Event Location:
Bryant Univeristy
1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, RI
Providence, Rhode Island
Abstract:
SQL Server 2016: Data quality and data cleansing have always been major challenges to any enterprise that deals with data. For those of us who have dealt with Data Profiler Tasks in SQL Server 2008, we were shocked yet pleasantly surprised with the great advances that Microsoft has made with the advent of Data Quality Services, in the SQL Server 2012 release. In this hands-on presentation we shall be looking at how to set up a new knowledge base, based upon an existing one, set up rules, do knowledge discovery within the new knowledge base and finally cleanse the data through a data quality project. The end results being more effective data, guaranteed to keep end users and management happy.
Speaker(s): Steve Simon,
Abstract:
How often have you been told that an application is running quot;too slowquot;? This statement is the cause of a great deal of investigation, frustration, and dead-ends for database professionals. The problem won#39;t always be a bad query, but when it is, knowing how to dive in, diagnose its performance, and resolve the situation efficiently will turn a potentially frustrating situation into a fun one! Using that knowledge in development to prevent future performance issues will improve script quality and application design, while making your future self less burdened by performance emergencies. This is an opportunity to identify common query mistakes and learn a variety of ways in which we can solve them. This discussion will include query rewrites, indexing, statistics, database design, monitoring, execution plans, and more! Demos of poor-performing queries will be provided to illustrate key optimization techniques, design considerations, and the tools you need to fix them. Fast.
Speaker(s): Edward Pollack,
Abstract:
So you have been running on-prem SQL Server for a while now. Maybe you have taken the step to move it from bare metal to a VM, and have seen some nice benefits. Ready to see a TON more benefits? If you said "YES!", then this is the session for you as I will go over the many benefits gained by moving your on-prem SQL Server to an Azure VM (IaaS). Then I will really blow your mind by showing you even more benefits by moving to Azure SQL Database (PaaS/DBaaS). And for those of you with a large data warehouse, I also got you covered with Azure SQL Data Warehouse. Along the way I will talk about the many hybrid approaches so you can take a gradual approve to moving to the cloud. If you are interested in cost savings, additional features, ease of use, and ending the days of upgrading hardware, this is the session for you!
Speaker(s): James Serra,
Abstract:
You need to deal with more security requirements in your role. How can SQL Server features help you comply? We will delve into Audit, Compliance, and Encryption. New 2016 features like Always Encrypted will be detailed at the end.
Speaker(s): George Walters,
Abstract:
Come see Microsoft#39;s Power tools demonstrated for advanced analytics and hear about Microsoft#39;s embrace of Open Source and the Hadoop platform. We#39;ll also present on Microsoft#39;s tools for handling Big Data, such as the Parallel Data Warehouse and HDInsights.
Speaker(s): David Patrick,
Abstract:
With so many new technologies it can get confusing on the best approach to building a big data architecture. The data lake is a great new concept, usually built in Hadoop, but what exactly is it and how does it fit in? In this presentation I’ll discuss the four most common patterns in big data production implementations, the top-down vs bottoms-up approach to analytics, and how you can use a data lake and a RDBMS data warehouse together. We will go into detail on the characteristics of a data lake and its benefits, and how you still need to perform the same data governance tasks in a data lake as you do in a data warehouse. Come to this presentation to make sure your data lake does not turn into a data swamp!
Speaker(s): James Serra,
Abstract:
Over the years, virtualization has matured from the exotic black magic realm to become a mainstream standard IT practice. quot;Virtualize Firstquot; is now a well-accepted default practice in most enterprises and any deviation is now considered an anomaly. In spite of this trend, many IT administrators and architects still have some reservations about virtualizing SQL Server workloads. They consider SQL too quot;criticalquot; to be virtualized; they wonder and worry about scale about performance; they are looking for guidance and reassurance. If this is where you (or your clients) are today, be sure to attend this session. You will gain valuable insights from what others have done to successfully undertake similar tasks in their environments. We will talk about configuration pitfalls to avoid and also review the configuration and current performance data for some of the most demanding applications in customers environments. Got an SQL virtualization or performance question? Bring it!
