When you install SQL Server, you can install the SQL Server documentation (SQL Server Books Online), sample applications, and tutorials. SQL Server Books Online, samples, and tutorials cover the concepts and procedures required to use SQL Server effectively. SQL Server Books Online also includes reference material for the languages and programming interfaces for storing, retrieving, reporting, and modifying data using SQL Server.

If you install the documentation and tutorials using the SQL Server 2008 Setup program, you can access them in two ways:

• Through the Documentation and Tutorials submenu on the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 program group.
  
• Through F1 Help and Dynamic Help in the SQL Server tools and utilities.
  

SQL Server 2008 Books Online is also available on the Web. This gives you access to the documentation from a computer on which SQL Server is not installed:

• A copy of SQL Server 2008 Books Online is published in both the MSDN Library and the TechNet Library. The topics in these copies of SQL Server 2008 Books Online include comments from the community, such as additional information and code examples from other customers. TechNet searches for SQL Server information will return relevant topics from the TechNet Library version of SQL Server 2008 Books Online. All other Web searches for SQL Server information will return relevant topics from the MSDN Library version of SQL Server 2008 Books Online. You can view the MSDN Library copy at the SQL Server 2008 Books Online Web Page.
  
• A downloadable copy of SQL Server 2008 Books Online is available on the Web. You can use the download to install SQL Server Books Online on computers that are not running SQL Server 2008. For more information, see Downloading and Updating Books Online.
  

Both the download file and the copy of SQL Server Books Online in the MSDN Library are refreshed when Microsoft publishes an update to SQL Server 2008 Books Online.

For more information about installing and accessing the sample applications and databases, see AdventureWorks Sample Databases.

The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) provides online and offline services that help developers write applications using Microsoft products and technologies. The Microsoft TechNet Program delivers comprehensive technical resources that help IT professionals efficiently evaluate, deploy, and support Microsoft solutions.

Several sites on MSDN and TechNet provide a specific audience with links to the SQL Server information most relevant to their jobs, including the information in the copies of the SQL Server Books Online on MSDN and TechNet. These sites also contain information that extends the information available in the Books Online.

The following table describes these resources and their intended audience.

Additional SQL Server information is available from these Microsoft Web sites.

If you have not found the information you are looking for in the product documentation or on the Web, you can ask a question in the SQL Server community forums and newsgroups. You can also request help from product support.

Note:
Please do not post questions in the Community Comments section at the bottom of the SQL Server Books Online topics in the MSDN Library or TechNet Library. Those sections are not monitored for questions, and you will usually not receive an answer. Post questions in the community forums and newsgroups, which are monitored by other customers who can answer your questions.

The following table links to and describes these resources.

Microsoft products have a support lifecycle that defines how long support is available for each release. Microsoft support maintains a page that defines the Microsoft support lifecycle. The page contains links to other pages that specify the availability of support for Microsoft products. For more information, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Concepts

Help and Information