Event Location:
Pittsburgh Technical Institute
1111 McKee Road
Oakdale, Pennsylvania
Abstract:
Before any significant data analysis can take place the data often needs to be transformed, aggregated, and combined. This is often referred to as the ETL (Extraction, Transfer, and Load) process. Power Query is an excellent tool in the Microsoft self-service BI stack that allows business users to discover, combine, and refine data before loading it into a Power Pivot model for further analysis. In addition Microsoft has made connecting to a wide variety of sources including relational, structured, and semi structured data a consistent intuitive experience. This session guides you through using Power Query to extract, transform, and load data from various sources into a Power Pivot model. In addition we will look at the M language created by the tool and look at some advanced queries you can create using M.
Speaker(s): Dan Clark,
Abstract:
Do you have issues communicating your needs to your Storage/SAN Administrator? Do they seem to speak a different language when it comes to determining and providing your SQL Server storage needs? In this session we'll review storage technologies so that you can communicate effectively with your Storage/SAN Administrator as well as methods of monitoring your storage to ensure that your needs are met. In this session we will discuss RAID types, Local/Direct Attached Storage vs SAN Storage, and Flash Storage (including how it fits into multiple storage models). We'll also review methods for monitoring and testing your storage performance. With the information gathered in this session, you'll be able to have thorough, informed discussions with your Storage Administrator as well as being able to provide solid metrics to confirm storage performance.
Speaker(s): Matt Slocum,
Abstract:
One of the of the most under-utilized management features of SQL Server is SQL Agent Multi-Server Administration, which allows you to create a SQL Agent job on one server and then deploy it to multiple servers instantly. This allows you to have consistency with your SQL Agent jobs by managing them in a single location. You’ll learn about the benefits, drawbacks, workarounds, and underlying objects behind this technology. You’ll discover how to monitor job execution status and handle the security implications of the master-target relationship. Native Yinzer and SQL Server MVP Mike Hillwig will show you how to to deploy this simple, yet powerful feature right out of the box without writing a single line of additional code.
Speaker(s): Mike Hillwig,
Abstract:
XP_CmdShell is a powerful tool that can greatly simplify the life of DBAs. You can quickly and easily write full ETL systems, up/down-load FTP files, call PowerShell scripts to interrogate the status of hard-disks across the enterprise with nary a 3rd party tool in sight, and much more. And it’s all done under the control a scheduled job system that you already know and that keeps its own logs. Yet, you'll find millions of people that agree that disabling xp_CmdShell is a "best practice". Some even say that it should never be used. Why? Disabling it supposedly decreases the system "surface area" of possible attack and never using it supposedly solves the problem of someone elevating their privileges with it. Well, surprise! Disabling xp_CmdShell doesn't actually solve any of those problems. In fact, disabling it may actually hurt security. Come to this session to find out why turning off xp_CmdShell may be a "worst practice" and how to allow individuals/applications to run it safely.
Speaker(s): Jeff Moden,
Abstract:
Truly automate complex monthly spreadsheet imports without monthly code changes! Right or wrong, spreadsheets still constitute a source of data that many of us have to import every week or month. The trouble is that most spreadsheets aren’t setup to look like an SQL table. Rather, they are setup as multiple dimensions to aid in user readability and that makes column mapping and importing seriously automation resistant. This “Black Arts” session provides an introduction to a relatively simple method to quickly, easily, and automatically import such spreadsheets and the code to do so frequently requires no changes to be used across multiple disparate spreadsheets. Creation of the necessary staging table and the related mapping is all done automatically and the monthly addition of columns is automatically handled, as well. Some of the pitfalls of more traditional import methods will also be examined. Don’t let the “Advanced” rating of this session scare you away. It's simple!
Speaker(s): Jeff Moden,
Abstract:
In the day-to-day operations of business, how often have we heard or even asked someone the question ourselves, “Can I get a report of this?” Regardless of your area of expertise, reporting has become a necessity and requirement among businesses and is impacting our roles as IT professionals. With the huge wave of trendy reporting tools and software surrounding the BI industry, many people are unaware or often overlook SSRS as a reporting solution. In this session, we will look at the features and capabilities of SSRS, as well as supply you with the tools to begin fulfilling basic report requests. At the conclusion of this session, you will know the difference between Report Builder and SQL Server Data Tools to determine which one is suitable for your needs. You will also be able to create and deploy a basic report consisting of a data source, data set, a parameter and a row group.