Speaker(s): Deji Akomolafe,
Abstract:
Abstract: Many companies start off with a simple data mart for reporting. As the company grows, users become dependent on the data mart for monitoring and making decisions on Key Performance Indicators (KPI). Unexpected information growth in your data mart may lead to a performance impacted reporting system. In short, your users will be lining up at your cube for their daily reports. How do you reduce the size of your data mart and speed up data retrieval? This presentation will review the following techniques to fix your woes. Coverage: 1 – What is horizontal partitioning? 2 – Database sharding for daily information. 3 – Working with files and file groups. 3 – Partitioned views for performance. 4 – Table and Index partitions. 5 – Row Data Compression. 6 – Page Data Compression. 7 – Programming a sliding window. 8 – What is different in Azure SQL database?
Speaker(s): John Miner,
Abstract:
Since released with SQL Server 2012, SSAS Tabular has been considered appropriate for small to mid-sized BI projects such as Power Pivot migrations but not equipped for large-scale enterprise deployments. Features such as many-to-many relationships, role playing dimensions, language translations as well as query performance at scale have all been factors driving BI professionals to continue to use SSAS Multidimensional mode for corporate BI projects. SSAS Tabular 2016 addresses many of these gaps and also offers a powerful DirectQuery mode, a new Object Model and scripting language, new DAX functions, parallel partition processing, and benefits from a close relationship with Power BI and Excel. Come to this session to learn about the new features, walk through the essential design and administration tasks, and see how Tabular can be leveraged by different reporting and analysis tools including Power BI, Excel, and SSRS.
Speaker(s): Brett Powell,
Abstract:
If you are new kid in the world of Big Data? Let's look at some of the topics of Big Data. We will learn about foundations of big data and social physics, What is the importance of data quality and data privacy. We will have a quick look at personal sensors and human behavior This module will explore the various sources of data, how to leverage personal sensors to predict behavior, and introduce you to the key features of 'Funf'. We will explore the basics of data dynamics and data interrogation, and the importance of interdisciplinary research and testing on yourself, to assist in analyzing a data set. What are the fundamentals and structure of peer networks? I'll also introduce you to the concepts of network theory and graph clustering. Time permitting, We will then conclude with introduction to data exploration and visualization techniques by using the 'Bandicoot' application and we will talk about how to use this data to effect behavior change through social influence an
Speaker(s): Paresh Motiwala,
Abstract:
How big should the page file be for Windows Server 2016? How many data files should SQL Server 2016's TempDB contain? What trace flags should we use by default now? These are questions you addressed long ago in your setup checklist. You've spent a lot of time with that checklist, and you're sure it's perfect. Or is it? When was the last time you visited that checklist? Does it make sense for SQL 2014? What about SQL 2016? Change is hard, and DBAs need to constantly challenge yesterday's best practices to ensure they meet today's business needs. Join veteran DBA Mike Hillwig and his list of server administration best practices that need to be revisited for modern versions of SQL Server, especially SQL 2016.
Speaker(s): Mike Hillwig,
Abstract:
SQL Server’s In-Memory tables are accompanied by Natively Compiled Stored Procedures and Functions that run at amazing speed. We'll: • Review in-memory tables • Look at the T-SQL language that can be used in Natively Compiled code • Discuss how transaction handling is different due to the use of optimistic concurrency • Recompile query plans as needed • Take a look at DMVs and extended events • Compare natively compiled functions to the alternatives forms How the speed improvements are achieved is a fascinating topic. We’ll take a look at the C code that SQL produces and uses as an intermediate step. Somewhere in the C is the query plan and we will hunt for them. If you want your application to be more than just fast, consider using Natively Compiled T-SQL. It can make your database code run really, really fast.
Speaker(s): Andrew Novick,
Abstract:
In this session attendees will learn how to make decisions around which technologies to use when delivering BI solutions including some exciting new BI features in SQL 2016. We will explore the starting point of the project with data sources, step through the ETL decision making process and on to picking the medium for best delivery of content, while learning some best practices along the way.
Speaker(s): Chris Seferlis,
Abstract:
What is the optimal way to migrate existing data to In-Memory? How does Garbage Collection work, what types of memory-optimized objects does it work with, and how can I make sure it's operational? What are the pros/cons of different ways of handling hot/cold data with In-Memory OLTP? What causes ALTER TABLE to be fully logged and serially executed? All of these questions and more are answered as we discuss real-world usage of In-Memory OLTP.
