Event Location:
The Microsoft Technology Center
5404 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 700
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Abstract:
One of the most exciting new features of SQL Server 2016 is the integration of the R statistical programming language into the platform with the brand-new SQL Server R Services. In this introductory session we'll briefly introduce the R language and then look at how to install and administer SQL Server R Services. We'll start to demonstrate the power of R by showing you how to create and run simple R scripts from within T-SQL. We'll then discuss some of the powerful open source packages that are available to aid your data analyses. Finally, we'll go through some examples of how to use R to integrate data analytical methods in real-world situations, and wow your customers with the power of statistics!
Speaker(s): Chris Hyde,
Abstract:
It’s bad enough to spend hours finding and fixing database defects, explaining to the rest of the team what went wrong and trying to clean up the mess. It’s even worse when a defect causes the end-user to make a bad decision. Database defects are far too costly and most testing practices do not adequately detect or prevent them. In this session you’ll learn techniques to write SQL code that is resilient to defects and is easier to change and maintain. We will cover writing simple unit tests and look into more advanced topics such as faking tables and spying procedures. We will also look at how unit testing improves code quality and maintainability. You will leave this session ready to write unit tests for your own environment to get started on the way to a defect-free and maintainable SQL Server code base.
Speaker(s): Sebastian Meine,
Abstract:
In 2005, Linus Torvalds developed the version control system (VCS) git. Since then, it has become as platform agnostic and ubiquitous as the internet. In that same note, github, the most popular service for hosting git repositories has become so ubiquitous that Microsoft chose to host the source code for its OSS fork of the .NET framework there instead of its own codeplex. What does this mean to a DBA? Whether or not you use SSDT, you should be storing your database schema in version control. In addition, your utility scripts certainly belong in VCS. In my session. We'll cover: What is version control? How does a distributed version control system differ from traditional version control like Visual Sourcesafe, TFS, and SVN? How do I setup git for internal use in my company? How do I host public and private repositories on github. How do pull requests work? How do I fork a SVN repo to github? We will be covering using git from both the command line and Visual Studio.
Speaker(s): Justin Dearing,
Abstract:
In this Session, 3 different approaches to using Extended Events will be covered - culminating in a non-traditional approach of using them to determine what is MISSING -- thus the application / network portion of a user experience. We will cover using XEvents to do the following: 1. The Long Running Query. 2. The Thousand Paper Cuts - De-Parameterization Aggregation 3. Looking at Space Between SQL Calls (how to determine when application slowness does NOT involve the SQL Server). Each approach will detail the following: Creating an Extended Events Session to capture the information you need for each scenario. How to analyze and make sense of the captured data. Lots of demos and take-away scripts!
Speaker(s): Mindy Curnutt,
Abstract:
Your database servers are insecure, and you know it. Unfortunately, so does the person upstairs who just wants to take a peek. That executive who wants a copy of the database to build some reports on the plane knows it. So does the call center rep who’s trying to provide great service to the customer on the phone. And the hacker who’s attacking your website? Yeah, they know it, too. We can no longer rely solely on the same old security practices to protect our data. We need to secure the data at its source. In this full-day course, we will take a tour of security for the Microsoft data platform, particularly SQL Server. The complex security needs of SQL Server itself will be presented as a series of layers to give participants a framework for planning and implementation. By the end of the day, participants will gain familiarity with tools and techniques they can use to protect their systems from common threats.
Speaker(s): Ed Leighton-Dick,
Abstract:
"As is commonly the case, all good things come to an end. And now is as good a time as any for the use of SQL Trace and Profiler to come to an end. Let’s face it, Trace was a good tool and had some wonderful uses. Profiler for that matter was a good tool and was useful at times. It is time to let those old tools retire gracefully and move into the world of XE. This full day workshop will provide you the means to let Profiler and Trace be retired from your toolset as you discover all that XE has to offer. This full day session on Extended Events will help prepare you to put this tool to immediate use as you walk back to your daily duties. This workshop will teach you about Extended Events starting with the basics and moving through how to create XE sessions that will get the right data for you, while doing so with minimal impact. You will be exposed to advanced troubleshooting techniques as we work through complex issues that are made easier through the use of XE. Take advantage
Speaker(s): Jason Brimhall,
Abstract:
As DBAs, we are asked all sorts of impossible questions. Who dropped that important table last month? Why was everything slow last week? Who made that user a sysadmin? You’d have to be a mind reader to know the answers to some of those, right? Not necessarily! SQL Server can help you find information about these and other common problems with its default trace and system_health Extended Events session, but you have to know how to collect and interpret the data they provide. In this session, we’ll explore what system_health and the default trace are, what information they contain, and how to use them to find the answers you’re searching for.
