Event Location:
George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics
160 East St. John Street
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Abstract:
Never given time or care, never forming good relationships, becoming bloated, corrupt and rife with indistinguishable copies, and all so horrifyingly pervasive in society. But enough about the Kardashians, what about YOUR DATA? If you want to straighten it out and prevent it from going too far in the first place, this session is for you. We will cover constraint basics (not null, check, primary key/unique, foreign keys), provide standard use cases, and address misconceptions about constraint use and performance. We will also look at triggers and application logic and why these are NOT substitutes for (but can effectively complement) good constraint usage. Attendees will enjoy learning how to keep THEIR data off the tabloid page!
Speaker(s): Rob Volk,
Abstract:
The SQL Server optimizer is an engineering marvel. The intelligence that is built into the product is mind bending. But, sometimes queries don't run as expected. Without a basic understanding of statistics and the cardinality estimator you'll never know why. This session will walk through an anomaly of the cardinality estimator called The Ascending Key Problem. A major focus of the discussion will include how the optimizer uses statistics to estimate row counts, which is ultimately used to build optimal query plans. At the end of this session you will know how to assess the state of the statistics for your indexes and columns; you will know how to look at your query plans in a way that will help prevent poor query performance BEFORE the query executes; and you will better understand how the optimizer estimates row counts.
Speaker(s): Dave Turpin,
Abstract:
In this session, led by Microsoft BI Architect and SQL Server MVP Bill Pearson, we will concentrate largely upon crafting simple MDX expressions and queries whose purposes, for the most part, are to return a set of data. We will overview the structure of a cube, using as a basis the sample Adventure Works cube that is available to anyone installing SQL Server Analysis Services 2008 R2. We will then outline the components of simple MDX syntax, and get started writing basic expressions and queries. We will expose basic member functions, introduce filters (or “slicers”), and begin exploring core MDX functionality, including calculated members, and named sets. This session applies equally to Analysis Services 2008, 2008R2 and 2012.
Speaker(s): William E Pearson III,
Abstract:
Understanding how SQL Server organizes your data under the hood can seem like a daunting task. In this session we’ll take a look at how objects such as tables and indexes are stored in the data file. We’ll also look at how these concepts tie in to your work as a DBA or developer. We’ll see these concepts in action using demos and see how we can use this knowledge to better design solutions. We’ll start off by looking at the structure of a row and then move on the concept of a data page. From there we’ll cover a few special page types like the index allocation map. Then we’ll look at index structures and talk about the differences between heaps and clustered indexes.
Speaker(s): Brandon Leach,
Abstract:
The Analysis Services 2012 Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM) unifies Multidimensional (OLAP) and Tabular (relational) options for organizational BI. In this session, BI Architect, SQL Server MVP and Analysis Services Maestro Bill Pearson introduces Microsoft Business Intelligence 2012 and the Business Intelligence Semantic Model ("BISM"). He then overviews the Tabular model, beginning with the creation of a project with SQL Server Data Tools (“SSDT”), and continuing from the data import steps to the creation and management of calculations, measures and Key Performance Indicators (“KPIs”). Finally, he provides insight to the creation and maintenance of perspectives and hierarchies, as well as other considerations involved in working with Tabular.
Speaker(s): William E Pearson III,
Abstract:
Almost every SQL Developer is familiar with Table Variables and Temporary Tables. While each of these objects represents temporary storage, there are also substantial differences between them. Understanding the differences between Table Variables and Temporary Tables, and the ramifications that those differences cause, is essential to being able to properly select the appropriate object for use in your development tasks. In this code filled session, we’ll discover the differences and similarities of Temporary Tables and Table Variables, dispel some widespread myths about each, and answer the most important questions of them all, "When do I use one or the other and what are the various impacts of doing so?"
Speaker(s): Wayne Sheffield,
Abstract:
The deployment process is frustrating; an object is missing, an object is deployed in the wrong order or the incorrect version. Each database is made up of a lot of objects in different environments. When you create an object like a table or stored procedure, you need to get this object deployed into each environment. Together we will discover how to separate each object for proper order deployment while releasing only objects which have changed. Deployments can cause you trouble but we will provide a reliable deployment and version control process.
