Event Location:
Rochester Institute of Technology
1 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York
Abstract:
You've fallen into a job that requires you to manage a SQL Server Database Management System. Now you have to keep these databases on their feet. You've heard of this concept called a backup, and it sounds great, but you sure don't know what it is. This session is for you. We're going to go over backups, right from the beginning, so that when you come out of this session you can go back to your systems and set up backups, log backups, differentials, and anything else you might need. Further, you'll know how to recover your database in the event of an actual failure. The fundamentals you need to get a good backup in place and then be able to restore it will be covered in this session.
Speaker(s): Grant Fritchey,
Abstract:
Experienced DBAs know that SQL Server stores data in data files and transaction log files. What is less commonly known is that the transaction log file is broken up into smaller segments known as Virtual Log Files, or VLFs. Having too many VLFs will cause performance to suffer. And having too few will cause backup performance to suffer. How do you strike the right balance? In this more advanced session, veteran DBA Mike Hillwig will show you what VLFs are, how they're created, how to identify them, and how to strike the right balance between too few and too many.
Speaker(s): Mike Hillwig,
Abstract:
You’re just starting out as a DBA, but you’ve just been given a tight deadline to install and configure a new SQL Server 2012 instance. In this session you’ll learn process of installing an instance of SQL Server 2012 so that you have the knowledge to confidently perform the install (and get it right the first time). You’ll also learn some of the out-of-the box SQL Server settings that need to be tweaked to ensure performance and resilience.
Speaker(s): Matt Slocum,
Abstract:
A highly interactive and popular session where attendees evaluate the options and best practices of common and advanced design issues, such as: * Natural vs. Surrogate keys * Classwords and other Naming Standards * Varchar Minimums *Identity Crisis * Who Calls the Shots and Who Does What? ...and others. Bring your votes, your debates, and your opinions.
Speaker(s): Karen Lopez,
Abstract:
More and more companies are virtualizing with VMWare, and databases are the next logical step. This presentation will explore the fundamentals of monitoring databases running in a VMWare environment because it can be much different than when running on a physical machine. You will learn business and technical benefits of virtualization, master new terms and concepts, pick up useful planning tips and tricks, and cover best practices for maintaining optimum performance in a VMWare environment.
Speaker(s): Janis Griffin,
Abstract:
Mike Hillwig is known as the Cranky DBA. You probably have pain points in your environment that make you cranky, too. Mike has lots of horror stories to tell about bad SQL Server implementations and practices. More importantly, he has developed a list of 12 key tips for managing your SQL Server environment. By following these tips, you’ll make your DBAs, developers, and system administrators a little less cranky.
Speaker(s): Mike Hillwig,
Abstract:
What are cubes? What is all this talk about BI? Why is it important, anyway? If you have asked these questions recently, then this session is for you. We'll discuss the fundamentals of designing a Data Warehouse and building a Cube as well as When and Where you would need them.
Speaker(s): Christopher Crane,
Abstract:
Full-text search is an often overlooked feature of SQL Server that can be used for more than searching documents. This session will cover setting up and using full-text search to handle some of those dirty data situations we've all inherited without using the dreaded "LIKE '%text%'". As an example, we will demonstrate how full-text search can be used to find names in poorly formatted data like 'mailing address' or 'billing address' fields. It will also cover how to handle noise words that may match some names and synonyms for first names to create a really robust solution that goes beyond what could be done with plain old SQL.
Speaker(s): Jay Holliday,
Abstract:
This session will give a brief overview of the different types of triggers available in SQL Server (DDL DML) and then go into more detail on how and when to use DML triggers. This session will cover misconceptions about how triggers work, when triggers should and shouldn't be used (we will discuss options), common mistakes, and how to fix the most common mistakes. After attending this session a person will: 1. Identify different types of triggers and when to use them. 2. Be able to identify when a trigger is the right solution 3. Be able to write triggers that perform well
Speaker(s): Jack Corbett,
Abstract:
In this session we will review some example code of ways I use PowerShell to help me as a DBA. Together we will learn how PowerShell can be the "Super Glue" that can be used to solve some of your problems.
Speaker(s): Carlton Ramsey,
Abstract:
Database professionals are often challenged to troubleshoot why a user cannot connect to a SQL Server instance. Attend this session to learn the basics of how SQL Server listens for connections and how it uses its browser service. Also learn what utilities the Windows operating system offers to help you in troubleshooting those connection issues.