Speaker(s): Ned Otter,
Abstract:
What changes when either the workload or the database grows. Thomas designed build and operated the infrastructure of some of the most demanding workloads ever run on SQL Server. In this session he will share what needed to be done different and what surprising findings he made. He will cover topics including but not limited to: handling a lot of transactions per second, managing large databases and tables with a lot of rows , inserting a lot of new data and updating a lot from many places at once, and managing many SQL Server instances. The goal of the session is to show that SQL Server can scale and that when used correctly has no problem doing so.
Speaker(s): Thomas Grohser,
Abstract:
You've heard the buzz words. Stewardship. Governance. But what does it all mean? Learn from an individual that has successfully formed and co-chaired Data Governance teams at multiple companies. I will cover how to sell Data Stewardship to the management, composition of a team, and the activities to perform in order to prevent a Data Information Disaster. In a world where the data architecture is comprised of multiple DBs and business users have direct access, data stewardship is needed NOW.
Speaker(s): Beth Wolfset,
Abstract:
A session full of demos demonstrating how SQL Server startup parameters, trace flags and the create database and alter database command when used correctly for the underlying hardware can make scanning your fact tables much faster. We will also as a side effect explore the Mary Go Round query feature and find ways to bulk load data faster and how to load from an OLTP system with zero impact to it.
Speaker(s): Thomas Grohser,
Abstract:
Let's get up to speed on what is considered Predictive Analytics and the process. We will take a brief side tour to review the various types of databases, relational and non-relational. Then we will journey through the various types of data models and their characteristics, focusing on which ones are appropriate for use in a multi-database world.
Speaker(s): Beth Wolfset,
Abstract:
Database migrations are scary. The migration of a database has many moving pieces and things to think about. Some of those things have nothing to do with the DBA and are outside of their control. However, if these items are not taken into account, it is the DBA that management will hold responsible for the failure. This session will discuss what you need to take into account to ensure a successful pain free database migration. These steps can be used for a single database, multiple databases, or an entire server. By the end of the session, you will have a checklist of the items you need to consider for a database migration.
Speaker(s): Chris Lumnah,
Abstract:
SQL Server 2014 and 2016 will have a number of new features to help with specific situations in OLTP and OLAP queries. In-Memory tables and queries, SSD Buffer Pool, Columnstore Indexing, and AlwaysOn Improvements will be covered. Additionally, we will hit features in SQL 2016 like always encrypted and stretch tables!
Speaker(s): George Walters,
Abstract:
R is the premiere language for data analysis. If the world of data science sounds fun and exciting, now is the time to get into R. We will walk through the core constructs of R, learn how to retrieve data from flat files and databases, and get a peek at the power behind R. This session will also give resources on where to go in order to become more familiar with statistics, R the language, and the R package ecosystem.
Speaker(s): Kevin Feasel,
Abstract:
Overview of SQL Server 2016 security enhancements including Data Masking, Row Level Security and Always Encrypted
Speaker(s): Andy Roberts,
Abstract:
Dynamic SQL can be a powerful tool that allows you to write fast amp; efficient queries when the specifics may not be known until run-time. It can also be complex, difficult to read and debug, and the source of some of the most confusing TSQL you#39;ll ever see. Explore the many uses for dynamic SQL as well as best practices for writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining it, with the bonus of helping to improve the sanity of your coworkers (and your own) in the process!
Speaker(s): Edward Pollack,
Abstract:
Bad habits: we all have them. SELECT * is the obvious one; but in this session you will learn about various other habits and why they can be bad for performance or maintainability. You will also learn about best practices that will help you avoid falling into some of these bad habits. Come learn how these habits develop, what kind of problems they can lead to, and how you can avoid them - leading to more efficient code, a more productive work environment, and - in a lot of cases – both.
Speaker(s): Aaron Bertrand,
Abstract:
Both Power BI and SSRS will help you deliver compelling BI solutions, whether IT managed and/or self-service. For many companies it is important to deliver such solution as on-premises option. In this session I will give you a tour of enhancements in SSRS 2016 including KPI, mobile paginated reports. Mobile reports can now be viewed on any device; tablet, smartphone and desktop. I will also show you the newly introduced integration of Power BI views into on-premises SSRS 2016.
