Azure was just announced at the PDC keynote and it is the future of cloud computing from Microsoft. Not only is this the platform for development of new applications, it’s also an offering of Microsoft’s enterprise applications online. Apparently this means ALL enterprise applications from Dynamics CRM to Exchange services. New AD based authentication services, .NET plug-ins, and Windows service connectors aim to make it easy to take what you have and move into the cloud. Microsoft described the big issue as enterprise IT department’s inability to provide robust enough uptime. Is this really true? It’s apparently now all about services, not servers.
The real question for the system administrator is; what will it mean for our current role as the sysadmin, the operations master to these applications? We have been working for years under the assumption that business will always need the IT department to maintain the infrastructure of what has become the lifeblood of most businesses, large and small. Business doesn’t move without data, without services like email, and without databases. For me, it’s still an unanswered question. Will system administrators be cast aside in favor of developers only while the great cloud manages all the services and the related issues we face today or will our role simply change because the cloud will need to be managed as well? Will we be taking a modified role maintaining networks, monitoring our cloud services, and possibly moving our troubleshooting into the cloud? It’s uncertain at this point, but this is certainly one of those disruptive technologies Gartner is always making list’s about. We’ll keep an eye out as PDC rolls on and give opinion in the next episode of CS Techcast.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Welcome to another episode of the podcast for IT professionals always available at CSTechcast.com. This week we talk what it takes to be a tech book author, the publishing game, and what it's like to go independent with Julie Yack, editor of the new book CRM as a Rapid Development Platform . Find more info at thecrmbook.com and use discount code "cstechcast" for 10% off the purchase price of the book. The news bring an out of cycle Microsoft patch for Windows, Intel announces next-gen cooling for laptops, Amazon's EC2 goes production for virtualization in the cloud, new service packs announced for Vista and Office, and HP brings the thin-client back, again. Tech companies getting scarred and laying off top talent instead of using them to innovate gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we argue employers using social networking to hire and fire in "Point/Counterpoint", and "The Weekly Tech Tip" shows you how to track down your domain on email blacklists. Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Microsoft Preps Emergency Windows Patch (PCMag.com)
Intel unveils new cooling tech for ultrathin laptops (CNet)
Amazon's Linux cloud computing out of beta, joined by Windows (CNet)
Office, Vista getting new service packs (CNet)
HP Unveils Thin Client, Blade Workstation (InformationWeek)
The Weekly Tech Tip Link - email blacklist search (MXToolbox.com) Thanks to everyone for continuing to support CS Techcast by spreading the word about our show. You can also support us by visiting our sponsors. You can call us, email us, comment on this blog, or interact on the social networks twitter.com/cstechcast and friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Keep pointing your browser to CSTechcast.com for all the latest. Thanks.
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This is a problem that plagues DBAs everywhere. When you restore a database, you run the risk of orphaning the users in the database. All users are linked via a SID to a login and if you have SQL Server logins, who’s SIDs are managed by SQL Server, you are at risk. Typically a restore to the same server from which the backup was taken won’t cause an issue unless you dropped and recreated the login. Generally the problem rears its ugly head when you restore a backup to a server that was not the original location. You planned ahead and created the same logins on the new server as existed on the old server, so why do the users end up orphaned? As I mentioned earlier, SQL Server manages the SIDs for SQL Server logins so there is no guarantee that the new login has the same SID as the original login did. Then when you restore your database, the users in that database are expecting SIDs that are not there and the next thing you know you have orphaned users. Just a note, this does not occur with Windows Logins because the SID is controlled by Windows or Active Directory. Unless you drop and re-create the user in Windows, the SID of an Active Directory user will be the same on all SQL Servers and hence your user accounts see the SID they are looking for. So, the million dollar question is, how do you fix the problem without dropping and re-creating the user and messing up the permissions in the process? Microsoft provides us with a handy little stored procedure called sp_change_users_login that you can use to fix orphaned users. This procedure can do several things; it can tell you which users are orphaned, it lets you fix an orphaned user manually, and it can attempt to automatically fix your issues. So let’s look at an example. I have deliberately orphaned a user called Annie in the AdventureWorks2008 database. When I run sp_change_users_login with the REPORT option, I can see that I indeed have an orphaned user. EXEC sp_change_users_login 'REPORT'
…
UserName UserSID
-------- -----------------------------------
Annie 0xA5B5548F3DC81D4693E769631629CE1D To fix this orphaned user all I have to do is run sp_change_users_login with the UPDATE_ONE action and tell SQL Server the name of my orphaned user and the name of the appropriate login. EXEC sp_change_users_login 'UPDATE_ONE','Annie','Annie' There you have it, a simple quick fix to orphaned users that you can use next time you have an issue. I just want to add one more thing regarding the AUTO_FIX action of sp_change_users_login. If you use this option, the procedure tries to automatically fix your orphaned users by matching user name to login name. If no match is found, it will create the appropriate login for you. The only reason I don’t like it is that is has the potential to create logins you don’t want, especially if your login names happen to deliberately differ from your user names.
