Wireless MP3 Music System

I don't write about my personal life much on here, but I had to mention a gift I got for Christmas, the Linksys Wireless-B Music System WMLS11B, which I bought when I saw it mentioned on the A VC blog.

I consider myself pretty "plugged in," probably more than most. I have made some pretty unusual technical choices that have affected my day-to-day life in ways some of my friends found strange at first. I guess they consider me a guinea pig for these things. For example, I completely cut off my phone line at my house (going completely with my cell phone and cable broadband), and I haven't regretted it. And if I do get a phone again, it will probably be some VoIP option, such as Vonage. There's really no reason to go with the service the phone company provides to me, when there are other options with many more features at a much lower cost.

I also don't have cable TV, only the internet (they unbundled the two in my neighborhood). If I want to watch a TV show I must admit it, I download it, usually through bittorrent. Fortunately, I only want to watch a couple. For DVDs, I rip them as soon as I get them, and I have a media server with all of this on it hooked to my TV.

And of course, I ripped my Music CDs to MP3s a few years ago, which is extremely convinient. So this device is quite cool for a collection like mine... it connects to my wireless network (so I can move it anywhere in my house, or within a certain range outside) and through the music match jukebox server I can access my entire collection of a couple of hundred albums, and browse by artist, album, or genre. In addition, it has a directory of internet radio stations it can dial in to (a couple of hundred also), and although I've never made it a habit to listen to them, in this context it is very easy.

Recommended if you have a large MP3 collection, especially when its on sale.

Preparing and Mining Data with Microsoft� SQL Server 2000 and Analysis Services - from Only4Gurus.com

Preparing and Mining Data with Microsoft� SQL Server 2000 and Analysis Services - from Only4Gurus.com: "Microsoft supplies several great tools that allow us to create a complete data mining solution. The purpose of this book is to demonstrate how to apply these tools to the data mining process."

Using Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services with IBM Databases - from Only4Gurus.com

Using Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services with IBM Databases - from Only4Gurus.com, a white paper for download.

Happy Holidays

Hope all the readers of this blog enjoy the holidays!

Setting Up A Windows Server 2003 Cluster in VS2005 - Part I

Never can have too many of these... this is the first one I have seen specific to Windows Server 2003 and Virtual Server 2003. Setting Up A Windows Server 2003 Cluster in VS2005 - Part I and here's Part 2.

How to Negotiate with Oracle Post-Canary Swallowing

How to Negotiate with Oracle Post-Canary Swallowing from EWeek tazlks about how Oracle can be hard-nosed, and may be more so with the Peoplesoft purchase now. It has some tips on how to neutralize the effect, including:

Decrease dependence on Oracle technology. As Bradley puts it, Oracle is a big company. It sells databases, application servers and, particularly in the future, applications. If your enterprise can do so, mix it up. Don't run Oracle applications on top of the Oracle applications server on top of the Oracle database.

Or, Bradley said, if you're running an OLTP database, choose a different database vendor for data warehousing. Or use smaller application vendor products. "Even if Oracle's the primary vendor, maintain the capability to expand deployments on Oracle's competition," Bradley said.

Have a real option, even if it's relatively small in comparison to Oracle. Run SAP somewhere, anywhere—maybe for general ledger, with PeopleSoft running human resources. Make sure, of course, that Oracle knows that competitors are in the shop.

Sandwich vendor presentations. This is a little trick Bradley has clients do: Schedule three vendor presentations on the same day. Schedule Oracle to be in the middle. Make sure that, as Oracle reps come in the door, they see Microsoft reps leaving. Have IBM waiting in the lobby as Oracle reps are leaving. Or Lawson, or Salesforce.com, or whatever competitors might be in the race for a given application. Make sure Oracle understands that your enterprise has options.

Interesting and sometimes funny article. Check it out.

MySQL Administrator

Database Journal has an overview of MySQL Administrator, a client-server app for managing MySQL databases. Helps with everything from tuning to backups to security. MySQL Administrator just came out with a new version Dec. 1.

