Today's webcast will be talking about the components that make AJAX work. Specifically we'll look at doing 2-3 demos including showing how you can debug client side scripting from Visual Studio 2005. It will be a lot of fun, and as usual I've posted the code to www.BenkoTIPS.com for you to take a look at.
Hope you can join us!
I have installed an interesting application - BlogJet. It's a cool Windows client for my blog tool (as well as for other tools). Get your copy here: http://blogjet.com
"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." -- Pablo Picasso
In case you're interested, I'm starting a run of weekly webcasts on Atlas/Ajax to help introduce and get developers up to speed with this exciting new technology. So here's the synapsis:
This webcast series is aimed at people who are new to writing AJAX style web applications but can see the value the technology offers. We go from the basics of the what AJAX is, looking at each of the components that make the technology work, and then dive into what the Atlas framework brings to the table to make developing with this technology more intuitive and easier than before.
Atlas: Novice to Pro
Our schedule – Monday's
10/2 – Intro to Atlas: Level 100
If you thought AJAX was for cleaning floors and an Atlas was simply a collection of maps, and you don’t know what all the fuss is about, then this webcast is for you. In this webcast we talk about the technologies available for building highly interactive web applications, the components that make it work, and the tools that are available to the Visual Studio developer for making them work. We cover examples of AJAX style applications, how to install and configure Atlas, and then use the tools to build a simple website.
10/9 – AJAX Components: Level 200
In this webcast we introduce the components and parts that make AJAX work, including the XmlHttpRequest object, the DOM and JavaScript. We explore how these pieces fit together to enable the client application experience. Going beyond naming them we will explore the structure, syntax and the use of these so that we can build a foundation for future webcasts.
10/16 – Writing JavaScript: Level 200
While many people have experience writing .NET applications, learning the syntax and grammar of yet another language can seem like more work than it’s worth. But to take full advantage of what you can do with the Atlas framework there are fundamentals that we need to know and in this webcast we lay it out.
10/23 – Understanding XmlHttpRequest: Level 200
What is the XmlHttpRequest object, and why is it in my browser? In this webcast we cover how the enabling technology for AJAX was introduced and used to allow end users to create browser based applications with a rich user experience. While this is not new technology, we talk about the challenges and complexities that limited its widespread adoption. We dive into the rich set of functionality it offers and take a look at how we can use it in our own applications.
10/30 – Atlas for the masses: Level 200
We have the foundation built, now lets take a deeper look at the framework from Microsoft for building Ajax style applications called Atlas. Using Visual Studio we explore the rich set of components and controls that can be applied to create new web sites and Ajax-ify existing ones.
11/6 – AJAX Control Toolkit: Level 200
When you think about extensibility, look at what AJAX Extensions to ASP.NET offers as a download. Controls you can use, as well as how you can create your own. Join us to learn more about what's possible with this exciting technology.
Other upcoming webcasts...
11/13 – SQL MasterClass: Tuning SQL 2005 Applications
Relational databases let us capture and manage large amounts of information. When the data grows and the application slows, what can you do to make it right? Learn tips & tricks for tuning SQL 2005 databases, using the tools at your disposal and techniques to identify what's the real problem and where to look next.
Hey – I’m back. I just started back in my role as the Developer Community Champion, this time officially as a Microsoft Employee! Whooo Hooo! My first day was Monday, and already in Dallas I got the opportunity to do some presenting. My co-worker Bill Steele and I tag teamed the presentation to a great crowd in a nicely air conditioned theater in downtown Dallas – it was over 120 F in the shade down there…
So we had some great fun. Today I’m presenting a webcast on ADO.NET 2.0 that teaches the essentials that a developer needs to know to get started coding. It’s been rescheduled a couple times, but it looks like this time will be a go.
I’m looking forward to seeing you on the road. Join me at one of our MSDN Events live and stop by to say hi!
In case anyone’s listening, I was recently interviewed for TechNet radio to talk about what IT folks need to know about their developers. It was fun to sit down with with the technet expert Michael Murphy and spend some time talking technology.
