Event Location:
CTU Colorado Springs
4435 North Chestnut Street
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Abstract:
As the most prolific inventor in American history, Thomas Edison was a master of “Best Practices!” Edison’s creations were not just novel and commercially successful, but many launched entire new industries including electric light and power, sound recording, motion pictures and industrial cement and concrete manufacture. At the heart of Edison’s remarkable record of innovation was his categorization of the innovation process into “competencies,” or bundles of skills supporting the achievement of success in a particular area of endeavor. In this session, we will look at ways that we can use many of these broad success secrets to bring powerful tools and strategies to the recurring implementation of business intelligence.
Speaker(s): William E Pearson III,
Abstract:
Microsoft has changed its Business Intelligence strategy in the last few years from an IT centric approach with SQL Server Reporting Services and SQL Server Analysis Services to an end-user ad-hoc approach with Power BI. Initially the Power BI tools were all separate add-ons to Excel 2010+ that you had to know where to get them and install/activate them individually. Now with new Power BI product announcements and Power BI Desktop, the full vision of these once separate tools is becoming more clear and cohesive as an end-user ad-hoc analysis and reporting tool. In this demo heavy session you will see how Power BI is now a much more complete solution and how it can change how you deliver analysis and reporting to anyone in your company. Demos will include using Power BI Desktop to pull in data from multiple sources and repeatable transformations to clean usable data and build interactive reports and dashboards.
Speaker(s): Steve Wake,
Abstract:
Dimensional modeling is arguably one of the most important fundamentals of business intelligence. It is still relevant even as new technologies like PowerPivot and SSAS Tabular Models are becoming more popular. Correctly modeling your organization's data not only protects the most important asset your company has but ensures that your data mart or data warehouse will be responsive and capable of accommodating emerging requirements. This session provides a deeper dive into the art of dimensional modeling. We will look at the different types of fact tables and dimension tables, how and when to use them. We will also some approaches to creating rich hierarchies that make reporting a snap. Finally we will cover physical design choices.This case study and demo based session promises to be very interactive and engaging, bring your toughest Dimensional Modeling quandaries.
Speaker(s): Jason Horner,
Abstract:
Foreign Keys are the ultimate Catch-22; you need them for data integrity, but they just kill insert, update, and delete performance. In this session we will describe the concept of Foreign Keys and how they maintain data integrity. You will learn their syntax for creating, deleting, disabling, and re-enabling. You will also learn the possible effects of disabling and re-enabling Foreign Keys for data modification. We will also examine the two most important Foreign Key attributes: is_not_trusted and is_disabled and their effect on query performance. All of these characteristics will be demo'ed with many script examples. After attending this session you will 1. Comprehend the pro and cons of Foreign Keys in a real world production environment 2. Understand the consequences of disabling and re-enabling Foreign Keys for data modification 3. Be able to better assess best approach for Foreign Key maintenance
Speaker(s): Mike Byrd,
Abstract:
Are you concerned about moving to cloud, because of the safety of your data ? Organizations choose to go with the platform services of Azure using SQL Databases or they go with the Infrastructure services of Azure using virtual machines, in both cases security of your data is vital. This demo driven session will give you all the information you need to know about the security implementations available in SQL Databases in Azure and SQL Server. The session will cover the following topics with demos. Introduction to cloud adaptation of the organizations, - how enterprises adopt to the cloud and how startups are moving to the cloud. SQL relational store options in Azure. Security features of SQL Databases Cloud demanded security features of SQL Servers Using Azure Key Vault to secure data in SQL Server
Speaker(s): Vijayakumar Thurupathan,
Abstract:
One of the most exciting new features of SQL Server 2016 is the integration of the R statistical programming language into the platform with the brand-new SQL Server R Services. In this introductory session we'll briefly introduce the R language and then look at how to install and administer SQL Server R Services. We'll start to demonstrate the power of R by showing you how to create and run simple R scripts from within T-SQL. We'll then discuss some of the powerful open source packages that are available to aid your data analyses. Finally, we'll go through some examples of how to use R to integrate data analytical methods in real-world situations, and wow your customers with the power of statistics!
