Event Location:
Otterbein University Campus Center
100 W Home St
Columbus, Ohio
Abstract:
What do you do if the DBA won’t let you enable the Trustworthy setting? Things like Trustworthy and cross-database ownership chaining open up huge security threats. Fortunately, there’s a better way. You can secure things like cross-database operations, service broker communication, and high-privileged stored procedure execution with certificates via a process call signing. Additionally things like CLR assemblies that need external access can be executed safely using signed assemblies instead of enabling Trustworthy. This session will cover common processes that can be secured through certificate signing, show how to sign the processes, and cover some basics of certificate management. Note: this session does not cover securing SQL Server connections with SSL or self-signed certificates.
Speaker(s): Robert Davis,
Abstract:
Now that SQL Server 2016 includes support for R in the database, how does this change your BI implementation options? In this session, we start with a brief introduction to R and explain why it’s increasingly popular, the typical development workflow, which tools you can use, common use cases, and where it fits into the latest Microsoft stack at a high level. Then we’ll review how to implement R Services so that you can use R with SQL Server data, including how to install R packages on SQL Server, how to use rx functions, and how to operationalize R in SQL Server. Then we explore options for using R to prepare data for analytics using SSIS or Power BI and how to report and visualize data using SSRS or Power BI.
Speaker(s): Stacia Varga,
Abstract:
The war between DBAs and developers has been raging since the dawn of relational databases. One reason for disagreement comes from developers who want to store their data in JSON because it is fast, standard, and flexible. DBAs cringe when they hear of long text strings being stored in their SQL databases; they cry with concern, “No data validation? No schema binding?”. Is there any hope for these two warring factions to see eye-to-eye? This session will explore the new JSON functionality introduced in SQL Server 2016. We will use T-SQL examples to learn how these functions can be used to parse, create, and modify JSON data. More importantly, we will discuss how to optimize performance when using these functions. By the end of this session DBAs and developers will know how to efficiently work with JSON in SQL Server 2016. It will also usher in an era of peace between DBAs and developers… … at least until someone brings up the topics of cursors, NOLOCKs, or Entity Framework.
Speaker(s): Bert Wagner,
Abstract:
Most of the time pilots are learning to fly, they're actually learning how to recover from emergency conditions. While we as Database Administrators focus on taking backups, how much time do we actually spend practicing recovering with those backups? This session will focus on the kinds of situations that can dramatically affect a data center, and how to use checklists to practice recovery processes to assure business continuity. Learning objectives: 1 Understand the kinds of issues that can arise in critical data environments 2 Understand the expectations for performance and recovery of those data environments 3 Define a Personal Minimums contract for meeting the data availability expectations of the business
Speaker(s): Allen White,
Abstract:
Have you been watching SSAS Tabular develop? What about the new Azure Analysis Services product? Or you've looked at these and like what they can add in Power BI or classic BI scenarios, but haven't had a chance to dive in and figure all of this out? Now is the time! SSAS Tabular is a new-ish form of business intelligence model released with SQL Server 2012, intended as an alternative to more traditional Multidimensional cubes. In this session, we will talk briefly about what Tabular is and what it does, in addition to the various options for deployment, before exploring the development process of creating a tabular model ready for ad-hoc querying through Excel or Power BI.
Speaker(s): Kerry Tyler,
Abstract:
Working in the tech industry often involves spending long hours sitting down, staring at a screen, consuming copious amounts of pizza and caffeine. The work is mentally demanding and can be stressful. In the rush to get everything done, it can be easy to neglect our health. But a healthy body and mind are necessary for effective performance. Based on HR training, research, and personal experience, this session provides realistic suggestions for managing your well-being at work. It covers the connection between physical and mental health, as well as how to discuss these topics with your employer. You’ll leave with a better idea of how to take care of yourself and be a happier, healthier, more productive person.
