Visio Professional 2007 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 at no cost from the MSDN Academic Alliance site:
http://msdn06.e-academy.com/utexasmccomb_bus/index.cfm
Each of you should have received an email at the beginning of the semester with your MSDN account and password. If you didn't receive it, or if you accidentally deleted it as junk mail, then your MSDN account should just be your McCombs email address (e.g., John.Doe@bba08.mccombs.utexas.edu). There is a link on the MSDN login page to reset your lost/forgotten password.
Anyone can download a free 60 day trial copy of Visio directly from Microsoft:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/default.aspx
We will only be using Visio for the first few weeks of the semester, so 60 days is plenty of time. If you download the software from Microsoft, then be sure to get the Professional version, not the Standard version.
Personally, I wouldn't bother downloading Visio. Instead, I would work in the lab with a classmate. Education, particularly technical education, is far more efficient (and enjoyable) if you can 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 missql2005.mccombs.utexas.edu.
All MIS 325 students can access the back-end database server through the UT network (LAN or VPN) by using the Management Studio client-side software. Two versions of Management Studio (2005 and 2008) are installed on all of the computers in the Millennium Lab (CBA 5.322) and Mod Lab (CBA 5.304/5.325). You may use either version for this class. Our recommended textbook is written for 2008, but the older version of the client-side software is fairly similar. Most of the improvements introduced with the 2008 version are internal and not directly visible to the end user.
Management Studio can also be downloaded at no cost to your own XP (32 bit) or Vista (32 or 63 bit) computer. Management Studio is a large, complex program. The download and installation steps may take an hour or more. The download link is:
http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/services/cbacc/dbsupport/VPN/default.asp
In order to use Management Studio on your non-UT client computer to connect to the MIS 325 database server, you must first establish a virtual private network (VPN) between your computer and the UT network. The instructions for setting up a VPN are:
http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/services/cbacc/dbsupport/VPN/createVPN.asp