3, 2, 1, CSTechcast.com for IT pro podcasts in the new year! This week we discuss encryption solutions, why it matters and separate the press hype and reality with John Callas, CTO of PGP Inc. Find their solutions at PGP.com. In the news we discuss the effect the economy is having on data centers, Microsoft working on a fix for a SQL vulnerability since April, notebook sales steadily outstripping desktops, and Citrix is giving you a way to get Windows on your iPhone, sort of. Michael Arrington trying to police how Robert Scoble uses the Internet gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take the bandwagon on a left turn and give you the top 5 tech predictions for 2010, and we give you a couple points of note when using Windows authentication for your websites in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show: Credit crunch takes toll on datacenter spending (InfoWorld)
Microsoft confirms it's been working on SQL bug since April (Infoworld)
Notebook Sales Outpace Desktop Sales (eWeek)
What's the coolest app that doesn't work on the iPhone .... yet ? (The Citrix Blogs)
I’m Sorry Robert, But It’s Time For A Friendfeed Intervention (Techcrunch via Friendfeed)
How to troubleshoot Kerberos-related issues in IIS (Microsoft Knowledge Base) Thanks for supporting us in 2008. Be ready for more great content in 2009, where we will cover the topics that matter to IT professionals. Contact us from the home page CSTechcast.com or hit us up on twitter.com/cstechcast or friendfeed.com/cstechcast and get social. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and don't forget to come back. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=56 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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I’ve observed a curious phenomenon on the web. From tech blogs to social networks, people seem to be willing to give Windows 7 a chance. This from the crowd that has, in the past few years, called out Microsoft every chance they got. From the days of the Netscape trials to the recent filleting Vista received, chopped and diced in so many blog reviews that still linger today in the collective geek consciousness, one wonders why anyone would want to give Microsoft another chance with their desktop.
When it comes down to it, geeks still want Windows. Some converted to Macs, some converted to Linux, but for the most part Macintosh is too expensive and limiting and Linux was just too hardcore, needing a real intimate familiarity with configuration files just to upgrade a video driver. They want what they know, but they want it better. Some have begrudgingly accepted Vista onto their desktop, claiming it’s just “not that bad”, while others cling to Windows XP like it’s the last stop before the abyss of blue screens and misbehaving applications.
What we’ve seen of Windows 7 is exactly what we wanted to see, proof that it addresses the criticisms of the recent past. The OS installs faster, loads faster, comes back from standby on your laptop faster, and will run with less resources, like a demonstration where it ran on a netbook with a simple processor. The bloatware from built-in applications is gone, although calling these programs bloatware was debatable, and things that gave the appearance of annoyance, like the multiplying icons in the System Tray, have been paired down to necessity only. In fact, they have made the Taskbar so simple looking, it’s almost Apple sleek. It’s proof that the geek community still has a voice with the software empire.
But what about the calls to have Microsoft completely rebuild Windows from the ground up and all the opinions that the basis on which Windows was based was too broken to fix? The common wisdom was Microsoft needed a reboot similar to the Mac OS when they debuted X, something that broke legacy apps and built something modern. MinWin was often sighted as a possible replacement, a version of Windows that was so small as to be trivial to run on basic hardware. The components you wanted would attach and run what you need, not that much unlike Linux and Unix.
None of those opinions became this new operating system. Windows 7 is really Windows Vista tweaked. Windows 7 is the same basic kernel and does the same basic things. Like the Six Million Dollar Man they’ve made it better, faster, stronger. Why stick with the old code that turned so many off? Simple, it actually worked, just not as well as it could. The biggest problems, UAC security and incompatible drivers, have mostly been addressed. Programmers now know they will encounter the security features of UAC and, therefore, write better programs with better security standards. The driver issue, so prevalent when Vista launched, is now a distant memory. All new hardware has a Vista driver and older peripherals are either no-longer in use or had a proper driver written for them.
Windows can only be Windows, with it’s decade of compatibility with hundreds of thousands of programs and required GUI. It can’t break with the past and most of us would have a problem with that in one way or another. It can’t be Mac, because the choices in hardware and software afforded us by the former WINTEL alliance has built the PC generation and we would still have to run Boot Camp to get what we needed. Linux, with all its goodwill and improvements is still a text-based operating system at its core and most people, even geeks, can’t get their arms around that kind of required fuss on their desktops. We want Windows to be Windows, but we want them to do it right.