Speaker(s): Ed Leighton-Dick,
Abstract:
Did you know that most employers -- whether looking for a full time employee, contractor, or consultant – interview people because of their technical skills and experiences, but hire and keep them for their social capital? In times of economic downturn, it’s not the person who is the most competent who stays; it’s the one who’s most competent, likeable, and connected. Socially adept people also get invited to the table more often for big projects and are promoted (or extended) more frequently than purely ‘competent’ individuals. Whether or not you’ve been in your role for a few months, years, or even decades – or you’re looking for a new job and new opportunities -- strategic networking is the way to make yourself more relevant, more attractive for projects and promotion – or more hirable by potential customers. Join us for an interactive session to strategize the best actions to increase your social capital and network your way to success!
Speaker(s): Lisa Margerum,
Abstract:
You know about the cloud but you’re not there yet. Is it hard? Is it easy? How do you get started? Come to this session and see for yourself. We’ll start with nothing and end up with a deployed Azure SQL Database. We’ll even run a quick PowerBI report and enable Geo-Redundant Disaster Recovery with a few clicks. The goal is to take the mystery out, to show the capabilities and get you thinking about what going to the cloud could look like and what it can do for you and your company. I believe the future belongs to those who have this knowledge and know where to apply it. This will be nearly PowerPoint free and we’ll log into my Azure Portal and build out an environment from scratch and learn as we go. We’ll migrate data from an “on-premises” database into our SQL DB and we’ll query it. You’ll leave with an understanding of the capabilities, some resource links outlining what we did and hopefully some curiosity to see what else is up there in the cloud as you start exploring.
Speaker(s): Mike Walsh,
Abstract:
Next time you attend a meeting, watch what happens when women at the table offer ideas. If your office is like most in America, you’ll notice women are interrupted almost three times as often as men. Some interruptions are to assert dominance but sometimes people do it to be helpful offer affirmation. Regardless of the intent, the results are the same. Women are being left out of the conversation. The consequences are real. Male executives that speak more frequently in meetings are rewarded with 10% higher competence ratings from peers better performance reviews from bosses. This translates into $ when raises and bonuses are handed out. This discussion will cover positive solutions that help women’s voices be heard. Women need to be more assertive. We need to learn to say “Stop interrupting me.” and “I just said that.” However, men can be, no HAVE to be, part of the solution. They can help women become part of the conversation.
Speaker(s): Rie Irish,
Abstract:
Based on the award-winning interview television show Inside the Actors Studio, this session is an interview with a “SQLebrity” from the community. Interview subjects will share their path to success, discussing both their successes and their failures along the way. Host Andy Mallon persuades his interviewee (Rie Irish) to discuss personal experiences during his chats while discussing the highlights and lowlights of her career. We will talk about Rie's childhood, how she got started in the business, her 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). Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask their own questions.
Speaker(s): Andy Mallon,
Abstract:
This session will feature a real story of a customer who was running into performance and scaling issues on a big iron Oracle RAC system and why they decided to consider the magic of the Column Store for this situation. Discussion will focus on the existing environments for testing both SQL 2016 and Oracle as well as the methodologies used for testing. We will examine the decisions made for choosing indexes (both traditional and column store) for the main tables in the data warehouse as well as the partitioning strategies employed. We will wrap up the discussion with the results of the testing and where they are now.
Speaker(s): Rick Heiges,
Abstract:
Almost everyone uses SSMS to write queries and to browse around on the server - but do you use all of the features that SSMS offers to increase your productivity? Most people use few of these, and probably don't even know that many of these features even exist. Come to this session, consisting almost entirely of demos in SSMS, to see features built in to SSMS that will improve your experience and productivity. Time permitting; we'll also go into some 3rd party products that also increase your productivity in SSMS.
Speaker(s): Wayne Sheffield,
Abstract:
It seems like web apps are getting all the love and at first glance it may be hard to identify a good way to use the database in containers. This session will review the concept of containers and attempt to identify ways we might benefit from this new technology as we support our users.
Speaker(s): Carlos L Chacon,
Abstract:
How secure is Power BI and how do I apply user security? Come to this session to learn two things: 1. How secure Power BI really is in the cloud? We will go over what architecture Power BI uses to secure the data. 2. How does user security work Power BI? We will cover "who can see what" from a user point of view.
