Some of the topics covered in this reference include: the MSDE architecture; database structures; data retrieval and modification; database administration; securing MSDE applications; database monitoring and maintenance; and packaging SQL in stored procedures.
The CD-ROM included with the book contains all the example code.
MSDE is the most recent product from Microsoft to provide database management services and was released in the summer of 1999 to round out the SQL Server product line and to fill the gap that existed between this product line and the low-end Jet database.
Jet is the database engine that has historically been included with Microsoft Access. Access and Jet are tightly integrated to provide a low-maintenance rapid application development environment for data-centric applications. Such applications can be distributed to, and run by, anyone who owns a copy of Access. Applications that are developed in Access using the Jet data engine sometimes need to be converted to SQL Server when the number of users expands, or conversion becomes mission critical. Unfortunately, the conversion from Jet to SQL Server can be very complex and time-consuming. MSDE provides a seamless upgrade path from Access to SQL Server.
MSDE, like Jet, is freely redistributable and 100 percent compatible with SQL Server. It is, in fact, a version of SQL Server, and it not only marries the high-end functionality of that product with low-cost distribution and ease of development provided by Access 2000, it integrates seamlessly with the Visual Studio products.
Upsizing from Access to SQL Server
Many experts in the software industry specialize in upsizing applications that were developed in Access to function with SQL Server. The process can be aided by Microsoft's upsizing wizard, but additional changes to program code are often necessary. Applications developed in Access with MSDE can be converted to other editions of SQL Server by installing the new edition and allowing the setup program to migrate the database or copying a few files to a new SQL Server and running a single stored procedure. No code modifications are necessary.
Maintaining a single code base
According to one Microsoft case study, O'Reilly and Associates has used MSDE in their most recent version of WebBoard, software that supports Web-based collaboration, such as bulletin boards, newsgroups, and chat. WebBoard was previously available in two different versions: one that used Jet for the low-end market and one that used SQL Server for the high-end market. Having two versions increased the cost of development and maintenance. So, in release 4.0, WebBoard was developed solely for the SQL Server platform and is being distributed with MSDE for lowvolume sites. Customers can more easily upgrade from the low end to the high end, and O'Reilly saves on development and support costs.
Easily distributing software demos
Two other companies described in Microsoft case studies are Telemate.Net and Valadeo. Telemate.Net, whose eponymous product gathers and reports on usage information for phone systems, firewalls, proxy servers, etc. has used MSDE to provide a low-cost, entry-level product. They also use this version as a bundled trial version, to make it easier and cheaper for companies to evaluate the software. Valadeo produces two products called LiveSite and LiveSite Server, which provide Web publishing for end users and tracking and account for Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Valadeo uses a strategy similar to Telemate.Net's in that it has a low-end version based on MSDE that can serve as a demonstration of the capabilities of its software. Both companies anticipate expanding their market by making their products available to companies that would not previously have been able to cost justify them, as well as creating easy-to-distribute demo versions.
MSDE is the data engine of choice for a variety of developers. It is available to users of any version of Microsoft Office 2000 that comes with Access 2000 and to users of the Visual Studio development products: Visual Studio 6.0 Professional or Enterprise and later versions, Visual Basic 6.0 Professional or Enterprise and later versions, Visual C++ Professional or Enterprise, Visual Interdev 6.0 Professional and later versions, Visual J++ Professional, and Visual FoxPro 6.0 Professional and later versions. The terms of the license agreement for MSDE vary depending upon which product is used. This book describes the general sense of the license agreement; however, the actual license agreement, which is provided with every copy of MSDE, is authoritative and should be read carefully before use or redistribution.
Access 2000 users
There are two different license agreements for Access 2000 users. The license agreement included with Office 2000 Premium allows MSDE to be used with all of the Office products for internal use. The license agreement for Office 2000 Developer allows internal use, but also redistribution.