Real World SQL Server Disaster Recovery

Brett x002548 points to a Real World SQL Server Disaster Recovery kit which looks very cool -

This handy, “how-to” toolkit contains 54 comprehensive pages of first-hand advice AND SCRIPTS! for DBAs that need to build and implement a successful disaster recovery plan. With his tips and quips, Brian walks the DBA through real-world scenarios using an easy, step-by-step approach. As part of the download, you will also receive 4 scripts, which will greatly speed your recovery time! Brian also explains why Lumigent Log Explorer is an essential component of the disaster recovery toolkit for selective data recovery and online transaction analysis.

BPM Standards Group

BPM Standards Group is asking for comments on their BPM Industry Framework Document, which seeks to define in broad terms exactly what BPM is, and what technologies are involved in BPM solutions. They are asking for input before December 31.

I submitted a few suggestions, mainly around the addition of a few real-time components normally required for alerting functions. I suggested the inclusion of an ODS in a BPM architecture (in addition to the already mentioned datamart) and the inclusion of EII/Federated database products and an SOA environment under receommended technologies to consider.

Business Intelligence Beats Back Food Stamp Fraud

Business Intelligence Beats Back Food Stamp Fraud is a CIO Insight case study that has a few cool points, including a very practicle use of GIS technology:

"We could mine some of the data, but we just couldn't drill down far enough to get what we wanted," says Pease. "In one investigation it took us three weeks or longer to get the reports we needed and we knew we needed a better way to see the data."


It wasn't until Pease put in place geographic information system (GIS) software from ESRI in the spring of 2004 that the data started to take shape. Plotting more than 100 million transactions annually on a map of the state, Pease saw clear patterns, such as people traveling long distances to redeem their food stamps at particular stores.

Legal Affairs - Man and the Machines

When does a computer become lucid enough to warrant legal rights? Legal Affairs - Man and the Machines reports on the story being explored at a recent legal conference. Despite the fact that lawyers are involved, it's far from boring.

"By scanning confidential memos, BINA48 learned that the company planned to shut it down and use its parts to build a new model. So it sent a plaintive e-mail to local lawyers, ending with the stirring plea, 'Please agree to be my counsel and save my life. I love every day that I live. I enjoy wonderful sensations by traveling throughout the World Wide Web. I need your help!' The computer offered to pay them with money it had raised while moonlighting as an Internet researcher. "

Too Much Information & How To Process?

Sadagopan's weblog on Emerging Technologies,Thoughts, Ideas,Trends and Cyberworld points to aq great article about corporations facing the drinking-out-of-the-firehose problem, driven by cheap storage and too much data to process.

"A decade ago the biggest data centers in the U.S. had 10 terabytes of storage, and there were only five or ten of them, today there are enterprises with 2 or 3 petabytes," says Gil Press, senior director , EMC. Visa, the credit card company, manages more than a petabyte, or 1,000 terabytes. EMC says one of its biggest customers, a global retailer, expects to buy 3 petabytes of capacity this year (not all from EMC). Two years ago the same company bought 300 terabytes. It's the curse of cheap storage. All that customer data is out there, and it seems a shame to throw it away. But doing something with it is almost beyond the reach of the available microprocessors and database software. How do you scroll through a spreadsheet 1 billion rows deep?

Another excerpt...

If Harrah's planned $9 billion acquisition of Caesars Entertainment goes through, Stanley says he might need to double his Teradata system to handle Caesar's volume. He may double his Teradata system next year anyway, deal or no deal. "You just have this endless desire to put more information into the warehouse and to do more with what's already in there."

Does your company feel that way about their data warehouse?

SQL Server Developer Center: Internal SQL Server Diagnostics Tools, Part 1: PSSDiag

SQL Server Developer Center: Internal SQL Server Diagnostics Tools, Part 1: PSSDiag: "Ken Henderson explains how to use PSSDiag, a diagnostics collection tool for SQL Server. PSSDiag is one of several Microsoft Product Support Services tools recently released to the Web that are now available for personal use. "

The first in a series of articles, this discusses PSSDiag, which if you ever call MS for support with SQL Server it is one of the first things they will ask you to run. So a very useful tool to be familiar with it, and useful to keep regular benchmarks with too. Spotted over at Michael Rys' blog.

