Entries Tagged 'Windows' ↓

Check For Row Existance Only

It’s something you need to take care of in almost every ASP.NET Application. What if you would just like to know if that specific row exists or not, in SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008. For example: Did this user vote on that topic already or not? There are different possibilities for that kind of situation. However, I wanted the fastet solution. If it’s about a query which looks like this:

SELECT somefield FROM sometable WHERE somefield = ‘somevalue’

In this case ‘somevalue’ is used as a literal key value, which also has an index running on it.

So if this query will always return either 0 or 1 rows, then – from an I/O point of view – using SELECT COUNT(*) or using EXISTS will be equally fast.

Why? Unfortunately SQL Server is not shortcutting an index seek if the value is being discovered in an intermediate index level. It also doesn’t shortcut it, if the value is out of range. So we always got a logical read for all index levels.

For the discussion COUNT(*) versus EXISTS, it does not matter whether the index on ‘somefield’ is clustered or not. However, the definition of the clustered index (if present) does affect performance. That’s about testing, you need to check out if the clustered on is faster or not. It mainly depends on the key size of the clustered index, the row size and the size of ‘somefield’. In theory, the fastest situation would be a clustered “and” nonclustered index on ‘somefield’. This will make the nonclustered index on ‘somefield’ the most shallow index possible, so the index seek on thisindex will use the least amount of I/O.

Finally handing over a resultset will be more costly than returning a return value.

Remote Desktop Update

Heads up, Microsoft released a new Remote Desktop for WinXP and Windows 2003 Server which also adds better support for Windows Vista.

Some of the new features:

  • Network Level Authentication
  • Server Authentication
  • Plug and Play redirection
  • TS Gateway support
  • Monitor Spanning
  • 32-bit color and font smoothing

Download for:
WinXP
Win2k3 Server

Windows Vista Retail Packshots

Microsoft today revealed the retail packaging for Windows Vista and Office 2007, the eagerly awaited new products to be made widely available in early 2007. The boxes boast a completely revised and redesigned packaging. Writing on the Windows Vista Team Blog, Nick White said:

“Designed to be user-friendly, the new packaging is a small, hard, plastic container that’s designed to protect the software inside for life-long use. It provides a convenient and attractive place for you to permanently store both discs and documentation.

The new design will provide the strength, dimensional stability and impact resistance required when packaging software today. Our plan is to extend this packaging style to other Microsoft products after the launch of Windows Vista and 2007 Office system.”

Here are the Packshots:

Vista Packshot

Looks pretty good I’d say! 😉 More german info on Windows Vista here: Windows Vista

Windows Vista To ‘RTM’ Oct. 25

Microsoft could be ready to release Windows Vista to manufacturing as early as next week, a milestone that would signify the end of a protracted development process. It could also set the company on a course to launch the operating system at the huge International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where Chairman Bill Gates is to deliver the opening keynote Jan. 7.

“9 Days Until Vista RTM!!!” read a scrolling electronic reader board in a building on Microsoft’s Redmond campus Monday. If the countdown is correct, it would mean Vista is to be released to manufacturing (RTM) on Oct. 25, earlier than analysts expected.

Other than to reiterate that Vista is on track, a Microsoft spokesman had no comment on the reader-board message, which was visible from the lobby of Building 9, where part of the Windows Vista team works.

Gaming on Vista 10 to 15 Percent Slower than XP

Microsoft is reportedly telling it’s gaming industry associates that games will run 10-15% slower on their new operating system due to the new GUI implemented.

Vista’s new 3D desktop will constantly be draining the PC of video memory that games could make use of, so in actual fact many of your favourite games will probably run faster on Windows XP. Of course after Vista arrives new PCs and hardware will be built especially for Vista which will increase performance anyway.