Speaker(s): Thomas Norman,
Abstract:
SQL Server 2014 introduces a game changer technology; in-memory objects. This session is a hands-on demo based presentation that will introduce you to what the technology is and how to use it. You will come out of this session with the knowledge and scripts that you can take back to your shop and instantly be productive. You will gain an understanding of the architecture, how to get started, indexes, natively compiled stored procedures and the limitations.
Speaker(s): miguel Cebollero,
Abstract:
People’s sentiments and opinions are written in social networks. There are tweets, Facebook posts, book reviews, forum discussions, and more. These attitudes and feelings are communicated using text, with format depending on the social network. Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters and use hash-tags,; Facebook messages can be longer. This session reviews the different Natural Language Processing, text mining, and data mining techniques you can use for sentiment and tone analysis. Organizations can use the extracted knowledge for brand reputation, market predictions, and automatic learning. We’ll look at, Hadoop, data mining, Microsoft Big Data Hadoop distribution HDInsight and Azure Machine Learning
Speaker(s): Paco Gonzalez,
Abstract:
Enterprise data integration changed with the introduction of the SSIS Catalog. Implementing enterprise data integration often requires functionality beyond the rich features provided by the SSIS Catalog. Building on his previous work in the field of Data Integration Life Cycle Management (DILM) and SSIS Frameworks development, a Data Integration Architect with 10 years of SSIS experience explains the what, why, and how of an SSIS Catalog-integrated Framework that delivers metadata-driven package execution, connections management, and parameter configuration. In this session, you will learn: - A method for migrating packages from Development, through the data integration life cycle, to Production without editing SSIS Connection Manager Properties. - A metadata-driven approach to SSIS package execution. - A method for customizing enterprise data integration reporting.
Speaker(s): Andy Leonard,
Abstract:
SSIS has many great built-in tasks and components. Sometime, though, you need to go further than what they allow. Come to this session to see how far you can stretch the scripting capabilities of SSIS. SSIS offers significant capabilities out-of-the-box. However, many data movement projects have needs that go above and beyond the common scenarios. Have you ever needed to calculate running totals during your ETL process? What about using dynamically updated business rules during processing to determine what data is valid? These things, and much more, can be accomplished using the script task and component within SSIS. During this session, we will demonstrate several scripts in SSIS (including the ones mentioned above) that show how to take full advantage of the capabilities of SSIS. This session is intended for people who have worked with and understand SSIS, and have a basic understanding of .NET development.
Speaker(s): John Welch,
Abstract:
Existing SSIS automation solutions are focused on forward-motion activities: creating packages and pushing them to the server. Little or no thought is given to the management of the packages once they are in production - existing tooling offers nothing to help you understand and manage a live, money-printing ETL workflow based on SSIS packages. BIPS is an open source project that allows you to manage a live SSIS package tree from PowerShell. It closes the automation loop, providing the ability to learn and discover the features of an existing package deployment tree as well as manipulate it. In short, the goal of BIPS brings a devops perspective to managing your SSIS packages. In this session, you will learn how to leverage BIPS in your own environment. Specific attention will be given to searching and filtering tasks and data flows on arbitrary criteria and manipulating specific parts of the ETL workflow from the shell.
Speaker(s): Jim Christopher,
Abstract:
Testing applications that depend on data can be hard. Everyone agrees that testing is vital, but knowing what to test and how to test it is challenging. Come to this session for a methodology for testing your data, and the applications that use it. Testing is vital to fast, successful delivery of software and information today. While application testing is generally well understood, data centric testing is not. The success of many applications depends on them producing valid, correct data, yet this is often tested as an afterthought, or not tested at all. During this session, we will discuss how to test the data produced by applications or data movement processes. We’ll cover how to determine the accuracy and quality of your data, and how to incorporate the testing into your data lifecycle. The focus will be on what you need to test, and the techniques for validating that the data produced is accurate.
