March2007March 2007

SQL Server:New Tools to Diagnose Index Health

To get the best performance out of SQL Server, you need to oversee and maintain healthy indexes. New dynamic management views and functions give you a window into SQL Server to help you better understand how your indexes are functioning and discover potential performance issues. Randy Dyess

SQL Server:Achieve High Availability for SQL Server

SQL Server 2005 offers a number of options to improve database availability, from replication to clustering to log shipping. We’ll take a closer look at the various options for configuring SQL Server and help you find out which ones are right for your environment. Zach Nichter

SQL Server:Simplify Database Maintenance with Table Partitions

In the past, working with partitions and very large tables was a burdensome and tedious task, but with SQL Server 2005, table partitioning has gotten much simpler. Now you can easily create multiple partitions, move those partitions around, drop old partitions, and even change the way data is partitioned. Here’s how. Noah Gomez

SQL Server:Top Tips for SQL Server Clustering

A server cluster provides failover capabilities, ensuring more uptime for your critical operations. But for a cluster to be effective, it must be implemented properly. Here are some key tips that will help you get your cluster up faster and keep it functioning reliably. Tom Moreau, PhD

Windows Administration:Inside the Windows Vista Kernel: Part 2

This month we continue our in-depth discussion about what’s new in the Windows Vista kernel. In this issue, we review some advancements in how Windows Vista manages memory and explore the areas of system startup, shutdown, and power management. Mark Russinovich

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb978519(v=msdn.10)
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc135917(v=msdn.10)

Columns

From the Editor:Trophy Shelf
Joshua Trupin
Toolbox:New Products for IT Pros
Greg Steen
Utility Spotlight:SyncToy
Face it, most of the users you support just don't back up there data. SyncToy provides an unintrusive way to ensure your users' files are always backed up and ready to be easily restored. Jay Munro
SQL Q&A:Daylight Saving T ime, Server Memory, and More
Edited by Nancy Michell
The Cable Guy:The DHCPv6 Protocol
With an IPv6 network, you don't actually need DHCP to configure addresses, but there can be good reasons to use it. Find out why, and learn how to use DHCPv6 in your environment.Joseph Davies
Windows PowerShell:The Power of Variables
In Windows PowerShell, variables are mapped to underlying classes in the .NET Framework, providing more powerful capabilities than are possible in previous scripting languages. Explore the inner-workings of how these variables work, and learn how to use them.Don Jones
Hey, Scripting Guy!:Answering Your OU Questions…for Just 5 Cents
Ever wish you could display a dialog box that lets select an OU from Active Directory and connect to it using a script? The Scripting Guys have just the script you're looking for.The Microsoft Scripting Guys
Exchange Queue & A:Transaction Logs, Cmdlets, Remote Management, and More
Find out how and why transaction logs have changed in Exchange Server 2007, discover new ways to manage your Exchange servers remotely, get a crash course in using cmdlets to manage Exchange from a command prompt, and more.KC Lemson and Nino Bilic
Security Watch:Deploying EFS: Part 2
Last month, we looked at the back-end portion of an EFS deployment, discussing the elements that a system administrator will deal with. In this issue, we focus on EFS from the end-users' perspective, exploring enhancements to Windows Explorer and the task of choosing file system locations to be encrypted.John Morello
The Desktop Files:PsTools Primer
PsTools provides a gaggle of useful utilities for system administration. Explore all the tools this free suite has to offer and learn how you can use them to do everything from changing a user account password and viewing a user's SID to gathering system information and managing processes.Wes Miller
Inside Microsoft.com:Getting Started with Database Mirroring
Database failure can be detrimental, causing loss of data and loss of productivity. Fortunately, SQL Server 2005 SP1 introduced a database mirroring feature that can prevent such a disaster. Here's what you need to know to create a hot standby database that you can switch to in case your production server ever goes offline.Saleem Hakani
Field Notes:The Doctor Is In
At a party, being an IT pro is sort of like being a doctor. Everybody has a question about a problem they've been having. But sometimes, even the experts overlook the simplest solutions.Matt Hester
Windows Confidential:Looking Smart by Being Stupid
Why did Windows forget your autoplay settings? It didn't. Sometimes the safest action is to take no action.Raymond Chen