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August 11, 2005
1. Perspectives
Baby Steps to SQL Server 2005
2. SQL Server 2005 Watch
Microsoft Provides Hands-On Labs for Visual Studio 2005
3. News & Views
Results of Previous Instant Poll: Windows Vista
New Instant Poll: Migration Preparation
4. Reader Challenge
August Reader Challenge Solution: August Reader Challenge: Partitioning Tables
September Reader Challenge: Defining Extended Properties
5. Events and Resources
Sort Through Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA Legislation and More--Quicker And Easier!
The 15-Minute Failover Solution for Exchange
Microsoft SQL Sever 2005--For Every Tier Of Your BI Application
Compliance vs. Recovery: Can You Have Your Cake and Eat It Too?
6. Featured White Paper
Converting a Microsoft Access Application to Oracle HTML DB
7. Peer to Peer
Hot Tip: Setting Autogrow Properties
Hot Article: DML with Results
Hot Threads
8. Announcements
SQL Server Magazine Gives DBAs and Developers What They Need
Try a Sample Issue of Windows Scripting Solutions!
9. New & Improved
Get Continuous Data Protection for the Enterprise
Search for Unsearchable Data
Make Database Comparisons a Snap
Sponsor: Consolidate Your SQL Server Infrastructure
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1. Perspectives
Baby Steps to SQL Server 2005
by Brian Moran, brian@sqlmag.com
Some of you have dutifully been ramping up for SQL Server 2005 throughout the long beta cycle. Others of you barely have enough time in the day to keep up with your current production and development needs. Playing with new versions of SQL Server months before it ships would be great, but who has the time?
If you fall into that latter group, the trick to ramping up might be to learn in bite-sized amounts. Don't have time to dedicate a full week or even a few days to playing with and learning about SQL Server 2005? How about 1 hour at a time?
Microsoft has publicly released more than 30 on-demand Webcasts that provide a great way to bone up on SQL Server 2005. You can browse a comprehensive list of all the current SQL Server 2005 Webcasts--as well as some new ones scheduled for August and later months--at http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AEB:7B3DA .
Another great resource is a series of nine Microsoft e-learning classes. Microsoft has valued them at $99 each, but they're available right now for free download. I don't know when or if Microsoft will start charging for them, but I've always been a big fan of free stuff, so I suggest you grab them while you can from the Get Ready for Microsoft SQL Server 2005: Microsoft Learning Resources site at http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AEA:7B3DA . If you want to learn about SQL Server 2005 administration, you can check out these three classes:
2936: Installing and Securing Microsoft SQL Server 2005
2937: Administering and Monitoring Microsoft SQL Server 2005
2938: Data Availability Features in Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Developers can ramp up their SQL Server 2005 knowledge with these three
classes:
2939: Programming Microsoft SQL Server 2005
2940: Building Services and Notifications Using Microsoft SQL
Server 2005
2941: Creating the Data Access Tier Using Microsoft SQL Server
2005
And anyone who works with business intelligence (BI) can tune in to
these three classes:
2942: New Features of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services
2943: Updating Your Data ETL Skills to Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Integration Services
2944: Updating Your Reporting Skills to Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Reporting Services
If you're not sure which classes to try first, three online skills assessments are available to help you understand what you do and don't already know about SQL Server 2005. You can take the classes entirely online, and you can also download the course content so that you can review the classes while you're disconnected from the Internet. The classes that I downloaded show an expiration date of November 2, so presumably Microsoft may begin to charge for the classes after that date.
The resource site points out that you might encounter a compatibility problem when viewing the material if you've installed the June SQL Server 2005 Community Technology Preview (CTP). According to the site:
"If you downloaded the SQL Server June 2005 Community Technology Preview (CTP) in mid-June, you, you may encounter difficulty in accessing the e-learning courses due to a compatibility issue between the e-learning player and the MSXML parser that shipped with the Beta. If you do experience this difficulty, please access the e-learning courses from a computer that does not have the SQL Server 2005 Beta installed until Microsoft can implement a fix."