Well, I’m back at it on Friday with a couple more webcasts. For those who’ve checked out the other series I’ve worked on (SQL Masterclass and SQL BI Quickstart), you might see a trend with these new ones I’m doing. They finish off an existing series of webcasts aimed for the application developer who is working with SQL Server.
The first one – SQL 2005 Essentials – Enhancements to the SQLClient Data Provider talks about what is new for the developer in terms of SQL Client compared to traditional access via MDAC. We’re covering SNAC, MARS, Notification, Dependencies, Bulk Copy and more. I’ve got a bunch of code examples in both VB and C#, as well as the SQL script needed (we’re using AdventureWorks again)…This is available on the downloads page from which registered users can get the code and see for themselves how it works.
The other– SQL 2005 Essentials – ADO.NET 2.0 is a webcast that dives into new features of the new interface, discusses this new model, which includes provider registration, provider factories, data source enumerators, connection string handling, generalized schema handling, and provider and SQL network stack tracingdiscusses this new model, which includes provider registration, provider factories, data source enumerators, connection string handling, generalized schema handling, and provider and SQL network stack tracing... I’ll be posting the code for this one in the near future.
Hope you can join us. I assure you it should be a lot of fun…
Happy Coding!
So here it is, mid summer, and I’m looking at what’s coming up. I finished the last of my webcasts in the series on BI last week, and many thanks to all who’ve joined us for them. They were fun to do and it feels good to share what’s possible with the new technologies. If there’s one thing I learned from last week in Boston its how much new stuff there is coming our way. Building systems and application is in a world of change right now, and we’re stuck trying to keep up.
For those who are interested I’ve been invited to speak at a couple conferences this fall – in Omaha at the Heartland Developer Conference, and then again at the Tulsa Tech Fest. These look like they’re going to be a lot of fun with some great talent to get you to speed. I don’t know if I’ll be doing any more webcasts in the near future, but if I do I’ll post ‘em here.
Later
Here it is – the last webcast of the 11 part series – Data Mining with SQL 2005. I’m in Boston at TechEd, but have tried to find a quiet place to be able to do justice to task at hand. We’ll be covering one of the more interesting parts of Business Intelligence, namely how you can use the data mining features available with SSAS. In this webcast we’ll talk about what data mining is, and then do a couple examples of using it.
I’m adding some links to pages where you can get useful information, and I’m also going to post our code so you can download it if you want. Here’s the links:
So what’s going on at TechED? I was in the lunch room today and ran into fellow DCC’er Russ Fustino of the Shed Head event series fame. Instgead of sitting down with the masses, we ducked into a special session that got scheduled at the last minute.
I’m at a live broadcast of .NET Rocks! web radio, listening to Carl Franken and Rich Campbell interview the guys from the SQL team talking about the launch of Team Systems for the DBA. Not only does this new release include all the modeling and schema management tools you would expect, it also has some really cool features for refactoring the schema, generating test data, and deploying the schema to target environments.
Very cool stuff! I’ll keep you informed…
We’re just another band out of Boston
On the road to try to make ends meet
Sleeping in our cars and playing in the bars
We practiced every nite in the streets…
As a technologist who’s had the great opportunities to do a lot of things…from working in the various roles of technology to being a presenter for a major software company canvassing the country showing people what’s possible, it’s interesting I’ve never been to a major conference before. The closest thing to it has been presenting sessions at the Visual Studio launch events (like Minneapolis, Houston & San Antonio). Lots of people, but a different perspective than what I hope to get from going to Boston this week. For the first time I’m honestly going to be a true participant at one of these things and be able to explore what’s going on. I look forward to the chance to see it from the attendee view.
I expect there’s a lot to see & learn about what’s new from MS. With the Vista launch for later this year there is a lot of excitement on the WPF and Workflow that will impact how we build systems and applications. I’ve seen what WinFX can do, having worked with demo applications that feature extreme graphics and highly interactive user interfaces for the Q3 content we did for MSDN.