Speaker(s): Jeremy Frye,
Abstract:
This presentation provides a high level overview of basic Big Data and Hadoop fundamentals and concepts. It is an ideal opportunity for those considering or learning Hadoop to see Big Data in Action with examples using Microsoft Azure HDInsight, which is a 100% Apache Hadoop-based service in the cloud provided by Microsoft. We will also cover Big Data exploration and data visualization demonstrations using Microsoft products; such as PowerQuery for Excel.
Speaker(s): Adriano da Silva,
Abstract:
This session provides an overview of Agile BI strategy and approach and demonstrates how Power BI can be used to jump start BI initiatives within an organization. Specifically we highlight how an agile approach can address some of the following pain points: * Long lead time on report modifications * Waterfall delivery methodology * Disconnect between what end users want and ask for
Speaker(s): Greg Baldini,
Abstract:
You know all the ways to protect your database when it is at rest, but what about when someone connects and starts running some queries? What if they connect and don't do anything? Just how exposed is that data? We will assume the role of a hacker and, by using a simple technique, we will sniff packets on a network to reveal what data is being sent. You may be shocked! We will then secure our database connections with a simple self-signed SSL certificate. Once secured, we will resume the role of the hacker and look inside the packets to see what has changed. *Warning - Do not try these demos at work without proper permissions as actual hacking techniques are used. PreReqs: This session only requires you to have a basic knowledge of SQL Server configuration and an interest in protecting the data in your database. Goal 1: Learn what is exposed when using the default, unprotected connections to SQL Server Goal 2: Learn how to configure SQL Serve to use an SSL certificate t
Speaker(s): Chris Bell,
Abstract:
You’re in a dark room with an ugly query. What do you do next? Microsoft Certified Master Brent Ozar shares his time-tested method of tuning queries starting with simplifying, analyzing the execution plan, making index tweaks, and measuring improvements with statistics. You’ll learn a repeatable process you can use to make queries go faster.
Speaker(s): Brent Ozar,
Abstract:
To wrap up the Wanna Be A DBA track, join several speakers who are experts in their fields for a lightning talk round. In this hour, we will talk about career paths, hints, tricks, tidbits, and answer questions that you may have about beginning your career as a database administrator.
Speaker(s): Matt Nelson,
Abstract:
The key to becoming a great DBA is time. The best way to regain some time is by spending less time doing the daily mundane work. Let this mundane effort work autonomously. We will introduce the basics in monitoring and maintenance. The how and why certain things should be done at a minimum and what things can be done to help improve the quality of life in larger dynamic environments.
Speaker(s): Warren Sifre,
Abstract:
Join Pyramid Analytics for a lunchtime session about their products and services Food is not permitted in the classrooms. Please eat lunch in the gallery first and then join Pyramid Analytics afterwards for this session.
Speaker(s): Matt Nelson,
Abstract:
Dynamic SQL is a misunderstood and much maligned part of a DBA’s tool kit – it can be used to solve difficult business problems, respond to diverse data needs, and alleviate performance problems. Many DBAs reject dynamic SQL outright as a potential source of SQL injections, being poorly performing, or just for being a hacky solution in general. Not so! Jeremiah Peschka has been making extensive use of dynamic SQL throughout his career to solve a variety of problems. In this session, we’ll be dispelling these misconceptions and demonstrating how dynamic SQL can become a part of every DBA’s tool kit.
Speaker(s): Jeremiah Peschka,
Abstract:
Come to participate in (or just eat and listen to) an informal discussion about women in technology. All are welcome to attend. Food is not permitted in the classrooms, so please eat in the Gallery first and then join us for this round table.
Speaker(s): Katie Vetter,
Abstract:
When your database is having performance issues, you need to quickly and accurately diagnose and resolve performance issues. Like any good detective, you need to look for clues to find “The Smoking Gun.” We will cover various tools we have in SQL Server 2008 and above at our disposal which can help us pinpoint and resolve issues quickly, using Dynamic Management Views (DMVs), SQL Profiler and other queries. We will discuss emergent performance issues as well as chronic issues and find ways to piece together the clues to figure out the root cause of our problems.
