Event Location:
The Microsoft Technology Center
5404 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 700
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Abstract:
Success of a good BI infrastructure is measured by two most important factors: a) Better access to data and b) Increased operational efficiency How can you set up your own BI infrastructure in the cloud to address these? What components do we consider? We can do that by proper selection of technology and vendors from Azure Market Place. How do we keep an eye on possible use of Big Data for your BI. We will also look at the best practices for doing so. We will take a fleeting look at some of the storage options for us in Azure and some Big Data concepts as well. We will learn about Copy Data Virtualization in Azure Market Place that can help you provision terabytes worth of information in matter of minutes. We will also learn about setting up teams and ways to train them(and yourself) in this fast evolving world of Azure.
Speaker(s): Paresh Motiwala,
Abstract:
Are you stuck in your existing job for years? Do you feel you need to get out, try either a new company or a new role or even a new boss? Then, this very entertaining, informative and highly interactive session is perfect for you. I assure you that you'll walk out of it totally reassured and enlightened. In this session I'll share personal and some real-life stories. You’ll learn techniques for finding new opportunities in a competitive job market. I’ll also share how to exploit the social media to your advantage. (They are not bad if used judiciously) What can you do once you get that rare and elusive interview? There are several things we need to take care of like, overall appearance, food habits, arrival, sitting posture, small talk or ice-breakers and humor. The most important parts of the limited interviewing opportunities are closing and follow up. I’ll share my own experience and notes from the field. You will also learn the importance of interview logs. Never stop looking!
Speaker(s): Paresh Motiwala,
Abstract:
In three years I went from a complete unknown to a popular blogger, speaker at PASS Summit, a SQL Server MVP, and then joined Microsoft. Along the way I saw my yearly income triple. Is it because I know some secret? Is it because I am a genius? No! It is just about laying out your career path, setting goals, and doing the work. I'll cover tips I learned over my career on everything from interviewing to building your personal brand. I'll discuss perm positions, consulting, contracting, working for Microsoft or partners, hot fields, in-demand skills, social media, networking, presenting, blogging, salary negotiating, dealing with recruiters, certifications, speaking at major conferences, resume tips, and keys to a high-paying career. Your first step to enhancing your career will be to attend this session! Let me be your career coach!
Speaker(s): James Serra,
Abstract:
Networking. You keep hearing that word throughout your career development, but you don't know much about it, much less, how to do it. You want to connect with technical and data professionals, so you attend events such as SQL Saturday and your local user group. But what about your book club, your gym, your church group, or your kid's soccer game? Those are prime -- and overlooked -- opportunities to network! In this interactive session, we will discuss networking -- what it is, why it's important, and where opportunities exist. You will even have an opportunity to practice networking within the confines of our room. You might even leave this session with new networking contacts that you didn't previously have!
Speaker(s): Ray Kim,
Abstract:
Any new database design, normalization process or just simple research starts from data profiling. At first you determine number of rows in the data set. After that you run multiple similar queries against each column to determine Max and Min values, maximum length for text columns, number of nulls, distribution of data, and more. When all these queries are already pre-set or dynamic or you are doing profiling via SQL Server Data Tools, it is not a problem on relatively small data set, but what if your table contains billions of records, and stretches for multiple gigabytes? All queries against that large data set will do a full table scan, which will produce very heavy I/O, and take forever. In order to make the process faster, we will use a hidden gem of SQL Server: Statistics. Only one table scan will be needed to generate them, and then we can use the science behind them to do research over our data.
Speaker(s): Slava Murygin,
Abstract:
Thinking about migrating your data warehouse to the cloud? What about all those SSIS packages executing ETLs against your on-prem data sources? In this presentation we will discuss how to successfully "lift and shift" your ETL workloads to the Azure cloud. You will l learn how to configure and deploy an Integration Runtime, deploy and execute SSIS packages in an Azure Data Factory pipeline, and how to monitor and troubleshoot your ETL executions in the cloud. Attendees will walk-away with an understanding of the features, capabilities and limitations of Azure Data Factory and the Integration Runtime and a strategy to leverage your existing SSIS package development efforts to the cloud.
