SQL Server Magazine UPDATE, July 11, 2002

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July 11, 2002—In this issue:

1. COMMENTARY

2. SQL SERVER NEWS AND VIEWS

3. ANNOUNCEMENTS

4. HOT RELEASES (ADVERTISEMENTS)

5. RESOURCES

6. NEW AND IMPROVED

7. CONTACT US

1. COMMENTARY

(contributed by Brian Moran, news editor, [email protected])

In my article "Microsoft Launches Controversial Licensing Program," which appeared in the June 6 issue of SQL Server Magazine UPDATE, I discussed Microsoft's relaunch of Licensing 6.0, a new model that will change the way you buy SQL Server. (The article, which you can find at http://www.sqlmag.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=25500 , addresses how License 6.0 and Software Assurance will affect you.) Several Software Assurance discounts and purchase options expire at the end of July, so you have less than a month to make important decisions about your SQL Server licenses.

I made a potentially serious error in my original Software Assurance discussion. Paul DeGroot, sales and support strategies analyst (i.e., a licensing analyst) for the "Directions on Microsoft" newsletter, graciously alerted me to the error. DeGroot pointed out that he had made a similar mistake during preliminary research and writing of his company's 60-page research report about Microsoft's new licensing models. The error is subtle, but important.

My commentary suggested that you could buy Software Assurance today for a single year. That's probably not true for most customers. Microsoft offers three main volume license programs: Enterprise Agreements, Select Agreements, and Open Agreements. Most SQL Server customers have acquired SQL Server under one of these volume-licensing programs. You must purchase Software Assurance for the term of your volume license program (if you're in one); until 2003 (when some Licensing 6.0 plans have only a year left on them), customers won't be able to purchase Software Assurance for only 1 year.

Here's one example. Let's assume your company has fewer than 100 desktops. You would probably choose the Open Agreement program, which runs for 2 years. The terms of existing Open Agreements would require you to purchase Software Assurance for 2 full years, even if you have only 1 year left on your Open Agreement. Of course, that deal might not be best for you. You can easily start a new Open Agreement, but you would still be required to purchase Software Assurance for the full 2 years of the agreement. Other volume-plan options might require you to pay for 3 full years of Software Assurance. As of this writing, probably no volume-licensing plan customers would purchase Software Assurance for fewer than 2 years.

Software Assurance might be a good deal for customers who typically upgrade to the latest version of SQL Server shortly after its release. But my new understanding of Licensing 6.0 shows that buying Software Assurance is much more complex than I thought, and a full discussion of the legal and cost issues isn't a job for a geek like me. Please spend some time with your Microsoft software reseller as you analyze your options before the July 31 transition-period deadline expires. Explore your options and make an informed choice by the end of the month.

You might be interested in reading the 60-page "Licensing Research Report" prepared by "Directions on Microsoft. " This report costs $995; however, SQL Server Magazine has negotiated a special offer for readers of SQL Server Magazine UPDATE. Readers can purchase the basic "Directions on Microsoft" service subscription (12 issues) for $695, which represents a $100 discount, and receive the Licensing report as a subscription bonus. Take advantage of this offer by referencing discount code SQLUPD during the subscription process at http://www.directionsonmicrosoft.com .

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2. SQL SERVER NEWS AND VIEWS

The voting has closed in SQL Server Magazine's nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "Do you think Microsoft should be held financially liable for defective software?" Here are the results (+/- 1 percent) from the 897 votes:

The next Instant Poll question is, "Are you using MSDE?" Go to the SQL Server Magazine Web site and submit your vote for 1) Yes, for my Web applications, 2) Yes, as a desktop database, 3) No, but I plan to, or 4) No, and I don't plan to.
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3. ANNOUNCEMENTS

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5. RESOURCES

Benchmark tests such as those that the Transaction Processing Performance Council (TPC) conducts usually aren't based on real-world scenarios. But as SQL Server Magazine Senior Technical Editor Michael Otey points out in his article "Benchmarks Gone Bad," well-conducted benchmark tests serve a valid role in the enterprise product evaluation process. Otey discusses how various organizations conduct their tests in his article, which appears in the July 2002 issue of SQL Server Magazine and is available online at the following URL:
http://www.sqlmag.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=25191

Peter is performing a join between a temporary table and a large table on a linked server. He knows from examining the execution plan that the query processor is performing a remote query and selecting the entire contents of the remote join table, then passing the contents to the local server for the merge join execution. This approach results in poor performance, and Peter is looking for alternatives that would speed the join process. Offer your advice and read other users' suggestions on the SQL Server Magazine forums at the following URL:
http://www.sqlmag.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=7139

(contributed by the Microsoft SQL Server development team)

Q. I'm trying to create stored procedures for performing a log-shipping role change. The same logins from the primary server are already on the secondary server. Can I just use the role-change stored procedures without having to create a Data Transformation Services (DTS) package to copy the logins from the primary server to the secondary server? If I can use just the role-change stored procedures, do I need to execute the sp_resolve_logins stored procedure to resolve any mismatch between the login and the database user?

A. If you've already copied the accounts to the secondary server, you can just use sp_resolve_logins to hook up the accounts to the database and match the SIDs from master..sysxlogins. You have to use sp_resolve_logins when you perform the log-shipping role change because SQL Server assigns a unique SID to each user account, even if the user name has been used previously on this server or others. Sp_resolve_logins resets the SIDs to reflect the new SID in each of the databases accessible to the user. When you're combining databases from multiple systems, make sure no user-account name clashes occur. You can avoid those clashes by configuring your SQL Server to use integrated security.

Send your technical questions to [email protected].

6. NEW AND IMPROVED

(contributed by Carolyn Mader, [email protected])

Integrated Strategy Management (ISM) and ProClarity announced a new Enterprise Performance Management solution, software that integrates with ProClarity Enterprise Server. The combined ISM and ProClarity tool, which is designed for SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services, enables organizations to implement ISM Performance Analyzer to track, monitor, and manage enterprise performance. For pricing, contact ProClarity at 208-344-1630.
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Eagle Technology announced that ProTeus II 8.1 Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) supports SQL Server 2000. ProTeus II CMMS manages all areas of plant and facility maintenance. You can use ProTeus II with SQL Server support to manage maintenance activities and parts procurement for multiple customer locations, in multiple languages and currencies. For pricing, contact Eagle Technology at 262-241-3845.
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7. CONTACT US

Here's how to reach us with your comments and questions:

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