Summary

This chapter looked at creating and managing databases and it intentionally tried to focus on the basic commands and tools that are used to accomplish these tasks. That is not because that is all you need to know about creating and managing databases. Nothing could be further from the truth. The decisions you make when creating and managing a database are key to its reliability and performance, and must be based on more than just the ability to right-click and select Create Database. Even though you are now armed with the how-to knowledge, you are strongly encouraged to read on. Several other chapters in this book provide more information to help you make informed choices when creating your databases. Especially pertinent to this topic are Chapter 16, "Database Backup and Restore," Chapter 21, "Administering Very Large SQL Server Databases," Chapter 31, "Transaction Management and the Transaction Log," Chapter 33, "SQL Server Internals," and Chapter 39, "Database Design and Performance."