Speaker(s): Jose Chinchilla,
Abstract:
Power BI is Microsoft's industry leading data analytics discovery and visualization tool that has disrupted the way data professionals interact and derive insights from their data. It is one of the most in-demand and sought-after tools to know in today's IT career market. Join us for a fun and interactive learning opportunity to learn how to ingest, transform and visualize data from a wide variety of sources using Power BI. Learn how to create rich and interactive reports incorporating slicers, drill-down and drill-through actions. Attendees will also learn how to create, publish and share reports and dashboards for desktop and mobile consumption. Attendees will walk-away feeling like real Power BI *superstars, capable of tackling any data project in their paths! *Awesomeness may vary.
Speaker(s): Jose Chinchilla,
Abstract:
Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) is both a query and functional language. It made its first appearance back in 2009 as part of an add-in to Microsoft Excel 2010. The primary objective of DAX is to help organize, analyze, understand, and enhance data for analytics and reporting. Currently DAX is used in Power BI and SSAS Tabular. Attend this session to learn DAX basics and get started with DAX.
Speaker(s): Ravi Kumar,
Abstract:
Do you have a query that you want to tune, but don't know where to start? Execution plans can be a great starting point for understanding what your query is doing under the hood. This course covers the bare bones basics: what an execution plan is, how to run them, how to read them, and additional features.
Speaker(s): Eugene Meidinger,
Abstract:
When done right, data visualization informs users quickly and efficiently with a minimum of distraction. When done wrong, we end up with spinning 3D pie charts. In this talk, we will look at techniques for effective dashboard design, minimizing noise and clutter (like spinning 3D pie charts) while providing relevant information to the intended audience. We will see how different types of charts work, build out rules of thumb around which charts to use, and integrate visuals to create a coherent dashboard image. When it comes to dashboards, we will compare and contrast dashboards based on their intended uses, such as interactive dashboards versus TV dashboards. Finally, we will take an awful dashboard and turn it into something which end users will appreciate.
Speaker(s): Kevin Feasel,
Abstract:
In this day-long training, you will learn about R, the premiere language for data analysis. We will approach the language from the standpoint of data professionals: database developers, database administrators, and data scientists. We will see how data professionals can translate existing skills with SQL to get started with R. We will also dive into the tidyverse, an opinionated set of libraries which has modernized R development. We will see how to use libraries such as dplyr, tidyr, and purrr to write powerful, set-based code. In addition, we will use ggplot2 to create production-quality data visualizations. Over the course of the day, we will look at several problem domains. For database administrators, areas of note will include visualizing SQL Server data, predicting error occurrences, and estimating backup times for new databases. We will also look at areas of general interest, including analysis of open source data sets.
Speaker(s): Kevin Feasel,
Abstract:
Attend this Power BI Hands-on comprehensive class with Ravi Kumar to learn how to model your data and how to create beautiful visuals using your data. Full day introductory course will give you a great working knowledge on how Power BI works in general. We will be covering Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service for the following topics: Power BI Desktop: What is Power BI and what it is not Introduction Connecting to the data Shaping data at query time Modeling Data Dax Calculations Building Reports Power BI Service: What is Power BI Service Publishing Power BI Desktop file to the Service (Instructor will provide logins to a test Power BI Service tenant) Get the online data Sharing reports and desktops Refreshing the data Mobile Reports Power BI On Premises Server: How is Power BI On Premises server different from Power BI Service When should you use Power BI Server SSAS Tabular: What it is and how it integrates with Power BI Pre-requisite: Please have Power
Speaker(s): Ravi Kumar,
Abstract:
With so many new technologies it can get confusing on the best approach to building a big data architecture. The data lake is a great new concept, usually built in Hadoop, but what exactly is it and how does it fit in? In this presentation I’ll discuss the four most common patterns in big data production implementations, the top-down vs bottoms-up approach to analytics, and how you can use a data lake and a RDBMS data warehouse together. We will go into detail on the characteristics of a data lake and its benefits, and how you still need to perform the same data governance tasks in a data lake as you do in a data warehouse. Come to this presentation to make sure your data lake does not turn into a data swamp!
