SQLSaturday #891 - Los Angeles 2019

Event Date: 06/15/2019 00:00:00

Event Location:

  • Loyola Marymount University (“LMU”)
  • 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, California
  • Los Angeles, California

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: Big Data - The Biggest Fad of the Decade

Abstract: In this session we will investigate what Big Data really means, and more importantly - what it doesn’t mean. What makes Big Data different than any other data? What makes Big Data challenges different than the same old challenges we had 30 years ago?

Together, we will perform an honest, inquisitive, and enlightening investigation of what Big Data really is, it’s origins, and how it evolved over the last decade. We will use history, analytics and logic to dissect the beast, and expose it for what it really is.

Why should you care? The Big Data hype is holding you back from doing what is really important with data - getting value out of it. Making sense of it. Vendors, organizations, and architects have become so obsessed with the ‘Big Data’ fad, and too many either lost sight, or no longer have the resources to pursue their real goals.

In this session I will plea to your reasoning, critical thinking, and plain common sense, to wake up and shout with me “The Emperor has no clo

Speaker(s):

  • Ami Levin

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - CozyRoc - #233

Title: SQL DevOps Simplified with Production Databases

Abstract: DevOps is based on building an application binary (immutable artifact) that supports a highly reliable, repeatable engineering process. In the case of SQL Server, however, a database is already in production, and isn’t simply replaced (as an app binary), but is upgraded. Current SQL Server DevOps methods use source control to build a “development” database, with schema and objects and static data needed for functional testing. “Near production data” is used in Staging, and finally production is upgraded. This approach involves complexity, and breaks the principle of working with immutable artifacts throughout the process. Our session introduces a new approach to SQL Server DevOps, with production databases used in all stages. Production database clones are delivered more quickly than “built” databases, are more easily integrated with source control, and produces higher fidelity outcomes. Learn how leading enterprises are simplifying SQL DevOps.

Speaker(s):

  • Paul Stanton

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - Attunix - #242

Title: Simplify your Daily Tasks with DBATools!

Abstract: Did you ever wonder if there was one tool you could use to simplify your daily tasks without much effort? There is and it is DBATools! This is an incredible PowerShell Module that will make your life easier. Whether you want to do a quick backup and restore, copy a login to another server, check server settings, check logs, manage a server or do a full migration.

Don’t have any experience with PowerShell? Don’t worry because you don’t have to. Some incredible people in this community have already done the work for you! Come join me in this demo heavy session and we will get you prepared to take advantage of this incredible tool!

Speaker(s):

  • John Wells

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - AWS - #235

Title: The Mobile DBA, using Docker and Azure Data Studio to work on the go!

Abstract: In this session we will go over the steps involved with getting a local Database Development environment set up on your laptop using SQL Server on Linux, Docker and Azure Data Studio. We will go over installation of Docker and SQL Server, tips and tricks on data persistence in Docker, and how to connect and work with SQL Server running Docker using Azure Data Studio, including customizing Azure Data Studio to your needs.

Speaker(s):

  • Charles Embry Jr

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - #246 - VMware

Title: DBA vNext

Abstract: Not long ago, being a Microsoft DBA meant be specialized in Microsoft SQL Server and all the whistles and bells shipped together in the same box. That was the on-prem age.

Now in the cloud computing age, all cloud providers support multiple database engines in order to welcome all applications to their infrastructure. SQL Server is not always the way to go for an application.

In this session full of demos, we will discuss what it takes to be an all-rounded Azure cloud DBA, best applicable scenarios, price budgeting and tuning.

Speaker(s):

  • Armando Lacerda

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - #246 - VMware

Title: Power BI Free vs. Pro vs. Premium - Understanding What Works for You!

Abstract: This session will compare and contrast the 3 levels of a Power BI user. I will review details that make each level unique and also answer any questions you’ve been needing to resolve about the adoption/administration of the application in your enterprise.

Speaker(s):

  • DeNisha Malone

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - SolidQ - #237

Title: Wacky DAX

Abstract: Did you know the DAX language is far more capable than merely running a SUM over a column, or counting rows in a table? DAX sits on top of one of the fastest databases around, and this session will explore some unusual and creative scenarios that you previously would have thought as not possible using just DAX.

The session will aim to reset your understanding of what is possible in DAX by walking through some interesting code highlights from a recent series of games built using DAX. Each game pushes and explores different boundaries in DAX and will attempt to show just where those lines are.

The session will hopefully inspire you to add some creative and exciting techniques to your own DAX based data models.

Speaker(s):

  • Phillip Seamark

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - WhereScape - #249

Title: Power BI Dataset Tuning

Abstract: Most Power BI reports rely on a small dataset. And due to a lighting fast data engine most data model mistakes are shadowed by the speed of the service. When the dataset gets bigger then best data modeling practices are required. The trick here is Power BI data engine is not relational and therefore most data modeling techniques either don’t apply or don’t deliver. In this session we will go over how to model and measure performance for larger Power BI datasets.

Speaker(s):

  • Armando Lacerda

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - VMware - #246

Title: Power BI Administration Solutions

Abstract: Power BI administrators responsible for managing and monitoring a Power BI deployment may develop custom solutions to more efficiently perform their duties and to manage BI resources. This session will walk through the purpose and components of several of these solutions including tenant-wide usage monitoring, user and group profile reports, refresh failure notification emails, and scale up/down Power BI embedded and Azure Analysis Services resources. Technologies to be featured include PowerShell, the Power BI REST API, Azure Active Directory, Power BI Embedded, SQL Server Agent, and Azure Automation.

Speaker(s):

  • Brett Powell

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - Microsoft - #234

Title: Fundamentals That Will Improve Your Query Performance!

Abstract: Time and time again the same misunderstandings by developers and query writers appear when query performance issues arise. In this demo heavy presentation, we will review these specific topics such as data types, implicit conversions, sargability, and some others that all have an impact on query performance. Come join me and by the end of this session you will have the knowledge to boost your query performance!

Speaker(s):

  • John Wells

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - Attunix - #242

Title: Imposter Syndrome How to work through it

Abstract: At one point or another most of us have had that feeling. You feel like you are about to be fired at any moment, like it is only a matter of time until they find out you don’t know what you are doing and you are out of your depth. Or maybe you are sitting in a meeting with a group of your peers discussing the project you are working on. You see what you believe to be a large flaw in the current project, yet you do not speak up as you feel like you and not qualified enough to voice your concern. When your coworkers or boss pay you a compliment and try to express how impressed they are with you work or value as an employee do you try to diminish the complement or your value? If you have ever been in one of the situations above you have probably had a case of Imposter Syndrome. In this session we will discuss what Imposter Syndrome is, how it affects people and most importantly how to identify it in yourself and others and some techniques to help you break out of these feelings.

Speaker(s):

  • Charles Embry Jr

Track and Room: Professional Development and Personal Branding - #249 - WhereScape (recorded)

Title: Don’t just code it—Generate It

Abstract: Code Generators are all the rage—BIML, JS frameworks, .NET scaffolding, even the humble templates provide by SSMS for views, stored procedures, functions. Table-driven applications allow one set of code to handle changing business needs. Metadata-driven code generation takes this a giant step further. If you can describe your code with an algorithm operating against a set of data, you can get a computer to produce the code.

  • Source to Target mapping documents can be used to generate the code to effect the mapping.
  • Service Broker activation stored procedures have a clearly defined structure. They can be mass-produced.
  • Standard CRUD stored procedures can be stamped out cookie-cutter fashion.
  • Business rules can be encoded in data and the code to implement them manufactured. Generated code has systematic errors. Fix the errors at the generator. All the code now works. If the code is so boring that a computer can produce it, why not spend your talent doing something interesting?

Speaker(s):

  • Kevin Mackey

Track and Room: Other - #248 - DatAvail

Title: Mastering Master Data Services

Abstract: Master Data Services enables you to manage a master set of your organization’s data. You can organize the data into models, create rules for updating the data, and control who updates the data. With Excel, you can share the master data set with other people in your organization. Data stewards can use Excel to help manage the data repository and ensure that your MDS data is always up-to-date and accurate.

In this presentation we will cover MDS from start to finish including installation, creating models/entities, working with data, using the Excel add-in, security, hierarchies, views, versions, and business rules. After this presentation, you will have a good understanding of what master data management is, what MDS does, how to use it, and how to get started with your own MDS project.

Speaker(s):

  • Jeff Prom

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - SolidQ - #237

Title: [StepByStep] SQL Server on Container? What is Kubernetes?

Abstract: Docker and Kubernetes are becomes very hot industry since last couple of years.

SQL Server used to run only on Physical machine. Now, it’s not any more strange or wrong that SQL server run on VM.

This session is designed for understanding about container and how SQL server could run on container.

