Event Location:
Microsoft head office
3012 William Nicol Drive
Bryanston, Gauteng, South Africa
Abstract:
The SQL Server Query Optimizer makes its plan choices based on estimated rowcounts. If those estimates are wrong, the optimizer will very likely produce a poor plan. And there's nothing you can do about it. Or is there? In this session, you will learn exactly where these estimates come from. You will gain intimate knowledge of how statistics are built and maintained and how they are used to estimate row counts. But you will also learn how filters and joins influence those estimates. Though the focus of this session is on understanding the cause of bad estimates, you will also learn ways to fix the problems and get better estimates - and hence, better performing queries.
Speaker(s): Hugo Kornelis,
Abstract:
One of the hardest things to do in SQL is to identify the cause of a sudden degradation in performance. The DMVs don’t persist information over a restart of the instance and, unless there was already some query benchmarking (and there almost never is), answering the question of how the queries behaved last week needs a time machine. Up until now, that is. The addition of the QueryStore to SQL Server 2016 makes identifying and resolving performance regressions a breeze. In this session we’ll take a look at what the QueryStore is and how it works, before diving into a scenario where overall performance suddenly degraded, and we’ll see why QueryStore is the best new feature in SQL Server 2016, bar none.
Speaker(s): Gail Shaw,
Abstract:
Windowing functions in T-SQL add power and speed to your queries, and have myriad uses in all types of situations. Songs by The Beatles spent a combined 585 weeks on the Top 100 Billboard Chart. In this session, we'll combine these unlikely bedfellows, by using The Beatles' chart data to gain an in-depth knowledge of Windowing Functions in T-SQL. Learn the theory behind each clause in the Windowing Functions and immediately see it applied in both an abstract, and concrete, way. Learn how Windowing Functions can help you enhance your queries, and solve complex problems quickly and easily. From running totals, to lag and lead queries, Windowing Functions will help you deliver high quality information in no time. Once you've seen the power of these functions, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. Understanding Windowing Functions may seem like a "Long and Winding Road", but "Come Together" and walk away with a skill that you'll use "Here, There and Everywhere".
Speaker(s): James McGillivray,
Abstract:
People and organisations fulfill a crucial role in running a profitable business. Every organisation dealing with customers, employees, suppliers, to name a few, should have an easy to maintain, central master data repository to manage this data. If your master data is sorted, you ensure your business processes can fire on all pistons. How can you tackle this challenge in SQL Server Master Data Services without having to build 10 different domain models for each possible role? A flexible, adaptive party domain model is the answer. In this session I will take you through the approach and the various modelling steps to set up a party domain model in the SQL Server MDS environment.
Speaker(s): Erwin Bisschops,
Abstract:
Are you a developer or a systems admin and you've just been handed a SQL Server database and you've got no idea what to do with it? I've got some of the answers here in this session for you. During this session we will cover a variety of topics including backup and restore, recovery models, database maintenance, compression, data corruption, database compatibility levels and indexing. While this session won't teach you everything you need to know, it will give you some insights into the SQL Server database engine and give you the ability to better know what to look for. During this session Microsoft MVP and Certified Master Denny Cherry will give you the basic information that is needed to get that new SQL Server that you've just been told that you need to manage running and safe. After this session you will be armed with the basic information needed to know how to properly backup the database so that you can recover it after a failure. You will learn how to properly maintain t
Speaker(s): Denny Cherry,
Abstract:
The SQL Server Query Optimizer makes its plan choices based on estimated rowcounts. If those estimates are wrong, the optimizer will very likely produce a poor plan. And there's nothing you can do about it. Or is there? In this session, you will learn exactly where these estimates come from. You will gain intimate knowledge of how statistics are built and maintained and how they are used to estimate row counts. But you will also learn how filters and joins influence those estimates. Though the focus of this session is on understanding the cause of bad estimates, you will also learn ways to fix the problems and get better estimates - and hence, better performing queries.