On another tangent, I’m excited to explore Boston and it’s vicinity. My wife & I recently read the Adams book by McCollough, in which he chronicles the founding of the country, and talks about what was going on in the area at the time. She will be joining me for the weekend after the conference and we’re going to explore the area. I understand that Quincy is nearby, and we’re looking to find a Bed & Breakfast in the area to have a nice weekend.
Well, that’s what I’ve got to offer for now…I’m planning to provide updates as we go. This is so wierd, to feel like a journalist. My good friend Greg Downey (who’s a professor at UW Madison in the school of Journalism) would be impressed I think. Then again, maybe not. Let’s see how the week goes. I’m hoping that this blog is at least entertaining if not useful.
By the way…I will be presenting the last of my webcasts in the series on Business Intelligence with SQL Server 2005 focused on Data Mining. It will be on Thursday, and I’m planning to post some links and code samples with it so those who are interested can download ‘em. Check out my website http://www.BenkoTIPS.com for more information on this and other webcast series.
So now I’m all excited this week, because in this 11 part webcast series I finally get to write some code. Today’s webcast Advanced SQL Server 2005 DTS will give us the chance to see how an Integration Services package can be constructed dynamically at runtime from code that we will develop. I’ll be writing the code in C#, but if you’re familiar with VB.Net you should be able to follow along (just remove the semi-colons and change the variable declarations a little)…The idea is that although the designers work well for most things, sometimes you need to customize advanced features or dynamically create things at runtime. I’ve posted the code on http://www.BenkoTIPS.com so you can explore or follow along with it.
Next week I’ll be in Boston for TechED and we’ll run our webcast on Data Mining, the last of this series on how to use the new features of Business Intelligence in SQL Analysis Services. If I hear of anything cool that will be coming I’ll be sure to report back to you on what’s possible.
– Mike
Hey folks, this week we’re going to pull it all together and do some reality check for working with the Business Intelligence. The goal is to do some deeper investigation in a new area of focus in our cube – sales currency. We’ll go through the alteration of the data model, create some SSIS packages to load the new data and then apply business intelligence to the resulting cube.
Hope you can join us. We’ve only got a couple webcasts left in the series. Next week we’ll do some programmatic SSIS, and the following week from TechEd we’ll look at how you can put to use the Data Mining capabilities.
Enjoy!
This week we’re looking at diving deeper into how SSAS can be configured to give us better performance with our cubes. I don’t have much to offer in the way of links on the topic that haven’t already been posted, but I did get a good question yesterday at the Chippewa Valley .NET User Group meeting on where to find resources about dimensional modeling. Here’s a couple links that might be useful:
Hope you can join us!
Mike
Ok…so last week’s blog worked well for providing additional links and resources for the webcast on MDX. It seems like a lot of people used them so I’m going to see about making this a regular practice. Here’s a few more links that you might find useful:
This week’s webcast in the BI Quickstart Series covers how to use ADOMD to access the information in our cubes. I’m going to use the MDX queries we created last week and build a couple apps in ASP.NET and a WinForms type. Again, I’ve already uploaded the code to the downloads section for registered users.
Enjoy!
So today I’m going to be doing an introduction to Using MDX to query the Analysis Cubes we’ve been building in the BI Quickstart webcast series…I thought it might be helpful if I added some links for more information. Feel free to check these out:
I’ve also uploaded the AW project code to the downloads section…feel free to register and download the code at your leisure…
Enjoy!
Today we’re talking about reporting against cubes and tools available for this. Here’s a couple links that I’ll be using to get resources that we will be using:
I’ll update the post later if there are more links to share…
Enjoy!
Today we did the 2nd webcast of the series (considering that last week’s got rescheduled to 4/27 immediately following the regularly scheduled webcast). The topic was Integration Services, and we went through a series of examples of how to use the various transformation tools to play with the data. Some good questions came out of it, thought I would post the answers here…
For a good book on SSIS 2005 check out WROX’s book SQL Server 2005 Integration Services. Brian Larson also has some great titles on BI that you might find useful such as Delivering Business Intelligence with SQL Server 2005.
