OT: Windoze Networking and SQL

First question - do you have a fixed external IP address? If not, routing will be a problem

Karen

I'd start by getting IT to explain "security issues with SQL". That's IT speak for "we don't know how it works".

If your SQL Server doesn't contain any sensitive data, there can't be a security issue with it. You aren't asking them to change their firewall settings.

By SQL, do you mean the Microsoft SQL Server? It might be easier, given the hardware available, to use MySQL. SQL Server isn't going to be amused by 256Mb of RAM. You'll also need the software itself - it isn't included in NT and it isn't free. You could use MSDE - the free version, but you don't get the management tools you'll need.

Access is horrible. Don't do it!

Others will be better able to advise on MySQL - ISTR there is a Windows version now.

Microsoft SQL server if incorrectly set up (which is the default) allows complete access to the underlying operating system via an SQL connection. It's a notorious hotbed of security issues.

WTF is all this doing in the landrover group when some of the group have been busy hounding some chap out who was posting landy pics to a website??????????????????????

Yes there is, I have spent the evening swearing at it, trying to write a Delphi application that talks to a MySQL database with surprisingly little success tonight.

Steve

I'd also go for mysql.

My networks all run lots of self written management stuff and ive just been changing that all over to sql.

I initally used MS sql server but it is very big and slow and complicated compared to mysql. mysql also doesnt have any noticeable impact on the performance of the server it is running on whereas ms sql server is very noticeable especially on older servers

also its free, which is a bonus!

after using it for a month or so i much prefer mysql.

download it off the website and also get the mysql administrator and the mysql query browser. the website isnt very clear but:

administrator - lets you graphically create and modify tables and backup and restore DB's and the like

query browser - adds functionality to administrator that lets you modify table data and run sql queries and view the resulting recordsets.

odbc connector - you might need this on the client pcs too.

the software can be a bit flakey occasionally and whenever ive tried putting any stored procedures in its buggered my whole DB up - but you dont really need them for simple sql teaching.

you can use something like dyndns.org to get round this.

Simon - do you intend the kids to access the database from school machines too or home ones?. if your school broadband feed is anything like the county provided ones round here you will not be access any of the ports needed for management stuff!

You could host something like ASP pages on your private server and let the kids access the db through that, but they arnt going to be easily able to run sql queries and use the graphical tools to set up tables and stuff.

How about using MS SQL Server Express on the local machines? Assuming they are up to spec - can be configured to deny remote connections (default in fact I think).

Its marked OT in fairness.

Steve

do you mean MSDE?

while it works, its not very easy to use (especially if youre a total newbie to sql) as you dont get any of the graphical bits which make it a lot easier and more straightforward.

As a school technician - if any of my schools wanted to start teaching pupils SQL i'd set up mysql server on an old server or machine specifically for this job and then let them at it with mysql administrator and query browser. You can set up different user permissions to aspects of the databases and the administrator and backing up and restoring is very simple so you can let them do whatever they like and then put test data back in.

At uni, I was tought SQL using MS SQL server and having access to the enterprise manager and sql analyser made it much clearer.

Someone has probably rolled an entire Linux distie together that sets up a MYSQl box automagically, but failing that, you can put SUSE10 in console mode together in 3/4 hour tops.

Steve

Nope...

MSDE is fine for what it's meant for, but that's definitely not teaching!

On or around Tue, 21 Mar 2006 23:24:30 +0000, Ian Rawlings enlightened us thusly:

a valid point. However, it is flagged as OT (which means easy-to-skip) and it is also being done by regulars who normally post a lot of LR content so one's inclined to cut them a little slack, as I believe the saying goes.

Maybe what we really need is another thing such as OT, FS, FA and so forth for people to add posts about putting more pictures on their site...

Simon

We did something similar and ended up with a little desktop running Suse 10 connected to our ADSL line. It also has our Moodle server on it. Much better than setting up a posh Microsoft box. The posh MS box couldn't handle more than 30 connections without falling over and needed rebooting every other day. The little Suse box just runs and runs.

Suse is very easy to set up (it must be I did it!) and is free.

Ain't it funny how many educational people we have in here (I'm an ICT coord), must be all them long hours and short hoildays we have.

Nigel

Simon,

You could try this site:

or the results of a google search:

nemo2

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:40:15 -0000, "Nigel" scribbled the following nonsense:

just can't handle having to have a holiday every 6 weeks...... and as for the summer, what a PITA!!

Hi,

If you find someone with an SQL CD, you van install the management tools without the database server component. This will then be able to manage an MSDE environment - I was doing it yesterday with a Sophos Antivirus database that runs on MSDE.

Cheers! Graham Carter Carter Computer Services Harare Zimbabwe