Speaker(s): Hugo Kornelis,
Abstract:
Data does not become information until decision makers are able to view it and make those decisions that affect the enterprise as a whole. Stored procedures are one means of getting the data from the database tables to the reports in an effective and efficient manner. In this hands-on presentation, we shall be looking at best practices with regards to creating and tuning stored procedures. We shall also be discussing parameter sniffing and other gotcha’s that affect us in our daily lives.
Speaker(s): Steve Simon,
Abstract:
A lot of companies have a philosophy of "ship early with as many features as possible.” Security is an afterthought since it isn't fun to do and no one will attack them anyway. However, the dark side never sleeps, and security breaches have always happened, often leaving companies severely exposed or even bankrupt. In this session we'll look at a few attack vectors that can be used against your company, and what you as a developer can and should do to protect against them. It will involve a good mix of security conscious SQL Server and application development, because you care about your work and nobody messes with you.
Speaker(s): Mladen Prajdić,
Abstract:
Introduction to Azure SQL Datawarehouse, Azure Cosmos DB and Azure Data Lake Store. Microsoft has introduces a variety data storage options in Azure, so much so that it could be quite confusing to know when to use which technology. In the session I will explain each technology, what the differences are and when they should be used and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Speaker(s): Minette Steynberg,
Abstract:
T-SQL techniques we use to solve problems, that end up hurting us later. This session will cover a few T-SQL anti-patterns, explaining the problem being solved, and better alternatives.
Speaker(s): Desmond Norton,
Abstract:
Are you underpaid? Would you like to know what a market related salary is for your skill set? What are the most in demand IT Developer profiles in the market today? Is your CV going to stand out from the guy sitting next to you? Come along to my presentation and we will have a look at what a market related salary for you is; are you keeping your skills relevant for today’s needs and are you representing yourself well enough to stand out.
Speaker(s): Vanessa Raath,
Abstract:
In this session I will show how to deploy Docker on Windows Server 2016, and then build and deploy Docker images with SQL Server. We will cover how to use Powershell to interact with Docker. We will also demonstrate how to interact with SQL Server running in Docker containers.
Speaker(s): Heinrich Smit,
Abstract:
Social Media data can be very powerful in growing your business, however this is BigData and not many companies know how to consume it and get the most benefit out of it. PowerBI has great features that allow you to use their templates to explore the data and get the most value out of it to make your marketing decisions. There will be a demo on how to set up a PowerBI Twitter Campaign, Facebook and Google Analytics dashboards and how to use them.
Speaker(s): Jeanne Combrinck,
Abstract:
When NoSQL first became popular the "No" in NoSQL was advertised as the end of relational databases. Fast forward a few years, and the "No" now means "Not Only" as traditional and document stores live happily side by side. The manufacturers of these NoSQL systems have also realized that SQL is the language that is used to manage and query data - SQL is well known and there are many people that are very good at it. In this quick session we will look at N1QL (pronounced Nickel) which is the Couchbase query language, and how your skills in relational can cross over into NoSQL by only learning a few extra keywords.
Speaker(s): Clinton van Blommestein,
Abstract:
Far too few database developers in this day and age get the opportunity to learn how to design relation databases. In most cases, they will on occasion be asked to add a few objects to an existing system while following the standards of the organisation. These relatively infrequent changes do not hone the skills needed for effective design. This session will go through the fundamentals of database design. Topics such as normalization, Understanding Data Relationships as well as the Language of Data Modeling and Design will be discussed. The Database Design Sequence Phases of Conceptual, Logical and Physical will be introduced as well.
Speaker(s): Sean Cremer,
Abstract:
SQL Server 2017 introduces a lot of new features in the Data Science space for SQL Server. In this session we will take a closer look at some of the new functionality, including the ability to use Tensorflow from inside SQL Server.
Speaker(s): Niels Berglund,
Abstract:
In this interactive session we will discuss what and who to take into consideration when thinking about a data strategy. About Jody Jody is a Principal Consultant at Northern Data. He is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and PASS Regional Mentor for the MEA region.His current focus is helping organizations of all sizes gain greater insight into their businesses as a better ROI by using their data more effectively.
