See you at SQL Saturday 130 Jacksonville!

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Hello Dear Reader, this Saturday April 28^th is SQL Saturday 130 in Jacksonville FL!  The good people from the Jacksonville SQL Server User Group have put together an excellent event.  If you are in the Jacksonville area, (or in FL or GA for that matter) and would like to make it to the event, go register here because we would love to see you!

On Friday the festivities kick off with a great Pre-Con Kevin Kline (Blog|@KEKline)  a full day on Troubleshooting & Performance Tuning for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2.  Kevin is one of the top guys in the SQL Server world, he is a Founding member of PASS and a former PASS President, he’s a SQL MVP, an author, and an all around great guy.  This is a full day of training that normally goes for hundreds of dollars, and right now it is only $120 for the full day.  Click on the link above to get more details.

“So Balls,” you say, “What will you be doing at SQL Saturday 130?”

We will get to that in a moment Dear Reader but first let’s go to the line up.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS   

When you go to a SQL Saturday you expect a great line up, and SQL Saturday 130 in Jacksonville is no exception.  Six different SQL Server MVP’s, Six different tracks, two SSAS Maestro’s, all in all over 36 Sessions of pure SQL fun.   As if this wasn’t enough it is free.  That is right Dear Reader, if you have not been to a SQL Saturday in the past you may not know this but they are completely free to attend.  For the full schedule click here.

“So Balls”, you say, “What will you be attending?”

With all of these great speakers it will be tough to choose where to go, but I’m going to do my best!

If you’re new to the blog you may not know this, but I LOVE Compression! 

 One of the most interesting stories on Compression in SQL 2012, in my humble opinion, is ColumnStore Indexes.  So I’m going to start out the day with my friend Gareth Swanepoel (Blog|@GarethSwan) to learn more about them as he presents The Fangorn Forest – ColumnStore Indexes.  Then I’m off to present on Page & Row Compression in SQL 2012 (FYI 99.99% of what I cover works in 2008 R2 as well).  Next I’m off to watch Tom Brenneman (@TomBrenneman)  present on, Job Common Sense 101- Don’t be that Guy!!.  Tom does a lot of work with the Pragmatic Works foundation, runs the Jacksonville SQL Server User Group, and whenever I’ve spoken with him is a very engaging man.  I’m sure his presentation should be very interesting!  

After that I’m off to see Pam Shaw (Blog|@PamShaw)  presenting Taking the Scary out of Monster Reports.  Pam is a flat out expert at SSRS, she recently presented at MagicPASS, my SSUG home away from home, and she is great.  If you work with SSRS I would recommend you stop by and watch her present.  Next up I’m going to attend Chad Churchwell’s (Blog|@ChadChurchwell) session on SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn for HA and DR.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with Chad since I hopped over to Pragmatic Works, and he is absolutely brilliant, Availability groups are one of the best things to come out of SQL 2012 and I’m really looking forward to seeing Chad’s take on them.  

Finally I’m going to finish off the day watching my friend Rob Volk(Blog|@SQL_R) present on Lego Sets: Relational Building Blocks.  I first watched Rob present at SQL Saturday 85 in Orlando last year, he is funny, engaging, and presenting on a topic I think EVERY DBA should learn about, Set Based Logic.  This is the mathematical foundation of how data set’s inside of SQL server work, and are the most efficient way to move and alter data vs. the Row By Agonizing Row approach (RBAR).  This should be a great way to end the day.

PAGE & ROW COMPRESSION IN SQL 2012

I’m presenting on my favorite topic, data compression.  And I hope you will stop by and join me if you are at SQL Saturday.  Here’s my abstract.

 “Page and Row Compression are powerful new tools. Vardecimal shipped with SQL 2005 SP2, Page & Row with SQL 2008 RTM, and Page & Row with Unicode Compression with SQL 2008 R2. In SQL 2012 we add Spatial Data Types. Get an overview into how each version of compression works internally. Learn how your Allocation Units will determine if your data is a candidate for compression. Understand how your tables Update and Scan pattern’s affect the compression types you should consider. And what you should you take into consideration for additional overhead.”

