In This Issue:
So you didn't make it to TechEd this year? Don't despair: You still have time to review some of the best material from TechEd 2006.
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July 13, 2006
1. Perspectives
- Virtual Working Vacation: TechEd 2006 Resources
2. SQL Server Watch
- Microsoft Releases SQL Server 2005 SP1 Cummulative Hotfix Package
- Product Watch: WhereScape Software and Idera
3. Hot Articles
- Q&A: SQL Server 2005 BOL Shortcuts
- Feature: Life Cycle Tools for the Data Dude
- In a Nutshell: Travel Mercies
- Hot Threads: Administration and T-SQL
4. Events and Resources
- Disaster Recovery for Windows-Based Applications
- Code Signing Technology
- Alternative Storage Solutions
- Deploy Desktop Spyware Protection
5. Featured White Paper
- Manage Adware and Spyware Threats
6. Reader Challenge
- July Reader Challenge Solution: Creating an Easy Query Mechanism for Gathering Customer Data
- August Reader Challenge: Generating 6-Digit All-Numeric File Numbers for Search
7. Announcements
- Invitation for VIP Access
- Save $80 On the Windows IT Security Newsletter
8. Web Community
- http://www.sqlmag.com
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1. Perspectives
Virtual Working Vacation: TechEd 2006 Resources
by Brian Moran, [email protected]
If you weren't one of the nearly 13,000 people in Boston at Microsoft's TechEd show in June, don't despair--you still have time to review some of the best material from the TechEd sessions and speakers, as well as supplemental material. Microsoft tells me that the Virtual TechEd site at http://virtualteched.com and the official TechEd 2006 site at http://www.microsoft.com/events/teched2006/default.mspx will be up through at least the end of July. Make time to visit soon, because there's a ton of interesting content.
The Virtual TechEd site features videos, keynote presentations, and links to blog sites related to specific technologies introduced or discussed in detail at TechEd. In past years, Microsoft has made streaming video of most of the TechEd sessions available on the Internet for a limited time. Microsoft hasn't made all of the content available this year, but you do have a lot of content to choose from. The official TechEd site shows a count of slightly more than 1000 sessions, and when you do a search using the keyword "SQL," you get a list of 128 sessions. In addition, Microsoft has 177 TechEd and pre-TechEd Web seminars available at http://www.msteched.com/content/webcasts.aspx . Twenty-nine of those Web seminars are related to SQL Server.
If that's not enough to keep your idle summer days packed with learning, you might want to purchase the TechEd 2006 DVD pack. This year, the set is available to non-attendees for $195, and you can order it at http://shop.ecompanystore.com/mseventdvd/MSD_productdetail.asp?EventID=8 . This DVD set will include streaming media files of all TechEd 2006 Breakout Sessions, Strategic Briefings, and keynotes. The DVDs will also include some bonus content such as Hands-on Lab Manuals. Personally, I think the massive amount of high-quality technical content in this set is an incredible value and a wonderful educational resource. Pester your boss for a company copy if you don't want to shell out your own funds, but do whatever you can to grab this great DVD kit.
Finally, if you want to keep up with interesting Microsoft Webcasts and live events, consider signing up for Microsoft's event and Webcast notification service at http://www.microsoft.com/events/notifications/signup.mspx . Microsoft will send you a monthly newsletter customized for your areas of interest.
Sponsor: Double-Take Software
Learn what every IT Manager should know about protecting SQL Server, and identify the costs, risks, and advantages of each. Make sure that your disaster recovery and high availability solutions match your business needs.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepapers/doubletake/sqlserver/?code=SQLMid0713
2. SQL Server Watch
Microsoft Releases SQL Server 2005 SP1 Cumulative Hotfix Package
Microsoft announced the release of a cumulative hotfix package for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Hotfixes are created for specific SQL Server service packs. Thus, you must apply a SQL Server 2005 SP1 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2005 SP1. By default, any hotfix that's provided in a SQL Server service pack is included in the next SQL Server service pack. However, it's nice to have a complete set of hotfixes to get you up to date.
SQL Server 2005 SP1 includes all SQL Server 2005 hotfixes up to and including build 9.0.1530. Cumulative hotfix package (build 2153) for SQL Server 2005 contains SQL Server 2005 hotfixes that were not included in SQL Server 2005 SP1. This build roughly corresponds to SQL Server 2005 builds 9.0.1531 through build 9.0.1540.
The Microsoft article "Cumulative hotfix package (build 2153) for SQL Server 2005 is available" at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918222 provides a complete description of the hotfix package and download information. For more information about which SQL Server 2005 hotfixes are included in SQL Server 2005 SP1, see the Microsoft article "A list of the bugs that have been fixed in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1" at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913090 .
