Beginning Microsoft SQL Server 2008 ... - S3 Tech Training

NAME
This one isn’t quite what it sounds like. It is a name for the file you are defining, but only a logical name —
that is, the name that SQL Server will use internally to refer to that file. You use this name when you
want to resize (expand or shrink) the database and/or file.
FILENAME
This one is what it sounds like — the physical name on the disk of the actual operating system file in
which the data and log (depending on what section you’re defining) will be stored. The default here
(assuming you used the simple syntax you looked at first) depends on whether you are dealing with the
database itself or the log. By default, your file will be located in the \Data subdirectory under your main
\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL directory (or whatever you
called your main SQL Server directory if you changed it at install). If we’re dealing with the physical database
file, it will be named the same as your database with an .mdf extension. If we’re dealing with the log, it
will be named the same as the database file but with a suffix of _Log and an .ldf extension. You are allowed
to specify other extensions if you explicitly name the files, but I strongly encourage you to stick with the
defaults of mdf (database) and ldf (log file). As a side note, secondary files have a default extension of .ndf.
Keep in mind that, while FILENAME is an optional parameter, it is optional only as long as you go with
the extremely simple syntax (the one that creates a new database based on the model database) that I
introduced first. If you provide any of the additional information, then you must include an explicit file
name — be sure to provide a full path.
SIZE
No mystery here. It is what it says — the size of the database. By default, the size is in megabytes, but
you can make it kilobytes by using a KB instead of MB after the numeric value for the size, or go bigger
by using GB (gigabytes) or even TB (terabytes). Keep in mind that this value must be at least as large as
the model database is and must be a whole number (no decimals) or you will receive an error. If you do
not supply a value for SIZE, then the database will initially be the same size as the model database.
MAXSIZE
Chapter 5: Creating and Altering Tables
SQL Server allows you to store your database in multiple files; furthermore, it allows
you to collect those files into logical groupings called filegroups. The use of filegroups
is a fairly advanced concept and is outside the scope of this book.
This one is still pretty much what it sounds like, with only a slight twist vs. the SIZE parameter. SQL
Server has a mechanism to allow your database to automatically allocate additional disk space (to grow)
when necessary. MAXSIZE is the maximum size to which the database can grow. Again, the number is, by
default, in megabytes, but like SIZE, you can use KB, GB, or TB to use different increment amounts. The
slight twist is that there is no firm default. If you don’t supply a value for this parameter, then there is
considered to be no maximum — the practical maximum becomes when your disk drive is full.
If your database reaches the value set in the MAXSIZE parameter, your users will start getting errors back
saying that their inserts can’t be performed. If your log reaches its maximum size, you will not be able to
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