This presentation is always a lot of fun, small crowd or big.  AS what our companies want to track continues to grow, our data volume will only continue to grow, and Compression will be a major component of how to handle that.  Come and learn how you should do it, and I’m not just talking turning it on and off, but really learn what are the internals of compression.  Learn how to decide what you should and should not compress, and walk away with a Monday Morning Checklist that will aid you if you are looking to apply this soon at your job.

SEE YOU THERE

As always Thanks for stopping by Dear Reader, I hope to see you at SQL Saturday and if you cannot make it to my session, I hope to see you at the event!

Thanks,

Brad

Spring DevConnections 2012

Hello Dear Reader, this week finds me in beautiful Miami FL.  Next week I’ll be in Vegas, for one night only.  Next week the SQL Server Conference schedule for 2012 kicks off, and how better to do it than in Las Vegas with DevConnections.  Connections could not come at a better time, with SQL 2012 RTM being available for MSDN download and available everywhere else April 1^st, (yes I know April Fool’s day you can’t make this stuff up).

Joining the long list of experts speaking at DevConnections is ME!  I’m thrilled to be participating in the Launch Party for SQL Server 2012.  I was honored to be invited to present at SQL DevConnections.  For those of you not familiar with DevConnections it is a twice yearly conference that cover’s Visual Studio, ASP.NET, Sharepoint, SQL Server, Silverlight, HTML 5, Cloud, Exchange, and Windows technologies.

And it doesn’t just cover them, each technology stack is its own conference.  So literally there are 9 conferences for Microsoft Related technologies all happening in one place!   Under one roof!   Technogeeks of the World UNITE, I have found your mecca and it is called Vegas.

“So Balls,” you say “What will you be presenting on? When will it be?”

Excellent question Dear Reader and away we go.

WHAT ARE YOU PRESENTING

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Since joining Pragmatic Works, see Pragmatic Works has Balls….SQLBalls, I have been very busy with client work, and this will mark my first presentation of the new year!  My subject will be Transparent Data Encryption in SQL 2012!  The When Dear Reader is next Thursday 3/29, 9:45 am.

I will be presenting on Transparent Data Encryption Inside and Out in SQL 2012.  Here is the abstract.

Security is a very important part of your job and in how data is utilized.  We have many tools to make data more secure, and starting in SQL 2008 we were able to add Transparent Data Encryption to that list.  Find out What it does and What it doesn’t do, How it effects Read-Only Filegroups, Performance, Compression (Backup and Row/Page), What the X.509 Encryption Standard is and Why you should be careful of what you store and where, and other Advance Features as well as some tips on how to manage it.

This is a great subject and I’m kicking off the new year by walking through the process, talking about what TDE impacts and changes (not just in your database but in your Disaster Recovery Planning), and taking a quick peak at the internals of an MDF file.

WHY SHOULD I GO

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DevConnections units so many technologies in the Windows stack, it brings out some of the best in the business on all fronts, and the people presenting are amazing.   Paul Randal (Blog|@PaulRandal) and Kimberly Tripp (Blog|@KimberlyLTripp) co-chair the conference, with the level of quality that Paul & Kimberly put into everything you know that this is going to be good.

The people presenting back that up you have Aarron Bertrand (Blog|@AaronBertrand), Steve Jones (Blog|@Way0utwest), Jonathan Kehayias (Blog|@SQLPoolboy), Brent Ozar (Blog|@BrentO), Mike Walsh (Blog|@mike_walsh), Glenn Berry(Blog|@GlennAlanBerry), Grant Fritchey(Blog|@GFritchey), and many many more, to see the full list click here.  When you get speakers this good you know that the content will be amazing and it is,click here for a list of sessions.

