In This Issue:
In posing the question of “When is a database not a database?” Brian Moran is following in the illustrious footsteps of at least two brilliant SQL Server gurus. Does this mean he, too, is brilliant?
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- Beyond the Buzzword—Demystifying Virtualization TCO Improvements
- Simplify Management and Boost Availability for SQL Server Environments
- The Essential Guide to Questions and Answers about Analysis Services 2005
- Enhancing SQL Protection: A Case for Asynchronous Replication
October 26, 2006
1. Perspectives
- Great Minds Think Alike
2. SQL Server Watch
- SQL Server Growth Drives Strong Quarter for Microsoft
- This Month’s Theme: SQL Server Management Tools: SQL Health and History Tool
- Product Watch: SQL Farms and Ming Software
3. Hot Articles
- Reader to Reader: Pull Out Text from HTML Code
- Feature: Making the Most of Login Controls with ASP.NET
- Puzzled by T-SQL: The Logical Puzzle
- In a Nutshell: What’s Up with MS Access?
- Hot Threads: Tool Time and Administration
4. Events and Resources
- Creating the Business Case for Disaster Recovery Planning and Budgeting
- Improving Vulnerability Management and Penetration Testing
- Understanding and Leveraging Code Signing Technologies
- Preventing the IT Search Party: Be Prepared for E-Discovery
5. Featured White Paper
- Making the Case for E-mail Archiving and Litigation Readiness
6. Announcements
- Uncover Essential Windows Knowledge Through Excavator
- Your Vote Counts!
7. Web Community
Sponsor: Hewlett-Packard
Beyond the Buzzword—Demystifying Virtualization TCO Improvements
Total Cost of Ownership—TCO—It’s every executive’s favorite buzzword, but what does it really mean and how does it affect you? In this podcast, Ben Smith explains how your organization can use virtualization technology to measurably improve the total cost of ownership (TCO) for servers and clients.
1. Perspectives
Great Minds Think Alike
by Brian Moran, [email protected]
Faithful readers will remember that my Oct 12, 2006 editorial “Application Server or Database Server?” posed two questions that I thought might be provocative. First, “When is a database not a database?” and second, “Where does SQL Server the database start and SQL Server the application server end?” I have to admit, I thought that the thesis I presented in the article was cutting edge and sure to inspire teeth gnashing among database purists. Imagine my disappointment when I learned that two highly regarded SQL Server professionals have already tackled the subject. Both are among the smartest database folks that I know, and trust me, I know a lot of very smart database professionals.
Read the rest of today’s commentary and post your comments today at http://www.sqlmag.com/Articles/ArticleID/94106/94106.html.
Sponsor: PolyServe
Simplify Management and Boost Availability for SQL Server Environments
Learn to use a database utility for SQL Server to lower operational costs, simplify management, and increase the availability of your SQL Server deployment. On-Demand Web Seminar.
2. SQL Server Watch
SQL Server Growth Drives Strong Quarter for Microsoft
Last week, Microsoft announced first-quarter revenue of $10.81 billion for the period ending September 30, 2006, an 11 percent increase over the same quarter last year. Of note, the Microsoft Application Platform products—including SQL Server, Visual Studio, and BizTalk Server from the Microsoft Server and Tools group—have demonstrated strong growth and market adoption. As part of the Server and Tools group’s 17 percent revenue growth, SQL Server was a top performer with growth of 30 percent over the previous year, a rate that is outpacing both the industry and the performance of other vendors. To read the complete earnings announcement, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/oct06/10-26Q1FY07ERPR.mspx.
SQL Server Management Tools
SQL Health and History Tool—a free Microsoft change-management and trending tool helps you head off potential performance problems and get the most out of your multi-SQL Server environment.
Product Watch
by Blake Eno, [email protected]
Automate the Lifecycle of Database Projects
SQL Farms announced SQL Farm Combine 1.3, an integrated lifecycle environment (ILE) for small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) and large SQL Server environments. The product provides one-click deployment of database projects, scripts, and queries to any number of databases or servers. By using SQL Farm Combine's editor, you can collaborate and compose database objects, then deploy the code on all target databases and servers. This tool also provides code packaging as well as transfer and project deployment between development, QA, and production groups in both connected and disconnected environments. For more information, contact SQL Farms at [email protected], 703-943-9272, or 877-775-2276, or visit http://www.sqlfarms.com.