Speaker(s): John Welch,
Abstract:
For most users, you will sign up to use Power BI and never know that Office 365 is the background. For organizations that want to leverage the advanced features of Power BI, you MAY need to perform certain configurations within Office 365. Since most people do not realize that Office 365 is used under hood of Power BI, we will show you how to properly prepare your organization for the new Power BI service. In this demo heavy session we will dispel the myth that you may not need Office 365 to access the full capabilities Power BI. For most users, you will sign up to use Power BI and never know that Office 365 is the background. For organizations that want to leverage the advanced features of Power BI, you MAY need to perform certain configurations within Office 365. Since most people do not realize that Office 365 is used under hood of Power BI, we will show you how to properly prepare your organization for the new Power BI service. In this demo heavy session we will dispel t
Speaker(s): Patrick LeBlanc,
Abstract:
Social Networking and Media is all over the news today. Did you see that on Facebook? Johnny 5 said what on Twitter? Can you believe Susie moved to that company? Do any of those sound familiar? No? Never heard of Twitter or LinkedIn? Have no fear, this is the session for you! Social networking can be a very confusing and intimidating place. What makes it even worse, is when you have no clue even where to start. In this session, we will go over different facets of Social Networking and Media and how you can use them to enhance not only your personal lives but just as importantly, your professional one. For example, did you know you can get help from some of the top minds in the SQL Server profession by using the #SQLHELP hash tag for free? We will show you how! We'll be covering that and more using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Speaker(s): John Morehouse,
Abstract:
Most of us are overwhelmed with data from all the different applications that we use on a daily basis. Bringing all the data together is often a very time-consuming and sometimes a challenging process. Even further, attempting to analyze and visualize the data poses new challenges that is sometime difficult or impossible to overcome. Now with Power BI this can all be made very simple. Individuals, ranging from novice information workers to advanced IT professionals can quickly and easily transform, analyze and visualize data using a single tool, Power BI Desktop. In this course we will work through four main topics: Shaping Data, Building a Data Model, Visualizing Data and Using the Power BI Server.
Speaker(s): Patrick LeBlanc,
Abstract:
For beginning database professionals, execution plans can be intimidating. This 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,
Abstract:
IT jobs are notoriously short-lived, with most only lasting a few years. Very few people keep a single employer for their entire career. Knowing when, why, and how to leave your job is as important a career step as finding new work. Learn about how to use job transitions as opportunities to develop your career.
Speaker(s): Geoff Hiten,
Abstract:
If you are a working professional there is a chance that your career has interrupted your life and you've forgotten about you and/or your family. How do you create a healthy balance between the two so that you are happy and everyone else is to? In the session, you will learn how to properly manage time, erase stress, advance at work, address common marriage and family Issues, and ultimately create a better you.
Speaker(s): Karlyn LeBlanc,
Abstract:
R is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. By far the most popular programming language for data science projects, R is used to solve problems in fields such as biology, physics, finance and marketing. With the recent acquisition of Revolution R and the increasing capabilities of AzureML, Microsoft's attention to deliver an enterprise-ready version of the R platform has increased exponentially. Please join me to learn the foundations of R, how to begin plotting data using ggplot2 and how R is integrated in AzureML.
Speaker(s): Jake Switzer,
Abstract:
Window functions were first introduced with SQL Server 2005 and enhanced with SQL Server 2012. They enable easy development and great performance…well, sometimes. Learn what you need to know to take full advantage of these features. What you don’t know can hurt you when you are using window functions.
Speaker(s): Kathi Kellenberger,
Abstract:
For most of us, our career in technology was and is the result of our combined education, experience, opportunities, and luck. In this presentation we will explore approaches to creating the career we want instead of the one we stumble into.
Speaker(s): Justin Randall,
Abstract:
The vulnerability of SQL based database systems to injection attacks is one of the top data security issues today. In this session I explain how SQL Injection works and demonstrate SQL injection on a test ASP.NET website. I will close the session with information on how to prevent injection attacks and provide resources for more detailed information.
Speaker(s): Dale Burnett,
Abstract:
Business Intelligence Markup Language provides a powerful solution for creating and managing SSIS Design Patterns. Andy Leonard, one of the authors of SSIS Design Patterns, demonstrates the flexibility of BIML in this session.
Speaker(s): Andy Leonard,
Abstract:
Beginning with a two node Windows cluster with shared storage, I will walk you though setting up SQL Server as a clustered resource.
Speaker(s): Andrew Maxwell,
Abstract:
T-SQL is one of a minority of computer languages where you describe the results rather than code an algorithm. Unfortunately, many people use habits and constructions learned in imperative languages such as C# or Java when writing T-SQL Code. In this all-demo session we will explore several such commonly used constructions that are detrimental to SQL Server performance and scalability.