Geek blogs are singing the praises of recent trade show demonstrations of Windows 7, even if they can’t figure out the reason for the name. Early adopters are installing the beta and trying to get their hands on it by any means necessary, back channels and all. The posts we’ve seen from the formerly grumpy blogosphere about Windows 7 have been so positive. In fact, the glowing requires sun glasses. It seems like they’ve finally gotten it right after two years of bad blood with their users. Make it a good one Microsoft, it may be your last chance to impress us all.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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The weather outside is frightful, so if you’ve no place to go, download the latest podcast from CSTechcast.com. This week we talk the open source option and why it makes sense for your operations with Curt Finch, CEO of JourneyX and author of All Your Money Won't Another Minute Buy: Valuing Time as a Business Resource . In the news, IE8 is winning the war to have the least bugs, new patches for critical vulnerabilities released after Patch Tuesday, the .tel domain aims to make it easy to share contact information, Sun retires Network.com and launches a new cloud initiative, and version 5.1 of MySQL is released debuting several new features. Sony and Facebook get dissed for their collection of private data in “The Worst Tech Move of the Week”, people who put desktop in service as servers get the wrath of “The IT Pet Peeve”, and a little tip to help get your Hyper-V machines shut down cleanly in “The Weekly Tech Tip”. Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Internet Explorer Has Fewer Software Bugs Than Firefox, Chrome (InformationWeek)
Zero-Day Microsoft Vulnerabilities Being Exploited (InformationWeek)
Microsoft Security Advisory (960906) (Microsoft.com)
.Tel Them Where to Find You (New York Times)
Sun Discloses Plans To Enter Cloud Computing (InformationWeek)
Sun MySQL 5.1 Upgrades Partitioning, Replication (InformationWeek)
Sony Violates Children's Privacy Act (Washington Post) Keep the holiday cheer coming, with feedback at our website and interaction on Twitter and Friendfeed. Don't forget us, get us a present by getting your friends to CSTechcast.com for the podcast for IT pros by IT pros. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=54 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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CSTechcast.com brings you good cheer in another podcast for IT pros. This week we talk about your online brand and why it's important with the co-founder and editor of sqlservercentral.com Steve Jones. In the news, IBM unveils the Open Collaboration Client open source desktop system, Microsoft and RSA get cozy with security integration, Amazon announces a free tier of access to SimpleDB, Windows 7 beta gets an official date, and patch tuesday plays the Grinch with six critical updates to keep you up late. The irrational logic that keep people hanging onto Windows XP, making some a tidy profit, gets "The Worst Tech of of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at what to do with the firesale deals caused by the bad economy on enterprise tech equipment, and "The Weekly Tech Tip" is a simple quick fix to SQL Server database orphaned users. Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
IBM Launches Microsoft-Free Linux PCs (InformationWeek)
Microsoft, EMC's RSA Partner To Protect Data (InformationWeek)
Amazon Opens SimpleDB To Unlimited Public Beta (InformationWeek)
I know where you can get Windows 7 Beta 1 DVD's... shhhhh (Technet Keith Combs' Blahg)
Patch Tuesday will have eight bulletins (CNet)
Hate Vista? Dell Now Charging $150 Extra for Windows XP (Sillicon Alley Insider) Thanks for catching our podcast. Submit feedback at our main page CSTechcast.com and follow our updates and randomness throughout the week on twitter.com/cstechcast and friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Let your friends know where they can find us so they can get in on the info and fun. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=53 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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A full year of shows at CSTechcast.com, and here's another for the IT pro. This week the topic is VM sprawl and how to control it with guest David Lynch, VP of Marketing at Embotics. In the news, the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India bring up the question of stability for IT companies in the region, spammers get their mojo back despite the shutdown of spam hoster McColo, a seemingly ignored Microsoft patch is seeing exploits in the wild, new Lenovo laptops can foil thieves with a text message, and IBM announces consulting services in for cloud computing. The Blu-ray consortium's seeming ignorance of it's real competition gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at the upcoming service pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, and find out how to extend your play time beyond 60 days with the evaluation copy of Windows Server 2008 in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Mumbai terrorist attacks don't deter technology companies (InfoWorld)
Spam spikes again weeks after McColo shutdown (InfoWorld)
Microsoft warns of new Windows attacks (InfoWorld)
Lenovo service disables laptops with text message (ComputerWorld)
IBM to offer cloud computing services for enterprises (ComputerWorld)