Speaker(s): Cassandra Faris,
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:
Are you a frustrated DBA trying to improve performance on an application you didn’t write? Or perhaps you’re an application developer struggling to understand why your queries run slowly on someone else’s database? This talk will cover practical techniques to help developers and DBAs work together efficiently to troubleshoot poorly performing applications. Beginner/Intermediate software developers and DBAs will learn: when you need the actual query execution plan (and how to get it), why queries executed from SSMS perform differently than they do in the application, and how you can improve an application to make database troubleshooting easier. When the DBA and Developer join forces, there’s no problem they can’t solve!
Speaker(s): Jacquelyn Keeper,
Abstract:
One of the most anticipated new features in SQL Server 2016 is Query Store. It's referred to as the "flight recorder" for SQL Server because it tracks query information, namely query plans and runtime statistics. If you've ever had to drop everything to troubleshoot a sudden change in performance, then you've probably already realized the value of this feature. In this session, we'll step through how Query Store works - you’ll understand what information it captures and how to access the historical data through the UI and the system views. We'll look at the data collected to identify queries that don't perform well and those that have regressions in performance due to different plans. Finally, we'll see how to force a specific plan for a query, discover what happens when the optimizer cannot use that plan, and examine how plan forcing compares to using plan guides. Expect to learn how to make troubleshooting easier with this feature that’s included in all editions of SQL Server 201
Speaker(s): Erin Stellato,
Abstract:
Ethics, Morals, and Laws each aspects of our behavior as people and DBAs. They govern which actions we take and which actions we avoid. Understanding the basics of these guides and how they coordinate (and sometimes conflict) with each other helps you to make choices you can live with from both a personal and professional perspective. This session presents basic definitions, ideas, and discussion points. It is intended to be an interactive presentation where the audience contributes to the discussion, so no two presentations are exactly the same!
Speaker(s): Pat Phelan,
Abstract:
There has been a lot of interest in the analytics community in visualizing the output of an Azure Machine Learning model inside Power BI. To add to the challenge, it would also be great to operationalize Azure ML models through the Power BI service. Imagine if you could have Power BI regularly bring in the latest output of your fraud model or the sentiment for recent Tweets about your products. This session will outline and demonstrate a proposed approach for doing just that.
Speaker(s): Greg Deckler,
Abstract:
Many times developers have to support users by answering the “What happened to the data?” The task of retrieving data from a specific point in time is not an easy one. Often this involves retrieving a backup and restoring the data in question (hopefully!). SQL Server 2016 introduced Temporal Tables, allowing a developer to retrieve data from a specific point in time, without backups. With a few TSQL commands a historical table can be created, automatically updated, and readily accessed.
Speaker(s): Sam Nasr,
Abstract:
Polybase is Microsoft's newest way of integrating SQL Server with external systems such as Hadoop and Azure Blob Storage. In this talk, we will get an overview of the Polybase technology and then implement it to work with an on-premises Hadoop cluster as well as Azure Blob Storage. We will then dive into the mechanics of how Polybase works, using packet captures to understand the cross-network communication. Finally, we will look at ways of tuning common Polybase scenarios and look at a few less-common scenarios.
Speaker(s): Kevin Feasel,
Abstract:
Unit testing allows database code to be consistently tested during the development process, but it can be challenging to get unit testing setup for database development. This session will give an overview on the purpose of unit testing, the installation of the tSQLt framework, and the design of unit tests. I will use general concepts of test driven design to create and run unit tests to confirm that objects exist and to test single and multiple test cases. Learn how to implement unit testing in a development environment and create and run your own units tests.
Speaker(s): Elizabeth Noble,
Abstract:
When people talk about Power BI, it can be all sizzle and no steak. Instead, we are going to take a slightly deeper dive into the inner workings of PowerBI. We will cover the different components of the Power BI ecosystem: PowerQuery, DAX, Power BI visuals, Data gateways, and the Power BI service. Instead of just showing off pretty graphs, we will focus on a more fundamental understanding of these tools.
