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Is your application compatible with Windows Vista? Make sure today by taking our self-test. Just follow the five steps of the Works with Windows Vista program so that you and your customers can be confident in your solution’s compatibility. Read More
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(04-11-08)
High-Performance Computing (HPC) has long exceeded the reach of the masses. In fact, I bet the mere mention of HPC conjures images in your mind of the Cray Supercomputer or HAL-9000. These supercomputers, along with their super-cost, have historically been play things for governments and academics. But Microsoft is bridging this divide and bringing HPC into the mainstream marketplace with their Windows Computer Cluster Server 2003. This article describes how you can easily and affordably take advantage of clustering technology from Microsoft to build a "super computer" of your own.
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Building business logic by piecing together a database, spreadsheet and calendar app can not only be time consuming but also error prone. With the new Microsoft Dynamics 4.0 CRM platform, you can spend less time fitting together the pieces and more time getting the logic right. >>
Capturing customers is a challenge for every organization. Making that task a bit easier is the Microsoft® Solution Profiler. Find out how 30 minutes of your time can expose your solution to potential customers worldwide. >>
Many developers aren't aware that Microsoft offers an impressive assortment of tools and languages for open-source developers and has become an increasingly popular platform for open-source development projects. If you're part of that group, read this overview of what Microsoft has to offer. >>
May 12 - 15, 9:00 a.m. PDT
SQL Server 2008 offers an impressive array of capabilities for professional developers that build upon key innovations introduced in SQL Server 2005. The Essential SQL Server 2008 for Developers Webcast series will help you understand how to build enterprise-class applications which deeply exploit the rich data types, programming models and new development paradigms in SQL Server 2008. Click here to register.
Part 1: TSQL Improvements And Data Types
Part 2: Beyond Relational
Part 3: Service Broker And Messaging
Part 4: .NET Code In SQL Server
Part 5: Client Programmability
Part 6: ADO.NET Entity Framework
Part 7: HTTP Programming And SQL Server
Part 8: Occasionally Connected Systems
May 12 - 16, 10:00 a.m. PDT
This series of five one-hour seminars is intended to inform business and technical decision-makers about Microsoft platform offerings for small, medium, and large business enterprises. Attendees will learn about the products and tools that today's enterprise needs both to manage its own internal IT needs as well as to compete and excel in providing the technology-based services that customers expect. The material includes non-technical explanations of terms and concepts, and a discussion of the roles various technology products play, both individually and in relation to other products. Seminar attendees will receive information not only about Microsoft offerings, but also about competing technologies, with information to help them make decisions about acquiring and integrating new technologies.
Click here to learn more
Part 1: Architecting Your Solution to Solve Your Customer’s Business Problem
Part 2: The Core OS: A Brief Comparison of Windows, Unix and Linux
Part 3: Application Frameworks: Building on the Microsoft Platform versus J2EE or PHP
Part 4: Managing Data: Choosing a Database Vendor
Part 5: Leveraging the Power of the Microsoft Platform
May 13 - June 10, 10:00 a.m. PDT
Build a successful channel. As a special benefit to Microsoft US Gold Certified, Certified, and Registered ISV partners, Microsoft is sponsoring a series of four best practices webinars facilitated by The York Group, to help ISVs jump start and invigorate your channel development efforts. You will learn everything you need to either build a channel from the ground up or improve the performance of your current partners. Click here to register.
Part 1: Best Practices in Growing Your Business through Channels
Part 2: Best Practices in Building a Pipeline of Channel Partner Prospects
Part 3: Best Practices in Building a Successful Channel Development Business Plan
Part 4: Best Practices for Supporting & Managing Your Partners
May 15, 10:00 a.m. PDT
You may be using System Center Operations Manager 2007 to monitor your environment, but what about your LOB applications? Did you know you there are now tools available to help your architects, developers and IT pros build highly-manageable applications that can be monitored by an operations manager? In this Chalk & Talk, find out about the new Team System Management Model Designer and ask all your questions about the tools and how customers are building highly manageable applications for Windows quickly and easily.
Click here to register
May 16, 9:00 a.m. PDT
When making a database management system decision, many organizations focus on key attributes, such as support and partner ecosystem, performance and scalability, security and total cost of ownership (TCO). This one hour technical webcast will discuss how SQL Server 2008 compares to MySQL in these areas. Click here to register.
