The question, “Why isn’t Oracle using my index?” must be one of the
most popular (or perhaps unpopular) questions ever asked on the Oracle
help forums. You’ve picked exactly the right columns, you’ve got them
in the ideal order, you’ve computed statistics, you’ve checked for null
columns–and the optimizer flatly refuses to use your index unless you
hint it. What could possibly be going wrong?

If you’ve suffered
the frustration of watching the optimizer do something completely
bizarre when the best execution plan is totally obvious, or spent hours
or days trying to make the optimizer do what you want it to do, then
this is the book you need. You’ll come to know how the optimizer
“thinks,” understand why it makes mistakes, and recognize the data
patterns that make it go awry. With this information at your
fingertips, you will save an enormous amount of time on designing and
trouble-shooting your SQL.

The cost-based optimizer is simply
a piece of code that contains a model of how Oracle databases work. By
applying this model to the statistics about your data, the optimizer
tries to efficiently convert your query into an executable plan.
Unfortunately, the model can’t be perfect, your statistics can’t be
perfect, and the resulting execution plan may be far from perfect.

In Cost-Based Oracle Fundamentals,
the first book in a series of three, Jonathan Lewis–one of the
foremost authorities in this field–describes the most commonly used
parts of the model, what the optimizer does with your statistics, and
why things go wrong. With this information, you’ll be in a position to
fix entire problem areas, not just single SQL statements, by adjusting
the model or creating more truthful statistics.

SQL Server is the dominant relational database in the Windows market
and data security is a huge and growing concern for all businesses.
Securing SQL Server is one of the most important responsibilities of
the SQL Server professional.

SQL Server Distilled, Second Edition
is a very carefully researched, clearly explained book on securing SQL
Server, by an author who knows SQL Server inside and out. If you follow
the practical guidelines that are clearly set out in this book, then
you stand a very good chance of making sure that the data stored in
your database is secure and that the conversation between your
applications and the database is secure (preventing SQL injection
attacks, etc.).

This second edition will have more practical
advice on how to implement good practices that will ward off future
viruses before they are even created. This book will contain new
content that reflects all updates to SQL Server’s security mechanisms.

Serving as both a tutorial and a reference guide to the MDX
(Multidimensional Expressions) query language, this book shows data
warehouse developers what they need to know to build effective
multidimensional data warehouses After a brief overview of the MDX
language and a look at how it is used to access data in sophisticated,
multidimensional databases and data warehousing, the authors move
directly to providing practical examples of MDX in use New material
covers changes in the MDX language itself as well as major changes in
its implementation with the latest software releases of Microsoft SQL
Server Analysis Services 2005 and Hyperion Essbase Also covers more
advanced techniques, like aggregation, query templates, and MDX
optimization, and shows users what they need to know to access and
analyze data to make better business decisions

Your in-depth guide to using the new Microsoft(r) data mining standard
to solve today’s business problems Concealed inside your data warehouse
and data marts is a wealth of valuable information just waiting to be
discovered. All you need are the right tools to extract that
information and put it to use. Serving as your expert guide, this book
shows you how to create and implement data mining applications that
will find the hidden patterns from your historical datasets. The
authors explore the core concepts of data mining as well as the latest
trends. They then reveal the best practices in the field, utilizing the
innovative features of SQL Server 2005 so that you can begin building
your own successful data mining projects. You’ll learn: The principal
concepts of data mining How to work with the data mining algorithms
included in SQL Server data mining How to use DMX-the data mining query
language The XML for Analysis API The architecture of the SQL Server
2005 data mining component How to extend the SQL Server 2005 data
mining platform by plugging in your own algorithms How to implement a
data mining project using SQL Server Integration Services How to mine
an OLAP cube How to build an online retail site with cross-selling
features How to access SQL Server 2005 data mining features
programmatically

Oracle expert David Knox has written the most practical, up-to-date book on Oracle Database 10g security available. With an emphasis on real-world problems and detailed solutions, Effective Oracle Database 10g Security by Design
provides all the information you need to develop and deploy secure
database applications. The entire security cycle is covered–from
identification and authentication to fine-grained access control and
encryption to effective auditing techniques. The material is presented
with comprehensive yet easy-to-understand examples that show how to use
all the security technologies in a complementary way.