Speaker(s): Mike Hays,
Abstract:
Parameter sniffing is a misunderstood issue on SQL Server. Most of the time, parameter sniffing is helping performance on your servers. But sometimes, circumstances change, and what was helping you is now hurting you – bad. In this session, we’ll gain an understanding of what exactly parameter sniffing is and why it’s usually so helpful. Then we’ll explore how parameter sniffing can go wrong and look at seven different ways you can deal with it when it does. You’ll take away a wealth of knowledge that will help you identify and resolve bad parameter sniffing in your own environment.
Speaker(s): Grant Fritchey,
Abstract:
SQL Server Extended Events can be used to gather a wide range of performance information, and in troubleshooting in SQL Server. Extended Events use less system resources and provide better information than SQL Profiler and they allow for correlation of SQL Server event data along side of OS or Application event data. This presentation will explore what Extended Events are, how to set them up and use them in several case studies.
Speaker(s): Janis Griffin,
Abstract:
Does your data sit around mocking your best attempts to support good data practices? Databases are also bound by the GIGO rule: Garbage In is Garbage Out. In this presentation, Karen shows you examples of the types of mistakes, misunderstandings and outright cheats that lead to poor data quality, mistrust in IT systems and overall smelliness in our IT solutions. Using real-life evidence of her own data in your systems.
Speaker(s): Karen Lopez,
Abstract:
Dynamic Management Views are a beautiful gift from Microsoft. With them you can gather immense amounts of information about your SQL environment, optimize performance problems, and solve problems you didn't even know you had! We will dig into some of the most useful DMVs available and review some real-world code examples that illustrate what they can do for you.
Speaker(s): Edward Pollack,
Abstract:
Becoming certified in SQL Server is a great career enhancement for a database professional. This session will provide you with an overview of the SQL Server Certification program, including the numerous changes made to the program for SQL 2012. You'll discover several reasons why you should become certified, and some of the best ways in which to do so. You'll also leave the session armed with some tips and tricks for passing the exams that the presenter has used over the last twelve years.
Speaker(s): Chris Hyde,
Abstract:
XEvents were introduced with SQL Server 2008 and enhanced in SQL Server 2012 and with the announcement that SQL Trace/Profiler is being deprecated now is the time to begin learningXEvents. We will look at why you should start working with Extended Events, when you should start, and how to start. What you will learn: 1. How to investigate XEvents objects using the DMV's 2. How to create an XEvents Session 3. How to transition an existing Trace to an XEvents Session. What you should know coming in: 1. Basic use of SSMS 2. Familiarity with Trace/Profiler
Speaker(s): Jack Corbett,
Abstract:
We will be learning an overview of this powerful feature and how you can leverage it to help manage your existing SQL environment. This will include plenty of demos, best practices and QA so by the end you should be able to walk away ready to take control of your SQL Server environment using this awesome feature!
Speaker(s): Jorge Segarra,
Abstract:
For the first time since SQL 7 there is a compelling reason for EVERY SQL Server user to upgrade to the next version and this time around the reason is Windowing Functions. And these are NOT limited to Enterprise Edition, like so many other really useful and important features! The range of data processing needs that can be very efficiently and cleanly solved with these tools is stunning. In this demo-packed session we will cover as many features as we can pack into an hour's time, and you can take the demo code back home with you to review at your leisure!
Speaker(s): Kevin Boles,
Abstract:
The AlwaysOn Availability Groups feature is a high-availability and disaster-recovery solution that provides an enterprise-level alternative to database mirroring.
Speaker(s): George Walters,
Abstract:
We are going to examine a variety of oopsies MANY developers fall prey too - some obvious, some pretty subtle and some down right sneaky! Lots of code examples with the bad AND good code presented. I GUARANTEE that you will find things here that will either prevent you from getting bad data, throwing unwanted errors or vastly improving your database application's performance. I have given this talk over FORTY times now and it is always very highly rated!
Speaker(s): Kevin Boles,
Abstract:
SQL Server 2012 has some built in tools to help with performance tuning. This session will review these tools, and other tuning tips and tricks.
Speaker(s): George Walters,
Abstract:
As a SQL Server DBA I see my role having 2 main focuses. First is to protect the data and second is to ensure performance is maximized. More often than not companies forget about data security when they focus on performance tuning. In this presentation I will mention a few cases where encryption could have saved a lot of hassle. I will then demo a method that can be used to "index" commonly searched on encrypted values (ex: SSNs, Credit Card, etc) helping reduce the impact on the performance of a query.
Speaker(s): Chris Bell,
Abstract:
Do you have users complaining that applications are running "too slow"? Do your DB traces look like a short story written by monkeys at typewriters? This is a fun, fast-paced walkthrough of the most effective strategies for query tuning. We'll investigate the most common causes of sub-optimal queries (and some quite unusual ones) while building a foundation for solving any optimization problem that the application throws your way!
