Without a doubt, SQL Server 2008 is the
most feature-rich release of SQL Server yet,
making the task of learning about it a challenge.
Microsoft has come out with an impressive collection
of Webcasts designed to help you learn about the vast
array of functionality SQL Server 2008 provides. All
told, there are 24 different SQL Server 2008 Webcasts.
They’re free for the watching at the Microsoft
site: www.microsoft.com/sql/
2008/learning/webcasts.mspx. Here are five I like:
The Next Release of Microsoft SQL Server: Overview
If you’re looking for a quick, high-level overview
of the new features in SQL Server 2008, then this
65-minute Webcast is for you. In it, Dave Campbell,
Microsoft Technical Fellow and a software architect
for the SQL Server Storage Engine, discusses
the goals behind the SQL Server 2008 release. It
also offers demos of the major new features and
an overview of the SQL Server 2008 development
process.
What’s New in Microsoft SQL Server 2008—MS Learning Clinic
Technically, speaking this isn’t a Webcast but a set
of three E-learning courses for SQL Server 2008.
The three courses cover the new features in SQL
Server 2008 business intelligence (BI), database development, and how to use SQL Server 2008 as an
enterprise data platform.
Rich Report Design with SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services
This one-hour Webcast covers the reporting creation
capabilities provided with SQL Server 2008 and offers an
in-depth look at the enhancements to Reporting Services
Report Designer. It also demonstrates the new visualizations
for charts and gauges as well as the updates to the
end-user–oriented Report Builder tool.
The Value of Business Intelligence with
SQL Server 2008
Getting a handle on exactly how BI fits in with your relational
database and existing business model is a challenge.
This 90-minute Webcast shows how SQL Server 2008 can
help you utilize BI within your company, and it highlights
many of the new BI features in SQL Server 2008.
Overview of SQL Server Availability
Features and Upcoming Improvements
High availability is right at the top of every DBA’s list
of top priorities. In this one-hour Webcast, you’ll learn
about SQL Server 2005’s high availability features such as
clustering, database mirroring, and log shipping, and you’ll
see how Microsoft is enhancing each of these features in
SQL Server 2008.
