SQLSaturday #581 - Nashville 2017

Event Date: 01/14/2017 00:00:00

Event Location:

  • Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
  • 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro
  • Nashville, Tennessee

PDF of Schedule

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Sessions

This is a list of sessions from the event, based on the schedule in the XML files.


Title: Performance Pitfalls from Code Reuse

Abstract: Have you ever found yourself deconstructing endless layers of nested code? Is your T-SQL codebase written in an object-oriented format with functions views? Did you know that object-oriented code reuse can come at a significant penalty?

Come to this session and learn why applying object-oriented principles can be extremely detrimental to your T-SQL’s performance. You will learn how T-SQL is not like other common programming languages. We will peek inside the Query Optimizer to see how it handles these scenarios. Through extensive demos, we will explore solutions to maximize performance. You will be introduced to a T-SQL tool that will aid you in unraveling nested code. Alternate design patterns will be shown to help you mitigate these performance pitfalls.

Speaker(s):

  • Andy Yun

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S260


Title: Use Biml to Automate SSIS Design Patterns

Abstract: Perhaps you’ve heard the buzz about Business Intelligence Markup Language (Biml) and wondered, “Why is everyone so excited about Biml?” Occasionally, a new technology emerges that changes everything. For SSIS developers, Biml is one such technology. Business Intelligence Markup Language (Biml) is a powerful solution for rapidly creating SSIS packages and solutions. SSIS Design Patterns support various load profiles. Combined, Biml and SSIS Design Patterns offer a compelling solution for automating enterprise data integration.

In this session, you will learn:

  • How to rapidly build multiple SSIS packages using Biml
  • How to apply different SSIS Design Patterns using Biml
  • How to automate SSIS Design Patterns using Biml

Speaker(s):

  • Andy Leonard

Track and Room: BI Architecture Management - S305


Title: Enterprise Row Level Security in SQL Server 2016 and Azure SQL DB

Abstract: The need for organizations to provide Row Level Security (RLS) in their applications is increasing every day, often in existing applications where code changes are not easy. Microsoft has addressed this need in SQL Server 2016/Azure SQL DB with predicate based RLS.

This session will show how organizational asset hierarchies are leveraged together to provide predicate-based RLS on tables in SQL Server 2016/Azure SQL Database without application changes. This session will go beyond the basic RLS setups and show a real-world production setup of RLS using a small number of security records to secure large and small organizations.

Attendees will leave with a complete working demo they can take to their work and begin to use immediately. The demo will walk completely through creating the database, creating the application tables and security related tables, loading demo and security data, setting up the RLS and testing the RLS using Power BI as a test application.

Speaker(s):

  • Jamey Johnston

Track and Room: Database Administration - S260


Title: How to successfully virtualize critical SQL servers

Abstract: Many enterprise organizations have already virtualized most of their non critical applications, these organizations are now employing a “Virtual First” policy, harnessing the efficiency and cost savings of virtualization for their most critical applications. Still, many IT architects and DBA’s are hesitant of virtualizing their SQL workloads, they are worried about performance, scale, availability and support for what is usually considered their most critical applications.
In this session we will review the guidance for successfully virtualizing critical SQL databases, we will cover the best practices, real world customer experience and what to watch out for when virtualizing the most critical SQL databases. The session is delivered by the same person writing the official SQL on VMware best practices guides.

Speaker(s):

  • Niran Even-Chen

Track and Room: Database Administration - S309


Title: Many – to - Many: Multiple Calendars in a Single Analysis Services Multidimensional Cube

Abstract: Including the fiscal calendars of major customers within the date dimensions of their own cubes has great appeal to many organizations, including financial services firms and the like. After all, having customer calendars in their cubes’ date dimension means sales and marketing managers can analyze - and report upon - data according to the fiscal calendar of the customer, as well as within the context of their own. In this session, Microsoft BI Architect, Data Platform (SQL Server and BI) MVP and SSAS Maestro Bill Pearson leads an examination into a way we can accomplish this by implementing a SQL Server Analysis Services “many-to-many” dimension scenario. This session applies, in most respects, equally to Analysis Services (MultiDimensional) 2008R2 and above.

Speaker(s):

  • William E Pearson III

Track and Room: BI Architecture Management - S305


Title: Power BI Data Governance - Protecting Business Data

Abstract: This session allows companies to think about the security and architecture of their Power BI deployment. Power BI is self service analytics. Users are quick to create a group work spaces without any thought. IT and organizations need to design a business friendly architecture that protects the business data without impacting the users ability to build their reports and dashboards. Users are also quick to change the data model or report without thinking of the negative impact. A strategy for delivering the changes needs to be put into place. This prevents presenting invalid reports or dashboards during the development or advancement stage of updating reports and dashboards.

Speaker(s):

  • Ernie Wise

Track and Room: BI Analytics and Visualization - S276


Title: Save code changes on your SQL Servers with Event Notifications

Abstract: Do you love unknown changes? Missing indexes? Empty reports? Unless you have a rigid change control process, finding the culprit isn’t easy! You need a list of changes, and you’re probably going to have to play detective to get it, looking through change tickets, wikis, log files, or even asking coworkers. SQL Server offers this capability in many forms, but the best for larger environments is a feature called Event Notifications. While you can save code and configuration changes locally, for maximum effect you can send changes from across your environment to a centralized location in real time.

Additionally, with it you gain other abilities, like real-time monitoring of deadlocks, warnings from SQL Server’s errorlog, failed login attempts, datafile growth and more. You can automatically provide change reports to your auditors, even add the changes to source control. Get ahead of the technical curve and go from reactive to proactive!

Speaker(s):

  • Michael Bourgon

Track and Room: Database Administration - S309


Title: The PROCESS of Queries

Abstract: This session is an introduction into the PROCESS of queries. This includes how queries are Parsed, Resolved, Optimized, Compiled and Executed. We will see how this effects Batches, Transactions, and Errors. We will also briefly discuss table structures and the differences between Heaps and Clustered Indexes. Finally we introduce Execution Plans. The session is led by an expert Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who regularly teaches the SQL Server certification courses.

Speaker(s):

  • John Deardurff

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S276


Title: A Real, Live PowerShell Beginner’s Tutorial

Abstract: The problem with most PowerShell “beginner’s tutorials” is that they almost always go way beyond the basics. In this session we cover the true basics, focusing primarily on only three cmdlets: Get-Command, Get-Help, and Get-Member, in the context of SQL Server.

Speaker(s):

  • Tim Warner

Track and Room: PowerShell - S334


Title: End-to-End Troubleshooting Checklist for SQL Server

Abstract: Learning how to detect, diagnose and resolve performance problems in SQL Server is tough. Often, years are spent learning how to use the tools and techniques that help you detect when a problem is occurring, diagnose the root-cause of the problem, and then resolve the problem.

In this session, attendees will see demonstrations of the tools and techniques which make difficult troubleshooting scenarios much faster and easier, including:

• XEvents, Profiler/Traces, and PerfMon • Using Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) • Advanced Diagnostics Using Wait Stats • Reading SQL Server execution plan

Every DBA needs to know how to keep their SQL Server in tip-top condition, and you’ll need skills the covered in this session to do it.

Speaker(s):

  • Kevin Kline

Track and Room: Database Administration - S260


Title: Database Security in SQL Server 2016 and beyond

Abstract: In this session we will review the new enhancements to SQL Server security available in SQL Server 2016 and Azure SQL DB, including Always Encrypted, Row-Level Security, and Dynamic Data Masking, as well as whatever else Microsoft has released since this abstract was written. We’ll look at how to set these features up, how to use them, and most importantly, when to use them.

Speaker(s):

  • Denny Cherry

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S260


Title: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Guide to Configuration Options and Trace Flags

Abstract: From it’s early beginnings SQL Server has been touted as “self-tuning, yet you’ve heard there are a variety of knobs and switches available to impact performance. Are you curious to know what they are, what they do, and when to use them? In this session you will learn about server and database configuration options and trace flags that can impact performance, alter default behaviors and help your troubleshooting efforts.

Speaker(s):

  • Justin Randall

Track and Room: Database Administration - S334


Title: In-Memory Indexes: The rest of the story!

Abstract: This session is a continuation of my in-memory table presentation given at 8 SQLSaturdays in 2016 only now concentrating on in-memory indexes. This session will do an in-depth dive into hash, range, and columnstore indexes in the in-memory environment. It will be about 30% presentation and 70% demos with emphasis on when and how to apply in-memory indexes for stated environments/scenarios.
After this session you will

  1. Understand the three in-memory index types, how to create, and when to apply them for selected scenarios
  2. Be able to identify performance gains over equivalent disk back tables/indexes
  3. Comprehend the new data monitoring needed for in-memory tables/indexes

Speaker(s):

  • Mike Byrd

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S213


Title: Introduction to SQL Server Integration Services

Abstract: Take an introductory journey into the world of SSIS through the eyes of a SQL Server DBA as he navigates the Business Intelligence waters. This is an introductory course for beginners or users without any SSIS experience. Come learn how to SSIS with me!