Product Watch
by Blake Eno, [email protected]
Build Data Warehouses on SQL Server
WhereScape Software announced WhereScape RED 5.0, a data-warehouse prototyping and development environment that lets developers show users a working model in which they can explore and validate the design. WhereScape uses features from SQL Server 2005 and 2000 Analysis Services to pull data from source systems to OLAP cubes while providing version control, scheduling, business and technical metadata, and full documentation. Significant updates also include UI and usability improvements. A free trial edition is available. For more information, contact WhereScape Software at 770-579-3606.
http://www.wherescape.com
Manage Backup and Recovery Jobs
Idera announced SQLsafe 3.1, a backup and recovery solution for SQL Server that includes integration with Idera's SQLschedule job management solution. This integration lets administrators manage SQLsafe backup jobs across the organization from a single view. The software can identify conflicts, optimize backup-job schedules, and plan and schedule jobs. SQLsafe also provides automated grooming of backup files based on a specified retention policy for full, incremental, and transaction-log backups. A new Maintenance Plan Conversion Wizard provides conversion of maintenance plans and log shipping maintenance activities to SQL Server jobs. For more information, contact Idera at 713-523-4433, 877-464-3372, or [email protected].
http://www.idera.com
3. Hot Articles
Q&A: SQL Server 2005 BOL Shortcuts
by Brian Moran, [email protected]
Q: I'm a keyboard-shortcut kind of guy (was brought up in the UNIX world originally), and when I have SQL Server questions, I typically start researching topics in SQL Server Books Online (BOL). When I use SQL Server 2000 BOL, I can press Alt+N to go straight to the index, no matter which pane I'm currently using, and start typing a word to search. It irks me a bit that I haven't found the keyboard shortcut to access SQL Server 2005 BOL. Where is it?
Read the answer to this question today at
http://www.sqlmag.com/Articles/ArticleID/49961/49961.html
Feature: Life Cycle Tools for the Data Dude
Get the inside story on Microsoft's new database development tool, Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals, which its creators hope will bridge the gap between database and application developers. Read this article today and post your comments at
http://www.sqlmag.com/Articles/ArticleID/50271/50271.html
In a Nutshell: Travel Mercies
In this week's blog, Kevin Kline is prepping for a trip and shares some of the reading material he's packing as well as some new stuff he's writing. Read the blog and share your input for Kevin's writing today at
http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/53955/53955.html
Hot Threads:
Administration: Restoring Database from a Backup on a Remote Server
http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=60&threadid=48297&enterthread=y
T-SQL: Trigger and Test Condition
http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=80&threadid=48294&enterthread=y
4. Events and Resources
Learn to differentiate between alternative solutions to disaster recovery for your Windows-based applications and how to ensure seamless recovery of your key systems whether a disaster strikes just one server or the whole site. On-demand Web seminar:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/seminars/neverfail/disasterrecovery/?code=0712mailannc
Learn all you need to know about code signing technology, including how code signing works, the goals and benefits of code signing, and the underlying cryptographic and security concepts and building blocks.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/ebooks/codesigning?code=0712emailannc
Learn the advantages of each alternative to traditional file servers and tape storage solutions and how to make the best choice for your enterprise needs. On-demand Web seminar:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/seminar/symantec/storagebackup/?partnerref=0712emailannc
Learn to easily configure and deploy desktop spyware protection throughout your organization by using policy-based deployment, AD support, an Admin Console for easy centralized management, and one of the most robust spyware threat databases in the industry. View the demo today!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/download/sunbelt/counterspydemo/?code=0712emailannc
See the complete Windows IT Pro Network guide to Web and live events.
http://www.winnetmag.com/events
5. Featured White Paper
Manage threats and vulnerabilities from adware and spyware in one console as a comprehensive approach to maximizing network security.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepapers/shavlik/adwareconsole/?code=0712featnl
6. Reader Challenge
August Reader Challenge: Generating 6-Digit All-Numeric File Numbers for Search
by Umachandar Jayachandran, [email protected]
The July Reader Challenge, "Creating an Easy Query Mechanism for Gathering Customer Data," had no winners. You can read a recap of the problem and the solution to the July Reader Challenge at
http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/87647/sql_server_87647.html
Now, test your SQL Server savvy in the August Reader Challenge, "Generating 6-Digit All-Numeric File Numbers for Search" (below). Submit your solution in an email message to [email protected] by July 20. Umachandar Jayachandran, a SQL Server Magazine technical editor, will evaluate the responses. We'll announce the winner in an upcoming SQL Server Magazine UPDATE. The first-place winner will receive $100, and the second-place winner will receive $50.
Here's the challenge:
Roger is a database architect for a company that builds SQL Server 2005-based applications for law firms. One such application that generates case-file numbers and maintains client records. User requests from the application, such as adding a new case record, will trigger the generation of sequential, six-digit, all-numeric case file numbers, which the application's screen will display. Users can then search for a case or look up a particular record by using the generated case file number.
Help Roger design a CaseFiles table that fulfills the following requirements:
- Generates unique numeric values between 1000 and 999,999 that have six digits with leading zeroes.
- Employs the six-digit file number column as the primary search mechanism so that any queries on the table that use a specific file number or set of file numbers will be executed in the most efficient manner possible.
Hot Spot: Polyserve
Learn to use a database utility for SQL Server to lower operational costs, simply management, and increase the availability of your SQL Server deployment. Live Event: Tuesday, June 20.
http://www.sqlmag.com/go/seminar/polyserve/availability/?partnerref=SQLHot0713
7. Announcements
Invitation for VIP Access
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8. Web Community
Hot Threads
http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/default.aspx?forumid=10
Reader-to-Reader
http://www.sqlmag.com/Departments/DepartmentID/731/Reader%20to%20Reader.html
New Instant Poll
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In a Nutshell Blog:
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