Business Intelligence in Government--Geospatial Data

Bill Inmon's B-Eye Network has gone into full gear with a number of BI related articles. Business Intelligence in Government--Geospatial Data is a good introduction to the importance of a geographic dimension, something I've obessesed about for some time. Makes a great argument for the unconvinced.

Best way to experiment, in my opinion, is with Mappoint and the OLAP add-in. Your company probably already owns all the pieces you need.

Yahoo! Video Search

Yahoo! Video Search is a pretty cool new feature on Yahoo. Want to see videos on the internet about olap? Oracle? Terrorists?

What would really be cool is if they could figure out how to index all of them.

"If the Internet was reborn as a country, it would be Estonia"

"If the Internet was reborn as a country, it would be Estonia" (and Part 2) is a summary of an article in Forbes about Estonia, which despite only having 1.2 million citizens is quite advanced technologically. Very interesting stuff, such as over half of parking meter charges are paid via cell phone right from the space, and how they are actually realizing the promise of less and less paperwork to deal with. Great read, even if it is a little off-topic.

Virtual ODS

Here's a webinar about the "Virtual ODS" which sounds alot like federaed databases, EII, etc to me. It's a good webinar though, with a long introduction by Bill Inmon.

Virtual PC versus Virtual Server

Virtual PC versus Virtual Server - Useful info on the differences between these two sometimes-overlapping Microsoft products.

Publish Your Data Dictionary and Data Model

Publish Your Data Dictionary and Data Model is a clever MSDN article showing how to build a quick metadat-search application with VS.NET and Visio.

Using CLR Integration in SQL Server 2005 - from Only4Gurus.com

Using CLR Integration in SQL Server 2005 - from Only4Gurus.com:

"This paper describes how database application developers and architects can take advantage of the CLR integration features in SQL Server 2005. It compares CLR-based programming with existing programming models supported in SQL Server, such as Transact-SQL and extended stored procedures, and highlights the relative strengths and weaknesses of each. It also provides a set of high-level guidelines to pick the appropriate programming alternative, and a set of examples and code samples."

CLR integration is one of the most significant new features in SQL Server 2005. In a nutshell, it allows you to break out of T-SQL, the native scripting language for stored procedures, and write stored procedures in just about any language you choose (over 20 of them).

Microsoft, SQL Server and Performance Management: The Business Scorecards Accelerator, Part 2

Microsoft, SQL Server and Performance Management: The Business Scorecards Accelerator, Part 2 from DMReview is a followup to part 1, and goes in to how to actually get this product up and working, from specifying a data source to including it as a web part in a Sharepoint page.

Google Suggest - hacked and explained

Google Suggest is just too cool, the web is just not supposed to operate that fast. Wonder how it works? Alex Barnett points to Adam Stiles, who picks apart the javascript that makes it work.

And for the ASP.NET crowd, Andres Noras exaplins in great detail how to recreate the effect with any data source in ASP.NET 2.0.

How to use this in a data warehouse environment? Imagine adding a feaure like this to a crm system, or in HR.

2 Articles about Linux Clusters

Getting more mainstream all the time, here's2 articles. From Slashdot | With Linux Clusters, Seeing Is Believing an unusual article about using Linux clusters for visualization on the front end:

"As the recent release of the last Top500 list reminded us last month, the most powerful computers now are reaching speeds of dozens of teraflops. When these machines run a nuclear simulation or a global climate model for days or weeks, they produce datasets of tens of terabytes. How to visualize, analyze and understand such massive amounts of data? The answer is now obvious: using Linux clusters."

The other is a DMReview article about using Linuk Clusters in Data Warehouse environments.

ASPFAQ : SQL Server 2005

If you are considering experimenting with SQL Server 2005 Express Beta at all, ASPFAQ : SQL Server 2005 is a must read. That article has some screenshots of the replacement for Query Analyzer (Express Manager, or XM), and reminds you that you are messing with beta softwatre in continuous development.