Speaker(s):

  • Ed Watson

Track and Room: BI Architecture Management - S314


Title: Execution Plans for Mere Mortals

Abstract: For beginning database professionals, execution plans can be intimidating. This 1-hour session takes you through the basics of reading graphical execution plans and drills into key operators, warnings, and properties. Learn how, why, and when an execution plan is created and saved to plan cache.

Reading execution plans becomes much less intimidating as we walk through the flow and process of a graphical execution plan. After looking at the key operators, you will be able to analyze the operators of your execution plans, view the operator properties, and identify common performance-tuning opportunities. Finally, you will be able to capture the execution plan and save it for analysis and comparison after modifications.

Speaker(s):

  • Mike Lawell

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S314


Title: Data Architecture 101

Abstract: This presentation is a quick introduction for the DBA or developer who was just told that their boss promised a major new customer a scalable, well designed database. The customer will pay a lot of cash and years of ongoing business using this database… If you deliver it this week!

You’ll get a big bonus if you build this right, but you also remember what your co-workers did to the person who bungled the last database design… and wonder if that designer ever recovered! This session will introduce you to the fundamentals of Datatypes, Relational Algebra, and Normalization to help you avoid the major pitfalls and maybe get some sleep too!

This presentation is a survey of Data Architecture for the Intermediate DBA, it is not intended for experienced Data Modelers.

Speaker(s):

  • Pat Phelan

Track and Room: Database Administration - S274


Title: SQL Server 2012 2014 ColumnStore Indexes

Abstract: Come and learn how the new SQL Server 2012 feature, ColumnStore Indexes, can parallelize your Data Warehouse aggregations. I will be doing a deep dive into the inner workings of ColumnStore indexes; how they work, key characteristics, dos and don’ts, restrictions, and more. I will have some insight into how CSI’s have been updated in SQL Server 2014, as well. If you are a production DBA who needs to find out more about some of the additional hot features that have been included with CSI’s, like batch mode processing and data segments, then this session is for you. If you are a BI DBA or developer who needs to find out how CSI’s can increase the performance of your aggregations and star-joins by up to 40 times, then this session is also for you.

Speaker(s):

  • Gareth Swanepoel

Track and Room: BI Architecture Management - S309


Title: The Basics of Manipulating Data

Abstract: This session is an introduction into writing INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. We will also discuss how to work with IDENTITY columns, the OUTPUT clause, and what is the difference between DELETE, DROP, and TRUNCATE. The session is led by an expert Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who regularly teaches the SQL Server certification courses.

Speaker(s):

  • John Deardurff

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S279


Title: Top 5 SQL Server Mistakes

Abstract: SQL Server is a popular and powerful relational database system. It’s easy to install with just a few clicks. Create a database, and you are in business. It will run great without much attention…until it doesn’t. It’s true that your shop may not have enough SQL Server instances to require a full time DBA, but SQL Server still needs some love and attention to perform its best. Attend this session to learn about knobs that need turning and more to get the most out of SQL Server.

Speaker(s):

  • Kathi Kellenberger

Track and Room: Database Administration - S279


Title: Locks, Blocks, and Deadlocks; Tame the Sibling Rivalry

Abstract: Like parents having to break up a fight between battling siblings, SQL Server must do the same for conflicting transactions. We call these Deadlocks and they can present a problem to many DBAs. Deadlocks can be minor fights or major issues making SQL Server continually choose a side like constantly quarreling siblings.

To understand how Deadlocking occurs, we must understand what caused the fight . Learning about basic locking and blocking of SQL Server is a great place to start.

By the end of this session you will walk away with the knowledge of how the locking/blocking mechanism works, the basics of deadlocking, and what Isolation Levels are . You will know how these can help or hurt your situation. Finally you will have the power to capture, report, and stop the family fighting.

Speaker(s):

  • William Wolf

Track and Room: Database Administration - S334


Title: Let Me Finish… Isolating Write Operations

Abstract: OLTP databases can be constantly written to and reporting databases are written to at least periodically. In order to ensure consistent results, connections must be isolated from one another while executing, ideally with the lowest possible cost to concurrency. How this isolation is handled is based on the isolation level, whether the classic lock based or the newer optimistic scheme of the in-memory OLTP engine is used, or even if both engines are enlisted in the same transaction. In this session we will look at examples of how SQL Server isolates reading and writing operations from other writing operations to explore how this may affect your application through error messages and performance hits.

Speaker(s):

  • Louis Davidson

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S309


Title: Re-Introducing Power BI

Abstract: Microsoft has brought business intelligence to the cloud. And it keeps changing! What does this mean and how does this work? In this session, we’ll review the BI components available in Power BI. We’ll also compare and contrast functionality of the Power BI tools with the functionality built into Excel, your current options for refreshing data in Power BI, and how to get real-time data into Power BI dashboards. After attending this session, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s possible and which tools best meet your requirements.

Speaker(s):

  • Stacia Varga

Track and Room: BI Analytics and Visualization - S126


Title: Perceptual Intelligence with Cortana Analytics

Abstract: Cortana Analytics is a fully managed big data and advanced analytics suite that enables you to transform your data into intelligent action. Come learn more around how you can take action by going beyond looking in the rear-view mirror to predicting what’s next. Enhance your business applications with machine intelligence to evolve from simple descriptive analytics to prescriptive recommendations. See some of the new ways to infer intent with vision, face, speech, text and sentiment analysis to customize responses and drive appropriate actions in a secure, compliant and scalable way leveraging SQL Server, Azure and Power BI. Expect to leave the discussion understanding new trends in analytics and how you can apply value to your organization.

Speaker(s):

  • Dan Evans

Track and Room: Cloud Database/Application Development Deployment - S270


Title: Understanding and Handling Database Corruption

Abstract: Database corruption is simply a fact of a DBA’s life - if you haven’t seen it yet, you will. Success or failure depends on having a solid plan to deal with different types of corruption. In this session, we will discuss usage of related DBCC commands such as DBINFO, CHECKDB and PAGE. You’ll learn how to monitor for corruption with SQL Agent Alerts and Jobs, and when it’s time to restore instead of repair. After attending this session, you will be able to check for issues such as page corruption or data purity problems, and take the appropriate measures to deal with them.

Speaker(s):

  • David Maxwell

Track and Room: Database Administration - S334


Title: Partitioning for Perf and Mgmt of Large Tables

Abstract: Managing data in ever-growing transaction and history tables can be challenging. Activities with large chunks of data such as moving data to archive tables, batch-importing many rows, or defragging an entire table when only the active portion changes introduces heavy I/O and blocking. Table partitioning solves a host of headaches with minimal effort. Ever wanted to truncate or defrag part of a table, or insert an entire staging table of data into another table in milliseconds instead of hours? Come see what partitioning can provide for you.

Speaker(s):

  • Eddie Wuerch

Track and Room: Database Administration - S270


Title: Very Large Databases in your future

Abstract: Your databases may not be terabyte-sized yet, but they’re probably growing every day. We’ll look at lessons learned from working with multi-terabyte, very large databases (VLDBs) in the real world. Topics include storage layout decisions, unique tuning challenges, HA/DR implications, and database restores, along with shoehorning backups, re- indexing and DBCC checks into itty-bitty maintenance windows. As a bonus, many of the techniques also apply to smaller databases and consolidated servers that run hundreds of databases.

Speaker(s):

  • Eric Peterson

Track and Room: Database Administration - S279


Title: Enterprise Machine Learning with R and SQL Server

Abstract: R is a pure data science and statistics scripting language. It is considered the best fit for Machine Learning. With more than 5000 packages all machine learning algorithms are covered and improving. R packages help you prepare the data, e.g.: packages for cross validation with N folds, build machine learning models, validation, create plots and to generate predictions. SQL Server 2016 and R Server are a perfect match for building enterprise grade solutions that support deployments for real time predictions and continuous model updates. Join this session for an overview based on sample cases about how to build enterprise grade machine learning solutions with SQL Server and R.

Speaker(s):

  • Paco Gonzalez

Track and Room: BI Analytics and Visualization - S270


Title: JSON and SQL 2016

Abstract: JSON: What it is, what it isn’t and when to use it. We’ll look at native result sets vs JSON vs HTML along with JSON implementation as a built-in vs. native data type in SQL and shaping the JSON output.

Speaker(s):

  • Eric Peterson

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S274


Title: Discuss Your Career (Panel)

Abstract: As a database professional, you have plenty of choice in your career path. Should you stay at the same company for 20 years, or change every few years? Much depends on what matters most to you. Do you want higher income, regular work hours, training, vacation time, group insurance, job security, lots of travel, telecommuting, or the possibility to advance to management? The panel will give their observations and experience over decades of experience. Discussion will include at least one person who has spent over 19 years with the same employer, one person who has changed careers very recently, and everyone in attendance who is willing to give an opinion.

Speaker(s):

  • Louis Davidson

Track and Room: Professional Development - S128


Title: Building a Data Warehouse for the DBA

Abstract: Users want Data Warehouses built, but no one ever builds one for the DBA. Let#39;s fix that!

Get information from Active Directory, your Windows Servers, SQL Servers and other sources that mean something and will help you to keep the databases running smoothly. Be able to see which disks/machines are low on disk, what databases are on which SQL Servers, when backups happened and if any jobs failed.

