A picture is worth a thousand words

The term data visualization describes the representation of data sets in a graphical form. A complex idea can often be displayed as an image. This allows clearer communication of data in forms of data visualization tools. An example of tools

• dashboards (performance dashboard),

• scorecards,

• charts, dials, maps, graphs etc.
  

SQL tools which can help visualizing data

SQL Director for Dependencies & Indexes

Graphical Database Schema Metadata Browser
A GUI for SchemaSpy (Graphical Database Schema Metadata Browser)

Systems thinking uses diagrams to express complex ideas, emergence and the chaotic universe.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance

More exam links for 70-432. This article provides an great set of links to books online and the technical areas covered under the exam.

Implementation and Maintenance

Chaotic Data Avalanche

A sql cloud poem

My database friend, is full of logs
It's acid compliant, relational too
The elasticity stretched, efficiency blogs
Dynamically virtual and data exploded
This leads me to say what tuples my friend
and governance, knowledge hath entropy born

what TCO, RTO, RPO, ROI...

Troubleshooting Performance

A useful chart for iterative processes to deal with common query performance and scalability issues for SQL Server 2005/2008.

troubleshooting-sql-server-2005-2008-performance-and-scalability-flowchart.aspx

Database 2011 Predictions

Just read an excellent article five-predictions-for-your-database-in-2011 predicting various trends in Databases in 2011. They predict a decline in NoSQL databases and move towards Database as a Service (DBaaS). DBaaS is about an entire change in philosophy producing efficiency, fluidity of resources, scale out, paying for actual usage and being able to be elastic. Elasticity discussed here
http://devcentral.f5.com/weblogs/macvittie/archive/2010/12/01/the-database-tier-is-not-elastic.aspx.

DaaS (Data as a Service) is about data collections in the sky.
DBaaS (Database as a Service) is about providing full database functionality.

Useful Links for the MCTS Exam

Useful links for further reading for the MCTS exam.

TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?id=70-432

Understanding and Managing the suspect_pages Table
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms191301.aspx

Tablediff Utility
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms162843.aspx

How to Rebuild System Databases in SQL Server 2008
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/psssql/archive/2008/08/29/how-to-rebuild-system-databases-in-sql-server-2008.aspx

Rebuilding the SQL Server master database - Part 1
http://www.mssqltips.com/tip.asp?tip=1531
Rebuilding the SQL Server master database - Part 2
http://www.mssqltips.com/tip.asp?tip=1528

SQL Server 2005: View all permissions (2) - Explode the roles! second script works
http://consultingblogs.emc.com/jamiethomson/archive/2007/02/09/SQL-Server-2005_3A00_-View-all-permissions--_2800_2_2900_.aspx

Partitioned Table and Index Strategies Using SQL Server 2008
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd578580(SQL.100).aspx

Sql Server 2008 Geospatial Data Generator
http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/thepremiers/archive/2008/07/09/virtual-earth-gt-sql-server-2008-geospatial-data-generator.aspx

SQL Server Audit Action Groups and Actions
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280663.aspx

fn_get_audit_file (Transact-SQL)
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280765(SQL.100).aspx

Giving Permissions through Stored Procedures
http://www.sommarskog.se/grantperm.html

Database Audit Specifications in SQL 2008
http://www.sqldbatips.com/showarticle.asp?ID=136

sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats (Transact-SQL)
includes the Using sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats in a script to rebuild or reorganize indexes
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms188917.aspx

Allocation SQL Server Management Studio Add in
http://ssmsallocation.codeplex.com/

Internals Viewer for SQL Server
http://internalsviewer.codeplex.com/

SQL Server 2005 and 2008 - Backup, Integrity Check and Index Optimization
http://ola.hallengren.com/

XML Jumpstart Workbench
http://www.simple-talk.com/sql/t-sql-programming/xml-jumpstart-workbench/

Replication Agent Security Model
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms151868.aspx

Script to indentifty big replication transactions
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/scripts/Replication/71730/

Using Secondary Servers for Query Processing
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189572.aspx

Database Mirroring in SQL Server 2005
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc917680.aspx

Monitoring SQL Server Database Mirroring with Email Alerts
http://www.mssqltips.com/tip.asp?tip=1859

SQL Server Best Practices Article
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc917713.aspx

Alerting on Database Mirroring Events
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc966392.aspx

Installing SQL Server 2008 on a Windows Server 2008 Cluster Part 1 (Part 1 to Part 3)http://www.mssqltips.com/tip.asp?tip=1687

SQL Server Perfmon Counters Poster
http://www.quest.com/documents/landing.aspx?id=11635&technology=34&prod=&prodfamily=&loc

Troubleshooting Performance Problems in SQL Server 2008
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd672789(v=sql.100).aspx

Isolation Levels in the Database Engine
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189122.aspx

Who did what?
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/scripts/Monitoring/62467/

Execution Plan Basics
http://www.simple-talk.com/sql/performance/execution-plan-basics/

Performance Tuning
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/search/?q=joseph+sack

fn_trace_gettable (Transact-SQL)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms188425.aspx

ClearTrace
http://www.scalesql.com/cleartrace/

XML Tutorial
http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp

XML Data Modification Language Workbench
http://www.simple-talk.com/sql/t-sql-programming/xml-data-modification-language-workbench/

DDL Event Groups
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb510452.aspx

DDL Events
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb522542.aspx

Joe Celko The SQL Apprentice
http://joecelkothesqlapprentice.blogspot.com/

Sorting Months By Number (SQL Spackle)
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/T-SQL/71511/

Creating Your Own Custom Data Collections
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/3798221/Creating-Your-Own-Custom-Data-Collections.htm