There are 2 types of applications, Stateless and Stateful. We will go over the difference between them and will deliver the detail cases how SQL server could adjust in Container environment.

Therefore, developer or DBA could choose better architecture in various conditions.

Within this session will cover what the market demand is and what SQL server can do on the demand.

Speaker(s):

  • Simon Cho

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - AWS - #235

Title: CosmosDB - Understanding the main factors for successfull deployment

Abstract: Let’s face it: Microsoft Data Platform is not just SQL Server anymore. Azure has added a dozen of other data related products to the menu. Being a cloud DBA means dealing with these new options when needed. In this session packed with demos you will see how to cross the bridge between SQL Server and Cosmos DB back and forth; how to related items from both sides and what is required to design a CosmosDB deployment.

Speaker(s):

  • Armando Lacerda

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - SolidQ - #237

Title: Tell a Story with Data in Power BI

Abstract: Got lot’s of data, but not sure what to do with it?

This session will give you the steps to get the most insightful story from you dataset! We will also review Power BI Best Practices for everyday developers

Speaker(s):

  • DeNisha Malone

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - SolidQ - #237

Title: Service Broker for near-real time message processing

Abstract: If you’ve learned the basics of Service Broker, this discussion will help you understand how to design a Service Broker architecture that allows for near real time message processing from external sources.

In this case, see a system designed to handle 5 million varied messages an hour in less than 750 milliseconds per message across multiple, distributed commodity SQL Servers. Discussion of service broker design and optimization, conversation management, error handling and logging, and operational metrics.

Speaker(s):

  • Kevin Mackey

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - #233 - CozyRoc

Title: Dynamic data flows in SSIS without programming

Abstract: This session is an introduction to the unique functionality offered by COZYROC to create integration packages that dynamically map columns at runtime. The standard SSIS Data Flow Task can only use static metadata which is defined when the package is initially designed. The mapping of columns is configured and remains unchanged until the package is re-opened and design changes are made, thus costing maintenance time and effort. In contrast, COZYROC’s Data Flow Task Plus extends the capabilities of the standard Microsoft Data Flow task in that it allows you to set up dynamic data flows, thus eliminating maintenance time and effort. Changes to tables and columns are automatically incorporated into the SSIS package at runtime without the need to change and redeploy the package. Columns and fields are mapped automatically at runtime. Furthermore, the initial design time and effort may be greatly reduced when dealing with huge amounts of data in a large number of files and/or databases.

Speaker(s):

  • SQLSaturday in LA

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - CozyRoc - #233

Title: SQL Server Machine Learning Services in Production

Abstract: Writing code which uses SQL Server Machine Learning Services is easy enough, but that is just the beginning of the story. In this talk, we will cover the rest of the R development story for database administrators. We will look at the methods available to install and maintain R packages, learn good practices for deploying and maintaining custom SQL Server Machine Learning Services code, and learn where to find critical information when things break. These battle-tested tips will make it easier for you to integrate R and SQL Server Machine Learning Services in your existing deployment processes and get the most out of this feature.

Speaker(s):

  • Kevin Feasel

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - WhereScape - #249

Title: Maximizing Big Data ROI via Best of Breed Technology Patterns Practices

Abstract: Not long ago the question was whether your organization had big data. Did you have the volume, the velocity, the technology. Now those basics are largely given for most people attending this event. The path to success is still fuzzy, however, with so many technologies to choose from – and so many ways to use them.

This presentation triangulates in a holistic manner on the modern business dilemma: how can we leverage technology to improve revenue, profit, market share, quality, and numerous other success criteria. That said, this is not about the analytics or KPIs – although it is about measurable improvement. It’s about lining up the right technologies and using them in effective, proven ways to maximize Return on Investment (ROI). Since the slant here is holistic, we’ll show how to blend infrastructure, tools, methods, and talent to avoid and constantly trim technical debt… and to produce success stories that are consistently repeatable, not a byproduct of individual heroics.

Speaker(s):

  • Jeff Bertman

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - CozyRoc - #233

Title: Women in Technology (multiple speakers)

Abstract: Join our interactive discussion on diversity and inclusion. This WIT talk is open to all attendees. Let’s share our perspectives in career growth in this inevitable diverse industry. Learn some tips and tricks on how you can grow your potential and help others to grow as well. Session format:

  • Improve style, no slide deck, no PowerPoint
  • Multiple speakers, 10 to 15 minutes each
  • Talk about your career, how you got started, what worked for you, what didn’t, advice on getting ahead, and what you love most about your job Panelists: Elizabeth Amador DeNisha Malone Carmen Honacker Michelle Kamrat Gutzait Elaena Bakman Hue Hoang Stacey Broadwell

Speaker(s):

  • SQLSaturday in LA

Track and Room: Professional Development and Personal Branding - Microsoft - #234

Title: Dive into the Query Optimizer - Undocumented Insight

Abstract: This 500 level session will focus on using undocumented statements and trace flags to get insight into how the query optimizer works and show you which operations it performs during query optimization. I will use these undocumented features to explain what the query optimizer does from the moment a query is submitted to SQL Server until an execution plan is generated including operations like parsing, binding, simplification, trivial plan, and full optimization. Concepts like transformation rules, the memo structure, how the query optimizer generates possible alternative execution plans, and how the best alternative is chosen based on those costs will be explained as well.

Speaker(s):

  • Benjamin Nevarez

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - DatAvail - #248

Title: I have indexes, but do I have the right indexes?

Abstract: Do you have all the right indexes on your SQL Server databases? Have you implemented any indexes other than traditional clustered and non-clustered indexes? If the answer to either question is a “no” or an “I don’t know”, then this session is for you.

This session will help introduce less commonly used index types and settings along with indexing methodologies. Follow along while we learn which indexes your SQL Server is begging you to make and others it wishes you would drop. Learn use cases for filtered, full-text, and columnstore indexes. There will be plenty of demos and shareable scripts to showcase the benefits too!

Are you using a version and edition of SQL Server is able to use these features? We’ll cover that too and you’ll leave this class with a repeatable indexing methodology you can use to improve your database performance.

Speaker(s):

  • Eric Blinn

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - MelissaData - #239

Title: Top features of Power BI you should know

Abstract: Since the first release 4 years ago. Power BI as a platform has matured very quickly and has become a robust platform for Reporting and Selfserve BI. Several features are added every month to Power BI platform. We have picked up a few of the coolest features and hacks that you can take advantage of.

Speaker(s):

  • Suresh Datla

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - Microsoft - #234

Title: Open Source vs SQL Database Maintenance Plans

Abstract: The Database Maintenance plans used to be a one size fits all tool that did a lot of unnecessary work, especially, when it came to indexing. So I have been recommending that clients use other tools such as Ola Hallengren’s award winning free SQL Server Maintenance Solution. So let’s have a showdown at high noon in the Arizona desert and see if Database Maintenance Plans in SQL 2016 and 2017 are now good enough or if we still need to turn to other solutions like Ola’s.

Speaker(s):

  • David Lundell

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - VMware - #246

Title: Dynamic data flows in SSIS without programming

Abstract: This session is an introduction to the unique functionality offered by COZYROC to create integration packages that dynamically map columns at runtime. The standard SSIS Data Flow Task can only use static metadata which is defined when the package is initially designed. The mapping of columns is configured and remains unchanged until the package is re-opened and design changes are made, thus costing maintenance time and effort. In contrast, COZYROC’s Data Flow Task Plus extends the capabilities of the standard Microsoft Data Flow task in that it allows you to set up dynamic data flows, thus eliminating maintenance time and effort. Changes to tables and columns are automatically incorporated into the SSIS package at runtime without the need to change and redeploy the package. Columns and fields are mapped automatically at runtime. Furthermore, the initial design time and effort may be greatly reduced when dealing with huge amounts of data in a large number of files and/or databases.

Speaker(s):

  • Steve Rezhener

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - #233 - CozyRoc

Title: Reporting Services Introduction

Abstract: This introduction to Reporting Services is for the novice user with no previous exposure to Reporting Services. This session will walk through getting data for the report though publishing and using the report.

Do you wish you could quickly and easily get some or your data into the hands of your end users? Well… SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is part of SQL: You’ve already paid for it, so put it to use! In this introductory level session designed for users with no exposure to SSRS we will cover the basics of developing, publishing and using SQL Server Reporting Services. From building a data set through automating report delivery you will learn how you can return to the office and present meaningful data to your end users with minimal time and effort. Come learn how this very powerful and easy to use tool can relieve you from data delivery tasks and thrill your end users all at the same time.

Speaker(s):

  • Ted Stathakis

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - #239 - MelissaData

Title: Where did I put my (primary) keys?

Abstract: In this session we will revisit some of the fundamental design principals of relational databases: normalization rules, key selection, and the controversies associated with these issues from a practical perspective. We will consider the benefits and challenges of using different types of keys - natural, surrogates, artificial (and others?) from multiple aspects: data consistency, application development, maintenance, portability and performance.

