>PMFJI, I'd like to add my two cents. Install issues will fall on you, but that should go fairly flawlessly - I've installed SQL Server probably hundreds of times (for training purposes) and have never had one fail. Of course, that means I'll try to install it next week and it will... <g> I believe they provide a unattended install for MSDE as well, making the setup practically invisible to the end user.
>
>Backups are easily handled by a network admin, 'cause a SQL Server DB backup can be automated - all they have to do is change tapes (and the tapes can be the same ones they use for backing up other Windows boxes). Rebuilding of indexes can be automated (and probably should be to prevent fragmentation from causing performance issues). You can even set up MSDE to send you an email if something goes wrong, too... as long as you install Outlook on the same machine as MSDE. :)
>
>As far as having someone with a clue on staff, well, as long as they do their backups regularly, failures should only be temporary setbacks for them. Everything else should be automated by you before you ship your product, including the backup schedule.
>

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the info. It does sound like we are thiking a little too cautiously. If other developers are handling it well, we should be able to.

It's funny: Whil's latest ISC newsletter addresses the same subject, noting a book (THE HANDBOOK FOR RELUCTANT DATABASE
ADMINISTRATORS by Josef Finsel) that helps developers do DBA work.