SQL Server 7.00.623

1. Am I correct in assuming that the initialization parameters that Oracle places in a init.ora file are handled in SQL Server using registry keys? BOL describes how to create a user-defined configuration file based on the setup.iss file, but is this only for unattended installs?

2. With the version of SQL Server that I'm running, is there any reason for me to use isql at all, as opposed to osql? Is isql bundled with 7 simply to be backward compatable with 6.5, or am I missing something here? BOL mentions that isql does not support some of 7's features, otherwise are they the same utility?

3. Generally speaking, should SQL Server be left alone to dynamically manage memory, or should the db be initialized with pre-allocated memory? From what I've been able to gather on the Web (I've only been at this SQL Server stuff for 3 days now...), it seems it does a pretty good job of this itself. Any thoughts?

4. Also, with respect to the physical implementation of SQL Server, if anyone could briefly explain the similarities/differences between SQL Server's Transaction Log and Oracle's redo logs, that would be great. (for example, in SQL Server, if there is only one log, how does the db engine manage the completion/continuation of transactions during a chkpt...am I correct in assuming that there are multiple 'logs' within the one transaction log?). Any thoughts would be helpful...

Cheers,
Chris

1. Probably - also called statrtup parameters and can be set in enterprise manager.

2. Yes - isql no longer used.

3. Leave it to manage memory itself unless it causes problems.

4. Every time an update is made entries are put in the log. It is just a circular table. The entries are marked as inactive when the transaction is committed and checkpointed. Several spids can be writing entries at the same time and these will be interleaved.

Get a copy of inside sql server 2000.
Even if you use v7 it's probably worth getting this as the database engine is mostly the same - just watch out for new features.

more info..

1. Yes, you are correct. The start up parms can be set in EM and are stored in registry. You can start the server via the command line and override the startup parms in the registry.

2. The diffrence between isql and oslq are how they connect to the db. isql uses an older method DB-LIB while osql uses ODBC (OLE DB). You will find that your connection defaults are diffrent between the two, Books Online covers this rather well. In my shop We hve old code the uses DB-LIB to connect as well as OLE DB. When I change stored procedures I run unit tests through both types of connections.

3. I agree %110

4. can't add anything more.

Thanks, fellas...

With respect to the Transaction Log, I'm beginning to think of it as a kind of hybrid of Oracle's Redo Logs and Rollback Segment. It seems to handle both logging and transactional activity. I'm sure it will all become clear either sooner or later...

Anyways, I was going to add in my first post, 'Please no reply that I RTFM...'. Sad, but true, there are no books available on this island that I've been able to find...

Cheers...

IMHO, One of the first places you should look for answers is Microsoft's Books Online shipped with SQL Server aka TFM in RTFM. This is one of the best documents I have seen if you have some knowledge of SQL Server or RDBs. The second place to look is www.Google.com. Between the two I am rarely stumped for an answer.

Paul -

I read you loud and clear, and agree with you completely. BOL is excellent, and of course Google is my very basic resource. I've been thrown into both Informix and SQL Server recently, and between the two I've been forced to forget that Utopia called Metalink. With respect to SQL Server, the forgetting shouldn't be too painful...