databases are not usually seen in their entirety. The most commonly used metaphor is to think of a database as a stack of Excel spreadsheet pages. However, since most databases consist of multiple tables that are cross referenced they are usually shown as flow charts. The flow chart can map the idea of a data base, but you never see the whole thing at once. When Z was explaining this concept he had me hold out my hands to imagine working on something then held a piece of paper in front of my face and said “It’s like this.” I feel that his might be the best illustration, if not it’s certainly the most fun.

Signing up on Apex

This is just a brief post about the afore mentioned VTC website.

The sign up process was very easy, just filling out a short one page form. After sign up you can create a course list, and the course list will save your progress. However, in order to save your progress you have to check a box next to the videos you’ve watched and save to the server. So far this does not irritate me, but I have friends at work that this might drive crazy, so be fore warned.

Thus far the videos have been good. The speaker, Mark Long, is interesting and he often switches between Power Point and SQL server 2000 to give examples, or better explain a concept.

I am so far pleased with the quality of these videos and would recommend them to anyone wanting to learn a program quickly on their own time.

Five Points of Interest

Once again please excuse my slight deviation, as this is a blog that was intended to be about my person adventure and learning process in SQL. I will not deviate to far, but need to point to five points of interest about SQL, though most of them are personal. 

1. Pertaining to this blog. I have seen many other blogs, several which I last posted, but none by someone who is not already an expert. As a novice I can provide guidance and in the future hindsight as to how to approach learning SQL Server.

2. Pertaining to my life. I am a masterful procrastinator and had said that I would learn SQL for at least four months before starting this blog. I have started, and feel more pressured to learn now that I have this blog to write. 

3. Also pertaining to my life. As I have already said I can make a comfortable living and have a relatively good sense of job security in this field, and still have time enough to pursue my own interests.

4.  Pertaining to SQL. I am very interested in learning SQL and eventually coming understand Data Warehousing. Many companies will need database warehouses and with this skill I could become an independent contractor, and have even more time to pursue my interests. 

5. Also pertaining to my life. I can use the skills I learn at work to advance my position, and begin to acquire experience in the field.

SQL Related Blogs

Here are a few blogs related about SQL. They are beyond my present level of expertise, but this is the direction that I’m headed.  

1. This is written by a community of knowledgeable people based in the UK. It therefore covers a wide range of SQL usage, and will eventually be a good resource for me.  http://sqlblogcasts.com/

2. Paul’s Blog focuses mainly on SQL Server 2008, and transitioning into it. It is not much longer than my blog, but SQL 2008 is a new product and I’m sure this will come in handy when I get there.  http://sqlskills.com/blogs/paul/

3. This is another community based blog, and once again above where I am at presently, but I believe it will be a good resource in my future.  http://www.sqlservercentral.com/

4. This is yet another community based blog but it is the first that I’ve seen give a prominent heading to Data Warehousing, which is a field I am very interested in learning.  http://sql-server-performance.com/

5. Saving my favorite for last, this is yet another community based blog. However it is the most visually appealing, and the easiest to navigate by topic. http://www.simple-talk.com/sql/

My Social Networking Habits

I know this is a bit off topic for my blog, but it is part of a homework assignment.

I’ve used Myspace as part of a band called The Freek Out, but mainly to read comments. I also have a Facebook page but only use it to look in on my friend periodically until recently had even edited my page. I recently joined Linked In and am still setting up my page in my free time. I am also on Twitter but have not posted much.  I am also on Career Builder.

I am comfortable alone, or with other people I know. However, when I’m at a party where I don’t know anyone, I tend not to talk to anyone unless I think they are interesting, and even then I wait so I can speak to them myself. I don’t think that it has to do with a fear of being on stage, and I don’t really worry about people reacting to what I say badly, as I’m typically a nice guy and semi-well spoken. I like to think I just enjoy one on one interaction much more than group interaction, and most social networking sites feel like group interaction with strangers to me, where I typical blend into the wallpaper.

How to Learn SQL

I am surprised that out of the twenty people in my department, five of the have gone to the intensive day training courses, to learn one program or another. Three of them pointed me to a company named New Horizons. So I went to their website and found the site easy to navigate but I had to take three prerequisite classes before I could begin on the database administration class, and the price of the classes is very difficult to find. Eventually I found that the database administration class by itself cost two thousand dollars.  That is a little over one and a half months worth of my wages, and puts their classes out of my reach.

I found that the pricing for these coarses is pretty well standardized, some being a bit higher or lower but all being the same.

So I thought maybe I could do an on-line coarse instead. I ran across Apex Web Media pretty quickly. They charge thirty bucks monthly and have the programs I want to learn. The website looks like the community college of software learning (but I’m fine with that). They offer streaming video of a PowerPoint presentation with a recorded speaker walking through everything, and it’s much as I’d imagined New Horizons to be, only at home and when I have the time. So this is the web site I am learning from…

What to Learn…

So for those of us who are new to the wonderful world of SQL, choosing where to begin can be kind of daunting.

Luckily I have help (sort of), in the form of a database adminstrator called Z because he got tired of people slaughtering his Czech name, Zdenek. I do some low level administration under his tutelage and when we’re not talking about what to do when this or that happens we talk about upcoming or past art shows and jazz (real jazz not smooth jazz), making him the perfect person to ask.

The first time I asked he told me to pick up a book and just work through it. I went out that night and picked up a My SQL book. It was thin and seemed well written, and over a weekend I read through the first chapter. I came back on Monday and talked to Z again, who told me I needed a SQL Server book, and that My SQL won’t cover the things I need to know. So a few days later I went ad found a SQL Server 2005 book. This was not thin or very well written but I was shopping at Half Price because I didn’t want to spend another thirty bucks. I don’t finish reading the first chapter  this time, and talk to Z again who tells me I should really start with a SQL Server 2000 book because that’s whats on my computer and it will be easier for me to play around with it. A few days go by, but I do go and buy 2 books again at Half Price, both door stop thick and written like most tech manuals and one specifically on SQL Server 2000 Database administration. I was anticipating this being his next suggestion. So I returned again to Z and he told me that after thinking about it… I should learn Transact SQL first.

I was able to talk to Mike (dept. head, lead programmer, and super nice guy) and he said I should go to one of those 5 day seminars, and start with database administration. This sounded reasonable to me so I was off to do some more research…