This is targeted at the DBA who is responsible for multiple SQL Servers, in multiple places, and doesn#39;t have time to quot;point and clickquot; their way to a comfortable understanding of the moving pieces on all of the systems that they need to monitor!

NOTE: This session covers how to BUILD the warehouse, how to collect information and store it in relational tables in a way that makes sense as a warehouse. I#39;m developing a follow on session that presents the collected data using BI tools.

Speaker(s):

  • Pat Phelan

Track and Room: Database Administration - S274


Title: Self-Service ETL with Microsoft Power Query

Abstract: In this session, I will introduce you to Microsoft’s new self-service ETL tool “Power Query” for Excel PowerBI. I will show you, how to source data from various data sources, how you can massage the data and consume the data for your use in the data pipeline. I will introduce you to “M” language that is used in Power Query. I will show you how you can discover and mash data from public data sources within Power Query. If you would like to do ETL quickly without writing SSIS packages, Power Query is the way go. Come and attend this session to learn “Power Query”.

Speaker(s):

  • Damu Venkatesan

Track and Room: BI Analytics and Visualization - S213


Title: ETL Architecture for Real-Time BI

Abstract: For decades batch processing has been the defacto standard for Extract Transform and Load. For most of that time 24 hour data refresh cycles were accepted as part of Business Intelligence solutions and developer skill sets have long dependent upon the reliable patterns of batch. In recent years, however, demands have begun to shift. New use cases in every industry are now causing leading edge BI solutions to demand much shorter time to realizing value. The old architecture, skills, and tools are proving insufficient to meet this demand. In this session we will look at the fundamentals of architecting real-time BI solutions, including the new categories of problems for which we will now have to solve. Upon completing the session attendees will have a clear picture of the new skills and patterns that must be learned in order to excel in the next phase of Business Intelligence evolution.

Speaker(s):

  • Jon Boulineau

Track and Room: BI Architecture Management - S276


Title: Getting Started with SQL Server Replication

Abstract: SQL Server replication is an excellent way to keep a subset of data synced with another database for reporting, audit, or recovery purposes. In this session we will examine terms, internals, and walk through the setup of transactional and snapshot replication so you can utilize it as a valuable tool in your toolkit. We will also examine some ways to make replication perform better as well. This session is targeted towards database administrators who have little to no experience with replication and developers looking for different ways to duplicate data for reporting or data consumption.

Speaker(s):

  • Robert Verell

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S270


Title: SQL Server 2016: Why you should care.

Abstract: Yet another SQL Version. Big deal? YES! BIG DEAL! SQL 2016 is loaded with new features that can help you right now, even if your company isn’t ready to upgrade. More than just a laundry list of features, this session will discuss why this release will make your job better.

Speaker(s):

  • Geoff Hiten

Track and Room: Database Administration - S274


Title: SQL and VMware - more than just virtualization demos

Abstract: The demos in this session have been developed to illustrate a few key capabilities of VMware vSphere and VMware NSX that can be used to enhance the overall SQL Server implementation. As a true platform of virtualized hardware, vSphere should be considered the premier platform on which to implement SQL Server. Features such as vSphere vMotion, vSphere HA, Distributed Resource Scheduler and Fault Tolerance are complimentary to all the features and capabilities of SQL Server and create an unparalleled combination of the world’s top RDBMS and the world’s most complete and effective virtualization proposition. With network virtualization NSX can provide security enhancements unachievable with any other technology and can streamline SQL server deployment automation processes. Please join us for this demonstration of advanced vSphere and NSX feature functionality and an explanation as to how this enhances your SQL Server environment.”

Speaker(s):

  • Niran Even-Chen

Track and Room: Database Administration - S274


Title: Tips and Tricks for the SSIS Catalog

Abstract: With the introduction of the SSIS Catalog in SQL Server 2012, we can now manage our SSIS package execution and monitor performance and logs in a much easier manner than executing packages from the file system. In this session, we’ll walk through setting permissions for SSIS read-only access, executing packages from T-SQL or stored procedures, viewing the logs generated during a package execution, writing custom messages to the logs, and many other tips to make your use of the catalog easier!

Speaker(s):

  • Jonathan Buller

Track and Room: BI Architecture Management - S213


Title: SS2014/2016 In-Memory Tables –Formula One Performance Unleashed, Part 1

Abstract: Query performance is what it is all about. SQL Server 2014 now has the new in-memory functionality that takes a completely different approach to data access and manipulation. This session will consolidate the relevant information from all these sources so the production DBA/Developer will be able to understand, create, use, maintain, and trouble-shoot in-memory table functionality. This session will also examine several demo scripts showing performance gains using the in-memory tables with and without columnstore indexes over equivalent disk based tables.
This session is all about when and how to apply in-memory tables in a production environment. After this session you will

  1. Understand what in-memory tables are and how to create and maintain them including their limitations
  2. Be able to identify performance gains over equivalent disk back tables
  3. Comprehend the new data monitoring needed for in-memory table

Speaker(s):

  • Mike Byrd

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S213


Title: Performance Monitoring AlwaysOn Availability Groups

Abstract: Have you deployed Availability Groups in your data center? Are you monitoring your Availability Groups to ensure you can meet your recovery objectives? If you haven’t this is the session for you. We will discuss the importance of monitoring and trending Availability Group Replication, how AGs move data between replicas and the impact replication latency can have on the availability of your systems. We’ll also give you the tools and techniques to go back to the office and get started monitoring and trending right away!

Speaker(s):

  • Anthony Nocentino

Track and Room: Database Administration - S334


Title: Understanding Transaction Isolation Levels

Abstract: SQL Server offers several isolation levels beyond the default “READ COMMITTED”. But understanding when to use each one can be daunting. Whether you are a developer who needs to understand how isolation works and and why NOLOCK is not an appropriate hint in most cases, or a seasoned DBA who needs to understand the less commonly used isolation methods, this session is for you. We will look at each level, how it impacts the engine, and examine appropriate (and inapproriate) use cases for each.

Speaker(s):

  • Randy Knight

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S276


Title: Azure Automation Runbooks for the DBA

Abstract: With more and more data moving to the cloud it’s time DBA’s began learning how to automate their cloud environments. Many have already begun to do this using PowerShell and this is a great way to start but in this session we’ll take it to the next level and learn about Azure Automation, Runbooks, and PowerShell Workflows. Whether you need to pause and resume Azure SQLDW on a schedule, load or re-load an Azure SQLDB, check and react to specific conditions, or even complete more advanced tasks, Azure Automation and Runbooks can help. In this session we’ll cover the basics of Azure Automation and walk through creating a PowerShell Workflow or two. We’ll also learn about variables, schedules, credentials and how they work with Azure Automation so that you can take full advantage of your Runbooks. Come learn how you can make your cloud life easier as well as save time and money using Azure Automation and Runbooks.

Speaker(s):

  • Brian Davis

Track and Room: Cloud Database/Application Development Deployment - S274


Title: A Key to Keys

Abstract: So many of us have learned data modeling and database design approaches from working with one database or data technology. We may have used only one design tool.  That means our vocabularies around identifiers and keys tend to be product-specific.  Do you know the difference between a unique index and a unique key? What about the difference between RI, FK and AK? Do you know if your surrogate keys have their companion alternate keys? Do you know about weak versus strong keys?

In this session we’ll look at the generic and proprietary terms for these concepts, as well as where they fit in the data modeling and database design process.  We’ll also look at implementation options in SQL Server 2016 – what works, what really doesn’t work, and what mistakes are commonly made in implementing keys.

Speaker(s):

  • Karen Lopez

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S305


Title: Autonomous Transaction Logging in SQL Server

Abstract: Autonomous/nested transactions are available in other database products, but are not natively supported in SQL Server. Fortunately there are several methods available to provide this functionality.

We’ll cover the standard table variable techniques to preserve data outside of transaction scope, and how the new in-memory table type can improve their performance. Other techniques like user-defined events, CLR procedures, linked servers will also be demonstrated, and how they can enhance functionality.

We’ll review minimal techniques like RAISERROR and the new SESSION_CONTEXT() feature in SQL Server 2016, to provide different levels of logging and transaction management.

Speaker(s):

  • Rob Volk

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S275


Title: Working Effectively With Legacy SQL

Abstract: A legacy code base can be a frightening thing. Between strict deadlines, ever-evolving requirements, differing skill levels of contributors over time, and historical circumstances, keeping database code clean and concise is difficult at best. This example- and demo-driven talk will help you build out a mental framework to prune those gnarled code bases. Much of this talk will be familiar to software developers who know of the “clean code” philosophy, but no knowledge of the topic is necessary. If you shudder whenever you look at your SQL code base, this talk may be for you.

Speaker(s):

  • Kevin Feasel

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S275


Title: Backups Restores: You’re Not In Kansas Anymore!

Abstract: There is no place like home, there is no place like home! When a database crashes and you have to recover it, this may be what you’re saying to yourself over and over. It can feel like a house just landed on you if you’re not prepared. Ok, not really, but recovering a database from an unexpected event is often just as terrifying! If you aren’t prepared for it, it’s really going to hurt. So what do you do? You prepare. You plan. You practice. We’ll talk about how the backup restore process works in SQL Server and how it can help you prevent a Wizard of Oz situation!