You can import SQL 2000 dts packages into SSIS 2005, but some of the scripting stuff is going to need to be looked at. Plan to spend some time with the results, but it should be worth the efforts.
The nice thing about SSIS 2005 is that you can use it to pull data from just about anywhere and send it to just about anywhere. You’re not limited in any way to the data actually residing in SQL 2005. This means I could pull data from Oracle and load to Access (why I couldn’t say), but the package would need to be deployed to a SQL 2005 machine that has the appropriate access rights set up correctly.
Hopefully you can join me next week when we’ve got a double header. We’ll do the regularly schduled webcast on Reporting Services, and then immediately following we’ll do the rescheduled Analysis Service webcast where we build a cube.
ENJOY!
Unfortunately we ran into some issues with being able to deliver today’s webcast “Building an Analysis Services Database” as planned. So we will be rescheduling it for another day, probably after the Integration Services webcast during the week of April 24th. I’ll post the updated date when I know what it is.
Sorry…
I’ve got the opportunity to do another MSDN Webcasts series aimed at developers, this time focused on the tools available for business intelligence. We’ve spec’d out a pretty good curriculum, which will take someone from the beginning stages all the way to advanced topics such as data mining and complex data transformation packages. We’ll be doing it every Thursday morning at 10:00 am (EST). Here’s the links if you’re interested in joining us:
1. Business Intelligence core concepts and a ‘Quick Start’ solution. (4/6)
This module covers fundamental BI application concepts and terms, along with a ‘Quick Start’ BI solution that uses new SQL Server 2005 technologies to rapidly develop analytical functionality without the complexity associated with traditional data warehouse methodologies. Topics include the new Unified Dimensional Model (UDM), a comparison of SQL to MDX as reporting query languages, the use of a Data Source View (DSV) to logically redefine data sources, and new dimensionality capabilities.
2. Building an Analysis Services Database. (4/13)
This module focuses on using the BI Development Studio to design an Analysis Services application database, and then manipulating the resulting XML scripts to create customized versions of the application. Topics include Dimensions, MeasureGroups, Aggregations, Security, and Localization. Lab exercises focus on development tools, Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) and Analysis Management Objects (AMO).
3. Building DTS Packages. (4/20)
DTS has been completely re-architected for SQL Server 2005. In this module, you will learn how to utilize the Control flow and Data flow capabilities, how to create packages that can be configured for different environments at deployment time, and how to programmatically create tasks, transformations, and packages. Lab exercises include building, customizing, and deploying DTS packages
4. Integrating Reporting Services reports into a Client Application. (4/27)
Reporting Services has been enhanced significantly for SQL Server 2005, including support for queries against an Analysis Services source. This module includes features most critical to including Reporting Services reports in a client application. Lab exercises include dynamically generating RDL, and creating ASP .Net applications that render reports by using Web Service calls as well as URL parameters.
5. Integrating Office Tools into a Client Application. (5/4)
Microsoft Office includes several tools that can be effectively leveraged to quickly build a powerful front-end application. This module helps you understand how you can take advantage of the strengths of these technologies. Topics include Office PivotTables and Charts, Excel PivotTables, the Excel Add-In Accelerator, and integration with SharePoint. Lab exercises focus on integrating Office Web PivotTables into an application, and seamlessly navigating from a custom report into an Excel PivotTable or Add-In Accelerators.
6. Creating Analytical MDX Queries. (5/11)
General purpose tools can create standard MDX queries. To make a custom application that answers serious business questions, you need to be able to create effective analytical MDX queries. In this module, you will learn the strategy for building powerful queries that don’t just display data, but show what it means. Lab exercises include creating queries to calculate changes and exceptions, and how to parameterize the queries so that you can include them in a custom application.
7. Creating Custom Client Applications by using ADOMD .Net and MDX Queries. (5/18)
Often, to get the desired user interface experience, you want to develop the front-end yourself. This module guides you through using ADOMD .Net to create a client application. Lab exercises include creating ASP .Net applications that parameterize standardized analytical reports and render the result by using ADOMD Net.
