Now that we have established what the book does and does not cover, we'd like to clarify just who we believe will be most interested in it and best served by it. In a nutshell, this book is for .NET and SQL Server developers who work with databases and data access, at the business logic/middle-tier layer as well as the application level.

In our perhaps self-centered view of the development world, we think this actually describes most .NET developers, but clearly some developers are more interested in database programming in general, and SQL Server specifically, than others, and it is this more interested group we want to reach.

We assume you have basic, working knowledge of .NET programming in C# on the client and Transact-SQL (T-SQL) on the server. We also assume you are comfortable with the basics of creating tables, views, and stored procedures on the server and working with ADO.NET Connection, Command, DataReader, and DataSet objects on the client using the SqlClient ADO.NET provider. On the tools side, we assume you are familiar with the prior generation of SQL Server and .NET toolsspecifically, SQL Server Enterprise Manager, SQL Query Analyzer, and Visual Studio .NET 2002 or 2003. Having knowledge of these tools will better equip you to learn about their successors: SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio 2005.

Having said all that, we have a fairly liberal policy regarding these prerequisites. For example, if you've only dabbled with T-SQL or you're more comfortable with Visual Basic .NET than C#, that's OK, as long as you're willing to try and pick up on things as you read along. Most of our code samples are not that complex. However, our explanations assume some basic knowledge on your part, and you might need to do a little research if you lack the experience.

In addition to covering the SQL Server core relational engine and its ancillary services, this book also provides in-depth coverage of SQL Server's BI features, including Integration Services, Reporting Services, and the OLAP and Data Mining components of Analysis Services. Although ours is not a BI book per se, it is a database developer's book, and we feel strongly that all these features should be understood by mainstream database developers. BI is really one of the cornerstone features of SQL Server 2005, so the time is right for traditional database developers to "cross over" to the world of BI.

Realizing that these technologies, especially OLAP and data mining, will be new territory for many readers, we assume no knowledge of them on your part. Any reader who meets the prerequisites already discussed should feel comfortable reading about these BI features and, more than likely, feel ready and excited to start working with BI after reading the BI-focused chapters.