Speaker(s):

  • John Morehouse

Track and Room: Database Administration - S270


Title: 25 SSMS Tips and Tricks to boost your Productivity

Abstract: Be it a T-SQL developer or DBA, we spend most of our time working in SQL Server Management Studio. In this session, we will learn a number of tips and tricks to increase productivity and efficiency in SSMS IDE. We will also look at the new and improved features of SSMS 2016. We will learn how adding few free third party tools to the SSMS IDE will enhance your coding speed. This will be a content rich session with plenty of live demonstrations.

By the end of this session, you will learn some useful techniques to take back with you and apply in your day to day work.

Speaker(s):

  • Samir Behara

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S279


Title: Learn History from Temporal Tables

Abstract: SQL Server 2016 came out with a bucket full of cool new features. One of them is Temporal Tables. They are basically history tables of the normal tables; that allow us to retrieve data from any point in time for every change such as updates and deletes . It does this all without any change to application code and without using any behind the scene triggers. In this session, we will see what the requirements of creating temporal tables are. We will see the demo on insert and update functionality and how to query historical information using new TSQL clause. It will also cover some security concerns around theTemporal Tables.

Speaker(s):

  • Ameena Lalani

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S314


Title: Visualize Your Transaction Log

Abstract: The SQL transaction log can be a mystery to many DBAs. We live in the age of visualizations, so let#39;s visualize the log! In this session, we will examine the purpose and organization of the transaction log and will explore the log through a unique visualization tool. We will consider common performance issues that are related to the logging mechanism and how to overcome these problems. Finally, we will discuss some techniques to monitor the log so that potential performance problems can be addressed pro-actively.

Speaker(s):

  • Brian Hansen

Track and Room: Database Administration - S305


Title: Azure Automation using PowerShell

Abstract: The cloud is the new great tool in our toolbox. It offers the ability to quickly create and remove IT resources on-demand, at high value. This is a great opportunity for developers and organizations to spin up new solutions and test them without large capital investments. The real value in the cloud comes in to play when you are able to spin up and spin down resources, and their sizes as demanded by the application. Attendees of this session will learn how easy it is to automate creation and alteration of Azure resources from the PowerShell command line, and why that’s important. We’ll talk through different architecture types for cloud services where this is important.

Speaker(s):

  • Josh Luedeman

Track and Room: PowerShell - S213


Title: Panel: Will the DBA Job of the Future Still Involve DBAs?

Abstract: Although technologies have been changing rapidly since the creation of databases, the basic tasks that a database administrator (DBA) has performed have been a stable foundation of professional database design and support. But now NoSQL technologies, the cloud, and new SQL Server features are affecting DBA jobs, tasks, and careers.#160;

Our panel of SQL Server experts share their current experiences in the data profession.#160;They share what they believe you should be working towards now and in the future.

Speaker(s):

  • Karen Lopez

Track and Room: Professional Development - S305


Title: Power BI SharePoint - A Marriage Made in Redmond

Abstract: We will explore the relationship between SharePoint and Excel, how Power BI swooped SharePoint off her feet, and the current Business Intelligence soap opera that stars all three. Using live demos, we will look at data interaction between SharePoint, Excel, Power BI (including the iOS app), and the intriguing new next door neighbor - Microsoft Flow.

Speaker(s):

  • Daniel Glenn

Track and Room: BI Architecture Management - S314


Title: Does your performance tuning need a 12-step program?

Abstract: Performance tuning can be complex.It’s often hard to know which knob to turn or button to press to get the biggest performance boost. In this presentation, Janis Griffin, Database Performance Evangelist, SolarWinds, will detail 12 steps to quickly identify performance issues and resolve them. Attendees at this session will learn how to:

  1. Quickly fine tune a SQL statement
  2. Identify performance inhibitors to help avoid future performance issues
  3. Recognize and understand how new SQL Server features can help improve query
    performance

Speaker(s):

  • Janis Griffin

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S279


Title: I Installed SQL Server… Now What?

Abstract: Before handing over a new SQL Server to DevOps or a Dev team, there are several things you should do to follow best practices and ensure optimal performance. In this session, Jared will go through his build checklist and explain why he is doing things like setting Cost Threshold for Parallelism, verifying Kerberos, and checking disk drive settings. When you leave this session, you will have the knowledge and tools to successfully implement a new SQL Server instance – and a copy of his checklist!

Speaker(s):

  • Jared Karney

Track and Room: Database Administration - S128


Title: SQL Server on Linux–Linux for the SQL DBA

Abstract: In this session you will learn about the new release of SQL Server on Linux. You will learn about how to choose Windows versus Linux, the changes needed to make SQL Server run on Linux, and high availability and disaster recovery solutions.

Speaker(s):

  • Joseph D’Antoni

Track and Room: Database Administration - S260


Title: Managing Availability Groups with PowerShell

Abstract: SQL Server Always On Availability Groups are all the craze. When you have a need to failover or modify a configuration there are some things that you can only do with PowerShell. Aside from these items, PowerShell can completely manage an AG. Join me for a demo filled session where we will create an Always On Availability Group from scratch to management with PowerShell, including the Windows Server Failover Cluster. From changing parameters to failover, we will have a blast using PowerShell with ease of use to make your life better. Let’s work smarter and not harder when managing this great feature of SQL Server.

Speaker(s):

  • Ben Miller

Track and Room: PowerShell - S272


Title: Ten Query Tuning Techniques Every SQL Programmer Should Know

Abstract: SELECT statements have a reputation for being very easy to write, but hard to write very well. This session will take you through ten of the most problematic patterns and anti-patterns when writing queries and how to deal with them all. Loaded with live demonstrations and useful techniques, this session will teach you how to take your SQL Server queries mundane to masterful.

Speaker(s):

  • Justin Randall

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S275


Title: SQL Server Databaseology: A Deep Dive Into Database Internals

Abstract: Have you ever taken apart a toaster or an alarm clock just to see how it worked? Ever wondered how that database actually functions at the record level, behind the scenes? SQL Server Databaseology is the study of SQL Server databases and their structures down to the very core of the records themselves. In this session, we will explore some of the deep inner workings of a SQL Server database at the record and page level. You will walk away with a better understanding of how SQL Server stores data and that knowledge will allow you to build better, faster databases.

Speaker(s):

  • John Morehouse

Track and Room: Database Administration - S272


Title: Storage Testing for Database Professionals

Abstract: More and more Database Professionals are tasked with performing testing and validation of storage devices and surrounding infrastructure to be used for database workloads they support. In this session we will give you all the tools you need to be effective at performing such testing and validation. We will argue pros and cons of synthetic testing. Tools like DiskSpd and VDBench will be discussed, along with SQL Server-specific tools to test real workloads like Distributed Replay and RML utilities. Links to tools and pre-packaged scripts will be provided.

Speaker(s):

  • Argenis Fernandez

Track and Room: Database Administration - S276


Title: Women in Technology: Identifying and Understanding Gender Bias Inequality

Abstract: Gender Bias is something we’re all guilty of. It’s typically unconscious and often stems from long held misperceptions about women job responsibilities. We’ll learn how to identify gender bias when we see it. We’ll discuss why it’s important, how it affects our work, decision making, hiring, etc. We’ll discuss strategies for how both men and women can combat this at work in our every day lives. This session is about developing positive solutions to a problem that often goes undiscussed.

Speaker(s):

  • Rie Irish

Track and Room: Professional Development - S126


Title: Distributed Replay, using it to plan for the future.

Abstract: Before you go and move that mission critical application to a new version of SQL or new hardware you are probably creating some sort of testing and benchmarking scenarios to ensure a smooth upgrade. Right? Come learn how distributed replay can capture your workload and play it back on your new instance. Be it an upgrade of SQL or hardware we can review all sorts of scenarios to help make your upgrade a smooth process.

Speaker(s):

  • Paul Popovich Jr

Track and Room: Database Administration - S309


Title: Data Visualization: How to truly tell a great story!

Abstract: We have more information available to us today than ever before. So much so that we run the risk of not being able to tell concise stories. There’s a lot more to creating that story than just getting the correct information. Come learn not just the do’s and don’ts, but the whys…

Speaker(s):

  • Jonathan Stewart

Track and Room: BI Analytics and Visualization - S270


Title: Extended Time Slot

Abstract: Extended time slot for Spotlight Sessions (75-min) listed above

Speaker(s):

  • SQLSaturday Nashville

Track and Room: Other - S126


Title: SQL Server and Pure Storage: Redefining Database Engineering

Abstract: Please join SQL Server MVP and MCM Argenis Fernandez for an eye-opening session on how the innovative, industry-disruptive tech in the Pure Storage FlashArray helps your business do everything faster, easier. Faster transactional workloads, analytics, backups and maintenance, all without the pain of having to tweak a thousand knobs to get things to work. Finally a storage array you can love to use, and be proud to own! Come see what the fuss is all about.

Speaker(s):

  • Argenis Fernandez

Track and Room: Database Administration - S260


Title: Registration for non-printed SPEEDPASS

Abstract: This room will be used for printing SPEEDPASS, cutting SPEEDPASSES and any other registration issues. This room will be ready when registration opens.