Speaker(s): Ravi Kumar,
Abstract:
Azure SQL Database offers a way quickly spin up new databases with minimal management requirements. However, the number of differences between on-premises SQL Server and Azure SQL Database can be overwhelming. Even worse, with DBaaS it’s not clear who is responsible for what anymore. In this session, we will cover all the basic steps of getting your first Azure SQL Database instance spun up. We’ll cover common gotchas, like firewall settings and resource locks. We’ll also dive into some more advanced options with templates, allowing you to make your processes reproducible. By the end of this presentation, you’ll understand if Azure SQL Database is the right choice for you and your needs. You’ll understand how it can simplify management and allow you to scale easily. Finally, you’ll have the confidence to go and create your own instance with ease.
Speaker(s): Jim Donahoe,
Abstract:
With heavily consolidated instances and competing workloads, the Enterprise only Resource Governor feature is an incredibly useful tool for any DBA to have in their toolbox. It allows for the effective throttling and control of CPU, memory and I/O consumed by multiple workloads running on a single SQL Server instance. In this session, we will cover the fundamental concepts of the SQL Server Resource Governor and provide demonstrations of practical scenarios where Resource Governor can control resources for specific workloads. Some of these demonstrations include how to limit the amount of memory consumed by memory-optimized tables and how to prevent poorly-written queries from overwhelming your storage subsystem. We will also discuss cases where Resource Governor can mitigate parameter sniffing problems. Finally, we will look at ways to leverage the useful information contained in the Resource Governor DMVs for monitoring and reporting.
Speaker(s): Brian Carrig,
Abstract:
We've all been told at some point that heaps are usually bad for select, update, and delete performance. But how bad are they really? Can they also be problematic for inserts? Are they ever a good idea? For this installment of Rick's "Weird Stuff" series we will take a closer look at why heaps can cause issues and maybe see a deadlock or two.
Speaker(s): Rick Lowe,
Abstract:
Are you a contractor or freelancer? Do you have dreams of creating your own consulting company? Branding expert Ivan Carter wants to empower you with simple to use concepts that can propel you forward, increase your value and build strong loyalty among the customers you want to reach and work with. By understanding the 7 easy concepts you can create a brand the not only your future clients will love, but will make you feel more confident as well.
Speaker(s): Ivan Carter,
Abstract:
While blocking and deadlocks are part of the territory for a DBA, dealing with them can be another story. In this session we will break down locking types, capturing and identifying deadlocks and the code behind them, and things you can do to resolve and prevent blocking and deadlocks. If you are frequently dealing with deadlocks in your databases this session is for you.
Speaker(s): Amy Herold,
Abstract:
SQL Server R Services: Microsoft acquired Revolution Analytics in early 2015, and introduced R services (in-database/stand-alone) with SQL Server 2016. With the first Microsoft Data Science summit behind us last Sept, in Atlanta, let us review what R Services in SQL Server brings to the table and see how it complements/supersedes features that are available with other R offerings (R GUI, Microsoft R Client [R Studio], Microsoft R Open [RROpen], Microsoft R Server[RREnterprise] etc.,)
Speaker(s): Azhagappan Arunachalam,
Abstract:
Congratulations, you’re now our DBA! A new SQL instance is like a blank canvas, you stare at it and wonder where to start. As an accidental dba, this session will help you learn how to survive in your new role. In this session, you will be supplied with the beginning brush strokes to make your server a master piece. To do so, we will review best practices for standard configurations, backups, maintenance, and disaster recovery. By the end of this session, you will have developed a pallet of tools to help you create your SQL Server Masterpiece and be able to use it as a print for others.
Speaker(s): Jim Donahoe,
Abstract:
Graphs are everywhere! Microsoft has been adding a lot of new features to SQL Server 2017, and among them SQL Graph has been one - one that holds a lot of promises, though it's still in its early stages (at least with Microsoft products). Microsoft recently added Graph DB to their DocumentDB (product) and released it as Cosmos DB. In this session, we'll take a look at what this feature brings to the table, and how it compares with other Graph databases.
Speaker(s): Azhagappan Arunachalam,
Abstract:
Extended Events were introduced in SQL Server 2008. With SQL 2014, we have seen a significant upgrade to this feature. Join me for a little adventure into the realm of extended events. We will discuss how to use extended events to aid in performance tuning and in day to day administration. We will also explore some background and the architecture of extended events. This is a fast paced session and will be a lot of fun. Attendees will be able to take back several sample XE sessions to help troubleshoot different issues and get to more intimately know their data/environment.
Speaker(s): Jason Brimhall,
Abstract:
On a given project, data scientists can spend upwards of 80% of their time preparing, cleaning, and correcting data. In this session, we will look at different data cleansing and preparation techniques using both SQL Server and R. We will investigate the concept of tidy data and see how we can use tools in both languages to simplify research and analysis of a small but realistic data set.