Speaker(s): Chris Hyde,
Abstract:
Do your organization's reports consist mostly of giant tables of data? Perhaps you have gotten as far as adding KPI indicators or conditional highlighting to the tables. Although tables of data presented as reports are commonly found in many organizations, they may be doing you and your users a disservice. You should optimize your data viz just as you optimize your databases. Reports are a user interface that must be purposefully designed to help users achieve their goal of making informed decisions. In this session, we'll review requirements gathering and data viz best practices and apply those concepts to the use of Microsoft reporting tools such as Excel, Power View, and Reporting Services. You'll leave with guidance on how to take boring, unreadable tables of data and turn them into useful and visually appealing reports.
Speaker(s): Meagan Longoria,
Abstract:
Data Science is an ever increasing topic in the Data Analytics space and the R language is at the center of most conversations. R is an open source statistical language that is rapidly gaining popularity due to a robust set of machine learning functionality and a never-ending set of R packages that are used to increase functionality of the core R language. The R language is run as a desktop application and was not built with performance and scale required to accommodate Big Data. Revolution Analytics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, has solved the performance and scaling issues of a desktop application by creating a more robust enterprise architecture. SQL Server 2016 brings the power of R and Revolution Analytics into the industry leading relational database. This session will demo the functionality and power of using R within SQL Server.
Speaker(s): Reeves Smith,
Abstract:
Pop quiz DBA: Your developers are running rampant in production. Logic, reason, and threats have all failed. You're on the edge. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO? Hint: You attend Revenge: The SQL! This session will show you how to "correct" all those bad practices. Everyone logging in as sa? Running huge cursors? Using SELECT * and ad-hoc SQL? Stop them dead, without actually killing them. Ever dropped a table, or database, or WHERE clause? You can prevent that! And if you’re tired of folks ignoring your naming conventions, make them behave with Unicode…and take your revenge! Revenge: The SQL! is fun and educational and may even have some practical use, but you’ll want to attend simply to indulge your Dark Side. Revenge: The SQL! assumes no liability and is not available in all 50 states. Do not taunt Revenge: The SQL! or Happy Fun Ball.
Speaker(s): Rob Volk,
Abstract:
The time has come -- you’ve lived with your legacy Customer Relationship Management/Enterprise Resource Planning systems since you joined the company, but they’re not cutting it anymore. A decision is made to move to a new vendor, a new platform, a new CRM/ERP software package, and you’ve been tapped to be part of the project team. Your job will be to make sure that the data collected in the old systems is successfully and accurately ported to the new systems. Really? What do you have to look forward to? What’s it going to be like? How are you going to do this? Will you port all of the data from the legacy system to the new one, or just some? How will that work? Join Michelle Poolet as she walks you through lessons learned from the many platform migrations that she’s been part of. As a data architect, Michelle has special insight into these massively complex projects, which she’d like to share with you.
Speaker(s): Michelle Poolet,
Abstract:
The practice of Data Science has arrived and as data professionals we're on the forefront of this change. The data we collect can now be used in new and exciting ways, providing more value than ever before. To get started in this field, a number of tools and methodologies must be employed to help you achieve predictive analytics success with your data. In this session the predictive analytics process will be covered from start to finish, providing a practical understanding of what it takes to develop your own predictive models. The session includes an overview of definitions, concepts and terminology, successful applications of predictive analytics, and how predictive analytics fits into a BI environment.
Speaker(s): Carlos Bossy,
Abstract:
Let’s face it. You can effectively do many IT jobs related to SQL Server without knowing the internals of how SQL Server works. Many great developers, DBAs, and designers get their day-to-day work completed on time and with reasonable quality while never really knowing what’s happening behind the scenes. But if you want to take your skills to the next level, it’s critical to know SQL Server’s internal processes and architecture. This session will answer questions like: - What are the various areas of memory inside of SQL Server? - How are queries handled behind the scenes? - What does SQL Server do with procedural code, like functions, procedures, and triggers? - What happens during checkpoints? Lazywrites? - How are IOs handled with regards to transaction logs and database? - What happens when transaction logs and databases grow or shrinks? This fast paced session will take you through many aspects of the internal operations of SQL Server and, for those topics we don’t
Speaker(s): Kevin Kline,
Abstract:
Have you built a SQL Server Availability Group only to be suddenly surprised by all the gotchas and hurdles that pop up? Are you struggling with keeping your Availability Group running smoothly without a lot of management on your part? This session will cover what happens after you have created an Availability Group and how to manage it. We will review tips, tricks, and patterns for handling all the considerations that running this popular high availability solution. After this session, you will be prepared for managing your Availability Groups and how you can streamline that management to make your availability strategy more robust.