Speaker(s): Danette Riviello,
Abstract:
One of the most talked about new features in Microsoft SQL Server is AlwaysOn Availability Groups. In this session, we'll cover the pros and cons of using Availability Groups as well as the basics of how to set them up and take advantage of readable secondary replicas. If you want to improve the availability and performance of your applications and databases, are currently using Database Mirroring, or if you're just curious about Availability Groups, then you won't want to miss this session.
Speaker(s): Adam Belebczuk,
Abstract:
Microsoft has been busy working on the next version of SQL Server - SQL Server 2016. We will go over some of the new features at a high level and dig deeper on Row Level Security and StretchDB. Row Level Security allows you to add another layer of security to your environment. StretchDB will allow you to transparently place part or all of a table into a SQL Azure DB freeing up your valuable SAN space for data that is COLD.
Speaker(s): Rick Heiges,
Abstract:
Have you ever developed slowly running queries and wondered how to make your own SQL Server queries go faster? In this session you will learn some T-SQL performance tuning tips that can be used on Monday back at the office. You will learn how to identify top offender queries, be able to benchmark queries, and apply proper indexes while avoiding common mistakes. Finally we will cover coding patterns that are developer friendly but are not SQL Server database engine friendly and show you how to rewrite them so they can run faster.
Speaker(s): John Sterrett,
Abstract:
At some point every SQL interview is going to get technical. This session will go through my favorite questions as an interviewer and talk about their overall relevance and answers. We'll talk about how to handle the situations where you aren't sure of the answer - or when you know that you don't know the answer The questions will cover database design, DBA, SSIS and SSRS aspects of SQL server. Pointers to resources will also be given.
Speaker(s): Reed Powell,
Abstract:
what it Business Intelligence, how it’s used, and why it is rapidly becoming very important to most organizations. Covering the basics of the MS BI stack. SSIS, SSRS, SSAS.
Speaker(s): Jeb Sears,
Abstract:
You're looking to protect your SQL instance from a machine failure. Or maybe your storage budget and tight and you don't want to have your databases in two places with one of the other highly available options that SQL provides. Let's learn what a cluster is and why it might be the right thing for you. We'll explore the system, network, storage and database administration sides of the equation. And, when it's all said and done we'll even have built a SQL clustered instance!
Speaker(s): Paul Popovich Jr,
Abstract:
John knows everything and goes out of his way to correct you at every turn. Mary is agreeable to a fault and just placates everyone. Mike is full of doom and gloom and whines constantly. Are these your co-workers? Relatives? Frenemies? You? Learn two golden rules to reduce the stress produced by the difficult people in your life.
Speaker(s): Gigi Bell,
Abstract:
Join Dell for a lunchtime session about their products and services Food is not permitted in the classrooms. Please eat lunch in the gallery first and then join dell afterwards for this session.
Speaker(s): Matt Nelson,
Abstract:
What is the Script Task? What can I do with it? When should I use it? I'll introduce you to the SSIS Script Task and beginner-intermediate level vb script while we walk through some live examples.
Speaker(s): Katie Vetter,
Abstract:
Whether you've dabbled in PowerShell or wondered what all the fuss is about, make no mistake: PowerShell is something worth learning to make your life as a SQL Server professional easier. Whether you're a DBA, a SSIS developer, or security professional, In this session you'll see practical, real world examples of how you can blend SQL Server and PowerShell together, and not just a bunch of regular T-SQL tasks that have been made more complicated.
Speaker(s): Drew Furgiuele,
Abstract:
Analysis Services have become a major part of upper management daily decision making activities. However, with our DW sizes reaching multiple terabytes minimizing time required to process our data has become our top priority. In this session, we will cover the options we have as DBA’s to improve the performance of our DW processing time. We will look at features and general best practices available to us within SSAS as well as enterprise level features within the database engine itself and how aligning them to work side by side would yield us at least 200% improvement in our processing time.
Speaker(s): Konstantin Melamud,
Abstract:
How does licensing work? Sure, you understand the difference between Standard and Enterprise, but what happens with AlwaysOn Availability Groups, virtualization, clustering, and disaster recovery? Microsoft Certified Master Brent Ozar will cut through all the confusion and explain your high availability and disaster recovery options, show how licensing impacts them, and keep you out of prison.