Speaker(s): Kevin Feasel,
Abstract:
Most of us have heard that using the NOLOCK hint is not recommended. But why is this? What is it about NOLOCK that sends most DBAs into a tizzy? And how about other hints such as ROWLOCK and RECOMPILE - are they OK to use? Come hear a discussion on why exactly query hints cause problems when used excessively, and watch some demos of NOLOCK craziness in action.
Speaker(s): Rick Lowe,
Abstract:
Both DBA’s and Developers should be acutely aware of what it takes to ensure that every call to SQL Server has the best chance of reusing a previously generated query plan. Having to generate a new plan each time will waste precious resources and ultimately prevent you from obtaining peak performance and scalability for that SQL Server Instance. We will cover the fundamentals of how query plans get reused and how you need to write your code to take advantage of that. Lots of demos will show just how critical some of your code choices can be in order to obtain peak performance.
Speaker(s): Andrew Kelly,
Abstract:
This full-day session on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017 will focus on principles for designing and implementing a data lake. There will be a mix of concepts, lessons learned, and technical implementation details. This session is approximately 70% demonstrations: we will create a data lake, populate it, organize it, query it, and integrate it with a relational database via logical constructs. You will leave this session with an understanding of the benefits and challenges of a multi-platform analytics/DW/BI environment, as well as recommendations for how to get started.
Speaker(s): Melissa Coates,
Abstract:
Continuous Integration Delivery isn’t a new concept. Application Developers have been doing it for quite a while and now it’s time for Database Professionals to catch up. Whether you are a database administrator, database developer, or even an application developer, database continuous delivery can help you find your salvation. I’ll show you how to apply these concepts to areas of security, collaboration, testing, support and deployments. We will look at what continuous delivery means, demonstrate some tools that can help you easily get it into place, and dive into why it’s important.
Speaker(s): John Morehouse,
Abstract:
This session will cover how to apply security in SQL Server Analysis Services Multidimensional Cube. Details of what we will cover: - Cube security - Admin security - Cell level security - dynamic data driven security
Speaker(s): Ravi Kumar,
Abstract:
In this session we will cover Service Broker use cases and how to setup, configure and use Service Broker.
Speaker(s): Edward Corcoran,
Abstract:
So you've decided to take the leap into presenting. Maybe it's at your local user group, maybe it's at SQL Saturday. This talk will guide you through the process of selecting a topic, preparing for it and actually giving it. We'll talk about what can go wrong and how to handle that. We'll also talk about what can be done to prevent something from going wrong in the first place. What are some good guidelines to follow and when can, or even should, you break them. This will be partly interactive so come with questions and be prepared to be asked some.
Speaker(s): Greg Moore,
Abstract:
This session will cover concepts of automating SQL processes with Powershell - the one tool no DBA should shy away from. If you haven't gotten on the bandwagon yet now is the time. With some simple demos that you can take and expand upon, you will learn how you can leverage Powershell to not only efficiently meet the needs of your business, but also free up your time for other things.
Speaker(s): Amy Herold,
Abstract:
Power BI is all the rage right now in visualizing data on the Microsoft BI stack. We've seen multiple how tos and presentations on the features, but in this hour, we will actually go through the journey of a specific problem, research it, storyboard it, work through how we solve it (before we ever open Power BI) and then build the Power BI visualization. Make your visualization count. Come join us on the journey.
Speaker(s): Jonathan Stewart,
Abstract:
Once you have successfully configured Availability Groups, what comes next? In this session, we will go beyond setup and look at how to monitor your Availability Groups. We will define and cover important metrics and alerts you need to manage a database in an Availability Group. You will walk away from this session with tools you need to monitor your environment and know how to respond to alerts.
Speaker(s): Tracy Boggiano,
Abstract:
Are you a SQL developer, or a DBA responsible for squeezing every last drop of performance out of your instances? If so, few things are more important than a solid understanding of SQL Server indexes. In this session you will learn the basics of index internals and design, and then use that understanding to explore some common indexing anti-patterns. This session starts from the ground up, so it is suitable for anyone wanting to learn more about indexes.
Speaker(s): Mark Wilkinson,
Abstract:
For the last 25 years SQL Server DBAs administered SQL databases using only Windows GUI. For majority of them even Windows Core is too hard to accept. In the situation, when Microsoft invaded Linux territory with it's flagship product, as SQL DBA, you must not outsource SQL Server administration to some Linux geeks. You can do it yourself! Your way! And I show you how to do it.
Speaker(s): Slava Murygin,
Abstract:
Knowing how to help yourself when using SQL Server is a skill. What do I do when I get stuck? How do I learn more about a particular feature of SQL Server? Where do I go? Who do I ask? What options are out there for learning and assistance? In this session, I'll answer those questions. You will leave this session with a bountiful list of resources, links, and ideas to "Help you get your feet back on the ground".
