Accelerated SQL Server 2008

Michael Coles has more than a decade's experience designing and administering SQL Server databases. A prolific writer of articles on all aspects of SQL Server, particularly on the expert use of T-SQL, he holds MCDBA and MCP certifications. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in information technology from American Intercontinental University in Georgia. A member of the United States Army Reserve, he was activated for two years following 9/11.

A prolific writer on cutting-edge technologies, Fabio Claudio Ferracchiati has contributed to more than a dozen books on .NET, C#, Visual Basic, and ASP.NET. He is a .NET Microsoft Certified Solution Developer and lives in Milan, Italy. You can read his blog at Ferracchiati.com.

Rob Walters is a data platform technology specialist for Microsoft. His extensive experience with Microsoft SQL Server began over 10 years ago when he worked as a consultant for Microsoft Consulting Services in Denver, Colorado. Shortly after the dot-com bubble burst, Walters returned to Microsoft s headquarters and worked as a program manager in the SQL Server product unit. There, he owned various features within SQL Server including SQL Server Agent, various management features, and the security for the database engine. Walters has co-authored three patents for technologies used within SQL Server.

Walters has also co-authored Programming Microsoft SQL Server 2005 by Microsoft Press, and Pro SQL Server 2005, Accelerated SQL Server 2008, and Beginning SQL Server 2008 Database Administration by Apress. He holds a bachelor's of science degree in electrical engineering from Michigan State University and a master's degree in business administration from Seattle University. When not at work, he is very active in his community as an on-call firefighter.

Donald Farmer has worked on the Microsoft Business Intelligence Team for seven years. He has worked on both the Analysis Services and Integration Services product teams. Donald is now a principal program manager for SQL Server Analysis Services, working to build the new generation of analytic technology, including predictive analysis, within the Microsoft business intelligence offering. Donald is a popular speaker at international events for both business and technical audiences, with a wide range of interests including data integration, information quality, meta data intelligence, master data management and predictive analytics. He is the author of a number of books and articles. Prior to joining Microsoft, Donald worked not only in business intelligence, but also in fields as varied as medieval archaeology and fish-farming.

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