Speaker(s): Eugene Meidinger,
Abstract:
SQL Server R Services: Microsoft acquired Revolution Analytics in early 2015, and introduced R services (in-database/stand-alone) with SQL Server 2016 this year. With the first Microsoft Data Science summit behind us this past Sept, in Atlanta, let us review what R Services in SQL Server brings to the table and see how it complements/supersedes features that are available with other R offerings (R GUI, Microsoft R Client [R Studio], Microsoft R Open [RROpen], Microsoft R Server[RREnterprise] etc.,)
Speaker(s): Azhagappan Arunachalam,
Abstract:
Ah, SQL Server Transactional Replication. The technology everyone loves to hate. But for all the notoriety, there's some interesting technology to be had in it that might you might want to leverage. In this session, we'll explore what happens when you create a new transactional publication: what happens during a snapshot, how data gets delivered to subscribers, and how you can monitor, tweak, and tune your publications. We'll also see some common trouble spots and how to identify them. There will be plenty of examples and demos and, yes, even some PowerShell!
Speaker(s): Drew Furgiuele,
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,
Abstract:
Azure SQL Databases are still something that is new and not completely understood by many data professionals. There is a definite shift from installing SQL Server on a machine to creating and using a Microsoft's Platform-as-a-Service database. This session will cover the basics of what an Azure SQL Database is, how we create one, and what it takes to access and use this database. After attending this session, you will have a solid understanding of what Azure SQL Database is, how to configure it, and how to use in your own environment.
Speaker(s): Michael Fal,
Abstract:
SQL Development is a broad subject with many roads to choose from. Often times SQL Developers feel overwhelmed and unsure which areas they need to focus on. The purpose of this session is to give a high-level overview and present paths for further study and growth. Subjects reviewed in this session will include coding patterns, error handling, and execution plans. Demonstrations of free tools will also help developers find ways of simplifying their daily tasks. Attendees will leave this session empowered with knowledge and directions for further growth.
Speaker(s): Vladimir Oselsky,
Abstract:
Before you go and move that mission critical application to a new version of SQL or new hardware you are probably creating some sort of testing and benchmarking scenarios to ensure a smooth upgrade. Right? Come learn how distributed replay can capture your workload and play it back on your new instance. Be it an upgrade of SQL or hardware we can review all sorts of scenarios to help make your upgrade a smooth process.
Speaker(s): Paul Popovich Jr,
Abstract:
Most people don't like to speak in public and technical folks are certainly no exception. Yet, you've got some ideas for a great presentation but just don't know how to go about putting it all together. On top of that, how do you go about giving the presentation itself? This session will cover how to pull your material together in an organized fashion and present it such that your audience can follow along and get the message you want to relay. We'll also discuss how to deal with issues that cause presenters stress to help you to make the process enjoyable and rewarding for all.
Speaker(s): Aaron Cutshall,
Abstract:
Are you a DBA or DBA Dev with access to the Microsoft BI Stack? Why not utilize some of these amazing tools to make your life a little easier? Are you working without fancy monitoring and reporting tools? Do you dream of having time to pull data into Excel ans show you management staff what is going on? Do you run queries to answer questions for projects or at the department's request on a regular basis? Wanna know what is going on with your report server? Come to this "BI for the Engine Guy" session and let me help you make visualizations for all your engine's health care needs and your user's (customer) data demands.
Speaker(s): Tamera Clark,
Abstract:
This session will cover what is Streaming Analytics and the various use cases. We will demonstrate the creation of a Streaming Analytics process which will output the data to a dashboard for review. The intention is to provide insights in how this technology can potentially be leveraged by the SQL community.
Speaker(s): Warren Sifre,
Abstract:
Have you ever taken apart a toaster or an alarm clock just to see how it worked? Ever wondered how that database actually functions at the record level, behind the scenes? SQL Server Databaseology is the study of SQL Server databases and their structures down to the very core of the records themselves. In this session, we will explore some of the deep inner workings of a SQL Server database at the record and page level. You will walk away with a better understanding of how SQL Server stores data and that knowledge will allow you to build better, faster databases.