Speaker(s): James Serra,
Abstract:
Today, many organizations have already virtualized most of their non critical applications, these organizations are now employing a "Virtual First" policy, harnessing the efficiency and cost savings of virtualization for their most critical applications. Still, many IT architects and DBA's are hesitant of virtualizing their SQL workloads, they are worried about performance, scale, availability and support for what is usually considered their most critical applications. In this session we will review the guidance for successfully virtualizing critical SQL databases, we will cover the best practices, real world customer experience and what to watch out for when virtualizing the most critical SQL databases. The session is delivered by a member of the VMware's SQL Server Experts Group.
Speaker(s): Shawn Meyers,
Abstract:
Many tech professionals are faced with the challenge of explaining technical concepts to people who don't understand technology. And only a few are able to do it well. This session provides some strategies and suggestions to go about bridging the technological knowledge gap. With time and practice, a technical person can serve as an effective interpreter of technical concepts. This is an interactive session; audience participation is expected and encouraged!
Speaker(s): Ray Kim,
Abstract:
With a growing focus on large data solutions that span terabytes and use dozens of CPUs and vast amounts of memory, sometimes the smaller solutions are overlooked, especially when considering the Internet of Things where often you may want data collection close to the data you're collecting. At the other end of the spectrum there's an amazing amount of power available in very small form-factors. This session will explore what can be done with cheap off the shelf "computers on a board" form factors and Linux to build cheap and easy to deploy small SQL solutions that can be useful for a variety of data collection activities.
Speaker(s): Greg Moore,
Abstract:
Need to report on some data from SharePoint? We will look at three different techniques to pull data from a SharePoint Server. We will start with SSIS and the SharePoint List Source and Destinations. Next, We will use Excel to connect to various SharePoint lists (both online and on premise), and finally We will use Microsoft Access to do the same thing (and throw in the capability to do updates as well). At the end of the talk, We will have three different ways to get data from SharePoint.
Speaker(s): David Patrick,
Abstract:
Every expert has their own set of tools they use to find and fix the problem areas of queries, but SQL Server provides the necessary information to both diagnose and troubleshoot where those problems actually are, and help you fix those issues, right in the box. In this session we will examine a variety of tools to analyze and solve query performance problems.
Speaker(s): Allen White,
Abstract:
Ever used a NOLOCK hint, only to find that nothing broke the next day? Odds are most folks reading this have. So if fire and brimstone did not rain from the sky, why do we worry so much about this hint? What could actually go wrong? SQL Server supports two table types - heaps and tables with clustered indexes. We almost always create a unique clustered index on tables ... but why? Since heaps are part of the product they must have a use case but what is it? Any what is the secret sauce in clustered indexes that makes them so popular? There is a substantial body of best practice information in the SQL Server community. Many of these practices are routinely ignored in some organizations, presumably because the consequences of not following aren't always clear. Come join this full day session for in-depth explanations of _why_ we give some of the advice that we do. Query hints, indexing, LINQ to Entities, common table expressions, looping vs set-based operations and more
Speaker(s): Rick Lowe,
Abstract:
For years the database has been treated as a second class citizen when it comes to source, change, and version control, often thought of as a dumb data store. Microsoft first addressed this with Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition, aka "Data Dude". After the release of Visual Studio 2012, Microsoft pulled the database project out of Visual Studio and created SQL Server Data Tools as separate, free to SQL Server users, install on top of the Visual Studio shell. The database project was updated making managing databases as code much easier and making the database a first class citizen in the code world. We will cover how to create a database project, connect it to source control, and deploy to our database servers.
Speaker(s): Jack Corbett,
Abstract:
One of the biggest challenges to successful implementation of data encryption has been the back and forth between the application and the database. You have to overcome the obstacle of the application decrypting the data it needs. Microsoft tried to simplify this process when it introduced Always Encrypted (AE) into SQL Server 2016 and Azure SQL Database. In this demo intense session, you will learn about what Always Encrypted is, how it works, and the implications for your environment. By the end you will know how to now easily encrypt columns of data and just as importantly how to unencrypt. You will also learn about the current limitations of the feature and what your options are to work around them.