May 19 - 22, 2:00 p.m. PDT
A year has gone by on Windows Vista and much has changed. Join us in this 4-webcast series as we discuss where Vista stands now, expose the myths in the marketplace, set expectations on the latest Service Pack release, and highlight the new opportunities developers now have at their fingertips.
Click here to learn more
Part 1: Where Are We Now
Part 2: Debunking the Myths
Part 3: Service Pack 1
Part 4: Developer Opportunities
May 20 - 23, 10:00 a.m. PDT
This 4 webcast series dives into the advanced features of Silverlight 2 including building custom controls, networking support, data binding, media support and Silverlight's new "deep zoom."
Click here to learn more
Part 1: Technical Drill-down
Part 2: The UI Framework
Part 3: Networking Support
Part 4: Advanced Topics
Get the Latest On-Demand Web Seminars--NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
Now you can watch the latest Microsoft On-Demand Web seminars without the hassle of registration! Simply choose the topic you’re interested in below and click the link to get the inside scoop, tips and tricks on how to best take advantage of Microsoft tools and technologies. Why not catch an On-Demand seminar right now?
Join us for this web seminar that breaks down the process of migrating from SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2008. Key challenge areas will be highlighted.
Silverlight 2 was just released at the MIX08 conference in Las Vegas. In this web seminar, learn what Silverlight 2 has to offer and the basics of creating Silverlight applications.
Web 2.0 represents a new set of approaches to Web application design. In this Web seminar you will learn what "Web 2.0" really means and how you can use Microsoft's Web platform to build exciting new types of applications.
IE8 is the next version of Microsoft's immensely popular Web browser. In this session, you will learn what IE8 has to offer developers. Topics include Web standards, Activities and WebSlices.
Microsoft Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing and IP Ventures are part of a newer group in Microsoft that offers access to Microsoft technologies—including component source code, protocols, standards, and file formats. If you are CTO or VP of development, please attend this Web cast to learn more about Microsoft's technology licensing efforts and how to engage with Microsoft to gain access to cutting-edge technologies to accelerate your development projects.
Microsoft Dynamics™ is a great and largely untapped opportunity for the Independent Software Vendor (ISV) community. In this Web seminar you'll get an overview of the Microsoft Dynamics™ products, platform, and how your ISV business can profit from building on and/or connecting to Microsoft Dynamics™ products. Attend this 1-hour Web seminar event and learn how you can increase your business with Microsoft Dynamics™.
Get an overview of the U.S. Dynamics CRM 4.0 launch and find out more about the opportunities for engagement for ISV partners including sponsorships for the 2008 Launch Tour.
Virtual Labs
Take advantage of MSDN Virtual Labs—these hands-on labs are hosted by Microsoft—so there's no need to format hard drives or dedicate computers, and nothing to install. With 35, no-cost lab modules to choose from, you're sure to find the training you need. Each module includes a downloadable instruction manual and a 90-minute block of time in which to complete the module. >>
In this lab, you will use Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007 to design a custom workflow that is triggered on file creation or change.
Learn about the installation and configuration options available in Windows SharePoint Services v3, such as installing a new farm, configuring global workflow settings, configuring incoming e-mail, administrative tasks, and much more.
The objective of this lab is to help you become familiar with the new 2007 Microsoft Office system user interface so that you'll be ready to hit the ground running as soon as Microsoft Office 2007 is released.
Windows Server 2008
In this virtual training series, you will be provided a hands-on overview of new and updated features of Microsoft Windows Server “Longhorn”.
Windows Vista
This labcast is designed to educate developers on known Microsoft Windows Vista application compatibility issues. This process will walk the developer through specifics, focusing on solutions that will enable customers running your application to have a better experience on Microsoft Windows Vista. After completing this labcast, the developer should be able to determine if and how the most commonly known application compatibly issues could affect their specific application.
This lab demonstrates how to build a Windows Communication Foundation service and client, and how easily those services can be modified.
Learn to use the Windows Communication Foundations facilities for managing state within a service, and how you can use it to enable reliable, queued, and transacted messaging in your application.
SQL Server 2008
Join us for this previously recorded live virtual lab to learn the necessary steps to enable data capture in a database. You will have the opportunity to listen to previously asked questions of a live trainer and view the change data capture feature in SQL Server 2008.
Learn how SQL Server 2008 delivers a unified synchronization platform that enables consistent synchronization across applications, data stores, and data types. In a joint effort with Visual Studio, SQL Server 2008 enables the rapid creation of occasionally connected applications by way of new synchronization services in ADO.NET and offline designers in Visual Studio.
