Rating: 
Summary: Indispensable
Review: As someone who already has alot of experience with the product, it's very nice indeed to have a book that covers the internals as well as this book does. I guess it's important to understand that this is not a book for newcomers to SQL Server, nor is it a "how-to" book. This book is useful when you want to know what happens to your database when you perform an INSERT on a table with a clustered key. It tells you how the TEXT fields are stored, which allows a DBA to make an intelligent decision about when and if to use such a field. I obviously could go on and on. As far as I can tell, this is the *only* book out there that will give you that kind of information. Since this isn't a sequel or trilogy, I was expecting that there would be some redundancy between the 7.0 and 2000 version of the book simply because that same redundancy exists in the real product! If you are already an experienced DBA and are looking for an understanding of the internals so as to make better tuning decisions, then by all means,get this book. If you're new to SQL Server and you stiil don't know the difference between WHERE and HAVING, then you may be disappointed in this book, because it's not going to teach you how to use the EM and QA.
Rating:
Summary: From the author of SQL Server 2000 Bible
Review: As the author of SQL Server book, I would not hesitate to recommend Kalen Delaney's book or any of her seminars. Her book is a reference work that I keep handy on my shelf. Each time I hear her speak I am impressed with her knowledge and her ability to communicate difficult concepts clearly. Every published book serves a specific purpose - Inside SQL Server's purpose is to illuminate the internal architecture of SQL Server so that developers and admins can make better educated decisions and develop better databases. Within that purpose her book is excellent and well written. Is it all things to all people? no. Does it do an excellent job of meeting its purpose? without question, yes. There are some reader reviews that seem to criticize Kalen's work for not meeting other needs, and I don't understand these comments. If you need a general SQL, T-SQL programming tutorial, XML/SQL, or introductory SQL Server book, Inside SQL Server is probably too focused on the internal workings of SQL Server and I'd recommend that you begin with one of the other excellent books on SQL Server. But, if you want to get deeper into the internals so you understand why you're writing code or tuning indexes, then there can be no question that Kalan's book is a must have on your shelf. Sooner or later, if you're serious about SQL Server, you should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books about database internals
Review: First of all, let me strongly disagree with low rates that some other reviewers gave to this book. I don't think it's correct to lower the rating just because the contents didn't change much since "Inside SQL Server 7". SQL Server 2000 is very much like SQL Server 7.0 (adding XML is the only major difference). It's a companion to the product, so it should be just a next iteration of "Inside SQL Server" series. Then it seems that some reviewers probably expected to find how to program SQL Server using ADO, XML, ODBC etc, and instead only found a description of internals. While I agree that the books should have covered XML implementation better, I'd remind that the title of the book is "INSIDE SQL Server"! And I was really pleased with how much of SQL Server internals were exposed to the general public. Perhaps I liked the book so much because I'm working now on a propriatary database implementation, and for me it was really useful to learn how SQL Server is implemented. But any serious database developer should understand how query execution is planned, how records are locked, and what is a performance and storage cost of certain operations. And all these topics are presented in a best possible way.
Rating: 
Summary: XML is completely absent
Review: I consider myself an expert SQL Server Database Administrator and hold the MCDBA, MCSE, and MCSD certifications. I consult on VLDB projects for IBM, EDS, and many others. I recently picked up this book in hopes of getting up to speed with the latest version of Microsoft's award-winning DBMS. Those hopes were quickly dashed as I compared the previous edition with this one and realized they were largely the same. The biggest hole is the complete lack of XML coverage. You cannot deny that XML is central to SQL Server, and more generally, to Microsoft's future plans (ever hear of .NET?) I suppose we could debate whether XML is "inside" enough to warrant coverage in a book like this, but I'd argue that it definitely is. The support was added to the server itself. You access the XML features from Transact-SQL, which the book makes a half-hearted attempt to cover. For my money, XML should have been covered in this book and covered in-depth. But XML's absence isn't the only problem with the book. There's no coverage of high-availability topics like clustering, log shipping, and advanced backup/restore options. Instead, the book has only been minorly updated from the previous (version 7.0) edition. All told, the book has major problems....