Speaker(s): Sunil Kadimdiwan,
Abstract:
So you jumped on the bandwagon and set up a Hadoop cluster…but now what? Your database developers and app developers know how to integrate with and develop against SQL Server, but the Hadoop world is a completely different experience. This talk will help bridge the gap between SQL Server and Hadoop, using tools such as SQL Server Integration Services and Sqoop to migrate data between a Hadoop cluster and a SQL Server instance, as well as PolyBase to integrate the two like never before.
Speaker(s): Kevin Feasel,
Abstract:
The audience will be presented with a number of broken-down replication scenarios and they will hunt down the cause of each failure and find ways to correct the problem and/or prevent it from happening again. Through out the adventure the various replication types will be discussed and pro-active methods of monitoring and fault tolerances will be discussed.
Speaker(s): Thomas Lane,
Abstract:
Discover the ins and outs of some of the newest capabilities of our favorite data language. From JSON to COMPRESS / DECOMPRESS, from AT TIME ZONE to DATEDIFF_BIG(), and from SESSION_CONTEXT() to new query hints like NO_PERFORMANCE_SPOOL and MIN / MAX_GRANT_PERCENT, as well as some other surprises, you’ll walk away with a long list of reasons to consider upgrading to the latest version or finally trying out Azure SQL Database.
Speaker(s): Aaron Bertrand,
Abstract:
Host Andy Mallon persuades some of the biggest names in SQL Server to give up some surprisingly personal information during his chats with them in front of a worshipful audience of database professionals. The interviewees talk about their childhood, how they got started in the business, their early career, and behind-the-scenes trivia. The interview concludes with the Proust Questionnaire, made famous by Bernard Pivot (Apostrophes) and James Lipton (Inside the Actors Studio). After that, students can question the interviewee directly.
Speaker(s): Andy Mallon,
This is a list of speakers from the XML Guidebook records. The details and URLs were valid at the time of the event.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minerjohn/
Contact: https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlserverauthor/154/john-miner/
John Miner is currently a Data Architect at BlueMetal advising corporations on how to solve their business needs with data platform solutions. He has over twenty five years of data processing experience, and his architecture expertise encompasses all phases of the software project life cycle, including design, development, implementation, and maintenance of systems. He has an undergraduate and graduate degrees in Computer Science from the University of Rhode Island. Other credentials include an up to date MCSE certificate and currently taking the Data Science program from EDX. Before joining BlueMetal, John won the Data Platform MVP award in 2014 and 2015 for his outstanding contributions to the SQL Server community.
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: 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/pareshmotiwala
Paresh Motiwala a Azure/Big Data enthusiast, Manager of Database Platform teams has led several large SQL implementations, migrations and upgrades. He has managed multi terabyte OLTP databases. He has also been a Sr. SQL DBA and a Solutions Architect in Fortune 100 companies. He helps/organizes and speaks at many SQL Saturdays, Azure Bootcamp, Azure Datafests and User Groups(Boston BI UG, NESQL, PASS PD VG and PASS DBA VG). He is certified in Big Data Analytics, FinTech, PMP, Public Speaking, Business Communications. He is a avid singer, cook, open networker, and stand-up comedian. He teaches public speaking, debating, interviewing and group discussion skills and mentors children around the globe via www.circlesofgrowth.com
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 SQL Saturday and internal Microsoft events
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidepatrick
Contact: http://www.madsharepoint.com
Dave has been developing database applications for over 25 years. An MCT since 2001, he has taught many classes from Intro to Visual Interdev to Advanced SharePoint Development. Dave runs two user groups, the Maryland and Pennsylvania Microsoft Developers User Group, www.mapamdug.com, and MAD SharePoint, www.madsharepoint.com. Dave does SharePoint training and development for DSA, Inc., a DoD contractor that does great work for the Army over at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Dave is also an MVP.
Contact: https://blogs.sentryone.com/author/AaronBertrand
Aaron, Product Manager at SentryOne, produces performance and optimization tools for the entire Microsoft data platform, as well as Plan Explorer, a free tool for SQL Server execution plan analysis. In his spare time, he is either playing volleyball, curling, blogging at sqlperformance.com and blogs.sentryone.com, or contributing to SQL Server conversations on Twitter and dba.stackexchange.com. He has worked with SQL Server since 6.5 and has been an MVP since 1997.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-powell-61547819?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
Contact: https://insightsquest.com/
Brett is the author of the Microsoft Power BI Cookbook, Mastering Power BI, and an active technical blogger on Insight Quest (https://insightsquest.com). Brett also owns Frontline Analytics, LLC, a data and analytics consulting firm specializing in the Microsoft data platform. Brett has held multiple BI and analytics roles within corporate analytics functions, BI/IT organizations, and as a consultant for Microsoft BI Partner firms. Outside of work Brett contributes to the Power BI Community and the Boston Business Intelligence User Group.
