SQL Server Magazine UPDATE, October 17, 2002

SQL Server Magazine UPDATE—brought to you by SQL Server Magazine http://www.sqlmag.com and SQL Server Magazine LIVE! http://www.sqlmagLIVE.com

THIS ISSUE SPONSORED BY

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HURRY! THE OCT. 18 DEADLINE IS ALMOST HERE!
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(below COMMENTARY)

How to Geo-Cluster DB Servers: Free Unisys Paper
http://www.app1.unisys.com/simplify/sql/newsletter/

(below NEWS AND VIEWS)

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October 17, 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])

We're getting ready to throw a birthday party, and you've invited! We won't be serving cake and ice cream, but we'll be sharing plenty of "remember when" stories, and we need your help. Who's the birthday bash for? SQL Server.

December marks the 10th anniversary of SQL Server's beta release on the Windows platform. Microsoft has planned birthday celebrations starting in December and ending when the beta 1 version of the next SQL Server release—code-named Yukon—appears sometime next year. In addition, SQL Server Magazine will honor the event in its December issue, and I'll be writing several SQL Server Magazine UPDATE columns that recall the days when SQL Server wasn't quite the enterprise-level database that it is today.

Here's where you come in. Send me your recollections of SQL Server from years past. Have fun, be creative. How about compiling a list of "you know you've been working with SQL Server for a long time if..." anecdotes? Does "disk init" ring a bell? Remember references to Ashton Tate in product literature? Were you the coolest DBA because you knew how to tune the mysterious "hash buckets" setting? Send me fun facts, war stories, and goofy workarounds that you remember about SQL Server's early days. I'll select the most interesting memories for a feature article that I'm writing about this topic, and I'll share tidbits from the best submissions in SQL Server Magazine UPDATE. The best entry will receive a nifty prize. Email your entries to [email protected] by November 15. Include "10th Anniversary" in the subject line.

SQL Server has come a long way over the past 10 years. Microsoft and the SQL Server team deserve recognition for the enormous strides they've made in developing the product into a powerhouse. I missed the OS/2 days, but I've been lucky enough to work with the product since its appearance on the Windows platform. It's been a great ride, and I look forward to another 10 years as a SQL Server professional.

Join Rich Rollman for a fast-paced overview of the latest XML technologies (including Web Services, XML Schemas, XSLT, query languages, and the XML features in SQL Server to build web-enabled database applications) during the "XML for Database Professionals" Web Seminar, Tuesday, October 22, 2002, at 1:00pm EST. Discover XML’s relevance to you as a database professional. Rich is an independent consultant and former group program manager for XML at Microsoft responsible for SQL Server’s XML functionality and XML core technologies. The cost is only $49.95 for SQL Server Magazine subscribers and $69.95 for non-subscribers. Don’t miss the October 18 deadline!
http://www.sqlmag.com/sub.cfm?code=rm322jup

2. SQL SERVER NEWS AND VIEWS

Microsoft announced its new Support Lifecycle policy, which standardizes product-support policies beginning October 15. For business and development software, the policy offers mainstream support (all support options and programs available today), extended support (options include assisted and hotfix support), and online self-help support. For a description of the new Support Lifestyle policy, go to
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[LN];lifecycle

In SQL Server 2000, when you try to restore a transaction log, a bug might cause the restore to fail and render the log unusable for restoring the database. Learn more about Microsoft's supported fix for this problem at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q329487

The voting has closed in SQL Server Magazine's nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "Are you interested in the digital version of SQL Server Magazine?" Here are the results (+/- 1 percent) from the 182 votes:

Sponsored by Unisys
Learn how to cluster your DB servers across distances with expert advice from experienced designer/engineers.
http://www.app1.unisys.com/simplify/sql/newsletter/

The next Instant Poll question is "How much time do you spend per day on storage administration?" Go to the SQL Server Magazine Web site and submit your vote for 1) All my time, 2) 6-7 hours, 3) 3-5 hours, 4) 1-2 hours, or 5) None.
http://www.sqlmag.com

SPONSOR: Free Geo-clusters paper from Unisys

FREE EXPERT ADVICE: Don't neglect your SQL database servers when it comes to availability and business continuity. Especially for applications that need data around the clock or around the world—especially your Internet based ones. And with security such a vital issue today, dispersing clustered Windows-based servers across distances is the optimal solution. Experienced designer/engineers at Unisys show you how to do it successfully in this detailed, comprehensive white paper on Geographically Dispersed Clusters.
http://www.app1.unisys.com/simplify/sql/advice/