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Are You Ready? Common Ways to Tell You Are Not Ready to Recover from a Disaster is an article I wrote when working recently on a disaster recovery project. It wasn't my first time working a project such as this, and I noted common mistakes being made over and over. These didn't have much to do with specific technology as much as the approach towards the need for an administrator to provide solid recovery of their systems. Specifics around process, documentation, and choosing from available options seem to catch us off guard way too often. When we realize our mistakes, it's almost too late to recover from the error. I hope to bring a little foresight to those administrators handed this very large task. The journal is available from Realtime-windowsserver.com in the Digital Library section. While you are there, subscribe to the journal which is released monthly. - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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They have been around forever, but have you really ever implemented Application Roles in SQL Server? For that matter, do you really know what they are and how to use them? In this short tip, I hope to explain just that. First off, we need to talk briefly about how application security can be implemented in SQL Server. There is some debate over which model is better and I am not endorsing any specific one here. Regardless of whether you use SQL Server Logins or Windows Authentication, you still have to decide whether an application will use a single login to access SQL Server (and all appropriate database objects), or allow each individual user to have their own login. They each have their very own sets of pros and cons, but I want to focus on a specific con of each user having their own login. The biggest issue is that each user login has access to your server and to one or more databases. Does the user need to delete data as part of their job? If so, they will have this right whether they log in via an application or directly to the server. Often, the application controls what can and cannot be deleted based on a set of business rules; these rules usually don’t exist on the SQL Server itself. In short, if each user has their own login, they can access SQL Server directly and potentially cause some damage. This brings us to application roles. You create them and assign permissions to them just like regular database roles but you can’t put users in them. Instead, the goal of application role is to provide a best of both worlds scenario for application and user security. Here’s how they work. You set up each user to have an account on the SQL Server with practically no rights. All they should be able to do is login to the server and run a system stored procedure called sp_setapprole. This procedure accepts a couple parameters, including the name and password for the application role. Running sp_setapprole will immediately endow the user with all the permissions that you set up on the application role for the current session only. So what does this mean for security? As long as the password for activating the application role is only known to the application, your users will not have any rights when they login to the SQL Server directly. In order to have the permissions they need, they will be required to use the application that knows the password and can unlock the permission for the application role. Now you can have SQL Server manage individual logins and still have a secure environment that uses the rules and filters in place within your applications.
