Converting Unconvertible Dates Using SQL
by Ted Holt

As much as I like SQL, I realize that it has its shortcomings. Fortunately, SQL's shortcomings are not hard to work around. In the few paragraphs that follow, I give you a quick and easy way to get around the problem of converting invalid character data to the date data type. READ MORE >

Auditing of Sensitive Users and Objects
Hey, Steve:

My shop keeps running up against the process and data control requirements surrounding the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We are continually told that we should be actively monitoring all accesses to the critical financial data that reside on our i5 system, as well as the powerful users that may be accessing the data. Of course, the first hurdle to compliance in this area is identifying which files are critical and then managing the users with powerful authorities. However, since there's already someone in the IT security group breathing down my neck and our company already has a well-defined data classification scheme (rare, I know!), I don't need to worry about identifying the critical stuff. My problem is to decide the best way to track the usage of the sensitive objects. What audit methodology would you recommend for monitoring access to our critical objects and the powerful users that may be accessing them? READ MORE >