Avoiding the Autoclose and Autoshrink Options

Q
In the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Resource Kit, I read about a procedure that checks all databases for options that you should avoid using. I understand why I should avoid using options such as offline, DBO-use only, statistics off, truncate log on checkpoint, and so on. However, the inclusion of two of the options—autoclose and autoshrink—puzzles me.

Autoclose. Closing a file when it is not in use sounds like a prudent thing to do. Yet I see files opening and closing all the time in the error log in SQL Server, even though I know that I never use the database except for viewing in Enterprise Manager. Does viewing a list of databases in Enterprise Manager make the files open? It makes sense to me to use autoclose on databases that I use only occasionally as import staging areas, and which I access for only a fraction of the time my online transaction processing (OLTP) database is in use. SQL Server Books Online says that the autoclose option is automatically set to YES for the SQL Server Personal Edition and to NO for all other editions. Has this option been included only for the Personal Edition?

Autoshrink. The autoshrink option also sounds helpful. However, would using autoshrink on my import staging areas, where I bring in quantities of data for short periods of time, keep these areas small for backups?

A
Autoclose is available in all editions of SQL Server 2000. The amount of memory you save by using this option is relatively small but might be important on memory-constrained systems running the Personal Edition. However, enabling autoclose for the other editions isn’t a good idea, because every time you try to access the database, the query will be slowed by the amount of load time it takes to mount the database. As for the question about your files opening and closing, yes, when you enumerate a database in Enterprise Manager, you access the database, which opens the files.

Leaving autoshrink on for production systems also isn’t a good practice (unless you really need to), because autoshrink might start when your system is otherwise busy with production work, and slow down the system. However, enabling this option is a good idea for desktop or remote systems that don’t get a lot of DBA attention and whose databases could grow out of control before you detect the problem.

Microsoft DirectX FAQs

Q: What is DirectX? Do you have a definition?
A: Microsoft® DirectX® is a group of technologies designed to make Windows-based computers an ideal platform for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements, such as full-color graphics, video, 3-D animation, and surround sound.
Q: What is the latest version of DirectX
A: The latest released version is currently DirectX 9.0b for users of Microsoft Windows 98, 98Se, Me, 2000, XP, and Server 2003. The latest version of DirectX for Windows 95 users is 8.0a.

Read More at:
Q: What is new in DirectX 9?
A: “There are many new and exciting features in all of the DirectX components.
The SDK has added a new member to its core technology called Managed DirectX, a DirectPlay port for the PocketPC, a High Level Shader Language for D3DX, and Windows XP parity on downlevel operating systems for DirectShow and the DirectX audio APIs.
DirectShow also has a new Video Mixing Renderer (VMR9) which uses D3D9 surfaces and always renders video through the 3D pipeline, along with new and exciting samples.
The generic Windows Media Format SDK stub library (wmstub.lib) available in previous beta releases has been removed. DirectShow samples using this stub library have been reverted to the DirectX 8.1 behavior of displaying a warning to obtain the stub separately, and the readme.txt files have also been reverted with information on the process to obtain the stub.”
Q: What is new specifically in DirectX 9.0b?
A: DirectX 9.0b includes security and performance updates, along with many new features across all technologies, which can be accessed by applications using the DirectX 9.0 APIs.
Q: Will there also be a SDK update coming?
A: Yes, Microsoft DirectX 9.0b SDK Summer 2004 Update will be released this summer.
Q: What will be included in that?
A: Primary areas of concentration for the Summer Update was for the Direct3D Extension Library (D3DX), Graphics Samples, Sample Frame work, tools and documentation. This release includes updated developer runtime and the previously released DirectX 9.0b Redistributable.
Q: What was new in DirectX 8.0a?
A: DirectX 8.0a contains updates for issues with international installs on Windows 2000 and issues where input devices could have buttons disabled that were enabled with previous DirectX releases. There are no other changes.
Q: What operating systems is DirectX 9 compatible with?
A: Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000(Professional and server editions), Windows XP. and Windows Server 2003. DirectX 9 is NOT compatible with Windows NT or Windows 95.
Q: You do not have Windows 95 listed as being compatible with Microsoft DirectX. What should I do?
A: The latest version available for Windows 95 is DirectX 8.0a.
Q: Is DirectX compatible with Windows NT?
A: Yes, though the only version supported on Windows NT 4.0 is DirectX 3.0a. You must also install Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6.
Q: How much space will this take up on the hard drive?
A: It will take about 18 MB of space once downloaded and installed. About 60 MB for installation.
Q: Do I need to install DirectX 9?
A: There are improvements over DirectX 8.1, but most users will do fine with running 8.1. Future games and hardware will obviously take better advantage of DirectX 9.
Q: What was new in DirectX 9.0a?
A: DirectX 9.0a featured bug fixes as well as improvements in performance within the graphics and networking components of the original DirectX 9.0 runtime.
Q: I thought that a DirectX Icon would appear in my control panel – what has happened to it?
A: The DirectX Control Panel is only included in the SDK versions of DirectX.
Q: What is the DirectX SDK?
A: The Microsoft® DirectX® 9 Software Development Kit (SDK) contains the tools needed to build cutting-edge, media-rich, interactive applications. It includes the run-time, headers and libs, sample executables, sample source, documentation, DirectX utilities, and support for both C++ and Visual Basic® development.
Q: What versions of DirectX are shipped with the different Microsoft Operating Systems?
A: Windows 98 comes with native DirectX 5 support. While Windows 98 Second Edition comes with DirectX 6.1a and Windows 2000 DirectX 7. Windows NT comes with DirectX 3.0a, and Windows 95 comes with DirectX 2. Windows XP comes with Direct X 8.1. Windows 2003 Server comes with DirectX 8.1.
Q: Will new versions of DirectX affect older games?
A: No, as each new version of DirectX is backwards compatible with older versions.
Q: Will Windows 2000 users finally be able to update to each new version of DirectX as they are released?
A: Yes – all future versions of DirectX will install onto Windows 2000.
Q: Does DirectX have a role with Xbox?
A: Yes, all DirectX technologies had played a role in the development of the Xbox both through Microsoft and NVIDIA. Xbox either shipped with a customized version of DirectX or has a similar set of non-updateable technologies.