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Resource for any level
Review: I have been working with SQL Server for the last five years and about two years ago when I was in a dilemma about transactions I purchased this book. It totally cleared all my concepts and I was able to not only resolve transaction problems that I was having but also become an expert within my firm. The book helped me gain a lot of respect with my fellow collegues. If you are looking to really become a SQL Server black belt and get a great understanding of what happens INSIDE then this is a highly recommended book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book
Review: I usually prefer the Sybex books than the Microsoft books. But this book is really good. It is the best complement for the Self Paced Book. I wasn't ready for the exam until I finished this book. This book contains information useful not only for the exam but also for the real life. I passed the exam two days ago and passed with 893. I recommend this book for guys with SQL intermediate skills. Advanced user may find more useful the BOL, but maybe some samples will be useful. Beginners won't understand some sections. This book uses examples to explain the theory (I love to learn using this way). This book complements the SELF PACED training kit book in the following areas : Transactions
Accessing to data Retrieve, filter, group, summarize, and modify data by using Transact-SQL. Manage result sets by using cursors and Transact-SQL. Considerations include locking models and appropriate usage. Analyze the query execution plan. Considerations include query processor operations and steps.
Rating: 
Summary: Somebody forgot SQLXML
Review: I was browsing through the book in a bookstore and saw that a chapter on SQL 2K's support for XML missing. I think any book on SQL Server 2000 that doesn't have at least a discussion on SQL Server 2000's support for XML is incomplete. I looked in the index for the XML. None there. I felt that the same title for version 7 was the best resource for learning SQL Server but this one ranks at least 2 stars below that.
Rating:
Summary: One of three "must have" resources for SQL Server
Review: If you want to be a SQL Server DBA, there are really only three resources you need in order to gain a solid foundation of knowledge. Your first resource is Books Online, which is part of the SQL Server software. Next, read Ken England's book on Performance Optimization (ISBN 1-55558-241-9). When you finish those, read this book. What I like about this book is that the author explains WHY SQL Server does things in a particular way. The book goes into great detail about SQL Server's architecture and internal processes. For this reason, the book is a great ally to have when you're working with a developer who doesn't understand database concepts. Yet, at the same time, it is easy to read. This book is especially ideal for those who need to get a thorough understanding of transactions, locking and performance tuning. When you're ready to become an expert in SQL Server, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: The core, the whole core, and nothing but the core.
Review: If you're looking to really understand the core engine of SQL Server and how to optimize your code, this is a really good book. If you're a database architect, this book may be a little too microscopic for you, lacking in design strategy. Surprisingly, I think this is actually a great book for the DBA - the discussions on the underlying mechanics are second to none. This book is named very appropriately. The author does an excellent job detailing what goes on under the hood of SQL Server. As an example, she exposes the details of the Bulk Change Map pages in database files and how they work in relationship with the Bulk Logged recovery mode, new to SQL Server 2000. It's one thing to read and memorize what can and can't be accomplished in Bulk Logged recovery mode, but it's a totally different feeling being enlightened on why it works the way it works. There are many core principles in how SQL Server operates that the author describes in detail. Here what I wished to have seen more coverage on: 1. Replication - this book does not cover replication. There are other books that show you how to point and click (I guess those point-and-click picture books will be called "Outside SQL Server 2000"), but none I've seen go into the "Inside" level. 2. Distributed Partitioned Views - This book shows how to create a distributed partitioned views, but it stops there. There are very important design considerations such as knowing where to place your data so as to minimize joins across the network. 3. Indexed Views - Same as distributed partitioned views - ends at the "how to create". I'd like to see how it works under the hood. 4. One way to classify this book is that it is very "server-centric". Many of us work on systems of database servers that work in concert under the application layer. I'd like to see more inter-server ("system-centric") insights. It really wouldn't be fair for me to ask for clustering or log shipping in this book - those really aren't developer issues. Clustering is much more of a Windows 2000 feature than a SQL Server feature. If you're interested in clustering or log shipping, check out the SQL Server 2000 Admin Companion and the SQL Server 2000 Resource Kit. Given the microscopic details packed into about 1000 pages, I found myself relying on Books Online for supplement. Many times, however, this book is actually more in depth than Books Online. I do agree with a few other reviewers that there's a lot of similarity with the version 7.0 of this book; however, there are many aspects of the products that are the same as well. If you really read the two books, though, you'll find that the 2000 version of the book is actually more in depth than the 7.0 version.
Rating:
Summary: Accurate but sloppy
Review: The book is probably the best out there (the author works for Microsoft SQL Development) for understanding the underlying SQL architecture (index, transaction logs, locks, data placement on disks etc). This is not a book for the beginners but for those who seek more than superficial understanding of SQL. Nor is this book for those who seek comprehensive knowledge of SQL because it addresses mostly SQL architecture. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book both for the DBA and the Developers alike. My main qualm with this book is it seems to be hastily written. It reads almost like a late night term paper. This is not to say the information is inaccurate, but the writing of this book is second rate and the author's lack of enthusiasm for explaining the finer points is evident.
| 