Speaker(s): Brent Ozar,
Abstract:
A typical day in the life of a DBA
Speaker(s): Matt Gallentine,
Abstract:
SQL Server Analysis Services has become a key base of Business Intelligence integration into business decision making. As DBA’s sometimes we are forced to change over to new coding standards. MDX is one of the base languages used when reporting off of cubes that are built using the multi-dimensional model. The goal of this class will be to help beginners convert from using T-SQL to understanding the basics when writing MDX queries from scratch.
Speaker(s): Dan King,
Abstract:
SQL Server 2014 was released in early 2014. Since then, most are struggling to understand why they should upgrade. This talk will uncover 14 features in SQL 2014 that you may have not thought of. Including in-memory tables, hybrid cloud environments, BI enhancements, and others. After this talk you'll be armed with the knowledge to take full advantage of the amazing improvements in SQL Server 2014.
Speaker(s): Tony Milne,
Abstract:
Basics of relational database design
Speaker(s): Kermit Seubert,
Abstract:
Microsoft introduced the APPLY operator in SQL Server 2005. This under-used, non-standard operator can help us solve a number of common (and not-so-common) problems with elegant code which performs well. We will look several problem spaces in which the APPLY operator shines, such as joining to table-valued functions, getting the top N child records for each parent record, string splitting, and word matching. With the use of these examples, we will gain a deeper understanding of when to use the APPLY operator.
Speaker(s): Kevin Feasel,
Abstract:
You can build basic SSIS packages, or you can build packages that perform. In this session, you'll learn about the internals of Integration Services. Using this knowledge, we'll review the DOs and DON'Ts that lead to improved ETL performance. (This session applies to SSIS versions from 2008, 2012, and 2014.)
Speaker(s): Ravi Kumar,
Abstract:
What makes a good DBA?
Speaker(s): Brandi Dollar,
Abstract:
This presentation is a quick introduction for the DBA or developer who was just told that their boss promised a major new customer a scalable, well designed database. The customer will pay a lot of cash and years of ongoing business using this database… If you deliver it this week! You’ll get a big bonus if you build this right, but you also remember what your co-workers did to the person who bungled the last database design… and wonder if that designer ever recovered! This session will introduce you to the fundamentals of Datatypes, Relational Algebra, and Normalization to help you avoid the major pitfalls and maybe get some sleep too!
Speaker(s): Pat Phelan,
Abstract:
You know how to do the basics: selects, joins, filtering. What comes next? Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what comes after SELECT * FROM. This session covers some of the more advanced features of TSQL that you may not know about. We will cover subqueries and the different ways they can be used. We will cover the different windowing functions and how they can be used. And finally we will cover the MERGE command.
Speaker(s): Eugene Meidinger,
Abstract:
How SQL Server performs I/O How is SQL Server really accessing the data and log files on the disk? What's done asynchronous and what's synchronous and what impact does that have on our queries and DML statements. Which impact have features like database mirroring and replication, what's different when SQL Server is starting up. #160; Which I/O Subsystems (including SSD) are best for which type of data and what's the impact if you choose a different one. Which files can be placed on the same volume and which should not.
Speaker(s): Thomas Grohser,
Abstract:
Starting with what Page Life Expectancy really means to query, server, and disk performance, we’ll get a firm understanding of what this counter means to you. After that we can start talking about if and how you want to raise it. It’s important to know that this is just a counter and there are situations where you don’t care about it nearly as much as you’d expect. It’s also important to know what effect a drop in PLE mid-day really means beyond query performance, including a possible impact on other, unrelated servers.
Speaker(s): Steve Hood,
Abstract:
Join Profisee for a lunchtime session to learn about leveraging Microsoft SQL Server and Profisee’s Maestro solution for Master Data Management. Food is not permitted in the classrooms. Please eat lunch in the gallery first and then join Profisee afterwards for this session.
Speaker(s): Matt Nelson,
Abstract:
SQL Server query tuning is often more art than science and it can quickly eat up a lot of DBA and/or Developer time. This presentation will outline a method for determining the best approach for tuning queries by utilizing response time analysis and SQL diagramming techniques. Regardless of the complexity of the statement, this quick, systematic approach will lead you down the correct tuning path with no guessing. If you are a beginner or expert, this approach will save you countless hours tuning a query.
Speaker(s): Janis Griffin,
Abstract:
You've never worked with spatial data and would like to know how to do it. We'll go through very basic SQL Server Spatial data functionality and draw some Spatial pictures using Management Studio.
