Software
Network…
Mar 6th
Finally decided to revisit my home network – LAN and Wireless, especially with respect to wifi security.
My setup essentially is this: a private Gigabit Local Area Network [LAN] using 192.168.0.x ip address range served by a dhcp server running off Smoothwall Express – an open source based excellent firewall program. I downloaded the iso from here, and installed it on a hardly used old but trusty Dell Poweredge 2300 server. My main server – running Windows 2008 has a static ip address and runs on a Dell Poweredge SC430. The 10/100/1000 gigabit switches – mainly cisco/netgear – enable me move large 3d rendered graphics files and family video files been edited across my server to/fro my prime Quad-core windows 7 64bit 8gb workstation.
For wireless – l gave away my old linksys a/b router – this router supports only WEP which is easily hackable. Retained my Dlink DIR-625 wireless router – set to 172.168.0.x ip address range, with the ethernet input from the smootwall green output. Smoothwall setup was Green+Red – Green is for the internal LAN while red represents the external network/internet interface from usually a home cable modem. I use WPA2-PSK for security at 802.11n wifi speed. The main reason l got this particular wireless router is – it offers parents the ability to lock out kid internet access at specific time. You simply reserve specific ip address for say kid x’s PC. Set a rule such as : internet off from 9pm to 5am workdays.
My 2nd wireless router is the Buffalo Airstation Turbo G WHR-G545 – 802.11g which l set at 172.168.16.x ip address range, with security set at WPA-PSK, key set to renew every 60mins. It supports TKIP as well as AOSS also. Installed at the 2nd half of the home, this gives adequate wireless coverage to any laptop that can authenticate with the right password.
Lingo:
A PSK is a 256-bit value, known to every device in the WLAN. That PSK is usually generated by combining the WLAN’s name (Service Set Identifier, SSID) (define) with a passphrase (an ASCII (define) string, 8-63 characters.)
Installing Sharepoint 2010 Beta..
Feb 19th
Microsoft Sharepoint 2010 beta software requires the following:
- Application server role, web server IIS Role
- SQL Server 2008 native client
- Microsoft “Geneva” framework runtime
- Microsoft Chart Controls for Microsoft Framework 3.5
- Microsoft Filter Pack 2.0
- SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services ADOCMD.NET
I attempted to install this on a development Windows 2008 R2 server, which already had SQL Server 2008 R2 installed. Out of the list below, l only needed to pre-install the Geneva framework runtime, MS chart control and ADOMD.net SQL 2008 Analysis services – even though l had SSAS installed as a SQL Server 2008 component.
Will post pictures later.
To install, you download the 575Mb Office2010 beta executable from Microsoft’s Sharepoint Website.
Running this, you first select – install software prerequities to deal with above. A reboot is required. The you select install sharepoint server.
Source for the Beta Product key – click here.
Since l would be using a separate SQL Server instalation – not sql server express, l did not select standalone. Then l selected complete installation, and changed my install paths to Drive D not Drive C – which l always reserve soley for OS installations only. Next, you select run the sharepoint configuration wizard. Click close. Select yes to restart necessary services. I selected Create a new server farm.
Nexus One – Android 2 – Eclipse
Jan 15th
Decided to revisit Android development due to the release of Google’s Nexus One Phone
Here are my steps so far:
- Download and install Eclipse Development environment from here [eclipse-jee-galileo-SR1-win32.zip ]
- Simply extract this to say, c:\eclipse
- Run eclipse
- Install Google’s ADT Plugin for Eclipse from here
- Download and install the SDK from here – in this case – up to Android 2.1, API 7, revision 1
- Extract above and run SDK Setup.exe – l had to to to the settings on the left hand side and check “force http…”, then choose accept all.
Transferring logins and passwords between SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008
Jan 15th
This link is very useful and details how to transfer the logins and the passwords between instances of Microsoft SQL Server 2005, and Microsoft SQL Server 2008, on different servers. – Microsoft Knowledge Base: #246133
Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 15401
Jan 15th
Got this error a lot when trying to add NT user accounts on a SQL Server 2008 installation that was connected to a Windows 2008R2 server running Active Directory 2008 at Windows 2000 functional level. Same error message appeared when troubleshooting this from a SQL Server 2005 instance in the same server environment.
You’ll keep getting “Windows NT User or group ‘MyDomain\MyUser’ not found. Check the name again. Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 15401″
Azure sample database setup….
Dec 29th
Notes on setting up the sample database – adventureworks [click here] for Microsoft’s cloud computing sql server called Azure:
- you need an account – get one from sql.azure.com - it takes some time for your access information to arrive by email.
- download the sample database using link above
- extract/unzip to a known location
- make sure you add your home/work/workstation actual external facing ip address to the firewall settings
- wait for 5-10 mins for your ip address to be accepted by the azure online firewall system
- run the script commands below
See commands/reference pictures below:
Server Name: serverx serverx.database.windows.net
Administrator Username: userx
Server Location: South Central US
db name: ankh
cd dw
buildawdwaz.cmd tcp:serverx.database.windows.net userx@serverx passwordx
cd lt
buildawltaz.cmd tcp:serverx.database.windows.net userx@serverx passwordx
Business Intelligence w/SQL 2008
Dec 27th
Currently reading “Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2008
Interesting quotes/definitions:
“Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” asked Alice.
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then, it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
- Lewis Carroll
Planning ahead is a good idea. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
- Anonymous
He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.
The Prince
- Niccolò Machiavelli
Business intelligence is the delivery of accurate, useful information to the appropriate decision makers within the necessary timeframe to support effective decision making.
Data mining uses a complex mathematical algorithm to sift through detail data to identify patterns, correlations, and clustering within the data.
Online analytical processing (OLAP) systems enable users to quickly and easily retrieve information from data, usually in a data mart, for analysis. OLAP systems present data using measures, dimensions, hierarchies, and cubes.
AdventureWorks…
Dec 24th
Adventureworks is a huge sample database of a make believe bike company provider by Microsoft, and l find this particularly useful when working on/learning OLTP and SSAS – ie Online transaction processing as well as SQL Server analysis services used to make business intelligence decisions, datamarts etc.
Helpful notes:
- download the latest version from codeplex – click here - the file l got was AdventureWorks2008_SR4.exe
- Run this program
- For installing SSAS - SQL Server Analysis Services database see this webpage
- Look for the install scripts in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Samples\
- dont forget to execute the scripts in sqlcmd mode,
Look for code like:
–:setvar SqlSamplesDatabasePath “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\”
–:setvar SqlSamplesSourceDataPath “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Samples\”
In the scripts, in the sample source path folder on your workstation, make sure you modify and set correctly at least the top line for the sql samples database path
Also, make sure if you made modifications to your model database default size, you adjust the database file size in the create database portion of the script as eg:
CREATE DATABASE [AdventureWorks2008]
ON (NAME = ‘AdventureWorks2008_Data’, FILENAME = N’$(SqlSamplesDatabasePath)AdventureWorks2008_Data.mdf’, SIZE = 170, FILEGROWTH = 8),
FILEGROUP DocumentFileStreamGroup CONTAINS FILESTREAM ( NAME = FileStreamDocuments, FILENAME = N’$(SqlSamplesDatabasePath)Documents’)
LOG ON (NAME = ‘AdventureWorks2008_Log’, FILENAME = N’$(SqlSamplesDatabasePath)AdventureWorks2008_Log.ldf’ , SIZE = 2, FILEGROWTH = 96);
GO
Azure SQL….
Dec 24th
Adventure works sample databases are now available for Microsoft’s SQL Azure at codeplex – click here.