Speaker(s): Edward Pollack,
Abstract:
Another in TheSQLGuru's very popular "Deep Dive" series, this time covering indexing. You will learn about the internal structures of heaps, clustered indexes and nonclustered indexes. We will examine included columns and covering indexes, filtered indexes, indexed views, indexing DMVs and finding the right indexes. There are some incredibly helpful graphics as well as some nice samples to help you transition theory to practice.
Speaker(s): Kevin Boles,
Abstract:
In today's economic times, we are being asked to do more with less. Less budget, less hardware and yet our data needs keep growing! So how do we keep our database infrastructure humming along given these restrictions? In this session we will talk about different options of consolidation including: database-level consolidation, instance-level consolidation, and virtualization. Additionally we will also talk about some of the tools and methods you can use today to help you consolidate your SQL Server environment and do more with less!
Speaker(s): Jorge Segarra,
Abstract:
SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is the latest iteration of technology that makes use of Visual Studio for coding, testing, and deploying databases. SSDT provides a single solution, whether you choose to deploy your code to your own computer, to a nearby server, or to an Azure cloud database. I'll talk about my recent "real world experiences" with this technology -- where SSDT really helped and where it ...didn't. There will be more time for QA, so that you can better understand if this technology is right for your projects.
Speaker(s): Robert Schoedel,
Abstract:
This session will investigate the benefits of package and logging management framework templates. Then we will move on to adding data connectors to your template packages and building these connectors into package configurations that use a common table to store all your connections and how this will save you time and effort. Then finally we will explore some of the useful things you can do with package configured variables
Speaker(s): Daniel Bowlin,
Abstract:
This session will investigate some of the tables and views of the reporting services database in SQL Server 2008 2008 R2. We will then go on to demonstrate how to build a long term reporting repository for tracking report performance, report use, and subscription results. Finally we will review a few reports that can be built from this data to make the whole process a bit easier.
Speaker(s): Daniel Bowlin,
This is a list of speakers from the XML Guidebook records. The details and URLs were valid at the time of the event.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcorbett
Contact: http://www.wisemanorwiseguy.com
JJack Corbett began working with SQL Server, Access, and VB in 1999, when he served an apprenticeship with a good friend who was the software development manager at the local paper mill. He found his niche and has concentrated on SQL Server development and administration since late 2000. He has worked with SQL Server through version 2017 and was a Microsoft Data Plaform MVP from October 2011 to October 2016. Jack is passionate about helping companies architect, design, and develop high performance applications based on the Microsoft Data Platform. He also has a passion for seeing database developers get the core application code (the database) protected under source control. Jack has presented at many user groups and SQLSaturday even
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hays-21097419
Contact: http://www.thesqlreport.com/
Mike has been working with Microsoft SQL Server for the last twenty years. Currently working as a Database Administrator for a diversified energy company, he has also worked in the retail, manufacturing, banking sectors. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Information Science from Cleveland State University. He currently resides in Ohio with his girlfriend Alexia, her two children and their dog Lanna.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehillwig
Contact: http://www.mikehillwig.com
Veteran DBA Mike Hillwig is a native Pittsburgher and resident of the Boston Suburbs. He’s a DBA Manager for a financial software company that’s owned by one of the world’s largest bank. Mike has been working with SQL Server since version 7 and has a background in infrastructure and network. Today, he manages a team of DBAs around the globe.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=33119347amp;trk=hp-identity-name
Contact: http://www.danielbowlin.com/
I am a data integration developer at Time Warner Cable. I have been working with SQL Server technologies since the late 90s. About 6 years ago I specialized in the SQL Server BI stack. Lately I have been almost exclusively working in SSIS.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=81593638
Contact: https://www.sqlshack.com/author/edward-pollack/
Ed Pollack has over 20 years of experience in database and systems administration, which has developed his passion for performance optimization, database design, and making things go faster. He has spoken at many SQLSaturdays, 24 Hours of PASS, and PASS Summit. This led him to organize SQLSaturday Albany, which has become an annual event for New York’s Capital Region. Sharing these experiences with the community is a top priority, and encouraging everyone to take the leap into public speaking and engaging others, a passion. In his free time, Ed enjoys video games, traveling, cooking exceptionally spicy foods, and hanging out with his amazing wife and sons.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcorbett
Contact: http://www.wisemanorwiseguy.com