Speaker(s): Monica Rathbun,
Abstract:
So you’ve heard about Azure SQL Database – you probably watched a demo and chat on that when Mike shared it last year! You’ve probably heard about Azure Managed Instances, Also. What are they? How easy are they to set up? What does it cost? How do we take advantage of it? Will SQL Agent jobs and all that “instance level stuff” I worry about with Azure SQL DB come over? Come to this session and find out. We’ll do some obligatory slides talking about use case, the pros, the cons and compare it with other services out there (Amazon RDS, Azure SQL, etc) and then we’ll spend a lot of time doing an interactive demo where we will build an Azure SQL Managed Instance, deploy to it and interact with our instance of SQL up in the cloud.
Speaker(s): Mike Walsh,
Abstract:
Dimensional modeling is arguably one of the most important fundamentals of business intelligence. It is still relevant even as new technologies like Power BI and SSAS Tabular Models are becoming standard. 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:
So you have been tasked with making that query faster. You know that indexes often can help with query performance, but how do you even start going about it. Join Sebastian Meine, Ph.D. for this truly interactive session and discover how indexes in SQL Server work. After attending, you’ll be able to answer common index questions, like: - Which columns should I add to my index? - How many indexes should I add to my new table? - Does the column order in my index have to match that in my query? - Does it hurt to have too many indexes? - When should I consolidate Indexes? - Are there queries that get slower after I create an index? But even more important, you’ll be able to explain how indexes are organized in SQL Server and what mechanism is responsible for the amazing performance gains you can achieve with them. Don’t miss this unique session. Attend, and you might just turn into an indexing superstar.
Speaker(s): Sebastian Meine,
Abstract:
SQL Server 2017 has great new additions and features. Join me to learn what's new in SQL Server 2017 with many demos. I will cover the following features. Linux Support Graph Tables Intelligent Query Processing Resumable Online Index Rebuild How to run R/Python with Machine Learning Services In-Memory Tables (NoSQL in SQL Server)
Speaker(s): Hasan Savran,
Abstract:
It seems like web apps are getting all the love and at first glance it may be hard to identify a good way to use the database in containers. This session will review the concept of containers and attempt to identify ways we might benefit from this new technology as we support our users.
Speaker(s): Carlos L Chacon,
Abstract:
Looking to get the most out of your SQL Saturday, PASS Summit, or local user group meeting? Plan ahead! Events aren't just about learning new things, they're about meeting new people, networking with peers, and learning different approaches to common issues. In this session, we'll go over steps you can take before, during and after the event to maximize the amount of great stuff you'll take away at the end (besides cool vendor swag). Not just keeping up on new technologies, but meeting new people, getting leads on solutions/opportunities, and an appreciation for the community you're in and what it has to offer.
Speaker(s): Matt Cushing,
Abstract:
Amazon web services offers a befuddling number of of different services. Among these are the two major options for running SQL Server on AWS - Elastic Compute Cloud and Relational Database Services. Why would one be picked over the other? What are the limitations and trade offs? We will discuss these questions among others while working through the process of restoring a sample database under both services.
Speaker(s): Rick Lowe,
Abstract:
In this session, we will start with an overview of Azure Data Factory V2 concepts, then show you how you can use metadata to quickly build scalable serverless pipelines to move data from disparate data sources including On-Premises and Platform As A Service. Next, we will look at how to integrate the solution using continuous integration and deployment techniques. Finally, we will look at how to schedule, monitor and log our solution. Whether you are just getting started with Azure Data Factory or looking to make your current data factory robust and enterprise-ready this session will take you to the next level.
Speaker(s): Jason Horner,
Abstract:
A common issue database administrators face is data auditing. Many use triggers, CDC, third-party tools, or roll their own type of auditing tool. In SQL Server 2016, a new feature called Temporal Tables was introduced and helps to simplify this common need. In this session, we will take a look at what temporal tables are, how they work and how you can implement them into your environment.
Speaker(s): John Morehouse,
Abstract:
Attendees will learn about the features and benefits of SQL Server 2017 Machine Learning Server by way of demonstrations that detail the step-by-step process for training and evaluating machine learning models using Python and R, and for then deploying and consuming those models using SQL Server stored procedures.