Speaker(s):

  • SQLSaturday Nashville

Track and Room: Other - S128


Title: The 20% of DAX That Gets You 80% of the Way There

Abstract: For those of us coming from a SQL background It’s easy to get intimidated by DAX. It’s a weird language meant to appeal to Excel people while also mimicking much of the functionality of MDX. This session will cover the topics that will make you productive immediately with DAX. Those topics are 1) Calculated Columns v. Measures, 2) Implicit vs. Explicit Measures, 3) the CALCULATE function, 4) Time Intelligence, 5) CUBEVALUE. This is truly the 20% of DAX that will make you productive in 80% of situations. We’re going to start with a working data model and start building calculations right away - bring your laptop.

Speaker(s):

  • Austin Senseman

Track and Room: BI Analytics and Visualization - S274


Title: The Decoder Ring for Data Warehousing / Business Intelligence with SQL Server

Abstract: Business Intelligence is one of the hottest job skills in the IT field. DBAs and Database Developers are being asked to implement databases with non-traditional design, and are having a lot of new vocabulary thrown their way. In this talk you will learn the concepts behind building and designing data warehouses, and cut through the buzz words so you will walk away with a clear understanding of what words like dimensions, facts, and measures mean.

Speaker(s):

  • Robert Cain

Track and Room: Other - S314


Title: Why NULL is not a value (and other SQL gotchas)

Abstract: Allowing NULL “values” in your database is simple, but managing them is a whole different story. Learn what NULL really means and why you may want to avoid it in your systems. I will share techniques for overcoming NULL and other SQL idiosyncrasies leading to bad data or incorrect query results.

Speaker(s):

  • Wendy Pastrick

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S272


Title: Query Store Primer

Abstract: This session will take a look at the new Query Store feature in SQL Server 2016. Query Store tracks changes in execution plans, allowing you to easily view performance differences and revert to older plans with a few clicks of the mouse. We will take a hands on look at how to use Query Store to troubleshoot problems as well as some of the new DMVs you can use to find issues as they arise.

Speaker(s):

  • Tracy Boggiano

Track and Room: Database Application Development - S275


Title: Performance Monitoring with Quest

Abstract: Do you ever get the question “is there something going on with the database?” Does your manager ever ask you “what happened last night?” Does the performance of your database instances keep you awake at night? Do you need to quickly identify and address problems? Are you managing more than just SQL Server? These are just a few of the topics of conversation I’ve had with organizations over the years. Maybe we can help you answer these questions and more. We’ll discuss how Quest’s performance monitoring solutions can be used to proactively notify you of problems, to quickly diagnose them, and to dig deeply to uncover their source.

Speaker(s):

  • Ben Boise

Track and Room: Other - S272


Title: Word Up: Text Mining in SQL

Abstract: Would a database by any other name smell as sweet?

Our databases are filled with words. By mining our text for patterns and meanings, we can extract the emotional content, track changes over time, ferret out plagiarism, find common phrases and usage, and even predict future text.

Learn how to dig through your library of language to make your data better.

Speaker(s):

  • Dave Mattingly

Track and Room: Other - S275


Title: Disaster Recovery Where to Begin

Abstract: So you have a good backup strategy in place, but now you have to think about a disaster recovery. Where do you start and what are your options? SQL Server offers several options, but then how do you choose the right one to meet your business requirements? In this session, we will go over some of the common DR options including log shipping, replication, mirroring, clustering, and AlwaysOn. Then we will talk about how to choose the best one to meet your business needs.

Speaker(s):

  • Tracy Boggiano

Track and Room: Database Administration - S275


Speakers

This is a list of speakers from the XML Guidebook records. The details and URLs were valid at the time of the event.

Robert Cain

Twitter: - https://twitter.com/arcanecode

LinkedIn: Robert Cain

Contact: http://arcanecode.com

Robert C. Cain (http://arcanecode.com) is a Microsoft MVP, MCTS Certified in BI, and is the owner of Arcane Training and Consulting, LLC. He is also a course author for Plurasight, author for Red Gate’s SImple Talk website, and co-author of 4 books. A popular speaker, Robert has presented at events such as the SQL PASS Summit, TechEd, CodeStock, and numerous SQLSaturdays. Robert has over 25 years experience in the IT industry, working in a variety of fields ranging from manufacturing to telecommunications to nuclear power.

Andy Leonard

Twitter: - AndyLeonard

LinkedIn: Andy Leonard

Contact: https://andyleonard.blog

Andy Leonard is founder and Chief Data Engineer at Enterprise Data Analytics, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, creator of the DILM (Data Integration Lifecycle Management) Suite, an SSIS trainer, consultant, developer, Business Intelligence Markup Language (Biml) developer and BimlHero, SQL Server database and data warehouse developer, community mentor, engineer, and farmer. He is a co-author of “The Biml Book and SQL Server Integration Services Design Patterns” and author of “Managing Geeks - A Journey of Leading by Doing”, “Data Integration Lifecycle Management with SSIS”, “Building Custom Tasks for SSIS”, and the “Stairway to Integration Services”. Andy blogs at andyleonard.blog where you can learn more on the About Andy page.

John Deardurff

Twitter: - SQLMCT

LinkedIn: John Deardurff

Contact: https://www.sqlmct.com

John has been a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) for over 20 years teaching Azure, SQL Server, Exchange Server, and Windows Server networking courses. He is currently a SQL Premier Field Engineer for Microsoft. He is an MCT Regional Lead for the Eastern United States and a former Data Platform MVP.

Kathi Kellenberger

Twitter: - auntkathi

LinkedIn: Kathi Kellenberger

Contact: http://auntkathisql.com

Kathi Kellenberger is the editor of Simple Talk at Redgate and a Data Platform MVP. She has worked with SQL Server for over 20 years and has authored, co-authored, or tech edited over a dozen technical books. Kathi is the co-leader of the PASS Women in Technology Virtual Group and a volunteer at LaunchCode. When Kathi isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cycling, singing, and climbing the stairs of tall buildings. Be sure to check out her courses on Pluralsight.

Paul Popovich Jr

Twitter: - @pmpjr

LinkedIn: Paul Popovich Jr

Contact: https://pmpjr.wordpress.com/

Paul Popovich Jr. has been in the IT space for his whole career and tinkering with computers since his 486 PC back in the mid 1990s. Professionally he is a senior DBA for a large hospital system. You can find on twitter @pmpjr, email at paulpopovichjr@gmail.com.

Mike Byrd

Twitter: - ByrdNest_TX

LinkedIn: Mike Byrd

Contact: http://logicalread.solarwinds.com/?s=byrd, www.TSQLMentoring.com and SQLServerCentral.com

Former rocket scientist and USAF Fighter Pilot – now a SQL Server geek (24 years)! Past opportunities include free-lance technical writer for PC Magazine, Senior Software Manager for government sponsored munitions effectiveness committee, and insurance company CTO. Currently senior database engineer consultant for several Austin companies.

Presenter at many SQLSaturdays over last 6 years in United States, Europe, and Australia.

Specialize in SQL Server performance tuning; database (OLTP OLAP) architecture; trouble-shooting; teaching TSQL (Basic through Advanced).

Video presentations (for local SQL Server user groups or SQLSaturdays) can be found at http://usergroup.tv/videos/category/speaker/mike-byrd

Tracy Boggiano

Twitter: - TracyBoggiano

LinkedIn: Tracy Boggiano

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.

Dave Mattingly

Twitter: - @dave_mattingly

LinkedIn: Dave Mattingly

Contact: http://www.davemattingly.net

Dave Mattingly has spent thirty years of designing, developing, databasing, documenting, and directing a variety of projects in many industries. In the past, he’s worked on space travel, fraud prevention, data accuracy, and virtual reality for industries such as games, ecology, health, religion, and money. He also writes, publishes, orates, teaches, and preaches.

Josh Luedeman

Twitter: - http://www.twitter.com/joshluedeman

LinkedIn: Josh Luedeman

Contact: http://www.joshluedeman.com

Josh is a Sr FastTrack Engineer with the FastTrack team in the Azure Engineering Group at Microsoft. Josh focuses on Microsoft’s Cloud Scale Analytics Solutions in Azure using products like HDInsight, Data Lake, Data Factory, and DataBricks. He has worked in IT for over 10 years holding positions in Application Support, Database Administration, and Business Intelligence, in industries like Higher Education, Consulting, Manufacturing, and Software Development.

Andy Yun

Twitter: - SQLBek

LinkedIn: Andy Yun

Contact: http://sqlbek.wordpress.com

Andy Yun is a SentryOne Principal Solutions Engineer and a former Microsoft MVP. He has been working with SQL Server for nearly 20 years as both a Database Developer and Administrator. Leveraging knowledge of SQL Server Internals and extensive experience in highly transactional environments, he strives to make T-SQL leaner and meaner. Andy is extremely passionate about passing knowledge onto others, regularly speaking at User Groups, SQLSaturdays, and PASS Summit. Andy is a co-founder of the Chicago SQL Association, co-Chapter Leader of the Chicago Suburban User Group, and part of the Chicago SQLSaturday Organizing Committee.

