The Case of the Stolen Laptop: Mitigating the Threats of Equipment The

The fear of having laptops stolen is a huge worry for all organizations. Maybe it’s even happened to you (I hope not!). The solution is simple, really -- don’t let your laptop get stolen. (I can hear you laughing now.) Keep the thing with you at all times, or leave it in your hotel room when you don’t want to carry it around. Yes, everyone has heard the warnings about hotel room theft, but I’ve never had something stolen from a hotel room and I spend well over 200 nights a year in hotels. (If you travel to a location where the general population has kleptomaniac tendencies, stay in hotels that offer safes in the room.) You’re far more likely to leave your laptop or PDA or smart phone or USB drive lying on the seat in a taxi or on the counter at a bar.

The Perils of Fiber Mode

Ken Henderson explains the effects that SQL Server fiber mode coupled with the User Mode Scheduler component can have on your system, and what to consider carefully before enabling fiber mode.

Exploring 'ON DELETE SET NULL' in SQL Server 2005

At first glance, the 'ON DELETE SET NULL' option in SQL Server 2005 may not seem like a big deal, but once you've seen how it can be used, I think you will be impressed. The basics? If Order.CustomerID has a foreign key to Customer.CustomerID and a customer is deleted, 'ON DELETE SET NULL' causes the CustomerID field in each of that customer's orders to be set to NULL.

Bind an Access Form's Record Source from an XML File at Runtime

Learn how to bind a form dynamically to a recordset created from an XML file. This simple application can be the starting point for a powerful solution for your customers and should be considered a part of your arsenal when developing Access application.

Microsoft Access Performance FAQ

Try the following suggestions as originally suggested by Frank Miller of Microsoft PSS and extensively updated by me. Almost all of these tips also apply to Microsoft Access 97.

Review: Access Workbench

For some years, I have been asked to review a product that I have only just gotten around to looking at. It was developed by Garry Robinson, who publishes a very useful web resource called vb123.com and who recently wrote one of the best books on Access security, Real World Microsoft Access Database Protection and Security. The product is called The Access Workbench (TAW)

Review of Adventnet SwisSQL SQLOne Console, SQL Query Converter

Recently, SwisSQL approached me for a review of their product that can convert SQL statements from one dialect to another. They told me that "SwisSQL SQLOne Console" is a GUI application that can convert SQL statements from one RDBMS implementation to another and the dialects supported include:

Microsoft SQL Server
Sybase
Oracle
IBM DB2
Informix
MySQL
PostgreSQL
MySQL
and last but not the least, ANSI SQL

The Future of Access

Jon Sigler of Microsoft visited the Denver Access users group with some comments about where Access is going.

Migrating Microsoft Access Applications to SQL Server

Microsoft Access targets individual information workers and small teams that use the Microsoft Office System to track, manage, prioritize, and act upon an increasing volume of business information. The data stored in these databases rarely justifies moving to a more robust platform until the application begins expanding into departmental scenarios. When this happens, it is worthwhile to consider moving the data into a more robust platform for enhanced reliability, scalability, and greater IT control. In most cases, the data can be moved through a process called "upsizing" while the Access application front-end continues to provide information workers with access to critical data. Microsoft has created resources in the following three categories to help manage Access data in your organizations:

Working with PowerPoint Presentations from Access Using Automation

Create a PowerPoint slide presentation from scratch using Access data. In addition, display and control a slide show from within an Access form. Walk through the solution and explore ways to extend the sample for your own applications.