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As the attacks in which hackers use become more and more sophisticated, and the programs in which they attack become increasingly complex, encryption is becoming the last line of defense in database management system (DBMS) security. Since Microsoft announced their Trustworthy Computing security initiatives four years ago, the industry has been waiting to see how these initiatives would be implemented in upcoming products. With the introduction of Microsoft's newest DBMS, SQL Server 2005, it does indeed seem as though they have provided what they have promised.

What follows is a two-part article series that provides an in-depth examination of encrypting data in SQL Server 2005. In this article we will exploring key challenges facing database systems and the motivations for providing robust encryption mechanisms directly within the database system. We will also look at encryption fundamentals and SQL Server 2005's encryption capabilities.

SQL Server Reporting Services versions 2000 and 2005 (SSRS) has many powerful features. SSRS has a well-designed data access engine, a great set of layout tools, and an excellent expression system for creating complex formulas. While the expression system is quite powerful it is not suitable for all applications. This is where SSRS shines. SSRS gives developers the ability to add custom code to their report layouts. This article demonstrates adding custom code to SQL Server Reporting Services reports.

The Entity Data Model and ADO.NET vNext let you deal with tabular data as objects, eliminating much of the effort endemic to older data-retrieval and modification code.

The most popular instrument to access database data for .NET applications is ADO.NET. This set of components contains three main classes those are used to manipulate and store data: DataReader, DataSet and DataAdapter. DataReader is only able to read data and can't work as data source for data-aware components like DataGridView; DataSet provides all interfaces to be a data source but disconnected model considers some restrictions that can become important for some kind of applications, especially for desktop programs that work under multiuser concurrent environment and change database data actively. Below we consider main restrictions and popular ways to solve them; non standard solutions are considered also.

With a new name, new capabilities, and a new focus, the product formerly called SQL Server Mobile Edition expands its reach to small-footprint desktop applications—and it's free!

ADO.NET vNext is a leap forward in database programming, using mapping files to isolate your applications from relational database schema changes, and letting you choose whether to deal with data directly as objects or as tabular data.

The benefits of SQL Server 2005's new snapshot isolation feature are well known, but SQL Server developers also need to understand the downstream ramifications of snapshot isolation.

Overview of the steps necessary to cache Pages or application data based on the new ASP.NET 2.0 SqlCacheDependency features.

The .NET Framework 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005 make it easy to create a basic but extensible database-monitoring solution without a lot of complexity or coding.

Regardless of your .NET language of choice, managing data is a vital skill for most applications.