Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? In this course, you gain the in-depth knowledge and skills to take advantage of the new administrative features and tools available in SQL Server 2005, Microsoft's latest release of its data management software. You learn to build database availability solutions with database mirroring and database snapshots, deploy a peer-to-peer replication topology, and set up and integrate Database Mail (the next generation of SQL Mail). You also learn to leverage the significantly enhanced security architecture including applying password policy, working with credentials and encrypting data. Who will benefit from this course? This course is valuable for experienced SQL Server administrators who are currently migrating, or planning to migrate, to SQL Server 2005. Those administrators who wish to evaluate this product for their organisation will also benefit greatly. What background do I need? It is assumed that you have the database administration background equivalent to Course 531, SQL Server 2000 Database Administration: Hands-On. This course is not designed for those new to SQL Server. If you are new to SQL Server, it is recommended that you take Course 131, SQL Server 2005 Comprehensive Introduction: Hands-On, followed by Course 132, SQL Server 2005 Database Administration: Hands-On, to gain a full understanding of the product and its administrative capabilities. I have previously taken Course 531. Do I need to take this course? Yes! SQL Server 2005 offers a multitude of new administrative features, along with considerable enhancements in scalability, availability and security over previous versions of SQL Server. Course 129 is essential for administrators looking to successfully migrate to SQL Server 2005. I am a SQL Server 7/2000 administrator and my organisation is moving to SQL Server 2005. Is this course valuable to me? Absolutely. Experienced administrators currently working in SQL Server 7 or SQL Server 2000 will need a solid foundation in the new feature set and significant enhancements of SQL Server 2005 to ensure a successful migration. This course is designed to meet these specific needs. I am a SQL Server 6.x administrator and my organisation is moving to SQL Server 2005. Is this course right for me? No. There are significant differences between SQL Server 6.x and SQL Server 2005 that would make this course difficult for the SQL Server 6.x administrator. Course 131, SQL Server 2005 Comprehensive Introduction: Hands-On, provides you with the knowledge and practical skills you need to leverage the enhanced tool set and features of SQL Server 2005. Course 132, SQL Server 2005 Database Administration: Hands-On, provides you with the hands-on experience you need to tackle all the critical database administration tasks. Courses 131 and 132, taken in combination, prepare you to be an effective SQL Server 2005 administrator. What kinds of hands-on exercises are performed in this course? Hands-on exercises, performed throughout the course, reinforce the concepts taught in class and provide you with the opportunity to explore the new features and administrative tools of SQL Server 2005. These exercises include creating database snapshots, enforcing password policy, encrypting data, working with schemas, setting up Database Mail, deploying a peer-to-peer replication topology and monitoring SQL Server 2005. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Installing and upgrading 2.0 Leveraging administration tools 2.0 Moving to SSIS 1.5 Backing up, recovering and database mirroring 1.5 Setting up Database Mail 1.5 Securing SQL Server 2005 6.0 Replicating information 1.5 Monitoring SQL Server 2005 1.0 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. What platform is used for the hands-on exercises? This course uses Microsoft SQL Server 2005 running on Windows Server 2003 on all course participant workstations. In addition, there is a domain controller running Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003. Why should I take this course instead of one offered by Microsoft? Learning Tree is dedicated to accelerating the careers of our clients by providing them with world-class technology and management training. Our independence from Microsoft (and every other vendor) allows us to give an unbiased view of what works and what does not. This course is objective in its approach, having been developed independently from Microsoft by industry experts who bring their real-world experience to the classroom. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? Learning Tree offers a complete SQL Server 2005 curriculum. The courses you may take depend on the role you play in your organisation. Please refer to The Learning Tree SQL Server 2005 Curriculum Q&A for more details. The SQL Server 2005 curriculum includes: 130, SQL Server 2005 Programming: Hands-On Skills Upgrade provides experienced SQL Server 7/2000 developers with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop applications with the latest .NET, XML and Transact-SQL based programming features of SQL Server 2005. 131, SQL Server 2005 Comprehensive Introduction: Hands-On offers the solid foundation knowledge and practical skills needed to exploit SQL Server 2005 for your business advantage. 132, SQL Server 2005 Database Administration: Hands-On provides extensive experience using SQL Server 2005 tools to perform real-world administrative tasks. This course is designed for administrators new to SQL Server or coming from versions prior to SQL Server 7. 133, SQL Server 2005 Server-Side Programming: Hands-On offers practical experience developing and debugging stored procedures, triggers and functions, building XML queries, and handling reliable message-driven software. This course is designed for developers new to SQL Server or coming from versions prior to SQL Server 7. Other courses of interest include: 595, Windows Server® 2003: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction provides the essential foundation for managing your Windows Server 2003 environment. 598, Troubleshooting Windows® Server 2003 Environments offers the skills needed to efficiently optimise and troubleshoot your Windows Server 2003 operating system in order to minimise downtime and maximise system availability.

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