Event Location:
The River Club
Liesbeek Parkway Observatory Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Abstract:
This session will be presented by the Microsoft Azure SQL Database Product Group and will cover a deep dive into the architecture for Azure SQL Database Hyperscale. The database-as-a-service paradigm in the cloud (DBaaS) is becoming increasingly popular. Organizations adopt this paradigm because they expect higher security, higher availability, and lower and more flexible cost with high performance. It has become clear, however, that these expectations cannot be met in the cloud with the traditional, monolithic database architecture. This paper presents a novel DBaaS architecture, called Hyperscale. This session will cover the key ideas and features of Hyperscale, as well as comparing it to traditional deployment options.
Speaker(s): Alain Dormehl,
Abstract:
With the vast amount of changes that occur in our daily business environments, it becomes more and more difficult to achieve our corporate goals without some ‘lighthouse’ to guide our way. Data mining, (while not a panacea to resolve or ‘control’ the effects of these changes), can provide us with statistical trends by analyzing our data and highlighting probable outcomes. In this hands on BEGINNERS presentation we shall be looking at Microsoft SQL Server’s Data Mining capabilities and we shall be discussing: 1) Defining what questions we want answered and how to go about this in an effective and efficient manner. 2) Creating the data model. 3) How to gather the necessary data, discussing the training and testing aspect. 4) Processing the model. 5) Extracting information from our finished model, discussing the implications of this information.
Speaker(s): Steve Simon,
Abstract:
Often the data you want is available somewhere on the internet. It might all be on one page (if you're lucky!) or distributed across many pages (possibly hundreds or thousands of pages!). But you want those data consolidated locally in a convenient format. What would Ragnar do? He'd go out, grab the data and bring it home. The contemporary Internet Viking uses Web Scraping to systematically extract information from web pages. This is the battle plan: - Sharpening the Axe: Understanding of the structure of an HTML document. - Preparing the Longships: Using the DOM to select elements. - Doing Battle: Manual scraping. - Stashing the Treasure: Storing data. - The Journey Home: Automated scraping with Scrapy. - Triumphant Return: Driving a browser using Selenium. By the end of the tutorial you'll be ready to pillage and plunder large swathes of the internet. Come along and make Ragnar proud. This tutorial will be suitable for Vikings with low to moderate levels of Python experience.
Speaker(s): Andrew Collier,
Abstract:
Data Science is the latest Data Buzz word, but what does this mean for us the Analysts and Developers. Well, this is just another opportunity to grow and learn a new skill. The great thing about the era we live in is that information is everywhere but can be a little overwhelming for someone who is just starting off in a new field or wants to learn a new skill. In this session, we will use Python in an easy to understand layout by using Notebooks as our Interface and pandas as our data manipulation library in Python. This session is for everyone that is just starting off in Python. We will learn how to import/export data into Python as well as manipulate and analyse data. Finally, we will look at how to bring this back into our SQL Server world.
Speaker(s): Jean-Pierre Voogt,
Abstract:
You’re comfortable with picking the right visualization for a specific data set, and making it look good. You know the basics of design and can craft a report that is pleasing on the eye. Now it’s time to take your data presentation skills to the next level. In this session, we will learn how to design for accessibility, allowing more people to benefit from our work. We’ll learn the difference between designing for users to explore information, and for users to consume insights. This will lead us into the basics of constructing a data story. From choosing the relevant data points, to removing all unnecessary distractions and constructing a cohesive narrative. Every data story is unique, but the techniques for effective data presentation are universal. Improve your reports, dashboards, and slide decks by learning the art and science of quality data visualization.
Speaker(s): James McGillivray,
Abstract:
They're just numbers, right? A date's a date. It's just string data, who cares? I can't tell you how many times I've heard these phrases. This session will help you understand why choosing the correct data type for your data is so important. It affects data quality, storage and performance. It can even produce incorrect query results.
Speaker(s): Angela Henry,
Abstract:
At the heart of every Power BI report lies a data model and to build great reports, one needs a great data model that allows flexibility while still providing fast and accurate results. In this session, we take you on the journey of building such a model from the ground up with lots of tips, tricks and best practices that you can use in your models.
Speaker(s): Michael Johnson,
Abstract:
In this session we shall take a look at Azure Machine Learning Studio. We will import data sets, create models and train them. We will go over the fundamentals of Azure Machine Learning and what it has to offer.
