Microsoft Visio is installed on all of the computers in the Millennium Lab (CBA 5.322) and Mod Lab (CBA 5.304/5.325). It should appear in the Microsoft Office group of programs.
MIS 325 students may download Visio and a host of other Microsoft programs at no cost from the MSDN Academic Alliance site (aka, MSDN-AA, E-Academy, Microsoft DreamSpark):
http://msdn06.e-academy.com/utexasmccomb_bus/index.cfm
Each of you should have received an E-Academy email (delivered to your McCombs address) at the beginning of the semester with your MSDN username/account, initial password and login instructions. If you did not received it, or if you accidentally deleted it as junk mail, then no problem. Your MSDN username/account should just be X@mccombs.utexas.edu where X is your McCombs ID. Note: The MSDN login page prompts you to enter your email address for your username/account. I believe that's an error. Your MSDN username/account should just be msbaz123@mccombs.utexas.edu (Use your McCombs ID instead of msbaz123, of course.)
If you don't know your MSDN password, then there is a link on the login page to reset it.
If you don't have a username/account, or if the MSDN download process is too difficult, then anyone can get a free 60 day trial copy of Visio directly from Microsoft. Their download site is substantially easier to use:
http://visiotoolbox.com/2010/trial-downloads.aspx
We will only be using Visio for the first few weeks of the semester, so 60 days is plenty of time.
Personally, I wouldn't bother downloading Visio from MSDN or Microsoft. Instead, I would work in the lab with a classmate. Education, particularly technical education, is far more efficient (and enjoyable) if you do it with a good partner.
Microsoft SQL Server is a client-server database management system. The back-end server component (i.e., the actual database engine) is maintained behind locked door on a McCombs host computer in the CBA basement. It runs 24-7. The name of the server is missql.mccombs.utexas.edu.
All MIS 325 students can access the back-end database server through the UT network (LAN or VPN) by using the SQL Server's Management Studio client-side software. Management Studio is installed on all of the computers in the Millennium Lab (CBA 5.322) and Mod Lab (CBA 5.304/5.325).
You can also download a free copy of SQL Server directly from Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=7593
SQL Server's Management Studio is a large, complex program. The download and installation steps may take an hour or more. You may want to bookmark the Microsoft page since you will need to return to it a few times during the download/install/reboot process.
In order to use SQL Server's Management Studio on your non-UT client computer, you must first establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection between your computer and the UT network. The VPN software can be downloaded at no cost from Bevoware:
http://www.utexas.edu/its/bevoware/
Setting up VPN is very fast and easy. It takes a few minutes to set it up the first time, then a few seconds each time you want to use it.