Speaker(s): Michael Fal,
Abstract:
Learning how to detect, diagnose and resolve performance problems in SQL Server is tough. Often, years are spent learning how to use the tools and techniques that help you detect when a problem is occurring, diagnose the root-cause of the problem, and then resolve the problem. In this session, attendees will see demonstrations of the tools and techniques which make difficult troubleshooting scenarios much faster and easier, including: • XEvents, Profiler/Traces, and PerfMon • Using Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) • Advanced Diagnostics Using Wait Stats • Reading SQL Server execution plan Every DBA needs to know how to keep their SQL Server in tip-top condition, and you’ll need skills the covered in this session to do it.
Speaker(s): Kevin Kline,
Abstract:
Don’t you LOVE it when changes are made to your databases without notice!? Those AWESOME “Object doesn't exist” messages, sudden performance problems, failed audits and other unexpected errors can be soooo much fun! Time to put an end to these unreported changes and get real-time notice as they occur, via emails, reports, or even Source Control. Learn to use Event Notifications, a native SQL Server feature, along with some production-ready code. to become the Overlord your users need.
Speaker(s): Michael Bourgon,
Abstract:
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a hot topic, but what is it, how do we use it, and how do we analyze it? This presentation is an overview of IoT that explores IoT industry trends and introduces you to the IoT Azure toolset specifically HBase, Storm and Spark.
Speaker(s): Jeff Renz,
Abstract:
Is your brain mush from too much technical content, but you just need a break before the next session or the raffle? Come share your IT war stories with the group and laugh for an hour. This open panel session is guaranteed to at least get a chuckle as we all relax and share our experiences.
Speaker(s): David Klee,
Abstract:
Your databases may not be terabyte-sized yet, but they're probably growing every day. We'll look at lessons learned from working with multi-terabyte, very large databases (VLDBs) in the real world. Topics include storage layout decisions, unique tuning challenges, HA/DR implications, and database restores, along with shoehorning backups, re- indexing and DBCC checks into itty-bitty maintenance windows. As a bonus, many of the techniques also apply to smaller databases and consolidated servers that run hundreds of databases.
Speaker(s): Eric Peterson,
Abstract:
Mention SQL Server performance to any DBA, and the impulse is to dive headfirst into the database and queries. However, if the infrastructure underneath the data is your performance bottleneck, the time spent tuning at the database layer is usually in vain. Server hardware, operating system parameters, storage, interconnects, and networking will all be discussed in depth in terms that DBAs can relate to. Practical architecture guidelines and troubleshooting techniques will be presented so you can analyze your environments and see if your performance bottlenecks are where you think they are.
Speaker(s): David Klee,
Abstract:
In this session, you'll learn how to quickly build an Access Web App, tour the online development environment and see a real, live working app in action. We'll discuss app distribution and deploying updates and demonstrate add-in features like Power BI Tiles and Bing Maps. And lastly, you'll learn the pros/cons of Access Web Apps and hybrid solutions in a corporate environment as well as how to extend the data to mobile phones tablets. Presented by Andy Tabisz, Microsoft MVP, WorkSmart Database Masters.
Speaker(s): Andy Tabisz,
Abstract:
Tips and Tricks and Painful lessons learned as I have ventured into the world of Hadoop, JSon and Hive. Our data has made the move from a relational database to a JSon structure, and reporting across the entire enterprise of data has changed. We have introduced Hadoop batch processing to our ETL processes to collect and process data from various locations, depositing them in various other locations. Along the way, various brick walls were surmounted. We will discuss some of these brick walls. Some of the oddities encountered in this journey. and hopefully prepare you for a similar trip, without all the pain we suffered.
Speaker(s): TJay Belt,
Abstract:
You've heard of IQ (and you're is probably high) and EQ (Emotional Quotient), but have you heard of DQ ( Data Quotient). Your DQ is your skill or ability to "smell" good data, excellent data patterns, and great queries. In this session we'll look at several examples of good, bad, and ugly data and you'll grade your DQ. Fun, educational, and potentially full of brag-rights.