Speaker(s): John Morehouse,
Abstract:
Allowing NULL "values" in your database is simple, but managing them is a whole different story. Learn what NULL really means and why you may want to avoid it in your systems. I will share techniques for overcoming NULL and other SQL idiosyncrasies leading to bad data or incorrect query results.
Speaker(s): Wendy Pastrick,
Abstract:
How do you know when your server is on fire? Without a set known-good measurements to compare against to look at you don’t. This session will show you how to capture a performance baseline for a SQL Server instance. The session will help you decide what and when to capture data and where to store it. Then we will walk through different tools and scripts to use. Then walk you through a scenario of using that data to identify a problem.
Speaker(s): Tracy Boggiano,
Abstract:
This session is for DBAs with little or no application architecture experience and/or application developers who want to work on enterprise applications. We'll go over N-tier applications, what are the different tiers, and why DBAs should encourage enterprise application development in their company. While the architecture is independent of any specific language, any examples will be in C#. If done right, multiple languages can access the data in the same way and receive the same results.
Speaker(s): Dan Andrews,
Abstract:
We have more information available to us today than ever before. So much so that we run the risk of not being able to tell concise stories. There's a lot more to creating that story than just getting the correct information. Come learn not just the do's and don'ts, but the whys…
Speaker(s): Jonathan Stewart,
This is a list of speakers from the XML Guidebook records. The details and URLs were valid at the time of the event.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqllocks/
Contact: https://sqllocks.net/
Jonathan Stewart is a Business Intelligence consultant specializing in data visualization, data warehousing, and data management technologies. An advocate for educating others, he is a public speaker, teacher and blogger, continually teaching people about the Microsoft BI Stack. Since 2000, he has been working in the database field with industry leaders in healthcare, manufacturing, financial, insurance and federal, state and local governments. Jonathan is very active in the community. He has presented on SQL Server, SSIS, Reporting Services, Power BI and Business Intelligence at numerous SQLSaturday events, local user groups, and conferences throughout the United States and around the world. He participates in webcasts, podcasts, and on
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, SQL Saturday organizer, and former PASS regional mentor. He is also a blogger, avid tweeter, and a frequent speaker at SQL Saturday’s as well as other conferences.
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.
Jacquelyn has worked as a software developer in a wide variety of industries, from telecommunications to learning management software. Currently, she develops enterprise applications using C#, SQL Server, and Oracle. Even though she tells both her databases she loves them equally, she secretly prefers SQL Server.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/voselsky
Vladimir Oselsky (Vlady) is an IT Professional with over 15 years of experience in various IT Jobs. Born and raised in Siberia, moved to United States in late 90s. Passion for computer and programming started with DOS games and learning Borland Paschal in 8th grade as a hobby. IT career consisted of everything from hardware and software support to server administration. Current focus on SQL Server Database Development and .NET programming
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyboggiano
Contact: http://databasesuperhero.com
Tracy Boggiano is a Senior Database Administrator for DocuSIgn. She has spent over 20 years in IT, using SQL Server since 1999, and is currently certified as an MCSE Data Platform. Tracy has worked on SQL Server since 6.5. She has spoken at local user groups and numerous SQLSaturdays. She is currently a co-leader of a TriPASS Local Group in Raleigh, NC. Tracy also tinkered with databases in middle school to keep her sports card collection organized. She blogs at databasesuperhero.com. Her passion outside of SQL Server is volunteering with foster children as their advocate in court through volunteerforgal.org and being a mental health advocate as part of the PAIMI NC Advisory Council.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmmaxwell
