What is "Atlas"?

Q: What is "Atlas"?

A: "Atlas" is the code name for a set of ASP.Net technologies used to add Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript And XML) support to ASP.NET. It consists of a client-side script framework, server controls, and more. In other words, Atlas is Microsoft's implementation of Ajax.

This new Web development technology from Microsoft integrates client script libraries with the ASP.NET 2.0 server-based development framework. In addition, "Atlas" offers you the same type of development platform for client-based Web pages that ASP.NET offers for server-based pages. And because "Atlas" is an extension of ASP.NET, it is fully integrated with server-based services. "Atlas" makes it possible to easily take advantage of AJAX techniques on the Web and enables you to create ASP.NET pages with a rich, responsive UI and server communication. However, "Atlas" isn’t just for ASP.NET. You can take advantage of the rich client framework to easily build client-centric Web applications that integrate with any backend data provider.

• “Atlas” enables you to take full advantage of the capabilities of the browser to deliver richer web experiences that work on any modern browser.
• “Atlas” enables ASP.NET developers to enrich their web applications with incredible ease.
• “Atlas” includes a rich client-side Javascript framework that enables easy creation and reuse of script components and rich client-side behaviors.
• “Atlas” makes it super easy to consume services from ASP.NET, and to build composite applications from services on the programmable web.

For more information, go to http://atlas.asp.net. To download the latest CTP (Community Technology Preview), go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D746076A-3352-4407-B9D5-832BA4DFFC7B&displaylang=en

Using SPUserUtil to synchronize SharePoint user Display Names, E-mail addresses with Active Directory

I found an article on keith Ritchie's blog detailing how to use SPUserUtil to synchronize SharePoint user Display Names and Email addresses with the information in Active Directory

SPUserUtil will mean either WSSUserUtil or SPSUserUtil respectively (WSSUserUtil is used to administer Windows SharePoint Sites on a standalone WSS Farm/Virtual server OR Windows SharePoint sites in the same virtual server of a SharePoint Portal Server 2003 site.) SPSUserUtil is a superset of WSSUserUtil, designed for working on SharePoint Portal Server Areas.

To view the article, go to http://blogs.msdn.com/krichie/archive/2006/02/18/534767.aspx

What is AJAX and how do you use it?

Q: What is AJAX and how do you use it?

A: AJAX is short for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. For more information and an example on how to create an AJAX site, go to http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=printArticleBasic&articleId=9002170

Detecting Mobile Browsers

As discussed in our last meeting, web applications can be built to handle both PC browsers and mobile browsers. To do so, the application needs to detect if the browser is a mobile device and redirect the application to a page designed to display UI adequate for the smaller mobile browser. Detecting the browser is done using the following code sample, and it's typically placed in the Page_Load() of the login.aspx or default.aspx


Private Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Try
If Not IsPostBack Then
If Request.Browser.IsMobileDevice = True Then
Response.Redirect("mobile/login.aspx")
End If
End If

Catch ex As Exception
ProcessEx(ex)
End Try

End Sub

Determining if an address is within a radius of a zip code

Q: I need to take a list of vendors and be able to extract those vendors within a mileage of a zip code. For example, list all vendors within 40 miles of 44131. Is there a utility that will facilitate this?

A: The USPS offers several free web services that perform these functions. Go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp and click on "web tools" in the lower left corner.

Web Part Compatibility

When web parts first came out with SharePoint 2001, there wasn't much of an issue with compatibility. However, now with SharePoint 2003 out for several years, ASP.Net 2.0 supporting web parts, and soon SharePoint 2007 will be released, one has to consider version compatibility among these versions. Listed below are some facts to help decipher any compatibility issues.

• Using Son of SmartPart will allow you to run ASP.NET 2.0 UserControls and WebParts in SharePoint 2003.
• SharePoint 2003 web parts will not work in ASP.NET 2.0 pages with Web Part Zones.
• SharePoint 2003 web parts will work in SharePoint 2007.

