MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-448): Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance

This book is a wonderful comprehensive review of the key components used for SQL Server 2008 certification (exam 70-448). It covers SSIS, SSAS and SSRS in such a manner as to provide great background alongside some basic hands-on exercises to perform.There is a practice exam disc included with the book which really helps in terms of studying for the exam and another disc with an evaluation copy of SQL Server 2008. All of this can take you from doing what I would call "cowboy SQL work" to a more professional, well founded, and optimized approach towards working with BI tools used with SQL Server.The authors provide some good practical real-life recommendations on how to apply some of the techniques covered which helps round out the training. Collectively, this text has opened my eyes to more features and functionality in SQL than I did before picking it up and offers a way to actually apply the learning material -- albeit at a simple, high level. Just the same, one can always go deeper and experiment with some of the techniques. In the first chapter alone I learned of a technique that solved a problem which a consulting firm I worked with had an allergic reaction towards solving. I'm thinking the consulting firm might have benefited from this book.I'm grateful that a careful reading of the exercises does allow one to complete the the vast majority of exercises and not have to deal with a problem so often faced in similar type texts -- nobody proof-read the thing to make sure the commands were accurate and actually worked! Seems like a pretty basic concept but this is so often not the case.My only warnings to readers is that initial installation of the SQL Server evaluation software and setting up the DB's used as examples can prove tricky (but this is a MSFT issue, not one with the book or the way in which the conveys information). Why is it that sample DB's and installation of same cannot be made easier as it was with SQL 2005 early on? And I have a bit of a bone to pick regarding the Measure Up practice exam which has some out of synch references to the materials in the book. For example, the exam references Chapter 1 Lesson 5 yet the book has only 3 lessons in Chapter 1.Finally, in the back of the book is a coupon code for taking the exam -- practically worth the price of the book. Your biggest investment will be the time necessary to study for the exam but in today's economy that would be a great investment to make.

I'm only a couple of chapters in on this book, with nothing to compare it to, but, here's the issues I have:1) Very little explanation about why you are doing something. It steps you through implementing objects and processes, but it doesn't give you and overview of the project that you are doing or why something is being put into place. It would help to know what the total project is supposed to be beforehand. You know, like in real life. If I am to use this stuff on the job, I need to know some things to be able to conceptualize how something should go together.2) It could use a lot more screen shots. It's very easy to lose your place in this book.3) It's kinda boring, possibly given the items above. I'm really having to push myself to do this thing, and I'm losing often.addenda:4. I've found that the supplied project files will not compile an SSAS cube on SQL Server 2008 R2. The files are for SQL Server 2008. SQL Server 2008 does come with the book, with a 6 month trial period, but I got the 2008 R2 because it was the latest version, and now I'm stuck.

I am not getting full value from the book because my laptop will not install the included software. The included disk to install SQL was defective with multiple files being unreadable. It does have a link to download and install the software so I do have a valid copy, just not on my machine's OS.The steps to follow for each exercise are clear and self-explanatory, however I have no way to review its accuracy.Having 3 authors means having 3 points of view. Sometimes diametrically opposed and sometimes obviously wrong. I get the feeling all 3 authors are very knowledgeable on the subject, but sleep deprived while writing it, and any reviewer was asleep while reading it.This book requires knowledge outside the scope of the book. You can get this knowledge on-line, but I have to wonder if you have deep understanding and used dimensional modeling why you would want to purchase this book in the first place.There is no doubt this book would prepare you for the Exam which is its only goal. I am disappointed that SQL 2008 is so dependent on the OS and the utilities built into it. Based on the web traffic, hundreds or thousands of people have hit the same problem. ("The MOF compiler could not connect with the WMI server." is my error. I haven't found a solution for my XP Home OS.)

Having gone through the first 8 chapters, I feel I've learned quite a bit from this training kit and especially the practice exercises. But in performing Exercise 1 of Chapter 9's Lesson 1 practice, I found that the GeographyKey of every record in DimCustomer is NULL. As a result, the view vDMPrep (which is defined as an inner join on GeographyKey to DimGeography) returns no records, as do vTargetMail, vTimeSeries, vAssocSeqOrders, and vAssocSeqLineItems (all of which use vDMPrep in their definitions).It appears this error was reported to Microsoft Press on October 25, 2010 by jomaweb, according to the O'Reilly web site. It would be nice if O'Reilly or Microsoft Press could respond with the status of this error.I also had the SQL Server 2005 sample database AdventureWorksDW installed in my server instance, so I was able to import the GeographyKey data from that database in order to proceed with the rest of Chapter 9. (I have provided more details in a comment attached to this review.)

It took me 5 weeks to read this book and follow the exercised etc. Finally finished this all few days ago. This book is not error free still I believe it can prepare you for the exam. Especially the CD with example TESTs. The SSIS and SSAS sections are done with proper care and are clear to understand. The SSRS section has a lot of mistakes especially in the most important parts like EXERCISES. The SSRS section does not have clear/descriptive and useful EXAM TIPs as SSIS and SSAS sections do.It is sometimes really difficult to get where the SSRS exercise is leading to.On few occasions it took me hours to figure out what was wrong in the SSRS step by step exercise before I discovered an error.All sections SSIS SSAS and SSRS were writen by different authors/experts and then just combined into one book. You can feel the proficency difference when jumping from one section to another.If SSRS section was done properly I could give this book 5/5. but since I'm not happy with the SSRS section I can give this book only 3.5 / 5 , maybe 4/5 for the good testing tool included on CD.

I'm reasonably happy with the study guide. It splits up into neat lessons, each one ending in an exerciseHowever, I (like most) learn by doing, not by reading. The lessons, instead of ending in step-by-step exercices, should end in actual mini-tests so as to force the user to work out how to achieve the results. Plus the lessons should be broken up with step-by-steps so the user can see what is being explained.Getting 13 pages of text, followed by an exercise where you simply do what you're told with no need to understand what is happening is really pointless. I often found myself daydreaming while reading, taking nothing in.Ironically, the only occasions I really felt I'd learned something is when I followed a step-by-step guide, it didn't work and I had to uncover what mistake the author had made to understand why it didn't work.I haven't got as far as trying the practice tests so can't review them yet.

Companion CD only came with the book. Main reason for buying was the evaluation edtion - very difficult to do without a full version of SQL 2008 - can't seem to be able to purchase the developer edition.

Dislikes: It's just trying to get you through the exam, struggle to understand the relevance of the exercises.Put me off doing the exam.

Pretty good