/* sorry if dup */ This is really hot! Go to http://msdn.demoservers.com/login.aspx, sign up for a free login account and then you can access to many interactive hands-on-labs within a Terminal Services-like environment. No need to have your own Virtual PC to play with the products, just go online and use your browser. You can also download the manuals (.pdf).

Enjoy
~gux

El Service Pack 4 de SQL Server 2000 a partir de hoy está disponible en:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=8E2DFC8D-C20E-4446-99A9-B7F0213F8BC5&displaylang=en

Quick Info
Download Size: 66 KB - 245094 KB
Date Published: 6/May/2005
Version: 8.00.2039
 
Overview: SP4 is a cumulative Service Pack containing all of the fixes from previous service packs, including MS03-031 security bulletin.

SP2 includes a variety of improvements to the initial product release. Documentation for this release is provided in the SP2readme_lang.htm, which can be downloaded below or found in the Reporting Services installation directory after Setup is complete.

Quick Info
Download Size: 74 KB - 22111 KB
Date Published: 22-apr-2005
Version: 8.00.1038
Download: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=502c0d89-1308-4662-8f58-cec55ef1235b&displaylang=en
 

Gentle.NET (hoy en versión 1.2.2) es un marco de persistencia de objetos .NET independiente del sistema de base de datos subyacente. Gentle.NET está disponible con código fuente en http://sourceforge.net/projects/gopf. Para leer la documentación ir directamente a:

http://www.mertner.com/confluence/display/Gentle/Documentation+Home

Un ejemplo de uso, copiado de la documentación:

[TableName]
public class User : Persistent
{
    private int userId;
    private string userName;

    // this is used by clients to construct new users
    public User( string userName ) : this( 0, userName ) {}

    // this is used by Gentle to reconstruct objects read from the database
    public User( int userId, string userName )
    {
        this.userId = userId;
        this.userName = userName;
    }

    // this is used by client to fetch users from the database
    static public User Retrieve( int userId )
    {
        Key key = new Key( typeof(User), true, "Id", userId );
        return Broker.RetrieveInstance( typeof(User), key ) as User;
    }

    [TableColumn("UserId"), PrimaryKey(AutoGenerated=true)]
    public int Id
    {
        get{ return userId; }
        set{ userId = value; }
    }

    [TableColumn(NotNull=true)]
    public string Name
    {
        get{ return userName; }
        set{ userName = value; }
    }
}

User ford = new User( "Ford Prefect" );
ford.Persist(); // save the new user and assign an id value
User prefect = User.Retrieve( ford.Id ); // retrieve the existing user
 

This open source plugin ships as part of SharpTools 2.0 and is a full-featured RSS / Blog aggregator which integrates into the familiar dockable panes of the Visual Studio.NET IDE. So, if you are a .NET developer who likes to read RSS news, you will enjoy this plugin.

From the site: "The business intelligence portal sample application for Microsoft Office 2003 is an integrated, Web-based OLAP solution that enables employees in an organization to create and share OLAP/Relational/XML-based views, using SharePoint Portal Server, SQL Server Reporting Services, and Office Web components."

Download from Microsoft Download Center

El Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 Resource Kit (Part# 098-99944) contiene 1 CD y 2 DVDs con SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 Developer Edition, SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 Resource DVD y SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 Hands-On Labs DVD. Este último DVD dispone de una Microsoft Virtual PC para hacer las prácticas, pero el problema es que una vez instalada, al cargar el Windows 2003 Server contenido en la VPC se obtiene un mensaje que indica que la versión de Windows 2003 ya ha expirado.

Cómo solucionar el problema: Borrar la VPC, volver a encender la máquina anfitriona y modificarle la fecha (he probado exitosamente la fecha 20 de Octubre de 2004). Luego volver a instalar la VPC desde el SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 Hands-On Labs DVD. Al cargar el Windows 2003 de la VPC, se iniciará el proceso de configuración de primera vez (fecha y franja horaria, dejar la fecha 20-oct-2004 que ha tomado del PC anfitrión), luego un reboot en la VPC... entonces inicializará correctamente en resolución 640x480.

Para quienes tienen una clave de activación (por ejemplo, debido a una subscripción MSDN) es posible hacer una actualización de la VPC según las siguientes instrucciones de Microsoft:

Upgrading Your Expired HOL Installation

You will be booting into safe-mode to upgrade the Windows installation from an evaluation copy to a retail copy. Note that if you have a retail key (an MSDN license, for example) that requires activation, you'll have to do that immediately after the upgrade is complete; there will be no grace period.

1. Start the image and during the boot sequence press F8 to enter Safe Mode.
2. Log into Windows.
3. Load your CD or ISO image (ISO is much faster) for Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (Retail or Volume License Key).
4. When the Windows Setup Wizard starts choose "Upgrade (Recommended)".
5. Enter the product key if you are using a Retail or MSDN version of Windows.
6. When the Setup Wizard asks, click No to decline downloading updated setup files.
7. Click Next past any QFE warning message.
8. Once setup is complete, you will need to activate Windows when you login. Note: it is possible your mouse will not continue to work. If this occurs, uninstall and then reinstall VPC additions from your VPC install media.
9. Run Windows Update to reapply all patches. Also, you should install your own anti-virus client at this time.

