ADMINISTRATOR TOOL
Recover Passwords for SQL Server Accounts
i-tivity announced Password Recovery Wizard for SQL Server 2000, a wizard that can recover passwords from offline and online servers. SQL Server doesn't store passwords but uses a mathematical formula known as a SHA1 hashing algorithm to deduce a large number from the password, then stores this number inside the master.mdf data file. You can't retrieve a password from a SHA1 hash. Password Recovery Wizard for SQL Server 2000 uses combinations of words taken from dictionaries and word lists in 35 different languages and a permutation engine to recover passwords for SQL Server accounts. The wizard costs $249.99. Contact i-tivity at [email protected] or http://www.i-tivity.biz.
DATABASE MANAGEMENT
Analyze Database Performance Problems
FMS announced Total SQL Analyzer PRO, software that can document and analyze your database performance and detect design problems. The software can help you improve database performance and scalability because it can automatically detect more than 95 types of specific performance problems. You can use Total SQL Analyzer PRO to identify tables that don't have clustered indexes and to locate cursor usage. You can develop applications faster by viewing interactive diagrams that show where objects are used and what objects are using other objects. Total SQL Analyzer PRO supports SQL Server 2000 and 7.0 and starts at $999 for a one-user license. Contact FMS at 703-356-4700, 866-367-7801, or http://www.fms.com.
Know Who Is Doing What to Your Database
Lumigent Technologies announced Entegra, software that can create audit records of data access to ensure compliance with your organization's business requirements. Entegra provides an audit trail of information about data access, including database structure and permissions changes. You no longer need to modify every application that might be used to access data. Entegra captures all data access, even data access directly against the database. You can see a complete, sequential record of changes to any database record. Entegra supports SQL Server 2000 and 7.0 and costs $3000. Contact Lumigent Technologies at 978-206-3700, 866-586-4436, or http://www.lumigent.com.
DEVELOPER TOOL
Ensure Enterprise System and Database Interaction
Parasoft announced DataRecon, software that lets developers verify that applications properly interact with databases. The software automates database verification and monitoring to prevent database problems throughout the entire database life cycle. You can use DataRecon to automate and repeat database testing; prevent database design and data integrity problems and unexpected structural changes; enforce database naming standards; perform load testing, performance benchmarking, and regression testing and monitoring; conduct prototype queries; and generate an SQL script. DataRecon supports SQL Server through ODBC. Pricing starts at $3495 for a single-user license. Contact Parasoft at 888-305-0041, [email protected], or http://www.parasoft.com.
Enable Database Source Control
Skilled Software announced SQL Source Control 2003, developer software that enables source control of code and documentation of your databases. The software lets you integrate and add connection properties to Microsoft Visual SourceSafe. SQL Source Control 2003 lets developers use checkouts to work together on the same database so that they don't have to worry about several developers changing the same database object. The software independently documents each change. The Intellisense feature displays information in a drop-down list to assist you with statement completion and informs you about the available properties of database objects. All documentation and source-control features are Semantic Markup Language (SML)-based. SQL Source Control 2003 supports SQL Server 2000. Pricing starts at $49 for a license. Contact Skilled Software at [email protected] or http://www.skilledsoftware.com.
STORAGE
Monitor and Manage SQL Server Storage Capacities
Astrum Software announced Astrum 1.5, software that monitors and manages storage through a centralized Web-based management console. Astrum lets companies apply storage-management policies to enterprise resources. The software centrally monitors, reports on, and proactively manages storage resources for SQL Server databases. You can monitor, browse, and report on multiple SQL Server databases so that you can manage storage resources for these databases across your enterprise. To optimize storage resources, you can track database file sizes and usage levels and can compare allocated versus consumed storage levels. You can use Astrum to find out the storage capacity needed for each application running on SQL Server. For pricing, contact Astrum Software at 617-242-5757 or http://www.astrumsoftware.com.
TECHNICAL RESOURCE
Learn How to Secure SQL Server Data
Curlingstone Publishing announced SQL Server Security Distilled, a book by Morris Lewis that details how to secure data in SQL Server 2000, 7.0, and 6.5. You can read how different versions of SQL Server handle authentication and authorization, how SQL Server security integrates with Windows security, and the security pros and cons of different transport protocols. You can also learn ways to adjust SQL Server security to different applications, how to secure Data Transformation Services (DTS) packages, the security implications of different types of replication, and the security features of SQL Server CE and its server-side agents. The 300-page book costs $39.99. Contact Curlingstone Publishing at [email protected] or http://www.curlingstone.com.
Programmers: Get SQL Training
Mike Murach and Associates announced Murach's SQL for SQL Server, a book by Bryan Syverson that lets programmers get SQL training. Section one teaches you how to use SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE) and the client tools for SQL Server 2000 to run SQL statements. Section two teaches you how to retrieve data from a database and how to add, update, and delete that data. Section three teaches you how to design a database and how to implement that design by using either SQL Data Definition Language (DDL) statements or Enterprise Manager. The last section discusses views, stored procedures, functions, triggers, cursors, and transactions. The 574-page book costs $44.55. Contact Mike Murach and Associates at 559-440-9071, 800-221-5528, or http://www.murach.com.
