David Boschmans Weblog : SQL Server 2005

Project code named "Jasper"

David Boschmans — Thu, 10 May 2007 14:45:22 GMT

Beside Project "Astoria" we also announced Project code named "Jasper" at Mix07 last week.

Project Codename “Jasper”, aka Dynamic ADO.NET is a set of extensions to the ADO.NET Entity Framework designed to enable iterative (repeated loops) and agile development of powerful, real world data driven applications. Built atop the ADO.NET Entity Framework, Jasper supports rich queries and complex mapping, and allows users to interface by naming controls according to their models without worrying about binding code.

On the ADO.NET Blog you can find a couple of posts on the subject:

The interesting thing for developers is that Jasper leverages the power of dynamic languages and the concept of convention over configuration to provide a programming surface for data that enables rapid development of data-bound applications. While most other rapid data access frameworks are only capable of working against simple databases, Jasper can scale to almost any database, regardless of size or complexity. This is possible because Jasper takes advantage of the ADO.NET Entity Framework’s significant investments in mapping and conceptual data modeling.

Developers also benefit from Jasper as it will allow them to work with conceptual data (entities). This gives the ability to separate applications from the reality of database schemas.

Both Astoria and Jasper are part of a set of dynamic applications designed to deliver of the “Dynamic Applications” pillar of the Data Platform Vision. Specifically, Dynamic Applications accelerates the development of tools by allowing them to be seen as entities (namely, from tables/rows to business concepts), and improves user connectivity from any location. Entities solve consistency needs, development speed and the need for conceptually redundant constructs, by raising the level of abstraction in data programming, providing rich services that jumpstart development, giving users the ability to build capabilities in all tiers of the application thus avoiding mismatches.

The Jasper Mix07 CTP is available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=471BB3AC-B31A-49CD-A567-F2E286715C8F&displaylang=en.

Technorati tags: Jasper, Mix07, ADO.NET Entity Framework

Update on SQL Server code named "Katmai"

David Boschmans — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:59:01 GMT

Yesterday at the Microsoft Business Intelligence Conference 2007 Microsoft announced some more details on the upcoming release of SQL Server, code named "Katmai". This is the first public disclosure for Katmai.

SQL Server code name "Katmai," the next release of Microsoft SQL Server, provides a comprehensive data platform that is secure, reliable, manageable and scalable for your mission critical applications, while enabling developers to create new applications that can store and consume any type of data on any device, and enabling all your users to make informed decisions with relevant insights.

The 4 pillars for SQL Server Katmai are:

Mission Critical Platform for All
Redefining Pervasive Insight
Beyond Relational
Dynamic Development for Data Management Solutions

More information on these and on SQL Server “Katmai” in general can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/futureversion/default.mspx.

Technorati tags: SQL Server, SQL Server Katmai

BIWUG event on Records Management and BI with MOSS 2007

David Boschmans — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:24:48 GMT

For all the IW enthusiasts: the next BIWUG meeting is scheduled for Thursday April 26^th and will be held @Getronics premises (Genèvestraat 10 – 1140 Evere).

The meeting has 2 main themes: Records Management with MOSS 2007 and Business Intelligence with MOSS 2007.

The more detailed agenda is as follows:

18u30 – 18u35: Welcome and Introduction
18u35 – 19u20: Records Management with MOSS 2007
19u20 – 20u05: Extending the Policies en Records Management framework in MOSS 2007
20u05 – 20u20: Break
20u20 – 21u: Business Intelligence with MOSS 2007

Please use the link “Register for the next event” under the “List” section on the BIWUG site to register for this meeting.

This time we also have 3 Microsoft Certification Exam Vouchers to give away for the first 3 people to register :-)

Technorati tags: BIWUG, MOSS 2007, Records Management, Business Intelligence

Interesting links from my unread RSS Feed Items

David Boschmans — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:34:58 GMT

Due to a busy travel schedule and working on the agenda of Dev & IT-Pro Days 2007, I haven't been able to read all the posts from the blogs I'm subscribed to. But this week I've a couple of days of holidays, which allows me to catch up on "unread" RSS feeds. Here are the most interesting links I came across:

Microsoft Best Practices Analyzer for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and the 2007 Microsoft Office System. (Via Alexander Windel)
The Microsoft Best Practices Analyzer for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and the 2007 Microsoft Office System Best Practices Analyzer programmatically collects settings and values from data repositories such as MS SQL, registry, metabase and performance monitor. Once collected, a set of comprehensive ‘best practice’ rules are applied to the topology.
Administrators running this tool will get a detailed report listing the recommendations that can be made to the environment to achieve greater performance, scalability and uptime.
Install instructions can be found here.
patterns & practices Performance Testing Guidance
The purpose of this project is to build some insightful and practical guidance around doing performance testing and using Visual Studio 2005. It's a collaborative effort between industry experts, Microsoft ACE, patterns & practices, Premier, and VSTS team members.
Usage Scenarios:
- Improve efficiency and effectiveness of your performance testing
- Learn expert techniques performance testing
- Apply expert techniques for performance testing using Visual Studio.NET 2005
OneNote 2007 PowerToys (Via Chris Pratley)
A set of nex PowerToys for OneNote 2007 is about to be released by Daniel Escapa.
The ones out so far are:
- Word Count
- Send to OneNote (from the file explorer/shell)
- Export Outlook Notes to OneNote