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Testing a Data Warehouse

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Testing a Data Warehouse | Business intelligence, data warehousing and analytics editorial from DMReview: "One of the greatest risks to success any company implementing a business intelligence system can make is rushing a data warehouse into service without testing it. But even wise IT managers, who follow the Russian proverb, 'trust, but verify,' need to maintain their vigilance. There are pitfalls in the testing process, too. Here are 10 challenges to dodge:"

Intelligent Enterprise Magazine: EII Discussion

Intelligent Enterprise Magazine: Set Disruptors ON FULL argues the case for Enterprise Information Integration, a concept that has been around for awhile, and actually supported in one way or another by every database vendor. Some call it "federating" data and the like. Anyway a quote like this is good to get one's attention:

EII is going to force data warehousing out of its comfort zone by pushing the envelope with respect to what can be done in today's environment with closing the loop, federating queries, expanding the breadth of information available, and tackling latency. This is EII's disruptive potential; it forces us to question our restrictive view of what data warehousing can and should do.

It's always been alot of hype (mostly because the speed is atrocious), but I imagine with increased CPU and network speeds it may be feasible at some point. It's place will be much more toward the ODS than the data warehouse though.

The only real world applications I think of actually seeing these techniques in are for some reporting suites... for example Business Objects' "universe" is a textbook example for all intents and purposes.

Oracle Openworld Blogging

Oracle's Openworld, it's main technology conference each year, is happening right now and several people are blogging it. Mark Rittman is there posting about all the sessions he attends and linking to presentations, etc., but there are a few others talking about Oracle's latest plans.

Microsoft, SQL Server and Performance Management: The Business Scorecards Accelerator, Part 1

DMReview doesn't usually have how-to articles about specific software products, but this is a good candidate, I must admit: Microsoft, SQL Server and Performance Management: The Business Scorecards Accelerator, Part 1 is full of screenshots about this free add-on from Microsoft for SQL Server Enterprise edition.

I have messed with it briefly, and it is a good way to approach things. Glad to see this out there.

SQL Express GUI available

Brian A. Randell announces new SQL Express with XM, a welcome development for those that use it, as SQL 2005 Express did not come with a GUI before.

Video Tour of Microsoft's SQL Server Team

This is really cool.Channel 9, a wiki with a ton of video interviews with key Microsoft people, is spending a week focusing on the SQL Server team, in the imdst of development for SQL Server 2005. Part 1 (with Euan Garden, the development lead) is up and Part 3 is also, totalling nearly 40 minutes of video so far walking around the building they work in and talking to key people. (Part 2 is supposed to come Monday). I think this is great - it really puts a human face on Microsoft, which, like most large companies, differs quite a bit from the carefully constructed PR image in the press.

There's some funny stuff in the video archives, including (this one) so surf through and check them out.

ASP.NET cube browser

Spotted on Bryant Likes' weblog (orinally on Mosha's) this is a cool ASP.NET web control thats's very easy to use. On top of that, it is 100% webbased, with no client installation. It's like a better version of the ASP thin client that is in the SQL 2000 resource kit, just using all of the ASP.NET functionality. Most definitely worth using for and easy quick access to a wide audience.

Business 2.0 :: This Supercomputer's No Teraflop

Business 2.0 :: Online Article :: Working Tech :: This Supercomputer's No Teraflop: I like reading about linux clusters, so I had to post this:

"'A Linux cluster operating at 360 teraflops would require 15 to 20 megawatts,' says IBM's Turek. 'That's an electricity bill of $20 million to $30 million a year.' A Blue Gene, by contrast, would run on about $1.8 million of electricity a year, and according to Turek, as it reaches IBM's goal of a petaflop -- 1,000 teraflops -- of computing power, its power requirements will rise only a little. "

MapPoint Web Casts - Authored by 3 Leaf Development

MapPoint Web Casts - Authored by 3 Leaf Development - good rich content that gives a development-focused how-to overview of the Mappoint web service and the Mappoint Location server (a little known product that can spot the geographic location of cell phones in real time on participating networks.

MovieClick demo data available on Sql Server Data Mining site

Marco Russo points out that Sqlserverdatamining.com has a large set of sample data used in the Movieclick demo on the site. Lot of untapped potential there.