SEARCHDATABASE.COM | Database Administrator Tips October 1, 2003 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FROM OUR SPONSOR:
Download the Oracle Data Dictionary! http://searchDatabase.com/r/0,,19209,00.htm?questsoftware =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= IN THIS ISSUE | Table of Contents 1. DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR TIPS - SQL Server: How SQL Server is hacked - DB2: Formatting the date with SQL - Oracle: Using hidden Oracle paraemters - More recent tips from members 2. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LINKS - Free webcast: The future of database administration - Ask the experts: Your toughest DBMS questions answered - Featured Topic: Your SQL Server questions answered ___________________________________________________________________ ****************** Sponsored by Quest Software ******************** Is your Oracle database running at full speed? Can you identify bottlenecks and code that needs tuning? Start down the path to Oracle database health today with a free, online Oracle data dictionary compliments of Quest Software. Download your free data dictionary now! http://searchDatabase.com/r/0,,19209,00.htm?questsoftware ******************************************************************* ___________________________________________________________________ THIS WEEK'S TIPS: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= HOW SQL SERVER IS HACKED | David Litchfield Database servers are a soft target for hackers even though they should be the most secure boxes within an organization's IT infrastructure. This chapter from David Litchfeld's new book "SQL Server Security" covers both software vulnerabilities, configuration issues, hacker tools, attacks that require and don't require authentication, and more. >> CLICK for the full tip... http://www.searchDatabase.com/tip/1,289483,sid13_gci930221,00.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FORMATTING THE DATE WITH SQL | Ravinder Bahadur Here is a simple way to provide a format for date fields in DB2. >> CLICK for the full tip... http://www.searchDatabase.com/tip/1,289483,sid13_gci920867,00.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= HIDDEN ORACLE, PART II: USING UNDOCUMENTED PARAMETERS In part 1 of this series, guru Don Burleson explored ways to extract undocumented packages, hints, utilities and executables from Oracle. Now Don is ready to explore some ways that the undocumented Oracle parameters are used to aid the Oracle professional in managing and tuning their systems. >> CLICK for the tip... http://www.searchOracle.com/tip/1,289483,sid41_gci928423,00.html ___________________________________________________________________ MORE RECENT TIPS FROM SEARCHDATABASE MEMBERS: SPLIT DELIMITER-SEPARATED LISTS | Rajasekhar Sahitala http://www.searchDatabase.com/tip/1,289483,sid13_gci915927,00.html This SQL Server function is useful for splitting a string of values delimited by a special character; e.g., a comma or a space. DB2 DISCOVERY | Barrie Sosinsky http://www.searchDatabase.com/tip/1,289483,sid13_gci928300,00.html Here is a quick introduction to DB2 Discovery, which provides a more automated approach to problems associated with client/server communication. SELECTIVITY AND COMPOSITE INDEXES | Sethuraj Nair http://www.searchOracle.com/tip/1,289483,sid41_gci928040,00.html Badly ordered composite keys will prevent you from getting the best out of indexing in Oracle. Columns with excellent selectivity at the beginning of the index considerably boost its performance. This script will help DBAs get an idea about the selectivity of component columns of all existing indexes, make a decision about re-ordering the columns in the indexes based on selectivity, and more... HIDDEN ORACLE, PART I: EXPLORING UNDOCUMENTED UTILITIES http://www.searchOracle.com/tip/1,289483,sid41_gci928422,00.html Each new release of Oracle brings new hidden utilities. They are sometimes used by internal Oracle development staff and left in Oracle for emergency support. Many of these undocumented utilities are very powerful but can be complex. In this article, Oracle guru Don Burleson describes how to find hidden utilities, executables, parameters, v$ views, system events, and SQL hints. CHECK THE ISOLATION LEVEL OF ANY SQL SERVER SPID | Paul Wehland http://www.searchDatabase.com/tip/1,289483,sid13_gci920866,00.html How do you check the isolation level of other users (i.e., other SPIDs)? DBCC USEROPTIONS cannot do it. The way aound this is to use the undocumented DBCC PSS command.... Hundreds more free tech tips submitted by members: http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/tips/0,289484,sid13_tax281808,00.html Share your knowledge, submit a tip, win a prize: http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/tipsSubmit/1,289485,sid13,00.html ___________________________________________________________________ IMPORTANT LINKS: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE FUTURE OF DATABASE ADMINISTRATION | Free Webcast SPEAKER: Craig Mullins, Director of Technology Planning, BMC Software WHEN: Available now! Certain trends across the DBMS market today are changing the traditional role of the DBA. Tune in to this webcast and listen as expert Craig Mullins discusses: General industry patterns and specific DBMS market trends, skills essential to a successful career as a DBA today, including Java, .NET and XML, and new demands on the DBA, such as data integration. >> CLICK to listen now... http://searchDatabase.com/r/0,,18754,00.htm =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A VIEW FOR A MAX VALUE IN ANY MONTH | Ask the Experts Dear Ask the Expert, I need to develop a view which retrieves a max meter reading from a current month and a max meter reading from a month previous for a certain unit. The view needs to retrieve the unit id, max meter for the current month, and max meter for the prior month. Is this possible? >> CLICK to read SQL expert Rudy Limeback's response... http://www.searchDatabase.com/ateQuestionNResponse/0,289625,sid13_cid549436_tax285649,00.html?track=NL-76 >> CLICK for other database expert answers... http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/ateExperts/0,289622,sid13,00.html >> CLICK for Oracle-related expert answers... http://searchoracle.techtarget.com/ateExperts/0,289622,sid41,00.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= YOUR SQL SERVER QUESTIONS ANSWERED | Featured Topic Gurus Tony Bain and Mike Hotek answer your tough SQL Server administration and development questions. Browse their answers or ask your own inside... >> CLICK for our current Featured Topic... http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/featuredTopic/0,290042,sid13_gci929578,00.html >> CLICK for previous Featured Topics... http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/featuredTopics/0,290043,sid13,00.html ___________________________________________________________________ *********************SEARCHDATABASE CONTACTS*********************** TIM DICHIARA, Senior Site Editor (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) ROBYN LORUSSO, Site Editor (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) SARA CUSHMAN, Assistant Editor (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) ELLEN O'BRIEN, News Editor (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) ROB WESTERVELT, News Writer (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) TOM CLICK, Sales (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) CLARK MOREY, Sales (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) ___________________________________________________________________ **********************ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER************************ Created by TechTarget (http://www.techtarget.com) TechTarget - The Most Targeted IT Media Copyright 2003, All Rights Reserved. To unsubscribe from 'DBA Tips,' simply reply to this e-mail with REMOVE (all caps) within the Body or Subject or go to http://searchDatabase.techtarget.com/register, log in to edit your profile, click on the link to Edit email subscriptions, and uncheck the box next to the newsletter you wish to unsubscribe from. When finished, click "Save Changes to My Profile."