And as if that isn’t enough it’s VEGAS!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE

My time in Vegas will be brief, I’m a one night only, kind of show.  Right now I’m booked to the gills with client commitments so I will be flying in Wednesday night, and back out Thursday after the presentation.

So if you get a chance in passing feel free to yell out “HI Balls”, you’ll turn a few heads but hey it is Vegas, and I’ll make sure to come over and say Hi right back.

See you there!

Thanks,

Brad

I’m Going to SQL RALLY!

Hello Dear Reader, I’ve just received great news I’M HEADED TO SQL RALLY 2012! But I didn’t get here on my own, I have you to Thank.  And I would like to do just that.  Thank You to everyone who voted for me as part of the recent Community vote!  I really appreciate it.  It is always an honor to be picked to participate in a SQL event, but it means a lot when your peers vote you in.

I promise that you will not be let down, I’ve got not one, but TWO amazing sessions that made it through the voting.

“So Balls,” you say, “What are you presenting on?”

Great question Dear Reader, and away we go!

Transparent Data Encryption Inside and Out in SQL 2012

Security is a very important part of your job and in how data is utilized.  We have many tools to make data more secure, and starting in SQL 2008 we were able to add Transparent Data Encryption to that list.  Find out What it does and What it doesn’t do, How it effects Read-Only Filegroups, Performance, Compression (Backup and Row/Page), What the X.509 Encryption Standard is and Why you should be careful of what you store and where, and other Advance Features as well as some tips on how to manage it.

I’ve had a lot of fun presenting on this topic in the past.  Transparent Data Encryption is a wonderful technology that we were able to start using in SQL 2008.  I was lucky very early on that as soon as I started working with 2008 I was working with TDE. 

When you use TDE there are some very important things to know and consider the first is what TDE does and doesn’t do, the second what physical changes actually occur within your database, and finally how you manage certificates and how they affect your recovery scenarios for your databases.

I’ve done a Lightening round version of this presentation for OPASS, the Orlando SQL Server User Group, my friends at Publix, and for SQL Saturday 79 South Florida this past year.  This year I start off the year with a Bang presenting on this topic at SQL Connections in Las Vegas, and now I’ll get to present on this at SQL Rally 2012 as well!

SQL Internals, Recovery Models, and Backups! OH MY!

The more you know about SQL Server the more you understand how it works.  SQL Server is a product we use every day, and most of us know the big concepts.  At the 10,000 foot view we know what  Databases, Tables, and Columns are.   But what makes up those Databases, Tables, and Columns.  What are Records, Pages, Extents, and Allocation Units?  What are Full, Simple, and Bulk-Logged Recovery?  What are the differences between  Full, Transaction Log, Differential, or Filegroup backups?  What is a Piecemeal Restore?  This is an introduction to these concepts using SQL 2012.  In this session you will learn about the internal Structure, Recovery Models, and Backups and be better prepared to for Future Learning and Managing SQL!

When I first put together this presentation it was meant to be a leap frog session. 

“So Balls,” you say “I’m not playing leap frog with you.”

No worries Dear Reader, I’m not playing a game, but what I mean by leap frog is I want you to leap ahead.  As I’ve studied SQL Server I’ve noticed that there are some fundamental concepts that you encounter over and over again.

The reason because they are all interrelated.  A.C.I.D., Transaction Isolation Levels, the internal components of SQL Server’s Relation & Storage Engine, B-Tree Structures, Pages, Allocation Units, Transaction Log management, Recovery Model’s, and Backups (that’s a mouth full OH MY!).  I’m not going to make you an expert, but I’m going to arm you with knowledge and concepts to allow you to go forth and be better prepared for future learning. 

But what we cover will apply directly to how you would choose the type of backups that are appropriate for the database systems that you manage.

THANK YOU

Once again Dear Reader and Dear SQL Community, I would just like to say Thank You.  I hope to see you and I hope to see you at SQL Rally 2012!

Thanks,

Brad