Speaker(s):

  • Ami Levin

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - CozyRoc - #233

Title: The Art of Data Modelling with Analysis Services

Abstract: Modern data modelling is indeed an art form, and Azure Analysis Services provides a canvas which the data artist can create beautiful and stunning masterpieces.

This session will not only focus on the critical elements required to ensure your creation is a work of art but also cover aspects of data modelling specific to Analysis Services. The session will cover tips, tools and helpful info on building efficient data models that can scale in any of the tools that make use of the AS engine (Power BI, Excel and Analysis Services)

Speaker(s):

  • Phillip Seamark

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - VMware - #246

Title: What just happened? Creating your own real-time dashboard with Grafana, Influx, and Telegraf

Abstract: You wear many hats, know your KPI, fight those fires, and are used to – but still scared of – “hey, what just happened?”

As a DBA, you very likely have SQL Server well covered, but what about if/when you support Cassandra? Mongo? MySQL? What if you’re DevOps and need something from ASP .Net? IIS? Nginx?

In this interactive session, we’ll go over show you how to locally install and configure InfluxDB to store your data, get Telegraf to pull, and with Grafana, create some quick dashboards. Time permitting, we can set some thresholds, and send them to Slack.

All of these tools are completely free, and if you don’t have the right monitoring, or any, this is perfect for you.

Speaker(s):

  • Patrick Partin

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - Attunix - #242

Title: Reporting Services: A Smart Migration Strategy

Abstract: With Power BI Report Server, you can host traditional paginated reports alongside Power BI analytical reports, KPIs and mobile reports. This session will show how to use the data in the ReportServer database to determine a smart migration strategy for upgrading to a new SSRS or Power BI Report Server. Starting with the new features of Report Manager, Mobile reports, KPIs and the Mobile Report Publisher app. The session will then focus on how to utilize the report meta data in the ReportServer database, combined with the transaction log table, to show how to determine which reports, data sets and data sources are being used and determine what objects to migrate. Learn how to use PowerShell to extract the reports and data sets from the database, instead of downloading them, to facilitate an easy migration to a new implementation. Also discover a way of determining all TSQL used by the reports. This session is particularly useful for migrating from 2008 but applicable to any migration.

Speaker(s):

  • Ted Stathakis

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - MelissaData - #239

Title: Designing Accessible Power BI Reports

Abstract: We’ll look at the new features that have rolled out in response to a major push at Microsoft to make Power BI reports more accessible. What some of the different areas of accessibility to think about, and some handy tools to help you make your reports more usable for everyone.

Speaker(s):

  • Liz Amador

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - SolidQ - #237

Title: Doing Much More With Much Less: The Case for Data Warehouse Automation

Abstract: One of the most pervasive problems in BI today is that data warehouses take too long to build and they are too hard to change. According to TDWI, building a data warehouse is among the most labor-intensive and time-consuming activities of BI development. There are so many moving parts—requirements, source data analysis, data quality, source-target mapping, data acquisition, data transformation logic, ETL design, scheduling, error handling—and getting it right the first time isn’t easy. And when you finally do get it right, something changes…

Join data warehouse automation pioneer WhereScape for this presentation to learn how companies like Nike, Costco, Cornell University, WSU, Daimler, Blue Cross, F5 accelerate warehouse development and change cycles while simultaneously assuring quality and consistency. A key aspect of doing automation right is that it should not get in the way of your developers – it should leverage existing skills, add best practices and generate documentation.

Speaker(s):

  • Satish Jayanthi

Track and Room: Other - WhereScape - #249

Title: Applying Forensic Accounting Techniques Using SQL and R

Abstract: Forensic accountants and fraud examiners use a range of techniques to uncover fraudulent journal entries and illegal activities. As data professionals, most of us will never unravel a Bernie Madoff scheme, but we can apply these same techniques in our own environments to uncover dirty data. This session will use a combination of SQL Server and R to apply these fraud detection techniques, which include Benford’s Law, outlier analysis, time series analysis, and cohort analysis.

Speaker(s):

  • Kevin Feasel

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - WhereScape - #249

Title: Metadata Management and Data Governance in the World of CCPA

Abstract: CCPA and GDPR have left many of us second guessing if our organization is 100% in compliance. MetaCenter provides a platform to support regulatory compliance requirements while reducing IT costs at 3X the ROI of competing solutions. Come learn how MetaCenter’s metadata management and data governance capabilities are providing automation to leading Enterprise around the world to document their information assets and automate data lineage analysis.

Speaker(s):

  • SQLSaturday in LA

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - MelissaData - #239

Title: Address the Elephant in Your Business

Abstract: The best way to deal with the elephant that takes up residence in every business is to name it and tame it! Bad data is bad for business – costing you 10-25% of revenue, along with poor analytics and unhappy customers.
Join our lunch presentation to learn how to effectively address your elephant. We’ll discuss: • 6 dimensions of Data Quality • Easy tools that can be applied in-line using SSIS SQL Server • How to overcome international data challenges – language, formatting field requirements

Speaker(s):

  • SQLSaturday in LA

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - MelissaData - #239

Title: Encryption: Not just for the NSA anymore

Abstract: Are you interested in data encryption? Do you store sensitive data in SQL Server databases? Does GDPR affect your company? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this session is for you. In this session we will introduce and implement 4 methods of encryption available in SQL Server –Backup encryption, Transparent Data Encryption, AlwaysEncrypted, and connection encryption.

Speaker(s):

  • Eric Blinn

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - Attunix - #242

Title: Columnstore Index Primer

Abstract: Overview of Columnstore indexes introduced in SQL Server 2012 and its evolution through each release. We will explore how data is organized differently in Columnstore and its impact on query performances. We would cover some of best practices when using this new technology and pitfalls to watch out for when designing your system.

Speaker(s):

  • Sepand Gojgini

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - DatAvail - #248

Title: Azure Database, Azure Virtual Machine or Azure Managed Instance? Why, when, what?

Abstract: So you have already decided to move to Azure but which platform is the best for your databases, from functionality perspective as well as price? In this presentation Michelle will present the advantages and disadvantages of each platform as well as how to choose the best one for your database(s).

Speaker(s):

  • Michelle Gutzait

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - Microsoft - #234

Title: SSIS Basics

Abstract: Integration Services (SSIS) can be a very powerful tool for data loading as well as many other functions. In this demo we’ll cover some methods for getting started with this program and look at some of the things we can do with SSIS.

Speaker(s):

  • Brodie Brickey

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - MelissaData - #239

Title: What you need to know to be Power BI Certified

Abstract: Maybe you’ve played around with Power BI and want to up your game so you can get a job or a raise. Come and learn how Power BI Certification can help you, what’s on the exam, and some tips and tricks for studying and taking the test.

Speaker(s):

  • Liz Amador

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - SolidQ - #237

Title: A dive into Dimensional Modeling

Abstract: A dive into the basics and some advanced dimensional modeling concepts and design patterns. Topics covered will be introduction to dimensional modeling and difference from transaction vs analytics consumptions, primary and foreign keys, different types of facts and dimensions, slowly changing dimensions and various types, common design patterns for handling date, time, product, inventory etc.

Speaker(s):

  • Soumya Banerjee

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - Attunix - #242

Title: SELECT Start FROM Here: Querying for T-SQL Beginners

Abstract: Have you been asked to begin querying data in SQL Server databases? Or are you just curious to try T-SQL? Great – let’s get started! In this session we’ll cover the basics of the SELECT statement, your T-SQL tool for getting that data. We’ll also show the individual parts of a query, discuss basic aggregation, and demonstrate common filtering options using operators and functions. You’ll walk away with a solid foundation, ready to start your journey to become a T-SQL expert.

Speaker(s):

  • Jeff Iannucci

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - DatAvail - #248

Title: Getting Data out of Active Directory with SQL Server

Abstract: For many organizations Active Directory is the heart of the Network. In this session we’ll cover how to query users from AD groups, query groups within a specific OU, and dynamically get users for all groups in a specific OU. We’ll also discuss some of the limitations of ADSI and how to work around it. Finally, we’ll use a little SQL and a dash of Powershell and push updates back into Active Directory.

Speaker(s):

  • Brodie Brickey

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - MelissaData - #239

Title: Introduction to MongoDB

Abstract: Getting started with MongoDB is not always easy. This gentle introduction goes heavy on the demo to show you what it feels like to use MongoDB as a developer. Rather than relying on extra frameworks and such, we’ll access MongoDB directly from the shell and Node, and see how you achieve both simple and complex data manipulation tasks.

Along the way, we’ll cuts through some myths and misunderstandings surrounding MongoDB. You will learn what’s unique about this database, how best to leverage its capabilities, and be well positioned to decide if this is a good fit for application.