Speaker(s): Jon Tupitza,
Abstract:
Graphs are everywhere! Microsoft has added a lot of new features to SQL Server 2017 (and 2019), and among them SQL Graph has been one - one that holds a lot of promises, though it's still in its early stages (at least with Microsoft's offering). Microsoft added SQL Graph features to their 2017 release, and has added support for MERGE (UPSERT) scenarios to ease insertions into edge tables, and Edge Constraints to apply restrictions on relationships between nodes in 2019 release (in CTP 2.0). In this session, we'll take a look at what this feature brings to the table, and how it compares with other Graph databases.
Speaker(s): Azhagappan Arunachalam,
Abstract:
You find yourself needing to migrate to new hardware or new operating system. If you're running SQL Server 2016+, you're in luck! Distributed Availability Groups (AGs) may just be the solution you want. In this session I will discuss what distributed AGs are, show how to set them up, and show how to monitor distributed AGs.
Speaker(s): Elizabeth Noble,
Abstract:
Most of the time you’ll see ETL being done with a tool such as SSIS, but what if you need near-realtime reporting? You need to get the updates in your OLTP database to the Data Warehouse quickly, but with minimal impact on your application. This session will demonstrate how to keep your data warehouse updated in near real-time using Service Broker messages from your OLTP database.
Speaker(s): Allen White,
Abstract:
This session is a compilation of extreme techniques I had to use over time to make very fast operations go a bit faster. It will cover multiple areas (table design, data access layer, schemas, object naming, datatypes, collations physical data placement and more. All examples given in this session are from real world cases of some of the most demaning workloads in the world.
Speaker(s): Thomas Grohser,
Abstract:
There's an old adage in software development: Garbage In, Garbage Out. This adage certainly applies to data science projects: if you simply throw raw data at models, you will end up with garbage results. In this session, we will build an understanding of just what it takes to implement a data science project whose results are not garbage. We will use the Microsoft Team Data Science Process as our model for project implementation, learning what each step of the process entails. To motivate this walkthrough, we will see what we can learn from a survey of data professionals' salaries.
Speaker(s): Kevin Feasel,
Abstract:
Humans see images 60,000x better than text but are we always seeing what is being shown? In this talk, we will look at ways a visual designer can intentionally or unintentionally confuse readers by using techniques that are common but not correct. We will discuss topics such as color theory, chart selection and placement among others. Come join us to learn what makes a visualization clear and learn how to convey your story.
Speaker(s): Jonathan Stewart,
Abstract:
More and more regulatory requirements are coming out around having your data encrypted. Many DBAs are struggling to know where to encrypt and the impact to performance encryption causes at each level. We will walk through the basics of all encryption options for SQL Server workloads including TDE, Always Encrypted, database and column level encryption, encrypted connections, storage encryption, certificates, key management and much, much, much more!!!
Speaker(s): Shawn Meyers,
Abstract:
When disaster strikes, everyone's immediate question becomes: How long until the system is back online? Whether it's a single database or the whole SQL environment, time is essential... As everyone waits on the restore to complete. How long will the restoration process take? Can it run faster? In this session, we'll answer these questions by looking at how to establish and maintain a Restoration Baseline and the options available for performance tuning database restores.
Speaker(s): Jamie Wick,
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/pianorayk
Contact: https://pianorayk.wordpress.com/
Ray Kim is an advocate for documentation and technical communication. He is a co-founder of the Albany, NY SQL group (CASSUG), a member of the AlbanyUX user group, and has spoken at numerous SQLSaturdays and at PASS Summit. He has worked various positions in technology, including as a developer, webmaster, analyst, technical writer, and instructor. He holds an MS in technical communication from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BS in computer science from Syracuse University. A musician in his spare time, Ray plays four different instruments. He also enjoys going to ball games and doing CrossFit, and is a two-time SQLServerCentral.com fantasy football champion. He lives in Troy, NY with his wife, Lianne, and their two cats.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdmoore
Contact: https://blog.greenms.com
