SQL Server Magazine UPDATE, September 19, 2002

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September 19, 2002—In this issue:

1. COMMENTARY

2. SQL SERVER NEWS AND VIEWS

3. ANNOUNCEMENT

4. HOT RELEASES (ADVERTISEMENTS)

5. RESOURCE

6. NEW AND IMPROVED

7. CONTACT US

1. COMMENTARY

(contributed by Brian Moran, news editor, [email protected])

On September 9, Microsoft posted an impressive 64-bit TransactionProcessing Performance Council (TPC-C) benchmark score that willaffect the way many people view SQL Server as an enterprise-classdatabase. Microsoft achieved a nonclustered transactions per minute(tpmC) score of 308,620 and a price per tpmC of $14.96. (You can viewtesting details and the other top TPC-C scores at http://www.tpc.org.) Although it didn't shatter any existing world records, this is one of Microsoft's most important benchmark scores.

Microsoft has held the world's fastest TPC-C scores for more than ayear, but to achieve these scores, the company used distributedpartitioned views to create a federated database. I'm not going toexplore the pros and cons of Microsoft-based federated databases thisweek, but for better or worse, few real-world customers buildsolutions that use federated distributed partitioned views. So, pastMicrosoft clustered systems that recorded the top TPC-C scores don'tmatch the way most customers build and deploy their solutions.Although I believe that scale-out architectures will eventually winthe scalability battle, most people conquer performance problems byscaling up on single-node SMP database machines.

Microsoft has had a hard time convincing some enterprise-classcustomers that single-node SQL Server boxes can compete effectively onpure performance with UNIX databases. Have you also harbored thatthought? Microsoft's newest TPC-C score might make you reconsider yourposition. SQL Server performance discussions inevitably come around tocomparisons with Oracle, so let's look at how SQL Server and OracleTPC-C test scores compare. Oracle's top TPC-C nonclustered score comesin 48 percent faster than SQL Server's at 423,414 tpmC and has a priceper tpmC of $15.64. However, testers achieved the most recent SQLServer score by using a beta version of SQL Server 2000 64-bit(code-named Liberty) running on a beta release of Windows .NET Server(Win.NET Server) 2003, Datacenter Edition. SQL Server 64-bit scoreswill undoubtedly improve after final versions of the products ship. Inaddition, SQL Server used only 32 processors, whereas Oracle chewed up64. Historically, Oracle hasn't been more efficient than SQLServer--it just ran on bigger boxes. It's interesting to note that thebest Oracle score achieves 6615 tpmC per processor, whereas SQLServer's best score cranks out 9644 tpmC for each processor. How did Iget these numbers? I simply divided the real tpmC score by the numbersof processors in each system. Although these numbers aren't officialTPC results, they do demonstrate the per-processor efficiency of SQLServer and Wintel. And the comparison tells you that SQL Server andWindows scale effectively and that SQL Server performed moreefficiently per processor than Oracle in these latest TPC-Cbenchmarks.

If you've been running your business on SQL Server, you know thatMicrosoft continues to push the limits of high-end scalability andthat Windows-based platforms continue to close the hardware gap withUNIX as SQL Server scales up to 64-bit processing and Wintel boxessupport more and faster processors. Microsoft's new capabilities inthe 64-bit database and hardware space produce top-end databaseperformance. Think SQL Server can't handle the performance needs ofyour business? You owe it to yourself, and your wallet, to reconsider.

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2. SQL SERVER NEWS AND VIEWS

(contributed by Paul Thurrott, [email protected])

Microsoft Group Vice President Jim Allchin verified the timelinefor Longhorn, the next version of Windows, during his keynote addressat Windows Server DevCon on September 6 in Seattle. Allchin said thatMicrosoft will deliver the far-reaching Windows version in desktop andserver editions in 2005.

But Longhorn can't happen until the SQL Server-based file system workis ready. Microsoft is developing that technology as part of Yukon,the next major SQL Server release, which Allchin said is due in late2003 or early 2004 (actually, he said "fiscal 2004," which runs fromJuly 1, 2003, until June 30, 2004).

Again, given the company's history, I think the first half of 2004 isprobably a more reasonable estimate. Microsoft will use the Yukontechnology to unify its many storage schemes, including theaforementioned Windows file system, Active Directory (AD), Exchange2000 Server, and, of course, its many database products. Expect aYukon beta in early 2003.