Ben Boise

I am a Sales Engineer supporting our Database Performance Monitoring solutions. Prior to working in pre-sales, I spent time working in desktop and applications support, systems administration, software testing and development, and professional services. Needless to say, I’ve worn a lot of hats over the years.

Outside of my professional life, I enjoy staying active through any means available. Traditional activities such as running and weight-training are the norm, but I find myself turning chores into opportunities to exercise. It’s not uncommon to find me running behind the lawn mower. It looks silly, but I think it’s fun. I also enjoy traveling for both work and play, but I’m not fond of airports.

Niran Even-Chen

Twitter: - @niranec

Contact: http://cloud-abstract.com

Niran Even-Chen (@niranec) is a Staff Solution architect at VMware Inc. In his role as a Microsoft enterprise applications architecture specialist Niran is responsible for developing solutions for SQL Server with VMware solutions, writing white papers and is also a frequent speaker in different venues such as VMUG conferences, SQLSaturday user groups, VMworld conferences and more. Niran is certified as VMware certified design expert (VCDX) #142 for datacenter virtualization and Cloud with 15 years of experience in the industry designing and architecting enterprise level solutions.

Justin Randall

Twitter: - jh_randall

LinkedIn: Justin Randall

Contact: http://blogs.sqlsentry.com/justinrandall

Justin Randall is a Senior Consultant at SQL Sentry, LLC. He has over 30 years of data management experience in a variety of roles from Enterprise Data Modeler to DBA, supporting development in DB2, Sybase, and SQL Server. Justin frequently speaks at SQL Server User Group meetings and SQLSaturdays, and has presented at several SQLintersection conferences. His current professional interests are SQL Server performance monitoring and tuning, and career development.

John Deardurff

Twitter: - SQLMCT

LinkedIn: John Deardurff

Contact: https://www.sqlmct.com

John has been a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) for over 20 years teaching Azure, SQL Server, Exchange Server, and Windows Server networking courses. He is currently a SQL Premier Field Engineer for Microsoft. He is an MCT Regional Lead for the Eastern United States and a former Data Platform MVP.

Tim Warner

Twitter: - http://twitter.com/techtrainertim

LinkedIn: Tim Warner

Contact: https://techtrainertim.com

I am a full-time author with Pluralsight, specializing in Microsoft Azure. In addition, I consult as an Azure solutions architect and do a great deal of technical writing.

SQLSaturday Nashville

Twitter: - @SQLSatNash

Contact: http://www.sqlsatnash.com

SQLSaturday Nashville

Kevin Kline

Twitter: - kekline

LinkedIn: Kevin Kline

Contact: http://blogs.sentryone.com/author/kevinkline

Kevin Kline is a database and industry expert serving as Principal Program Manager at SentryOne, the industry leading SQL Server database tools vendor. A Microsoft SQL Server MVP since 2003, he is a founder and former president of PASS. Kevin is an author of many books, blogger, columnist, and popular international speaker. Kevin’s best known book is the best-selling SQL in a Nutshell and contributes monthly to Database Trends Applications magazine. He tweets at @kekline and blogs at http://Blogs.SQLSentry.com/Author/KevinKline.

Ernie Wise

Twitter: - @WiseSoftwareLLC

LinkedIn: Ernie Wise

A Microsoft Certified Professional that loves making the lives of business users easier. Microsoft Partner consultant for close to 8 years working in SharePoint and Microsoft BI. Worked with the tools from architecture to development.

Tracy Boggiano

Twitter: - TracyBoggiano

LinkedIn: Tracy Boggiano

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.

Austin Senseman

Twitter: - https://twitter.com/austinsense

LinkedIn: Austin Senseman

Contact: http://www.powerpivotpro.com

Austin spent the last five years using Modern Excel in the field to solve analytical challenges for the financial services industry, first at BBVA and later at Harbert Management Corporation. As a former analyst, Austin is focused on enabling other data professionals to experience the joys of Power Pivot Power BI. Austin is a CFA Charterholder, former CPA, Excel Power User, and SQL Server Professional, whose involvement in data/analytics projects lowers the communication costs between business users and IT professionals and helps organizations get to solutions faster.

Argenis Fernandez

Twitter: - DBArgenis

LinkedIn: Argenis Fernandez

Contact: http://blog.purestorage.com/author/argenisfernandez/

Argenis is a Principal Architect at Pure Storage. He works with customers around the world to make sure they don’t have to worry much about their infrastructure for Data. He is a former Data Platform MVP, former VMware vExpert, Microsoft Certified Master, and more recently worked in the Microsoft Azure Data/SQL Server engineering team as a Principal PM in the Tiger team.

Argenis Fernandez

Twitter: - DBArgenis

LinkedIn: Argenis Fernandez

Contact: http://blog.purestorage.com/author/argenisfernandez/

Argenis is a Principal Architect at Pure Storage. He works with customers around the world to make sure they don’t have to worry much about their infrastructure for Data. He is a former Data Platform MVP, former VMware vExpert, Microsoft Certified Master, and more recently worked in the Microsoft Azure Data/SQL Server engineering team as a Principal PM in the Tiger team.

Eric Peterson

Eric Peterson is a consultant specializing in database architecture with experience in demanding Fortune 100 company environments. He has a Computer Science degree complemented with an MBA, which meshes well with his jobs integrating business information with the systems that process it. He has worked with SQL Server since its inception and was an instructor of SQL courses at a national technical training company. He also speaks are regional SQLSaturday events.

Paco Gonzalez

Twitter: - @pacosql

LinkedIn: Paco Gonzalez

Paco Gonzalez is the CEO of SolidQ North America, and a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. Focused on Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, he specializes in helping organizations become data driven from a strategic and technical perspective. Paco is a speaker at small and large conferences such as PASS Summit, Ignite, and Business Applications Summit, and he has published several books and whitepapers. He is based in Atlanta, GA.

Pat Phelan

Twitter: - @YetAnotherSQL

LinkedIn: Pat Phelan

Pat Phelan first joined a computer user group (DECUS) in High School, and has joined many more since then. Pat worked many jobs in high school and college, and over twenty years for a major accounting firm. Pat started working for Involta in 2007 and is now the database mentor and a member of the Engineering team. Involta builds, owns and operates world class colocation datacenters and also provides managed services and support staff to clients.

SQLSaturday Nashville

Twitter: - @SQLSatNash

Contact: http://www.sqlsatnash.com

SQLSaturday Nashville

Stacia Varga

Twitter: - @StaciaV

LinkedIn: Stacia Varga

Contact: http://blog.datainspirations.com

Stacia Varga is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and SSAS Maestro with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences. A consultant, educator, author, and principal of Data Inspirations, her career spans more than 30 years, with a focus on improving business practices through technology.

Since 2000, Stacia has provided consulting and education services for Microsoft’s Business Intelligence technologies. As Stacia Misner, she also authored several books covering the Microsoft BI stack.

Dan Evans

Twitter: - @danthebiman

LinkedIn: Dan Evans

Dan Evans is a Data and Analytics evangelist with over 25 years’ experience deploying strategic and innovative analytic solutions. He’s focused on Microsoft technologies including Data Platform, Advanced Analytics and Business Applications. Current focuses include SQL Server, Power Suite, Cognitive Services, Artifical Inteligence and other Data Platform related topics in Azure. Dan presents at many local, regional and national events including SQL PASS, DAMA, TDWI, TechEd and Ignite and supports best practices in Microsoft data and analytics across North America.

Joseph D’Antoni

Twitter: - jdanton

LinkedIn: Joseph D’Antoni

Contact: http://joeydantoni.com

Joseph D’Antoni is a Senior Consultant and Microsoft Data Platform MVP with over 20 years of experience working in both Fortune 500 and smaller firms. He is a Principal Consultant for Denny Cherry Associates and lives in Malvern, PA. He is a frequent speaker at major tech events like Microsoft Ignite, PASS Summit, and Enterprise Data World. He blogs about all topics technology at joeydantoni.com. He believes that no single platform is the answer to all technology problems. Joseph holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Louisiana Tech University and an MBA from North Carolina State University, and is the co-author of the Microsoft book “Introducing SQL Server 2016”.

Ameena Lalani

Twitter: - SQLHands

LinkedIn: Ameena Lalani

Ameena Lalani is a SQL Server veteran and started her journey with SQL Server 2000. She is a Microsoft Certified Solution Associate on SQL Server 2016 and also hold Azure Administrator Associate certification. Ameena works at Microsoft as a Premier Field engineer. She has implemented numerous High Availability and Disaster Recovery solutions at various companies. Ameena loves to share her technical knowledge and speaks at local user groups and SQLSaturday events throughout the United States.

Denny Cherry

Twitter: - mrdenny

LinkedIn: Denny Cherry

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.

Justin Randall

Twitter: - jh_randall

LinkedIn: Justin Randall

Contact: http://blogs.sqlsentry.com/justinrandall

Justin Randall is a Senior Consultant at SQL Sentry, LLC. He has over 30 years of data management experience in a variety of roles from Enterprise Data Modeler to DBA, supporting development in DB2, Sybase, and SQL Server. Justin frequently speaks at SQL Server User Group meetings and SQLSaturdays, and has presented at several SQLintersection conferences. His current professional interests are SQL Server performance monitoring and tuning, and career development.