Easily Design SQL Queries
Minq Software announced DbVisualizer 5.1, a cross-platform database tool that increases your productivity by providing a single solution to speed development, testing, and administration of relational databases. DbVisualizer assists you with tasks such as object browsing, creating database objects, running SQL statements and SQL scripts, viewing and editing data, and compiling procedures and functions. The product's new graphical query builder helps you design SQL queries, allowing you to create queries with a point, click, and drag process. The permission verifier controls which database operations are allowed, denied, or need confirmation before being executed. DbVisualizer is available in two editions, DbVisualizer Free and the commercial DbVisualizer Personal edition starting at $129 per user. For more information, contact Minq Software at [email protected] or [email protected], or visit http://www.dbvis.com.
Sponsor: Proclarity
The Essential Guide to Questions and Answers about Analysis Services 2005
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services has been redesigned to provide one of the most powerful and capable business intelligence (BI) platforms in the world. Analysis Services 2005 has many features and built-in enhancements that provide automatic, intelligent solutions to common business problems. Learn how to leverage these features today!
3. Hot Articles
Reader to Reader: Pull Out Text from HTML Code
Share your SQL Server code, comments, discoveries, and solutions at [email protected].
The ScrapeText function accepts an HTML string as input and returns a plain text string by simply skipping over any text contained within the < and > tags. Read this article today at http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/53877/sql_server_53877.html.
Feature: Making the Most of Login Controls with ASP.NET
ASP.NET 2.0 lets you use Visual Studio login controls with a SQL Server membership provider to dramatically simplify Web-site membership management. Read this article today and post your comments at http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/93053/sql_server_93053.html.
Puzzled by T-SQL: The Logical Puzzle
In this month’s puzzle, Itzik Ben-Gan ponders how many hands his wife shook at a party and gives you a sticky problem to work out using logic and English. Read the puzzle and test your skill today at http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/93727/sql_server_blog_93727.html.
In a Nutshell: What’s Up with MS Access?
This week, SQL Server guru Kevin Kline ponders the future of the Access database and wonders about the capabilities of the newest entry-level Microsoft database, Ace. Read about the new database and offer your opinion today at http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/94087/sql_server_blog_94087.html.
Hot Threads:
4. Events and Resources
Creating the Business Case for Disaster Recovery Planning and Budgeting
Can disaster-recovery planning create real value for your business beyond mere survival? Justify your investments in DR planning, and get real answers to your questions about how DR planning and implementation affect the financial performance of your organization. Make cost-effective decisions to positively impact your bottom line! Live event: Tuesday, November 14.
Improving Vulnerability Management and Penetration Testing
How do you manage security vulnerabilities? If you depend on vulnerability assessments to determine the state of your IT security systems, you won't want to miss this Web seminar. Special research from Gartner indicates that deeper penetration is needed to augment your existing vulnerability management processes. Learn more today!
Understanding and Leveraging Code Signing Technologies
Learn all you need to know about code-signing technology, including the goals and benefits of code signing, how it works, and the underlying cryptographic and security concepts and building blocks. Download this complete eBook today—free!
Preventing the IT Search Party: Be Prepared for E-Discovery
Does your company have $500,000 to spend on one email discovery request? Join us for this free Web seminar to learn how you can implement an email archiving solution to optimize email management and proactively take control of e-discovery—and save the IT search party for when you really need it! On-demand Web Seminar.
See the complete Windows IT Pro Network guide to Web and live events.
5. Featured White Paper
Making the Case for E-mail Archiving and Litigation Readiness
Is your email easily accessible yet secure in the event of an e-discovery request? With the phenomenal growth in email volume and the high cost of failing to comply with a discovery request, you can’t afford to lose any email. Download this free white paper and implement a strong email retention and management system today!
Hot Spot: Double-Take Software
Enhancing SQL Protection: A Case for Asynchronous Replication
Built-in SQL Server data protection features aren’t enough. Learn to use an automated data protection solution that provides 24x7 availability to meet today’s critical business demands.
6. Announcements
Uncover Essential Windows Knowledge Through Excavator
Try out the ultimate vertical search tool—Windows Excavator. Windows Excavator gives you fast, thorough third-party information while filtering out unwanted content. Visit http://www.winexcavator.com today!
Your Vote Counts!
Vote for the next "IT Pro of the Month!" Take the time to reward excellence in an IT pro. The first 100 readers to cast a vote will receive a one-year subscription to Windows IT Pro, compliments of Microsoft. Voting takes only a few seconds, so don't miss out. Cast your vote now: http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/itpromonth.
7. Web Community
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