Speaker(s): Slava Murygin,
Abstract:
How does the way I write my query affect the way data gets returned to me? If I use an inner join here, how does that affect my results? This session will review some of the ways we write queries and how these decisions affect us. We will also review database design concepts and how our architecture can influence our ability to make data available to users.
Speaker(s): Carlos L Chacon,
Abstract:
What are the different kinds of DBA’s? What are the popular RDMS’s? Presented by Michael John and Ed Wagner
Speaker(s): Michael John,
Abstract:
Maintaining a solid set of information about our servers and their performance is critical when issues arise, and often help us see a problem before it occurs. Building a baseline of performance metrics allows us to know when something is wrong and help us to track it down and fix the problem. This session will walk you through a series of PowerShell scripts you can schedule which will capture the most important data and a set of reports to show you how to use that data to keep your server running smoothly.
Speaker(s): Allen White,
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/johnsterrett
Contact: https://johnsterrett.com/community/
John Sterrett is a MCSE: Data Platform, Principal Consultant, and the Founder of Procure SQL LLC. John has experience presenting at community events, including Microsoft Ignite, PASS Member Summit, SQLRally, 24 Hours of PASS, SQLSaturdays, PASS Chapters, and Virtual Chapter meetings. John is a leader of the Austin SQL Server User Group and is the founder of the HADR Virtual Chapter. John's community activities can be found at https://johnsterrett.com/community/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpgh
Contact: http://wwww.nelsonsweb.net
Matt Nelson is a Database Administrator and Business Intelligence developer for RDX (Remote DBA Experts) in Pittsburgh, PA. With over 10 years of experience, He works with more than 200 clients on general database administration needs and BI projects. Matt is also the Chapter Leader of the Pittsburgh SQL Server Users Group, and an organizer of Pittsburgh SQLSaturday. He occasionally blogs at www.nelsonsweb.net and http://www.rdx.com/Blog/
Konstantin has over 15 years of SQL Server experience and demonstrates his expertise and commitment to helping SQL Server DBAs succeed through his position as Director of Service Delivery at RDX. In his role, Konstantin is responsible for designing and implementing RDX’s service delivery strategies, including those for SQL Server. Since joining RDX in 2009, Konstantin has proven to be a strong leader and expert in SQL Server database administration, architecture, performance tuning, and business intelligence. He is also a very active member of the SQL Server community and frequently presents at SQLSaturdays and user groups throughout the year. In addition, Konstantin presented during 24 Hours of PASS and at the PASS Summits.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpgh
Contact: http://wwww.nelsonsweb.net
Matt Nelson is a Database Administrator and Business Intelligence developer for RDX (Remote DBA Experts) in Pittsburgh, PA. With over 10 years of experience, He works with more than 200 clients on general database administration needs and BI projects. Matt is also the Chapter Leader of the Pittsburgh SQL Server Users Group, and an organizer of Pittsburgh SQLSaturday. He occasionally blogs at www.nelsonsweb.net and http://www.rdx.com/Blog/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gehan-bell-bab55293
Known across the country as the SQL Registration Princess, Gigi Bell actually has vast experience in training and development. Being married to a SQL DBA, she knows enough about SQL to be dangerous, but her real passion is helping people learn and achieve their true potential. She has spoken at SQLSaturdays across the country since 2014.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/itacb
Contact: http://www.sqldiablo.com/
Adam Belebczuk is the Owner amp; Principal Consultant at Belebczuk Consulting Services, LLC and has more than 10 years of experience in IT, ranging from customer service to server/network administration to software and database development and administration. Adam is the Chapter Leader for the Ohio North SQL Server Users Group, a frequent speaker and volunteer at PASS events, and specializes in SQL Server development, performance tuning, high availability, and disaster recovery.
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/katievetter
Business Intelligence Developer / SQL Server DBA with a background in software development. Speaker at Pittsburgh SQLSaturday 2013 amp; 2014.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentozar
Contact: https://www.BrentOzar.com
Brent Ozar loves to make SQL Server faster. He created sp_Blitz and the SQL Server First Responder Kit. He shares what he's learned at BrentOzar.com.