Speaker(s):

  • Nuri Halperin

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - WhereScape - #249

Title: Running SQL Server on AWS

Abstract: Learn how Amazon Relational Database Services (RDS) helps SQL Server DBAs focus their time where it matters most. We will cover Amazon RDS for SQL Server features and the key differences between running deployments on Amazon Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2) and Amazon RDS.

Speaker(s):

  • Vlad Vlasceanu

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - AWS - #235

Title: Migrate Your Database to PostgreSQL

Abstract: PostgreSQL, or in its shorter name, Postgres, is a FOSS (Free and Open Source) Database Engine that has gained a lot of traction over the past decade. It is fast, reliable, and scalable, and is used in production by many large organizations around the world.

In this session I will cover a brief overview of Postgres, cover the benefits of migrating to it, and show a demo of you can migrate a SQL Server database to Postgres.

Speaker(s):

  • Igal Sapir

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - AWS - #235

Title: Columnstore Indexes for Everyone

Abstract: Columnstore indexes are available to all SQL Server editions, Express to Enterprise, starting with SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 1. They can save disk space, increase query performance, and combine OLTP and OLAP workloads. Should you change all your tables to columnstores? Let’s find out!

Speaker(s):

  • Mike Burek

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - #248 - DatAvail

Title: How to Be an MVP (in Life and a Microsoft MVP)

Abstract: Many times we look at the success of others and think it is beyond us. In this session, 12 time Microsoft MVP and author of How to Be an MVP in Life, David Lundell, will share stories from fellow Microsoft MVPs, and some sports MVPs illustrating key attribute in professional and personal development relating to becoming a Microsoft MVP, and even more importantly becoming an MVP in Life.

Speaker(s):

  • David Lundell

Track and Room: Professional Development and Personal Branding - Microsoft - #234

Title: How to screw up a Power BI implementation

Abstract: We’ve all screwed something up, haven’t we? Assembling Ikea furniture, reverse parking…. presenting at a SQLSaturday. Ben was an early adopted of Power BI and thus had to learn a lot of things the hard way. In this presentation, Ben will run you through lessons learnt around the Data Gateway, BI prototyping, report development and deployment, customer engagement and more. Come along to this session to learn about some of the best and worst Power BI Practices.

Speaker(s):

  • Ben Oastler

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - VMware - #246

Title: Job Seeker BootCamp: Resumes, Interviews Salary Negotiation

Abstract: Job Seeker skills are something you can take with you throughout your career. In this session, Stacey Broadwell will lead attendees through the full lifecycle of job seeking. Resume building, profile advertising, interviewing salary negotiation. Bring your resume and your laptops and lets roll up our sleeves and bust some myths on interviewing.

Speaker(s):

  • Stacey Broadwell

Track and Room: Professional Development and Personal Branding - CozyRoc - #233

Title: Data Preparation with Power BI Desktop M – Strategy, Tactics and Tips

Abstract: In today’s world reporting and analytics are no longer focused exclusively on internal data from transactional systems and the data warehouse. Mashups of data from corporate, partner, commercial and public sources are the new normal. In this presentation we will review traditional strategies for data cleanup, explore Power BI Desktop features for data exploration and look at Power BI Desktop configuration tips. Building readable, reusable and shareable cleanup scripts in M using the Power Query Advanced Editor will also be covered.

Speaker(s):

  • Phil Robinson

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - WhereScape - #249

Title: ElasticSearch - A look at the ELK stack and visualizing data with Canvas

Abstract: My company uses a NoSQL style database engine. As such we have no access to standard database functions like relational queries. To get around this we built an ElasticSearch caching layer on top of our database to make complex queries, but we got so much more than just a caching layer by choosing ElasticSearch.

In this talk we will cover a variety of out of the box features you get with ElasticSearch, why ElasticSearch is so popular, and what it can do for your company, even if you don’t have the type of database handicaps a noSQL install might create.

Speaker(s):

  • Christopher Dobler

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - AWS - #235

Title: Getting Started with Azure Databricks Delta

Abstract: Databricks Delta is a single data management tool that combines the scale of a data lake, the reliability and performance of a data warehouse, and the low latency of streaming in a single system for the first time. This session will go over the basics of what Databricks Delta is and how it can be used as part of your Data Platform.

Speaker(s):

  • Andrew Karcher

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - VMware - #246

Title: Google Cloud Platform: Introduction

Abstract: Google Cloud Platform provides a vast array of global infrastructure, compute, and storage resources. How do all of these parts work together? How do you manage and monitor serverless applications? This session will provide a survey of GCP offerings, how they can be practically structured and assembled, and how you can get up and running.

Speaker(s):

  • Mark Mucchetti

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - Attunix - #242

Title: Why is Python in SQL Server?

Abstract: SQL Server 2017 supports Python. Does that seem weird? What can this be used for?

Maybe you heard data scientists like it. Does anyone else? Turns out, Python can be used for DBA and t-sql developer tasks!

Come see how to use Python to import, profile, and manipulate data. We can also create better email with formatted tables and graphs. Maybe you can start using Python in your t-sql code.

Speaker(s):

  • Mike Burek

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - WhereScape - #249

Title: Add some Spark to your Data Processing Pipeline

Abstract: Azure Databricks is an Apache Spark-based analytics platform optimized for the Microsoft Azure cloud services platform. Designed with the founders of Apache Spark, Databricks is integrated with Azure to provide one-click setup, streamlined workflows, and an interactive workspace that enables collaboration between data scientists, data engineers, and business analysts. This session will cover the basics of Azure Databricks, how to start developing applications within Azure Databricks.

Speaker(s):

  • Andrew Karcher

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - CozyRoc - #233

Title: Virtualizing SQL Server on vSphere. Doing it Right!

Abstract: For most DBAs virtualization is no longer a matter of “If” but “When”. This means it is critical for DBAs to understand how this technology works and how we can ensure we get the most performance and scalability out of it. In this session we will look at some of the best practices and gotchas when Designing Standalone and Highly Available SQL deployments in a vSphere environment. We’ll also cover how to troubleshoot performance issues when they arise.

Speaker(s):

  • SQLSaturday in LA

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - VMware - #246

Title: Why Cloud Databases like Amazon Aurora are more Scalable and Reliable

Abstract: Amazon Aurora is a fully managed MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database with the speed, reliability, and availability of commercial databases at one-tenth the cost. It is up to five times faster than standard MySQL databases and three times faster than standard PostgreSQL databases. This session provides an overview of Aurora, explores Aurora features, such as serverless, global databases, multi-master, replication and multi-AZ failover, and helps you get started.

Speaker(s):

  • Vlad Vlasceanu

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - AWS - #235

Title: Make sense of real-time data using Elasticsearch

Abstract: Elasticsearch is a data store built for addressing various data challenges using the foundations of speed, scale and relevance. It provides advanced querying, search and real-time analytics capabilities. Throughout this talk, Arthur Gimpel, Solutions Architect at Elastic, will introduce Elasticsearch and the Elastic Stack, demonstrate different use cases of using it as a main data store, or alongside with your current databases, using the polyglot persistence architectural approach.

Speaker(s):

  • Arthur Gimpel

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - #235 - AWS

Title: SQL on Linux

Abstract: You are interested in running SQL on Linux. But, don’t know how to get started. In this presentation, we will share with you the software and hardware you need. We will walk you through the steps on installing and configuring VirtualBox, Ubuntu Server, PUTTY, SQL Server 2019 on Ubuntu. We will review the basic administration steps such as start and stop the SQL Server services on Linux and backup and restore a database on Linux and checking CPU usage, disk i/o, and disk space. By the end of the presentation, you will have the required knowledge to setup your own lab and continue your journey on further learning of SQL on Linux.

Speaker(s):

  • JP Chen

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - DatAvail - #248

Title: It’s Not Your Fault, It’s the SQL Server Default

Abstract: When you see those little green checkmarks, then you know your new SQL Server instance is ready to go, right? Not exactly. Your fresh installation has several questionable default settings that could cause headaches and heartburn in the future. In this session we will identify the instance and database defaults that could lead to disaster. We’ll also discuss how you can modify them to improve performance and avoid unnecessary problems.

Speaker(s):

  • Jeff Iannucci

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - DatAvail - #248

Title: Setting up a test lab with Hyper-V

Abstract: So, you want to play with SQL server and/or Windows Server but you don’t have extra hardware lying around. In this session I’ll go over creating the necessary virtual networking and virtual machines to allow you to do this and protect your local network from possible harm.

Speaker(s):

  • Jay Falck

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - Microsoft - #234

Title: SSRS - Thinking Outside the Report

Abstract: Most of us use SSRS to create reports, maybe send out notifications or provide data outputs for users to consume, but what if you needed to give your user the ability to run a job on demand, or modify data or execute a SSIS package? Can SSRS do that? Yes it and I will show you how.