To help ensure the best possible performance and correct functionality, SQL Server 2008 includes new enhancements to the development environment that promote best practices and help developers create effective analysis solutions.
SQL Server 2008 enables database applications to model tree structures in a more efficient way than currently possible. HierarchyId is a new system type that can store values that represent nodes in a hierarchy tree. This new type features a flexible programming model. It is implemented as a CLR UDT that exposes several efficient and useful built-in methods for creating and operating on hierarchy nodes.
In many customer scenarios, it is necessary to pass a set of table structured values (rows) to a stored procedure/function on the server. These values may be used for populating/updating a table directly or for more complex manipulation of data for business logic purposes. Table valued parameters provide an easier way to define a table type and allow applications to create, populate and pass table structured parameters to stored procedures and functions.
Learn about the new date and time data types introduced in SQL Server 2008.
SQL Server 2008 allows for a seamless transition between managing relational and nonrelational data. This enables users to easily access documents as data, encode complex hierarchies within XML, and query across both relational and text data.
To help track data changes and ensure data warehouse consistency, SQL Server 2008 introduces Change Data Capture (CDC) functionality to log updates in change tables, which makes it easy to identify rows that have been modified and to determine the details of the modification and its cause.
Throughout this demo, you will see three examples of how DMF can help administrators effectively establish and monitor policies for their database environment.
SQL Server 2008 provides a number of reporting enhancements that enable you to quickly and easily generate the reports that your organization needs, in the format that you want, and in a layout that makes sense of the data they contain. Report Builder has been enhanced extensively in SQL Server 2008 to enable users to easily build ad hoc reports with any structure. Report Designer has also been updated for SQL Server 2008, and is now a stand-alone application that can be run separate from the Business Intelligence Development Studio, enabling information workers to more easily craft complex, professional reports.
SQL Server Extended Events is a general event-handling system for server systems. The Extended Events infrastructure is a lightweight mechanism that supports capturing, filtering and acting upon events generated by the server process. This ability to act upon events allows users to quickly diagnose run time problems by adding contextual data, such as TSQL call stacks or query plan handles, to any event. Events can be captured into several different output types, including Event Tracing for Windows (ETW). When Extended Events are output to ETW, correlation with operating system and database applications are possible, allowing for a more holistic system tracing.
In this lab, you will be introduced to some of the new features for database administrators in SQL Server 2008—including how to work with the new date data type, implement a Declarative Management Framework (DMF) policy, and much more.
This lab will teach you how to perform the necessary steps to enable data capture in a database.
In this lab, you will compare the new DATE/TIME data types to the SQL Server 2005 data types and implement the new data types in table definitions and T-SQL batches.
This lab teaches you how to implement a DMF policy and implement that on the server-level, including filtering.
This lab shows how to access relational data using LINQ to SQL. You will start by creating an object model for the Northwind database, and then use the object model to access the database using the new C# 3.0 query expressions and LINQ to SQL APIs. Register today to learn more.
SQL Server 2005
Learn more and register
This lab will show you how to create HTTP endpoints, view the WSDL exposed by the endpoints, and consume the HTTP endpoints.
Learn how to use the new SQL Server Management Studio to perform basic SQL Server administration tasks.
This 90-minute lab provides you with access to a free-form SQL Server 2005 development environment.
Visual Studio 2008
This lab introduces you to new features in the .NET Framework 3.5 for Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF). The lab uses a pre-release version of Visual Studio codename Orcas and a pre-release version of the .NET Framework 3.5 and you are guided through the developer experience of working with the newest parts of these technologies for the first time.
This lab shows how to access relational data using LINQ to SQL. You will start by creating an object model for the Northwind database, and then use the object model to access the database using the new C# 3.0 query expressions and LINQ to SQL APIs.
Visual Studio 2005
This lab offers a free-form environment to explore Visual Studio Team System at your own pace. There is also a link to the Visual Studio 2005 Team System Basics Training documentation in the lab to try some of the tasks as well.
Learn to create a WinFX service in this 90-minute virtual lab.
Learn how to store XML data in a table, use XML Schemas to validate the XML data that you store in SQL Server 2005, query XML data using a variety of mechanisms, and modify XML data.
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Features / Whitepapers
Trialware, shareware and crippleware are all schemes by software publishers to get you into a "try then buy" mode. But with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express, most developers can now experience the "try," but equally as important, they can use it every day—and at no cost!