Speaker(s): Geoff Hiten,
Abstract:
In this first part of a two part series, we look at performance tuning from the very beginning. You're a new DBA, you want to be a DBA, or you've been declared an "Accidental DBA" and the phone rings. Someone tells you that they believe SQL Server is having a performance issue, what now? The application is running slowly. Can you help them? Do you even know where to begin to help them? In this session we'll cover how to handle performance tuning from the very beginning, when the user says "The database is slow."
Speaker(s): Ed Watson,
Abstract:
This session focuses on the PROCESS of queries and how this effects Optimization, Batches, Transactions, and Error Handling. The session is led by an expert Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who regularly teaches the SQL Server certification courses.
Speaker(s): John Deardurff,
Abstract:
Continuous Integration Delivery isn’t a new concept. Application Developers have been doing it for quite a while and now it’s time for Database Professionals to catch up. Whether you are a database administrator, database developer, or even an application developer, database continuous delivery can help you find your salvation. I'll show you how to apply these concepts to areas of security, collaboration, testing, support and deployments. We will look at what continuous delivery means, demonstrate some tools that can help you easily get it into place, and dive into why it’s important.
Speaker(s): John Morehouse,
Abstract:
Every company has a backup strategy. That backup strategy is worthless and will cause your business to fail miserably while losing valuable customer data and more importantly you will lose my order of chicken wings! In this session you will learn why backup strategies are for losers, what can I do to keep from being a loser, and how can I build a winning strategy!
Speaker(s): Ed Watson,
Abstract:
Achieving great performance from your SQL Servers can be elusive. Yet for most production systems it starts with the right resources, correct configuration, and ongoing maintenance. In this session you will learn the basics of building and maintaining robust, healthy SQL Servers. You will also become familiar with the fundamentals of SQL Server performance monitoring to vastly improve your ability to detect and correct performance issues before your users know about them
Speaker(s): Justin Randall,
Abstract:
This is an absolute beginner session on Azure Data Factory. I will cover basic terms and operations and show how to move your data the Azure way.
Speaker(s): Julie Smith,
Abstract:
Do you find yourself constantly putting out "fires"? Can't take anymore heat in the data center? We as DBAs can easily become burnt out with dealing with these daily blazes. Wouldn’t it be grand to learn how to prevent these fires from scorching us to begin with? In this session, we will jump into things you can start implementing as "fire prevention" to stop the "fire fighting". We will talk about several things that you can take back to your shop and put into action easily ranging from code tuning, backup maintenance, monitoring and performance tuning!
Speaker(s): John Morehouse,
Abstract:
Join Audrey Hammonds and Julie Smith present lessons learned from their most recent projects using the Microsoft Master Data Management tools. This session covers automated batch processing as well as the data stewardship workflow.
Speaker(s): Julie Smith,
Abstract:
With more entry level DBA positions becoming available, and non-DBA’s shifting into DBA roles, you may find yourself in a position where you need to become familiar with a new server environment quickly and efficiently but not know where to begin. In this session we will review some standard practices and personal experiences that have helped efficiently identify and spec out a new environment.
Speaker(s): Ryan Brickey,
Abstract:
This session focuses on what you need to know about working with SQL Server Data Types. The session is led by an expert Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who regularly teaches the SQL Server certification courses. The presenter will focus on the differences between character data types, working with implicit vs. explicit conversions and using conversion functions.
Speaker(s): John Deardurff,
Abstract:
In this session we will explore 1. Installation of R and R Studio 2. R basics 3. Power of R 3. Getting data from databases and other sources. 4. Managing Data frame using package dplyr 5. Visualization of Data using Graphic package ggplots 6. In-Database R in SQL Server 2016
Speaker(s): Kiran Math,
Abstract:
Are you the only database person at your company? Are you both the DBA and the Developer? Being the only data professional in an environment can seem overwhelming, daunting, and darn near impossible sometimes. However, it can also be extremely rewarding and empowering. This session will cover how you can keep your sanity, get stuff done, and still love your job. We'll cover how I have survived and thrived being a Lone DBA for 15 years and how you can too. When you finish this session, you'll know what you can do to make your job easier, where to find help, and how to still be able to advance and enrich your career.