Greg Moore is a graduate of RPI. There, he majored in CompSci, but probably spent as much time hiking, canoeing, caving and rock-climbing as he did studying. He started working with SQL Server 4.21a in 1995 and has survived numerous upgrades. He's been a Director and later VP of IT at several startups including PowerOne Media, TownNews and Traffiq and now consults. These days, when he's not busy with playing with SQL Server or spending time with his family, he can often be found underground caving or teaching cave rescue with the NCRC. While his focus is on the operations side of DBA, his interests include DR, performance and general IT problem solving. He is the author of: IT Disaster Response: Lessons Learned in the Field.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pareshmotiwala
Paresh Motiwala a Azure/Big Data enthusiast, Manager of Database Platform teams has led several large SQL implementations, migrations and upgrades. He has managed multi terabyte OLTP databases. He has also been a Sr. SQL DBA and a Solutions Architect in Fortune 100 companies. He helps/organizes and speaks at many SQL Saturdays, Azure Bootcamp, Azure Datafests and User Groups(Boston BI UG, NESQL, PASS PD VG and PASS DBA VG). He is certified in Big Data Analytics, FinTech, PMP, Public Speaking, Business Communications. He is a avid singer, cook, open networker, and stand-up comedian. He teaches public speaking, debating, interviewing and group discussion skills and mentors children around the globe via www.circlesofgrowth.com
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: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidepatrick
Contact: http://www.madsharepoint.com
Dave has been developing database applications for over 25 years. An MCT since 2001, he has taught many classes from Intro to Visual Interdev to Advanced SharePoint Development. Dave runs two user groups, the Maryland and Pennsylvania Microsoft Developers User Group, www.mapamdug.com, and MAD SharePoint, www.madsharepoint.com. Dave does SharePoint training and development for DSA, Inc., a DoD contractor that does great work for the Army over at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Dave is also an MVP.
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/jamiewick/
Contact: http://blog.wicktech.net
Jamie Wick is the Systems Database Engineer for The College of William Mary and has been working with SQL databases for the past 10+ years. His background includes working for several years as a SQL SysAdmin for the University of Queensland (Australia), a Masters degree in Computer Information Systems from Boston University, and assorted Microsoft SQL certifications. He is the Chapter Leader of the Richmond SQL Server Users Group, a volunteer and speaker at regional SQL events (User Groups/SQLSaturdays), helps run the SQLSaturday RVA events, and is an avid photographer.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pareshmotiwala
Paresh Motiwala a Azure/Big Data enthusiast, Manager of Database Platform teams has led several large SQL implementations, migrations and upgrades. He has managed multi terabyte OLTP databases. He has also been a Sr. SQL DBA and a Solutions Architect in Fortune 100 companies. He helps/organizes and speaks at many SQL Saturdays, Azure Bootcamp, Azure Datafests and User Groups(Boston BI UG, NESQL, PASS PD VG and PASS DBA VG). He is certified in Big Data Analytics, FinTech, PMP, Public Speaking, Business Communications. He is a avid singer, cook, open networker, and stand-up comedian. He teaches public speaking, debating, interviewing and group discussion skills and mentors children around the globe via www.circlesofgrowth.com
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/pianorayk
Contact: https://pianorayk.wordpress.com/
Ray Kim is an advocate for documentation and technical communication. He is a co-founder of the Albany, NY SQL group (CASSUG), a member of the AlbanyUX user group, and has spoken at numerous SQLSaturdays and at PASS Summit. He has worked various positions in technology, including as a developer, webmaster, analyst, technical writer, and instructor. He holds an MS in technical communication from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BS in computer science from Syracuse University. A musician in his spare time, Ray plays four different instruments. He also enjoys going to ball games and doing CrossFit, and is a two-time SQLServerCentral.com fantasy football champion. He lives in Troy, NY with his wife, Lianne, and their two cats.
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: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rick-lowe/a/228/441/
Contact: http://dataflowe.wordpress.com/
Rick is a Microsoft Certified Master with more than 20 years of SQL Server experience in a variety of roles. He currently lives in Washington state and works as an independent consultant providing remote performance DBA and performance tuning services for clients in the USA and Canada. His first exposure to SQL Server was as a database developer, but over time he became more and more interested in how the database engine operated... eventually specializing more on performance issues than code. Rick will work with all things relational, but most enjoys helping smaller companies get better performance from MSSQL, as well as smoothing over relationships between DBA and development teams.