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The newest episode is available at CSTechcast.com, a full podcast for IT professionals. This week, CEO of Brighttalk.com Paul Heald talks about how webcasts are helping business reach other businesses and the technology behind it. In the news Microsoft is set to release the cloud computing OS Red Dog, the Windows XP downgrade gets six more months of life, web sites get their credentials ripped off, AMD swings at Intel with the Shanghai server CPUs, and Steve Jobs IS alive even after a rumored health crisis. Credit card companies lack of concern for bad wireless security gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at the fork in the road upgrading to Windows Vista or Windows 7, and the new Hyper-V Server's HVCONFIG is detailed in "The Weekly Tech Tip". This episode of CS Techcast is sponsored by: vConferenceOnline. Use the discount code CSTECH at vConferenceOnline.com for a 10% discount on a virtual conference. Don't miss the SSWUG Ultimate Virtual Conference coming up soon. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Microsoft will float cloud OS this month (InfoWorld)
Windows XP gets another lifeline (CNet)
Researcher finds evidence of massive site compromise (ComputerWorld)
AMD Says Shanghai Won't Be Another Barcelona (PC World)
Apple stock tumbles nearly 11% on false report of Jobs' heart attack (CompuerWorld) As always, thanks for listening and hit the CSTechcast.com website for ways to get a hold of us. Also, check us out at friendfeed.com/cstechcast and twitter.com/cstechcast for our opinions on tech throughout the week. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=45 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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SQL Server 2008 provides a feature, which, in my opinion, has been far overdue -- backup compression. For too long, if you wanted the benefit of compressed backups, you had to look at a third-party tool. Now, backup compression is built right into SQL Server 2008, and what's even better is that it's easy to use. All you have to do is append the WITH COMPRESSION option to your backup statements and you are off to the races. This bit of code will back up the AdventureWorks2008 database using compression: BACKUP DATABASE AdventureWorks2008
TO AdWorksBackup
WITH COMPRESSION Using compression with SSMS is just as easy. Simply set the compression option on the Options page of the Back up Database dialog. You may be asking yourself: How effective is this compression? The answer can be tricky because it depends on the structure of your database and the type of data being stored. When I backed up my copy of the AdventureWorks2008 database, which is using about 700 MB of disk space, I got a 147 MB compressed backup file. Compare that to the 636 MB file I got when not using compression. Here's what else is cool: You can change the default compression behavior of your entire server. On the Database Settings tab of the Server Properties dialog, you can select the option Compress Backup. Alternatively, you can run the following t-SQL code: EXEC sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1
RECONFIGURE
EXEC sp_configure 'backup compression default', 1
RECONFIGURE The first command enables advanced options and the second will make compression the default for all backups. If you go this route, you won't have to change a thing about your backup scripts in order to take advantage of compression. Now, just a simple BACKUP DATABASE statement will use compression. To run a backup without compression when it's the server default, simply use the WITH NO COMPRESSION option. SQL Server 2008 finally offers backup compression natively and I hope you find it to be a useful feature. It's great for saving disk space and you no longer have to zip backup files before moving them over the network just to improve the copy time
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You ever find yourself with the need to copy SQL Server logins from one server to another? Maybe you are setting up a failover site, building a replacement server, setting up a reporting instance, or maybe you just want to backup the logins just in case. If you are using Windows Logins, this is a simple matter of scripting the login and applying it to the other server. Copying SQL Server Logins from one box to another is a bit trickier because SQL Server stores and manages the password. So just how do you copy the login and preserve the password? I am glad you asked. Understanding Login Components To successfully copy a login from one server to another, you will need to ensure that the copy has the same SID and password. The link between database users and logins is done with the logins SID, if this is different on the new server than any databases you copy over will contain orphaned users. To ensure that both the SID and the password are the same, Microsoft has written a stored procedure to aid in our transfer. SP_HELP_REVLOGIN SP_HELP_REVLOGIN is a stored procedure that will return a complete list of the logins that exists on you SQL Server in a script that can be run to recreate them. This script does not exist on your SQL Server by default, you must create with the code provided by Microsoft in KB article 918992 here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918992/. Once you have create the procedures you can easily generate the create statements that allow you to copy your logins. As an example, I created a new login on my local instance of SQL Server called SQLScript with a password of scriptme. Now I can run SP_HELP_REVLOGIN as follows: sp_help_revlogin 'SQLScript' RESULTS: /* sp_help_revlogin script ** Generated Oct 30 2007 9:23AM on laptop1 */ -- Login: SQLScript CREATE LOGIN [SQLScript] WITH PASSWORD = 0x0100B642C5A8BC6778ECE4710ED3DC8D70E0EA31B6DF6B122756 HASHED, SID = 0x80525EB475F8414FB32D627BB876F213, DEFAULT_DATABASE = [master], CHECK_POLICY = OFF, CHECK_EXPIRATION = OFF As you can see, I now have the syntax I need to recreate the login on another box. The SID will be forced to the same value and the passwords will match by virtue of this statement providing the hashed version of the password. If you need to copy all the logins, SQL Server and Windows Logins, you can run SP_HELP_REVLOGIN with no parameters.