Speaker(s): Jeanne Combrinck,
Abstract:
Microsoft PowerApps is a suite of apps, services, connectors and data platform that provides a rapid application development environment to build custom apps for your business needs. Using PowerApps, you can quickly build custom business apps that connect to your business data stored. You don't need to be a mobile developer to create a quick, clean and useful app.
Speaker(s): Nigel de Wet,
Abstract:
The world of Data Science brings with it new terms and jargon. However, some of these terms have real, defined differences, and as a data professional, you should know the differences. Buck Woody, an Applied Data Scientist from the SQL Server team at Microsoft, will show you the math, languages, technologies and processes used in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL), the use-cases for each, and the options you have to leverage and implement each technology, included those in the SQL Server platform.
Speaker(s): Buck Woody,
Abstract:
In this session you will learn about use cases for paginated reports, working with sub-reports in SSRS to build reusable sections which will form part of a dynamic which can be used to create a structured invoice or statement. We will then dive into the paginated report functionality in Power BI and learn more about SSRS features that are now available in Power BI.
Speaker(s): Arohan Naidoo,
Abstract:
Have you ever started a warehouse or ETL project and realized that the data wasn't as "clean" as you were told? If only you had profiled your data before you started then you wouldn't have to rework design elements, change code or redesign your database. In this session we will talk about what data profiling is, why you should do it and how you can do it with tools that are already included in the SQL Server BI stack.
Speaker(s): Angela Henry,
Abstract:
In this session we will be covering SQL Server on AWS architecture. We will be looking at SQL Server on EC2 and also more on SQL Server on RDS and the benefits of both. The session is intended for someone who would be interested in moving their current on-prem/hosted SQL Server environments to AWS. They will gain basic information related to the difference between the options and have the opportunity to talk to some of the AWS engineers at the event before and after the session.
Speaker(s): Christiaan Steyn,
Abstract:
These days .NET can be found running almost anywhere! Let's have a look together at what's new in Xamarin and Xamarin Forms and also how to leverage your existing .NET and C# skills to create beautiful native cross platform mobile apps in Visual Studio 2019.
Speaker(s): Allan Pead,
Abstract:
This session will focusing on providing a SQL/BI developer with the basics to rapidly getting started working with data generated from Internet of Things(IoT) devices using Windows 10 IoT core running on a Raspberry Pi as an IoT source 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, then we will move on to getting an app running that sends data to IoT hub and visualizing this data in Power BI
Speaker(s): Arohan Naidoo,
Abstract:
In the Information Age, tools such as Power BI play pivotal roles in helping to gain an understanding of the world through data. Here I will show you how you can make your data sing and dance with Power BI
Speaker(s): Bhavesh Lala,
Abstract:
The new release of SQL Server; SQL Server 2019 includes Apache Spark and Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) for scalable compute and storage. This new architecture that combines together the SQL Server database engine, Spark, and HDFS into a unified data platform is called a “big data cluster.” This session gives you an overview of what a SQL Server Big Data Cluster is, and what you can do with it. We look at the various components, (Kubernetes, Spark, HDFS, PolyBase, etc.), and what you can do with them.
Speaker(s): Niels Berglund,
Abstract:
As we engage with users in ever varying geographies the laws and regulations around where your data resides becomes more and more complex. In this session we look at the challenges around Data-Sovereignty in Africa and some of the strategies and technologies being put in place to remain compliant.
Speaker(s): David Brooks,
Abstract:
So you've built a flashy new Data Warehouse and deployed it to production. Great now what? Nobody wants to be involved with a project that is constantly failing and difficult to support. This session will take a look at some design considerations and tips to ensure that your mart runs with minimal intervention and is easy to support. The tools discussed and used in the examples will be SSIS and SQL server but many of the points discussed are valid for all tools.
Speaker(s): Tinus Visagie,
Abstract:
What is the majority of applications without a database? The focus has been on developer practices and code quality, but the database has been long forgotten. In this session, I will show you how the database becomes a 1st class citizen in the development/DevOps processes. We will look at how to go about evaluating, testing and deploying databases for quick turnaround and continuous deployment.