Speaker(s):

  • Elaena Bakman

Track and Room: Data Presentation, Visualization, and Analytics - MelissaData - #239

Title: SQL Query Foundations

Abstract: Prerequisite: None. Some prior experience with SQL will be helpful. This tutorial will focus on crucial foundational knowledge needed to retrieve data from SQL tables, i.e., the “R” (Read) in CRUD. Throughout, the emphasis is on concepts, rules, and avoiding “gotchas” - not on syntax. Topics covered will include: A review of SELECT statement, Logical Execution Order of SQL SELECT’s clauses, How SQL JOINs work, NULL values, etc.

Speaker(s):

  • Amod Singhal

Track and Room: Database Administration and Development - DatAvail - #248

Title: From Zero to Hero: Start Machine Learning using Azure ML studio

Abstract: The session aim is to get people excited and curious more about ML without digging in coding or deep concepts.

We will explore ML Azure offering, Some ML concepts, ML Studio, create an experiment from Scratch and show how ML can target common business challenges like demand projection or price targeting

Lots of hands-on

Speaker(s):

  • Mohamed Mawla

Track and Room: Private and Public Cloud Architecture and Infrastructure - WhereScape - #249

Speakers

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

Ted Stathakis

Twitter: - fishheadted

LinkedIn: Ted Stathakis

Contact: http://fishheadted.com

Ted Stathakis is a data professional passionate about the presentation layer. He has worked with SQL Server since the turn of the century, has mastered Reporting Services since he began working with it when it was released in 2004, and is super excited about Mobile Reports and Power BI. Ted hosts the local PASS user group, is the organizer of SQLSaturday Orange County and presented on SSRS at Summit in 2019. As a 40+ year veteran of the restaurant industry, he is been an advisor, speaker and panelist at national trade shows. When he isn’t consulting on Business Intelligence projects he can be found presenting at a conference, enjoying some live music or teaching kids, both young and old, fishing and archery at a nearby Scout camp.

Satish Jayanthi

LinkedIn: Satish Jayanthi

Satish Jayanthi is a highly experienced data warehouse specialist whose primary focus has been building Cloud data infrastructure using WhereScape’s automation capabilities. Before joining WhereScape as a Sr. Solutions architect in April 2016, Satish has worked in various capacities such as a director, technology strategist, architect, and a consultant for several large financial firms. He has a bachelors in Electronics and Telecommunications from India, and a Masters in Computer Science from CalState Long Beach, California. When he’s not working, he enjoys being outdoors hiking, playing tennis, and spending quality time with family.

Elaena Bakman

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

LinkedIn: Elaena Bakman

For the first 15 years of my IT career I worked as a CRM Developer, but have been passionate about SQL since SQL Server 6.4. Five years ago I finally made the switch to the dark side and never looked back. I currently work as a Sr. Database Architect specializing in SSIS, SSRS, RDS, EC2 and enterprise level cloud migration.

SQLSaturday in LA

Twitter: - http://www.twitter/sqlsatla

LinkedIn: SQLSaturday in LA

Contact: http://www.instagram.com/sqlsatla

What is SQLSaturday? http://www.sqlsaturday.com/773 @SQLSatLA #SQLSatLA PASS SQLSaturday is a free 1-day training event for SQL Server professionals that focus on local speakers, providing a variety of high-quality technical sessions, and making it all happen through the efforts of volunteers. Hundreds of SQL Server and other IT professionals will be in attendance. With 6 simultaneous tracks potentially offering 40+ sessions in anything from database administration to performance tuning as well as business intelligence and professional development conducted by MVP-grade speakers. SQLSaturday is an invaluable learning and networking opportunity for SQL professionals and a great way to spend a Saturday.

Steve Rezhener

Twitter: - SteveRezhener

LinkedIn: Steve Rezhener

Contact: https://www.datasteve.com

Steve Rezhener is a database professional most enthusiastic about Microsoft BI stack. He started his IT career trying to outsmart Excel using VBA, moved to VB 6.0, VB.NET, C# and suddenly got addicted to SQL Server 2005 and related tools. His lunch menu for 10+ years consisted of SSIS SSRS with some occasional SSAS for breakfast. Steve is super excited about the innovation baked into AWS, Azure, PowerBI, and SQL Server 2017. Steve is a holder of relics such as DBA Microsoft certifications on SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008. He is an organizer of SQLSaturday in Los Angeles (#SQLSatLA), LA Data Platform (aka SQLMalibu) and is an SQLSaturday speaker. When he isn’t dealing with data, he fixes a kitchen, plays an XBOX and enjoys his kids.

Amod Singhal

LinkedIn: Amod Singhal

I am an independent IT Consultant with over 20 years of experience in different roles, most recently as a Technical Business Systems Analyst. I enjoy making complex technical material easy to understand.

Nuri Halperin

Twitter: - nurih

LinkedIn: Nuri Halperin

Contact: https://plusnconsulting.com/

Nuri Halperin is a software architect, speaker, and author. He helps companies develop scalable systems, websites, and business applications. He’s been turning projects into success stories for a variety clients for over 2 decades.

Nuri is an author of several Pluralsight courses. He’s also a Microsoft MVP, a MongoDB Master, and recipient of MongoDB’s William Zola Award for Community Excellence.

Stacey Broadwell

Twitter: - StaceyBroadwell

LinkedIn: Stacey Broadwell

Stacey Broadwell is a Southern California native from Orange County and a 3x sponsored snowboarder who competed extensively in Halfpipe, Big Air and Slopestyle competitions. Stacey graduated college from San Diego State University with a B.S. in Finance and worked as a Business Analyst for three years before launching her first company, IT Talent Search. Now, Stacey manages a full stack marketing agency that helps companies attract talent and tell their employer brand story via live events.

Andrew Karcher

Twitter: - @akarcher

Contact: http://www.andrewkarcher.com

Andrew is a Data Professional that is super passionate about the ability of data to drive change in our world, work, and personal lives. He has over 15 years of experience across multiple roles, companies and technologies. A passion for learning is core to how I approach life. Over 10+ years I have spoken at User Groups, Code Camps, SQLSaturdays and Conferences along with supporting my local community as a SQLSaturday Organizer, User Group leader, and advocate for community involvement for all technology professionals. I was also recognized by Microsoft as a four-time SQL Server MVP for my technical community contributions.

Ben Oastler

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

LinkedIn: Ben Oastler

Contact: https://www.bizdata.com.au/blogs.php

Ben has over 12 years of experience working with data and Business Intelligence, in particular the Microsoft stack. Starting out as an ETL developer, Ben has developed his career across all aspects BI from managing, project management, programming and training. Ben has a passion for art and performance and lists public speaking and mentoring as close to his heart. Ben’s employer placed him in New York City in 2018 to handle all operations across North America.

Ted Stathakis

Twitter: - fishheadted

LinkedIn: Ted Stathakis

Contact: http://fishheadted.com

Ted Stathakis is a data professional passionate about the presentation layer. He has worked with SQL Server since the turn of the century, has mastered Reporting Services since he began working with it when it was released in 2004, and is super excited about Mobile Reports and Power BI. Ted hosts the local PASS user group, is the organizer of SQLSaturday Orange County and presented on SSRS at Summit in 2019. As a 40+ year veteran of the restaurant industry, he is been an advisor, speaker and panelist at national trade shows. When he isn’t consulting on Business Intelligence projects he can be found presenting at a conference, enjoying some live music or teaching kids, both young and old, fishing and archery at a nearby Scout camp.

Mark Mucchetti

LinkedIn: Mark Mucchetti

Contact: https://virtu.is

I am a technology leader with a strong focus on managing and mentoring talented teams to successful production of real business value. As a software engineer I learned the value of strong agile process methodology and disciplined enterprise architecture. I believe in services, platforms, and product-oriented delivery. As a leader, I strive to combine the technical and the personal to motivate people to do what they do best – focus, code, and release. When that falls into place, computers also get to do what they do best – keep running while we spend time with friends and family. My philosophy is that these two things need not be mutually unattainable!

Armando Lacerda

Twitter: - arlacerda

LinkedIn: Armando Lacerda

Over 30 years in the computing field as a developer and system integrator; over 20 years working with SQL Server since version 6; cross platform experience with Oracle and IBM SQL/DS and DB2; Microsoft Certified Trainer for over 20 years.

DeNisha Malone

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

LinkedIn: DeNisha Malone

Contact: https://www.denisham.com

DeNisha fell in love with data modeling and management while tutoring T-SQL Querying in college. She self-taught herself Power BI’s functionalities after a Business Intelligence internship in fall of 2015 - and has been sticking with the development of Microsoft’s BI suite ever since; growing tremendously as the application spreads through enterprises.