Contact: https://dmmaxwell.wordpress.com/
David Maxwell has almost 20 years of experience with SQL Server, with a keen interest in performance tuning, monitoring, and troubleshooting. He has experience in environments as diverse as health care institutions, auto manufacturers, and insurance companies. David has been a frequent presenter at SQLSaturday events around the United States since 2012, as well as a presenter for the DBA Fundamentals Virtual Group, the Performance Virtual Group, 24 Hours of PASS, and the annual PASS Summit. David participates in his local Columbus Ohio PASS Local Group, where he serves on the board of directors as SQLSaturday coordinator.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tameraclark/
Contact: http://tameraclark.com
Tamera Clark has been involved in the IT industry for greater than ten years, with experiences ranging from systems analysis/engineering to SQL Server and SSRS administration/development. She is an active member of the SQL Server community, participating in the Women in Technology Virtual Chapter, Co-leading the Nashville BI Chapter, assisting the Nashville PASS Chapter and serving as a Regional Mentor. Tamera is also the event chair of SQLSaturday Nashville.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertldavis/
Contact: http://www.sqlsoldier.com
Robert is a SQL Server Certified Master, MVP, and has spent 17+ years honing his skills in security, performance tuning, SQL development, high availability, and disaster recovery. He served as PM for the SQL Server Certified Master Program at Microsoft Learning, and in various roles at Microsoft specializing in SQL Server administration, development, and architecture. He currently works as a Database Engineer at BlueMountain Capital Management where he spends a vast majority of his time tuning massively parallel queries. Robert feeds his passion for security by acting as co-leader of the PASS Security Virtual Chapter.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlmason/
Contact: http://www.sqlmason.com/
Dan is a father, husband, DBA, .NET Developer, and Freemason. He works for TMW Systems as a Database Architect. Previously, he's been a Lead Software Developer, Architect, and DBA. He started with SQL 2000 (unless you count DBase IV) and have written enterprise/layered applications since .NET became a thing. His computer geek timeline starts during the Atari-Commodore wars - back when it was all the rage to have a 300 baud acoustical modem and develop in Atari Pascal. He will be your friend if you've ever read on a screen, "It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue". When he gets stuck on a problem he goes fishing. He recommends outdoors as a therapy.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-a-noble
Elizabeth Noble is a Director of Database Development in the metro Atlanta area. When she was introduced to her first database over 10 years ago, it was love at first sight. Her passion is to help others improve the quality and speed of deploying database changes through automation. When she is not trying to automate all of the things, she can be found spending time with her dogs, playing disc golf, or taking a walk at the gym.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/samsnasr
Contact: http://samnasr.blogspot.com/
Sam Nasr has been a software developer since 1995, focusing mostly on Microsoft technologies. He’s a Sr. Software Engineer with NIS Technologies where he consults and teaches clients about the latest .Net technologies. Sam has achieved multiple certifications from Microsoft (MCSA, MCAD, MCTS, MCT), and is the leader of the Cleveland C#/VB.Net User Group since 2003. In addition, he’s the leader of the .Net Study Group, an author for Visual Studio Magazine, and a Microsoft MVP since 2013. When not coding, Sam loves spending time with his family and friends or volunteering at his local church.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erinstellato
Contact: http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/erin
Erin Stellato is a Data Platform MVP and lives outside Cleveland, OH. She has almost 20 years of technology experience and has worked with SQL Server since 2003. Her areas of interest include performance tuning, Query Store, Extended Events, and helping accidental/involuntary DBAs understand how SQL Server works. Erin is an active member of the SQL Server community, has volunteered for PASS at the local and national level, and is a regular speaker at conferences including the PASS Summit, SQLIntersection, and SQLBits. Outside of time with family and friends, she enjoys running, spinning, movies, and all things chocolate.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phelanp
