70-462: SQL Server Database Administration (DBA)

Please note: Microsoft has withdrawn the 70-462 exam. However, the information in this course is still relevant to DBA.

Do you want to gain practical experience in Database Administration in SQL Server? Welcome.

In this course, learn some of the skills that Microsoft want you to know, and add another tool to your CV or resume, and even go for the official Microsoft certification.

SQL Server is one of the main database tools that is requested in the job market, and the ability to being able to do DBA for SQL Server could be very useful for your current work, and your next job hunt.

We’ll download and install for free SQL Server Developer, which gives you all of the capabilities of the full-cost Enterprise edition (though without being able to use it for commercial purposes). We’ll start by downloading a demonstration database, and learning how to backup and restore this database, and what recovery models are appropriate for other databases, to enable you to offer Point in Time recovery.

We’ll manage logins and server roles, so you can control who gets access to what data, implement and maintain indexes, so you can speed up searches, and import and export data. We’ll look at managing SQL Server Agent, so you can automate routine tasks, and also be alerted to problems, we’ll manage and configure databases, and look at compression, both of which aids with administrating big databases. And much more.

The course will take around 10 hours to complete, but completing this will enable you to versed in Database Administration tasks, giving you hands-on experience.

The course increases in difficulty slowly, so you’ll manually backup a database, but then later we’ll use SQL Server Agent to automate this. In this course, we will only do activities that require one computer, instead of multiple servers or virtualization.

The course is fairly relaxed – there will be a few “wrong turns”, so you can see what problems might arise, but every lesson works towards an end goal at a relatively slow pace, so you can follow on your own computer easily. I assume that you know how to use a computer, including installing programs, but the actual DBA will be at a basic level, and I’ll introduce every component as we go on.

No knowledge of T-SQL is required, as I’ll demonstrate everything I can through the GUI (Graphical User Interface) as well as T-SQL. However, if you are going to go for the official Microsoft exam, the equivalent knowledge as per my first two courses in 70-461 T-SQL is essential.

At the end of the course, you can download a certificate of completion, so you can show everyone your new-found skills, and continue your preparations for the official Microsoft certifications.

The course is recorded on SQL Server 2017, but will also work fully in 2022, 2019, 2016, 2014 and 2012, and mostly in 2008R2 and 2008.