Acknowledgments

I would like to thank a few people that have been key in my personal and professional life. Without each of these people I would not have been able to write this book or to have the drive required to succeed in today’s fast-changing technical environment. First, I would like to thank my wife Diane. She has provided support day in and day out for years now. She puts up with my technical side and still loves me for the great big kid that I can be at times. I would also like to express my gratitude to my sister, Cathy, and her husband, Lee. They have both helped me through some troubled times of my life and have given me unwavering
support. I would like to thank a few other individuals who have played significant roles in my life. In my early military career, I had the good fortune of being under the tutelage of Sergeant First Class Howell. He was a Vietnam veteran with great wisdom and patience and a strong work ethic; he has had a profound influence on me. Later, at Cray Computer Corporation, I came to know Bob Hoeglund, for whom I held and still hold a great deal of respect. He gave me the opportunity to learn as much as I could about every aspect of databases and computers and how they work. I would also like to thank all the students in my classes. Without your hard questions and late evenings after class, I would not be the DBA that I am. I would also like to thank Kenny Simms for his valuable assistance in this endeavor. Kenny is a former student. He has contributed hours of research—both on the Internet and in the Knowledge Base—to ensure the quality of the chapters in this book. I would also like to thank Paula Kmetz, Senior Project Editor at The Coriolis Group. Her understanding and patience is the only reason I have completed this book. She has even put up with my sense of humor and comments
throughout the project. Her efforts, and those of others at The Coriolis Group
are greatly appreciated. Finally, I would like to thank my parents. First, my mother, for her support when I was young and for all the sacrifices she made to ensure that I had what I needed for school and all those projects. I would not be the person I am today without the help and confidence my mother gave me. Over the last 15 years or so, my father and I have come to know each other as adults, and I value the friendship we share. He has helped me come to understand what it is like to sacrifice for the good of the ones you love.