Pat Phelan first joined a computer user group (DECUS) in High School, and has joined many more since then. Pat worked many jobs in high school and college, and over twenty years for a major accounting firm. Pat started working for Involta in 2007 and is now the database mentor and a member of the Engineering team. Involta builds, owns and operates world class colocation datacenters and also provides managed services and support staff to clients.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pittfurg
Contact: http://www.port1433.com
Drew Furgiuele is a senior DBA that lives in Dublin, Ohio who is passionate about SQL Server and PowerShell. He's been working with SQL Server since 2002. When he’s not accidentally dropping tables in production, he likes writing automation scripts, blogging about SQL Server Replication, wiring electronics, playing board games, and spending time with his dog. He's also not embarrassed by his Spotify playlists.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlrv
Contact: http://sqlrv.com
Aaron N. Cutshall is an Enterprise Data Architect with 20 years of experience in analysis, design and development for applications and databases in manufacturing and warehousing plus over 15 years in the Healthcare Informatics field. His primary focus is in designing and developing solutions for extremely large data sets that perform quite well in SQL Server. He is active in the SQL Server community and speaks at SQL Saturday sessions across the country.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erinstellato
Contact: http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/erin
Erin Stellato is a Data Platform MVP and lives outside Cleveland, OH. She has almost 20 years of technology experience and has worked with SQL Server since 2003. Her areas of interest include performance tuning, Query Store, Extended Events, and helping accidental/involuntary DBAs understand how SQL Server works. Erin is an active member of the SQL Server community, has volunteered for PASS at the local and national level, and is a regular speaker at conferences including the PASS Summit, SQLIntersection, and SQLBits. Outside of time with family and friends, she enjoys running, spinning, movies, and all things chocolate.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wsifre
Contact: http://www.broadstrokeconsulting.com/blog/, http://www.allegient.com
Warren Sifre has been in the IT community since 1998 and has worked in a variety of industries deploying solutions utilizing MS SQL Server in one capacity or another. In 2003, he decided to make SQL Server his mastery and has since developed skills in most defined disciplines of MS SQL. Currently he is a Principal Consultant and Technology Leader with Moser Consulting. He is responsible for BI Solution Architecture and the mentorship of team members. He has been a SQL Saturday Speaker since 2012, Azure Global Bootcamp, and many user groups in 2015 alone. He has a passion for knowledge transfer and solutions architecture, with a keen interested in Info Security.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmmaxwell
Contact: https://dmmaxwell.wordpress.com/
David Maxwell has almost 20 years of experience with SQL Server, with a keen interest in performance tuning, monitoring, and troubleshooting. He has experience in environments as diverse as health care institutions, auto manufacturers, and insurance companies. David has been a frequent presenter at SQLSaturday events around the United States since 2012, as well as a presenter for the DBA Fundamentals Virtual Group, the Performance Virtual Group, 24 Hours of PASS, and the annual PASS Summit. David participates in his local Columbus Ohio PASS Local Group, where he serves on the board of directors as SQLSaturday coordinator.
Contact: http://wendyverse.blogspot.com
Wendy Pastrick is from Chicago, IL, and for the past 15 years has served as a Database Administrator supporting both development and production environments. Her many years of involvement with PASS include WIT Virtual Chapter and the Chicago Suburban User Group, serving as Regional Mentor, and as a PASS Board member since 2013. Wendy has organized several highly successful SQLSaturday events in Chicago.