Speaker(s): Niel Zeeman,
Abstract:
"In this session, you'll learn from the Microsoft Product Group about the different options for your SQL deployments in Azure. After this session, you should be able to: ○ Understand the benefits of SQL Server in Azure ○ Articulate the key differentiators between SQL Server on-prem, in Azure VM, in Azure SQL DB (Single database, Elastic Pools, and Managed instance), and hybrid ○ Explain the different service tiers within Azure SQL DB, and evaluate what is best for your workloads and business requirements (Serverless, Hyperscale, General Purpose, Business Critical, etc) "
Speaker(s): Anna Hoffman,
Abstract:
Scalar functions have a bad reputation in SQL Server, and for good reason. In this presentation I’m going to show the problems that scalar functions cause, in terms of performance and why they’re so hard to see in many cases. I’ll show you how to replace simple scalar functions with an in-line table-valued function that performs far better. We’ll also look at the improvements to functions in sql server 2019.
Speaker(s): Gail Shaw,
Abstract:
Get ready for the MCU IoT revolution Azure Sphere is a solution for creating highly-secured, connected Microcontroller (MCU) devices, providing you with the confidence and the power to reimagine your business and create the future. Let's firstly learn what Azure Sphere is and why it's a good thing for society. Then let's have some demo fun and learn more with it in action within a mobile enabled real-time IoT solution. Featuring Azure Sphere Azure IoT Hubs Xamarin Asp .NET SignalR Cosmos DB
Speaker(s): Allan Pead,
Abstract:
Have you ever been thinking that you would like to be able to do more in SQL Server than what T-SQL allows you to do? If that is the case, the this session is for you! Here we look at the SQL Server Extensibility Framework, and we see how we can call out to external languages from inside SQL Server. We look at R, Python and Java, and what we can do from SQL Server having access to those languages.
Speaker(s): Niels Berglund,
Abstract:
One of the models that CosmosDB offers is the Gremlin graph API. In this presentation I’m going to take you through the basics of what CosmosDB is, show how to create and configure a database. Once we've got a database, we'll look at the the gremlin api, including how to create and query the graphs.
Speaker(s): Gail Shaw,
This is a list of speakers from the XML Guidebook records. The details and URLs were valid at the time of the event.
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.
LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/pub/alain-dormehl/7b/903/446
MCSA and MCT in SQL Data Platforms, I am passionate about all things data. I also have a particular love for new innovative solutions to deal with the big data problem. I have been using SQL for 9 years professionally from SQL 2003 and more recently SQL 2016 CTP2.1. I have also been fortunate enough to work and develop extensively on SQL 2012 Parallel Data Warehouse through a Microsoft Analytic Platforms System.
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.
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: http://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahenrydba
Contact: http://SQLSwimmer.com
Angela is a Solution Architect, living in High Point, NC and loves what she does. She's worked with all versions of SQL Server worn all the hats that come with dealing with SQL Server throughout the years: developer, administrator, data architect and BI developer. She has her MSCE in Data and Analytics (f.k.a., Business Intelligence), is a Data Platform MVP, and a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). She is the former chapter leader for the PASS Triad SQL User Group in Greensboro, NC. In her spare time you can probably find her in or at the pool, she's an avid US Masters Swimmer, Coach and Instructor.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/buckwoody
Contact: http://buckwoody.wordpress.com/
Born helpless, naked, and unable to provide for himself, Buck Woody overcame these amazing handicaps to become a software developer, data professional, teacher, and a productive invertebrate member of society.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tinusvisagie
Contact: https://tvisagieblog.wordpress.com/
Started my IT career as a software developer just in time for Y2K. After 13 years of software development I moved my focus to data and have been doing data development in various forms for 8 years. Currently working at one of the big banks developing data marts and defining best practice development patterns.
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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adpead/
Contact: https://explorationspace.co.za/
Allan Pead is a Xamarin MVP and a Visual Studio and Development Technologies MVP based in Cape Town South Africa. He is the founder and CTO of development and consulting company AD Soft Systems. He is also organizer of the Xamarin User groups in South Africa. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. While mobile development is not the only type of development he is involved in, the love for technology (and gadgets of all descriptions) instills a particular passion in him for the mobile space. He is very happy to be in a position where his passion and hobby is also his day job.
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: 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/.