This is the first time I've experimented with the Microsoft e-learning classes. It's actually a nifty model. You can navigate through the slides, access various demonstrations and videos, and the classes include a section to take notes about each slide as you progress.
Feel swamped and still don't think you have time to take this route? Let's face facts: You have to learn SQL Server 2005 because sooner or later your job will probably depend on it. Rome wasn't built in a day--and you won't learn SQL Server 2005 overnight. But do yourself a favor and start learning about SQL Server 2005 one baby step at a time. You'll be glad you did!
Breakthrough Solution for SQL Server Consolidation
With ARMTech for SQL Server workload management technology from Aurema, you can improve system utilization and performance, lower TCO and say goodbye forever to the days of "one app, one server." The only workload management solution specifically designed to enable SQL Server consolidation, ARMTech delivers increased reliability, improved performance, and higher system utilization in Windows server environments. Download your free evaluation copy of ARMTech for SQL Server and start saving today!
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2. SQL Server 2005 Watch
Microsoft Provides Hands-On Labs for Visual Studio 2005
As part of its continuing offerings of learning tools for the upcoming release of Visual Studio 2005, Microsoft has provided hands-on labs that cover practical topics for developers. "Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Hands-on Labs for Word 2003," available for download at http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10ADA:7B3DA , gives you experience building a customer survey application by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Tools for the Microsoft Office System Beta 2 and Microsoft Office Word 2003. You'll learn how to use host controls, program the actions pane, bind data from a SQL Server database to host controls and to controls on the actions pane, and cache data. Other hands-on lab series are available through the Visual Studio Developer Center at http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AF1:7B3DA .
Sponsor: Register Now before PDC05 Sells Out
Join the conversation this September at PDC05, where the next wave of Microsoft platform technologies, including the latest on Windows Vista and Microsoft Office System developer capabilities will be unveiled. Space is limited, and registration is filling up quickly so be sure to register if you haven't yet.
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3. News & Views
Results of Previous Instant Poll: Windows Vista
"Will your company upgrade to Windows Vista when the final version ships?" Here are the results from the 36 votes:
14 percent -- Yes
61 percent -- No
25 percent -- I don't know
New Instant Poll: Migration Preparation
"Do you feel prepared to migrate to SQL Server 2005?" Go to the SQL Server Magazine home page ( http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AF8:7B3DA ) and submit your vote for
Yes, I've been keeping up with new information throughout the beta process
Yes, I expect to be able to make the transition without much trouble
No, I haven't had time to devote to learning about the new release
No, but I expect to be able to figure it out
We don't plan to migrate to SQL Server 2005
4. Reader Challenge
August Reader Challenge Solution: Partitioning Tables
by Umachandar Jayachandran, challenge@sqlmag.com
Congratulations to Michael Fan, a software developer for Americall Group in Naperville, Illinois, and Stephen Tregidga, a BI analyst and developer, and his colleague Ken Chenery, a DBA, from Auckland, New Zealand. Michael won first prize of $100 for the best solution to the August Reader Challenge, "Partitioning Tables." Stephen and Ken won second prize of $50. You can read a recap of the problem and the solution to the August Reader Challenge at
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE8:7B3DA
September Reader Challenge: Defining Extended Properties
Now, test your SQL Server savvy in the September Reader Challenge, "Defining Extended Properties" (below). Submit your solution in an email message to challenge@sqlmag.com by August 18. 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: Michael is a database administrator in a company that hosts Web sites and databases. Every customer gets a separate database, and the databases are hosted on Microsoft SQL Server 2000. As part of the setup process for each database, Michael's company defines and stores some additional properties by using the extended properties feature. The properties can be string, integer, or date types. The following sample script shows some examples (from the Northwind and Pubs databases) of properties that Michael defines.