Speaker(s): Mindy Curnutt,
Abstract:
Why do some planes with very few issues crash while a plane with no engine power can land safely on the Hudson with no loss of life? Every company will eventually have a disaster. It's just a matter of size and scope. This talk is a general overview of how to respond to an incident and talks about the roles of management and IT. This is not your typical discussion of disasters focusing on how to make a backup plan or enable high availability. I'll touch upon what we can learn from plane crashes and how those lessons can be applied to the IT environment in general.
Speaker(s): Greg Moore,
Abstract:
We will explore the capabilities of Azure Data Lake, and use cases for implementation. Options for integration of the data lake with SQL Server, Azure SQL DW, Azure SQL DB, and Azure Blob Storage will be discussed, as well as the role of U-SQL and PolyBase in a multi-platform system. You will leave this session with suggestions for getting started with organizing, populating, and securing Azure Data Lake Store and Azure Data Lake Analytics.
Speaker(s): Melissa Coates,
Abstract:
Database corruption could happen to you. When it happens to you, do you know what to do? Will you realize quick enough that you have corruption? The presentation begins by talking about how to detect the corruption and the different strategies for handling unique corruption issues. Highlight of topics 1. Why corruption occurs? 2. Detecting corruption – how SQL Servers detects corruption at the page level. 3. Different types of corruption- e.g. False alarms, memory corruption etc. 4. Limitation of DBCC how to speed the DBCC process. 5. Undocumented DBCC commands. 6. Monitoring I/O errors. 7. Verifying backup for corruption.
Speaker(s): Stephen Muliokela,
Abstract:
Using the SQL setup wizard and management studio (SSMS) to install and configure a new SQL server is a time-intensive process. PowerShell scripts can greatly reduce the time required to complete the process. They can also ensure build standardization throughout your SQL environment. In this session we will look at PowerShell scripting, including the basic syntax and commandlets needed to automate the installation and post-install configuration of a SQL Server.
Speaker(s): Jamie Wick,
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/ivancarter/
Ivan is a Branding Specialist at SimpleFastMarketing. In his role he works to simplify complex problems with compelling design story telling. He thinks strategically and systematically to capture a clear and concise idea that can engage clients at every level. He problem solves by utilizing research, insight by making the complex simple. He brings projects from conception to implementation, while thinking about how they apply in the real-world. Ivan guides his clients to find their own visual language, so they can express their goals to customers quickly. Ivan is currently serving on the board of PSSUG (http://pssug.org/), a nonprofit that is dedicated to further the education of the local data community.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiewick/
Contact: http://blog.wicktech.net
Jamie Wick is the Systems Database Engineer for The College of William Mary and has been working with SQL databases for the past 10+ years. His background includes working for several years as a SQL SysAdmin for the University of Queensland (Australia), a Masters degree in Computer Information Systems from Boston University, and assorted Microsoft SQL certifications. He is the Chapter Leader of the Richmond SQL Server Users Group, a volunteer and speaker at regional SQL events (User Groups/SQLSaturdays), helps run the SQLSaturday RVA events, and is an avid photographer.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdmoore
Contact: https://blog.greenms.com
Greg Moore is a graduate of RPI. There, he majored in CompSci, but probably spent as much time hiking, canoeing, caving and rock-climbing as he did studying. He started working with SQL Server 4.21a in 1995 and has survived numerous upgrades. He's been a Director and later VP of IT at several startups including PowerOne Media, TownNews and Traffiq and now consults. These days, when he's not busy with playing with SQL Server or spending time with his family, he can often be found underground caving or teaching cave rescue with the NCRC. While his focus is on the operations side of DBA, his interests include DR, performance and general IT problem solving. He is the author of: IT Disaster Response: Lessons Learned in the Field.
Az Arunachalam has been working with SQL server since v4.21/SQLNT. He started his career with troubleshooting at chip level, worked as a network engineer managing Novell NetWare networks, graduated into managing Windows NT, moved onto development, administered databases, and is currently working as a database architect. He#39;s excited about all the cloud offerings that Microsoft and others have made possible, and in sharing his findings with aspiring data enthusiasts.