Web Hosting

Web hosting involves the placement of a web site or many web sites on a server that is connected to the Internet. The web hosting server is located off site at a web hosting company that leases the use of the server. The web hosting company should have two or more separate connections to the Internet for redundancy. Since very few web hosting systems need the throughput available on the Internet connection, the connections are shared to reduce cost. There are two primary web hosting methods, virtual web hosting and dedicated web hosting.

Virtual Web Hosting:
Virtual web hosting is where many web sites from different companies are placed on one server and the server is controlled by the hosting company. This is the least expensive way to have a web site as you only are paying to lease a small portion of the web hosting server. However, a virtual web hosting server tends to be less reliable and the available bandwidth is shared among hundreds of companies. These might be of 2 kinds

Shared Hosting:
These hosts run server machines hosting from hundreds to thousands of domains. They give great value if your needs aren’t too high and your budget is relatively small. You usually get one web domain, private FTP, email, a few gigabytes of data storage and bandwidth per day but no SSH or anonymous FTP. If you are just a beginner in web publishing or do not need sophisticated features, then these should be ideal for you.

Virtual Dedicated Servers (VDSs):
VDSs give you the flexibility of hosting multiple domains with no extra cost for an expense of a higher monthly fee than shared hosts. Similar to dedicated servers but you have “neighbors” that you share the machine with. You do not “see” your neighbors but if your site grows much, you will notice that they are there. They will give you anonymous FTP and SSH/telnet support for you to logon to the usually UNIX (Linux or BSD variant) operating systems command console. These plans are usually twice as expensive as their shared counterparts.

Dedicated Web Hosting:
Dedicated web hosting is where only one company places its web site on a server and that company controls the administration of the server. Dedicated web hosting is much more reliable than virtual web hosting and much more flexible. Since you control how the server is used you can configure it to your exact business needs. A dedicated web hosting server is more expensive to use, but for companies that rely on the Internet for their business it is normally a better value. A dedicated web hosting server also can be part of a cluster to increase throughput and reliability even further.

Change the ports of WinVNC Server

Although Windows XP have remote desktop function, most people still like to use VNC to remote control their machine, however you may need to change the port to bypass the firewall of your office/school. Here’s the way to change the port settings.

– If you want to set port > 5900:
1. Run WinVNC (App Mode)
2. Right click and select “Properties” on the VNC tray icon
3. Check “Accept Socket Connections” but DO NOT check “Auto”
4. Calculate display number: if you want to set to port 6900, then your display number will be: 6900 – 5900 = 1000
5. Enter 1000 in the display number field
6. Done

– If you want to set port < 5900 (e.g. port 2000), this reqire a few more steps:
1. Run WinVNC (App Mode)
2. Right click and select “Properties” on the VNC tray icon
3. Tick “Accept Socket Connections” but DO NOT click “Auto”, enter “0” to the “Display Number” field.
4. Exit VNC server
5. Start -> Run -> regedit -> OK, Find “\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ORL\WinVNC3”
6. Find value of “PortNumber”
7. edit the value, change the DEC value of 5900 to the port number you want
8. restart VNC Server, Done!

When you connect to your machine by VNCViewer, type “your-ip:PortNumber” to connect (e.g. “192.168.10.51:2000”)

And the web port is the value of PortNumber – 100, so if PortNumber = 5900, http port = 5800, then you can access your desktop in a browser by “http://your-ip:PortNumber&#8221;, (e.g. “http://192.168.10.51:1900&#8221;)

Hope this can help

Hiding a XP Computer from Network Neighborhood

If you want to share files from a XP computer,
yet want to remove it from showing up in the Network Neighborhood,
Run net config server /hidden:yes