DECLARE @v sql_variant;
EXEC northwind.dbo.sp_addextendedproperty N'Prop1', N'Value1'
EXEC northwind.dbo.sp_addextendedproperty N'Prop2', 1
SET @v = cast('2005-7-1' as smalldatetime);
EXEC northwind.dbo.sp_addextendedproperty N'Prop3', @v;
EXEC pubs.dbo.sp_addextendedproperty N'Prop1', N'Value2'
EXEC pubs.dbo.sp_addextendedproperty N'Prop2', 2
SET @v = cast('2005-7-2' as smalldatetime);
EXEC pubs.dbo.sp_addextendedproperty N'Prop3', @v;
Michael needs to write a stored procedure that can search these extended properties and return the values. Help him do the following tasks:
1. Write a stored procedure to search the databases on a server for a specific property and value.
2. Be sure the stored procedure returns a list of the databases with the property name and value.
3. Specify string values as a pattern and search for it.
4. Search only for the specified value of other types.
5. Events and Resources
Sort Through Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA Legislation and More--Quicker And
Easier!
In this free Web seminar, get the tips you've been looking for to save time and money in achieving IT security and regulatory compliance. Find out how you can simplify these intensely manual, compliance-related tasks that reduce IT efficiency. Plus, sign up today, and you'll receive a free white paper by Charles Kolodgy of IDC about using security compliance software to improve business efficiency and reduce costs.
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The 15-Minute Failover Solution for Exchange
Do you rest confidently knowing your Exchange and BlackBerry backup/restore solution meets your high-availability requirements? If not, you won't want to miss this free Web seminar. Join industry guru Paul Robichaux and learn all about choosing the appropriate technology, balancing the cost and the skill set, assessing the knowledge level required, the complexity added to your existing environment, and how much availability each technology gives you. Attend and you could win a $50 gift certificate to Best Buy!
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE2:7B3DA
Microsoft SQL Sever 2005--For Every Tier Of Your BI Application
In this free, On-Demand Web seminar, you'll learn about the anatomy of business intelligence (BI) and how each part maps to the SQL Server 2005 toolset. Plus--get all you need to know about Integration Services, the relational engine, Analysis Services, Reporting Services, and Notification Services, as well as sharing steps to integrate all components with third-party applications, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft SharePoint.
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE3:7B3DA
Compliance vs. Recovery: Can You Have Your Cake and Eat It Too?
In this free Web seminar, discover the problems involved with integrating your compliance system with backup and recovery, including backup schedules, the pros and cons of outsourcing your backup media storage and management, the DR implications of having to back up all that compliance data, and the possibility of using alternative backup methods to provide backup and compliance in a single system. You'll learn what to watch out for when combining the two functions and how to assess whether your backup/restore mechanisms are equal to the challenge.
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE6:7B3DA
See the complete Windows IT Pro Network guide to Web and live events.
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AF3:7B3DA
6. Featured White Paper
Converting a Microsoft Access Application to Oracle HTML DB
Get the most efficient, scaleable and secure approach to managing information using an Oracle Database with a Web application as the user interface. In this free white paper, learn how you can use an Oracle HTML Database to convert a Microsoft Access application into a Web application that can be used by multiple users concurrently. You'll learn how to improve the original application by adding hit highlighting and an authorization scheme to provide access control to different types of users.
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE4:7B3DA
7. Peer to Peer
Hot Tip: Setting Autogrow Properties
by Brian Moran, savvy@sqlmag.com
Q. When setting the autogrow properties for a SQL Server data file, is it better to use a fixed size or a percentage growth?
Read the answer to this question today at
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE9:7B3DA
Hot Article: DML with Results
Have you ever needed to modify data and then--in the same transaction--access that just-modified data for further processing? SQL Server 2005 lets you specify an OUTPUT clause into INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements so that the query returns the modified data. In his August T-SQL 2005 column "DML with Results," Itzik Ben-Gan describes how to use the new OUTPUT clause for modifications and shows you several practical scenarios in which the clause can be handy. Read this article today and post your comments at
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE7:7B3DA
Hot Threads: Check out the following hot threads, and see other
discussions in our 30 SQL Server forums.
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AEF:7B3DA
T-SQL: Can I Use T-SQL Code to Search a Directory?
