Microsoft SQL Server is a software product that allows users to retrieve or store data needed by other software applications running on the same computer or a different computer across the network. More than a dozen SQL server editions are available from Microsoft; each has a different target audience and capacity for workloads varying from single-machine tasks to huge, internet-facing projects involving many simultaneous users. An important factor that goes into deciding to learn a new skill is researching complementary and related skills. Doing so will help you make more informed decisions about what you want to learn, and it will help you decide whether acquiring a specific skill is the right decision for you. You will also find out what kind of skills you may want to learn to complement your training later on.

What is SQL Server? 

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) created by Microsoft. The data it contains is stored in tables similar to the columns and rows in a spreadsheet. Like other RDBMS software, SQL server is built on top of structured query language (SQL), the programming language most commonly used to communicate with relational databases. This database server’s primary function is storing and retrieving data that other software applications request. This data may run on the same computer or be stored on a computer across a network.

Read more about what SQL Server is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with SQL Server Skills?

SQL Server supports core analytics, transaction process, and business intelligence operations. It is especially useful in the business sector for efficiently and safely managing a variety of business information. SQL Server can also improve the speed at which data is processed, making it easier to execute large operations. 

Another benefit to working with SQL Server is that it provides advanced performance features for encryption and transparent data compression. Users don’t need to modify programs to secure and encrypt their data. SQL Server also includes efficient management tools for permission and access controls that can secure sensitive business data.

Skills Related to SQL Server

If you’re in the process of learning to work with SQL Server, you may wonder which skills you can acquire to help you work with this relational database management system. Learning more about how to work with relational databases can be immensely helpful as you start to build skills in SQL Server. So, too, is studying programming languages like Python or R, which are commonly used for data-related tasks. You may also wish to expand your knowledge of machine learning to help you acquire knowledge of SQL Server. The following sections will take a brief look at some of the skills you may wish to study as you learn SQL Server.

Relational Databases 

Because SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS), the more knowledge you have of relational databases, the easier it will be for you to learn SQL Server. Relational databases are information collections in which data is sorted into one or multiple tables based on predefined relationships. By organizing it in this format that uses columns and rows, users can easily visualize and understand how one data structure relates to another. Information stored in relational databases is structured in this manner to ensure that it’s easily accessible. 

An RDBMS is a commonly used kind of database in which data is stored in tables that relate to other stored datasets. Most of the databases currently used in the business sector are relational databases. In addition, most IT application systems that are currently being used were created based on RDBMSs. One of the benefits of working with a relational database is that it can handle complex queries and huge data volumes, some of which consist of millions of rows of data.

Noble Desktop’s SQL Server Bootcamp is a great way for students to receive hands-on training with core skills like writing SQL queries and aggregating data.

R Programming

R is a statistical computing and graphical programming language. R is commonly used with SQL because of its range of data analytics capabilities. R helps users retrieve data from relational databases. It also provides an assortment of packages that help users analyze and process data as they design and query databases. R was created to handle structured, complex datasets, such as those used for statistical analysis. This makes it a powerful tool for tasks like statistical modeling and data visualization. 

Although SQL is a more commonly used programming language for communicating with relational databases, there are many advantages to working with R alongside SQL for data-related tasks. R is a flexible, versatile language for graphical visualization, data manipulation, and statistical analysis. Because the community of R users is so large, many online resources are available to help you work with this language. Complex data analysis tasks like machine learning can be easily and quickly performed using R’s built-in packages and functions. Because R is platform-independent, it works on any operating system.

If you’d like to learn how to program using R, Noble Desktop’s Data Analytics with R Bootcamp teaches students how to work with this language to analyze and visualize data.

Python

Python is a widely used scripting language with a range of applications for analyzing and visualizing data. Most people consider Python to be one of the easiest programming languages to learn. Python can also handle a range of high-level manipulations that would be difficult to perform using SQL, such as regression or statistical analysis. Python libraries like SciPy and Pandas are able to complete regression analysis much faster than would be possible using SQL. Because of how quickly this language can perform, Python users can explore various data paths much faster than they could using other languages.

Python users can access and work with various SQL Server databases from within Python programs. They can also run T-SQL queries against SQL Server databases using Python programs. In addition, SQL Server stored procedures and functions can be executed directly from Python programs. 

For those interested in taking their Python skills to the next level, Noble Desktop’s Python Developer Certificate covers fundamental Python programming skills in addition to web development with Django.

Machine Learning

Machine learning is a kind of artificial intelligence in which software applications learn how to make more predictive outcomes without being programmed to do so. By inputting historical data, machine learning algorithms are able to offer predictions for output values. Some of the most commonly used machine learning applications are detecting malware threats or fraudulent activity, as well as filtering spam from email. Many of the world’s largest companies, such as Google, Uber, and Facebook, use machine learning.

Machine learning plays an essential role in the business world in that it provides organizations with an overview of important trends, such as patterns of business operations or customer behavior. Machine learning generally falls into four approaches: unsupervised learning, supervised learning, semi-supervised learning, and reinforcement learning. When selecting a machine learning algorithm, data professionals use the one most suited to the type of data prediction they wish to make.

In addition to the general benefits of learning to work with machine learning algorithms, such as their predictive accuracy, machine learning can also help perform a range of tasks using SQL Server. SQL Server’s Machine Learning Services feature allows users to run R and Python scripts alongside relational data. Open-source R and Microsoft Python packages are helpful for performing machine learning and predictive analytics tasks. 

If you’re interested in applying machine learning to financial endeavors, Noble Dekstop’s FinTech Bootcamp provides hands-on training. Participants in this program learn how to analyze financial data and create machine-learning models. 

Learn SQL Server Skills with Noble Desktop

If you’re new to SQL Server and want to learn the basics, Noble Desktop’s in-person and live online SQL Server Bootcamp is for you. Participants receive expert instruction about using SQL Server to locate information in databases using SQL queries, as well as joining tables, aggregating data, and filtering results. 

Noble’s in-person or live online SQL Bootcamp prepares participants to work with the free DBeaver app for exploring databases and executing queries. Noble also offers the Data Science Certificate and Data Analytics Certificate, in which PostgreSQL training is provided. The content in this course can be applied to SQL Server.

Key Takeaway

• SQL Server was created to help users store or retrieve the data required by other software apps that run on the user’s computer or a computer across the network.
• If you’re learning SQL Server, you may wish to study programming languages like Python and R, which have a range of uses for processing, analyzing, and visualizing data.
• Interested learners may also wish to learn more about relational databases as they work with SQL Server since it is a relational database management system. Machine learning skills can also help you work with SQL Server for performing accurate predictive analysis.
• Interested learners can receive comprehensive training on SQL Server in the in-person or live online format from Noble Desktop.