The 3^rd installment of the “Live From Redmond”: AJAX Security Webcast Series is now available for on-demand viewing. On-Demand HERE
This Webcast will cover advanced cross-site scripting (XSS) attack methods, such as Web malware, XSS in e-mail, Datamining with AJAX and virus’s that run inside of Web browsers. We will cover the impact of these attacks and how they can be used to steal cookies. In addition, we will review how mistakes in AJAX style programming could introduce security vulnerabilities into your code.
Keyboard Shortcut Reference Posters:
SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2: Now fully compatible with Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system
Virtual PC 2007 is now available: Whether Microsoft virtualization technology is an important component of your existing infrastructure or you're just a Virtual PC enthusiast, you can now download Virtual PC 2007 absolutely free.
Hooked on LINQ: This website aims to be the premier community resource for LINQ (Language Integrated Query) for Microsoft®'s .NET. (Via Frank Arrigo and Brain Madsen)
Windows Sidebar Styler: This is an application which takes advantage of various technologies introduced in Windows Vista in order to provide extensions to the existing functionality of Windows Sidebar. Haven't tried it but worth having a look at. (Via Eric Nelson)
DinnerNow v1.2 is now available (via James Conard)
Support for Reflector 5.0 in TestDriven.NET 2.3 (via Jamie Cansdale & Lutz Roeder)

Technorati tags: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, OneNote 2007, AJAX Security, SQL Server SP2, VPC 2007, LINQ, DinnerNow, Reflector 5.0

Installing Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals RTM

David Boschmans — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 11:46:45 GMT

Gert Drapers reports that Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals - codenamed Datadude - has gone RTM and is now available on MSDN Subscriber Downloads.

Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals delivers a market shifting database development product that provides a foundation for managed database evolution through the use of an offline, visual studio project-centered source code control system together with a suite of tools designed to streamline database changes and help understand the impact of proposed changes. Schemas, DML and metadata can be versioned, unit tests can be created and executed to ensure quality, and comparisons can be made with test and production systems prior to deployment. Integration with Team Foundation Server helps increase the productivity of the database professionals by enabling them to become an integral part of the application team.

With Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals users can:

Take control of database change by leveraging an offline, version-controlled representation of the database which is the one true version of the database schema
Improve software quality by automating database testing using integrated unit testing and data generation features
Be more productive when making changes to the database using powerful T-SQL and refactoring tools
Deploy incremental updates using powerful comparison, build and deploy functionality for the database
Improve collaboration and communication between all team members through integration with Team Foundation Server

Following 2 downloads are available to install:

Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals - Trial Edition (English)
This image is a 19 MB download which can be installed on top of an existing Visual Studio Team Suite installation. Despite the installer is a trial it will detect that you have a full license instead of a trial license and do the right thing.
Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals - DVD (English)
This image is a 3.8 GB download and is the full product download.

If you plan to do a new install of VSTS you will need to install Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals separately as there won't be a new SKU that includes VSTE for DB Pro's!

More technical resources can be found on the Database Professional Team Center at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/teamsystem/aa718764.aspx.

Technorati tags: Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals, Datadude

MSDN Virtual Lab for ISV innovation

David Boschmans — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 23:36:00 GMT

As part of the ISV training series, you can take advantage of MSDN Virtual Labs. This series of hands-on labs are hosted by Microsoft—so there's no need to format hard drives or dedicate computers, and nothing to install. With 35, no-cost lab modules to choose from, you're sure to find the training you need. Each module includes a downloadable instruction manual and a 90-minute block of time in which to complete the module.

Check out Microsoft SQL Server 2005, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Windows Vista, Visual Studio 2005, and Visual Basic/.Net any time you want, without the hassle of setting up your own testing environment.

All links to get access to these labs at http://www.isvvirtuallabs.com/.

Technorati tags: The 2007 Microsoft Office system, Windows Vista, SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005, Visual Basic/.Net

Microsoft Windows Web Hosting

David Boschmans — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 10:00:35 GMT

Last week I noticed this post bink.nu: "Getting Started on Microsoft Windows Web Hosting".

"Microsoft Getting Started on Windows Web Hosting is a subset of the complete Web hosting details found in The Microsoft Solution for Windows-based Hosting version 4.0. In order to help hosters quickly grasp the concepts and obtain practical experience in Windows-based Web hosting, Getting Started on Windows Web Hosting offers a simplified set of deployment and provisioning documentation, samples, and scripts for two basic Web hosting deployment scenarios."

I was curious to know what this was all about; especially with our upcoming web-related initiatives this might be useful. Though most of the information is very much IT-Pro focused there's a list of products that developers can use for develop and host their apps using this solution.

