First Post!

Howdy. I have been in IT for over 15 years but have just recently developed an interest with MS SQL server. I am in the process of studying to get certified and have been reading SQL books like crazy to help me learn. I want to use this blog to help me in my learning process. I remember from school that I always learned a subject better if I had to write a paper at the end of it. I also will post some of the real world problems I encounter as I try to manage, write code and create reports for the two production SQL Databases that we run at my office.

I thought for this first post (besides introducing myself) I would list some of the resources that I have used in the last year as I have begun to familiarize myself with MS SQL server and T-SQL.

Books:

• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 T-SQL Fundamentals by Itzik Ben-Gan
• Transact SQL Cookbook by Jonathan Gennick
• SQL Server 2005 Implementation and Maintenance - Microsoft Press

Websites:

• SQL Skills
• SQL Blog
• SQL Server Magazine
• SQL Server Central
• Kendal Van Dyke's Blog

Twitter - I joined twitter and started to follow some SQL pros that I had heard of:

• Paul Randall
• Kimberly L. Tripp
• Brent Ozar
• Andrew Kelley

Training:

• The Training Consortium
• New Horizons

This list is tiny compared to the resources available out there for the budding SQL star. Hit Google and see what you can find. Let me know of you favorite sites.

Hasta Luego,

RutherfordTX