Database stuff

My current task at work is to learn how to use Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Report Builder 3.0.  It is a tool to create reports from an SQL database.  I really need to start work on a project that involves images and features from images in a MySQL database.  I have done a very little bit of that already, but I need to get more comfortable with it so I can build a database of images and features for work with the R statistical programming language.  It seems like more and more people require that now to facilitate data mining of the images.  It is hard work, but very rewarding to learn this kind of stuff.  I have an old computer at home I think I will set up to do that.