With more than 51,000 posts and 39 mostly 5 star articles, Jeff Moden is a strong contributor on SQLServerCentral.com where he coined the term “RBAR” (Row By Agonizing Row) and helped make the "Tally Table" a household name. Jeff has more than 2 decades of experience with SQL Server and is mostly self-trained in what he calls the “Black Arts” of T-SQL. He’s known worldwide for his informative articles, high performance T-SQL coding methods, and methods of mentoring. His dedication to helping others earned him the MS SQL Server MVP award for nine years and the RedGate Exceptional DBA Award in 2011. His mantra is "Performance is in the code".
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpgh
Contact: http://wwww.nelsonsweb.net
Matt Nelson is a Database Administrator and Business Intelligence developer for RDX (Remote DBA Experts) in Pittsburgh, PA. With over 10 years of experience, He works with more than 200 clients on general database administration needs and BI projects. Matt is also the Chapter Leader of the Pittsburgh SQL Server Users Group, and an organizer of Pittsburgh SQLSaturday. He occasionally blogs at www.nelsonsweb.net and http://www.rdx.com/Blog/
Contact: http://www.rdx.com/Blog/dba_tips/2014/04/the-merge-join-transformation-and-an-ssis-sorting-tip/
My name is Dan King. Believe it or not I am a huge computer geek. I have worked in the System Admin role and for the past 9 years I have worked with RDX holding many positions. My current role is Sr. Manager of Data Analytics. I am a father of one. I love sports and I am a huge outdoors man. I have a few blogs published by my company that can be found on there website.
With over 15 years experience in SQL Server in public education, financial, and commerce sectors I#39;ve returned to the Pittsburgh community working for RDX while living in Birmingham AL.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pittfurg
Contact: http://www.port1433.com
Drew Furgiuele is a senior DBA that lives in Dublin, Ohio who is passionate about SQL Server and PowerShell. He's been working with SQL Server since 2002. When he’s not accidentally dropping tables in production, he likes writing automation scripts, blogging about SQL Server Replication, wiring electronics, playing board games, and spending time with his dog. He's also not embarrassed by his Spotify playlists.
I am a SQL Server Manager at RDX. I manage a team of DBAs while handling several clients#39; environments. I enjoy helping people learn - that #39;ah ha#39; moment makes my day - and that#39;s why I speak at SQLSaturdays.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wsifre
Contact: http://www.broadstrokeconsulting.com/blog/, http://www.allegient.com
Warren Sifre has been in the IT community since 1998 and has worked in a variety of industries deploying solutions utilizing MS SQL Server in one capacity or another. In 2003, he decided to make SQL Server his mastery and has since developed skills in most defined disciplines of MS SQL. Currently he is a Principal Consultant and Technology Leader with Moser Consulting. He is responsible for BI Solution Architecture and the mentorship of team members. He has been a SQLSaturday Speaker since 2012, Azure Global Bootcamp, and many user groups in 2015 alone. He has a passion for knowledge transfer and solutions architecture, with a keen interested in Info Security.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rick-heiges/1/b93/777/
Contact: http://sqlblog.com/blogs/rick_heiges/default.aspx
Rick is a Former Data Platfrom MVP and Sr. Consultant for Microsoft where he focuses on working with customers on their data estate. His career includes work as a DBA, University full-time faculty member, Systems Analyst, Project Leader, and Developer. He has found his passion in working with data and the community. Rick served nine years on the PASS Board of Directors and spearheaded the popular 24 Hours of PASS event. He also started his local User Group in 2002. Today, he spends much of his time with his head in the clouds.
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.
I am a graduate of Marshall University and now work as a SQL Server DBA at RDX with a focus in Business Intelligence.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentozar
Contact: https://www.BrentOzar.com
Brent Ozar loves to make SQL Server faster. He created sp_Blitz and the SQL Server First Responder Kit. He shares what he's learned at BrentOzar.com.
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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phelanp
Pat Phelan first joined a computer user group (DECUS) in High School, and has joined many more since then. Pat worked many jobs in high school and college, and over twenty years for a major accounting firm. Pat started working for Involta in 2007 and is now the database mentor and a member of the Engineering team. Involta builds, owns and operates world class colocation datacenters and also provides managed services and support staff to clients.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/reed-powell/6/152/371
Reed is a database application developer and DBA with 40+ years experience in the IT industry. He has been working with Microsoft SQL Server since being certified on version 6.5, and is also the manager of the Pittsburgh Adobe ColdFusion User Group. He is a speaker on topics related to technology and genealogy.