Microsoft's new Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) is now availableat http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q320454. The site provides information about and a link to download thesecurity tool. This tool centrally scans Windows-based computers forcommon security misconfigurations. MBSA, which runs on Windows 2000and Windows XP, can scan for missing hotfixes and securityvulnerabilities on XP-, Win2K-, and Windows NT 4.0-based computers.For each computer that it scans, MBSA generates a report detailingsecurity holes in Windows, SQL Server, Microsoft Internet InformationServices (IIS), and Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE). The toolincludes a GUI and a command-line interface.

MBSA can scan SQL Server 7.0; SQL Server 7.0 Service Pack 1 (SP1),SP2, and SP3; and all editions of SQL Server 2000 SP1. The tool checksfor vulnerabilities on the first (default) instance of SQL Server thatit finds on the computer. If MBSA doesn't find a default instance, itchecks the first named instance that it finds. Microsoft says that afuture version of the tool might support scanning multiple versions ofSQL Server.

Microsoft announced its first .NET certification, the MicrosoftCertified Application Developer (MCAD) for Microsoft .NET credential.The MCAD certification recognizes professional developers who useMicrosoft Visual Studio .NET and XML Web services to buildapplications. The new credential can help you develop your .NET skillsand demonstrate .NET expertise to employers, peers, and customers.Training courses and books are available on the Microsoft Training andCertification Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/mcad.

As part of a series of Developer Centers that provide a centralizedsource for tools, information, and resources, MSDN has rolled out theXML Web Services Developer Center. The Center, athttp://msdn.microsoft.com/webservices, provides a place fordevelopers to learn about, build, and keep current with thequickly-evolving world of Web services.

The voting has closed in SQL Server Magazine's nonscientificInstant Poll for the question, "Do you subscribe to Microsoft's SecurityBulletin service?" Here are the results (+/- 1 percent) from the 217votes:

   - 64% Yes   - 13% No, but I plan to   - 23% No, and I don't plan to

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3. ANNOUNCEMENTS

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5. RESOURCES

According to Gartner Dataquest, a shake-up in the database markethas yielded a new database champ: IBM. But SQL Server recorded thelargest increase in revenue from new licenses, and industry watchersexpect SQL Server to stay on this roll. In "Shaken and Stirred,"Michael Otey tells you why. This article appears in the September 2002issue of SQL Server Magazine and is available online at
http://www.sqlmag.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=25851

Lemonhead wants to know whether you can run DBCC INDEXDEFRAG forall indexes on a table at once or whether you have to programmaticallyrun the command for each index? Offer your advice and read otherusers' suggestions on the SQL Server Magazine forums at the followingURL:
http://www.sqlmag.com/Forums/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=8677

(contributed by Brian Moran, [email protected])

Microsoft stresses that writing queries directly against system tablesis a bad idea. Microsoft reserves the right to change the underlyingdefinition of system tables, so the correct and safest way to querysystem data is through a system function, a stored procedure, or oneof the ANSI-standard information schema views.

Information schema views are handy, and I use them all the time.However, sometimes I want to see how the information schema views gettheir information, so I peek under the covers. The information schemaviews are visible in the master database, just as any other view is.

Reading Microsoft-supplied stored procedures is a great way to learnundocumented tips and cool T-SQL coding tricks. And reading theinformation schema views is a great way to learn about the innerworkings of SQL Server. This exercise might not be quite as excitingas the newest Tom Clancy novel, but it will give you something to dowith your free time-as if DBAs have any free time.

Send your technical questions to [email protected].

6. NEW AND IMPROVED

(contributed by Carolyn Mader, [email protected])

MobileSys announced the MobileSys Network Delivery Channel (NDC), afree download for MobileSys Network customers that lets you addwireless connectivity to solutions you develop using SQL Server 2000Notification Services. The MobileSys NDC, combined with the MobileSysNetwork, adds a wireless messaging component so that users can sendnotification messages to any wireless device. The MobileSys NDC usesShort Message Service (SMS) protocols to reach the mobile user. TheMobileSys Network connects enterprises and application serviceproviders (ASPs) with their employees, customers, and partners. Forquestions, contact MobileSys at 650-623-3700.
http://www.mobilesys.com

Compuware announced DevPartnerDB 4.1 for Microsoft SQL Server, anapplication development tool for building, debugging, and monitoringstored procedures. To better understand how your application interactswith the database, you can perform proactive debugging of T-SQL.DevPartnerDB also uses XML support and implementation to give you asmooth transition to SQL Server 2000. The tool lets you controlprogram execution and modify program variables. DevPartnerDB supportsSQL Server 2000 and 7.0 and costs $800. Contact Compuware at248-737-7300.
http://www.compuware.com

7. CONTACT US

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