8. Advanced Analysis Services Workshop. (5/25)
This module focuses on issues that arise in Analysis Services with very large or very complex databases. You will learn how to effectively design aggregations, partitions, and processing schedules—including how and when to take advantage of the new proactive caching. You will also learn now to deal with complex Time issues, how to work with specialized requirements for financial accounts and currency conversions, how to manage many-to-many relationships, and other complex issues.
9. Integration Lab. (6/1)
This module is a large scale lab that will require you to integrate all the pieces of a BI solution—from data sourcing, to database design, to query design and reporting. The exercise includes a mix of user-interface, XML manipulation, creating configurations, and custom coding—all representative of a real-world development environment.
10. Advanced DTS Workshop. (6/8)
This module consists of a series of exercise that deal with a variety of complex, real-world data transformation issues. Topics include such topics as real-time data feeds, writing custom transformations to parse and map addresses, looping through multiple data sources, passing real-time flows directly to Analysis Services objects, and many others.
11. Working with Data Mining. (6/15)
Data Mining—using advanced statistical techniques to find patterns in large volumes of data—is a fast-growing area of business analytics. While SQL Server 2000 included rudimentary Data Mining tools, SQL Server 2005 includes far more powerful tools and algorithms, both for the developer and for client access. This module teaches you the concepts behind data mining, exposes the processes for data mining, and shows you how you can begin to include data mining tools within your application.
I can hear that train a’coming
it’s rolling around the bend
And I ain’t seen the sunshine
since I don’t know when…
Stop. Close your eyes. Imagine for a moment that you just won the Powerball…$365 Million to do what you want. Where do you go? What do you do? Who will you be? No worries, just life as you take it. All things possible, whatever you want, wherever you are. Your dreams are real.
In the last chapter I helped show people what’s possible with technology…Some called it training. Others called it sales or marketing. Some even called it evangelism. Imagining the possible by enlightening people to the latest tools and techniques for applying technologies to save time and energy. To make the world a better place. Easier to share information, but also to secure it. To simplify and streamline, yet give power to those who know how to use it. I enjoyed writing this chapter on the sand, but the waves have come and it is fading on the beach.
For no story is forever written. We must break new ground and sow new seed if we hope to feed ourselves another day. To teach those that come after us the importance of balance and passion, of wisdom and patience, of discipline and reward. We stand a the door of a new book, with blank pages awaiting the ink of experience and life. What story will this book hold for us? Will we be the villian or the hero? A spectator or a coach? What will be remembered by those who share that story with us and will they value what we have to give?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What do I want to write about? There is much to say, but then I’m not sure if anyone is listening. I’ve got this blog setup that is a public outlet to thoughts and ideas that spin around my head, sometimes of use sometimes not. I’m sitting in a bagel shop on campus at the University of Minnesota, contemplating life. Familiar grounds…
You might imagine a crowded cafe with lots of students all engaged in their own worlds trying to find a way through, but in reality it is actually pretty quiet because it is Saturday morning. I’ve finished several cups of coffee (free refills!) and am about to head back to the math building to pick up my daughter from a class she’s in. It’s been years since I was here in this same coffee shop as a student, looking out the window. Thinking about life.
So much has changed, and yet things are still the same. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I want to do with the next few years…where I want to focus my energies and my time and trying to come up with some idea of where I want to be. I’ve spent the last couple years working as a presenter for Microsoft bringing the “Whats Possible” to cities around the US…maybe that’s why your’re reading this. Maybe you saw a webcast that you liked and want to get the code samples so you can take a closer look. Maybe you’re just surfing and found some words that intrigued you. You’ve got your reasons, and I have mine. I get a kick out of exploring new technologies and finding a better way to do things. Learning together.