Speaker(s): Jody Roberts,
Abstract:
Lets personify SQL processes and make it "Come ALIVE" and get a better understanding of what SQL is going through
Speaker(s): Jacques Mostert,
Abstract:
Are you a developer struggling to get maximum performance from your queries? Are you a DBA struggling to get maximum performance from your server? If so then this session is for you. You will learn to identify some common coding mistakes that cause poor performance, as well as how to find queries to tune. This session is also full of great tips and handy techniques to apply to your code.
Speaker(s): Sean Pearce,
Abstract:
This session will focusing on providing a SQL/BI developer with the basics to rapidly getting started with developing apps for Windows 10 IoT core running on a Raspberry Pi and using this to collect data and send data to Azure IoT hub. Some of the aspects that will be looked at is getting the development environment setup, getting Windows 10 IoT core running on a Raspberry Pi , connecting IoT device to Azure and the challenges faced, from getting started to getting an app running that sends data to IoT hub and visualizing this data in Power BI
Speaker(s): Arohan Naidoo,
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://za.linkedin.com/in/clintonvb
Clinton is a senior developer at Derivco in Durban (South Africa), a company that is a leader in the online gaming space. He has over 16 years experience in highly transactions systems, with focus on the services and data tiers. He is a regular speaker at SQL events in South Africa, is also the co-leader for the Durban SQL User Group and has recognised as a Couchbase Champion for his contribution to their community.
Arohan is a Business Intelligence developer working at Entelect primarily on the Microsoft BI stack who has an interest in using Big Data and IoT to find insights into ways to improve daily life as well as focused research on using technology to enhance learning.
LinkedIn: http://nl.linkedin.com/in/hugokornelis
Contact: http://sqlblog.com/blogs/hugo_kornelis/default.aspx
Hugo Kornelis is an established SQL Server community expert who spends a lot of time at various conferences. He is author of "the Execution Plan Reference" (sqlserverfast.com/epr), blogger, technical editor of Grant Fritchey's "SQL Server Execution Plans, 3rd edition" and some other books, and Pluralsight author. He was awarded SQL Server MVP and Data Platform MVP 12 times (2006 - 2016, and 2019-present). When not working for the community, he is busy at his day job: freelance database developer/consultant. Hugo has over 20 years of SQL Server experience in various roles. He loves to write and tune complex queries, but he also has a strong database design background. When not working for the community, he is busy at his day job: freelance database developer/consultant. Hugo has over 20 years of SQL Server experience in various roles. He loves to write and tune complex queries, but he also has a strong database design background.
LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/jeannecombrinck
Contact: http://thesqlgirl.com
Senior BI Developer at Britehouse. In her spare time she can be found spending time with her animals, doing SQL puzzles and writing on her blog http://thesqlgirl.com/.
LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/thejimmyrsa
Contact: https://jimbabwe.co.za/blog-posts/
James McGillivray, Data Management and Analytics MCSE, has been working in Business Intelligence for over a decade. He spends his working hours building solutions that allow people to make informed decisions quickly and accurately. James is a director at Cobalt Analytics. Before his career in data, James was an avid musical theatre student and musician. This love for performance has developed into a passion for developing and delivering presentations that are informative and enjoyable. James speaks frequently at the Johannesburg SQL User Group, and has delivered sessions at numerous SQL Saturdays, PASS Summit, Power BI World Tour and SQL Bits.
An avid lover of SQL Server and an Architect for Microsoft South Africa, I have been working with SQL Server for the last 16 years focusing on database development and administration, focusing on architecting high performance large scale virtualized database environments. Currently my delivery and focus has been on Microsoft's leading data platform technologies working with customers to deliver Big Data HTAP solutions.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msteynberg/
Contact: https://www.sqlshack.com/author/minette/
Having been in the IT industry for 20 years, I've seen IT from almost every angle, developer, analyst, DBA and now data architect. I am so excited about technology and the speed at which it develops, the capabilities that already exist and all possiblities that come with advanced analytics, artifical intelligence, the cloud and the direction that Microsoft is taking.