Lisa is a coach, educator, and networking expert who helps people make the changes they need to succeed. She is a Principal Consultant for Contacts Count, LLC, the premier networking training company, and has a Ph.D. in leadership and from Andrews University an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems from Pennsylvania State University and received her coaching certification in leadership and transition from the prestigious Hudson Institute of Coaching. For over 20 years, Lisa worked as a leader and innovator within the fields of healthcare and IT. Passionate, goal-oriented, and motivated, Lisa believes that everyone should have the opportunity to become the phenomenal person they want to be. She is also adjunct faculty at Wilmington University’s G
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/stephen-muliokela/32/a45/830
I have been a DBA for many years now and currently hold multiple SQL Server certificates. In addition, I am also a Six Sigma Blackbelt.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissacoatesprofile
Contact: https://www.CoatesDataStrategies/blog
Melissa Coates is a data architect with a background in data warehousing and business intelligence. Her current professional focus is enterprise-level Power BI governance, deployment, security, and administration. As the owner of Coates Data Strategies, Melissa produces training and consults to help companies strengthen and sustain their data-driven initiatives. Melissa is big supporter of the technical community, and has been a Microsoft Data Platform MVP since 2013. You can visit Melissa's website at CoatesDataStrategies.com, which includes community resources like diagrams, blogs, and videos.
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.
Az Arunachalam has been working with SQL server since v4.21/SQLNT. He started his career with troubleshooting at chip level, worked as a network engineer managing Novell NetWare networks, graduated into managing Windows NT, moved onto development, administered databases, and is currently working as a database architect. He#39;s excited about all the cloud offerings that Microsoft and others have made possible, and in sharing his findings with aspiring data enthusiasts.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/eleightondick
Contact: http://www.edleightondick.com
Ed Leighton-Dick is a Microsoft MVP, SQL Server performance and architecture specialist, and Founder/Principal Consultant of Kingfisher Technologies. He is a frequent volunteer with PASS, including current roles as a Regional Mentor, co-leader of I-380 PASS local group, and co-leader of the HA/DR virtual group. He can often be found teaching sessions at local, regional, and national events, including user groups, SQLSaturday, and PASS Summit.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyboggiano
Contact: http://databasesuperhero.com
Tracy Boggiano is a Senior Database Administrator for DocuSIgn. She has spent over 20 years in IT, using SQL Server since 1999, and is currently certified as an MCSE Data Platform. Tracy has worked on SQL Server since 6.5. She has spoken at local user groups and numerous SQLSaturdays. She is currently a co-leader of a TriPASS Local Group in Raleigh, NC. Tracy also tinkered with databases in middle school to keep her sports card collection organized. She blogs at databasesuperhero.com. Her passion outside of SQL Server is volunteering with foster children as their advocate in court through volunteerforgal.org and being a mental health advocate as part of the PAIMI NC Advisory Council.
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/mikepwalsh
Contact: https://www.straightpathsql.com
Mike Walsh is an experienced SQL Server professional and has worked with SQL Server since version 6.5. He has been in the role of DBA, developer, and performance tuner, but always leans on his DBA and tuning experience. He has been awarded the SQL Server (now Data Platform) designation 6 times since 2011 and is a current MVP. He runs a SQL Server consultancy focused on DBA services and cloud enablement. He has spoken several times at PASS and regional events. In his spare time, he runs a small farm with his family in rural New Hampshire and is a call Firefighter in his small town.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rie-irish/2/34a/78/
Rie lives with her family just north of Atlanta, Georgia. She worked as a SQL Server DBA, manager director for over 20 years. She's worked in many industries including the non-profit sector, education, big pharma, and e-commerce. She was awarded the MVP in the Data Platform 3 times beginning in 2017 and gave that up to accept her role as a Senior Program Manager with Microsoft in 2019. She is very involved with the Atlanta MDF User Group, SQL Saturday Atlanta and is co-leader of the PASS Women in Tech virtual group.
Brian Carrig is a Microsoft Certified Master of SQL Server and is currently a Senior Program Manager on the SQL Server Tiger Team at Microsoft focusing primarily on persistent memory technology and replication. In a previous life, Brian spent some time as an academic and holds a PhD in Computer Science. He is a native of Dublin, Ireland but now lives with his wife and two daughters in Redmond, Washington. If he is not talking about, thinking about or working with technology you will usually find him watching Chelsea FC.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissacoatesprofile
Contact: https://www.CoatesDataStrategies/blog
Melissa Coates is a data architect with a background in data warehousing and business intelligence. Her current professional focus is enterprise-level Power BI governance, deployment, security, and administration. As the owner of Coates Data Strategies, Melissa produces training and consults to help companies strengthen and sustain their data-driven initiatives. Melissa is big supporter of the technical community, and has been a Microsoft Data Platform MVP since 2013. You can visit Melissa's website at CoatesDataStrategies.com, which includes community resources like diagrams, blogs, and videos.
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.