Options…questions…figuring out which way is up. It’s important to remember that we are faced with these every day, and our responses to them, our choices determine what we become. I onced joked that today is a direct reflection of yesterday’s future. We still have the opportunity to shape tomorrow’s past…
A good Toastmaster makes the introduction and hands over the stage. Now I’ve left the stage, and I’ve provided links for you to find what you’re looking for. If you look at the webcast menu you’ll find that I’ve added a number of pages to serve as landing pages for series by particular presenters. So in the process of getting these updated I find myself writing a paragraph to do the introduction and then copying the links to the appropriate places.
Enjoy!
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“Now the roadies have left the stage. Now the seats are all empty . Let the roadies take the stage. Pack it up and tear it down. They're the first to come and last to leave. Working for that minimum wage. They'll set it up in another town. Tonight the people were so fine. They waited there in line and when they got up on their feet they made the show and that was sweet-- But I can hear the sound of slamming doors and folding chairs and that's a sound they'll never know. Now roll them cases out and lift them amps haul them trusses down and get'em up them ramps. 'Cause when it comes to moving me you know you guys are the champs. But when that last guitar's been packed away you know that I still want to play. So just make sure you got it all set to go.
Before you come for my piano.
But the band's on the bus and they're waiting to go. We've got to drive all night and do a show in Chicago or Detroit, I don't know. We do so many shows in a row and these towns all look the same we just pass the time in the hotel rooms and wander 'round backstage till those lights come up and we hear that crowd and we remember why we came. Now we got country and western on the bus, R and B, we got disco in eight tracks and cassettes in stereo. We've got rural scenes & magazines. We've got truckers on the CB. We've got Richard Pryor on the video. We got time to think of the ones we love while the miles roll away. But the only time that seems too short is the time that we get to play. People you've got the power over what we do. You can sit there and wait or you can pull us through. Come along, sing the song . You know that you can't go wrong . 'Cause when that morning sun comes beating down. You're going to wake up in your town but we'll be scheduled to appear a thousand miles away from here…
- Jackson Browne
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It was a fun ride. Thank you.
Here it is, the new year already, and it’s been too long since I’ve blogged. Time to break out the ‘ol BlogJet editor and complete one of those half baked thoughts and actually post. Hard to understand why. The past couple months have flown by, with the various launch events for Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server, the holidays, the passing of my grandfather…it all gets personal and deep too quick. I’m looking down the road ahead and wondering if it’s time for a change. But what?
I’ve started looking at ways to get back into writing. Of course I would expect that my lack of performance in this media might hamper that thought. But I’d like to find some new challenges that would let me apply what I’ve been speaking, teaching and laughing about for the last couple years. It would be good to use it. Of course that begs the ultimate question of what to be when you grow up. I suppose as long as you’re passionate about it, things will work out.
Then again, I’m not that far from the other side of the hill…or am I?
Sometimes I sit down with a real good idea of what I want to say. An idea germinates and is ready to be put in this blog…something really profound and interesting. Thoughts about life, about technology, about why I’m in such a good mood. The ideas are there, somewhere, floating around in my head, waiting to be explored.
Other times it is a simple thought that I should put something down here. Especially every time I look at my site (www.BenkoTIPS.com) and see the title of my last post. Sounds pretty dark, and in need of humor. So I try to come up with something.
I was in Dallas last year, doing my MSDN presentation for the first time in front of a live audience. Unknown to me my management showed up (I guess I knew they lived there, but hey? who knew they’d show up…). Well as I said the event was the first time with that particular content, and I had some trouble getting all the demos to work. To make a long story short (like my event), we ended a bit early…ok, an hour and 15 minutes early…
My manager – call him Mike O – said afterwords that if you’re going to end early, then end early. Don’t try to stall or make up stuff, just do it and go on.
So that’s the idea for this post. We’re done.
When you spend enough time on the road you find that you meet a lot of people. If you pay attention there is a lot to be learned. I was on a trip to Dallas for a team meeting when I met Richard. He was sitting next to me, busy on the phone, taking care of what seemed to be pressing business. After the plane taxied away from the jetway he finished his call and I found the chance to say hello.