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE1:7B3DA
OLAP/Data Warehousing: MDX Formula for Estimating Growth Over Time
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10ADB:7B3DA
Development: .NET Developers Denied Access
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10ADE:7B3DA
Administration: Transforming Oracle Text File Data to SQL Server
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10ADD:7B3DA
Database Design: Best Way to Track Scheduling
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10ADC:7B3DA
Replication: Problems with the Distribution Job
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AE0:7B3DA
8. Announcements
SQL Server Magazine Gives DBAs and Developers What They Need
With SQL Server 2005 right around the corner, it's important to note that SQL Server Magazine is on target to deliver comprehensive coverage of all betas and the final release. If you aren't already a subscriber, now is the time to subscribe to gain exclusive access to the entire SQL Server Magazine online article database (over 2300 articles) and save 44 percent off the cover price!
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Try a Sample Issue of Windows Scripting Solutions!
If you haven't seen the Windows Scripting Solutions newsletter, you're missing out on an exclusive monthly resource that shows you how to automate time-consuming, administrative tasks by using our expert-reviewed downloadable code and scripting techniques. Sign up for a FREE sample issue and find out how you can save both time and money. Plus, get online access to our popular "Shell Scripting 101" series--click here:
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9. New & Improved
by Dawn Cyr, products@sqlmag.com
Share Your Story and Get a T-Shirt!
Have you used a product that saved you time or made your job easier? Send us a short note about how your favorite product solved a SQL Server problem for you, and if we print your submission in the magazine's Hands On department we'll send you a SQL Server Magazine t-shirt. Send your email today to handson@sqlmag.com!
Get Continuous Data Protection for the Enterprise
Kashya announced its KBX5000 CDP, and end-to-end continuous data protection (CDP) and disaster-recovery solution for the enterprise. The solution uses intelligent fabric and policy-based protection to provide comprehensive protection of business-critical data against any type of failure--including a complete site disaster. The product provides a simple interface to address and manage all data-protection requirements. The product also stores changed data and time together, enabling immediate recovery to any point in time without data loss. In addition, the KBX5000 lets you access application data at any point in time by selecting time or intelligent bookmarks. And the solution uses intelligent data-reduction technologies that deliver a 25:1 compression rate, substantially reducing storage needs. For pricing and other information, contact Kashya at 866-527-4921 or customers@kashya.com.
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Search for Unsearchable Data
Ocelluz announced its patented search technology, which lets you search for hidden data locked inside any SQL-based database without writing queries. The program lets users work through a simple type-and-click search box to extract data in near realtime from SQL Server, Oracle, IBM DB2, Seibel, or MySQL databases. Typical search engines can index unstructured data found in random data objects on the desktop and server, but are often inefficient when searching databases because they must move the data to an outside index file, then index and search it. During this time, the search might miss realtime updates to the database. Ocelluz uses native, integrated SQL to provide search capability across disparate SQL databases and systems throughout an organization. The product enables sub-second response times on these searches, even when the search involves terabytes of data on physically separated databases. The product can also seamlessly pass results to any search federation system to create a complete search solution spanning all parts of the corporate data topology. For pricing and other information, contact Ocelluz at sales@ocellus.com.
http://lists.sqlmag.com/t?ctl=10AF6:7B3DA
Make Database Comparisons a Snap
TulaSoft announced SQL Examiner 1.0, a software application that lets you compare and synchronize different database versions. The program highlights differences between two databases and lets you synchronize them. A special convenience is that the product lets you compare live databases with backups without first performing a restore. Once you have compared the databases, the application generates a smart synchronization script that checks values and prompts the database professional to enter new values when needed to avoid mistakes during synchronization. Regularly priced at $199, SQL Examiner 1.0 is on sale for $99 until September 1. A free trial version is available for download at the vendor's Web site. For more information, contact TulaSoft at support@sqlaccessories.com.
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SQL Server Magazine is a division of Penton Media, Inc., 221 East 29th
Street, Loveland, CO 80538, Attention: Customer Service Department
Copyright 2005, Penton Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.