Why You Probably Won't Find Amazing Sony Deals for Christmas (Gizmodo) Wow, has it really been a year? We started out thinking this would be fun, but we have also tried to make it professional with content that makes you want to keep coming back. If you like it, help us out and tweet, blog, or post about our show so you can share the podcast with those who can benefit. Keep coming back to CSTechcast.com for more great content for you, the IT professional. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=52 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Download the podcast for IT pros at CSTechcast.com. This week Barry Phillips, Vice President and Group Manager at Citrix, talks about the continued convergence of voice and data and what that means for IT. In the news Citrix gets serious on the iPhone with Xen, Office makes a push onto the web with support for Mac and Linux, AMD tries to mount a comeback with it's quad-core Shanghai processors, Sun and others get layoff fever, and spammer centric ISP's get taken down. AVG's crippling false positive gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we talk about the next four years of technology and government in "A Closer Look", and we provide some Group Policy troubleshooting pointers in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Citrix developing XenApps and XenDesktop for the iPhone (InfoWorld)
Microsoft: Mac, Linux systems can access Office Web (InfoWorld)
Dell, IBM, Microway Unveil AMD Shanghai Servers (InformationWeek)
Sun To Cut 18% Of Jobs, Reorganize Software Business (InformationWeek)
ICANN Shutting Down EstDomains Nov. 24 (InformationWeek)
Update: Flawed AVG antivirus update cripples Windows XP PCs (ComputerWorld) We'd like to thank our sponsor iTripoli for helping us bring you CS Techcast. Drop us a line or send us feedback all at the web site CSTechcast.com. Also find us during the week at twitter.com/cstechcast and friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Thanks for listening. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=50 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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CSTechcast.com has the latest podcast for IT professionals. This week Tableau CEO Christian Chabot talks to us about techniques for exploring new and unfamiliar data using business intelligence tools. Find out more about Tableau at tableausoftware.com. In the news, Microsoft's PDC show saw the unveiling of Windows 7 and Azure cloud services, Sony recalls another 100,000 laptop batteries, Linux is getting popular as a utility OS when you don't want to wait for Windows to boot, Informatica and Salesforce.com team to sync data between internal apps and SaaS software, and the Google-Yahoo deal sees scrutiny from the US Department of Justice. Shortchanging a tech policy debate by a certain presidential candidate's policy wonk gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at Windows 7, and we tell you how to find a successful DFS sync in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Microsoft launches Windows Azure (CNet)
Sony Recalls Notebook Computer Batteries Due to Previous Fires (CSPC)
HP, Toshiba Recall Sony Laptop Batteries (InformationWeek)
Linux Headed For More PCs Than Windows (InformationWeek)
In Age of Impatience, Cutting PC Start Time (New York Times)
Linux to Ship on More Desktops than Windows (Linux-foundation.org)
Informatica To Offer Salesforce.com Integration Service (InformationWeek)
Yahoo, Google May Walk Away From Search Deal - Report (InformationWeek)
Obama tech advisor sounds cautious notes at one-man "debate" (Ars Technica) Your continued support for CS Techcast is appreciated. Thanks for posting reviews to the podcast directories like iTunes, Podcast Alley, and TechPodcasts.com. Give your feedback and let us know what your thinking. If you have show ideas, let us know. All our contact information is available on CSTechcast.com. Support our sponsors, who help cover the costs of doing this show every week. Check us out on the social networks at Twitter.com/cstechcast and Friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Thanks. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=49 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Good Question! This is one of those error messages that you will eventually encounter in SQL Server if you work with it enough. A login’s default database is a delicate thing that will prevent them from being able to logon if there is a problem. The default database defines which database the user will be automatically logged into if they connect and they don’t specify a database. Several things can cause the above error message. The most common is a login that does not have access to the database that is configured as its default. This is easily remedied; either set up a corresponding user for the login in their default database or change the default to a database to which the login has access. This error will also rear its ugly head if you drop a database that was configured as the user’s default database. There is no check when a database is dropped to make sure it won’t affect users, so dropping someone’s default database will leave them in the dark when it comes to logging in. As I said, this only happens if the user’s connection method does not specify a database. Many applications will provide the database name and will be immune to the issue. The fix is simple, make sure the logon has access to their default database and make sure the default database exists. This problem can get a little worse if you break the default database of your system administrator accounts, such as your Windows account that has ‘sa’ level rights or the ‘sa’ login itself (and no other logins have the permissions to fix the problem). In this case, the fix is still simple, but you need to use an application that allows you to specify a database, such as SQLCMD. SQLCMD is a command-line tool that comes with SQL Server 2005 and 2008. When you login, you can specify a database to use that will override the default. So to fix your problem, login with SQLCMD as follows: sqlcmd -S sql2008 –U sa -P password -d master This will let you login and use the master database despite the incorrect default database. To fix your login simply run the following query from the SQLCMD command prompt (you can use any database that exists and to which the login has access, master is used as an example): ALTER LOGIN sa WITH DEFAULT_DATABASE=master That’s it, the next time you login your new default database of master, or whatever you specified, will be used.
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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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