SQL Server DBA with RDX. Works with many unique client environments providing a broad range of skills and experiences.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-popovich-jr-2a03b692?trk=hp-identity-name
Contact: https://pmpjr.wordpress.com/
Paul Popovich Jr. has been in the IT space for his whole career and tinkering with computers since his 486 PC back in the mid 1990s. Professionally he is a senior DBA for a large hospital system. You can find on twitter @pmpjr, email at paulpopovichjr@gmail.com.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-feasel/7/716/504
Contact: http://www.catallaxyservices.com
Kevin Feasel is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and CTO at Envizage, where he specializes in data analytics with T-SQL and R, forcing Spark clusters to do his bidding, fighting with Kafka, and pulling rabbits out of hats on demand. He is the lead contributor to Curated SQL (https://curatedsql.com), president of the Triangle Area SQL Server Users Group (https://www.meetup.com/tripass), and author of PolyBase Revealed (https://www.apress.com/us/book/9781484254608). A resident of Durham, North Carolina, he can be found cycling the trails along the triangle whenever the weather's nice enough.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ddriviello
Contact: http://n/a
Danette Riviello has been working with databases for thirty years. With experience as a database developer, database administrator and manager of DBAs, she is now Lead System Architect at Magellan Health. She has spoken at a SQL Pass Summit, Baltimore SQL Server Users Group and SQLSaturdays. Her technical expertise is in Disaster Recovery Planning, Performance Tuning and Replication.
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: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/allen-white-sql-server-mvp/5/784/b08/
Contact: http://dataperfpro.com/blog/
Allen White is a Data Platform consultant. He has been both a developer and an administrator, so he understands both perspectives towards database technology. He loves sharing his experiences and helping people learn how to use SQL Server. Allen has spent over 40 years in IT, using SQL Server since 1992, and has been awarded Microsoft’s MVP Award for the last 13 years. Allen was a PASS Director from 2016 - 2018.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katievetter
Business Intelligence Developer / SQL Server DBA with a background in software development. Speaker at Pittsburgh SQLSaturday 2013 amp; 2014.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carloslchacon
Contact: http://sqldatapartners.com/blog
Carlos Chacon is the managing partner of SQL Data Partners LLC and co-host of the popular SQL Data Partners Podcast. While getting his start as a typical accidental DBA, Carlos has sat on Microsoft exam review panels, served as regional mentor and chapter leader. He enjoys traveling and has been to four continents, speaks Spanish and can eat his weight in raspberries (not yet proven). He and his family live in Richmond, Virginia.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-john-3403b45/
With 20 years experience in all aspects of development and administration of SQL Server, from version 6.5 to 2016, I have seen, broken, and fixed just about everything in SQL Server!
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevehoodsql
Contact: http://simplesqlserver.com
I#39;m a DBA who has gone through most of my career with few people to learn and unsure of where to find great help until I found a real mentor. When I started at a company with a great, knowledgeable manager and learned to find others speaking about SQL Server online my skills boomed. This is especially true in my most passionate area, SQL Server performance. Knowing that my knowledge came from others, I now have a second passion of sharing my knowledge with others.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasgrohser/
Thomas Grohser has spent most of the past 26+ years exploring the deeper inner workings of SQL Server and its features while working for entertainment, pharmaceutical, and financial services industries. His primary focus is to architect, plan, build, and operate reliable, highly available, secure, and scalable infrastructures for SQL Server. Over the years he has managed thousands of SQL Server instances, processing trillions of rows, taking up petabytes of storage. Thomas has been a Microsoft Data Platform MVP for 9 years and has spoken regularly at conferences, SQLSaturdays, and user groups for 12 years.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adasilvatek/
Adriano da Silva is a Lead Power BI Trainer at Intellinsight LLC and a Principal Consultant at Bright International Corporation a consulting company focused in addressing complex business problems with innovative, effective and robust Solutions in the BI, AI, Big Data, Machine Learning Power BI. He is has years of experience in partnering with businesses leaders to advise and implement technical and process oriented solutions. He is engaged in knowledge sharing initiatives by presenting on conferences, user groups and authoring articles. He is also a lead organizer at the South Florida Power BI (SFPBI) and the Microsoft Data and AI South Florida user groups..