In addition, take time to review Dino Esposito's article "WebParts: From Sharepoint to ASP.NET 2.0". It discusses the similarities and differences between the two models.

What Software is Installed on a PC?

Q: Does anyone know of any FREE software that I can use that will tell me in a report format what software is installed on a pc? I have to rebuild a few computers and it would be nice to be able to just run a peice of software from a thumb drive and get a quick report.

A: Listed below are two vendors that sell products specifically for this purpose.

• http://www.expressmetrix.com/products
• http://www.belarc.com

Your worst security risk may work for you!

Most developers consider security as an outside risk. However, contrary to popular belief, most security breeches occur from within an organization. This article from Microsoft.com discusses this issue in more detail and offers some solutions to combat this problem.

Checklist for Testing Web Parts

For those developing web parts for SharePoint, here's an article on testing web parts. The article has a checklist and detailed How-To instructions on changing the various settings to test the web part for different scenarios.

SharePoint 2003 Limitations using WMSDE

Q: I want to use WMSDE for a very limited POC (proof of Concept) of SPS 2003. Other than Search and performance, are there any other things to be concerned about?

A: If SPS 2003 is not installed WSS uses a special version of MSDE, known as SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (Windows), or WMSDE. This is an unthrottled version of MSDE designed only to be used by Windows components, and as such is not limited in the same way as MSDE. The maximum size limit and current connections limit have both been removed. However it is still much more limited than SQL Server 2000 in the following ways:

• WMSDE does not include enterprise management tools such as those provided with SQL Server 2000 (e.g. SQL Enterprise Manager MMC tool) for backing up and restoring the database. However command line tools can still be used (e.g. stsadm tool).
• WMSDE can only be managed locally – you cannot remotely connect.
• WMSDE does not support full-text search – so search from within team sites is not possible.
• You cannot deploy WMSDE in web farm/clustered configurations, so the solution cannot scale beyond certain limits, and remains a single point of failure.
• You cannot use WMSDE for anything other than WSS due to the custom schema it uses (MSDE or SQL Server 2000 can also be used for other custom applications). There is no user interface to edit the database file.
• WMSDE will support a maximum of 1000 web sites.

For more information, goto http://blogs.msdn.com/grahamtyler/archive/2004/10/19/244496.aspx

Windows Fundamentals

Microsoft Corp. released a new version of its operating system for businesses this week that extends the life of older PCs by effectively turning them into thin-client computers. Called "Windows Fundamentals" for Legacy PCs, the software is offered only to customers on Microsoft's Software Assurance licensing and maintenance program.

It is not a full-featured operating system, but it improves the security and manageability of PCs for customers with systems that are too old for Windows XP and who aren't ready to upgrade their hardware, Microsoft said.

For the full article, visit http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9001761&source=NLT_PM&nlid=8

Can 32-Bit Applications run on Windows 2003 64-Bit?

Q: Can I run SQL Server 2000 32 bit on Windows 2003 64 bit?

A: The short answer is yes. WOW64 (Windows on Windows 64) is a compatibility environment provided by the operating system that allows a 32-bit application to run on a Windows 64-bit operating system. For more information, see 64–Bit Windows Part 11: Windows on Windows 64.

For web applications, Windows Server 2003 SP1 enables WOW64 compatibility for 32–bit Web applications in IIS 6.0. Based on the value of a metabase property, IIS will either start a 32–bit or a 64–bit worker process. In other words, IIS 6.0 can run applications in WOW64 or native 64–bit, but not both. For more information, see Windows Server 2003 SP1 enables WOW64 compatibility for 32-bit Web applications in IIS 6.0.

Nine Tips to Enhance IIS Security

Listed below is a link to an article on 9 tips to enhance security using IIS 6.0. To view the article, go to http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2006/05/ServingTheWeb/default.aspx