Speaker(s): Monica Rathbun,
This is a list of speakers from the XML Guidebook records. The details and URLs were valid at the time of the event.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/WayneSheffield
Contact: http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
Wayne Sheffield, a Microsoft Certified Master in SQL Server and Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, started working with xBase databases in the late 80’s. With over 25 years in IT, he has worked with SQL Server (since 6.5 in the late 90’s) in various dev/admin roles, with an emphasis in performance tuning. He is the author of several articles at www.sqlservercentral.com, a co-author of “SQL Server T-SQL Recipes”, and enjoys sharing his knowledge by presenting at SQL events worldwide and blogging at http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/e/fpf/252170891
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
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdleblanc
Contact: http://patrickdleblanc.com
Patrick LeBlanc is a currently a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft and a contributing partner to Guy in a Cube. Along with his 15+ years’ experience in IT he holds a Masters of Science degree from Louisiana State University. He is the author and co-author of five SQL Server books. Prior to joining Microsoft he was awarded Microsoft MVP award for his contributions to the community. Patrick is a regular speaker at many SQL Server Conferences and Community events.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/WayneSheffield
Contact: http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
Wayne Sheffield, a Microsoft Certified Master in SQL Server and Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, started working with xBase databases in the late 80’s. With over 25 years in IT, he has worked with SQL Server (since 6.5 in the late 90’s) in various dev/admin roles, with an emphasis in performance tuning. He is the author of several articles at www.sqlservercentral.com, a co-author of “SQL Server T-SQL Recipes”, and enjoys sharing his knowledge by presenting at SQL events worldwide and blogging at http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffhiten
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johncwelch/
Contact: http://agilebi.com/jwelch
John Welch joined SentryOne in spring 2018 as VP of Engineering with the acquisition by SentryOne of the software division of Pragmatic Works. John leads the development of a suite of products that make developing, managing, and documenting data solutions easier. John has been successfully delivering IT solutions to business problems since 1994, and has been focused on business intelligence and data warehousing technologies since 2001. He is a Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP), and a frequent presenter on SQL Server and data topics. He also contributes to several open source projects and community initiatives targeted toward making data professionals work more productive.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/AndyLeonard
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.
Karlyn LeBlanc is a native of Chicago, Illinois. She currently resides in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Karlyn obtained her Bachelors degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and her Masters from Tulane University in New Orleans. Her career began as licensed master social worker where she spent twelve years counseling patients, supervising master level social workers, and facilitating support groups. In addition, she’s a bestselling author of two books and motivational speaker.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-volk-134ba81
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/watsoned
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johncwelch/
Contact: http://agilebi.com/jwelch
John Welch joined SentryOne in spring 2018 as VP of Engineering with the acquisition by SentryOne of the software division of Pragmatic Works. John leads the development of a suite of products that make developing, managing, and documenting data solutions easier. John has been successfully delivering IT solutions to business problems since 1994, and has been focused on business intelligence and data warehousing technologies since 2001. He is a Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP), and a frequent presenter on SQL Server and data topics. He also contributes to several open source projects and community initiatives targeted toward making data professionals work more productive.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliesmith0503/
Contact: http://datachix.com
Julie Smith is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and a BI consultant for Innovative Architects in Atlanta, GA. She#39;s implemented increasingly complex Business Intelligence solutions for over a decade at various organizations. She#39;s also worn many other database “hats” in her career – production DBA and database developer--but data integration and BI are her true passions. Julie holds a BA from the University of South Carolina. She and Audrey Hammonds co-created The Datachix.com blog.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/armordba
Contact: https://armordba.com/
Tom Norman is a Database Architect at KPA with a strong fervor to protect data. He works daily to review and improve data protection methodologies while reviewing governing laws affecting finance, healthcare, and personal data. His areas of expertise include encryption, auditing, data identification, and database object deployment. He is the current leader of the PASS Virtualization Group and Vice President of the TRIPASS user group. You can read his blog at https://armordba.com/ and reach him on twitter at @armordba. Tom speaks at a number of SQLSaturday events and SQL Server user groups.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlmiguel
Miguel is a father, husband and database professional with more than 18 years of experience. He has held positions in management, database administration, development, architect and BI development. Miguel is a regular speaker at local user groups, regional SQLSaturday and the national PASS Summit conference on various database topics. He has been an avid volunteer, chapter leader, contributor for PASS and published author of Pro TSQL Programmers Guide; ApressMedia, Published 2/27/2015
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffhiten
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/AndyLeonard
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlrus
Contact: http://www.sqlrus.com