Outside of BI, her hobbies include mentoring and working with non-profits to enhance IT in the minority communities.

Eric Blinn

Twitter: - @SQL2TheSequel

LinkedIn: Eric Blinn

Contact: https://ericblinn.com/

Eric has been a SQL Server DBA in the legal, software, transportation, and insurance industries for over 10 years. Currently he is the Sr Data Architect for Squire Patton Boggs, a leading provider of legal services with 47 offices in 20 countries.

Eric is a 2018-2019 Idera Ace and has co-authored 2 Idera Whitepapers.

He has been a presenter at PASS Summit, SQLSaturdays, the in.sight transportation conference, and the Ohio North SQL Server User’s Group.

Phil Robinson

Phil Robinson is an independent consultant focused on developing Business Intelligence solutions using Microsoft Reporting Services and Power BI. He is founder of the San Diego SQL Business Intelligence Group and co-founder of SQLSaturday – San Diego.

Armando Lacerda

Twitter: - arlacerda

LinkedIn: Armando Lacerda

Over 30 years in the computing field as a developer and system integrator; over 20 years working with SQL Server since version 6; cross platform experience with Oracle and IBM SQL/DS and DB2; Microsoft Certified Trainer for over 20 years.

Brett Powell

Twitter: - https://twitter.com/BrettPowell76

LinkedIn: Brett Powell

Contact: https://insightsquest.com/

Brett is the author of the Microsoft Power BI Cookbook, Mastering Power BI, and an active technical blogger on Insight Quest (https://insightsquest.com). Brett also owns Frontline Analytics, LLC, a data and analytics consulting firm specializing in the Microsoft data platform. Brett has held multiple BI and analytics roles within corporate analytics functions, BI/IT organizations, and as a consultant for Microsoft BI Partner firms. Outside of work Brett contributes to the Power BI Community and the Boston Business Intelligence User Group.

Benjamin Nevarez

Twitter: - @BenjaminNevarez

Contact: http://www.benjaminnevarez.com/

Benjamin Nevarez is a SQL Server independent consultant based in Los Angeles, California, who specializes in SQL Server query tuning and optimization. He is the author of “SQL Server 2014 Query Tuning amp; Optimization” and “Inside the SQL Server Query Optimizer” and co-author of “SQL Server 2012 Internals.quot; Benjamin has also been a speaker at many SQL Server conferences, including PASS Summit, SQL Server Connections, and SQLBits. His blog can be found at http://www.benjaminnevarez.com.

Mohamed Mawla

Trilingual Principal Consultant amp; Team Tech lead at a global Tech Consulting Mohamed had worked with large SQL server environments such as financials and gov of hundreds of SQL server instances and enormous amounts of data. His favorite subjects are Cloud Analytics, performance tuning, High Availability, especially Replication and Disaster recovery. Certified Google Cloud and Azure Data Engineer.

When not working, Mohamed carries his cameras and takes a trip somewhere.

SQLSaturday in LA

Twitter: - http://www.twitter/sqlsatla

LinkedIn: SQLSaturday in LA

Contact: http://www.instagram.com/sqlsatla

What is SQLSaturday? http://www.sqlsaturday.com/773 @SQLSatLA #SQLSatLA PASS SQLSaturday is a free 1-day training event for SQL Server professionals that focus on local speakers, providing a variety of high-quality technical sessions, and making it all happen through the efforts of volunteers. Hundreds of SQL Server and other IT professionals will be in attendance. With 6 simultaneous tracks potentially offering 40+ sessions in anything from database administration to performance tuning as well as business intelligence and professional development conducted by MVP-grade speakers. SQLSaturday is an invaluable learning and networking opportunity for SQL professionals and a great way to spend a Saturday.

Brodie Brickey

LinkedIn: Brodie Brickey

Over eighteen years in Information Technology developing solutions for companies. I specialize in integrating information from disparate systems for legal and financial firms. PMP ITIL certified.

John Wells

Twitter: - @SQLServerDBA318

LinkedIn: John Wells

Contact: https://sqlrookieinthe318.wordpress.com/

I’m a DBA at Lamar Advertising in Baton Rouge. I’m a member of the Baton Rouge User Groups Board as well as a co-organizer for the ONLY SQLSaturday that serves Jambalaya for lunch! I started speaking in 2018 and enjoy everything about this powerful community! I enjoy performance tuning, helping developers with best practices and DBATools.

Charles Embry Jr

Twitter: - dbacharles

LinkedIn: Charles Embry Jr

Mr. Embry is the current Database Administrator/Programmer for the Choice Medical group in Apple Valley, Ca. He has previously been the Database Administrator/Programmer at the Snowline Joint Unified School District.

Mr Embry has present at several SQLSaturday events in Southern California, he has also presented at the Aeries User Conference and CETPA Annual Conference.

David Lundell

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

LinkedIn: David Lundell

Contact: http://Blog.ilmbestpractices.com

Author of How to Be an MVP in Life, Author of FIM Best Practices Volume 1, Microsoft MVP, Speaker, Entrepreneur and Consultant. 20+ years in IT. MBA, BS Computer Engineering both at University of Arizona. Helped establish database care and feeding best practices among Microsoft Identity Management professionals. Created unique SSIS and SSAS based solutions to problems in the Identity Management area.

SQLSaturday in LA

Twitter: - http://www.twitter/sqlsatla

LinkedIn: SQLSaturday in LA

Contact: http://www.instagram.com/sqlsatla

What is SQLSaturday? http://www.sqlsaturday.com/773 @SQLSatLA #SQLSatLA PASS SQLSaturday is a free 1-day training event for SQL Server professionals that focus on local speakers, providing a variety of high-quality technical sessions, and making it all happen through the efforts of volunteers. Hundreds of SQL Server and other IT professionals will be in attendance. With 6 simultaneous tracks potentially offering 40+ sessions in anything from database administration to performance tuning as well as business intelligence and professional development conducted by MVP-grade speakers. SQLSaturday is an invaluable learning and networking opportunity for SQL professionals and a great way to spend a Saturday.

Ami Levin

Twitter: - ami_levin

LinkedIn: Ami Levin

Contact: http://www.amilevin.com

Ami is a data nerd that has been designing, consulting, training, writing, and speaking about SQL, relational modeling, and data platform architecture for more than 20 years. Currently works as a freelance consultant, senior SQL instructor at O’Reilly Media, as an author for PluralSight and LinkedIn Learning.

Phillip Seamark

Twitter: - PhilSeamark

LinkedIn: Phillip Seamark

An accomplished database and business intelligence (BI) professional with an in-depth knowledge of the Microsoft BI stack along with extensive knowledge of data warehouse (DW) methodologies and enterprise data modelling.

Expert knowledge in all facets of BI/DW including planning architecture, project management, dimensional modelling, performance tuning, ETL design, development and optimization, report and dashboard design as well as installation and administration. Author of multiple books on DAX.

Over 27 years of commercial experience in delivering business applications across a broad range of technologies.

SQLSaturday in LA

Twitter: - http://www.twitter/sqlsatla

LinkedIn: SQLSaturday in LA

Contact: http://www.instagram.com/sqlsatla

What is SQLSaturday? http://www.sqlsaturday.com/773 @SQLSatLA #SQLSatLA PASS SQLSaturday is a free 1-day training event for SQL Server professionals that focus on local speakers, providing a variety of high-quality technical sessions, and making it all happen through the efforts of volunteers. Hundreds of SQL Server and other IT professionals will be in attendance. With 6 simultaneous tracks potentially offering 40+ sessions in anything from database administration to performance tuning as well as business intelligence and professional development conducted by MVP-grade speakers. SQLSaturday is an invaluable learning and networking opportunity for SQL professionals and a great way to spend a Saturday.

Jay Falck

Twitter: - @jayfalck

LinkedIn: Jay Falck

I started as a night shift computer operator out of high school. I moved to applications development after graduation from SAC. After a few years with the State as an applications developer, the manager of Systems Programming decided it would be better to have me on the inside looking out rather than on the outside trying to get in. I spent the next 14 years as a mainframe system programmer for two state agencies. In 1996 I moved to Healthcare IT and have been that ever since. I’ve spent most of the past 14 years doing ETL, performance and HIPAA security. In these various jobs, I’ve used all manner of databases including InfoTec IMP, IBM VSAM and DB2, Interbase, Informix, Universe, Oracle 9i and SQL Server from 6.0 to 2008 R2.

Jeff Iannucci

Twitter: - DesertDBA

LinkedIn: Jeff Iannucci

Contact: https://desertdba.com/

Jeff Iannucci is a Senior Database Administrator for DriveTime in Tempe, AZ. He has over 20 years of SQL Server experience as both a DBA and Developer in diverse environments such as health care, finance, retail sales, and government. He writes about solving problems for database professionals on both twitter (@DesertDBA) and his blog (desertdba.com), and has been chosen as an IDERA ACE for 2020.

