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The SQL Server 2005 Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) gathers data from Microsoft Windows and SQL Server configuration settings. BPA uses a predefined list of SQL Server 2005 recommendations and best practices to determine if there are potential issues in the database environment.
This download is the August 2008 release of SQL Server 2005 Best Practices Analyzer.

Download SQL Server 2005 Best Practices Analyze

.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 includes ADO.NET Data Services and ADO.NET Entity Framework, which raise the level of abstraction for database programming and supply both a new model-based paradigm and a rich, standards-based framework for creating data-oriented Web services. With this service pack, Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 also support SQL Server 2008, making the Microsoft platform the most comprehensive environment for database application development.

.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 also improves developer productivity by simplifying the requirements for creating, implementing, changing and scaling applications via delivery of a single framework for service development that spans enterprise-critical applications and emerging rich, interactive applications. Enhancements to the representational state transfer (REST) services functionality within Windows Communication Foundation expand the range of choices for developers and provide a more flexible programming model for building services to support both Web 2.0 and service-oriented architecture (SOA) applications. ADO.NET Data Services leverages the new REST capabilities in Windows Communication Foundation, giving developers dramatic productivity gains when creating data-centric REST-based services.

.NET Framework version 3.5 Service Pack 1 provides the following new features and improvements:

• ASP.NET Dynamic Data, which provides a rich scaffolding framework that enables rapid data driven development without writing code, and a new addition to ASP.NET AJAX that provides support for managing browser history (back button support). For more information, see What’s New in ASP.NET and Web Development.
• Core improvements to the CLR (common language runtime) that include better layout of .NET Framework native images, opting out of strong-name verification for fully trusted assemblies, improved application startup performance, better generated code that improves end-to-end application execution time, and opting managed code to run in ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) mode if supported by the operating system. Additionally, managed applications that are opened from network shares have the same behavior as native applications by running with full trust.
• Performance improvements to WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), including a faster startup time and improved performance for Bitmap effects. Additional functionality for WPF includes better support for line of business applications, native splash screen support, DirectX pixel shader support, and the new WebBrowser control.
• ClickOnce application publishers can decide to opt out of signing and hashing as appropriate for their scenarios, developers can programmatically install ClickOnce applications that display a customized branding, and ClickOnce error dialog boxes support links to application-specific support sites on the Web.
• The Entity Framework is an evolution of the existing suite of ADO.NET data access technologies. The Entity Framework enables developers to program against relational databases in according to application-specific domain models instead of the underlying database models. For more information, see Getting Started with the Entity Framework. The Entity Framework introduces some additional features, including support for new SQL Server 2008 types, default graph serialization of Entities, and the Entity Data Source. This release of the Entity Framework supports the new date and file stream capabilities in SQL Server 2008. The graph serialization work helps developers who want to build Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services that model full graphs as data contracts. The Entity Data Source provides a traditional data source experience for ASP.NET Web application builders who want to work with the Entity Framework.
• LINQ to SQL includes new support for the new date and file stream capabilities in SQL Server 2008.
• The ADO.NET Data Services Framework consists of a combination of patterns and libraries, which enable data to be exposed as a flexible REST (Representational State Transfer)-based data service that can be consumed by Web clients in a corporate network or across the Internet. The ADO.NET Data Services Framework makes data service creation over any data source. A conceptual view model of the underlying storage schema can easily be exposed through rich integration with the ADO.NET Entity Framework. Services created by using the ADO.NET Data Services Framework, and also compatible Windows Live (dev.live.com) services, can be easily accessed from any platform. For client applications that are running on Microsoft platforms, a set of client libraries are provided to make interaction with data services simple. For example, .NET Framework-based clients can use LINQ to query data services and a simple .NET Framework object layer to update data in the service.
• Windows Communication Foundation now makes the DataContract Serializer easier to use by providing improved interoperability support, enhancing the debugging experience in partial trust scenarios, and extending syndication protocol support for wider usage in Web 2.0 applications.
• The .NET Framework Data Provider for SQL Server (SqlClient) adds new support for file stream and sparse column capabilities in SQL Server 2008.

Download .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack

On August 11,2008 Microsoft released Visual Studio 2008 SP1 for manufacturing. Visual Studio 2008 SP1 addresses issues found while feedback from customers and partners. Visual Studio SP1 includes a number of  new improvements like increased Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) designer performance and updated components for Visual Basic and Visual C++ (including a MFC-based Office 2007 Ribbon).  Web development improvements include enhanced the client-side script tooling (JavaScript IntelliSense). In addition to IDE performance improvements SP1 fully supports SQL Server 2008 and the ADO.NET Entity Framework.