After a few polite words, I asked him what he does that keeps him so busy. “They call me the Angel of Death“ he replied casually. This wasn't the response I had expected. I must've given him quite a look because he just smiled. Actually he works as a turnaround specialist for a venture capital firm out of Chicago. His role is to take the reigns a sick, failing companies and turn them around to make a profit. He has to go in and find the sickness and cut it out...decide who keeps their jobs and who doesn't. In short, who lives and who dies.
Now when you meet the Angel of Death and realize that he hasn't come for you, you can have a very interesting conversation. He was on the trip to meet with a new company they had just acquired, and for a couple hours I had a captive audience to find out for myself what it takes to do that kind of job. For instance, how does he know what needs to be cut and what you want to preserve? How do you know who to keep on the team? What projects get the axe? How long can someone do this job before they burn out?
Our conversations covered a lot of territory. We talked about how important it is to be able to focus on the issues and the players to be able to make informed decisions. How to tell whether someone's on you team or not, and how to sift through the vast universe of possibles to identify what deserves more time. This reminded me of how quickly technology changes, and and the challenge of trying to decypher which technologies are worthy enough to invest your precious time.
I told him about my job and what I do for a living. I run a small computer consulting company, and I go on the road and present seminars for Microsoft. I travel around the country and show off the latest tools and techniques for building software solutions to business problems. My goal is not necessarily to provide “training” as much as it is to help those attending to get a better idea of what is possible and which technoloiges are interesting, and where they can go to get more information. By the end of it my hope is that everyone leaves with something that they can use, one way or another.
Later that week, while I was at the team meeting I had a chance to take his advice to heart. We're just getting ready for the launch of the new Visual Studio 2005 tool suites, and in the process we've been preparing our agenda. If you come to see one of my events you will find out what we've put together, and maybe you'll be surprised...At least you will be entertained. I guess you'll have to join me to find out...
Enjoy!
Mike
I was trying to get SQL Agent working in the September CTP of SQL 2005, and I found that it was a little more tricky than I had expected. In SQL 2000 the Agent is very easy to simply schedule jobs and get everything working. So I did some digging into what's involved and came up with this from Books Online (the greatest resource for SQL Server). Here's what it had to say...
To perform its functions, SQL Server Agent must be configured to use the credentials of an account that is a member of the sysadmin fixed server role in SQL Server. The account must have the following Windows permissions:
- Adjust memory quotas for a process
- Act as part of the operating system
- Bypass traverse checking
- Log on as a batch job
- Log on as a service
- Replace a process level token
To verify that each of these required Windows permissions is set
-
Click Start, click Control Panel, Administrative Tools, and Local Security Policy.
-
Expand the Local Policies folder, and then click the User Rights Assignment folder.
-
Repeat the following steps for each permission:
- Right-click a permission (such as Log on as a service), and then click Properties.
- In the properties dialog box (for example Log on as a service Properties), verify that the account under which SQL Server Agent runs is listed.
- If it is not listed, click Add User or Group, enter the account under which SQL Server Agent runs, and then click OK
Typically, the account selected for the SQL Server Agent is a domain account created for that purpose and has tightly controlled access permissions. It is not necessary to use a domain account, but if you use an account on the local computer, SQL Server Agent will not have permission to access resources on other computers. It is common for SQL Server to need permission on other computers, for instance when it creates a database backup and stores the file in a location on another computer.
The benefits of using a relational database management system over other types of data storage such as flat files, spreadsheets, hierarchical databases, etc., is the ability to look at the information it contains in various ways and to give us a better way of managing that content. What we learn from processing and analyzing the data leads to better insight and questions about the nature of things. For example, if we get information about annual sales volumes, we might ask which product or month is the most (or least) profitable? We might want to change the columns on the report, or sort it in a different way depending on what department we work in.
Developing applications that provide flexible paths to retrieve and manage information in large databases is one of the big challenges we face as builders of systems. Our ability to anticipate future requests and build that flexibility into the system at design time requires experience, insight, and judgment. Translating such a design into a deliverable project depends on the amount of time, the resources available, and the understanding of the technologies we are working with.