Contact: http://sqlusergroup.co.za
This session is run by the Johannesburg SQL User group community
Contact: http://sqlinthewild.co.za
Gail Shaw is a Database Specialist focusing on database performance tuning and database recovery, with a particular interest in topics such as indexing strategies, execution plans, and writing T-SQL code that performs well and scales gracefully. Gail holds a Microsoft Certified Master certification for SQL Server 2008 and is a Data Platform MVP. She's a frequent poster on the SQLServerCentral forums, a Pluralsight author, writes articles for both SQLServerCentral.com and Simple-Talk.com, and has spoken at SQLSaturdays, SQL Bits and at the PASS Community Summit. Gail has been responsible for extending the lifespan of many an application, by performance-tuning their databases and providing technical guidance on all things SQL Server related.
Contact: http://sqlinbuddy.wordpress.com/
A family man, Christian, starcraft addict with some SQL on the side. Working on SQL for a long time, started on V6.5. I have seen way to many versions of SQL/BI tools for any sane person. ‘There is evil here that does not sleep” and as far as I can will help where I can. As the “about” title says I wear sandals (Afrikaans: Plakkies) do not like shoes to my wifes/boss dismay. I enjoy going off-road with my “toyota” and when I am not “sql”ing I will be constructing something from wood.
Contact: http://sqlusergroup.co.za
This session is run by the Johannesburg SQL User group community
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistairpugin/
Contact: http://2guysandsharepoint.co.za
Alistair has worked in various capacities in multiple verticals from retail – manufacturing to government, spanning 50 to 50000 users utilizing all aspects of pure Enterprise Information Management. His current position as an Office Servers and Services MVP in South Africa, provides him with a mechanism to assist companies with architecting their SharePoint environment using "best of breed", proven methodologies to foster innovation and growth through an ECM framework.
LinkedIn: http://za.linkedin.com/in/luisdza
Contact: http://www.luisdesousa.co.za
Consult to large financial institutions in South Africa providing Business Intelligence and Analysis insight.
LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/pub/sean-pearce/2/9b5/914
Contact: http://thesqlguy.blogspot.com/
Sean Pearce is a SQL Server consultant with a background in application development. Initially he was exposed to SQL Server 6.5 as a developer but by the time SQL Server 2000 had been released he had stepped into a SQL Server focused role. His understanding of the architecture of SQL Server allows him to excel at performance tuning and problem solving. Sean is actively involved in the SQL Server community, has spoken at PASS SQL Saturday and presents regularly to the Jhb SQL Server User Group.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heinrich-smit-86178578/
I am a Data Management Consultant for EnterpriseWorx, focusing on providing simple end-to-end data management solutions to clients in various industries, including retail and manufacturing. I'm also part of the development and technical sales team of Conductor4SQL. My other skills and interests are network administration, virtualisation ,cloud computing and IOT.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erwin-bisschops-2b09883/
Erwin is a passionate Data Management and Analytics specialist for the Technology Innovation department within Karabina Business Technology Solutions. In the field of Data Analytics, Master Data Management and Data Governance he turns topics like Digital Transformation, Intelligent Business Operations, Collaborative Decision Making, Complex Event Processing, Real-Time Decisioning and Mobile BI into reality for his clients. Active in the Data Management field since 1997, he plays a key role in the strategic implementation of business solutions. Erwin is a social scientist with a background in organisation strategy and business informatics and finds that Data Management is the perfect marriage of the two. He develops methodologies, publi
An avid lover of SQL Server and an Architect for Microsoft South Africa, I have been working with SQL Server for the last 16 years focusing on database development and administration, focusing on architecting high performance large scale virtualized database environments. Currently my delivery and focus has been on Microsoft's leading data platform technologies working with customers to deliver Big Data HTAP solutions.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/preview?locale=en_UStrk=prof-0-sb-preview-primary-button
Contact: https://seancremer.github.io/
Sean Cremer is a Senior Developer at Derivco. He has worked with SQL Server for nearly two decades on Large OLTP and Data Warehousing Systems and has a wealth of accumulated Database Design and Implementation knowledge.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrdenny
Contact: https://www.dcac.com
Denny Cherry is the owner and principal consultant for Denny Cherry Associates Consulting and has over a decade of experience working with platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, Microsoft SQL Server, Hyper-V, vSphere, and Enterprise Storage solutions. Denny’s areas of technical expertise include system architecture, performance tuning, security, replication, and troubleshooting. Denny currently holds several Microsoft Certifications related to SQL Server 2000 through 2019, including being a Microsoft Certified Master, Microsoft MVP and VMware vExpert Award.