Visual Studio 2008 SP Features

WPF and visual designer improvements

Cold startup performance improvement ranging between 20-45% depending on application size without needing to modify any code. Additional WPF support for text, graphics, and media to deliver better performance. For example, effects like DropShadow and Blur were implemented using software rendering; with SP1 these are now implemented using hardware acceleration. Other examples include:

• Text, especially when used in Visual and DrawingBrush, is substantially faster.
• Data scalability improvements - Container Recycling, TreeView virtualization, etc. to enable richer data editing support.
• Media performance improvements.
• A much improved WriteableBitmap that enables real-time bitmap updates from a software surface.
• Designer support for the event tab within the property grid for control events.
• Toolbox support within source mode.

.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Optimized Client Runtime

SP1 provides a .NET Framework install version that is optimized for .NET-based client applications. The size of this optimized runtime is less than 20 MB.

New ADO.NET Data Features

ADO.NET Entity Framework

The ADO.NET Entity Framework is the next evolution of ADO.NET, raising the level of abstraction at which programmers work with data, and allowing the database structure or data source to evolve without significant impact to the application code.

Rather than coding against rows and columns, the ADO.NET Entity Framework allows the definition of a higher-level Entity Data Model over your relational data, and allows developers to then program in terms of this model. Developers get to deal with the data in the shapes that make sense for the application, and those shapes are expressed in a richer vocabulary that includes concepts like inheritance, complex types, and explicit relationships.

Use LINQ to Entities with the Entity Framework for queries that help create easy to maintain code that retrieves and works with strongly typed data objects or business entities.

ADO.NET Data Services

The Microsoft ADO.NET Data Services framework provides a first-class infrastructure for developing the next wave of dynamic internet applications by enabling data to be exposed as REST-based data services that can be consumed by client applications (ASP.NET, AJAX, Silverlight) in corporate networks and across the internet. Easily build applications using a comprehensive set of Microsoft .NET libraries and client components, accessing data through uniform URI syntax and using standard HTTP verbs to operate on the resource.

ADO.NET Data Services provides a framework to build data services for relational data sources, such as Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, and Oracle, using the built-in support for the ADO.NET Entity Framework, or for non-relational data sources using the pluggable provider model.

TFS improvements

A number of improvements have been made to Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Foundation including:

Version Control

• Simplified the user experience through cleaner “Add to Source Control” dialogs, drag and drop support to the Source Control Explorer and a much easier to use “Workspace” dialog for working folder mappings.
• Version control now automatically supports non-solution controlled files.
• Various changes to the Source Control Explorer such as a new checkin date/time display column, local path hyperlink support and en editable source location field.

Work Item Tracking

• Microsoft Office 2007 integration is now done using the standard Office “Ribbon” delivering a cleaner and easier to use integration to the different Microsoft Office 2007 products.
• Email integration for work items and links for Team system Web Access to make it easier to use email as part of the development lifecycle.

Visual SourceSafe migration tool

• The migration tool has been dramatically improved through many performance and reliability improvements. SP1 provides support for the elimination of namespace conflicts, automatic solution rebinding, improves timestamp coherency and increases the amount of migration logging information available.

Additional Features

• Support for using SQL Server 2008 with Team Foundation Server.
• Team System Web Access provides “live” links to work items and checkin emails. This improves the customer experience for users who do not use Team Explorer.
• Scripting support for the creation of Team Projects.

Performance and scalability

• With SP1 a large part of the focus was to improve the performance and scalability of Team Foundation Server through changes such as faster synchronization with Active Directory, improved checkin concurrency, a faster way to create source tree branches, online index rebuilding for less maintenance downtime and better support for very large checkin sets.
• Improvements in the number of projects a server can support that make not only the scalability of the server better but also the client experience when connecting to a server with a large number of projects on it.