For internal use
Access 2000 developers who develop applications for internal use can take advantage of MSDE. It allows them to keep the cost of their projects low while planning for the future. The historical problem with applications developed in Access is that the initial design often underestimates the ultimate demand that will be placed upon it. Such applications were often initially only required to support relatively small amounts of data and users. But as their use spreads and the size of the data grows, they become slower and less reliable. Eventually, one of two things usually happens: the application is completely scrapped and replaced or rewritten, or a major project is undertaken to upsize the application to SQL Server. MSDE will turn the upsizing project into a task that can be accomplished in a single morning.
For distribution
The ease of upsizing is also useful for Access 2000 developers who write applications for resale or distribution. These applications can have a lower initial purchase cost because there is no need to purchase SQL Server and its client access licenses. The end users who buy such applications can feel secure in the knowledge that if they ever decide to move to SQL Server, they can do so with minimal cost and effort. The considerations for upsizing will be:
Visual Studio developers
Programmers who use the Visual Studio products will enjoy the same benefits as the Access 2000 developers. They will also find it easier to distribute demonstration copies of their programs. If a program is written to use SQL Server, its creators can certainly distribute copies of their own code freely, but they cannot freely distribute SQL Server. That places a burden on potential users of the software, in that they must acquire their own version of SQL Server. With the advent of MSDE, the developers can simply include this freely distributable version with demos, and then resell the full version of SQL Server to potential clients who decide to buy...
Acknowledgment.
PART I: The MSDE Environment.
Chapter 1: What is MSDE?
Chapter 2: MSDE Architecture.
Chapter 3: Methods for Communicating with MSDE.
Chapter 4: Preparing to Use MSDE.
Chapter 5: Understanding Microsoft Object Models.
PART II: Database Structures.
Chapter 6: Databases.
Chapter 7: Using Tables to Store Data.
Chapter 8: Ensuring Database Consistency.
Chapter 9: Improving Performance with Indexes.
Chapter 10: Locking: The Key to a Consistent Multiuser System.
PART III: Data Retrieval and Modification.
Chapter 11: Retrieving Data with the Structured Query Language (SQL).
Chapter 12: Modifying Data with SQL.
Chapter 13: Programming with SQL.
PART IV: Advanced Database Structures.
Chapter 14: Enhancing Data Access with Views.
Chapter 15: Packaging SQL in Stored Procedures.
Chapter 16: Using Triggers to Enforce Data integrity.
Chapter 17: Accessing Data with Cursors.
PART V: Working with External Data.
Chapter 18: importing and Exporting Data.
Chapter 19: Transforming Data With DTS.
Chapter 20: Using Replication to Distribute Data.
Chapter 21: Using Transactions to Distribute Data.
PART VI: Database Administration.
Chapter 22: Controlling MSDE.
Chapter 23: Backing Up and Restoring Data.
Chapter 24: Accessing Data from Programs, Scripts, and Web Pages Using ADO and XML.
Chapter 25: Administering Security.
Chapter 26: Automating Tasks with SQL Agent.
Chapter 27: Creating Web Pages.
PART VII: Database Monitoring, Maintenance, and Optimization.
Chapter 28: Monitoring and Optimizing MSDE.
Chapter 29: Maintaining Databases with DBCC.
Chapter 30: Improving the Performance of Data Access.
PART VIII: Database Deployment.
Chapter 31: MSDE Deployment Overview.
Chapter 32: Deploying MSDE with Access Projects.
Chapter 33: Deploying MSDE with Visual Studio Projects.
Appendix A: What's On the CD-ROM.
Index.
End-User License Agreement.
CD-ROM Installation Instructions.
Anonymous
Posted Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2001
If you are looking for some real meat on using MSDE, forget it. It only lays out the most basic information for accessing MSDE from different platforms. It is essentially redundant and of little help.
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Posted Fri Jun 11 00:00:00 EDT 2010
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Overview
Some of the topics covered in this reference include: the MSDE architecture; database structures; data retrieval and modification; database administration; securing MSDE applications; ...