• Assess database vulnerabilities and develop effective security policies
• Preserve user identity with in-depth analyses of JDBC connection pools, proxy authentication, and client identifiers
• Manage database users from a central directory without sacrificing security
• Lock down database access using secure application roles
• Leverage application and database security within Oracle�s Identity Management infrastructure
• Validate user privileges by using simple views and scripts
• Protect individual data elements by using the new Oracle DBMS_CRYPTO package
• Exploit database views to provide row-level and column-level fine-grained access controls
• Enforce need-to-know access and data privacy with Virtual Private Database and Oracle Label Security
• Ensure user accountability with Oracle fine-grained Auditing

This book sheds light on the principles behind the relational model, which is fundamental to all database-backed applications–and, consequently, most of the work that goes on in the computing world today. Database in Depth: The Relational Model for Practitioners goes beyond the hype and gets to the heart of how relational databases actually work. Ideal for experienced database developers and designers, this concise guide gives you a clear view of the technology–a view that’s not influenced by any vendor or product. Featuring an extensive set of exercises, it will help you:

*understand why and how the relational model is still directly relevant to modern database technology (and will remain so for the foreseeable future)

*see why and how the SQL standard is seriously deficient

*use the best current theoretical knowledge in the design of their databases and database applications

*make informed decisions in their daily database professional activities

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Database in Depth will appeal not only to database developers and designers, but also to a diverse field of professionals and academics, including database administrators (DBAs), information modelers, database consultants, and more. Virtually everyone who deals with relational databases should have at least a passing understanding of the fundamentals of working with relational models. Author C.J. Date has been involved with the relational model from its earliest days. An exceptionally clear-thinking writer, Date lays out principle and theory in a manner that is easily understood. Few others can speak as authoritatively the topic of relational databases as Date can.

Professional ADO.NET 2: Programming with SQL Server 2005, Oracle, and MySQLADO.NET revolutionized the way data was accessed through SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. With Microsoft’s release of ADO.NET 2, ADO and the .NET Framework are integrated with SQL Server for the first time-enabling you to program .NET applications directly within the SQL Server database. Packed with sample code and recommended best practices for using ADO.NET 2, this code-intensive book explores the new data types that are available in the 2.0 Framework and discusses the appropriate time and way to use them. You’ll learn how to make repetitive, mundane tasks much simpler and you’ll walk away with a solid foundation for developing database-driven applications. What you will learn from this book The basics of creating a connection, executing a query, and returning a result Best uses for Oracle in the ADO.NET Framework The many new features that are available for XML How to use the full text search capabilities of Microsoft(r) SQL Server 2005 Methods for retrieving data and presenting it in various ways Why MySQL is a viable option for data storage Who this book is for This book is for experienced database developers who want to learn the latest release of ADO.NET 2.0. Knowledge of ADO.NET 1.0, general .NET development, and Microsoft SQL Server is necessary. Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

Beginning PHP and PostgreSQL 8 delves into some of the most
popular open source web development technologies, the PostgreSQL 8
database server and PHP 5 scripting language. You’ll learn to reap the
benefits of these core technologies by using them in unison to create
dynamic, data-driven web applications. This is an ideal read if you are
a web designer, programmer, hobbyist, or novice who wants to create
applications with PHP 5 and PostgreSQL 8.

Provides complete application solutions �out-of-the-box� that are ready for use by the reader . Examples on multiple technology platforms including ASP, ASP .NET, SQL Server, and Access.

Building Database-Driven Flash Applications demonstrates how the capabilities of Flash programming can be combined with Web back-end databases directly, without an intermediate layer of programming. Techniques for utilizing Flash presentation capabilities
with the power of back-end databases are covered in step-by-step detail. Techniques and complete �out-of-the-box� solutions that are ready to be utilized immediately are presented.

World-renowned expert Rebecca M. Riordan has written the definitive database design book for working developers who aren’t database experts. No matter how messy or complex your business challenge, Designing Effective Database Systems shows you how to design an effective, high-performance database to solve it.

Riordan begins by thoroughly demystifying the principles of relational design, making them accessible to every professional developer. Next, she offers the field’s clearest introduction to dimensional database modeling: practical insight for designing today’s increasingly important analytical applications.

One task at a time, Riordan illuminates every facet of database analysis and design for both OLAP and OLTP, showing how to avoid common architectural pitfalls that complicate development and reduce extensibility. The book concludes with comprehensive, expert guidance on designing databases for maximum usability. This book will teach you how to

*Understand relational database models, structures, relationships, and data integrity principles
*Define database system goals, criteria, scope, and work processes
*Construct accurate conceptual models: relationships, entities, domain analysis, and normalization
*Build efficient, secure database schema
*Master the elements of OLAP design: fact tables, dimension tables, snowflaking, and more
*Architect and construct easy, efficient interfaces for querying and reporting
8Learn from practice examples based on Microsoft’s Northwind sample database

Riordan has helped thousands of professionals master database design and development, earning Microsoft’s coveted MVP honor for her exceptional contributions. Nobody’s more qualified to help you master database designand apply it in your real-world environment.