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Welcome to another CSTechcast.com podcast for IT professionals. This week we interview Adam Shostack, author of The New School of Information Security about the essentials IT organizations need to establish to really do security right. In the news, PDF security holes are under increasing attack, Cisco is busy applying patches to its IOS software, solid state drives from Toshiba hit 256GB for netbooks, and Microsoft announces RTM status for Essential Business Server aimed at the mid-sized market and Windows HPC Server for the super high-end. A lack of great new business apps for smart phones and an overabundance of one-trick ponies gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at areas of unnecessary tech spending, and blocking access to USB drives from Windows is "The Weekly Tech Tip".
Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Adobe PDF Reader Vulnerable, U.S. CERT Warns (InformationWeek)
Cisco releases bundle of router security patches (InfoWorld)
Toshiba Unveils 256 GB Drives For 'Netbooks' (InformationWeek)
Windows Essential Business Server (Microsoft)
Microsoft Takes Its Newest High-Performance Computing Platform to the Street (Microsoft)
Enterprise 2.0 Vendors need to get more serious about mobile (The Fast Forward Blog)
The Podcast Awards nomination period closes soon, so get your votes in for CS Techcast at podcastawards.com. If you want to follow us on the social web check out friendfeed.com/cstechcast or twitter.com/cstechcast. Otherwise, give us a ring or type up some feedback, all available at CSTechcast.com.
Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=44
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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We’ve been doing the CS Techcast podcast for a while now. The whole point of our effort was that we're opinionated people that liked to talk. We wanted to get our information out there because we felt we had a unique viewpoint as frontline IT professionals. As time went on, we created accounts on Twitter and Friendfeed. No real reason except to see what the buzz was all about. Well, our uncontrollable urge to share on our weekly show now spills over to discussion online about tech and so much more. I normally use the services as an individual, sharing my opinions and posting things that I think are of note, and even a few silly things I find funny, well hilarious really. This versatility of changing subjects is especially important on the Friendfeed service, where the interface is deemed a “lifestream”. I’ve been critical of self-important people online that do nothing but cause a ruckus, Robert Scoble is not removed from that list at times, but he did add us to: The Scoble Top Tech Blogger/FriendFeed/Social Media List, and he ain't half bad as I've found from his stream. Pictures of him in the shower give him a pass on some bluster, because that self important factor is dialed down; he's just nutty like the rest of us. I am certainly not a top poster or the most respected, but I do participate and make our show available inline in the Feed Radio room at friendfeed.com/rooms/feedradio. I support those who post good stuff and try to create and be original, like a wonderful person I met on Friendfeed, Candace Holly, who added us to The Geek Media network. This is just one example of how Friendfeed begins to work for you. It's a great way to find people, debate the issues of the day, and discuss things that you may not get to approach in your normal circle of friends. It’s the new forums combined, because all of your blog posts, tweats, etc get pushed to the service. You are only as important as your contribution, so a one way push of information is not really useful in this realm. When you embrace this medium, those who write a blog or article, but never respond to their readers will become less important to you. They will need to make themselves available to have that dialog, which sounds like a lot of work but really is as easy as talking around the water cooler. As people find you interesting, they will add you to their stream and they may come to really respect your opinion. You will be more important to them than that technology reporter that will never responds to a comment on their blog. Your political viewpoint will be better than cable news fodder because it's interactive. It's not drive-by commenting like you see on some services like Digg.com. They'll listen to you because they know you have an opinion that can be respected and trusted because of your ongoing interactions with each other. As time goes on, Scoble will have to keep adding to this list because great people are always coming into the fold. It's such a good thing for you and me to have this easy way to get access to amazing people and expand our network. I think you’ll find that Friendfeed will help widen your knowledge and help you meet some cool people. Give