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rick-lowe/a/228/441/
Contact: http://dataflowe.wordpress.com/
Rick is a Microsoft Certified Master with more than 20 years of SQL Server experience in a variety of roles. He currently lives in Washington state and works as an independent consultant providing remote performance DBA and performance tuning services for clients in the USA and Canada. His first exposure to SQL Server was as a database developer, but over time he became more and more interested in how the database engine operated... eventually specializing more on performance issues than code. Rick will work with all things relational, but most enjoys helping smaller companies get better performance from MSSQL, as well as smoothing over relationships between DBA and development teams.
Contact: http://www.sqlflipflopsdba.com
Jim is a Premier Field Engineer for Microsoft in the Data/AI space. He lives in Pittsburgh in a small suburb. He loves working with all things Azure(ARM templates, DBaaS, SQL on IaaS). He is an avid collector of retro video games! He is a member of the Idera ACE program for 2018.
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianmeine
Contact: http://sqlity.net/en/blog/
Sebastian Meine, Ph.D. is the SQL Stylist behind sqlity.net llc. In 2010 he founded sqlity.net to fully engage in his passion for SQL Server. Armed with a Ph.D. in Computer Science and years of experience in architecting DBs for a global Fortune 50 company, Sebastian now provides training and consulting services for his clients, specializing in SQL Server Security, Test Driven Development and Performance. Sebastian is an experienced public speaker, published author, president of the Philly PASS Chapter, PASS Regional Mentor and coauthor lead developer of tSQLt.
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: 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/in/WayneSheffield
Contact: http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
Wayne Sheffield, a Microsoft Certified Master in SQL Server and Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, started working with xBase databases in the late 80’s. With over 25 years in IT, he has worked with SQL Server (since 6.5 in the late 90’s) in various dev/admin roles, with an emphasis in performance tuning. He is the author of several articles at www.sqlservercentral.com, a co-author of “SQL Server T-SQL Recipes”, and enjoys sharing his knowledge by presenting at SQL events worldwide and blogging at http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdmoore
Contact: https://blog.greenms.com
Greg Moore is a graduate of RPI. There, he majored in CompSci, but probably spent as much time hiking, canoeing, caving and rock-climbing as he did studying. He started working with SQL Server 4.21a in 1995 and has survived numerous upgrades. He's been a Director and later VP of IT at several startups including PowerOne Media, TownNews and Traffiq and now consults. These days, when he's not busy with playing with SQL Server or spending time with his family, he can often be found underground caving or teaching cave rescue with the NCRC. While his focus is on the operations side of DBA, his interests include DR, performance and general IT problem solving. He is the author of: IT Disaster Response: Lessons Learned in the Field.
Contact: http://www.m82labs.com
I am a father of 4, and live in Raleigh North Carolina. I love fixing problems, and learning new technologies that can help me fix those problems faster and better than I did the time before. In my spare time I like to read, speak, and learn new things. I currently work as a Database Administrator at ChannelAdvisor where I solve fairly interesting problems on fairly large databases. You can often find me on Twitter where I talk about SQL, beer, and anything else I find interesting.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/eleightondick
Contact: http://www.edleightondick.com
Ed Leighton-Dick is a Microsoft MVP, SQL Server performance and architecture specialist, and Founder/Principal Consultant of Kingfisher Technologies. He is a frequent volunteer with PASS, including current roles as a Regional Mentor, co-leader of I-380 PASS local group, and co-leader of the HA/DR virtual group. He can often be found teaching sessions at local, regional, and national events, including user groups, SQLSaturday, and PASS Summit.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dbajbrimhall/
Contact: http://jasonbrimhall.info
Jason Brimhall has more than 20 years of experience and has worked with SQL Server 6.5 through SQL Server 2019. He has experience in performance tuning, high transaction environments, and large environments. He is currently a consultant specializing in performance tuning, server analysis, and problem resolution. Jason is a Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) and a Data Platform MVP.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqllocks/
Contact: https://sqllocks.net/
Jonathan Stewart is a Business Intelligence consultant specializing in data visualization, data warehousing, and data management technologies. An advocate for educating others, he is a public speaker, teacher and blogger, continually teaching people about the Microsoft BI Stack. Since 2000, he has been working in the database field with industry leaders in healthcare, manufacturing, financial, insurance and federal, state and local governments. Jonathan is very active in the community. He has presented on SQL Server, SSIS, Reporting Services, Power BI and Business Intelligence at numerous SQLSaturday events, local user groups, and conferences throughout the United States and around the world. He participates in webcasts, podcasts, and on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindycurnutt
Contact: http://www.mindycurnutt.com
Mindy Curnutt is a 5X Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Business Owner and Entrepreneur. Her specialties include SQL Server hardware, configuration, migrations, scalability, performance tuning. She has been actively involved in the SQL Server Community for over two decades and has become a well known speaker within the SQL and Transportation Management communities. She is a two-time PASS Volunteer of the Month, has presented at 6 SQLPASS Summits, Live360, DevConnections, MVPMix and too many SQL Saturdays to count. She is currently the President of the North Texas SQL Server User Group out of Dallas/Fort Worth, TX.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/aherold
Contact: http://www.sqlkitten.com/
Amy Herold is currently a Premier Field Engineer with Microsoft, specializing in APS. Prior to this, she was a Sr. Database Administrator, focusing on PowerShell and automation. She is also currently the Director of Programs for the North Texas SQL Server User Group (NTSSUG). She frequently speaks at SQL Saturday and user group events across the United States and has also participated in numerous Women in Technology sessions as a panelist. Amy currently blogs at sqlkitten.com.
