Virtual Lab looks at WCF fundamentals

New MSDN Virtual Lab event covers the basics of programming in Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). Included is a PDF document with detailed step-by-step instructions covering the tasks required to complete several scenarios.

/Gill

WebParts: From SharePoint to ASP.NET 2.0

By Dino Esposito
Wintellect's Dino Esposito shows how to build custom Web Parts for SharePoint Portal Server and SharePoint Services using Visual Studio 2003 with the WebPart Templates. He then shows how to build a similar Web Part using the Portal Framework in ASP.NET 2.0 without using SharePoint.

/Gill

What to know your KPIs ?

Here is a full length step by step tutorial with explanation for KPI especially for OLAP Reporting.

Mastering OLAP Reporting: Reporting with Analysis Services KPIs
By William Pearson
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/3605826

Want a real-world .Net app to try out various secure development scenarios?

Well there is the Hacme Bank™(Copyright 2004-2006 (c) by McAfee, Inc.http://www.foundstone.com)

It is designed to teach application developers, programmers, architects and security professionals how to create secure software. Hacme Bank simulates a "real-world" web services-enabled online banking application, which was built with a number of known and common vulnerabilities. This allows users to attempt real exploits against a web application and thus learn the specifics of the issue and how best to fix it. The web services exposed by Hacme Bank are used by our other testing applications including Hacme Books and Hacme Travel.

/Gill

Create Reports from Any Data Source Using SQL Server Reporting Services Custom Data Extensions

I used SQL Server Reporting Services 2005 many times in SQL 2005 trainings i conducted and also at presentation at IT events and always loved to tell people how one can reports from any data source. You do not need to store you data source on a Microsoft SQL Server to get reports.

Here is a nice article (not MSDN whitepaper) which shows you just how to take advantage of Reporting Services' unique extensibility model to build reports from ADO.NET datasets.
It is written by by Teo Lachev

SQL 2000 Performance Tuning ? Want a book ?

Read a lot of good reviews for this book. It is written 2004 but very applicable to even SQL 2005.

SQL Server Query Performance Tuning Distilled
Product Details
Paperback: 624 pages
Publisher: Apress; 2 edition (October 11, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 1590594215