Mastering SQL Server 2012 Database Development (70-464)

This course is designed to prepare participants for the Microsoft Exam 70-464: Developing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases. The curriculum focuses on equipping database developers with the knowledge and skills necessary to design, implement, and maintain SQL Server databases across an organization. Participants will learn how to develop robust, high-performance databases while ensuring data integrity, security, and availability. By the end of this course, learners will be able to handle complex tasks including writing stored procedures, optimizing queries, managing transactions, and analyzing system performance.

Who This Course Is For

This training is ideal for IT professionals and database developers who are responsible for building, implementing, and maintaining databases within an organization. Participants should have a basic understanding of database concepts and SQL language fundamentals. The course is tailored for professionals seeking to validate their skills through the Microsoft 70-464 exam or enhance their practical database development expertise.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

participants will have developed the knowledge and skills necessary to perform advanced database development tasks in Microsoft SQL Server 2012. They will be able to design and implement tables that efficiently store and organize data to support business applications. This includes selecting appropriate data types for each column to ensure storage efficiency and query performance, applying primary and foreign keys to enforce relationships, and using constraints to maintain data consistency. Participants will also explore normalization techniques to reduce redundancy while understanding when denormalization may be beneficial to improve query performance. Indexing strategies will be a critical focus, as participants will learn to create clustered, non-clustered, composite, and filtered indexes, while understanding the impact of each type on data retrieval and system performance. Maintaining and optimizing indexes through rebuilding or reorganizing will also be covered to prevent fragmentation and ensure consistent efficiency.

In addition to table and index design, participants will learn to develop stored procedures, triggers, views, and functions to support business processes. Stored procedures allow encapsulation of complex business logic into reusable modules, and participants will gain hands-on experience in creating parameterized procedures, implementing error handling, and optimizing procedures for performance. Triggers will be introduced as a means of automatically responding to database events, enforcing business rules, and maintaining consistency across tables, with an emphasis on designing triggers efficiently to avoid performance issues. Views provide a flexible mechanism for data access, allowing developers to simplify queries and secure sensitive information, and participants will practice creating both simple and complex views, including indexed views to improve performance. User-defined functions, including scalar and table-valued functions, will be implemented to streamline repetitive operations, improve code modularity, and enhance query maintainability, with guidance on best practices to avoid performance degradation.

Applying best practices for data integrity, security, and concurrency control will be another central outcome of the course. Participants will explore constraints, default values, and rules to validate data, as well as strategies for maintaining referential integrity and enforcing complex business requirements consistently. Security principles such as role-based access control, encryption of sensitive data, and auditing of user activity will be covered to ensure that databases remain protected against unauthorized access. Concurrency control techniques will also be emphasized, including isolation levels and locking mechanisms to prevent conflicts in multi-user environments, along with strategies for resolving deadlocks and optimizing transaction handling to balance performance with data consistency.

Participants will also gain the ability to monitor and troubleshoot database performance effectively. They will learn to collect system metrics, analyze query execution plans, and use dynamic management views to evaluate database health. Execution plan analysis will help participants understand how SQL Server processes queries, identify inefficiencies such as table scans or missing indexes, and implement improvements to optimize performance. Additionally, the course will teach participants to write scripts for automating routine maintenance tasks, including backups, index rebuilding, and performance monitoring. Error handling and logging within automation scripts will provide visibility and reliability, ensuring consistent execution of scheduled tasks without manual intervention.

Advanced features such as XML data types, user-defined functions, and complex constraints will also be covered. Participants will learn to store and query hierarchical data using XML and XQuery, implement advanced user-defined functions for reusable logic, and enforce sophisticated business rules with complex constraints. Finally, participants will master query optimization and indexing strategies to enhance overall system efficiency. This includes writing efficient T-SQL queries, leveraging indexes strategically, partitioning large tables, and analyzing workloads to implement solutions that balance read and write performance. By mastering these skills, participants will be fully equipped to develop, maintain, and optimize SQL Server 2012 databases, ensuring reliability, security, and high performance in professional environments.

Understanding SQL Server 2012 Database Development

SQL Server 2012 provides a powerful platform for database development, offering advanced tools for data management, performance optimization, and security. Developers must understand how to structure databases, implement efficient queries, and ensure the reliability of data across multiple environments.

Designing and Implementing Tables

Tables are the foundation of any database. In this course, participants will learn to design tables that support efficient data storage and retrieval. Topics include:

• Creating tables with appropriate data types to ensure data consistency.
  
  

• Implementing constraints to enforce data integrity.
  
  

• Using primary keys, foreign keys, and unique constraints to maintain relationships between tables.
  
  

• Designing tables for concurrency to support multiple simultaneous users without data conflicts.
  
  

• Optimizing table structure for performance, including partitioning and indexing strategies.
  
  

Working with Indexes

Indexes are critical for optimizing query performance. Participants will learn to create, modify, and maintain indexes to speed up data retrieval. The course covers:

• Clustered and non-clustered indexes and their use cases.
  
  

• Creating composite indexes for complex queries.
  
