[WEB4LIB] Request for cost info on MS SQL Training

[Dobbs, Aaron]

And now for the official microsoft answer:  Depends.

No, seriously... 

If you have people who can write SQL statements, understand the concepts &
mechanics of relational databases, (I'm guessing Oracle on your Unix box? MS
SQL is said to be much easier to implement & administer, but that is hearsay
on my part) the only thing you need to grok is that M$ does it a little
differently (I haven't worked with Oracle or other SQL based Databases
(MySQL, PostGre, &c) so I won't try to get specific) 

Costs can be kept to a minimum (a couple of M$ SQL books (M$ press actually
does a pretty good job & the M$ Official Courseware is helpful, too) &
motivated, flexible staff who understand RDBMS) ~$200 to ~$500 

very expensive from ~$1250 to ~$2225 for each 5 day class (I recommend these
3 as basics if you want to go the class route:  
	M$ 2071 
	M$ 2072
	M$ 2073
But classes get expensive really fast - see if you can get a university
discount, and/or a "tech club" where you can take as many classes as you
want for the price of ~3.5 classes. (probably per person)

Just a comment on which version of SQL:  Get the university to upgrade to
SQL 2000. If that's not going to happen then get your hands on the SQL 2000
tools which include such fun toys as Analysis Manager (Data Warehousing/
Data mining tool) and the Object Browser (Graphical access in one window to
the architecture of your Db -- similar to Access 2000 but better) 

-Aaron Dobbs, MSLS
A+, MCSE+I, MCDBA, Network+
Network Services Librarian
Austin Peay State University


-----Original Message-----
From: Williams, David [mailto:DWilliams at law.pace.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2001 3:40 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Request for cost info on MS SQL Training


 Could anyone give  me a very an approximate
 idea of the personnel training costs of
 converting our text-based, full-text searchable
 database server from Unix to SQL Server?  We're
 currently operating on Intel hardware running
 freeWAIS-sf under Linux.

 It's only the training costs I'm trying to get a
 handle on.  Our university would provide and support
 the Microsoft SQL Server and Cold Fusion software,
 but will not provide staff training in the use of
 these packages.  We would have to do the applications
 programming ourselves.

 What I'm need information on is the  approximate
 training costs per person for programming  and
 administering such a web database (such as our
 Second Circuit opinions website) under Microsoft
 SQL Server.  (I'm not looking for an estimate of the
 costs of converting the database itself.)  The
 University currently has and supports SQL Server 7.0.

 Thanks in advance for any information.

 Dave Williams
 Pace University Law Library