In the end, that should be clear for everyone. Windows Vista will be heavily bloated and if you don’t plan on disabling all that shiny stuff you will suffer a significant performance loss. I will upgrade to Vista as soon as it’s out, however, I will buy new hardware, too, in fact a complete new custom PC. If my games still don’t run smooth, the shiny stuff gotta go.

Windows Live Custom Domains

Windows Live Custom DomainFinally Microsoft is offering a simliar service to Google’s gmail hosted service. You can sign up every kind of domain you own and use the Microsoft Live Mail Interface for it. Although, you need to have the ability to change the DNS records of the domain. One advantage is that you don’t have to wait for an invitation, your account opens up immediately instead of gmail’s hosted service.

I just signed up one of my domains, as soon as my DNS settings are being upgraded I’ll post some experiences with the Live Mail Interface.

Link: http://domains.live.com/

New Windows Vista Standard Theme

It’s really looking great, check it out:

Windows Vista Aero

Amazing Artwork. Much better than the Windows XP default theme.

Windows Vista uses the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) to deliver some amazing user experience features collectively called Windows Aeroâ„¢ which include; Desktop Composition, Glass window frames with colored glass, window thumbnails and Flip3D, a new window management facility. All of the Windows Aeroâ„¢ features are enabled in Windows Home Premium, our Business SKUs, and Ultimate assuming you have the appropriate hardware. On Home Basic, you get Desktop Composition with opaque colored glass windows frames.

If you don’t have a display driver capable of running WDDM you’ll get the Windows Vista Basic theme which does not benefit from some of the more graphically intensive features such as desktop composition and glass window frames. This is a good, clean interface called the Basic or Standard theme, but lacking the glass window frames of Aero™.

I thought about buying a new laptop but I guess I wait until Windows Vista is out. Then I can be sure it’s running fine on the new laptop.

Read the Full Story here: New Windows Vista theme

Internet Explorer Beta3 released!

Just installed it and it feels better than the previous beta. I saw many Microsoft employees using the Beta as their Standard Browser already. Testing it out is in my opionion a must for Web Developers, so if you haven’t checked it out yet better go for it! And don’t worry, it can be completly removed from the system and you got your old IE6 back afterwards.

Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) Beta 3 has been designed to make everyday tasks easier, provide dynamic security protection and improve the development platform and manageability. End user improvements include a streamlined interface, tabbed browsing, printing advances, improved search functionality, instant feeds (RSS), dynamic security protection, and more. Visit the Internet Explorer site for more information on IE7 Beta 3.

Download: IE7 Beta3 WinXP SP2

WinFS is dead

Going back to the early days in the development of what is now known as Windows Vista, there has been the concept of a new file system known as WinFS, which was to be an integral element in the new operating system. Last year, with great fanfare and a lot of bad press reaction, Microsoft “dropped” the WinFS filing system from what was Windows Longhorn at the time.

The notion of the new file system being an integral part of the new platform was replaced by a new plan: develop the new Windows independently, and then ship WinFS as a standalone product in conjunction with the release of Windows Vista. Since WinFS was initially referred to as one of the “pillars” of Longhorn/Vista, once it was pulled out there naturally had to be a bit of damage control on Microsoft’s part to convince the public that this “pillar” was not, in fact, that much of a “pillar” after all.

It has taken some time, but they have succeeded in this, to some extent, and we haven’t heard much about the “loss of WinFS” recently. Meanwhile, the WinFS Team has been toiling away at what was to be the separate delivery of the new technology. Now comes word that this will not happen after all. WinFS is, for all intents and purposes, dead.

In a somewhat obfuscatory blog posting today, WinFS Team member Quentin Clark announced, “These changes do mean that we are not pursuing a separate delivery of WinFS, including the previously planned Beta 2 release. With most of our effort now working towards productizing mature aspects of the WinFS project into SQL and ADO.NET, we do not need to deliver a separate WinFS offering.”


You can read the full Story on the WinFS Blog here.

It also looks like they removed Beta1 from the Download Center.