3. ANNOUNCEMENTS

(brought to you by SQL Server Magazine and its partners)

Don't miss this Web Seminar by Morris Lewis, Tues., Nov. 12, at 1:00 p.m. EST—brought to you by SQL Server Magazine. Better yet, get the Fall Web Seminar Series, including the session above, plus Morris Lewis' High Availability seminar and Rich Rollman's upcoming XML seminar The Series costs $142 for current subscribers or $161 for new subscribers.

http://www.sqlmag.com/sub.cfm?code=mlei322j13

More Sessions, Best Quality, Unbeatable Value! SQL Server Magazine LIVE! will co-locate with Microsoft ASP.NET Connections and VS.NET Connections. Three conferences for the price of one—over 160 sessions. Save $2,790 when you register today. Don't miss sessions by magazine writers you've come to trust. Real-world technical tips and insights you don't want to miss. Last chance to register; event begins Oct. 27.
https://secure.win2000mag.com/events/sql_register.asp

4. HOT RELEASES (ADVERTISEMENTS)

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Access over 70 sessions and save $1,395 when you register today. Get two conferences for the price of one. Chock-full of "been there, done that" knowledge from people who use these technologies in the real world.
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5. RESOURCES

Managing a backup time window that's closing—whether you want it to or not—and a backup security window that you need to keep closed at all times is one of the toughest challenges that DBAs face. Michael Otey’s "Two Backup Windows" summarizes several approaches for dealing with these important windows. This article appears in the October 2002 issue of SQL Server Magazine and is available online at
http://www.sqlmag.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=26436

MarkWindt wants to use an in-house SQL Server 7.0 to download data nightly to the company server that runs IIS 5.0 and SQL Server 2000 in the demilitarized zone (DMZ). However, he's concerned that opening ports on the firewall will leave the in-house SQL Servers open to attack. Offer your advice and read other users' suggestions on the SQL Server Magazine forums at the following URL:
http://www.sqlmag.com/forums/rd.cfm?cid=6&tid=9428

(contributed by Brian Moran, [email protected])

Q. What regular maintenance tasks should I schedule to ensure a smooth-running SQL Server environment?

A. This question is common for novices and experienced SQL Server administrators alike. Microsoft's SQL Server 2000 Operations Guide is a best-practices handbook that contains a wealth of helpful information about this topic. Unfortunately, many people in the SQL Server community don't know that the guide exists. You can find the SQL Server 2000 Operations Guide at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/TechNet/prodtechnol/sql/maintain/operate/opsguide/default.asp.

As this home page says, you should read the guide if you're "responsible for keeping your organization's database systems up and running," you're "the one they call in the middle of the night if the database server is down," or you simply want to learn more about SQL Server operational best practices. The guide includes a section that outlines suggested daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance tasks. Other chapters address such important topics as change, configuration, and release management; security administration; system administration; monitoring and control; capacity and storage management; problem and incident management; and service management.

The SQL Server 2000 Operations Guide draws on knowledge from Microsoft Consulting Services, Microsoft's internal technical-support groups, and the SQL Server development team and is worth the read regardless of your level of experience with SQL Server.

Send your technical questions to [email protected].

6. NEW AND IMPROVED

(contributed by Carolyn Mader, [email protected])

Ecora Software released PatchMeister, a patch-management tool that autodiscovers domains, servers, and workstations and analyzes existing patch configurations for each system. The software compares what a system has installed with the latest patches for SQL Server, Windows XP Professional Edition, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Internet Explorer, and IIS. You can download the free tool from Ecora Software's Web site. Contact Ecora Software at 603-436-1616 or 877-923-2672.
http://www.ecora.com

Pragmatier released Pragmatier Data Tier Builder 2.0, whose new features include native .NET support, a new interface, better performance, and more compact generated code. Pragmatier Data Tier Builder is an integrated modeling tool, and a code and database generator that can build a complete data tier based on developer-specified class models. The tool generates Visual Basic (VB) code and supports COM and COM+, SQL Server, and Jet 4.0 and 3.0. Pragmatier Data Tier Builder 2.0 is available under two licenses: COM+ Professional Edition and .NET Professional Edition. COM+ Professional Edition generates COM+-compliant VB 6.0 code. .NET Professional Edition generates both COM+-compliant VB 6.0 and Visual Basic .NET code. Contact Pragmatier at [email protected].
http://www.pragmatier.com

7. CONTACT US

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