it a try and friend me at friendfeed.com/cstechcast. I’ll be glad to see you on the stream. - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Check out another podcast for IT pros at CSTechcast.com. This week John Kembel, CEO of HiveLive, gets us familiar with the ins and outs of getting a business to engage with customers through new social networks. Find more information on them at HiveLive.com. The news brings us a read on IT jobs during an uncertain economy, the hacking of Sarah Palin's e-mail, Apple finally addressing the DNS vulnerability, VMWare Virtual Center coming to the iPhone, and announcements from VMWorld on how to extend virtualization beyond the operating system. Investment bank's lack of real information in a world of technology gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", those who undervalue their IT staff get ripped six ways from Sunday in "The IT Pet Peeve", and "The Weekly Tech Tip" reviews the snapshot feature in Hyper-V. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Wall Street turmoil unlikely to KO IT industry (NetworkWorld)
Report: Legislator's son at center of Palin hack talk (InfoWorld)
Apple update finally fixes important DNS bug (InfoWorld)
VMware's VirtualCenter coming to Linux, iPhone (InfoWorld)
VMware chief says the OS is history (InfoWorld) If you'd like to support CS Techcast, vote for us in the Podcast Awards. They are taking nominations until the end of the month, so get your vote in. We'd like any feedback you'd be willing to give. Contact information is up on the home page. This week we took some pictures, so those will be showing up on the web site as well. I hope you enjoy the show and keep coming back to CSTechcast.com. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=43 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Another fine podcast for IT professionals found here at CSTechcast.com. This week we talk enterprise 2.0 with Ross Mayfield, social networking extraordinaire and Chairman, President, and co-founder of Socialtext. Find Ross' blog at ross.typepad.com and SocialText's offerings at Socialtext.com. In the news, possible privacy issues with the IE8 beta phoning home, Dell's pushing into the VM space with new blade servers and storage, the DOJ is questioning the Google-Yahoo ad deal, HP's building an OS of their own, and the LHC gets hacked. Apple's new BSOD causing iTunes 8 gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at Yammer and the benefits and drawbacks of micro-blogging in the enterprise, and "The Weekly Tech Tip" talks about Core Config, a new utility for Windows Server 2008 Server Core configuration. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
MS defends IE 'phone home' feature, clarifies privacy policy (InfoWorld)
Dell unwraps products designed for virtualization (InfoWorld)
Sandy Litvack, a dogged trustbuster in pursuit of Google (CNet)
Hackers deface LHC site, came close to turning off particle detector (ZDNet)
iTunes 8 causes Windows Vista problems (ZDNet)
TechCrunch50: Yammer Wins TechCrunch50 (PC Magazine)
Core Config Utility (Codeplex) We're not just a podcast, check out our ramblings about random thoughts on the social sites twitter.com/cstechcast and friendfeed.com/cstechcast. We always welcome your feedback, so hit the voicemail, feedback page, or blog. All are available at CSTechcast.com. Thanks for listening. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=42 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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A new interview, tech news, and insight from the podcast for IT pros at CSTechcast.com. This week we talk about smartphone and mobile device security with Dan Dearing, Vice President of marketing at Trust Digital. Find out more about Trust Digital at trustdigital.com. In the news, we discuss a kaleidoscope of a patch from Microsoft, social networking for G Men, Dell shutting down factories of their once high-flying made-to-order operations, a six-core server chip from Intel, and a recall of overheating Sony Vaio laptops. Comcast's FCC countersuit gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", Chrome, Firefox, and IE8 start up the browser wars once again when we take "A Closer Look", and "The Weekly Tech Tip" delves into the NETSH command.
Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Upcoming Microsoft patch lineup could be 'massive,' says researcher (ComputerWorld)
CIA, FBI push 'Facebook for spies' (CNN)
Dell Plans to Sell Factories In Effort to Cut Costs (Wall Street Journal)
Intel ready to announce six-core chip (CNet)
Sony recalls 440,000 Vaio laptops (ZDNet)
Thanks for listening and remember to give us feedback at the blog, at the voicemail box, and at our email. All of these are available at our home page: CSTechcast.com. Keep coming back and bring your friends too. If you'd like to support our show, post a review on iTunes or on your favorite podcast directory.
Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=41
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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A new podcast for IT pros at CSTechcast.com is ready for you to download. Anil Desai, respected author, Microsoft MVP, and consultant, talks about the journey of being an independent technology consultant and the lessons learned. Find more on his web site anildesai.net. In the news, we talk the IT disaster recovery efforts in effect prompted by Hurricane Gustav, what jobs are more at risk to being outsourced, Google Apps are not getting much adoption in the enterprise, we discuss the new Cellular Seizure Investigation Stick, and the latest beta of Internet Explorer 8. Comcast's bit cap gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", hit the buzzer for our less than 5 minute game show "Know Your Tech", and check out SharePoint wiki permissions in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
New Orleans IT departments brace for Gustav (ComputerWorld)
IT workers hit hardest by offshore outsourcing, survey finds (ComputerWorld)
Google's tough sell to Corporate America (Fortune)
CSI Stick grabs data from cell phones (CNet)
Internet Explorer 8 beta 2 (ZDNet) Keep up with CS Techcast on the social nets at twitter.com/cstechcast and friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Help us out by writing a review where you subscribe to our podcast, either on iTunes or your favorite podcast directory. We look forward to brining you more great podcasts at CSTechcast.com. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=40 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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CSTechcast.com has a great show available for subscription and download this week. We interview Ken Ledeen, author of Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness After the Digital Explosion, about the current status of privacy in the digital domain and how you can steer your IT organization around these new privacy pitfalls. The news brings stats of Vista service pack 1 adoption, a new massive Microsoft data center, a lawsuit for Apple and their 3G iPhone, DNS continues to be exposed, and Apache Tomcat faces a new security vulnerability. ISPs who haven't patched their DNS servers get "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we argue the confusion around SSL certificates in "Point/Counterpoint", and Active Directory logon problems give fodder for "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Vista users rush for SP1; XP owners dawdle on SP3 (ComputerWorld)
Microsoft's $500M Iowa data center to use shipping containers (ComputerWorld)
iPhone 3G owner sues Apple over dropped calls, slow speeds (ComputerWorld)
Security expert: DNS attacks are happening (CNet)
Exploit code published for Apache Tomcat flaw (ZDNet) We have awarded our prize for feedback, but don't let that stop you. Submit feedback at our web site CSTechcast.com, at our blog ConsortioServices.com/blog, or at our Twitter.com/cstechcast and Friendfeed.com/cstechcast social networking locations. Let us know what you think and thanks for listening to CS Techcast. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=39 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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We just signed on to write a new book about Microsoft's offering for medium-sized business, Essential Business Server 2008. The title is Microsoft Essential Business Server 2008 Unleashed and we are excited to get started. We have already put a blog up to help document our progress and various musings that wouldn't be appropriate for the text of this book. In addition, we hope to contribute to the overall tech community with our postings. Visit EBSUnleashed.com to keep up with the topic.
- Eric Beehler
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CSTechcast.com brings you another episode of the podcast for IT professionals. Today, we talk about the future of IPv6 for business with Fred Wettling, author of Global IPv6 Strategies from Cisco Press. In the news, solid state drives are looking to replace spinning disks for enterprise applications, AMD is introducing new processors, a court ruling on model trains impacts free software, Windows 7 starts to get real, and iPhone gets Gartner's nod for use in business. VMWare's servers have fallen and they can't get up in "The Worst tech Move of the Week", greening servers gets "A Closer Look", and a quick FTP server setup is "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
IT managers opting for solid-state drives over hard disks (ComputerWorld)
AMD targets business with new desktop chips (ComputerWorld)
Legal milestone for open source (BBC)
Engineering Windows 7 (MSDN Blogs)
Windows 7 Details In October, Microsoft Says (InformationWeek)
iPhone 3G Available Online For Business Customers (InformationWeek)
VMware bug causes worldwide disruption (ZDNet)
This is the last week to get your feedback in for a chance to win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. Tell us what you think. Links to all the ways to give your opinion on the home page. Thanks for listening and, as always, get the latest podcasts at CSTechcast.com.
Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=38 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Let's do it again, another IT pro podcast posted at CSTechcast.com. This week we talk phishing threats and how to keep your users safe with Rohyt Belani, CEO of Intrepidus Group. See their new technology online at phishme.com. The news brings twelve new Microsoft updates for patch Tuesday, but Microsoft also tries harder with three new security programs, security concerns around the march towards virtualization, cloud entries from AT&T, others bring forth virtualization for small business, and economic woes hit IT jobs hard. Apple's iPhone kill switch gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at the forthcoming Microsoft Essential Business Server 2008, and a strange hibernation feature in Windows Server 2008 brings us "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories discussed during the show: Microsoft Patch Tuesday for August 2008: 12 bulletins (ArsTechnica)
Microsoft further commits to security, unveils 3 programs (Arstechnica)
Black Hat conference spotlights virtualization, DNS issues (InfoWorld)
AT&T Jumps Into Cloud Computing With Synaptic Hosting (InformationWeek)
Warily, Small Businesses Look To Cloud Computing (InformationWeek)
No Answers From Apple On iPhone 'Kill Switch' (InformationWeek) We still want to give you a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. All you have to do is submit some feedback. Drop by our home page, CSTechcast.com, for multiple ways to drop us a line. Keep your podcatcher pointed at CSTechcast.com for the best independent podcast for IT professionals. Thanks to everyone for listening. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=37 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Welcome to the podcast for IT pros at CSTechcast.com. This week we look at the coming trends for the SQL Server database platform with our friend Paul Nielsen, author of SQL Server 2005 Bible. Find Paul and his books at sqlserverbible.com. In the news; Apple's DNS patch fails to randomize ports plus other DNS patches show new flaws, IBM commits to the cloud with a heavy investment in data centers, Microsoft is set to deliver Small Business Server 2008 for mom and pops and Essential Business Server 2008 for the mid-market this year, the Storm worm pops back onto the radar with an FBI spoof, and Sun debuts JavaFX to compete with Adobe. Plus, Apple's culture of secrecy gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", and we put mobile security in our crosshairs for "A Closer Look".
Links to stories discussed during the show:
Apple's patch fails to fix DNS flaw, researchers claim (ComputerWorld)
DNS patches cause problems, developers admit (InfoWorld)
IBM Brings Cloud Computing To Earth With Massive New Data Centers (InformationWeek)
Windows Small/Essential Business Server RC1s arrive (Ars Technica)
FBI warns of new Storm worm attacks (ComputerWorld)
Jobs entrusts a NYT columnist with the truth about his health, even before he tells Apple shareholders (VentureBeat)
Travelers' Laptops May Be Detained At Border (Washington Post)
We apologize for the late post of our podcast, but system problems prevented a timely post. This is the first time we have missed the release mark. Anyway, we hope everything is back on track hardware wise. The drawing for an Amazon.com gift certificate is just a few weeks away, so visit CSTechcast.com to submit your feedback to enter. We'd like to thank those who have submitted the wonderful, constructive feedback so far and look forward to more from our listeners. Please subscribe and write a review on iTunes or your favorite podcast site. Thanks for listening.
Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=36
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Sorry folks, but our studio workstation has gone to bed and won't wake up. It's unfortunate, since we have never missed a release and this one was nearly in the bag. We'll get back on it tomorrow, when we can go out and buy some things to help us work the problem. We're hoping all the data is still there and its just some other problem that's easily fixed. I'll keep Twitter updated at www.twitter.com/cstechcast. If we can get the issue resolved, you'll see it here with a new podcast. Thanks for understanding. - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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CSTechcast.com, your weekly source for tech, trends, news, and reviews for IT pros presents the latest episode of our podcast. Rhonda Layfield joins the fray to update us on the extensive deployment tools available for the Microsoft Windows platform. Find Rhonda contributing to the web site Minasi.com. Tech news brings everyone early exposure to the DNS flaw, VMWare decides to give away the ESXi hypervisor, Drizzle aims to slim down MySQL, the Brocade-Foundry marriage merges Fibre-SAN switching with 10G Ethernet expertise, and Terry Childs finally gives up the goods. Quick selling VC's are investing in "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at virtualization sprawl, and we look at SharePoint disaster recovery in "The Weekly Tech Tip".
Links to stories discussed during the show:
New DNS exploit now in the wild and having a blast (ArsTechnica)
VMware Counters Microsoft, Will Make ESXi Hypervisor Free (InformationWeek)
Drizzle project plans a stripped-down MySQL (InfoWorld)
Dissecting the Brocade-Foundry Merger (eWeek)
SF mayor gets codes to hijacked city network (CNet News.com)
VCs Reap What They Sow (Gigaom)
The Silicon Valley VC Disease (Scobleizer)
Give us some feedback and win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. We really want to know what you think. Contact us from the feedback button, e-mail us, and post to the blog all at CSTechcast.com. Also find us micro-blogging at twitter.com/cstechcast and friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=35
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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I just started working on a LiveLesson DVD for Addison-Wesley tentatively titled "SQL Server Fundamentals for the Accidental DBA". The DVD will focus on the essential skills required to work with SQL Server for people that are not full-time DBAs. I will keep you posted as I have more details. For more information about the LiveLesson videos, check out http://www.informit.com/promotions/promotion.aspx?promo=135366. Eric
Co-Host CS Techcast
http://www.cstechcast.com
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If you haven't already heard, Microsoft is upping the ante in the
certification arena by introducing a new line of certs called the Microsoft Certified Master Program.