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amthomas46/
Anna is a Data and Applied Scientist on the Azure Data (SQL) product team at Microsoft. In her time at Microsoft, Anna has worked in Microsoft Consulting Services, AI Engineering, and now SQL Engineering. She spends most of her time working on Azure SQL and participating in the community to democratize intelligence over all your data, from ground to cloud. You can follow her on Twitter at @AnalyticAnna.
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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-de-wet-b9bb3a7/
I'm a Data Platform Consultant at Northern Data, with 18 years in the information technology sector has also had the drive to learn, create an automated and this is where I finds my passion for my work. When not working I'm enjoys gaming, movies, series, sport and time with friends and family, since I also loves tools and tinkering when I needs time away from my computer I builds little tech projects or anything DIY. With my affinity for automation and believing that one should work smarter I always looking learn new programming languages, researching new tools and methods for making everyday tasks more efficient, uncluttered and elegant. "Send the 3 hours turning a 10-minute task into a 2-minute task, and you'll have more time."
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahenrydba
Contact: http://SQLSwimmer.com
Angela is a Solution Architect, living in High Point, NC and loves what she does. She's worked with all versions of SQL Server worn all the hats that come with dealing with SQL Server throughout the years: developer, administrator, data architect and BI developer. She has her MSCE in Data and Analytics (f.k.a., Business Intelligence), is a Data Platform MVP, and a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). She is the former chapter leader for the PASS Triad SQL User Group in Greensboro, NC. In her spare time you can probably find her in or at the pool, she's an avid US Masters Swimmer, Coach and Instructor.
LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/pub/alain-dormehl/7b/903/446
MCSA and MCT in SQL Data Platforms, I am passionate about all things data. I also have a particular love for new innovative solutions to deal with the big data problem. I have been using SQL for 9 years professionally from SQL 2003 and more recently SQL 2016 CTP2.1. I have also been fortunate enough to work and develop extensively on SQL 2012 Parallel Data Warehouse through a Microsoft Analytic Platforms System.
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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-brooks-140a5964/
With 10 Years selling Cloud related products in the Telco industry I've seen the growth of public cloud and the impact is has had on the companies that sell their products and their customers.
Information Technology and Services Consultant and Contractor, Sambe Consulting (Owner
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/christiaan-steyn-27997b9b/
I'm a Cloud Support Engineer working in the database space at Amazon Web Services. I'm a RDS Subject Matter Expert and work with SQL Server on EC2 but more extensively on RDS which is our managed database service. I have been a SQL Server DBA for the past 8 years and have been with AWS now for almost 3 years.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielzeeman
Contact: http://blogs.teamfoundation.co.za
A technologist and interested in all things process, quality and technology related. He runs his own business, consulting on DevOps, ALM and dev processes methodologies. TFS/VSTS/Azure DevOps is his tool set of choice and he is a MS ALM/DevOps Ranger and MS ALM MVP.
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.
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.
Jean-Pierre is an SQL Developer and Data Analysis Team Lead from South Africa. He is MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) and owner of a bachelor’ degree in Software Engineering with good experience with Database design, Data warehousing and development. He has a great passion for SQL server and he enjoys solving complex business problems. Jean-Pierre speaks at the Johannesburg SQL User Group, trying to give back to the SQL community as much as possible. He loves to tinker with SQL Server and see how he can approach a problem with a different angle.
LinkedIn: http://za.linkedin.com/pub/michael-johnson/22/73/735
Contact: http://michaeladrianjohnson.com/
Michael Johnson is a Microsoft data platform MVP and leader of the Johannesburg SQL User Group and Business Analytics Virtual Group. He works as an Independent Business Intelligence Consultant and regularly presents at local user groups, SQL Saturdays and PASS Virtual Chapters.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adpead/
Contact: https://explorationspace.co.za/
Allan Pead is a Xamarin MVP and a Visual Studio and Development Technologies MVP based in Cape Town South Africa. He is the founder and CTO of development and consulting company AD Soft Systems. He is also organizer of the Xamarin User groups in South Africa. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. While mobile development is not the only type of development he is involved in, the love for technology (and gadgets of all descriptions) instills a particular passion in him for the mobile space. He is very happy to be in a position where his passion and hobby is also his day job.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/datawookie/
Contact: https://datawookie.netlify.com/blog/
Itinerant Data Scientist; Geek; Runner.
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.