Download Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1

• Supports most administrative tasks for SQL Server.
• A single, integrated environment for SQL Server Database Engine management and authoring.
• New management dialogs for managing objects in the SQL Server Database Engine, Analysis Services, Reporting Services, Notification Services, and SQL Server Compact 3.5, that allows you to execute your actions immediately, send them to a Code Editor, or script them for later execution.
• Non-modal and resizable dialogs allow access to multiple tools while a dialog is open.
• A common scheduling dialog that allows you to perform action of the management dialogs at a later time.
• Exporting and importing SQL Server Management Studio server registration from one Management Studio environment to another.
• Save or print XML Showplan or Deadlock files generated by SQL Server Profiler, review them later, or send them to administrators for analysis.
• A new error and informational message box that presents much more information, allows you to send Microsoft a comment about the messages, allows you to copy messages to the clipboard, and allows you to easily e-mail the messages to your support team.
• An integrated Web browser for quick browsing of MSDN or online help.
• Integration of Help from online communities.
• A tutorial on SQL Server Management Studio to help you take advantage of the many new features and become more productive right away.
• A new activity monitor with filtering and automatic refresh.
• Integrated Database Mail interfaces.

New Scripting Capabilities

The Code Editor component of SQL Server Management Studio contains integrated script editors for authoring Transact-SQL, MDX, DMX, XML/A, and XML scripts. It features:

• Dynamic Help for immediate access to relevant information while you work.
• A rich set of templates with the ability to create custom templates.
• Support for writing and editing queries or scripts without requiring a connection to a server.
• Scripting support for SQLCMD queries and scripts.
• A new interface for viewing XML results.
• Integrated source control for solution and script projects, supporting storing and maintaining copies of scripts as they evolve over time.
• Microsoft IntelliSense support for MDX statements.

Object Explorer Features

The Object Explorer component of SQL Server Management Studio is an integrated tool for viewing and managing objects in all server types. It features:

• Filtering by all or part of a name, schema, or date.
• The asynchronous population of objects, with the ability to filter objects based on their metadata.
• Access to SQL Server Agent on replication servers for administration.

Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/hi-in/library/ms174219(en-us,SQL.100).aspx

The Visual Database Tools are a combination of design tools you can use to work with a data source. You can use them to create queries, design or modify a database structure, or update data. The tools are Database Diagram Designer, Table Designer, and Query and View Designer.

Properties Window

The properties window is not specific to Visual Database Tools, but it is where many modifications can be made. It shows the properties for the item currently selected (like a table) and allows you to edit those properties (everything from the properties name to the collation of a column). Some properties can be seen in the properties window but must be modified in a different tool.

Database Diagram Designer

Database Diagram Designer provides a window where you can visually create, edit, and show the tables and relationships in a database.To display Database Diagram Designer, open an existing diagram or right-click the Database node in Object Explorer and choose New Database Diagram from the drop-down menu.Once the designer is open, the Database Diagram menu appears in the main menu. This menu is the access point to the designer’s special features.

Table Designer

Table Designer is a visual tool allowing you to design and visualize a single table in a Microsoft SQL Server database to which you are connected.Table Designer has two panes. The upper area shows a grid; each row of the grid describes one database column. For each database column, the grid displays its fundamental attributes: column name, data type, and nulls-allowed setting.

The lower area of Table Designer, the Column Properties tab, shows additional attributes for whichever column is highlighted in the upper area.From Table Designer, you can also right-click in the grid section to access dialog boxes through which you can create and modify relationships, constraints, indexes, and keys for the table.To display Table Designer, open an existing table, or right-click the Tables node in Object Explorer, and choose Add New Table from the drop-down menu.Once the designer is open, the Table Designer menu appears in the main menu. This menu is the access point to the designer’s special features.

Query and View Designer

Query and View designer is actually two tools that work in very similar ways. Some of the major differences are:

• Views are saved with the database while a query is saved with a Visual Studio database project.
• Query Designer works with nearly any data source, where View Designer works only with SQL Server.
• Query Designer allows you to design SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE DML statements, while views can only contain SELECT statements.

View Designer

View Designer allows you to design and visualize an existing view or create a new one in a Microsoft SQL Server database to which you are connected.View Designer has four panes: the Diagram pane, the Criteria pane, the SQL pane, and the Results pane. For more detailed information on each of these panes.

To display View Designer, open an existing view or right-click the View node in Object Explorer and choose Add New View from the drop-down menu.Once the designer is open, the Query Designer menu appears in the main menu. This menu is the access point to the designer’s special features.