Pat Phelan

Twitter: - @YetAnotherSQL

LinkedIn: Pat Phelan

Pat Phelan first joined a computer user group (DECUS) in High School, and has joined many more since then. Pat worked many jobs in high school and college, and over twenty years for a major accounting firm. Pat started working for Involta in 2007 and is now the database mentor and a member of the Engineering team. Involta builds, owns and operates world class colocation datacenters and also provides managed services and support staff to clients.

Gareth Swanepoel

Twitter: - @GarethSwan

Contact: http://mygareth.com

Gareth Swanepoel is a sysadmin-turned-SQL Server DBA. He has been working in the IT industry doing support and administration for over 25 years. He enjoys solving the complex problems that customers encounter when performance tuning SQL Server or when deploying SQL Server in large data warehouse environments. He is originally from South Africa and is currently a Dedicated Support Engineer (PFE) with Microsoft. He is a passionate member of the SQL Server community and is an accomplished author and speaker having presented at various user groups, SQLSaturdays, the PASS Summit and other technical conferences.

John Morehouse

Twitter: - SQLrUs

LinkedIn: John Morehouse

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, SQLSaturday organizer, and former PASS regional mentor. He is also a blogger, avid tweeter, and a frequent speaker at SQLSaturday’s as well as other conferences.

Jamey Johnston

Twitter: - STATCowboy

LinkedIn: Jamey Johnston

Contact: http://STATCowboy.com

Jamey Johnston is a Senior Data Scientist/Engineer for a large independent OG company. For over 25 years, he has worked for Fortune 500 companies architecting successful platforms in the cloud, on the edge, and on-premises for BI reporting, statistical analysis, ML, and AI. Lately, he spends his time in Azure, Python, R, Power BI, MS SQL, and SAS JMP. He holds a BS in Spatial Analysis from LSU and a Masters of Science in Analytics from Texas AM. He is a professor at the Mays Business School at Texas AM in the MS Analytics program. He is active in his PASS Local Group in Houston, co-leader of the local Power BI users group and data analytics group. He regularly speaks and volunteers at PASS events. He is also a Microsoft Data Platform MVP.

Mike Lawell

Twitter: - @sqldiver

LinkedIn: Mike Lawell

Contact: http://sqlserverassociates.com/Blog

Mike Lawell is an 19 year veteran of SQL Server, working with all versions since 6.5. He specializes in performance tuning and high availability as an independent consultant.

He is a Linchpin People Teammate, he also consults with SolidQ, Intellinet and Microsoft Consulting Services.

He is also a certified Scuba instructor with a long bucket list of dive sites.

He resides in Atlanta, GA and you can catch him at many of the SQLSaturdays in the SE region of the United States.

Robert Verell

Twitter: - @sqlcowbell

LinkedIn: Robert Verell

Contact: http://sqlcowbell.com/wordpress/

Robert Verell is a SQL Server professional working in the Nashville area and has worked in healthcare, insurance, and banking. He found his passion for databases by learning SQL Server Integration Services and writing stored procedures, and eventually became a database administrator. Robert is a chapter lead for the Nashville SQL Server User’s Group, a volunteer for SQLSaturday, and was a finalist in the 2016 PASS Summit Speaker Idol competition.

Geoff Hiten

Twitter: - SQLCraftsman

LinkedIn: Geoff Hiten

Geoff Hiten is a Technical Solutions Professional at Microsoft. Geoff began working with SQL Server in 1992 with version 4.2 and has used every version since. He specializes in highly available SQL systems, performance tuning, and systems migration. Geoff is heavily involved in the Microsoft SQL Server Community and was initially awarded MVP status in 2004. Geoff was appointed in 2011 to fill an interim Director position at the National PASS organization.

John Morehouse

Twitter: - SQLrUs

LinkedIn: John Morehouse

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, SQLSaturday organizer, and former PASS regional mentor. He is also a blogger, avid tweeter, and a frequent speaker at SQLSaturday’s as well as other conferences.

Anthony Nocentino

Twitter: - nocentino

LinkedIn: Anthony Nocentino

Contact: http://www.centinosystems.com/blog/

Anthony Nocentino is the founder and President of Centino Systems as well as a Pluralsight author, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Linux expert, and corporate problem solver. Anthony designs solutions, deploys the technology, and provides expertise on business system performance, architecture, and security. Anthony has a Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science with research publications in high performance/low latency data access algorithms and spatial database systems.

Randy Knight

Twitter: - randy_knight

LinkedIn: Randy Knight

Contact: http://www.sqlsolutionsgroup.com/blog

Randy Knight is a data professional who has worked with Microsoft technology for over 25 years, focusing on SQL Server since 1997. He has worked in a variety of settings, including 6 years as a database architect for match.com. In 2010, he founded SQL Server Solutions Group LLC, a boutique SQL Server consultancy. A Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) in SQL Server, he speaks often at events all over the country including the PASS Summit, SQLIntersections, and numerous SQLSaturday and User Groups.

Brian Davis

Twitter: - @Brian78

LinkedIn: Brian Davis

Contact: http://blogs.sqlsentry.com

Brian Davis is a Product Integration Engineer at SentryOne and has over 15 years in the IT field in multiple areas including software development, support, user training, and as a DBA. He has been working with SQL Server since 2003 and has hands-on experience with SQL Server 2000 through 2016. Brian is also a PASS Regional Mentor and an active member and leader of the Ohio North SQL Server User Group.

David Maxwell

Twitter: - https://twitter.com/dmmaxwell

LinkedIn: David Maxwell

Contact: https://dmmaxwell.wordpress.com/

David Maxwell has almost 20 years of experience with SQL Server, with a keen interest in performance tuning, monitoring, and troubleshooting. He has experience in environments as diverse as health care institutions, auto manufacturers, and insurance companies. David has been a frequent presenter at SQLSaturday events around the United States since 2012, as well as a presenter for the DBA Fundamentals Virtual Group, the Performance Virtual Group, 24 Hours of PASS, and the annual PASS Summit. David participates in his local Columbus Ohio PASS Local Group, where he serves on the board of directors as SQLSaturday coordinator.

Eddie Wuerch

Twitter: - @EddieW

LinkedIn: Eddie Wuerch

Contact: http://www.indydba.com

Eddie Wuerch has 20 years of experience as a SQL Server specialist in a much-longer IT career. A Microsoft Certified Master, Eddie spends his days in the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, focusing on performance, scale, and uptime for the massive SQL Server backend. These SQL Servers churn billions of transactions daily against trillions of rows of data in a 24x7 continuously-available online system accessed by millions worldwide every day.

Jared Karney

Twitter: - jaredkarney

LinkedIn: Jared Karney

Jared Karney has been working with SQL Server since 2007. He currently works as a Premier Field Engineer for Microsoft. His specialties include performance tuning, big data, cloud, automation, internals, and overall architecture. He is an MCT and holds a number of Microsoft certifications. He is also a leader for the Chicago SQL Server Users Group.

Ed Watson

Twitter: - http://twitter.com/SQLGator

LinkedIn: Ed Watson

Contact: http://sqlgator.com

Ed Watson is a Principal Data Platform Consultant for Improving Enterprises, a full-stack Microsoft consulting firm in Atlanta. Ed is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP since 2014 and like most children, Ed was born at an early age. Today, Ed specializes in the Business Intelligence stack and enjoys specializing in Power BI immensely. He currently lives in Atlanta and is active with the Atlanta MDF and Atlanta BI user groups and is an organizer for SQLSaturday Atlanta, Atlanta BI, and Pensacola.

Damu Venkatesan

Twitter: - @vdamu

LinkedIn: Damu Venkatesan

Damu Venkatesan is a Business Intelligence Consultant with over 25 years of IT experience including architecting and implementing BI/DW solutions using Microsoft SQL Server, PDW, SSIS, SSAS, SSRS, and Power BI. He has been speaking at many SQLSaturdays and user groups on data analytics and is actively involved in the Atlanta SQL community for several years. He has successfully delivered several BI/DW solutions and data migrations to various clients. He is also currently serving as President of DAMA Georgia chapter in Atlanta. He is the co-organizer of BI SQLSaturday in Atlanta.

Jon Boulineau

Twitter: - @jboulineau

LinkedIn: Jon Boulineau

Contact: http://jonboulineau.me

Jon Boulineau works as a Data Architect and Data Engineer in Nashville, TN.

Jonathan Stewart

Twitter: - sqllocks

LinkedIn: Jonathan Stewart

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

Daniel Glenn

Twitter: - DanielGlenn

LinkedIn: Daniel Glenn

Contact: https://DanielGlenn.com

Daniel is a Microsoft MVP with 15 years’ experience building technology solutions, intranets and extranets. As Practice Leader for the Nashville-based InfoWorks Inc., Daniel helps organizations of all sizes solve complex data challenges by implementing Office 365 and SharePoint without the need of customization and costly investments.

Daniel is passionate about giving back and building the Microsoft technical community. Daniel holds leadership roles in various local user groups, serves as an organizer for Microsoft 365 Nashville, and is a co-host for the popular podcast 365 Message Center Show on https://MessageCenter.Show. You can follow Daniel online at https://DanielGlenn.com and @DanielGlenn on Twitter.

