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Archive for April, 2009
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April 23rd, 2009Baltimore SQL Server Users Group 5/4
April 23rd, 2009Last night at the Frederick .NET user group Jeremy Kadlec of Edgewood Solutions (one of the founders of the Baltimore SQL Server Users group, was a speaker. I didn’t realize that this group met so close to where I work here in Columbia. After checking out the website I was excited to learn that they met on the first Monday of the month. Tuesdays and Thursdays, which seem to be popular days for most of the other user groups in the area are not an option for me since I handle the kids those nights while my wife tutors.
So, I’ll be checking out the group for the first time on Monday May 4th.
Presenter: Jack Richins of Microsoft
Title – SQL Server 2008 Security
Abstract – SQL Server 2008 introduced three new security features – Transparent Data Encryption, Enterprise Key Management, and SQL Audit. With increased concerns about privacy and data thefts, security remains a “must have” business feature even with constrained budgets. Come learn how to use these features to better secure your database applications and met business compliance regulations.
Learn how to:
* Protect your data at rest
* Use 3rd party key management systems to encrypt data in SQL Server with keys stored outside of SQL Server
* Keep an audit record of access to sensitive data without tanking your performance
Learn more about their meeting schedule here. If you’re in the area and are interested in the topic, stop by!
Going for MCTS certification on Visual Studio 2008
April 23rd, 2009I have been dragging my feet for the past few years in regards to finishing up my Microsoft development certification. Actually, the last test I took was 70-229 Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition back on Dec 08, 2003. WOW, I had no idea it was that long until I just looked it up.
Anyway, what finally got me to get moving was a great voucer/coupon I got via email from Prometric, the testing company I used last time. Not sure if it’s specific to me because I’m already a MCP (yes, I passed that test from years ago) or not but I’ll share it just in case it does work for others…
…Improving and validating your technical skills can help.
That is why Prometric is providing a limited offer to the first 4,000 individuals to help get your Microsoft Certified Professional status current or achieve an additional certification.
Offer available for customers who have taken their last certification exam prior to January 1, 2007.
Use this promo code ‘MCPBACK’ and get a $25 USD Certification (Normally priced at $125 USD). This offer is valid for any exam in the MCTS/MCPD/MCITP track. Does not include Microsoft Office or Windows end-user (non-IT) focused exams.
Go to: www.Prometric.com/microsoft to sign-up for your next exam.
But you better hurry!
You must take your exam by June 30, 2009.Offer valid in US and Canada only.
My plan is to obtain the MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Applications certification related to Visual Studio 2008. What I’m going to do is take the C# test rather than VB.NET, which is what I mainly use here at work. I can work in C# and have written a few things in it, but my main language since I’ve been working in .NET has been VB.NET.
I figure this will be a good way to become more familiar with C# and will force me to learn the language. Once you’ve been working with .NET for a while and looking through code samples on Google you’ll quickly realize that the majority of the code samples out there are done in C#. So, as you can imagine, converting those to VB.NET can be frustrating after a while.
So, we’ll see how it goes. I only spent $25 to book the test and another $44 to upgrade my copy of MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-536): Microsoft® .NET Framework Application Development Foundation
My test is set for June 17, wish me luck!
Outlook 2007 dropped print range – WTF?
April 23rd, 2009One of my co-workers asked us (the IT department) how she could print a certain page number or range of pages using Microsoft Outlook 2007. Since I was the only one in IT to have Outlook 2007 we looked at things on my system. Honestly, I don’t know if I had tried that before so I wasn’t entirely sure where you would set those options. My first guess would have been in the print options, where else?
Well, after fumbling around for a few minutes we realized that there didn’t seem to be anywhere to actually set these options. Shortly after my other IT co-worker found this Microsoft support article offering up workarounds since they decided to remove this feature.
Why the heck? “Gee, this is a really useful feature, let’s take it out and make them use workarounds.” “Good idea, this should hinder productivity!”
FredNUG tonight
April 22nd, 2009I’ll be attending the Frederick .NET user group tonight. Tonight’s topics will be SQL Server Performance and Coding for Fun and Profit. More information can be found here.
Specify primary display in OSX when using multiple monitors
April 9th, 2009When I added my 24″ LED Cinema Display to my Macbook Pro, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to make the external display (the bigger one) the primary display with the dock, task bar, etc.
Once I figured it out I felt dumb because it couldn’t have been any easier. Here’s how just in case you’ve ever run into this.
- Open the monitor preferences pane
- Click on the displays tab
- Click and drag the little menu bar to the display you want to be the primary
That’s it. Something so simple had me puzzled. Maybe I’m just still an OSX n00b…
SQL Server 2008 SP1 Final Released?
April 1st, 2009We’ve had an open support ticket with Microsoft due to some bugs we’re seeing with SQL Server Reporting Services 2008. After Microsoft saying that the Update Pack 4 for SQL Server 2008 (released back in mid-March) would fix our problems, they sent us an email this week letting us know that the final version of Service Pack 1 for SQL Server 2008 would be released yesterday, March 31, 2009.
Unfortunately so far the links they’ve provided don’t go anywhere. I’ll be checking these links through the day and the rest of the week and will post any further updates if I actually do find the “real” links.
—
According to our internal document, below is the information about SP1:
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1
Release date: March 31, 2009
How to obtain
To obtain SQL Server 2008 SP1, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=66ab3dbb-bf3e-4f46-9559-ccc6a4f9dc19
To obtain Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Feature Pack, April 2009, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b33d2c78-1059-4ce2-b80d-2343c099bcb4
To obtain Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express Edition SP1, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=01af61e6-2f63-4291-bcad-fd500f6027ff
It should be released on March 31, 2009.