Source :http://technet.microsoft.com/hi-in/library/ms174170(en-us,SQL.100).aspx

The Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) is the industry-leading software security assurance process. A Microsoft-wide initiative and a mandatory policy since 2004, SDL has played a critical role in embedding security and privacy into Microsoft software and culture. At Microsoft, the SDL is more than just a mandatory internal policy—it represents a major cultural evolution at Microsoft with regards to software security and privacy. A “security process by a software company,” the SDL was designed as an integral part of the development process. It is based on a risk-based, practical approach with the goal of protecting end-users by reducing the number and severity of vulnerabilities in code. In addition to enabling development teams to create more secure applications, the SDL reduces the “Total Cost of Development” by finding and eliminating vulnerabilities early.

History of the Microsoft SDL

The concepts that make up the Microsoft SDL were formed with the Trustworthy Computing (TwC) directive of January 2002. At that time, many software development groups at Microsoft instigated “security pushes” to find ways to improve the security of existing code. Since then, SDL has matured into a well defined methodology. The development, implementation and constant improvement of the SDL represents a strategic investment for Microsoft, and an evolution in the way that software is designed, developed, and tested. The increasing importance of software to society emphasizes the need for Microsoft and the industry as a whole to continue to improve software security.

Oracle SQL Developer is a free graphical tool for database development. The initial release, in March 2006, provided users with a graphical interface to interact with database objects by providing the ability to browse the database, run SQL, PL/SQL and SQL*Plus statements, execute SQL scripts, and edit and debug PL/SQL statements. This initial release also provide a suite of reports to further interrogate the dictionary. SQL Developer 1.0 was quickly followed by 2 patch releases and the SQL Developer 1.1 in December 2006.

Released in April 2008, Oracle SQL Developer 1.5 is the "Version Control" release, as it includes integration with open source version control products, CVS and Subversion.Supporting the version control is a File Browser to browse and read files stored in the file system. You can open and edit these files from within SQL Developer.

In addition to this central addition to SQL Developer, release 1.5 includes many updated features, such as SQL Formatting, Schema Compare, Copy and Export wizards and the addition of migration support for Sybase.

Oracle SQL Developer 1.5 Features

SQL Worksheet

• Updated code insight. Allows users to use code completion for a greater number of object types
• Replaced SQL Formatting. See SQL Formatter preferences to control white space, tabs, comma placement, case, new line etc.
• Code Templates for frequently used code. Create these in Preferences, then through key stroke, in Code Editors and SQL Worksheet, import code template . ctrl+shift+T)
• Code Templates are shareable : <user>/Application Data/Sql Developer/CodeTemplate.xml
• Flashback. For Oracle 11g, you can use flashback on your data. See the Flashback tab on Tables.
• Keystroke to change case. (This is also available on a context menu.) Keystroke case is ctrl-quote.
• Refactor code, see context menu on SQL Worksheet or Code Editors
• Separate unshared worksheet for connections for long running queries. Use the keystroke ctrl+shift+N. This will create a separate, unshared worksheet. The unshared worksheets are labeled as follows: HR_ _1
• SQL History stores commands form F5 and F9 keystrokes. I.e Execute script or Execute statement. Note if you run @filename, this is what is stored in the History, not every command from the file .Keystroke ctrl-up and ctrl-down adds and scrolls through previously executed commands in the SQL Worksheet.
• Drag and Drop from Navigator to Worksheet for Insert, Update, Delete, Join and Select statements. Set preference.
• Data Grid on tables retains Sort.
• Data Grid filter retains drop list of previous filter options

Navigator

• View Queues and Queue tables
• Load and view Java
• Extended Search dialog in addition to DB Object search. This allows for searching for objects in code, such as parameters, declaration and usage.
• Create table from xls spreadsheet import.
• Run Manage Database report (right-click for context menu on any connection with privileges, such as SYS or SYSTEM)
• Run Manage Database report ( as SYS) to shut down and restart database
• Generate DB Doc (right-click for context menu on connections) for all objects in a schema. Open the generated index.html file in a browser to review objects.

Schema copy

• To copy contents of one schema to another
• Choices include drop objects, truncate and copy
• Preview report of actions to be executed
• Log report of results

Schema Diff

• Compare and create SQL Difference statement between 2 schemas
• Select objects to compare
• Report of objects to be compared
• List of differences and SQL Code to be executed
• Run script output to SQL Worksheet to be executed against connection of choice.