  

• Maintaining and rebuilding indexes to prevent fragmentation.
  
  

• Evaluating indexing strategies to balance read and write performance.
  
  

• Using execution plans to identify performance bottlenecks related to indexing.
  
  

Developing Stored Procedures and Functions

Stored procedures and functions are essential tools for encapsulating business logic in the database. The course provides guidance on:

• Writing efficient stored procedures to handle repetitive tasks.
  
  

• Creating scalar and table-valued functions for reusable code.
  
  

• Implementing triggers for automated responses to database events.
  
  

• Debugging and optimizing stored procedures for performance.
  
  

• Using parameters and return values to enhance procedure flexibility.
  
  

Implementing Data Integrity

Maintaining data integrity ensures that the information stored in a database is accurate and consistent. Participants will explore:

• Constraints, including primary keys, foreign keys, and check constraints.
  
  

• Implementing default values and unique constraints to prevent invalid data entry.
  
  

• Techniques for validating data using T-SQL.
  
  

• Strategies for error handling in procedures and transactions.
  
  

• Enforcing business rules at the database level to maintain reliable data.
  
  

Managing Transactions and Concurrency

Proper transaction management is essential for data consistency in multi-user environments. The course covers:

• Understanding the ACID properties of transactions.
  
  

• Implementing explicit and implicit transactions.
  
  

• Handling concurrency using isolation levels.
  
  

• Resolving deadlocks and lock conflicts.
  
  

• Using transaction logs to maintain recoverability and consistency.
  
  

Query Optimization and Performance Tuning

Efficient queries are crucial for database performance. Participants will learn to:

• Write optimized queries using T-SQL best practices.
  
  

• Analyze execution plans to identify performance issues.
  
  

• Use indexing strategies to improve query speed.
  
  

• Monitor and tune queries for complex reporting and analysis.
  
  

• Apply caching and temporary table strategies to enhance performance.
  
  

Working with XML Data

XML support in SQL Server allows for storage and querying of structured data. The course explores:

• Storing XML data in SQL Server tables.
  
  

• Querying XML data using XQuery.
  
  

• Modifying XML data efficiently within the database.
  
  

• Integrating XML data with existing relational structures.
  
  

• Using XML indexes to improve performance.
  
  

Implementing Security Measures

Security is a critical aspect of database development. This course provides training on:

• Configuring permissions and roles for database users.
  
  

• Implementing authentication and authorization strategies.
  
  

• Encrypting sensitive data using SQL Server features.
  
  

• Auditing and monitoring database access.
  
  

• Applying best practices for database security compliance.
  
  

Automating Database Tasks

Automation improves efficiency and reduces errors in database management. Participants will learn to:

• Write scripts to automate routine database maintenance.
  
  

• Schedule jobs for backup, indexing, and performance monitoring.
  
  

• Use dynamic SQL for flexible automation solutions.
  
  

• Integrate automation scripts into daily operational workflows.
  
  

• Implement error handling and logging for automated tasks.
  
  

Creating and Modifying Views

Views simplify data access and improve query efficiency. The course covers:

• Designing complex views for reporting and analysis.
  
  

• Implementing indexed views to optimize performance.
  
  

• Updating views and handling underlying table changes.
  
  

• Combining multiple tables in views using joins and subqueries.
  
  

• Securing views to limit user access to sensitive data.
  
  

Troubleshooting and Resolving Performance Issues

Effective troubleshooting is a critical skill for any database professional, as maintaining a healthy and high-performing database environment requires the ability to quickly identify and resolve issues that can affect performance, stability, and reliability. This course equips participants with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to become proficient in diagnosing and addressing performance-related challenges in SQL Server 2012. One of the key skills developed is the ability to identify slow-running queries and resource bottlenecks. Participants will learn how to analyze query execution times, identify inefficient operations, and determine which parts of a query or transaction are causing delays. They will gain expertise in recognizing patterns that lead to performance issues, such as missing or poorly designed indexes, excessive table scans, and suboptimal join operations. By mastering these techniques, participants will be able to pinpoint the root causes of slow queries and implement solutions that enhance responsiveness and throughput.

The course also emphasizes the use of SQL Server performance monitoring tools to maintain a continuous understanding of database health. Participants will learn to utilize dynamic management views (DMVs), system catalog views, and performance counters to track key metrics such as CPU usage, memory utilization, disk I/O, and query execution statistics. By collecting and interpreting these metrics, participants can identify trends, anticipate potential problems, and take corrective action before issues escalate. The course also introduces built-in tools such as SQL Server Profiler and Extended Events, enabling learners to capture detailed event data, analyze query behavior, and gain insights into how the database engine processes operations. These monitoring techniques provide a foundation for proactive performance management, allowing participants to maintain an optimized and reliable environment.

Another vital skill covered in the course is analyzing execution plans and query statistics. Execution plans offer a graphical or textual representation of how SQL Server processes a query, including details such as index usage, join operations, and estimated row counts. Participants will learn to interpret these plans to identify inefficiencies, such as unnecessary table scans, missing indexes, or expensive sorting operations. Understanding execution plans allows developers and administrators to optimize queries effectively, rewrite inefficient SQL statements, and implement indexing strategies that improve performance. Additionally, the course teaches how to use query statistics to measure execution times, identify resource-intensive queries, and prioritize optimization efforts. Combining execution plan analysis with performance monitoring ensures that participants can diagnose problems comprehensively and apply targeted solutions.