JJack Corbett began working with SQL Server, Access, and VB in 1999, when he served an apprenticeship with a good friend who was the software development manager at the local paper mill. He found his niche and has concentrated on SQL Server development and administration since late 2000. He has worked with SQL Server through version 2017 and was a Microsoft Data Plaform MVP from October 2011 to October 2016. Jack is passionate about helping companies architect, design, and develop high performance applications based on the Microsoft Data Platform. He also has a passion for seeing database developers get the core application code (the database) protected under source control. Jack has presented at many user groups and SQLSaturday even
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christopher-bell/19/a08/93/
Contact: https://www.wateroxconsulting.com/
Chris Bell offers a unique view of how we live and work with data, both now and as we head into the future. Having braved many roles, lifecycles, and battles in the IT world, he has honed his DBA (Database Administration or Do 'Bout Anything) skills in Information Systems and development, focusing on SQL Server. Currently, he serves as the lead DBA at The Motley Fool. You can keep up with Chris' thoughts and technical community activities at WaterOxConsulting.com.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=33119347amp;trk=hp-identity-name
Contact: http://www.danielbowlin.com/
I am a data integration developer at Time Warner Cable. I have been working with SQL Server technologies since the late 90s. About 6 years ago I specialized in the SQL Server BI stack. Lately I have been almost exclusively working in SSIS.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=81593638
Contact: https://www.sqlshack.com/author/edward-pollack/
Ed Pollack has over 20 years of experience in database and systems administration, which has developed his passion for performance optimization, database design, and making things go faster. He has spoken at many SQLSaturdays, 24 Hours of PASS, and PASS Summit. This led him to organize SQLSaturday Albany, which has become an annual event for New York’s Capital Region. Sharing these experiences with the community is a top priority, and encouraging everyone to take the leap into public speaking and engaging others, a passion. In his free time, Ed enjoys video games, traveling, cooking exceptionally spicy foods, and hanging out with his amazing wife and sons.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/scarydba
Contact: http://scarydba.com
Grant Fritchey is a Data Platform MVP with over 20 years’ experience in IT, including time spent in support and development. He has worked with SQL Server since 6.0 back in 1995. He has also developed in VB, VB.NET, C#, and Java. Grant has written books for Apress and Simple-Talk. Grant presents at conferences and user groups, large and small, all over the world. He joined Redgate Software as a product evangelist in January 2011.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/scarydba
Contact: http://scarydba.com
Grant Fritchey is a Data Platform MVP with over 20 years’ experience in IT, including time spent in support and development. He has worked with SQL Server since 6.0 back in 1995. He has also developed in VB, VB.NET, C#, and Java. Grant has written books for Apress and Simple-Talk. Grant presents at conferences and user groups, large and small, all over the world. He joined Redgate Software as a product evangelist in January 2011.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehillwig
Contact: http://www.mikehillwig.com
Veteran DBA Mike Hillwig is a native Pittsburgher and resident of the Boston Suburbs. He’s a DBA Manager for a financial software company that’s owned by one of the world’s largest bank. Mike has been working with SQL Server since version 7 and has a background in infrastructure and network. Today, he manages a team of DBAs around the globe.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carltonramsey/
Contact: http://www.eccentricDBA.com
Carlton B Ramsey has worked for Third Federal Savings and Loan in Cleveland Ohio for two decades as an Application Developer and Database Administrator. He is an active member of the North Ohio SQL Server User Group, frequent SQLSaturday Presenter and Past-President of the Akron-Canton Chapter of CompTIA AITP (Association of Information Technology Professionals). In addition, he has a MCSA SQL 2016 Database Development.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgewalters
Contact: https://georgewalters.wordpress.com/
Currently a partner technical strategist, George has been solving customer needs and issues. He can translate customer pain into potential solutions. A seasoned Microsoft SQL and Azure expert, with over 20 years of experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, Oracle, and other relational databases. Specialties: Partner strategy, PreSales Engineering, Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Scalability, SQL Server performance, Business Intelligence, High Availability, Scale. I volunteer and present relevant topics at SQLSaturday and internal Microsoft events
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/thesqlguru
Kevin Boles is a SQL Server expert, working exclusively with the product since v6.5. With over 25 years of database experience and over 45,000 man hours of SQL Server engine experience, he holds many related certifications, is an MCT and was a SQL Server MVP from 2007 to 2012. Kevin has been a very successful independent consultant for over 20 years. His passion is the relational engine, especially designing, building, analyzing and tuning high-performance database applications.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlopez
Contact: http://datamodel.com
Karen Lopez is a Sr. Project Manager and Architect for InfoAdvisors. A frequent speaker at conferences and local user groups, she has 20+ years of experience in project and data management on large, multi-project programs. Karen is a chronic volunteer, a Data Platform MVP, and an active advocate for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and data quality. Karen’s presentations are known for their lively and interactive approach to learning. Her motto: “Love Your Data!”
