Here is my slide deck from the Nordic Infrastructure Conference (NIC) 2014. My talk was called Modern authentication for the Cloud Era and covered claims based authentication and some common scenarios, OAuth and OpenID Connect. Thanks to everyone who attended my session. Hope to see you there next year!

http://www.slideshare.net/MorganSimonsen/nic-2014-modern-authentication-for-the-cloud-era

Before you ask, I definitely count myself as a novice when it comes to SQL. Nevertheless, here are a few SQL tips I have picked up along the way…

Enable SQL to communicate through the Windows Firewall

SQL Database
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=SQLPort dir=in protocol=tcp action=allow localport=1433 remoteip=localsubnet profile=DOMAIN
SQL Browser
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=SQLBrowser dir=in protocol=udp action=allow localport=1434 remoteip=localsubnet profile=DOMAIN
SQL Server executable
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=”SQLExe(<SQL Instance name>)” dir=in action=allow program= “c:Program FilesMicrosof
t SQL ServerMSSQL10_50.<SQL Instance name>MSSQLBinnsqlservr.exe” remoteip=localsubnet profile=DOMAIN

Reference:

• Configure the Windows Firewall to Allow SQL Server Access

Make the local Administrators group SQL Admin

It is very useful to have the local Administrators group on a SQL server be SQL Admin. Useful, not necessarily secure or a best practice. To be able to perform these steps you need access to an account that already is an SQL Admin of the server/instance you are trying to change.

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio and log on
   To use Windows Integrated authentication you need to be logged onto the SQL server computer with an account that is already a SQL Admin, it using SQL authentication; just enter the username and password.
2. Expand SecurityLogins
3. Right click and select New Login…
4. In the Login name field enter BUILTINAdministrators.
   For some reason SQL requires that all built in security principals be prefixed with the word BUILTIN instead of the computername.
5. Select Server Roles and select serveradmin and sysadmin, leave any existing boxes ticked.
6. Hit OK
7. Exit SQL Server Management Studio, log off the computer, log on again with a user that is a member of the local Administrators group and open SQL Server Management Studio again. This time use Windows Authentication.

Same thing in Transact-SQL:

CREATE LOGIN “BUILTIN\Administrators” FROM WINDOWS;
GO

EXEC master..sp_addsrvrolemember @loginame = N’BUILTIN\Administrators’, @rolename = N’sysadmin’
GO

EXEC master..sp_addsrvrolemember @loginame = N’BUILTIN\Administrators’, @rolename = N’serveradmin’
GO

If you still cannot get access; make sure you are not running with User Account Control (UAC) enabled. UAC strips the Administrators group from your security token.

Reference:

• PRB: Use BUILTINGroup to Grant Access to Predefined Windows NT Groups
• How to troubleshoot error 15401
• CREATE LOGIN (Transact-SQL)

Test connectivity to a SQL Server

This is pretty cool…

Create an empty file anywhere in the file system called test.udl.

PowerShell: New-Item test.udl –type file

Double click to open it. You will see the following dialogue box:

Enter the servername, select security mode and database, and hit Test Connection.

Reference:

• Creating and Configuring Universal Data Link (.udl) Files

Windows Azure

Reference:

• The Top 10 Things to Know When Running SQL Server Workloads on Windows Azure Virtual Machines

Go DBAs!

I am often asked, usually on some form of IM media; “are you busy?”. I often find this question hard to answer since I regard busy-ness (is that a real English word?) as more of a state with varying degrees. This has led me to the definition of BUSCON or BUSy CONdition, based on the well-known DEFCON or defense readiness condition used by the United States Armed Forces. At the current time BUSCON is defined like this:

As BUSCONs creator I reserve the right to change its definition at any time. Check back here for updates if you find the BUSCON definition useful.

* So you take offense by my use of profanity in this post? Here are a couple of quotes that sum up my views on that area:

Stephen Fry: “It’s now very common to hear people say “I’m rather offended by that”, as if that gives them certain rights. It’s actually no more than a whine. “I find that offensive”. It has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. “I’m offended by that”, well so fucking what.” **

Salman Rushdie: “What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.”

** See first asterisk

I just started a new blog, hosted on Windows Azure. This blog will deal with cloud computing and related topics. Check it out: cloudpower.no.

Morgan

So I thought I would put together a list of the stuff I use. Mostly as sort of a memo to myself, but if anyone finds this useful, so much the better.

I just got word that I have been awarded the Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP) Award for 2012, in the Directory Services discipline. This is a great honor, and I accept it humbly.

First off, thanks to those who nominated me and gave me advice on how to become an MVP, and also Microsoft for finding me worthy. I am really looking forward to connecting with the MVP community, and with the Directory Services group particularly. Also, thanks to everyone who has congratulated me on the award.

I have a lot of new ideas for new community content, so keep watching this space!