'Net Features : database

McAfee Plugin for MySQL Audits

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:35:00 GMT

Security technology vendor McAfee has released a free open-source plugin for MySQL database users which shows detailed activity from database audits.

The plugin features visibility into database vulnerabilities and supports databases such as Oracle, Sybase, MS-SQL and DB2. The plugin, which is available on gitHub, requires no change to the existing database or network architecture.

“McAfee developed the free database audit plug-in to give the community of MySQL users a means of building enterprise-level database security around their databases,” said Dan Sarel, vice president of Database Security Product Management at McAfee. “When coupled with the McAfee Database Activity Monitoring sensor for MySQL, the data is subject to the same real-time analysis and policy enforcement as the data collected from other supported databases.”

Caspio Web Calendars - No Programming Required

Pete Prestipino — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:12:00 GMT

Online database platform Caspio made available its Calendar DataPages product which enables the publishing of data in, you guessed it, calendar displays.

Calendar interfaces provide a user-friendly and efficient way to manage data such as events, schedules, and tasks. Caspio has a long list of data visualization tools that allow users to publish spreadsheet and database information on their websites for interactive use (without coding).

"We have utilized Caspio in a number of applications, including database publishing, nomination and resource submission forms, and detailed events calendars," said Mason Walker, Associate Editor of Sustainable Business Oregon, an online news publication covering issues of interest for Oregon’s growing number of individuals incorporating sustainability in their businesses. "The calendar function has allowed us to display a range of customized event listings with minimal upkeep. Users submit events through an online form; all we have to do is approve them, and they’re listed on a clean, attractive calendar."

Say Goodbye to Your Microsoft Access Database

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Online database platform Caspio launched an Access Migration Kit which provides tools and services for developers to integrate their Microsoft Access databases online.

Last week Microsoft launched Office 2010 and one of the key features is enabling users to stay connected to their office applications on-the-go. The problem is that Office 2010 does not provide the ability to easily create web-based apps using Microsoft Access because it requires a multi-step integration with a SharePoint server. Caspio to the rescue.

“Microsoft Office 2010 is an exciting release; however Access developers are still challenged to find a viable solution for web-centric data management,” said Caspio founder and CEO, Frank Zamani. “Caspio’s cloud platform provides what’s missing in Microsoft Access, allowing for easy online databases and web app creation.”

Features of the migration kit include:

- Built-in import and export functions that can read and write Microsoft Access MDB format files.

- The ability to publish imported data to any website, SharePoint and content management systems (CMS), hosted anywhere through reports or interactive searchable apps.

- Point-and-click tools that allow for the application interface design to be completed without programming.

- A SOAP-compatible API that allows developers to extend the capabilities of their online apps with any programming or scripting language, including ASP, ASP.Net, and VB.Net.

- A highly-scalable online platform that supports up to two million records in each table and serves thousands of users simultaneously.

Everybody Loves a MySQL Guy/Gal

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:25:00 GMT

MySQL is now the third most in-demand skill on Elance, moving up three spots since October.

Over 1,300 MySQL jobs were posted on the freelance-work site in the last 30 days alone.

Robin Schumacher, MySQL director of product management, and Brian Aker, principal engineer at Sun Microsystems, are not surprised by the MySQL growth trend, according to a recent press release. "When you need a strong database management system - one that gives you the best TCO (total cost of ownership) - you choose MySQL," Schumacher said. Aker agrees, stating, "The thing that MySQL brought to the table when it came out was the ease of use and the ease of installation. MySQL came out in an era where comparable products were really complex and required a lot of knowledge to be able to use and install. With MySQL the user is able to take the database, download it, install it, understand it, and then apply it to their application."

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ExtSQL Provides Usage Accounting

Pete Prestipino — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:41:00 GMT

One of the many challenges of being a MySQL database administrator is the inability to account for high server usage. While some current tools provide good reports on overall activity -- none report usage by individual users, a specific database, or connecting client to help DBA's identify usage hogs among web hosting clients.

Software Workshop developed their own modifications to Open Source MySQL and called it ExtSQL and it's something you might want to look into. It gives DBAs a simple way to monitor activity by individual users, database, or even connection.

MySQL has an installed base of millions, with many installations running older versions. DBAs can be very reluctant to go through an upgrade process. Software Workshop decided to pursue this huge 'aftermarket' by offering source patches and binaries for older versions of MySQL on a variety of OS and hardware combinations. ExtSQL is being released under the GPL.

Caspio DIY Database and Web App Platform

Pete Prestipino — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:25:00 GMT

So you want to create a database or a fancy new Web application? Check out Caspio. The service launched its latest version (Caspio Bridge 6.0) at the Web 2.0 Expo today in New York, offering users of the platform more capabilities to deliver interactive and integrated Web apps and widgets to the 'Net. Here are a few of the improvements:

Location-Based Applications: Provide geocentric capabilities including database-driven mashups with Yahoo! or Google maps, distance search within a certain radius of a location or zip code, and mass geo-coding for assigning location tags to records in large databases.

CAPTCHA SPAM and Harvesting Prevention: Single-click insertion of CAPTCHA human verification technology for any application to prompt users to enter security codes when submitting forms and searches, effectively blocking SPAM and data-harvesting robots.

AJAX Interactivity and Web 2.0 Integration: Features such as cascading dropdowns and listboxes for dynamic granular filtering are included in the platform, and integration with popular social networking and e-commerce sites such as YouTube, flickr, and PayPal allows Caspio customers to further enhance the Web 2.0 features of their applications.

"We are all about maximizing the Internet experience for both businesses and their consumers, and the new features of Caspio Bridge 6.0 do just that," said Frank Zamani, Founder, President and CEO of Caspio. "We are helping our customers create more interactive, informative, and relevant Web applications so they can increase traffic, automate business processes, create self-service tools, monetize database assets, and ultimately succeed in the global economy."

Previous Coverage of Caspio at Website Magazine:
Four Solutions for Creating Searchable Web Databases