Contact: http://www.sqlflipflopsdba.com
Jim is a Premier Field Engineer for Microsoft in the Data/AI space. He lives in Pittsburgh in a small suburb. He loves working with all things Azure(ARM templates, DBaaS, SQL on IaaS). He is an avid collector of retro video games! He is a member of the Idera ACE program for 2018.
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.
Microsoft PFE
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/aherold
Contact: http://www.sqlkitten.com/
Amy Herold is currently a Premier Field Engineer with Microsoft, specializing in APS. Prior to this, she was a Sr. Database Administrator, focusing on PowerShell and automation. She is also currently the Director of Programs for the North Texas SQL Server User Group (NTSSUG). She frequently speaks at SQL Saturday and user group events across the United States and has also participated in numerous Women in Technology sessions as a panelist. Amy currently blogs at sqlkitten.com.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlrus
Contact: http://www.sqlrus.com
John Morehouse is currently a Consultant with Denny Cherry Associates living in Louisville, Kentucky. With over 2 decades of technical experience in various industries, John now focuses on the Microsoft Data platform and specializes in Microsoft SQL Server. He is honored to be a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, VMWare vExpert, Friend of Red Gate, Sentry One PAC member Community Ambassador, and 2016 Idera Ace. John has a passion around speaking, teaching technical topics, and giving back to the technical community as much as possible. He is a user group leader, SQL Saturday organizer, and former PASS regional mentor. He is also a blogger, avid tweeter, and a frequent speaker at SQL Saturday’s as well as other conferences.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dbajbrimhall/
Contact: http://jasonbrimhall.info
Jason Brimhall has more than 20 years of experience and has worked with SQL Server 6.5 through SQL Server 2019. He has experience in performance tuning, high transaction environments, and large environments. He is currently a consultant specializing in performance tuning, server analysis, and problem resolution. Jason is a Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) and a Data Platform MVP.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justindearingnyc
Contact: http://www.justaprogrammer.net
Justin Dearing has been working in IT in 2002. He started as a night shift AS/400 operator and rose through the ranks at a series of companies. He currently works as a developer in the capital markets industry. Justin has served in both the development and production side of the house on Windows, Unix and Midrange Platforms. His database experience includes MongoDB, MySQL, Postgres and Microsoft SQL server. These days he programs in C#, PowerShell and PHP.
Contact: http://sqlblog.com/blogs/andrew_kelly/default.aspx
Andrew J. Kelly is a Senior Technical Subject Matter Expert with B3 Group Inc. and lives in Clarkdale, AZ. He has over 20 years experience with relational databases and application development, but his main focus now is SQL Server. In addition to general SQL Server training and mentoring, he specializes in performance, scalability, and maintainability of large-scale SQL Servers. He is a regular speaker at conferences and user groups and was a SQL Server / Data Platform MVP for 18 years.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rick-lowe/a/228/441/
Contact: http://dataflowe.wordpress.com/
Rick is a Microsoft Certified Master with more than 20 years of SQL Server experience in a variety of roles. He currently lives in Washington state and works as an independent consultant providing remote performance DBA and performance tuning services for clients in the USA and Canada. His first exposure to SQL Server was as a database developer, but over time he became more and more interested in how the database engine operated... eventually specializing more on performance issues than code. Rick will work with all things relational, but most enjoys helping smaller companies get better performance from MSSQL, as well as smoothing over relationships between DBA and development teams.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindycurnutt
Contact: http://www.mindycurnutt.com
Mindy Curnutt is a 5X Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Business Owner and Entrepreneur. Her specialties include SQL Server hardware, configuration, migrations, scalability, performance tuning. She has been actively involved in the SQL Server Community for over two decades and has become a well known speaker within the SQL and Transportation Management communities. She is a two-time PASS Volunteer of the Month, has presented at 6 SQLPASS Summits, Live360, DevConnections, MVPMix and too many SQL Saturdays to count. She is currently the President of the North Texas SQL Server User Group out of Dallas/Fort Worth, TX.
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.