The latest version of Microsoft® Visual Studio® includes a lot of new treats for mobile developers. In addition to new debugging tools and emulators, it includes the Windows® Mobile 5 SDK, .NET® Compact Framework 3.5, and SQL® Server Compact Edition 3.5 out of the box, without additional installs. This walkthrough gives you the code and assets for a fully functional Hangman-style game called "W80 Words" (weighty words), which takes advantage of the new platform and coding environment.
Individually, Office Business Applications (OBA) and Unified Communications (UC) give developers robust new architectures in which to take collaborative apps to the next level. But together, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Combining OBA with UC (or vice versa) enables integration of federated data and line-of-business apps with human workflows using communications including contextual collaboration (human to human communications), anywhere information access (human to machine communications) and business process communications (machine to human communications) across any modality including IM, voice, video (both 1:1 and conferencing).
With clustering on the rise and products like the Windows® Compute Cluster Server making HPC more accessible, understanding the message passing interface (MPI) in your high-performance cluster is critical for getting the most out of it. We detail what you need to know about MPI in general and the Microsoft version (MS MPI) in particular.
Microsoft's Unified Communications initiative brings together many software and hardware components to bridge the divide between phone and computer activities. This article describes UC from a developer's perspective, including an architectural overview, list of important APIs, and the best coding opportunities for application developers.
When choosing a development platform for your product, it's time to look beyond the typical desktop deployment. Because of tight stack integration, the Microsoft® platform offers market opportunities—and the ability to deliver new functional capabilities and the participation in a strong partner ecosystem—you wouldn't have previously considered. Here's how you can extend the reach of your code into new markets and what you, the software developer, need to know to go there.
Moving from Java to .NET doesn't have to be hard or time-consuming as long as you follow a few simple rules.
When building a business, you need not only time and money, but friends who can help. For software development, the Microsoft Partner Program provides the resources and the help you need to get your software business off the ground.
The challenge for the traditional AS/400-based ISV is that the perceived difficulty of moving their existing business logic and data to .NET, and to the Windows platform, seems arduous. In fact, the converse is actually true. Tools are available for modernization and a number of companies will also help you accomplish the task.
If you are an open source ISV seeking to offer your customers more choices, you should seriously consider supporting Microsoft Windows as a deployment option. Allan McNaughton explores some of the reasons that make partnering with Microsoft so compelling.
Microsoft promises great new features for developers building applications for Windows Server 2008. With primary themes of more control, increased protection, and greater flexibility, you can be sure the next version of Windows Server will provide a plethora of useful features and technologies to ISVs. Learn more about Windows Server 2008 and why it is worth your time to download the beta.
In recent months, Microsoft has released SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005, 2007 Office, SharePoint Server 2007, and Windows Vistaplus, Windows Server 2008 is slated to be released later this year. These releases represent a significant boon to the ISV community. Microsoft has created a series of programs to help ISVs build their applications and gain credibility for them as well. In this article, Ty Anderson explains the benefits of certification, the certification process, and how to get started today.
2007 Microsoft® Office system introduces a new XML-based file format called Office Open XML as its default file type. An open, royalty-free standard, Open XML gives developers a wide range of new opportunities, primarily the ability to create and manipulate Office files without using Office. We'll answer the basic questions, and then dive into what Open XML looks like, how it works, and how you can code against it.
With the latest releases of the 2007 Microsoft® Office system, Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Server 2007, and a host of other products, Microsoft has enabled a new type of application, known as Office Business Applications. But OBA is a big, somewhat abstract concept, with lots of pieces. As a developer, it helps to know exactly what to install and where to plug in your brain. This overview gives you a starting point for understanding OBA and figuring out where to go from here.
Office 2007 not only redefines how your users work with their documents, it redefines the role of Office itself within their organizations. But with big changes come big opportunities. The new Ribbon API lets you create your own UI for Office 2007 apps. Learn a slew of customization techniques, then download the code.
Isn't it ironic? In a world threatening to drown knowledge workers with an overabundance of information, the software suite used by millions evolves into a business application development platform so vast it's practically sentient. If you're eager to know what's revolutionary about Microsoft's latest release, fear not: We've read thousands of words so you don't have to.
Windows Vista
The new Windows® Sidebar gives users a cool way to run mini-apps on the desktop itself. In building the DevX Destination.NET gadget, Justin Whitney discovered some of the ins and outs of building a gadget. Here, he shares the process from start to finish and takes you on a guided tour through some of the trickier bits.
