Step-by-Step Guide: How to patch SQL Server

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So you've decided to secure your SQL Server infrastructure and you don't know where to start. This first guide in a two-part series on SQL Server patch deployment will help you track down those pesky servers before getting them properly patched.

SQL Servers represent a significant security challenge for a number of reasons. Primarily, they are ubiquitous. Hundreds of software packages use SQL Server as a data store as do a large number of commercial websites.

Congratulations Frank

A Longtime SQLServerCentral.com member and a very valued member of the community has just received a great honor in our field. Take a moment to read and add your congratulations.

Anatomy of an IT disaster: How the FBI blew it

Some FBI agents ruefully refer to the trilogy project, a massive initiative to modernize the FBI's aging technology infrastructure, as the "Tragedy" project. It certainly has all the earmarks of tragedy: the best intentions, catastrophic miscommunication, staggering waste.

More Portable DTS Packages

There have been a few articles over time on how you can build DTS packages in SQL Server 2000 that are easily moved from one server to another. New author Tito David brings us another technique that not only migrates packages easily between servers, but between your development and production environments.

SQL Server 2005 Editions and Integration Services

The SQL Server 2005 product family has now been announced, so with four editions available, what does this mean for SQL Server Integration Services? Starting from the bottom we have the free edition known as Express, and the entry level Workgroup edition, and neither include the full IS product. They have the Import/Export capabilities, but nothing more, so for simple loading and extraction of data this should suffice, but you will not be able to build packages.

Part 2: Mapping XML from SQL Server to a Single Cell in Excel 2003

In the second of this three-part series, learn how to map well-formed XML from a standard SQL Server query to a single cell in a worksheet. The resulting output is an XML tree with non-repeating elements.

BDS SQL Digger 2.0 Released

Have you ever needed to find something in a stored procedure or function and found yourself trying to wade through syscomments? Ever want to know which views reference a table, but you don't trust sysdepends? BDS has released SQL Digger 2.0, a utility designed to help you search through your schema and code to find what you need.

Flexible DTS Packages with Perl

SQL Server 2000 DTS was a revolutionary programming environment, but one that was not without a few quirks. As often found with many Microsoft products, there were sections in your packages where things were hard coded, making them less flexible. New author Jeremy Brown brings us a look at how you can build extremely flexible packages using Perl.

Part 1: Automating the XML Data Mapping Process in Excel 2003

In the first of a three-part series, learn how to use XML maps to customize Excel as a data input and display system.

Know Your Data

Or at least the types of your data. New author Roy Carlson was working in SQL Server 2000 to calculate some values based on row counts, sales amounts, etc. and discovered some interesting results. Without his sharp eye, a number of individuals would have been upset by the resulting lack of commissions, as may some of your clients. Read about some potential problems in your calculations if you are not careful with your data types.