Export Wizard

• Export of DDL and Data updated to a wizard
• Includes object grants
• Select data for export
• Include drop commands
• Choice of dependent or independent objects
• View report of export to be run
• Export script opened in SQL Worksheet to run against user of choice

Import

• Import from XLS and create new table
• Import from CSV

Connections

• Force the OCI/thick driver connection, using a preference
• Support for LDAP and Authenticated Enterprise users
• Proxy user connections
• OS Authentication
• Add connections to folders

Tuning

• Open *.trc file in SQL Developer for a formatted trace file.

Preferences

• Support for a startup file such as login.sql. Add file choice to preferences.

Reports

• Monitor Sessions report is also on the main Tools menu
• Manage Database report on the context menu of the connection in the navigator
• Revised Migration reports
• Add reports with gauges
• ASH and AWR reports(Available for connections to Oracle 11g R1 and above, and for users licensed for the Oracle Diagnostic pack)

PL/SQL

• Hierarchical Profiler (Available for connections to Oracle 11g R1 and above)

Third Party Databases

• Includes Sybase Adaptive Server 12 and 15 migration support
• Times Ten extension integrated into SQL Developer

Version Control

• Support for CVS and Subversion

Files

• An additional node for browsing the file system is available. File extensions associated with SQL Developer can be opened from the File Browser

Migration

• Quick Migrate is now a wizard.

Download Oracle SQL Developer 1.5

Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. By using Silverlight’s support for .NET, High Definition video, cost-effective advanced streaming, unparalleled high-resolution interactivity with Deep Zoom technology, and controls, businesses can reach out to new markets across the Web, desktop, and devices.

• UI Framework: Silverlight 2 Beta 1 includes a UI framework that makes building rich Web applications much easier. It provides a powerful graphics and animation engine, as well as rich support for higher-level UI capabilities like controls, layout management, data-binding, styles, and template skinning. Silverlight 2 is a compatible subset of the features in the full .NET Framework, and enables developers to re-use skills, controls, code and content to build both rich cross browser web applications, as well as rich desktop Windows applications.
• Rich Controls: Silverlight 2 Beta 1 includes a rich set of built-in controls that developers and designers can use to quickly build applications. This upcoming Beta1 release includes core form controls (TextBox, CheckBox, RadioButton, etc), built-in layout management panels (StackPanel, Grid, Panel, etc), common functionality controls (Slider, ScrollViewer, Calendar, DatePicker, etc), and data manipulation controls (DataGrid, ListBox, etc). The built-in controls support a rich control templating model, which enables developers and designers to collaborate together to build highly polished solutions.
• Networking Support: Silverlight 2 Beta 1includes rich networking support. It includes out of the box support for calling REST, WS*/SOAP, POX, RSS, and standard HTTP services. It supports cross domain network access (enabling Silverlight clients to directly access resources and data from resources on the web). Beta 1 also includes built-in sockets networking support.
• Rich Base Class Library: Silverlight 2 Beta 1 includes a rich .NET base class library of functionality (collections, IO, generics, threading, globalization, XML, local storage, etc). It includes rich APIs that enable HTML DOM/JavaScript integration with .NET code. It also includes LINQ and LINQ to XML library support (enabling easy transformation and querying of data), as well as local data caching and storage support. The .NET APIs in Silverlight are a compatible subset of the full .NET Framework.
• Deep Zoom: The new Deep Zoom technology in Silverlight 2 Beta 1 allows users to see images on the Web like they never have before. The smooth in-place zooming and panning that Deep Zoom allows is based on advanced technology from Microsoft Research and raises the bar on what image viewing should be. For the Silverlight developer, using a Deep Zoom image is really simple since it behaves like any other image in Silverlight and can be manipulated with standard Silverlight metaphors such as Storyboards.

What is WPF?

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is the presentation subsystem feature of the .NET Framework 3.0. It is pre-installed in as a part of Windows Vista, It is also available for installation on Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003. It supports the rich User Experiences (UX) that have been made possible by advances in hardware and technology since the GDI based UI architecture was initially designed in the 1980’s.

What is XAML?

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is the presentation subsystem feature of the .NET Framework 3.0. It is pre-installed in as a part of Windows Vista, It is also available for installation on Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003. It supports the rich User Experiences (UX) that have been made possible by advances in hardware and technology since the GDI based UI architecture was initially designed in the 1980’s.

What is XBAP?

XBAP stands for XAML Browser Application. XBAP allows for WPF applications to be used inside a browser. The .NET framework is required to be installed on the client system. Hosted applications run in a partial trust sandbox environment. They are not given full access to the computer’s resources and not all of WPF functionality is available.

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