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: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepwalsh
Contact: https://www.straightpathsql.com
Mike Walsh is an experienced SQL Server professional and has worked with SQL Server since version 6.5. He has been in the role of DBA, developer, and performance tuner, but always leans on his DBA and tuning experience. He has been awarded the SQL Server (now Data Platform) designation 6 times since 2011 and is a current MVP. He runs a SQL Server consultancy focused on DBA services and cloud enablement. He has spoken several times at PASS and regional events. In his spare time, he runs a small farm with his family in rural New Hampshire and is a call Firefighter in his small town.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasgrohser/
Thomas Grohser has spent most of the past 26+ years exploring the deeper inner workings of SQL Server and its features while working for entertainment, pharmaceutical, and financial services industries. His primary focus is to architect, plan, build, and operate reliable, highly available, secure, and scalable infrastructures for SQL Server. Over the years he has managed thousands of SQL Server instances, processing trillions of rows, taking up petabytes of storage. Thomas has been a Microsoft Data Platform MVP for 9 years and has spoken regularly at conferences, SQLSaturdays, and user groups for 12 years.
I have over 12 years of experience working with SQL Server and Business Intelligence Technology. My current focus is cloud technologies: Power BI, Azure Analysis Services, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Data Factory. As a PFE at Microsoft, I regularly deliver 2 - 4 day training workshops.
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/pub/slava-murygin/9/b95/858
Contact: http://slavasql.blogspot.com/
Started working with SQL Server 7.0 as DBA and Developer. Since then went through all SQL Server versions, migrations and multiple companies of different sizes and industries. Currently working as a contractor with all aspects of SQL Server, including, but not limited to: troubleshooting performance, designing/developing: databases, systems, processes, data warehouses, cubes, reports, ETLs; Refactoring old code; Migrating data from other systems to SQL Server; Securing the data on enterprise level.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasansavran/
Contact: http://h-savran.blogspot.com/
Hasan Savran is a BI Architect at Progressive Insurance Company. He spends his days architecting cutting edge business solutions by using the latest Web and Database technologies. He is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer. Hasan has spoken at many SQL Saturdays, Code Camps and User groups. He is an active member of the HTML5 and WebAssembly W3C groups. He likes to write about SQL, CosmosDB, C#, and Front End development on his blog.
I have over 12 years of experience working with SQL Server and Business Intelligence Technology. My current focus is cloud technologies: Power BI, Azure Analysis Services, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Data Factory. As a PFE at Microsoft, I regularly deliver 2 - 4 day training workshops.
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.
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/josechinchilla
Contact: http://www.sqljoe.com
Jose Chinchilla is an experienced data analytics professional with multiple certifications including Microsoft Certified Database Administration (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Data Management and Analytics (MCSE), and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). Jose specializes in Data Warehouse and Data Lake Architecture and Development as the Data Analytics Practice Lead at AgileThought, a full-service custom software and analytics consulting firm based in Tampa, FL. Jose is a book author (SQL 2012 Bible, Professional SQL Server 2012 Administration, Exam Ref 70-767 Implementing a SQL Data Warehouse 2016) and leads the Tampa Bay BI Data Analytics PASS Chapter in Tampa, FL.
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/JamesSerra
Contact: http://www.JamesSerra.com
James Serra is a big data and data warehousing solution architect at Microsoft. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics. Previously, James was an independent consultant working as a Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence architect and developer. He is a prior SQL Server MVP with over 35 years of IT experience. James is a popular blogger (JamesSerra.com) and speaker. He is the author of the book “Reporting with Microsoft SQL Server 2012”.
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: 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/mattcushing/
Contact: http://sqlkohai.com
Matt started out his career in Accounting and quickly realized he liked data a whole lot more! Starting as a help desk associate, he's moved through support, development, data, and management positions before settling back to his passion for data. Currently working for Applegate Farms in NJ, he loves the people he works with and for, and the company as a whole. Thanks to the input and help from the SQL community, he was able to be ready for the right opportunity in his current position as a BI developer. He also teaches a Database Management class at Rutgers University. Ask him about the Red Sox sometime if you want your ear talked off ;).
