Monday, January 18, 2010

How to Connect remote SQL Server 2005 database via CC Proxy-googl

Most of organizations use proxy server shared internet connection for their internal network. Browsing websites via proxy server requires few settings in browser itself where we set proxy server IP and port to 8080 which is default port, doing so is enough for any 1 to surf internet. But as an SQL server database programmers/developers uses SQL server management studio to connect to remote database from their client computers. Problem arises when a developer tries to connect a remote database server through SQL server management studio but CC Proxy won’t allow connecting to database directly even if developer uses all details correctly. 


Why is SQL server management studio not able to connect a remote database?


A very basic thing about proxy server is that all client computers must have to pass all requests to proxy server IP, requests may be from internet browser Or FTP client Or even if its SQL server management studio.

So now if we try to connect a database with original details, proxy server (say proxy server IP is : 48.152.16.36 ) will not allow connecting to database using original Host name.


Because proxy cannot process any request directly, it must come to Proxy server IP first which is 48.152.16.36 (this is a dummy IP, I have used).


How to solve the problem:


Solution is simple; we just have to follow 2 steps as described below. Here we will be configuring CC proxy, SQL server management studio & SQL server configuration manager.


Step 1: Client side settings 
Say for example we have following database server details:

Server name : hostname
Login ID : username
Password : password
Port : 1433 [ SQL server uses 1433 port by default, in case if its different then we have to do settings in CC proxy accordingly  ]

Traditionally we use above given details directly to connect, if we connect from SSMS (SQL server management studio), it will take user to the screen as shown blow.




Now in above screen if we use Server name:  hostname then proxy will not process the request and SSMS will fail to connect to database server.

So rather than providing Server name:  hostname we have to set CC Proxy’s server IP which is 48.152.16.36. But only this much will not work, because we also need to request CC proxy to a specific port which is not used anywhere else in proxy server. So we will use any port, say we use PORT: 1444 instead 1433 which is default port in SQL server.

So now in above screen we have to set [Server name: 48.152.16.36, 1444] by keeping userID password as it is.


Ok so we are now done with client side settings. But this much will also not work as we have to do few port map settings in CC proxy on server as well.




Step 2: Proxy server side settings


Setting up above step 1 setting in client machine will now request proxy server with the port 1444. So we have to define a PORT MAP setting in CC proxy for port: 1444.

Below are the steps to follow for port map settings:

  1. Open CC proxy 6.0
  2. Go to OPTIONS
  3. Click on port map, it will take you to the screen as shown below


In above screen set the following:



            Dest Host : hostname


              Port type :  TCP


              Local Port : 1444


              Dest Port :  1433


Save all above details , and we are done.

After this step all client machines must have to connect to database server using Proxy server IP only with a specific port ( in our case its 1444, however we can use any port but it should not be used anywhere else in proxy server).

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

How to: publish a blog article via MS word 2007

It always becomes a headache for any blog writers while publishing any article with a rich formatting like a word document, with lots of pictures added inside the blog post.

For all the bloggers like me who have faced problem of rich formatting while posting an article in blog, so guys here is the easiest way to publish your well formatted articles from MS word 2007 itself , even without going to your Blog's dashboard J

Microsoft word 2007 is providing a great functionality of publishing your fully formatted word document direct to your blog from word 2007 itself. And it's even easier from the traditional way.

Here are the few steps you have to follow and you are DONE!!



Creating Blog article in word

Step 1: CREATING A NEW WORD BLOG POST

Open MS word 2007, go to menu and select NEW,

You will get the screen as shown below. Now choose "New blog post" as the RED arrow indicates below.






Step 2: WRITING A BLOG POST

Once you choose new blog post you will find the screen as shown below.




Now just like we prepare a word document prepare your full article here, with all formatting and pictures added.



Step 3: SETTING BLOG POST TITLE

As shown in below screen shot set your article title at marked place.






Publishing Blog article to your wordpress blog

Step 1: REGISTER YOUR BLOG ACCOUNT IN WORD 2007






As show in above picture, clicking on PUBLISH will ask you to register your existing blog account by using Blog URL and username/password.


  




CHOOSE YOUR BLOG PROVIDER as shown below. – I have configured with my wordpress Blog





Fill out all your blog details as shown below.




After submitting above form MS word will validate the details, after verification it will pop up a success message as given in below screen.

With above step now your Blog account got registered in MS word 2007.





Next to this step it will again ask for your blog's admin username/password to publish the blog on your original blog account.

Finally you will get your article posted onto your blog and will get the message as shown below.




Managing blog accounts and setting article categories in wordpress article

Later on whenever you use word for publishing your blog articles, you will get your account registered and you can manage all your blog accounts as shown below. And also can mark any blog as default.




INSERT ARTICLE CATEGORIES IN BLOG POST

Again setting categories for your blog post is been very easy, all you have to do is just click on "insert category" button as shown below

It will show a full list of all your wordpress blog existing categories in a drop down.

You can also type any new category over here if not in list of existing.




  


For this article I have given example of WORD PRESS blog, but we can also configure for other blog providers like blogger etc...

!!! ENJOY BLOGGING!!! J