First movers with applications exploiting the new features of Windows Vista will have a distinct advantage. We'll show you how you can get on the fast track with Microsoft's help.
Out of all the new Vista features, the User Account Control probably gets the biggest reaction from developers. Learn how to make it work for you, why you need it, and how your company will get the competitive edge by making sure your app is "Vista Ready."
Enterprise-wide apps require integration headaches. It comes with your Welcome kit. Though you may have heard the "'we make integration easy"' line before, rarely do you see it demonstrated. This whitepaper shows you how it can be done by walking you through a .NET 3.0-based solution for a hypothetical insurance company. It incorporates BizTalk 2006, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), SQL Server 2006, and Windows Server 2003.
SQL Server 2005
Comparing MySQL and SQL Server seems like comparing apples to boulders. Database developers commonly assume MySQL is smaller, faster, and cheaper. A closer look, however, blows these myths out of the water. One database-agnostic developer digs deeper and finds that SQL Server can be the right choice, and in many scenarios the only choice, for any job.
The biggest misconception about SQL Server isn't performance-related—it's mental: The fear that going from Oracle to SQL Server requires learning a whole new DBA mindset. We've rounded up a few ways to make longstanding Oracle adherents feel not only comfortable but highly conversant in the new platform.
Choosing between the SQL Server Express and SQL Server Compact edition of SQL Server 2005 can be difficult because they seem to target the same scenarios. This whitepaper helps developers understand the benefits of each edition and when each edition should be used for local data storage.
This whitepaper outlines the current business and consumer environment and the key factors that influence the need for this new generation of applications. It describes how SQL Server Compact Edition can be used to satisfy the data platform demands of these applications.
The great developer dream is to build a wildly successful software application that users all over the world love and adore. An important aspect of any application is its data management apparatus. With SQL Server 2005 it's possible to start building your legion of admirers today…for free. In this review of Microsoft's Innovate on SQL Server program, Ty Anderson explains why SQL Server is a great solution for your software products while explaining the advantages provided by working with Microsoft to do it. |
SQL Server Compact is a free, easy-to-use embedded database engine that lets developers build robust Windows Desktop and mobile applications that run on all Windows platforms including Windows XP, Vista, Pocket PC, and Smartphone.
SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is the next version of MSDE and is a free, easy-to-use, lightweight, and embeddable version of SQL Server 2005. Free to download, free to redistribute, free to embed, and easy for new developers to use immediately, SQL Server Express Edition includes powerful features such as SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services, a server-based platform for creating and delivering traditional and interactive reports, and a graphical management tool, SQL Server 2005 Management Studio Express, for easily managing your database.
Take advantage of new .NET 3.0 features like WF, WPF, WCF, and more. Download page includes Vista SDKs and .NET Framework 3.0 redistributables for your bleeding edge app.
This .rtf file gives ISVs an overview of the differences and similarities between Windows XP and Windows Vista. The differences covered include networking and sharing, printing, entertainment, system requirements, security, safety features, and more.
Get the absolute latest for your mobile batbelt. The new Windows Mobile 6 SDK gives you more ways to extend your app across multiple devices. It includes documentation help files, sample code, headers, libraries, and best of all, new emulators.
The Second Edition of VSTO 2005 is out and includes a ton of functionality for helping you build robust Office 2007 apps. App-level add-in support covers Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, InfoPath, and Visio. Also design new Office 2007 features like Ribbons, custom Task Panes, and Outlook forms regions.
Windows Workflow Foundation is a key component of Microsoft's new Office Business Application (OBA) initiative. This starter kit shows you how to use WWF to create a simple task-oriented workflow in an ASP.NET application with three different user roles. Experiment with it or use it to kickstart a new workflow model of your own.
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Extending your solution to run on Microsoft technology is easier than ever. Through NXT, you can reach more customers, increase revenues and slash development time and costs, accelerating both your time to market and profitability. Get the details on NTX.
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Show off your Silverlight skills by entering the RIA Run contest to build the hottest, next generation game using Microsoft Silverlight 2, and you could win an Xbox 360™ or other fabulous prizes. Hurry! You only have until May 15, 2008 to achieve gaming stardom!
» Enter Now
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Microsoft Investing to Make High-Performance Computing Mainstream
Explore Open Source with Microsoft Technologies