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcorbett
Contact: http://www.wisemanorwiseguy.com
JJack Corbett began working with SQL Server, Access, and VB in 1999, when he served an apprenticeship with a good friend who was the software development manager at the local paper mill. He found his niche and has concentrated on SQL Server development and administration since late 2000. He has worked with SQL Server through version 2017 and was a Microsoft Data Plaform MVP from October 2011 to October 2016. Jack is passionate about helping companies architect, design, and develop high performance applications based on the Microsoft Data Platform. He also has a passion for seeing database developers get the core application code (the database) protected under source control. Jack has presented at many user groups and SQLSaturday even
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jontupitza
Contact: http://www.jon-tupitza.com
Jon Tupitza has two decades of experience in providing data platform, business intelligence and data science solutions to Public Sector customers. Tupitza served as a Senior Business Intelligence SQL Server consultant for Microsoft’s U.S. Public-Sector Consulting Services where he supported clients including Civilian, DoD and Intelligence Community agencies. His other prior experience includes serving as a Managing Consultant at SolidQ, a global provider of BI, analytics and data management consulting services, and as a Principal Solution Developer at Avanade, a global Microsoft-focused IT consulting services company
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnmeyers42
Shawn Meyers is a Field CTO working at Tintri. Shawn has worked in IT for 25+ years and specifically with SQL Server for 20+ years, beginning with version 6.5. A frequent speaker at many events including PASS Summit, VMworld, VMUGs, Virtual Chapter sessions, and many SQL Saturday events. Current focus is on improving DBAs lives with better infrastructure.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carloslchacon
Contact: http://sqldatapartners.com/blog
Carlos Chacon is the managing partner of SQL Data Partners LLC and co-host of the popular SQL Data Partners Podcast. While getting his start as a typical accidental DBA, Carlos has sat on Microsoft exam review panels, served as regional mentor and chapter leader. He enjoys traveling and has been to four continents, speaks Spanish and can eat his weight in raspberries (not yet proven). He and his family live in Richmond, Virginia.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianmeine
Contact: http://sqlity.net/en/blog/
Sebastian Meine, Ph.D. is the SQL Stylist behind sqlity.net llc. In 2010 he founded sqlity.net to fully engage in his passion for SQL Server. Armed with a Ph.D. in Computer Science and years of experience in architecting DBs for a global Fortune 50 company, Sebastian now provides training and consulting services for his clients, specializing in SQL Server Security, Test Driven Development and Performance. Sebastian is an experienced public speaker, published author, president of the Philly PASS Chapter, PASS Regional Mentor and coauthor lead developer of tSQLt.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JamesSerra
Contact: http://www.JamesSerra.com
James Serra is a big data and data warehousing solution architect at Microsoft. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics. Previously, James was an independent consultant working as a Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence architect and developer. He is a prior SQL Server MVP with over 35 years of IT experience. James is a popular blogger (JamesSerra.com) and speaker. He is the author of the book “Reporting with Microsoft SQL Server 2012”.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnmeyers42
Shawn Meyers is a Field CTO working at Tintri. Shawn has worked in IT for 25+ years and specifically with SQL Server for 20+ years, beginning with version 6.5. A frequent speaker at many events including PASS Summit, VMworld, VMUGs, Virtual Chapter sessions, and many SQL Saturday events. Current focus is on improving DBAs lives with better infrastructure.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rick-lowe/a/228/441/
Contact: http://dataflowe.wordpress.com/
Rick is a Microsoft Certified Master with more than 20 years of SQL Server experience in a variety of roles. He currently lives in Washington state and works as an independent consultant providing remote performance DBA and performance tuning services for clients in the USA and Canada. His first exposure to SQL Server was as a database developer, but over time he became more and more interested in how the database engine operated... eventually specializing more on performance issues than code. Rick will work with all things relational, but most enjoys helping smaller companies get better performance from MSSQL, as well as smoothing over relationships between DBA and development teams.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/josechinchilla
Contact: http://www.sqljoe.com
Jose Chinchilla is an experienced data analytics professional with multiple certifications including Microsoft Certified Database Administration (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Data Management and Analytics (MCSE), and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). Jose specializes in Data Warehouse and Data Lake Architecture and Development as the Data Analytics Practice Lead at AgileThought, a full-service custom software and analytics consulting firm based in Tampa, FL. Jose is a book author (SQL 2012 Bible, Professional SQL Server 2012 Administration, Exam Ref 70-767 Implementing a SQL Data Warehouse 2016) and leads the Tampa Bay BI Data Analytics PASS Chapter in Tampa, FL.
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/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.
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.