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/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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minerjohn/
Contact: https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlserverauthor/154/john-miner/
John Miner is currently a Data Architect at BlueMetal advising corporations on how to solve their business needs with data platform solutions. He has over twenty five years of data processing experience, and his architecture expertise encompasses all phases of the software project life cycle, including design, development, implementation, and maintenance of systems. He has an undergraduate and graduate degrees in Computer Science from the University of Rhode Island. Other credentials include an up to date MCSE certificate and currently taking the Data Science program from EDX. Before joining BlueMetal, John won the Data Platform MVP award in 2014 and 2015 for his outstanding contributions to the SQL Server community.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lumnah
Chris Lumnah began working in the IT as a programmer in 1996. He ended up becoming a SQL DBA out of necessity 15 years ago. He has worked on SQL Server version 2000 thru 2017. He likes to continue to use his knowledge of programming to create more automated solutions to assist him and his team to be more proactive. Chris lives in Providence, RI and is currently a SQL Server Solutions Architect at Rubrik Inc.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunilkadimdiwan
Contact: http://www.infotrove.com/events.html
Sunil Kadimdiwan Sunil Kadimdiwan has 25+ years’ experience in architecting and implementing database solutions. He has deep knowledge of the Microsoft SQL Server and Business Intelligence technology stack. He is a frequent speaker at SQL Saturdays, Code Camps, User Group meetings
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/amtwo
Contact: http://www.AM2.co
Andy is a Data Platform MVP and SQL Server DBA that has managed databases in the healthcare, finance, e-commerce, and non-profit sectors. He has been supporting high-volume, highly-available OLTP environments with demanding performance needs since 2003. Andy is the founder of the BostonSQL User Group, and previous co-organizer of SQL Saturday events in Boston. He blogs at am2.co. Andy lives just outside Boston, Massachusetts, USA with his husband and their two dogs.
Contact: https://blogs.sentryone.com/author/AaronBertrand
Aaron, Product Manager at SentryOne, produces performance and optimization tools for the entire Microsoft data platform, as well as Plan Explorer, a free tool for SQL Server execution plan analysis. In his spare time, he is either playing volleyball, curling, blogging at sqlperformance.com and blogs.sentryone.com, or contributing to SQL Server conversations on Twitter and dba.stackexchange.com. He has worked with SQL Server since 6.5 and has been an MVP since 1997.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ned-otter-3627b712
Contact: http://www.nedotter.com
DBA with vast experience administering Microsoft SQL Server since version 4.21 to the present. Certifications: MCSE SQL Server 2012 Data Platform MCTS SQL Server 2008 Overall computer experience: 25 years SQL Server experience: 23 years Currently obsessed with In-Memory technology. Please see LinkedIn profile for more details.
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/doclane
Thomas has been living and breathing Microsoft databases for over twenty years and is now relishing his position as a DW Consultant at Talavant (www.Talavant.com). After receiving his Ph.D. in Chemistry and following three years as a post-doc at Marquette University, Thomas left the world of science for a career in IT. He has worked as a programming and database instructor, a VB and C# developer, and for the past fourteen years worked with SQL server as a DBA, ETL specialist, and Data Architect at various Midwestern companies. Thomas recently received his MSCE in Data Management and Analytics.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JamesSerra
Contact: http://www.JamesSerra.com
James Serra is a big data and data warehousing solution architect at Microsoft. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics. Previously, James was an independent consultant working as a Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence architect and developer. He is a prior SQL Server MVP with over 35 years of IT experience. James is a popular blogger (JamesSerra.com) and speaker. He is the author of the book “Reporting with Microsoft SQL Server 2012”.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenrsimon/
Contact: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/simon_says/
Steve Simon is a Database Solutions Architect with Business Knowledge Services Inc. He has been involved with database design and analysis for over 35 years. Steve has presented papers at numerous PASS Summits and PASS SQL Rallies. He is also regular presenter on the SQL Saturday circuit and he is a contributor on SQLShack.com
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/beth-wolfset-86114b7
Beth Wolfset has more than twenty-five years of data architecture, analysis, modeling, development and administration experience. She has presented at several conferences and user groups. She has worked primarily in the Healthcare and Defense industries. Beth strives to create practical data solutions that balance current requirements with the needs of the future. She has a MS in CS from Northeastern University, a BA in CS and Psychology from Clark University, and a Data Science Certification from Johns Hopkins University.