The gist of it is that these are certifications (currently only for SQL
Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, and Windows Server 2008) that
represent the highest skill level in building solutions based on the
specific product. A much more detailed blog post from the program owner
HERE.It's a lengthy post, be sure you have a minute to digest all of that information. Here's
the rub: many people already feel that certifications, particularly MS
certs, aren't all that valuable in the real world, because the certs
can be obtained by anyone patient enough to read the study materials
and take the test, without having any actual, useable, real world
experience. And on top of that, with the changes in recent
certifications from MS, many managers and HR reps don't even know what
the certs represent. So, how can adding a higher level cert be helpful
in any way? Well, personally speaking, I think they've got a good
deal with this one, with one caveat I'll speak to in a minute. This
particular certification, much like the Microsoft Certified Architect,
requires (as in MANDATORY) classroom training. For the SQL Server
Masters Cert, they are going to require that you already hold the
MCTS:2005 cert, as well as both the MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Pro)
SQL Server certs for DBA and Developer. And, they will need an
application, as well as a resume to see if they will accept you into
the program in the first place. All of which seems to, in my opinion,
make the cert a little more "weighty" than it's predecessors. Primarily
because this will make it hard for the cert to become watered-down by
literally hundreds of thousands of people holding it. Plus,once
accepted to the program, you have to pass 3 written exams AND a lab
based exam (similar to the Cisco CCIE).Again, I think that's a huge
plus. The idea behind all of this is that if you encounter someone that
holds the MCM for a given product, you should be able to reasonably
assume that they know, very well, what they are talking about. This
increases their value to a company, as well as value in their career. However. The
blog post says (and it may be an early report, but I don't imagine it's
too far off), that the program fee, IF you are accepted, will be in the
neighborhood of $18,500USD. This includes the mandatory 3 WEEK course
and ONE round of exams. If you fail any exam, retakes are extra: $250
for written tests and $1500 for the lab exam. In other words, this is
not likely to be a cert you can afford on your own. In fact, just to
meet the pre-requisites, you or your company has already forked over at
least $225-$250 in exam fees for the earlier exams, not to mention
training. Not only would an individual find this expensive, even a
small or medium business might find this to be too much to fork over.
The argument, of course, is that a business that employs someone that
holds a cert of this level has not only a strong technical resource,
but a good marketing tool (particularly those companies that are MS
Partners). So the question is not only "Am I good enough?", but "Who's
going to pay for this?". I would love to acheive this cert. I
currently have the MCITP:DBA, but never pushed on for the Dev MCITP (or
any others) because I felt like it was pointless. I really felt that if
you've spent more than 6 months with SQL Server, you could probably
pass the test(s). And if you've already built up a healthy resume of
experience, the MCITP cert doesn't really impress anyone as much as
your background and references will. However, I think the MCM would be
a much more difficult certification to earn, not only requiring you to
demonstrate expertise but probably deepen it during the training
courses. If nothing else, think of it this way: Many experts in
our field (think Kalen Delaney, Kimberly Tripp, Itzik Ben-Gan) have
made careers out of sharing their deep knowledge, and don't generally
advertise or glorify certifications (I don't know if they do or don't
hold any MS certs, but they certainly don't advertise it if they do).
Their body of work shows what they know. But, for those of use
somewhere in between "Senior DBA at XYZ Corp." and "SQL Server
Community Guru", a cert like this might help us get that slightly
higher paying job or even help us branch out on our own as consultants,
authors, and trainers. I'm curious to hear if anyone else out there has any thoughts. Please feel free to respond, thanks for stopping by!
--Josh
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