John Morehouse is currently a Consultant with Denny Cherry Associates living in Louisville, Kentucky. With over 2 decades of technical experience in various industries, John now focuses on the Microsoft Data platform and specializes in Microsoft SQL Server. He is honored to be a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, VMWare vExpert, Friend of Red Gate, Sentry One PAC member Community Ambassador, and 2016 Idera Ace. John has a passion around speaking, teaching technical topics, and giving back to the technical community as much as possible. He is a user group leader, 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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliesmith0503/
Contact: http://datachix.com
Julie Smith is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and a BI consultant for Innovative Architects in Atlanta, GA. She#39;s implemented increasingly complex Business Intelligence solutions for over a decade at various organizations. She#39;s also worn many other database “hats” in her career – production DBA and database developer--but data integration and BI are her true passions. Julie holds a BA from the University of South Carolina. She and Audrey Hammonds co-created The Datachix.com blog.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/WayneSheffield
Contact: http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
Wayne Sheffield, a Microsoft Certified Master in SQL Server and Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, started working with xBase databases in the late 80’s. With over 25 years in IT, he has worked with SQL Server (since 6.5 in the late 90’s) in various dev/admin roles, with an emphasis in performance tuning. He is the author of several articles at www.sqlservercentral.com, a co-author of “SQL Server T-SQL Recipes”, and enjoys sharing his knowledge by presenting at SQL events worldwide and blogging at http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/e/fpf/252170891
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
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/WayneSheffield
Contact: http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
Wayne Sheffield, a Microsoft Certified Master in SQL Server and Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, started working with xBase databases in the late 80’s. With over 25 years in IT, he has worked with SQL Server (since 6.5 in the late 90’s) in various dev/admin roles, with an emphasis in performance tuning. He is the author of several articles at www.sqlservercentral.com, a co-author of “SQL Server T-SQL Recipes”, and enjoys sharing his knowledge by presenting at SQL events worldwide and blogging at http://blog.waynesheffield.com/wayne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanbrickey?
Contact: http://mindofadba.blogspot.com/
Ryan is currently a Database Administrator with Wells Fargo where he is responsible for a production SQL Server environment. Before coming to Wells Fargo, he started his career working as a data analyst doing data mining and developing ETL procedures. From there he turned to performance monitoring and tuning as a Software Support Engineer with SQL Sentry. He also holds the certification of MCITP - SQL Server 2008 Database Administration.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdleblanc
Contact: http://patrickdleblanc.com
Patrick LeBlanc is a currently a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft and a contributing partner to Guy in a Cube. Along with his 15+ years’ experience in IT he holds a Masters of Science degree from Louisiana State University. He is the author and co-author of five SQL Server books. Prior to joining Microsoft he was awarded Microsoft MVP award for his contributions to the community. Patrick is a regular speaker at many SQL Server Conferences and Community events.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-volk-134ba81
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.
Contact: http://www.daveturpin.com
Dave is the resident SQL Server (and Netezza) DBA for Quaero, a marketing automation firm and subsidiary of CSG International. He has been working as an information professional for so long that his numerous degrees have no bearing on his work days. He has been working with SQL Server since the glory days of 6.5 circa 1996. When not DBAing, he can be found cruising Charlotte greenways and bike trails on one wheel.
Kiran Math is a Software Engineer on the Construction Predictive Analytical team at Fluor, where he specializes in T-SQL, R, Python, C# etc. A resident of Greenville, South Carolina, he can be found cycling and hiking the trails around Greenville. He is active in his local SQL PASS chapter in Greenville, speaking and volunteering at SQLSaturdays.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdleblanc
Contact: http://patrickdleblanc.com
Patrick LeBlanc is a currently a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft and a contributing partner to Guy in a Cube. Along with his 15+ years’ experience in IT he holds a Masters of Science degree from Louisiana State University. He is the author and co-author of five SQL Server books. Prior to joining Microsoft he was awarded Microsoft MVP award for his contributions to the community. Patrick is a regular speaker at many SQL Server Conferences and Community events.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlrus
Contact: http://www.sqlrus.com
John Morehouse is currently a Consultant with Denny Cherry Associates living in Louisville, Kentucky. With over 2 decades of technical experience in various industries, John now focuses on the Microsoft Data platform and specializes in Microsoft SQL Server. He is honored to be a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, VMWare vExpert, Friend of Red Gate, Sentry One PAC member Community Ambassador, and 2016 Idera Ace. John has a passion around speaking, teaching technical topics, and giving back to the technical community as much as possible. He is a user group leader, 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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlrus
Contact: http://www.sqlrus.com
John Morehouse is currently a Consultant with Denny Cherry Associates living in Louisville, Kentucky. With over 2 decades of technical experience in various industries, John now focuses on the Microsoft Data platform and specializes in Microsoft SQL Server. He is honored to be a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, VMWare vExpert, Friend of Red Gate, Sentry One PAC member Community Ambassador, and 2016 Idera Ace. John has a passion around speaking, teaching technical topics, and giving back to the technical community as much as possible. He is a user group leader, 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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/AndyLeonard
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=298075034amp;trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
Jake Switzer is a SQL/BI consultant for Microsoft. He works to deliver data analytics solutions to customers using a variety of Microsoft and Open Source software. He is interested in topics such as data science, business intelligence, and sports analytics.