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 SQL Saturday and internal Microsoft events
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/andy-roberts/0/126/793?
Contact: http://blogs.msdn.com/andyroberts
Andy Roberts is a currently a Data Platform Specialist for Microsoft in the Northeast district and has spent 12 years as a consultant for Microsoft Consulting Services. As a consultant Andy assisted customers in implementing mission critical OLTP and DW/BI solutions on SQL Server. Andy wore many hats as a consultant including application developer, solution architect, mentor to development teams, mentor to DBAs, BI lead, SCRUM Master, and the guy-that-knows-a-bunch-of-stuff-about Microsoft.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/bryancafferky
Contact: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bryancutube256123
Bryan Cafferky is a Big Data and AI consultant. Bryan was previously a Senior Data Science Training Content Developer for Microsoft Worldwide Learning. Prior to this he was a Microsoft Data and AI Enabler for healthcare customers. He is a Microsoft 2017 Data Platform MVP and a 2016 Cloud and Data Center Management MVP. Bryan is the author of Pro PowerShell for Database Developers by Apress, available on Amazon. He leads The RI Microsoft BI User Group, and The Greater Boston Area Data Science Group. He has been working with the SQL Server stack since 1997 and implemented projects in the banking, insurance, e-commerce, utility, and health care industries. He holds a bachelor of science in computer information systems and an MBA.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdburr
Matt is a BI professional with 18 years of experience in Microsoft's data technologies. He's worked at companies large and small, well-established corporations and dot-coms, in technical and management roles helping companies build and manage their data and BI systems. He spent a decade at Microsoft, where he supported SQL Server Analysis Services and also architected and developed BI solutions. Today, he works at Pyramid Analytics, a recognized innovator in BI whose focus is to help people overcome Business Analytics limitations and put data to work so everyone can make smarter decisions based on trusted information.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cseferlis
Contact: http://blog.bizdataviz.com
Chris Seferlis is a Sr Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft. He has 20+ years’ experience working in IT and solving technical challenges from a business perspective. Chris is a former CIO with an MBA from UMass, bringing a mix of business acumen and practical technology solutions, primarily focusing on Data and AI within the Microsoft Data Platform, including MCSA and MCT designations.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JamesSerra
Contact: http://www.JamesSerra.com
James Serra is a big data and data warehousing solution architect at Microsoft. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics. Previously, James was an independent consultant working as a Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence architect and developer. He is a prior SQL Server MVP with over 35 years of IT experience. James is a popular blogger (JamesSerra.com) and speaker. He is the author of the book “Reporting with Microsoft SQL Server 2012”.
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: Public Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewnovick
Contact: http://www.NovickSoftware.com
Andy Novick is a SQL Server MVP and consultant building business solutions with SQL Server. He has expertise in database design, T-SQL coding, SQL Server security, database performance tuning, partitioning, service broker, and database administration. Andy is a frequent speaker at local user group meetings and an author of two books on SQL Server.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-wolfset-86114b7
Beth Wolfset has more than twenty-five years of data architecture, analysis, modeling, development and administration experience. She has presented at several conferences and user groups. She has worked primarily in the Healthcare and Defense industries. Beth strives to create practical data solutions that balance current requirements with the needs of the future. She has a MS in CS from Northeastern University, a BA in CS and Psychology from Clark University, and a Data Science Certification from Johns Hopkins University.
Contact: http://blogs.vmware.com/apps
Deji Akomolafe (a member of the Office of the CTO Ambassador Program and Staff Solutions Architect within VMware#39;s Global Field and Partners Readiness Group) specializes in the virtualization of Microsoft Business Critical Applications on VMware#39;s vSphere platform. Deji is a regular speaker at VMworld, Partners Exchange Conference, VMUG, SQL Saturday and EMCWorld, presenting technical subject matters related to Microsoft Applications virtualization and providing technical guidance to help clients enhance their expertise and ability to optimally virtualize and operate their critical applications.
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.