Niran Even-Chen

Twitter: - @niranec

Contact: http://cloud-abstract.com

Niran Even-Chen (@niranec) is a Staff Solution architect at VMware Inc. In his role as a Microsoft enterprise applications architecture specialist Niran is responsible for developing solutions for SQL Server with VMware solutions, writing white papers and is also a frequent speaker in different venues such as VMUG conferences, SQLSaturday user groups, VMworld conferences and more. Niran is certified as VMware certified design expert (VCDX) #142 for datacenter virtualization and Cloud with 15 years of experience in the industry designing and architecting enterprise level solutions.

Wendy Pastrick

Twitter: - @wendy_dance

Contact: http://wendyverse.blogspot.com

Wendy Pastrick is from Chicago, IL, and for the past 15 years has served as a Database Administrator supporting both development and production environments. Her many years of involvement with PASS include WIT Virtual Chapter and the Chicago Suburban User Group, serving as Regional Mentor, and as a PASS Board member since 2013. Wendy has organized several highly successful SQLSaturday events in Chicago.

Jonathan Buller

I got my start with SQL Server almost 15 years ago when I was tasked with converting Access databases to SQL Server based applications. I have been working with SQL Server and SSIS ever since! I am now focused on designing and implementing Data Warehouse solutions with multiple complex data sources. I lead a team of 4 other ETL developers, serving as the architect and Senior ETL developer, and work closely with the business to develop warehouse and analytic solutions.

Mike Byrd

Twitter: - ByrdNest_TX

LinkedIn: Mike Byrd

Contact: http://logicalread.solarwinds.com/?s=byrd, www.TSQLMentoring.com and SQLServerCentral.com

Former rocket scientist and USAF Fighter Pilot – now a SQL Server geek (24 years)! Past opportunities include free-lance technical writer for PC Magazine, Senior Software Manager for government sponsored munitions effectiveness committee, and insurance company CTO. Currently senior database engineer consultant for several Austin companies.

Presenter at many SQLSaturdays over last 6 years in United States, Europe, and Australia.

Specialize in SQL Server performance tuning; database (OLTP OLAP) architecture; trouble-shooting; teaching TSQL (Basic through Advanced).

Video presentations (for local SQL Server user groups or SQLSaturdays) can be found at http://usergroup.tv/videos/category/speaker/mike-byrd

Janis Griffin

Twitter: - DoBoutAnything

LinkedIn: Janis Griffin

Janis Griffin has over 30 years of DBA/database experience including design, development and implementation of many critical database applications. Before coming to Quest Software, Janis primarily worked in the Telecom/Network Industry, working with both real-time network routing databases and OLTP business to business applications. Janis also held positions as a Principal Architect and Senior Manager, mentoring other DBAs on best practices in database performance tuning.

Samir Behara

Twitter: - samirbehara

LinkedIn: Samir Behara

Contact: https://dotnetvibes.com/

Samir Behara is a Solution Architect with EBSCO Industries and builds software solutions using cutting edge technologies. He is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP with over 13 years of IT experience working on large-scale enterprise applications involving complex business functions, web integration, and data management in various domains like Insurance, Manufacturing and Publishing.

Samir is a frequent speaker at conferences such as PASS Summit, IT/Dec Connections, CodeStock, SQLSaturdays and CodeCamps. He is the Co-Chapter Lead of the Steel City SQL Server UserGroup, Birmingham, AL. He is the author of www.dotnetvibes.com

Ben Miller

Twitter: - DBAduck

LinkedIn: Ben Miller

Contact: https://dbaduck.com

Ben has been a member of the SQL Server Community since 2000. He loves a challenge and has fixed many SQL Servers and helped hundreds of people get more out of their DBA jobs. He is a Data Platform MVP a SQL Server Certified Master (MCM). He has worked at various companies throughout the USA, as well as at Microsoft for 7 years. He is passionate about SQL Server Infrastructure, High Availability, Automation and Integration using SMO and PowerShell. He teaches DBAs how to use PowerShell to do their job and teaches SQL Server Internals. He is @DBAduck all around the web (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Blog) so let’s catch up.

Michael Bourgon

Twitter: - @mbourgon

LinkedIn: Michael Bourgon

Contact: http://thebakingdba.blogspot.com

Michael Bourgon started his IT career by performing tech support and managing Sybase databases on Unix starting in 1995, before moving to SQL Server 7… continuing all the way to SQL Server 2017. His focus on automation has led him to such diverse topics as Service Broker, WMI, Table Partitioning, Shell scripting, In-Memory Tables, and Powershell. He’s currently a senior DBA with a large healthcare company, dealing with millions of transactions of day and managing hundreds of servers. In his spare time he rides a bicycle, reads science fiction, blogs about SQL Server and Baking, and tries to raise his daughter to be a geek, too.

Louis Davidson

Twitter: - drsql

LinkedIn: Louis Davidson

Contact: https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/author/louis-davidson/

Louis Davidson has worked in the IT industry for over 25 years as a corporate database developer and architect. He has been a Microsoft SQL Server MVP for 15 years and has written five books on database design, and contributed to many other SQL Server books as an author and tech editor. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. You can read more about Louis at http://drsql.org.

William E Pearson III

Twitter: - @Bill_Pearson

LinkedIn: William E Pearson III

Contact: https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=02C5CD07-7511-4151-A678-3A4A3451F85E

Bill Pearson created Island Technologies Inc. in 1997, and has developed a large and diverse customer base since. Bill#39;s background as a CPA, Internal Auditor, Management Accountant, and SQL Server MVP (BI) enables him to provide value to clients as a liaison between Accounting / Finance and Information Services. Bill has implemented enterprise business intelligence systems over the years for many Fortune 500 companies and focuses his practice upon the integrated Microsoft Business Intelligence

Karen Lopez

Twitter: - @datachick

LinkedIn: Karen Lopez

Contact: http://datamodel.com

Karen Lopez is a Sr. Project Manager and Architect for InfoAdvisors. A frequent speaker at conferences and local user groups, she has 20+ years of experience in project and data management on large, multi-project programs. Karen is a chronic volunteer, a Data Platform MVP, and an active advocate for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and data quality.

Karen’s presentations are known for their lively and interactive approach to learning. Her motto: “Love Your Data!”

William Wolf

Twitter: - sqlwarewolf

LinkedIn: William Wolf

Contact: http://www.sqlwarewolf.com

Bill is the Manager of SQL Server Performance Tuning for RDX. He works with over 400 customers on solutions within the SQL Server environment and specialized in code tuning and mentoring the team within RDX. He has become a SQLSaturday veteran speaking at nearly 40 SQLSaturdays in the last 3 years. He has also spoken at Summit and is an Idera Ace class of 2018. Bill is active in the Pittsburgh SQL Server User Group. He is also the chapter lead for the DevOps Virtual User Group. He is passionate about educating users on SQL Server and mentoring others.

Brian Hansen

Twitter: - tf3604

Contact: http://www.tf3604.com

Brian is a database administrator at Children International in Kansas City. He has been working with SQL Server technologies since 1998, including roles in report development, application development and database administration.

Kevin Feasel

Twitter: - feaselkl

LinkedIn: Kevin Feasel

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.

Eric Peterson

Eric Peterson is a consultant specializing in database architecture with experience in demanding Fortune 100 company environments. He has a Computer Science degree complemented with an MBA, which meshes well with his jobs integrating business information with the systems that process it. He has worked with SQL Server since its inception and was an instructor of SQL courses at a national technical training company. He also speaks are regional SQLSaturday events.

Louis Davidson

Twitter: - drsql

LinkedIn: Louis Davidson

Contact: https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/author/louis-davidson/

Louis Davidson has worked in the IT industry for over 25 years as a corporate database developer and architect. He has been a Microsoft SQL Server MVP for 15 years and has written five books on database design, and contributed to many other SQL Server books as an author and tech editor. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. You can read more about Louis at http://drsql.org.

Rob Volk

Twitter: - sql_r

LinkedIn: Rob Volk

Contact: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/robv/

Rob Volk is a SQL Server DBA in the Metro Atlanta area since 2001. He also moderates and answers the forums on SQLTeam.com. While an old-time cranky DBA, he no longer considers quot;business intelligencequot; an oxymoron or quot;the cloudquot; as merely atmospheric moisture, and is delightedly dipping his toes into both of these new oceans, and loves to do things in new and and unusual ways.

Rie Irish

Twitter: - IrishSQL

LinkedIn: Rie Irish

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, SQLSaturday Atlanta and is co-leader of the PASS Women in Tech virtual group.

Karen Lopez

Twitter: - @datachick

LinkedIn: Karen Lopez

Contact: http://datamodel.com

Karen Lopez is a Sr. Project Manager and Architect for InfoAdvisors. A frequent speaker at conferences and local user groups, she has 20+ years of experience in project and data management on large, multi-project programs. Karen is a chronic volunteer, a Data Platform MVP, and an active advocate for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and data quality.

Karen’s presentations are known for their lively and interactive approach to learning. Her motto: “Love Your Data!”

Sponsors

The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event:

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