Contact: http://daleburnett.com
Dale Burnett is a database engineer at ChannelAdvisor specializing in SQL Server. He has been working with databases since 1998 and exclusively with SQL Server since 2008. His previous experiences provided exposure to many industries including financial services, retail, insurance, and customer service. His primary SQL Server interests are architecture and optimization.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/AndyLeonard
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JohnDeardurff
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.
Contact: http://daleburnett.com
Dale Burnett is a database engineer at ChannelAdvisor specializing in SQL Server. He has been working with databases since 1998 and exclusively with SQL Server since 2008. His previous experiences provided exposure to many industries including financial services, retail, insurance, and customer service. His primary SQL Server interests are architecture and optimization.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikelawell
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-maxwell/2b/a30/658
Andrew has more than twelve years of experience in database administration for various companies in Tennessee and South Carolina including Walgreens and Cigna-HealthSpring. He is currently a Senior Database Administrator at Experian Health and has extensive experience in the areas of SQL Server builds, maintenance and disaster recovery.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jim-christopher/2/446/334/
Contact: http://www.beefycode.com
Jim gained 18 years of professional experience developing complex software projects in highly regulated industries, including education, gaming, and defense. His professional drive is designing software, systems, and user experiences for automation, a theme that has earned him a Microsoft MVP for PowerShell (2011-2016). Jim is a frequent speaker at technical user groups and conferences. He is currently Curriculum Director at Pluralsight.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlservernerd
A Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Brandon manages the DB Operations team for financial company x. With a data estate of several petabytes, he puts a high focus on performance tuning and automation. He is a frequent speaker at events like conferences and user groups.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlespresso
Contact: http://www.sqlespresso.com
Monica Rathbun lives in Virginia, is a Microsoft MVP for Data Platform and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert. She has nearly two decades of experience working with a wide variety of database platforms with a focus on SQL Server and the Microsoft Data Platform. She is a frequent speaker at IT industry conferences on topics including performance tuning and configuration management. She is the Leader of the Hampton Roads SQL Server User Group and a Mid‐Atlantic PASS Regional Mentor. She is passionate about SQL Server and the SQL Server community, doing anything she can to give back. Monica can always be found on Twitter (@sqlespresso) handing out helpful tips. You can find Monica blogging at sqlespresso.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JohnDeardurff
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-volk-134ba81
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/watsoned
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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johncwelch/
Contact: http://agilebi.com/jwelch
John Welch joined SentryOne in spring 2018 as VP of Engineering with the acquisition by SentryOne of the software division of Pragmatic Works. John leads the development of a suite of products that make developing, managing, and documenting data solutions easier. John has been successfully delivering IT solutions to business problems since 1994, and has been focused on business intelligence and data warehousing technologies since 2001. He is a Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP), and a frequent presenter on SQL Server and data topics. He also contributes to several open source projects and community initiatives targeted toward making data professionals work more productive.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlrus
Contact: http://www.sqlrus.com
John Morehouse is currently a Consultant with Denny Cherry Associates living in Louisville, Kentucky. With over 2 decades of technical experience in various industries, John now focuses on the Microsoft Data platform and specializes in Microsoft SQL Server. He is honored to be a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, VMWare vExpert, Friend of Red Gate, Sentry One PAC member Community Ambassador, and 2016 Idera Ace. John has a passion around speaking, teaching technical topics, and giving back to the technical community as much as possible. He is a user group leader, 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.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kathikellenberger
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacosql/
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.
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.