Contact: http://www.sqlgene.com
Eugene Meidinger works as a BI consultant and full time Pluralsight author. He currently focuses on content on Power BI and related products. He also leads the Pittsburgh Power BI User Group. He is certified in querying and administering SQL Server.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmmaxwell
Contact: https://dmmaxwell.wordpress.com/
David Maxwell has almost 20 years of experience with SQL Server, with a keen interest in performance tuning, monitoring, and troubleshooting. He has experience in environments as diverse as health care institutions, auto manufacturers, and insurance companies. David has been a frequent presenter at SQLSaturday events around the United States since 2012, as well as a presenter for the DBA Fundamentals Virtual Group, the Performance Virtual Group, 24 Hours of PASS, and the annual PASS Summit. David participates in his local Columbus Ohio PASS Local Group, where he serves on the board of directors as SQLSaturday coordinator.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-feasel/7/716/504
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-feasel/7/716/504
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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdeckler
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/0_3IIpqzJXt0rHLHrw11HbE0?trk=prof-sm
I am a Director at Fusion Alliance and the Solution Director of Cloud Services. In addition, I am a Microsoft MVP for Data Platform. As an active member in the Columbus IT community, I founded the Columbus Azure ML and Power BI User Group (CAMLPUG) and have presented at many different conferences and events including Dog Food, SharePoint Saturday, CloudDevelop and M3. I have written numerous trade journal articles on business and technical subjects and the book “Achieving Process Profitability, Building the IT Profit Center”.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/allen-white-sql-server-mvp/5/784/b08/
Contact: http://dataperfpro.com/blog/
Allen White is a Data Platform consultant. He has been both a developer and an administrator, so he understands both perspectives towards database technology. He loves sharing his experiences and helping people learn how to use SQL Server. Allen has spent over 40 years in IT, using SQL Server since 1992, and has been awarded Microsoft’s MVP Award for the last 13 years. Allen was a PASS Director from 2016 - 2018.
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.
Az Arunachalam has been working with SQL server since v4.21/SQLNT. He started his career with troubleshooting at chip level, worked as a network engineer managing Novell NetWare networks, graduated into managing Windows NT, moved onto development, administered databases, and is currently working as a database architect. He#39;s excited about all the cloud offerings that Microsoft and others have made possible, and in sharing his findings with aspiring data enthusiasts.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/staciavarga
Contact: http://blog.datainspirations.com
Stacia Varga is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and SSAS Maestro with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences. A consultant, educator, author, and principal of Data Inspirations, her career spans more than 30 years, with a focus on improving business practices through technology. Since 2000, Stacia has provided consulting and education services for Microsoft's Business Intelligence technologies. As Stacia Misner, she also authored several books covering the Microsoft BI stack.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandrafaris
Cassandra Faris is passionate about the human side of technology. Her career has focused on supporting tech professionals through community outreach, hiring, mentoring, and employee engagement. She is an international speaker who specializes in teaching people how to be more effective team members and advance their careers. She is also the President of the Microsoft and open source conference, DogFoodCon, and a Per Scholas Advisory Board member. She has an MBA in Organizational Leadership. When she's not busy with the tech community, she is avid tabletop gamer, runner, and soccer fan who travels as much as possible.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerrytyler
Contact: http://airbornegeek.com
Kerry Tyler is a SQL Server, Business Intelligence, and Azure consultant. His initial IT experience was in network engineering and Windows system administration before moving into the data realm. This infrastructure background builds a firm foundation for performance tuning and cloud infrastructure design and implementation. Kerry has full-time DBA experience in SQL Server since version 2000 and business intelligence architecture since SQL Server 2005. In addition to consulting work, he delivers presentations and training on SQL Server administration, business intelligence, and Azure data and infrastructure components.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-popovich-jr-2a03b692?trk=hp-identity-name
Contact: https://pmpjr.wordpress.com/
Paul Popovich Jr. has been in the IT space for his whole career and tinkering with computers since his 486 PC back in the mid 1990s. Professionally he is a senior DBA for a large hospital system. You can find on twitter @pmpjr, email at paulpopovichjr@gmail.com.
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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bertwagner/
Contact: https://bertwagner.com
Bert Wagner teaches data-focused developers how to use SQL Server efficiently every week on his YouTube channel “SQL with Bert.” When not filming episodes, he gains inspiration for his content through his work as a Principal Business Intelligence Developer for Progressive Insurance in Cleveland, OH. Starting his career as an SSIS and SSRS developer, Bert fell in love with SQL Server query writing and performance tuning. Nowadays, he focuses on full stack web development and uses his database tuning skills to ensure that his applications run at peak performance.
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.