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/thesqlguru
Kevin Boles is a SQL Server expert, working exclusively with the product since v6.5. With over 25 years of database experience and over 45,000 man hours of SQL Server engine experience, he holds many related certifications, is an MCT and was a SQL Server MVP from 2007 to 2012. Kevin has been a very successful independent consultant for over 20 years. His passion is the relational engine, especially designing, building, analyzing and tuning high-performance database applications.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/janis-griffin/0/914/aba
Janis Griffin has over 30 years of DBA/database experience including design, development and implementation of many critical database applications. Before coming to Quest Software, Janis primarily worked in the Telecom/Network Industry, working with both real-time network routing databases and OLTP business to business applications. Janis also held positions as a Principal Architect and Senior Manager, mentoring other DBAs on best practices in database performance tuning.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgewalters
Contact: https://georgewalters.wordpress.com/
Currently a partner technical strategist, George has been solving customer needs and issues. He can translate customer pain into potential solutions. A seasoned Microsoft SQL and Azure expert, with over 20 years of experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, Oracle, and other relational databases. Specialties: Partner strategy, PreSales Engineering, Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Scalability, SQL Server performance, Business Intelligence, High Availability, Scale. I volunteer and present relevant topics at SQLSaturday and internal Microsoft events
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlopez
Contact: http://datamodel.com
Karen Lopez is a Sr. Project Manager and Architect for InfoAdvisors. A frequent speaker at conferences and local user groups, she has 20+ years of experience in project and data management on large, multi-project programs. Karen is a chronic volunteer, a Data Platform MVP, and an active advocate for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and data quality. Karen’s presentations are known for their lively and interactive approach to learning. Her motto: “Love Your Data!”
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hyde-3803706
Chris Hyde is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He works as an independent SQL Server BI and DBA consultant, and is the leader of the Albuquerque PASS local user group. He is also part of the Friends of Redgate program and was a member of the Idera ACE class of 2018. He loves loud music and cricket, but usually not at the same time.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/thesqlguru
Kevin Boles is a SQL Server expert, working exclusively with the product since v6.5. With over 25 years of database experience and over 45,000 man hours of SQL Server engine experience, he holds many related certifications, is an MCT and was a SQL Server MVP from 2007 to 2012. Kevin has been a very successful independent consultant for over 20 years. His passion is the relational engine, especially designing, building, analyzing and tuning high-performance database applications.
I've worked with many systems over the years from Geographic Information Systems to Document Imaging to Web Public Access Systems to Phone System Integrations and many things in between. The one thing they've all had in common is a relational database back-end allowing me to easily move around and up throughout my career.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsegarra
Contact: http://sqlchicken.com
Jorge Segarra is a senior consultant for Microsoft (Premier Support for Developers) and a former SQL Server MVP. Jorge has co-authored titles including "SQL 2008 Pro Policy-Based Management" and "SQL Server 2012 Bible" .
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/janis-griffin/0/914/aba
Janis Griffin has over 30 years of DBA/database experience including design, development and implementation of many critical database applications. Before coming to Quest Software, Janis primarily worked in the Telecom/Network Industry, working with both real-time network routing databases and OLTP business to business applications. Janis also held positions as a Principal Architect and Senior Manager, mentoring other DBAs on best practices in database performance tuning.
Rob Schoedel is a database architect at IDI Billing Solutions, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in Victor, NY. Prior to IDI, Rob spent 15 years leading internal database development projects at Microsoft. A veteran of SQL Server, Rob first trained on SQL 1.1 in 1992.
Christopher Crane has been a SQL Server DBA/Developer for 13 years and has worked for various businesses in the Rochester area during that time. Chris is the founder and former president of the Rochester chapter of PASS.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/matt-slocum/5/251/709
Contact: http://www.sqlmatt.com
Husband, Father, and certifiable...I mean certified MCSE: SQL Data Platform. I manage lots of DBs on SQL 7-2017. I specialize in database hardware, SQL replication, and performance troubleshooting. I also love space, technology Japanese culture.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsegarra
Contact: http://sqlchicken.com
Jorge Segarra is a senior consultant for Microsoft (Premier Support for Developers) and a former SQL Server MVP. Jorge has co-authored titles including "SQL 2008 Pro Policy-Based Management" and "SQL Server 2012 Bible" .
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.
Rochester Institute of Technology