The expert tuition and approach to rapid learning in Accelerated SQL Server 2008, one of the first SQL Server 2008 books available, will enable SQL Server and other database professionals to make the leap to the latest release of Microsoft's flagship database management system quickly. Take full advantage of the new features of SQL Server 2008, know what tools are available, and quickly realize the power and ease of use that SQL Server 2008 has to offer. * Lightning-quick introduction to SQL Server 2008 * Written by top experts in the field * Provides a solid grounding in key features and technologies What you'll learn * Manage SQL Server installations through the brand-new Declarative Management Framework. * Protect yourself from downtime with high-availability features such as failover clustering. * Speed your applications by taking advantage of new performance-enhancement features in SQL Server 2008. * Find what you need using full-text search. * Store, retrieve, and manage XML in the database. * Derive competitive advantage from business intelligence tools such as Analysis Services and Reporting Services. Who this book is for Database professionals who need to make the leap to SQL Server 2008, and who need to make that leap quickly. This audience primarily includes users of previous releases of SQL Server such as SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005. The audience also includes database professionals with experience on competing platforms who are moving laterally to SQL Server.