Kerberos authentication provides a highly secure method to authenticate client and server entities (security principals) on a network. To use Kerberos authentication with SQL Server, a Service Principal Name (SPN) must be registered with Active Directory, which plays the role of the Key Distribution...

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. To date, more than 50 million copies of Halo video games have been sold worldwide. As developers prepared to launch Halo 4, they were tasked with analyzing data to gain insights into...

Interested in going to Seattle for some great technical sessions?  The TechMentor Conference is in August on the Microsoft Campus in the Briefing Center.  The early bird registration deadline looms next week so be sure to book your reservation and save. See the main site at http://techmentorevents...

The SQL Server 2012 product guide download contains the latest datasheets, white papers and technical presentations to help you evaluate the SQL Server 2012. The product guide organizes the content for easier viewing. This version of the includes the top content from the prior versions of the product...

Microsoft PowerPivot for Microsoft Excel 2010 provides ground-breaking technology, such as fast manipulation of large data sets (often millions of rows), streamlined integration of data, and the ability to effortlessly share your analysis through Microsoft SharePoint 2010. Microsoft PowerPivot for Microsoft...

Report Builder provides a productive report-authoring environment for IT professionals and power users. The download provides a stand-alone installer for Report Builder. Report Builder provides data visualizations that include charts, maps, sparklines, and data bars that can help produce new insights...

For those of you that have a TechNet or MSDN subscription, you might not be aware the RTM bits are on the download center.  Here’s a peek at the downloads.  It’s an incomplete list but you get the idea.  Enjoy 2012. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/securedownloads/#ProductFamilyId...

While many of you have undoubtedly studying Windows 8 Server Beta, our SQL Product Group RTM’d SQL Server 2012.  Tomorrow we have a virtual launch event with a ton of information coming.  Head on over and register now ! http://www.sqlserverlaunch.com/

The time to activate is now. Microsoft SQL Server 2012 is launching soon. Be a part of this highly anticipated event! Join us for our 12-city road tour where Microsoft experts and local DBAs will show you the power of SQL Server 2012. At the Tour stop in your city, you will: Dive deep into the tools...

The Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0 Express is a powerful and reliable free data management system that delivers a rich set of features, data protection, and performance for embedded applications, lightweight Web Sites , applications, and local data stores. Designed for easy deployment and rapid prototyping...

Microsoft SQL Server Sustained Engineering group is pleased to announce the release of SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3. Both the Service Pack and Feature Pack updates are available for download on the Microsoft Download Center. As part of our continued commitment to software excellence for our customers...

SQL injection is a technique used by attackers to damage or steal data residing in databases that use SQL syntax to control information storage and retrieval. SQL injection usually involves using a mechanism such as a text field in a web form to directly pass malicious SQL to a program or script that...

SQL Server 2008 SP2 - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=8fbfc1de-d25e-4790-88b5-7dda1f1d4e17 . SQL Server 2008 SP2 Express - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=40acf55f-0715-4bb0-9735-d02fc2c8a7af .  SQL Server 2008 SP2 Feature Pack - http://www...

Microsoft® PowerPivot for Microsoft® Excel 2010 is a data analysis tool that delivers unmatched computational power directly within the software users already know and love — Microsoft® Excel. You can transform mass quantities of data with incredible speed into meaningful information to get the answers...

Microsoft is announcing an important interoperability milestone: the release of the Microsoft Drivers for PHP for SQL Server 2.0!! The major highlight of this release is the addition of the PDO_SQLSRV driver, which adds support for PHP Data Objects (PDO). The PHP community has signaled that PDO is the...

For those of you that have subscriptions to TechNet or MSDN, check the downloads area this morning.  SQL Server 2008 R2 is now there in a variety of flavors.  SQL Server 2008 R2 provides new tools for managing large multi-database environments along with improved capabilities to help maximize...

Matt Hester , Dan Stolts and I did an Interoperability Road Show not long ago.  A portion of that day was geared towards running open source software on Windows and some of the demos I used came from the PHP on Windows Training Kit.  There are some really cool demos in that kit that show you...

In Q1 we did a number of events in the Central Region of the US on the topic of Azure.  Budgets being what they are these days, we can’t go everywhere but fear not, we recorded the sessions from the Nashville, TN event.  Here are the links to those recordings.  You can watch the streaming...

Now is a really good time to purchase the TechNet Plus Direct subscription.  Think about it for a second, Windows 7 is already on the download area.  So is Windows Server 2008 R2.  Exchange 20101, Office 2010 and many others are on the way.  So what better way to get access to all...

Public disclosure of your name and company name allowed?  No Objectives of the project:  What problem did you set out to solve?   The objective was to reduce the dependencies for the onsite technicians, and to completely automate the OS deployment with PXE boot. Products used in the project...

On Wednesday May 6th, we’ll be broadcasting the Interop Road Show .  Actually it’s going to be a bit of a simulcast.  Matt Hester will be in Downers Grove, IL doing a live delivery of the sessions, and we’ll pick up the audio and demonstrations via the magic of Microsoft LiveMeeting. In addition...

Some of you have attended the Interop Road Show events we are currently delivering across the USA.  At those events you have seen us install Apache, MySQL, PHP, Drupal and Wordpress on Windows Server 2008.  Astute observation will reveal some of the installs and tweaks aren’t particularly easy...

Don’t forget we just started the Microsoft Interop Road Show and there are events in Dallas and Houston this week. The event in Dallas is actually at our office in Las Colinas, Texas (also known as Irving). Confused? Don’t be. See all of the information at http://www.technetevents.com/interop/index.htm...

Is your IT Infrastructure fully dedicated to just one technology solution? Chances are you work in a heterogeneous environment that includes a variety of technologies from Microsoft®, Linux, MySQL and Apple. Integration becomes vital in order for your core business applications to maintain business flow...

A successful upgrade to SQL Server 2008 should be smooth and trouble-free. To achieve that smooth transition, you must devote plan sufficiently for the upgrade, and match the complexity of your database application. Otherwise, you risk costly and stressful errors and upgrade problems. Like all IT projects...