Optimizing database configuration for workloads is another critical area of focus. Participants will learn how to configure SQL Server settings to support varying workloads, including OLTP (online transaction processing) and OLAP (online analytical processing) environments. The course covers memory allocation, parallelism settings, tempdb configuration, and storage optimization to ensure that the database performs efficiently under different load conditions. Learners will also understand how to design databases and queries to align with hardware resources, balancing read and write operations, and maximizing throughput without overloading the system. This knowledge enables participants to tailor database configurations to meet organizational performance requirements effectively.

Capturing and Analyzing System Information

Monitoring system performance helps maintain database efficiency. The course includes:

• Collecting performance metrics for analysis.
  
  

• Using system views and dynamic management views (DMVs).
  
  

• Tracking CPU, memory, and disk usage for SQL Server instances.
  
  

• Identifying trends to anticipate performance issues.
  
  

• Applying corrective actions based on collected system data.
  
  

Advanced T-SQL Development

Advanced T-SQL techniques enhance database functionality and efficiency. Participants will learn:

• Writing complex queries using joins, subqueries, and common table expressions (CTEs).
  
  

• Implementing window functions for analytical tasks.
  
  

• Using pivot and unpivot operations for dynamic reporting.
  
  

• Managing large datasets efficiently with batch processing.
  
  

• Applying error handling and exception management in T-SQL.
  
  

Preparing for the Microsoft 70-464 Exam

This course provides comprehensive preparation for the Microsoft 70-464 exam, equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to succeed. One of the primary components of the course is a detailed review of all exam objectives and key topics. Participants will explore every aspect of the exam blueprint, ensuring a thorough understanding of the skills being tested. This includes designing and implementing tables, managing indexes, creating stored procedures, implementing security measures, optimizing queries, and handling complex transactions. By reviewing these objectives in depth, participants will gain clarity on the scope of the exam and understand how each topic connects to real-world database development tasks.

In addition to theoretical knowledge, the course emphasizes practical application through real-world scenarios and hands-on exercises. Participants will engage in tasks that simulate actual business requirements, such as designing database schemas, implementing triggers and stored procedures, managing concurrency, and optimizing query performance. These exercises are designed to reinforce concepts, build problem-solving skills, and help participants understand how to apply best practices in practical situations. Hands-on experience is critical for mastering SQL Server 2012, as it allows learners to experiment with different approaches, identify performance bottlenecks, and develop efficient solutions in a controlled environment.

Simulated tests are another important feature of the course, providing participants with the opportunity to assess their readiness for the Microsoft 70-464 exam. These practice exams replicate the structure, format, and question types of the actual certification test, allowing learners to gauge their understanding and identify areas that require further study. By taking multiple simulated tests, participants can become familiar with time management strategies, learn to approach complex questions methodically, and build confidence in their ability to perform under exam conditions. Regular testing also helps solidify knowledge retention and ensures that participants are fully prepared for all aspects of the exam.

The course also focuses on applying best practices for database development and performance optimization. Participants will learn how to write efficient T-SQL queries, create optimized indexing strategies, and design databases that support high performance and scalability. Emphasis is placed on maintaining data integrity, implementing effective security measures, and managing transactions to ensure consistency in multi-user environments. By integrating best practices into every aspect of database development, participants will not only be prepared for the exam but also gain the skills needed to implement reliable and efficient solutions in professional settings.

Beyond exam preparation, the course is designed to help participants gain confidence in implementing database solutions in real-world environments. Learners will understand how to analyze business requirements, design effective database architectures, and deploy solutions that meet performance, security, and reliability standards. The course provides guidance on troubleshooting common issues, monitoring system performance, and using tools such as execution plans and dynamic management views to optimize database operations. By mastering these skills, participants will be equipped to handle complex database challenges, support business applications, and contribute to organizational success.

The course also emphasizes the importance of continuous practice and review. Participants are encouraged to repeatedly apply the concepts learned through exercises, practice tests, and scenario-based tasks. This iterative approach reinforces learning, builds problem-solving confidence, and ensures that participants are capable of performing complex tasks efficiently. Through this comprehensive preparation, learners will not only be ready to pass the Microsoft 70-464 exam but also develop a professional skill set that is immediately applicable in real-world SQL Server environments.

Overall, this course provides a balanced combination of theory, practical exercises, simulated testing, and professional best practices. Participants will finish the program with a complete understanding of SQL Server 2012 database development, including table and index design, stored procedures, triggers, views, functions, data integrity, security, concurrency control, query optimization, automation, and performance monitoring. By integrating these skills, learners will gain the confidence and competence to excel in both the exam and their professional database development careers. The structured approach ensures that participants are fully prepared, capable of handling complex scenarios, and ready to deliver high-performing, reliable database solutions..