SQLSaturday in LA

Twitter: - http://www.twitter/sqlsatla

LinkedIn: SQLSaturday in LA

Contact: http://www.instagram.com/sqlsatla

What is SQLSaturday? http://www.sqlsaturday.com/773 @SQLSatLA #SQLSatLA PASS SQLSaturday is a free 1-day training event for SQL Server professionals that focus on local speakers, providing a variety of high-quality technical sessions, and making it all happen through the efforts of volunteers. Hundreds of SQL Server and other IT professionals will be in attendance. With 6 simultaneous tracks potentially offering 40+ sessions in anything from database administration to performance tuning as well as business intelligence and professional development conducted by MVP-grade speakers. SQLSaturday is an invaluable learning and networking opportunity for SQL professionals and a great way to spend a Saturday.

Michelle Gutzait

Twitter: - mgutzait

LinkedIn: Michelle Gutzait

Contact: http://Google me!

Involved in IT for more than 30 years as a developer, business analyst and database consultant. Worked exclusively with Microsoft SQL Server for the past 20+ years, consulting for many and diverse clients. Skills include everything related to SQL Server: infrastructure and database design, Performance tuning, security, High Availability, consolidation, Disaster Recovery, Cloud migrations and much more! Also active in the community as a speaker and a Blogger. One of the Organizers of the PASS Chapter in Montreal.

Jeff Prom

Twitter: - @JeffProm

LinkedIn: Jeff Prom

Contact: http://www.jeffprom.com

Jeff Prom is a Data and BI Developer with over 19 years experience. From a wide variety of industries, he has worked with corporations both large and small including several global fortune 50 companies. Jeff is an active member in the SQL community and regularly speaks and attends user groups and conferences. He has earned MCTS certifications for Database Development, Administration, and BI. Jeff is currently employed at Bridgepoint Education as a Business Intelligence Data Architect.

Sepand Gojgini

Twitter: - @SwissArmySQL

LinkedIn: Sepand Gojgini

Product Director at Datateam Services, 10+ years of experience designing data warehouse model and ETL engines used globally. Had a chance of working on world biggest relational Data Warehouse at Amazon managing 5+ PetaByte of data with growth 7+ TeraByte daily. Seeking to apply best software development practices to ETL development and streamlining development process.

Brodie Brickey

LinkedIn: Brodie Brickey

Over eighteen years in Information Technology developing solutions for companies. I specialize in integrating information from disparate systems for legal and financial firms. PMP ITIL certified.

John Wells

Twitter: - @SQLServerDBA318

LinkedIn: John Wells

Contact: https://sqlrookieinthe318.wordpress.com/

I’m a DBA at Lamar Advertising in Baton Rouge. I’m a member of the Baton Rouge User Groups Board as well as a co-organizer for the ONLY SQLSaturday that serves Jambalaya for lunch! I started speaking in 2018 and enjoy everything about this powerful community! I enjoy performance tuning, helping developers with best practices and DBATools.

Charles Embry Jr

Twitter: - dbacharles

LinkedIn: Charles Embry Jr

Mr. Embry is the current Database Administrator/Programmer for the Choice Medical group in Apple Valley, Ca. He has previously been the Database Administrator/Programmer at the Snowline Joint Unified School District.

Mr Embry has present at several SQLSaturday events in Southern California, he has also presented at the Aeries User Conference and CETPA Annual Conference.

Igal Sapir

LinkedIn: Igal Sapir

With over 20 years of experience in designing and implementing scalable, data driven, web applications. I am an open source advocate with a deep and extensive knowledge in the field of software development, networks, servers, etc.

Nowadays I mostly help organizations to save money by becoming more efficient and replacing expensive commercial products with more efficient and free of charge open source products.

I am a member of the Apache Tomcat Project Management Committee, and the Lucee Application Server Technical Advisory Group, and my favorite technologies include Java, Tomcat, Lucee, PostgreSQL, Go, Docker, Kubernetes, Kafka, and many more.

Armando Lacerda

Twitter: - arlacerda

LinkedIn: Armando Lacerda

Over 30 years in the computing field as a developer and system integrator; over 20 years working with SQL Server since version 6; cross platform experience with Oracle and IBM SQL/DS and DB2; Microsoft Certified Trainer for over 20 years.

DeNisha Malone

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

LinkedIn: DeNisha Malone

Contact: https://www.denisham.com

DeNisha fell in love with data modeling and management while tutoring T-SQL Querying in college. She self-taught herself Power BI’s functionalities after a Business Intelligence internship in fall of 2015 - and has been sticking with the development of Microsoft’s BI suite ever since; growing tremendously as the application spreads through enterprises.

Outside of BI, her hobbies include mentoring and working with non-profits to enhance IT in the minority communities.

Eric Blinn

Twitter: - @SQL2TheSequel

LinkedIn: Eric Blinn

Contact: https://ericblinn.com/

Eric has been a SQL Server DBA in the legal, software, transportation, and insurance industries for over 10 years. Currently he is the Sr Data Architect for Squire Patton Boggs, a leading provider of legal services with 47 offices in 20 countries.

Eric is a 2018-2019 Idera Ace and has co-authored 2 Idera Whitepapers.

He has been a presenter at PASS Summit, SQLSaturdays, the in.sight transportation conference, and the Ohio North SQL Server User’s Group.

Andrew Karcher

Twitter: - @akarcher

Contact: http://www.andrewkarcher.com

Andrew is a Data Professional that is super passionate about the ability of data to drive change in our world, work, and personal lives. He has over 15 years of experience across multiple roles, companies and technologies. A passion for learning is core to how I approach life. Over 10+ years I have spoken at User Groups, Code Camps, SQLSaturdays and Conferences along with supporting my local community as a SQLSaturday Organizer, User Group leader, and advocate for community involvement for all technology professionals. I was also recognized by Microsoft as a four-time SQL Server MVP for my technical community contributions.

Vlad Vlasceanu

Vlad Vlasceanu is a Principal DB Specialist Solutions at AWS, based in Santa Monica, California. Vlad helps customers adopt cloud-native database solutions, like Amazon Aurora, and deploy large scale, high performance database architectures on AWS. His focus is on designing and implementing sustainable, cost effective and scalable database workloads that take advantage of the latest best practices and capabilities the AWS platform offers. Prior to joining AWS, Vlad’s career included over 15 years of designing and developing both consumer focused web-based applications as well as data-driven applications for the Energy industry. Vlad holds a Masters’ of Science in Information Systems from Baylor University.

Ami Levin

Twitter: - ami_levin

LinkedIn: Ami Levin

Contact: http://www.amilevin.com

Ami is a data nerd that has been designing, consulting, training, writing, and speaking about SQL, relational modeling, and data platform architecture for more than 20 years. Currently works as a freelance consultant, senior SQL instructor at O’Reilly Media, as an author for PluralSight and LinkedIn Learning.

Phillip Seamark

Twitter: - PhilSeamark

LinkedIn: Phillip Seamark

An accomplished database and business intelligence (BI) professional with an in-depth knowledge of the Microsoft BI stack along with extensive knowledge of data warehouse (DW) methodologies and enterprise data modelling.

Expert knowledge in all facets of BI/DW including planning architecture, project management, dimensional modelling, performance tuning, ETL design, development and optimization, report and dashboard design as well as installation and administration. Author of multiple books on DAX.

Over 27 years of commercial experience in delivering business applications across a broad range of technologies.

Patrick Partin

Twitter: - @GingerDBA

LinkedIn: Patrick Partin

Like most, Patrick accidentally found his way into SQL Server because MS Access couldn’t handle Real Estate, even if it was Connecticut. After discovering that DBAs can get paid pretty well to drink coffee and argue all day, a career was born. 20 something years later, Patrick has been fortunate to Administer, Architect, Develop, and Manage Databases, Networking, Storage, and Linux/Windows Systems of all shapes and sizes, covering companies in Accounting, Finance, Higher Education, Radio, Real Estate, Payroll, and now, Transportation Analytics.

Kevin Mackey

Twitter: - @kevinjmackey

LinkedIn: Kevin Mackey

Contact: https://kjmackey.wordpress.com

Kevin a software architect with a track record of creative and effective delivery of results for organizations who want to translate data into information.

With a background as a trainer Kevin can explain complex technologies and concepts in easy to understand language. By the same token, he can take complex business problems and express them in terms technology teams can use to derive solutions.

Kevin has a focus on automation of data movement, analysis, information delivery, and of the code to accomplish this.

