Password Resilience

In January I blogged an entry on creating strong passwords (http://clevelanddotnet.blogspot.com/2007/01/strong-password.html). As a follow-up, I found some data to help justify the need for a strong password. Listed below is a chart (courtesy of LastBit Corp) that details how well a password can withstand a "crack attack" from a hacker.

Web Services Resources

As a follow-up to our last user group meeting, listed below are some resources that can be used for creating and debugging web services.

Fiddler
This utility allows you to inspect all HTTP Traffic, set breakpoints, and "fiddle" with incoming or outgoing data. To learn more about Fiddler or to download it, go to http://www.fiddlertool.com/fiddler/version.asp.

Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar Beta 3
The Microsoft Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar provides a variety of tools for quickly creating, understanding, and troubleshooting Web pages. This version is a preview release and behavior may change in the final release. To download the IE toolbar, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e59c3964-672d-4511-bb3e-2d5e1db91038&displaylang=en

XML Developer Center
The Microsoft XML Developer Center offers resources on editing, validating, and using XML data. This includes utilities, articles, and blogs. To visit the Developer Center, go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml/default.aspx.

Web Service Software Factory
This is a cohesive collection of guidance that enables architects and developers to design and build higher quality services and achieve more predictable results in less time by applying proven practices and patterns directly within Visual Studio 2005. To download the web service factory, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=DB996113-6E92-4894-9B7E-0DEBB614D72F&mg_id=10110&displaylang=en

Resolvoing the error "The file could not be uploaded into the Web Forms designer."

Q: I received the following error ("The file could not be uploaded into the Web Forms designer.") when I opened a VS project, but I don't remember making any changes to the form design or the HTML?

A: Try to compile the project and see if there's an error in the code behind file (i.e. .CS or .VB file). If there are errors resolve them, and you should be able to view the file.

Zune Giveaway

During our March meeting, we will have a drawing for a Zune, courtesy of Microsoft. To enter the drawing, simply attend the C#/VB.Net user group meetings. For each meeting you attend between now and the end of March, you will be entered into the drawing. In addition, your name will be entered into the drawing an additional time for each new person you bring to the meeting. To find out more about upcoming meetings, go to www.ClevelandDotNet.info.

February .Net Events

Listed below is a summary of the .Net events scheduled for this month. Attend a few and increase your .Net knowledge!

Feb 8th: SQL User Group - "Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals"
http://www.bennettadelson.com/technicalresources/sqlsig.aspx

Feb 13th: .Net User Group - "Building ASP.NET AJAX Enabled Websites"http://www.bennettadelson.com/technicalresources/sig.aspx

Feb 20th: Presentation - "Mobilize Your Business: Using Microsoft Solutions to Keep Your Business on the Move"
http://www.berbee.com/public/events/MS_MobilizeYourBusinessCleveland.aspx

Feb 27th: C#/VB.Net User Group - "XML Web Services"
http://www.clevelanddotnet.info

You’re invited to attend a Berbee and Microsoft Seminar on Mobile Solutions

Mobilize Your Business: Using Microsoft Solutions to Keep Your Business on the Move

You’re invited to attend a Berbee and Microsoft Seminar
As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Berbee is pleased to invite you to the special event "Mobilize Your Business: Using Microsoft Mobile Solutions to Keep Your Business on the Move." Attend this two-hour session and discover how Microsoft® supported mobile solutions can make your mobile workforce more productive.Advanced Technology in Action to Solve Today’s Business ProblemsDoes your team need to stay in the know while on the go? Mobile solutions can help your people get to work without being at work. Through business scenarios, case studies, and product demos, this event will show how Microsoft technologies can help your business to:* Enable productivity away from the office* Provide on-the-go access to corporate data* Respond more quickly to customers, partners, and colleaguesAttend This Unique Event for a First-Hand View Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn how you can help boost employee efficiency away from the office. Come explore how Microsoft’s people-ready software can help your people take your business to the next level of productivity and profitability. You will also find out about complementary solutions and services available through Berbee.