Speaker(s): Paul Nielsen,
Abstract:
Are you looking to understand what IaaS or PaaS really mean? Perhaps you are not sure of virtual, high available relational or NoSQL databases. Get started with the basics of managed services and platforms for running databases on AWS. Hear how to use managed relational databases such as MS SQL Server with minimal administration. Also discover other cloud options such as managed NoSQL or scaling your own instances with resizable elastic compute cloud. Take home an introduction from in-memory cache to petabyte-scale data warehouse databases in the Amazon cloud.
Speaker(s): Gabriel Villa,
Abstract:
You are a Developer (.NET, SQL or otherwise) but you have been doing some DBA work and have now decided that is all you want to do - how do you make the transition? What do you need to know? This session will cover this topic from first-hand experience.
Speaker(s): Amy Herold,
Abstract:
Analysis Services Tabular is an in memory analytics engine introduced in SQL Server 2012. It has shown to be a quick and effective way to transform your organization with modern analytics. Join Phillip and learn how easy it is to create a tabular solution and provide valuable insight into your organization's data. This is a demo heavy session and you should be able walk away knowing how to create your own tabular model.
Speaker(s): Phillip Labry,
Abstract:
Like Frankenstein's Monster (or our teenagers) things get released into the wild and behave differently than planned - database usage patterns are no different. Join Tim as he reviews what to look for when tweaking your index strategy: poor clustering key decisions, underutilized indexes, covering indexes gone wrong, overlooked heaps and fill factor failures are just a few of the blunders to be identified. A working knowledge of Dynamic Management Objects, indexing internals, and eagerness to experiment with metadata is a prerequisite!
Speaker(s): Tim Ford,
Abstract:
Survivability of data should be the #1 priority for any database administrator. Corruption can happen to any database at any time. How soon corruption is detected and a quick response is key to minimize lost data and recovery in a timely manner. Have a plan ready when it happens, as this is one time you don’t want to “learn on the job”. In addition to daily and monthly maintenance that should be performed, other topics discussed will include e-mail notification when data becomes corrupt and Service Level Agreements.
Speaker(s): Andre DuBois,
Abstract:
Inherited an older than dirt SQL box? Can't upgrade? Not everyone can have shiny new Enterprise Edition servers, so what high availability or disaster recovery options are available for us mere mortals? In this course I'll go over the HA/DR options that are available for the different versions of SQL, and I'll even give you a real-world example of using a 'listener' before there were Availability Groups!
Speaker(s): Alaina Donofrio,
Abstract:
Do you have large tables you can’t delete old data from or perform maintenance on? Then this may be for you! Table Partitioning 101 will make an introduction to table partitioning through the GUI and a code based approach. The session will be a discussion about how to make it work and will include: creating partitioned tables, partition schemes, left vs. right facing partition functions and how to do a basic switch operation. A small deep dive about how to find out which partition your data is in and what exactly does it mean for an index to be “aligned” will also be discussed.
Speaker(s): Robert Smith,
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/jasonhorner
Contact: http://blog.jasonhorner.com
Hi, my name is Jason I'm a practice lead at Redapt. I spend most of my day helping clients solve business problems mostly in the Data and Advanced Analytics spaces. Sometimes this involves various and sundry cloud technologies including Azure Data Factory, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Data Lake Store, Azure Databricks, HDInsight and Azure SQL Database. I'm fluent in several languages including: SQL, C#, Python, and PowerShell. I'm a Microsoft Certified Master of SQL Server (MCM) and have been recognized for my technical excellence and evangelism efforts by Microsoft by being awarded the Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for the last 5+ years. In my off hours I like to snowboard, karaoke, ride roller coasters, and play arcade games
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyford
Contact: http://thesqlagentman.com
Tim Ford is a Data Professional, Author and Community Leader whose technical passions lie in creative solutions for managing and presenting data. He#39;s been a healthcare DBA since 2000 and leads SQL Agent Man Consultancy and SQL Cruise. He takes 25 students and leaders in the SQL Community and places them on cruise ships for technical and professional development training without the distractions of the office and internet twice a year on SQL Cruises (www.sqlcruise.com). Currently Tim serves on the Board of Directors for PASS and is passionate about taking fellow Data Professionals to the next level in their careers. He enjoys telling stories with data.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulnielsensql
Contact: http://www.tejontech.com/blog
Paul is the founder of Tejon Technologies, inc, a software company offering a configurable, object/relational graph database solution built on the enterprise power of Microsoft SQL Server. Previously, Paul wrote the SQL Server Bible series, edited the MVP Deep Dives Vol 1 book, presented seminars in database design, and developed SQL Server courseware for Microsoft Learning. He was a Data Platform MVP from 2004 - 2016. IN the Startup Community he serves on the board of Peak Startup and is the chair of the annual Colorado Springs Startup Week.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/b5lurker
Contact: http://blog.wakebi.com
Steve Wake is currently the Principal BI Developer at Brown and Caldwell and has experience in consulting, advertising, media, manufacturing, retail, charities, telecommunications and financial services organizations using the full on-premises Microsoft BI stack. Recent experience with the Azure services: Analysis Services, Logic Apps, Data Factory, Databricks, Snowflake and Power BI. Steve is also very involved in the SQL community, speaking at events around the world.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/alaina-donofrio/9/581/418
Started my career as a Lead Technical Trainer, and eventually followed my love of administration to SQL Server. I#39;ve had the pleasure of working on SQL Server 2000 through 2014, and taken many certification tests so I have a lot of letters: MCDBA, MCTS, MCITP. My main focuses are on HA/DR, administration and security.
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/kekline/
Contact: http://blogs.sentryone.com/author/kevinkline
Kevin Kline is a database and industry expert serving as Principal Program Manager at SentryOne, the industry leading SQL Server database tools vendor. A Microsoft SQL Server MVP since 2003, he is a founder and former president of PASS. Kevin is an author of many books, blogger, columnist, and popular international speaker. Kevin’s best known book is the best-selling SQL in a Nutshell and contributes monthly to Database Trends Applications magazine. He tweets at @kekline and blogs at http://Blogs.SQLSentry.com/Author/KevinKline.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-byrd/1/aa0/bbb
Contact: http://logicalread.solarwinds.com/?s=byrd, www.TSQLMentoring.com and SQLServerCentral.com
Former rocket scientist and USAF Fighter Pilot -- now a SQL Server geek (24 years)! Past opportunities include free-lance technical writer for PC Magazine, Senior Software Manager for government sponsored munitions effectiveness committee, and insurance company CTO. Currently senior database engineer consultant for several Austin companies. Presenter at many SQL Saturdays over last 6 years in United States, Europe, and Australia. Specialize in SQL Server performance tuning; database (OLTP OLAP) architecture; trouble-shooting; teaching TSQL (Basic through Advanced). Video presentations (for local SQL Server user groups or SQL Saturdays) can be found at http://usergroup.tv/videos/category/speaker/mike-byrd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/christopher-wolff/11/a07/458
Contact: http://sqlred.blogspot.com/
Chris Wolff has been a developer, report writer, and an admin in Microsoft and SQL Server Space since SQL Server 2000 in industries such as telecommunications, green energy, money transfers, and online accounting. He has been an active member of the Denver SQL User Group since 2011 and enjoys learning new things about computers. His interests includes video games, movies, and enjoying time with his wife and 2 kids.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/aherold
Contact: http://www.sqlkitten.com/
Amy Herold is currently a Premier Field Engineer with Microsoft, specializing in APS. Prior to this, she was a Sr. Database Administrator, focusing on PowerShell and automation. She is also currently the Director of Programs for the North Texas SQL Server User Group (NTSSUG). She frequently speaks at SQL Saturday and user group events across the United States and has also participated in numerous Women in Technology sessions as a panelist. Amy currently blogs at sqlkitten.com.
Contact: http://phillip.labry.com
Phillip Labry is a Senior BI Consultant and Trainer with over 20 years experience in SQL Server and over 30 in IT. He has been lucky enough to work on data projects spanning telecom, banking, retail, law enforcement, health care, insurance, financial services and energy sectors. As a national consultant he provides training and builds solutions utilizing the full MS BI stack. He is an active member of the Madison, WI PASS chapter and speaks at events in the USA and Canada.