Origen: http://msdn.microsoft.com/SQL/2005/2005Labs/holupgrade.aspx

El nuevo buscador de Microsoft, MSN Search dispone de una versión (beta) para indexar y buscar en las carpetas del PC y dentro de los mails Outlook. El producto se denomina MSN Desktop Search y muestra una interfaz webform similar al buscador de Internet.

http://www.thefreecountry.com/sourcecode/database.shtml

I noticed there the LEAP RDBMS, a great tool recommended for courses. Back when I used to teach database courses I used LEAP to teach relational model and algebra, with great success. The LEAP RDBMS is now sourceforged for free.

This article about T-SQL Unit Testing, written by S.A. Miller shows the big picture. TSQLUnit is an open source unit testing framework for T-SQL written by Henrik Ekelund and available from http://sourceforge.net/projects/tsqlunit.

QueryCommander 2.1 es una IDE para SQL Server 2000 y MSDE 2000 que funciona como un Query Analyzer con una estética similar a la de Visual Studio .NET. Ejecuta usando .NET Framework, tiene intellisense, genera scripts SQL y dispone de un explorador de objetos de las bases de datos. Y además de todo eso... es freeware.

Descarga: http://querycommander.rockwolf.com/

PSSDiag is a diagnostic data collector for Microsoft SQL Server. It can simultaneously collect Perfmon/Sysmon logs, Profiler traces, event logs, SQLDIAG reports, and detailed blocking information. It is commonly used by Microsoft Product Support Services engineers to collect diagnostic data from end-user installations and can also be used by end-users to troubleshoot and monitor their own SQL Server installations.

The public downloadable updated version (27-set-2004) can be downloaded from here.

The MS KB article 830232 has information about the PSSDIAG tool.

La instalación del Service Pack 2 de Windows XP tiene efectos sobre SQL Server 2000 y MSDE. Un artículo de Brian Moran en SQL Server Magazine señala algunos puntos de interés para conocer (en inglés):

FAQ: How Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Affects SQL Server and MSDE

How to enable SQL Server connectivity on Windows XP Service Pack 2

Webcast:  SQL Server and Windows XP SP2—Level 300

Another Longhorn-like sidebar! Try this freeware Desktop Sidebar. Desktop Sidebar uses minimal system resources, and is compatible with the following versions of Windows: Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, 98 & ME. You must have Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher installed.

He instalado el Service Pack 2 de Windows XP sin mayores novedades. Debo confesar que tenia un nivel de ansiedad comparable a la época del Asunto Y2K, y al igual que en aquella ocasión, nada ocurrió.

Luego del SP2 mi XP dispone de algunas herramientas nuevas en el Control Panel (me gusta el nuevo Windows Firewall applet) y más cuadros diálogos ante situaciones inesperadas cuando uso el Internet Explorer.

El único efecto lateral fue que el SP2 anuló el patch que había aplicado a la uxtheme.dll para poder usar estilos y el XP volvió a sus estilos visuales convencionales. Pero alcanzó con descargar e instalar el Neowin UXTheme Multi-Patcher v2.0 para poder volver a tener mis XP styles en funcionamiento.

Active Ports et al. - ports monitoring tools
http://www.protect-me.com/download.html

a-squared (a2) - Malware detection tool
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/

AvantBrowser - Tabbed interface for Internet Explorer, see also: Maxthon (aka MyIE2)
http://www.avantbrowser.com/

DeepBurner - simple & easy CD-burning
http://www.deepburner.com/
 
Desktop Sidebar - great Longhorn-like sidebar!
http://www.desktopsidebar.com/

HotBot Desktop - document searcher
http://www.hotbot.com/tools/desktop/
 
Lavasoft Ad-aware - spyware killer
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

LookOut - great searcher add-in for Office Outlook
http://www.lookoutsoft.com
 
Maxthon - tabbed interface for Internet Explorer like AvantBrowser (great app too)
http://www.maxthon.com/
 
SharpDevelop - opensource IDE for C# & VB.NET
http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/Default.aspx

Skype - Internet telephony, great audio, firewall-friendly
http://www.skype.com/
 
SmartBarXP - Longhorn-like desktop sidebar
http://www.smartbarxp.com - but also try Desktop Sidebar.
 
Snippet Compiler - mini-VS.NET
http://www.sliver.com/dotnet/SnippetCompiler/
 
Spybot Search & Destroy - spyware killer
http://www.safer-networking.org

SymmTime - configurable world clocks, a must-have for virtual meetings, chats, and so on
http://www.ntp-systems.com/symmtime.asp

http://www.lookoutsoft.com

Fast & free.