In this lesson, you will learn what you need to do to get your database online and working and what information you will need to provide to your database administrator (DBA) to ensure that appropriate connections to your system will exist.

You'll likely experience one of two extremes in your database decision. Either you will have the decision mandated to you by your company's database policies and standards, or you will have free reign to select the tools you want to work with. Of course, if the first case is true, simply use the database engine that has been selected for you.
The second case is where things get interesting. First, you will need to determine what software you actually have access to. Keep in mind that Microsoft Access is part of Microsoft Office, so it's likely that, if you have Microsoft Office on your system, you can either use the existing installation of Access or install it from the distribution CD. If you have a choice, Access is a likely candidate for experimentation, and one that's easy to implement and use in the capacity that serves this course.
Of final consideration is your plan for moving forward. If you have a database system in place, or if you are looking to use your soon-to-be SQL talents on a company project, then by all means use that database system for this course. It will be easier to relate to something that you have a vested interest in learning.
The next lesson will help you set up whichever database you have chosen.