Placeholder for sponsor sessions.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidaklee
Contact: http://davidklee.net
David Klee is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and VMware vExpert with a lifelong passion for technology. David spends his days focusing on the convergence of data and infrastructure as the Founder of Heraflux Technologies. His areas of expertise include cloud, virtualization, performance, and business continuity. David speaks at a number of national and regional technology related events, including PASS Summit, VMware VMworld, SQLBits, SQL Saturday events, and many SQL Server User Groups.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tjaybelt/
Contact: http://tjaybelt.blogspot.com
TJay Belt is an outdoorsman at heart who enjoys riding dirtbikes, waterskiing, boating, playing racquetball and spending time with his family. When he can't be out playing, TJay loves to tinker with databases. TJay has been an IT professional for over a decade and a half. Currently serving as a Senior Database Administrator with Imagine Learning. TJay has progressed through several roles in his database career including developer, data guy, database developer, database analyst and DBA.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/meaganlongoria/
Contact: http://datasavvy.me
Meagan Longoria is a business intelligence consultant with Denny Cherry Associates, and lives in Denver, Colorado. She is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. Meagan spends a lot of time thinking about how to use data integration, DAX, and data visualization techniques to make data useful for people. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences at conferences and user group meetings, as well as through her blog (DataSavvy.me).
Placeholder for sponsor sessions.
Contact: http://MtnDBA.wordpress.com
Andre has been in the IT industry for over 25 years in various positions with the majority working as database administrator, designer and programmer. His experience has been in the financial, travel and education industries.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabevilla
Contact: https://extofer.wordpress.com/
Gabriel is a skilled leader, architect, and technical expert focusing primarily on Microsoft technologies and is passionate about open-source technologies for integration, automation, and development. Gabriel’s versatility extends from systems, data and development and leverages hybrid/SaaS/Cloud integration, proven software engineering platforms, and best-of-breed data management and business intelligence solutions. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Gabriel lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and kids, where he is an Architect for RevGen Partners, volunteers in the tech community and enjoys the Colorado outdoors.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/reevessmithiii/
Contact: http://reevessmith.wordpress.com
Reeves Smith, owner and principal architect of Macer Consulting, is passionate about applying data technologies that empower organizations. Reeves wields his knowledge and experience to lead, design, architect, and teach, working with both data center and business project teams. He approaches every project by first understanding the organization’s business challenges, and then developing a unique approach that targets those business needs accurately and effectively. Reeves Smith has more than 20 years of experience working on the SQL Server stack. He is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Master, and regularly delivers technical presentations at international, regional, and local conferences and user groups.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/andytabisz
Contact: http://www.worksmartdb.com/blog/
Andy Tabisz is a Microsoft MVP and owner of WorkSmart Database Masters based in Grand Rapids, MI. WorkSmart provides custom database and mobile solutions for small to mid-sized corporations using Access, SQL/Azure, ASP.NET, SharePoint, Power BI, Excel and integration with many technologies. Through rapid application development, WorkSmart empowers organizations to work smarter and make better decisions by automating workflow, alerts and reporting capabilities.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidaklee
Contact: http://davidklee.net
David Klee is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and VMware vExpert with a lifelong passion for technology. David spends his days focusing on the convergence of data and infrastructure as the Founder of Heraflux Technologies. His areas of expertise include cloud, virtualization, performance, and business continuity. David speaks at a number of national and regional technology related events, including PASS Summit, VMware VMworld, SQLBits, SQL Saturday events, and many SQL Server User Groups.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbourgon
Contact: http://thebakingdba.blogspot.com
Michael Bourgon started his IT career by performing tech support and managing Sybase databases on Unix starting in 1995, before moving to SQL Server 7... continuing all the way to SQL Server 2017. His focus on automation has led him to such diverse topics as Service Broker, WMI, Table Partitioning, Shell scripting, In-Memory Tables, and Powershell. He's currently a senior DBA with a large healthcare company, dealing with millions of transactions of day and managing hundreds of servers. In his spare time he rides a bicycle, reads science fiction, blogs about SQL Server and Baking, and tries to raise his daughter to be a geek, too.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kekline/
Contact: http://blogs.sentryone.com/author/kevinkline
Kevin Kline is a database and industry expert serving as Principal Program Manager at SentryOne, the industry leading SQL Server database tools vendor. A Microsoft SQL Server MVP since 2003, he is a founder and former president of PASS. Kevin is an author of many books, blogger, columnist, and popular international speaker. Kevin’s best known book is the best-selling SQL in a Nutshell and contributes monthly to Database Trends Applications magazine. He tweets at @kekline and blogs at http://Blogs.SQLSentry.com/Author/KevinKline.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hyde-3803706
Chris Hyde is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He works as an independent SQL Server BI and DBA consultant, and is the leader of the Albuquerque PASS local user group. He is also part of the Friends of Redgate program and was a member of the Idera ACE class of 2018. He loves loud music and cricket, but usually not at the same time.