I was able to find all details about this Microsoft solution on the web site:

The Microsoft Solution for Windows-based Hosting empowers hosting service providers to lower operational costs while increasing average revenue per user (ARPU) through the deployment of new services.

Using key products from the Microsoft line of server software, the solution includes best practices, tools, scripts, and code samples to help service providers efficiently deploy and operate hosted offerings on the Windows platform.

Get the Solution Now!
Version 4.0 includes complete guidance and support for hosting SQL Server 2005 and ASP.NET 2.0.

Get Started

Step 1: Read the Solution Overview

Step 2: Review the Brochure (416 KB- .pdf file)

Step 3: Get Started with the Solution

Step 4: Join the Microsoft Hosting Program

Step 5: Become a Microsoft Partner in Hosting

Key Resources

Get Started with Microsoft Windows Hosting

Web Site Starters for Windows

Case Studies for Windows-based Hosting

Demo for Windows-based Hosting

Services Provider License Agreement

Server Security: checklists, guides, how-to articles, etc.

Product Resources
SQL Server 2005

Express Edition

Downloads

Web Tools

Events Series

Online Books

Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing

ASP.NET

ASP.NET Administration (IIS 6.0)

The Microsoft ASP.NET Hosting Advantage

IIS

Preview IIS 7.0

IIS 6.0 Product Information

Technorati tags: Microsoft Solution for Windows-based Hosting, SQL Server 2005, ASP.NET 2.0, IIS

SQL UG Meeting: Advanced Monitoring and Tuning Techniques in SQL Server 2005

David Boschmans — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 21:35:00 GMT

Next Thursday - September 14 - the Belgian SQL Server User Group organizes its second evening session. One of Microsoft MCS top SQL Server consultants Dirk Gubbels will cover "Advanced monitoring and tuning techniques in SQL Server 2005".

"SQL 2005 offers a lot of new possibilities to monitor, trace and tune performance related issues.
This demo-driven session will cover new features like plan option, plan guides, blocking traces, dynamic management views and more. We will use the new XML features to get the most out of the management views and traces, so XML knowledge up front is a plus.
Enough time is foreseen to answer questions, enter discussions or try ad-hoc scenarios."

Tags: SQL Server, SQL Server 2005

Getting started with Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals

David Boschmans — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 22:46:24 GMT

Last week we made available for download CTP5 for the latest addition to Visual Studio Team System: Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals. Gert "DataDude" Drapers has posted an exhaustive list of what's new in this release: What is new in CTP5.

If you want to get started yourself with VSTE for Database Professionals, here are a couple of resources to start with:

Matt Nunn points to 4 webcasts on VSTE for Database Professionals:

Available ON Demand Today:

MSDN Webcast: Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals (Part 1 of 4): Overview (Level 200)
MSDN Webcast: Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals (Part 3 of 4): Database Testing and Refactoring (Level 200)
MSDN Webcast: Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals (Part 4 of 4): Schema Source and Version Control (Level 200)

Airing August 30th 2006

MSDN Webcast: Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals (Part 2 of 4): Managing and Deploying SQL Server 2005 Schemas (Level 200)

There's also an excellent article available on MSDN:

"What Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals Can Do for You". This article covers how to manage database objects and schemas as version controlled items, unit testing stored procs, data generation and the refactoring features. Despite this article is based on a previous CTP (4) it's an excellent starter article.

More VSTE for Database Professionals Blogs:

Tags: Microsoft, Community, Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals

Ineta Live ... From Redmond!

David Boschmans — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 22:20:00 GMT

The .NET Framework groups are offering two exclusive series of Live Meeting presentations called “Live from Redmond” in partnership with INETA, the organization that helps people create and participate in .NET user groups around the world.

Live from Redmond! is a series presented to you directly by Microsoft product teams, so it’s content directly from the program managers and developers on the team! No marketing hype -- just the technical details that you want to hear and need to know. Ask questions directly to product team members! Stay ahead of your peers by attending these exclusive sessions

INETA Live! is a series brought to you primarily by user group leaders around the country that have exceptional material they believe would be good to share with other user group leaders. Don't miss these if you are interested in growing your own user group.

Check the complete list at http://live.ineta.org/

MSDN Application Server Web Site

David Boschmans — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:32:00 GMT

The teams of Application Platform and MSDN have recently launched a new portal highlighting Windows Server 2003 as a full-featured application server and a central pillar of our overall application platform.

The Windows Server 2003 application platform provides a complete solution for quickly building connected applications. Integrated services, such as the .NET Framework, Microsoft Message Queuing, COM+, and more boost productivity throughout the application life cycle, from design and development through deployment and operations.

Following topics are covered on the application server page:

Building Scalable Applications
Deploying and Managing Applications
Integrating Applications
Securing Applications
Migrating Applications
Learn More

To strengthen the message of the Microsoft application platform it’s worth checking out this post by Scott Guthrie and the partner demos of Mix06.