To meet this objective, most database systems provide the facilities for running SQL code directly against the database engine. ODBC has the call SQLExecDirect, ADO uses the Command object, and most others have similar calls. The purpose is to allow the developer the flexibility of creating an SQL statement within the application based on user input to determine what information to return.
In this post, we will address the issues surrounding Dynamic SQL and its various uses. The main points of this chapter include:
For more information take a look at this article I wrote...
IAt the MSDN Event in Boston last week someone was asking about whether the “My” object would be available to C# developers…I received a follow up email from an attendee who found some information about this, and the fact that Richard Hale Shaw will be presenting on the topic next week at the Boston Code Camp…
http://www.thomscontent.com/cc4/default.htm
Why should VB.NET Guys Have All the Fun? Using the My Object (.NET 2.0) in C# With the release of VB.NET 2.0 (VS2005) comes a new object referred to as the My Services object, which makes it easier to consume Web Services, retrieve and set application settings, and examine and use other application environment settings. But peek under-the-hood shows that the My object is really a set of classes and generic types that are generated by the VB.NET compiler, and which - with a little bit of work -- can be reproduced for use by C# (and other Managed Code) developers. In this session, Richard will explain the workings of the My object, how to leverage it from C#, and why you'll want to do so.
Enjoy!
Is this the real thing?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a Land Slide
Escape from Reality…
– ???
Sometimes it seems like I get so busy with the day to day stuff that I find I’m not keeping up with what’s going on. True, there are a lot of new technologies, and you can’t be master of them all, but there’s gotta be a way to catch up…
One of my team-mates – Joe Stagner – who is already known as the Digital Blackbelt master of Security, has a new thing he’s doing. Its a relatively new medium – podcasting – that allows him to get some great info at a low cost, and to touch that nerve that resonates through the techno-world. Check him out at www.DevRadio.com.
So much fun…
I just picked up a book by Harry Beckwith, author of "Selling the Invisible". In his new book "The Invisible Touch" he talks about being in college and buying tickets to a live concert by Laura Nyro (ever heard of her?). She had just had a hit album that combined great lyrics with wonderful melodies. A true shot at greatness...Harry & his girlfriend couldn't wait for the concert. They had spent $8 for the album (this was back in the 1970's), but were willing to shell out $15 each for a ticket to the live concert.
Finally the appointed day arrived, and they got to their 6th row seats, eager for the concert to begin. They sat and waited, and waited...finally she stepped onstage to lots of applause. She went straight to the piano, sat down and the proceeded to perform her top song almost exactly like it was on the album. But what she didn't do was to look around and connect with the audience. Instead she focused on the back of the room and simply performed each song oblivious to the audience. It was a technically perfect performance, hiting all the right notes in the right order, but something was missing...some people loved it, but many, like Harry, felt short-changed. He had decided to spend twice what the album cost in order to experience the live event. He had expected her to connect and to form a relationship with the audience. She didn't. It affected her stardom. Like many, he stopped buying her albums and never went to another of her concerts. Laura faded from the scene, never quite hitting the "Rock Star" status.
The point? When they bought the album, they were buying a product. The concert is a service. People expect services to be personal. It just goes to show that you can love a product, but hate the service. Makes me wonder, what's my job?
I'm running some webcasts this week on Visual Studio 2005...I hope you can join us, the links are:
ENJOY!
Have you ever found yourself looking at a problem, and there’s that nagging feeling you’ve seen this before? There’s something about it that seems familiar. When you start digging into the new .NET Framework 2.0 you’ll find that while there’s a lot of new functionality, it really builds on previous versions. Yes, the IDE has a lot of really great new features (like not reformatting your html code, the ability to have a web project in multiple languages, code snippets, and more), but it seems like the design completes the way you’d expect things to work. It just feels right.
Ever wonder if it'll slow down enough so you can catch up? I'm looking forward to a break from being on the road to have a chance to stop and smell the roses. Life's been pretty good to me, I appreciate my friends. Thank you for a great year!