I have over 12 years of experience working with SQL Server and Business Intelligence Technology. My current focus is cloud technologies: Power BI, Azure Analysis Services, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Data Factory. As a PFE at Microsoft, I regularly deliver 2 - 4 day training workshops.
Contact: http://www.nihilentinc.com
Greg Baldini is a Solutions Architect with Nihilent Technologies, Inc. He leads the data practice for the east coast and business analyst practice nationally. His primary experience lies in delivering effective and scalable analytical solutions for customers starting from the ideation phases and following through to rollout, training, and adoption. His goal is to always deliver on the promise of analytics, to make better decisions through data. An expert in data modeling engineering, systems architecture, and the Microsoft Data Platform, he has delivered solutions in many spaces including manufacturing, healthcare, fraud analysis, marketing pipelines, and sales performance.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/slava-murygin/9/b95/858
Contact: http://slavasql.blogspot.com/
Started working with SQL Server 7.0 as DBA and Developer. Since then went through all SQL Server versions, migrations and multiple companies of different sizes and industries. Currently working as a contractor with all aspects of SQL Server, including, but not limited to: troubleshooting performance, designing/developing: databases, systems, processes, data warehouses, cubes, reports, ETLs; Refactoring old code; Migrating data from other systems to SQL Server; Securing the data on enterprise level.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpgh
Contact: http://wwww.nelsonsweb.net
Matt Nelson is a Database Administrator and Business Intelligence developer for RDX (Remote DBA Experts) in Pittsburgh, PA. With over 10 years of experience, He works with more than 200 clients on general database administration needs and BI projects. Matt is also the Chapter Leader of the Pittsburgh SQL Server Users Group, and an organizer of Pittsburgh SQLSaturday. He occasionally blogs at www.nelsonsweb.net and http://www.rdx.com/Blog/
Contact: http://brentozar.com
Jeremiah Peschka sees the magic in technology. He knows how to do things now, and he also knows how to think about possibilities. Jeremiah likes to imagine new kinds of indexes, new kinds of teams, new kinds of applications. This means that when you need to reinvent something, or get unblocked, you should talk to Jeremiah.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/tony-milne-pmp/5/29b/599
Tony Milne is the Director, Applications Development at WP Glimcher, member of the board for the Dog Food Conference in Columbus Ohio, and is passionate about building solutions for business problems. With over a decade of experience, Tony has architected and developed application and BI solutions for various industries. When he’s not focusing on his day-to-day, Tony is learning and enjoys speaking to help spread the word on the latest technologies and practices.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dxclark/
Contact: http://drclarkblog.wordpress.com/
Dan Clark is a senior data analytics consultant. He is focused on all things data analytics and training others how to get value from their data. Dan has published several books and numerous articles on .NET programming and data analytics. He is a regular speaker at various developer and database conferences and user group meetings and enjoys interacting with the Microsoft developer and database communities. His latest book Beginning Power BI published by Apress is a will get you up and running with self-service data analytics on the Power BI platform in no time.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyilfrye
Contact: https://jeremyfrye.net
Jeremy Frye is the manager of the Business Intelligence and data warehousing team at RDX. He is a Business Intelligence architect and developer with a background in database administration as well. Jeremy has over 9 years of experience in SQL Server. He has spoken on BI topics at many SQLSaturday's throughout the country, webinars, and local and remote SQL user groups. In his spare time, Jeremy often spends time trying to bridge the gap between keyboard strokes and workout reps.
Contact: http://www.sqlgene.com
Eugene Meidinger works as a BI consultant and full time Pluralsight author. He currently focuses on content on Power BI and related products. He also leads the Pittsburgh Power BI User Group. He is certified in querying and administering SQL Server.
With more than 51,000 posts and 39 mostly 5 star articles, Jeff Moden is a strong contributor on SQLServerCentral.com where he coined the term “RBAR” (Row By Agonizing Row) and helped make the "Tally Table" a household name. Jeff has more than 2 decades of experience with SQL Server and is mostly self-trained in what he calls the “Black Arts” of T-SQL. He’s known worldwide for his informative articles, high performance T-SQL coding methods, and methods of mentoring. His dedication to helping others earned him the MS SQL Server MVP award for nine years and the RedGate Exceptional DBA Award in 2011. His mantra is "Performance is in the code".
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.