LinkedIn: http://lk.linkedin.com/in/thuru/
Contact: http://www.thuru.net
Thuru is a versatile technical person who has diversified experience in many areas of Information Technology for 6 years. Cloud computing, security, software development, business intelligence and databases are his most preferred technology areas. He is a frequent speaker in Sri Lanka .NET forum and Sri Lanka SQL Server Universe user groups. Thuru is the founder of Colombo Cloud Meet Up where he often talks about various cloud computing topics. Also he is a Microsoft MVP for Microsoft Azure.
Eric Peterson is a consultant specializing in database architecture with experience in demanding Fortune 100 company environments. He has a Computer Science degree complemented with an MBA, which meshes well with his jobs integrating business information with the systems that process it. He has worked with SQL Server since its inception and was an instructor of SQL courses at a national technical training company. He also speaks are regional SQLSaturday events.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfal/
Contact: http://mikefal.net
Mike is a specialist in data management technologies. As a community advocate, public speaker, and blogger, Mike is a practicing thought leader for data and automation. He is passionate about DevOps and data, building platforms to optimize, protect, and use data efficiently. Since 1999, Mike has been working in the database field, focusing primarily on SQL Server and specializes in automating data solutions to improve the reliability and efficiency of his environments. He has been caught playing trombone in public on more than one occasion.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidaklee
Contact: http://davidklee.net
David Klee is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and VMware vExpert with a lifelong passion for technology. David spends his days focusing on the convergence of data and infrastructure as the Founder of Heraflux Technologies. His areas of expertise include cloud, virtualization, performance, and business continuity. David speaks at a number of national and regional technology related events, including PASS Summit, VMware VMworld, SQLBits, SQL Saturday events, and many SQL Server User Groups.
Placeholder for sponsor sessions.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jeff-renz/29/82a/aa4
Contact: http://www.revgen.com
Jeff Renz is a Senior Architect at RevGen Partners, currently working as the design architect and implementation lead on several projects for a Fortune Top 50 company. Jeff has worked with SQL Server and BI for 15+ years and has 10 years’ experience with data warehouse design and implementation. In addition to consulting, he is joining the University of Denver adjunct faculty and is expected to begin teaching in the ICT program starting in June. He received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, his master’s degree in Operations Research from Colorado School of Mines, and will be graduating from the Harvard Business Analytics Program in December.
Peter Selin is the Global Architect for X-IO Storage with over 14 years with X-IO, and 28 years in the industry. With experience beginning with mini-super computers and super-computing through Prime Computer and Silicon Graphics, Peter has a diverse background in the high tech industry giving him a unique vision into customers application of the technologies they acquire and how they implement them.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/robert-smith/30/b26/74a
I#39;m a happy, go-lucky type of guy who#39;s addicted to learning why and how things work, perpetually seeking answers to life#39;s questions and searching for meaning in the journey.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepoolet
Contact: http://mountvernondatasystems.com/blog.html
Michelle Poolet, MCIS and Zachman Certified Enterprise Architect(tm), has been working with Microsoft SQL Server(tm) since version 6.0. She has authored many articles for SQLMag(tm). She created and delivered classes in Database Design, Theory amp; Programming at University of Denver. A founder of Mount Vernon Data Systems, Michelle is currently focusing on SQL Server database administration, OLTP engine performance/tuning, database architecture, and data modeling.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin/in/carlosbossy
Contact: http://www.carlosbossy.com
Carlos Bossy (MCTS, MCP BI, CBIP) is a data and cloud analytics architect with 25 years of experience in software and database development. As a principal of Datalere, Carlos focuses on developing BI, Data Science, and Advanced Analytics solutions, including modeling data warehouses and delivering predictive models, integration, and visualization. He has developed warehouses and BI solutions for a variety of industries and state agencies, including health insurance, solar energy, foster care, telecom, and manufacturing.
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.
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.