LinkedIn: http://nl.linkedin.com/in/hugokornelis
Contact: http://sqlblog.com/blogs/hugo_kornelis/default.aspx
Hugo Kornelis is an established SQL Server community expert who spends a lot of time at various conferences. He is author of "the Execution Plan Reference" (sqlserverfast.com/epr), blogger, technical editor of Grant Fritchey's "SQL Server Execution Plans, 3rd edition" and some other books, and Pluralsight author. He was awarded SQL Server MVP and Data Platform MVP 12 times (2006 - 2016, and 2019-present). When not working for the community, he is busy at his day job: freelance database developer/consultant. Hugo has over 20 years of SQL Server experience in various roles. He loves to write and tune complex queries, but he also has a strong database design background. When not working for the community, he is busy at his day job: freelance database developer/consultant. Hugo has over 20 years of SQL Server experience in various roles. He loves to write and tune complex queries, but he also has a strong database design background.
LinkedIn: http://za.linkedin.com/pub/jody-roberts/7/b29/193/Edit
Contact: http://JodyWP.wordpress.com
Jody Roberts is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP based in Cape Town, South Africa. He specializes in SQL Server architecture, disaster recovery (DR), and server optimization. Jody serves as a PASS Regional Mentor responsible for the Middle East amp; Africa, Chapter Lead of the SQLCape user group, and Co-Lead of the PASS Cloud Virtual Chapter. Jody is a Principal Consultant at Northern Data.
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/nevillemarle
Principal Data Platform Consultant
Desmond is a senior database developer at Derivco, with 15 years development experience. He started out as a full stack developer, and made the move to a purely SQL developer 9 years ago.
*TBC
Cloud Data and AI Solution Architect at Microsoft South Africa
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaraath
Contact: https://www.vanessaraath.com
I am determined to bring the ‘Human Element’ back into today’s Recruitment Process as I believe it has been lacking for too long now! I believe that people are the core building blocks of every business but that doesn’t mean that we can treat every ‘block’ the same. I have over 13 years’ experience in the Recruitment Industry and I have specialised in the IT Applications space for most of this time. I have recently decided to flex my entrepreneurial muscle and I have launched my own Sourcing Training Business. I am passionate about raising the standard of Sourcing in Africa.
Contact: http://sqlusergroup.co.za
This session is run by the Johannesburg SQL User group community
LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/niels-berglund-0122593
Contact: https://nielsberglund.com
Niels works as Software Architect at Derivco, where he develops software as well as "dreaming" up new and innovative ways to use existing and new technology. Before joining Derivco, Niels worked as researcher/instructor at Developmentor where he was responsible for the database curriculum. He was a co-author of the first SQL Server 2005 book for developers: quot; A First Look at SQL 2005 for Developersquot;. He has presented at all leading technical conferences; Tech-ED, SQL PASS, DevWeek, Ignite the Tour, etc., and is also a Microsoft Data Platform MVP.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mladenprajdic
Contact: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/mladenp
Mladen Prajdić is a Data Platform MVP from Slovenia. He's been programming for 20 years, developing different types of applications in .Net (C#) and SQL Server, ranging from standard line-of-business, image-processing applications to high performace and IoT applications. He's a regular speaker at various conferences and usergroup meetings, really likes to optimize slow SQL statements, analyze performance, and find unconventional solutions to difficult SQL Server problems. In his free time, he also develops a very popular add-in for SSMS, called the SSMS Tools Pack (www.ssmstoolspack.com).
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
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.