One aspect of the PASS Summit that often gets overlooked are the hands-on labs provided by Microsoft. Now, truth be told, I’ve only taken part in the labs once, back in 2005. I did so because SQL 2005 was coming out and I wanted to walk through a handful of scenarios in the labs so that I would be ahead of the curve. The reason I didn’t do the same for 2008 was because by then I already had access to a lot of the same lab materials and…OK…I just didn’t make the time, but I really wish I had.
Anyway, back in 2005, when I did do the labs, they were awesome. I got to see some brand spanking shiny new piece of software and kick the tires on about six different scenarios. And it really helped me when I was back in my shop. Every now and then a situation would arise and I would answer ‘Yeah, I am pretty certain we can do that through SSMS” and everyone would look at me like I was crazy and ask “How do you know this stuff?”
Because of the labs. Well, because of PASS, really.
BTW, I have no idea about the configuration of the labs this year, but I am willing to bet that you will have a chance to see CTP3 of SQL Server Code Name “Denali”. You should stop by to have a look. Trust me, it will be worth it.