Date: Tuesday, February 20th, 2007Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Microsoft - Cleveland Park Center III Building
6050 Oak Tree Blvd, Suite 300
Independence, OH

Register Now at:
http://www.berbee.com/public/events/MS_MobilizeYourBusinessCleveland.aspx
Or call Laura Benisek at 800.279.0841, ext 7208, or laura.benisek@berbee.com

Strong Password

Listed below are the requirments for making a password strong and more difficult to comprimise.

8 characters minimum
No repeating characters
Embedded numbers and special characters
Avoid common dictionary words
Avoid using login name within the password
Force users to change passwords every 3-6 months
Old passwords should be avoided when changing a current password
Users should be repeatedly warned never to share passwords with anyone, including System Administrators.

Users can check their own password at http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/password_checker.mspx. This is a non-recording web site used to simply check the strength of a password and it’s resilience for being compromised.

For more information on strong passwords, go to http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/password.mspx

January .Net Events

Listed below is a summary of the .Net events scheduled for this month. Attend a few and increase your .Net knowledge!

Jan 9: Windows Workflow Foundation http://www.bennettadelson.com/technicalresources/sig.aspx

Jan 11: Reporting Services – Level 300 http://www.bennettadelson.com/technicalresources/sqlsig.aspx

Jan 23: Microsoft Launch Event (office 2007/Vista)
http://www.msdnevents.com

Jan 23: Multi-tier Application Development
http://www.ClevelandDotNet.info

Microsoft Exam Insurance

Microsoft is now offering Exam Insurance for certification tests. For $175, a candidate can purchase an exam with insurance. This allows for either a free re-take if the candidate fails, or 25% off the next exam if the candidate passes. In addition, when you purchase Exam Insurance and take your initial exam by January 31, 2007, you get a one-year subscription to Microsoft TechNet Plus Direct (US$349 value). Please note you must register and take your first exam by January 31.

This is considered a very reasonable deal, considering certification exams are $125 each. Exam insurance can be purchased from local Microsoft certified testing centers. To find a local center, go to http://www.exampartners.com/default.asp. To learn more about Exam Insurance, go to http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/offers/insurance/default.mspx

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats

Microsoft recently released a compatability pack allowing users of Office 2000, XP, and 2003 to be able to open, edit, and save files in the new 2007 format. This applies to Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx) files. Before installing the compatability pack, users should be sure that all office updates are in place. To download this free utility, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&DisplayLang=en

Visual Studio 2005 SP1

Microsoft released SP1 for Visual Studio 2005 earlier this month. To view all of the new features in VS2005 along with SP1 enhancements, go to http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/88fx1xy0(VS.80).aspx

To download SP1, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=BB4A75AB-E2D4-4C96-B39D-37BAF6B5B1DC&mg_id=10055&displaylang=en#Overview

For related issues with installing SP1, go to http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=928957

Microsoft support for classic ASP and VB6

Q: Do you know the date when Microsoft will end support for classic Asp and VB6?

A: Primary support ended in April of 2005 for those products. They are currently in the "extended support lifecycle" which means that we only provide free security fixes. That will be ending next year in April and then there will only be the "online" support of KB articles that are already published.

If you have a customer still using them, I highly recommend you upgrade them, as that technology just isn't up to the task of dealing with Today's types of security, scalability or reliability requirements.

Thanks to Bill Steele (Microsoft) for providing this info first hand.

Salary Survey

ComputerWorld has conducted a salary survery for a large variety of developers. It also provides a breakdown per region and vertical industry. To view these results and see how your salary compares, go to the 2006 Salary Survey. In addition, check out other related articles compiled by ComputerWorld.


* Salary Survey 2006: Smart Salary Tool For Comparing Pay http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/1004849/209182/41105/2/

* 2006 Salary Survey Blog: 'I Want a Raise'
http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/1004849/209182/41106/2/

* Gender Gap: Women's Paychecks Still Lag Men's http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/1004849/209182/41104/2/