Security support in the .NET Framework got a lot of love in version 2.0, and this column is going to take you on a whirlwind tour of the goodies you'll find there. I won't be able to cover everything, but you'll know where to start looking to stay on top of the new changes. I'll take this a namespace at a time.  Read more...

SQL Server has a great alerting mechanism for letting DBAs know when some event has occurred, but adding this notification to clients is a little more difficult. New author Stas Vasiljev brings us an extended stored procedure that has has used to allow clients to receive a broadcast when data has changed on a server.   Read more...

Free SQL Server 2000 Encryption for your data!!! Author Michael Coles has put together a tolljit and some XPs that you can use to encrypt your data with the Blowfish algorithm. It is hard to write good applications that encrpyt data and manage the keys and security. This will give you a great headstart on protecting your data.   Read more...

This article discusses: * How SQL injection attacks work * Testing for vulnerabilities * Validating user input * Using .NET features to prevent attacks * Importance of handling exceptions  Read more...

Do you have a Web site or other system that deals in secrets of any sort? It seems like every time I give a security talk, people ask how to deal with the sticky problem of storing secrets. Connection strings with passwords are an obvious problem. You're better off simply using integrated security to get rid of those secrets, at least with SQL Server™, or an Oracle database. But what about credit card numbers and other financial or personal information? Can encryption help?  Read more...

Robert is our expert on dynamic sql. This week he offers some good hints for planning the contruction of a proc that will use dynamic sql. He also adds some suggestions on how to format the code so that when you return to it later, you can figure out what you were doing!   Read more...

DTS is a fantastic ETL tool and it is often used to import Excel documents. However this can be a manual process in many cases in setting up the package. New author Sloan Holliday brings us a way that you can leverage Office XP's automation facilities and XML to import data into SQL Server.   Read more...

One of the lesser used features of SQL Server is the ability to access the functionality in various DLLs using a COM interface. Dinesh Asanka brings us a basic article with a few examples in how you can work with COM components from inside SQL Server 2000.   Read more...

Many downloads - especially from MS - are now coming as ISO images. Usually you burn these to CD or DVD and then use as normal, but there is a way to access the image directly saving the time/cost of burning. Not a SQL article, but you may find it useful anyway.   Read more...

Auditing SQL Server, or any system, is not an easy task and with new regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley, it is becoming a full time job in some environments. Chad Miller brings us a way that he developed with Excel and some scripting to automate some of the security information for a large installation of SQL Servers.   Read more...

A short but interesting article, the author has figured out a way to create a PDF from a stored procedure without using a third party library.   Read more...

We've had a lot of coverage of dynamic sql (including another great one from Robert Marda later this week) but this one is a little different. Done in a question/answer format, Andy tries to explain to junior developers why dynamic sql is to be avoided, how to do so, what to do when you can't.   Read more...

We recently published an article about logic in the database about how you might structure the TSQL code in your SQL Server and decide what goes inside the database. New author Mike Dillon brings us a response to that article and some ideas about how you might make those decisions.   Read more...

SQL Server 2000 replication is the easiest so far to setup and work with. However there are some areas that you can get yourself into trouble with if you are not careful. New author Chris Rock brings us a few lessons learned in getting replication working with a remote office.   Read more...

Encryption in SQL Server is difficult to implement and manage, but it is being required more and more often. However understanding what encryption means is as important as being able to manage and implement it. Michael Coles brings us part 2 in his series on explaining the mysteries behind cryptography.   Read more...

It has not been clear to what extent fragmentation, either internal or external, truly affects the performance of your SQL Server 2000 databases. New author Koby Biller discusses some of the impacts that it could have and has a free tool for download that can help you determine how fragmented your disk truly is.   Read more...

Whether you write TSQL code or front end VB code against your SQL Server, it pays to have some good development practices that make your life easier. Jonathan Stokes has written a good article showing some of the good practices you should use.   Read more...

After a fantastic reception to his SQL Server 2000 cryptography toolkit, Michael Coles brings us a basic look at cryptography so you can understand what you are getting into if you implement it.   Read more...

Free SQL Server 2000 Encryption for your data!!! Author Michael Coles has put together a tolljit and some XPs that you can use to encrypt your data with the Blowfish algorithm. It is hard to write good applications that encrpyt data and manage the keys and security. This will give you a great headstart on protecting your data.   Read more...

We've all been there: the project that never ends and no light at the end of the tunnel. Nothing is more disheartening to a developer, DBA or anyone else that may be on a project than a finish line that has no end in sight or worse yet, one that keeps moving. Agile and Scrum development methodologies aim to fix this problem and others by applying what will appear to be common sense after you engage in the methodology for a few projects. This article will get you acquainted with my now-favorite d   Read more...