Hardware
Preconfigured Hardware Platforms for Business Intelligence
Microsoft and Dell have joined forces to create new Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Warehousing reference platforms
that include preconfigured sets of software, storage, and servers designed for BI and data warehousing applications.
Three versions of the reference configuration platform are offered, differentiated by disk size.
Each of the reference configurations
ships with a database server, an analysis
server, and a reporting server, all based on
Dell PowerEdge hardware running SQL
Server 2005 and Windows Server 2003.
Buyers then choose a 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB
storage option, with appropriate storage
provided by Dell PowerVault MD1000
storage arrays.
Microsoft General Manager of SQL
Server Tom Casey mentioned in an interview
that these configurations should help
customers take the guesswork out of assembling an optimal platform for BI. “These new configurations
don’t require customers to learn new skills to solve their BI problems,” said Casey. “This makes BI easier to
deploy and will speed up initial adoption of BI capability.”
All three configurations are available now. For more information, contact Dell at 877-671-3355 or visit
www.dell.com/sqlbi.
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Training
Learn SQL Server T-SQL in 10 Minutes
SAMS Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL Server T-SQL in 10 Minutes is a new book from SAMS Publishing
that promises to give DBAs the information they need to get started using the T-SQL language. Written by
Ben Forta, the book explains how to create T-SQL statements that can be used to filter data, join tables,
and automate processes with triggers. SAMS Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL Server T-SQL in 10 Minutes
is available now and retails for $19.99. For more information, contact SAMS at 201-767-5021 or visit
www.informit.com.
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Database Migration
Migrate Data from Microsoft Access to SQL Server
DMSoft Technologies has announced DBConvert 2.0, an
updated version of its database migration tool. DBConvert is
used to convert data to and from Microsoft Access and SQL
Server database file formats. The software also lets DBAs
apply customizable data filters that specify
migration criteria, and a command-line option
gives more precise control over the migration
process. Pricing for DBconvert begins at $69.
For more information, contact DMSoft Technologies
at esupport@dbconvert.com or visit
www.dbconvert.com.
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Oracle Database Extraction
Optimize Data Extraction from Oracle Databases
Innovative Routines International Inc. (IRI) has shipped a Windows
version of CoSort Fast Extract (FACT), a tool that lets DBAs transfer
Oracle tables to external files. According to IRI, the product can unload
large Oracle tables to flat files in a variety of formats. FACT can also be used in conjunction with CoSort’s SortCL and
Oracle’s SQL*Loader tools, a combination that IRI claims will improve high-volume migration and replication operations.
For more information, contact Innovative Routines International at 321-777-8889 or visit www.cosort.com.
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Database Utilities
Manage Database Operations
Red Gate Software has released SQL Data Compare 6, a new version of its database comparison product.
The update introduces Row Level Restore, which lets DBAs repair corrupted or missing data and restore it
to its original state. SQL Compare 6 also allows comparison between live and backup databases and between
two offline backup files. Pricing for SQL Data Compare 6 begins at $395. For more information, contact Red
Gate Software at 866-733-4283 or visit www.red-gate.com.
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Database Management
Optimize Database Performance
UpTempo from Datacore Software is a new product designed to boost the performance of Microsoft Windows
Server platforms and the applications that run on them. Datacore claims that the software works by making
the servers read and write data to fixed-disk storage more efficiently, and by eliminating I/O bottlenecks on the network.
Pricing for UpTempo ranges from $49 for Windows XP systems to $498 for Windows 2003 Server systems. For more
information, contact Datacore at 954-377-6000 or visit www.datacore.com.
Development
Create Database Applications for
REAL Basic
REAL Software has announced REAL SQL Server, a
multi-user relational database for REALbasic applications.
REAL SQL Server can support hundreds of
simultaneous users (although 50 or less are recommended),
and REAL Software claims that migrating
data from the REAL SQL Database to REAL SQL
Server is made easier because both applications are
based on the same database engine. REAL SQL Server is
available now and is priced at $500 per server. For more
information, contact REAL Software at 512-328-7325
or visit www.realsoftware.com.
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Storage
Improve Data Acquisition and Warehousing
Texas Memory Systems’ new RamSan-500 provides high read performance and large-capacity storage. The RamSan-500
is the first enterprise-class cached flash storage system, as well as the fastest flash-based solid state disk (SSD) currently
available. Because the RamSan-500 uses flash technology in addition to as
much as 64GB of Double Data Rate (DDR) RAM, its capacity
is larger (2TB in a 4U chassis) and its price is lower than SSDs
based strictly on DDR RAM. The RamSan-500 makes superhigh-
performance SSDs more accessible for mainstream applications,
such as those based on Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle
databases. For more information, contact Texas Memory Systems
at 713-266-3200 or visit www.texasmemorysystems.com.
See associated figure.