SQLonCall: The Show About SQL Server Reality
Black box software – Chris Shaw goes through specifics of working with vendors, selecting solid tools and more. Find out the key things you need to ask, how to get the most from your vendors and how to make your acquisition a success.
Pulling Information From Non-Relational Sources…
…is possible. In fact, pulling together sections of a worksheet, CSV reports and other more non-traditional data sources just got a whole lot easier. In SSIS, you can now use DataDefractor – a tool that let’s you automated the combination of information from these types of sources that used to be very difficult to include. Need to extract only a portion of the data? No problem. Take a look at DataDefractor here, and get your free trial copy to see exactly how you can put it to use.
Webcast TODAY: SQL Server 2005 Management Tools Overview
Today’s webcast is about the base tools in SQL Server 2005 – management studio, profiler, tuning, configuration and surface area management. I’ll be going over where they’re found, how they’re used and some tips and things you might not be aware of with the tools. Join us today.
> Register Now
> 9/12/2007 at 12:00pm Noon Pacific
Data Responsibility Extends to Us, Too…
If you’re responsible for databases, and I can’t imagine you’re reading if you’re not, I think you also have some responsibility for data *uses* and should hold your systems to the highest possible standards in terms of protecting data, protecting privacy, providing for service levels and the like.
You might be wondering why I mention this. I was surprised in the last few days when I received an unprompted registration confirmation for an upcoming conference. Surprised because it’s not one I attend. Weird. Come to find out later that someone registered for me, someone at the conference itself. It shouldn’t surprise you to know that the conference is about databases and such, nor should it surprise you to know that database folks are running it. No shocker there.
But I think as IT folks, and database professionals in general, we have to answer to the same standards we profess to be expecting of others. To register me required someone entering my data, my email, my address information and so-on – all without consent. In this day and age of identity theft issues and active protection of privacy and control of personal information, this really surprised me. That someone, "one of us" would do this gets my paranoid hair on the back of my neck standing straight up.
Why would someone do this? Should I be concerned? Was there some ulterior motive behind it or will someone be claiming that I’m now coming to a show that I am not actually attending? Is it happening to others? Is it to mold the attendee profile or list? I have no idea. Perhaps I’m just weird to be concerned.
The point isn’t this show. The point is that as data professionals, we must be better. We must live by the rules we’re working so hard to structure for others to live by.
Think about how your systems are used. Are there other or better controls you could suggest or recommend? Do your users understand responsible data management?
We can, and must, do better.
I hope to see you at SQL Connections, the SQL Server show where we’ll be (!) and will have a track of sessions as well, provided by SSWUG folks.
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