Vlad Vlasceanu

Vlad Vlasceanu is a Principal DB Specialist Solutions at AWS, based in Santa Monica, California. Vlad helps customers adopt cloud-native database solutions, like Amazon Aurora, and deploy large scale, high performance database architectures on AWS. His focus is on designing and implementing sustainable, cost effective and scalable database workloads that take advantage of the latest best practices and capabilities the AWS platform offers. Prior to joining AWS, Vlad’s career included over 15 years of designing and developing both consumer focused web-based applications as well as data-driven applications for the Energy industry. Vlad holds a Masters’ of Science in Information Systems from Baylor University.

Michelle Gutzait

Twitter: - mgutzait

LinkedIn: Michelle Gutzait

Contact: http://Google me!

Involved in IT for more than 30 years as a developer, business analyst and database consultant. Worked exclusively with Microsoft SQL Server for the past 20+ years, consulting for many and diverse clients. Skills include everything related to SQL Server: infrastructure and database design, Performance tuning, security, High Availability, consolidation, Disaster Recovery, Cloud migrations and much more! Also active in the community as a speaker and a Blogger. One of the Organizers of the PASS Chapter in Montreal.

Kevin Mackey

Twitter: - @kevinjmackey

LinkedIn: Kevin Mackey

Contact: https://kjmackey.wordpress.com

Kevin a software architect with a track record of creative and effective delivery of results for organizations who want to translate data into information.

With a background as a trainer Kevin can explain complex technologies and concepts in easy to understand language. By the same token, he can take complex business problems and express them in terms technology teams can use to derive solutions.

Kevin has a focus on automation of data movement, analysis, information delivery, and of the code to accomplish this.

Mike Burek

Twitter: - mikeburek

LinkedIn: Mike Burek

Contact: http://tikiwiki.mikeburek.com

He started by building a complete computerized inventory management system for a multi-state store. Next, he managed Texas Medicare and Medicaid claim data to keep it processing, and building new monitoring metrics. Afterwards, he processed and analyzed marketing data on tens of millions of customers and sent hundreds of millions of multi-lingual marketing messages worldwide. Upgrading those marketing skills, he then worked to process and query tune marketing data for tens of thousands of worldwide enterprise customers, bringing in tens of millions of dollars per campaign. Now he monitors database servers to keep them running well, tunes queries, and helps businesses build new ETL processes. He also runs the Austin, TX user group.

Jeff Bertman

LinkedIn: Jeff Bertman

Jeffrey Bertman is a “data everything” specialist, supporting small to large Fortune 500 and government organizations for over 20 years, e.g., Warner Brothers, Verizon, ATT, Geico, Airlines, DoD, DoJ, et al. He serves as CTO and lead data scientist/engineer for Dfuse Technologies, a technical consultancy with a data boutique practice and nationwide footprints in the commercial and government arenas, including Google, Apple, Wells Fargo, Deloitte, U.S. DoD, DoT, Defense Health Agency, FDA, HHS/NIH, DC Courts and more.

From strategy through operations and mentoring, Mr. Bertman leverages leading edge technologies to build business success based on real world drivers, e.g., market share, revenue, profit, quality, security, efficiencies, et

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.

Simon Cho

LinkedIn: Simon Cho

Contact: http://simonsql.com

Simon Cho is one of the founders of SQLAngeles.com, which is a Los Angeles Korean Tech PASS community group.

As a Local Group leader, he is a Microsoft SQL community speaker. He has presented many times at SQLSaturdays and to PASS Local Groups.

He moved his passion to VISA Inc, the largest credit card provider in the world, where he used database technology to build a strong solution and a secure environment, with new strategies and features to maintain thousands of SQL Servers.

He has now joined the Nowcom Corp, as a Director of DevOps, where he leads the DevOps team and DBA team.

He is pretty much working on SQL server running on kubernetes.

Arthur Gimpel

LinkedIn: Arthur Gimpel

I’m a data geek. I started my path in the industry as a SQL Server DBA. At around 2012, I decided to invest all of my time in NoSQL technologies, like Elasticsearch, MongoDB and a few others which I believed in. These days, I am working as a Solutions Architect at Elastic, aiming to solve various challenges with realtime search and analytics technology which is built for Speed, Scale and Relevance.

Paul Stanton

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

LinkedIn: Paul Stanton

Contact: https://www.windocks.com/blog-2

Co-founder of Windocks, Paul is a former Microsoft engineer who is focused on delivering solutions for SQL Server development and test, including SQL Server containers and database cloning.

Suresh Datla

LinkedIn: Suresh Datla

Worked on the Microsoft stack for 19 years now. Built successful Data Analytics Practices before. Currently focused on Data Platform, Data Analytics, Power BI and ML. I do Dashboard in a day sessions at Irvine MTC once every month. I also, conduct OC power BI user group to build a strong Power BI Community. Worked with SQL Server product since it was version 7 and Power BI since its inception.

David Lundell

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

LinkedIn: David Lundell

Contact: http://Blog.ilmbestpractices.com

Author of How to Be an MVP in Life, Author of FIM Best Practices Volume 1, Microsoft MVP, Speaker, Entrepreneur and Consultant. 20+ years in IT. MBA, BS Computer Engineering both at University of Arizona. Helped establish database care and feeding best practices among Microsoft Identity Management professionals. Created unique SSIS and SSAS based solutions to problems in the Identity Management area.

Jeff Iannucci

Twitter: - DesertDBA

LinkedIn: Jeff Iannucci

Contact: https://desertdba.com/

Jeff Iannucci is a Senior Database Administrator for DriveTime in Tempe, AZ. He has over 20 years of SQL Server experience as both a DBA and Developer in diverse environments such as health care, finance, retail sales, and government. He writes about solving problems for database professionals on both twitter (@DesertDBA) and his blog (desertdba.com), and has been chosen as an IDERA ACE for 2020.

Liz Amador

Twitter: - @conmuchoamador

LinkedIn: Liz Amador

Contact: https://conmuchoamador.com

Liz is interested in using data for social good and making the tech space more welcoming for everyone. She blogs, teaches, and loves to read.

A Liz le interesa usar data por el bien de la sociedad, y hacer la comunidad de technologia mas abierto para todos. Ella escribe en su blog, ensena, y le encanta leer.

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.

Christopher Dobler

Senior Software Engineer with over 8+ years of experience in scaling full stack Node applications with React frontend. Currently working with Javascript (ES2017) React Redux Node Ruby on Rails Microservices - especially excited for async/await. Recently gave talk on Integration Testing at SoCal React in Los Angeles 2017.

Mike Burek

Twitter: - mikeburek

LinkedIn: Mike Burek

Contact: http://tikiwiki.mikeburek.com

He started by building a complete computerized inventory management system for a multi-state store. Next, he managed Texas Medicare and Medicaid claim data to keep it processing, and building new monitoring metrics. Afterwards, he processed and analyzed marketing data on tens of millions of customers and sent hundreds of millions of multi-lingual marketing messages worldwide. Upgrading those marketing skills, he then worked to process and query tune marketing data for tens of thousands of worldwide enterprise customers, bringing in tens of millions of dollars per campaign. Now he monitors database servers to keep them running well, tunes queries, and helps businesses build new ETL processes. He also runs the Austin, TX user group.

JP Chen

LinkedIn: JP Chen

Contact: https://www.datavail.com/author/jp-chen/

JP leads a talented team of SQL Server Database Administrators in the US and India working closely with customers around the globe in supporting their SQL Server environments in both on-premises and the clouds such as AWS and Azure. With more than 20 years of experience as an IT professional, JP carries a wealth of customer support, problem-solving, writing, and team management experience. He’s an avid blogger and also authored a number of whitepapers and ebooks such as SQL on Linux, Keeping Pace with Change: Prepare for Tomorrow Advance Your Career, and The 5 Hats Worn By Database Administrators. He had also presented in major conferences such as SQL PASS, SQLSaturday, RMOUG, and AWS Workshop Series.

Liz Amador

Twitter: - @conmuchoamador

LinkedIn: Liz Amador

Contact: https://conmuchoamador.com

Liz is interested in using data for social good and making the tech space more welcoming for everyone. She blogs, teaches, and loves to read.

A Liz le interesa usar data por el bien de la sociedad, y hacer la comunidad de technologia mas abierto para todos. Ella escribe en su blog, ensena, y le encanta leer.

Soumya Banerjee

Advanced Analytics architect working in data, analytics and cloud space for last 15 years, consulting for many and diverse clients in multiple geographies. Skills include everything related to data - data engineering, cleansing, profiling, governance, modeling, data warehouse, data science and visualization. Implemented multiple end to end data warehousing projects on diverse platforms like SQL Server, Oracle, Teradata, Netezza, Azure DW etc. Strong experience with entire Azure data stack(Data Lake, Blob, Data Bricks, DW, Data Factory, Data Flow, AAS etc.) and many ETL products like Ab Initio, Informatica, DataStage, Talend etc.

Sponsors

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