I know it may seem odd for a career database administrator to attend an event catered to hackers and developers. But that’s the “old” Black Hat, in my opinion. Today’s security landscape is far different than when Black Hat started 20-plus years ago. Back then security was an afterthought. Today we understand security is a shared responsibility. The attendees of Black Hat reflect this shift, as do the vendors in the expo hall.

Being a new event for me, I went out of my way to meet people to better understand their community and culture. In Vegas, I was able to mingle with members of the Azure Sentinel team, including John Lambert. In conversation with John and his team, the quote “Defenders think in lists, attackers think in graphs” was mentioned.

Yeah, I found my people.

Many events I attend are hosted by large vendors (Microsoft, VMware, Cisco, AWS, etc.) and as such many of the sessions at those events are product marketing-focused. Even community sessions are often a showcase of product features. Black Hat is not a marketing event as much as it’s a university-level symposium. For example, in Vegas I attended a session on how researchers are using mice to help detect deep fakes. There was no company behind the session, just some graduate students talking about their research project. It was wonderful.

So, I’m looking forward to more of the same in London. I’ve no idea the size of this event, but I expect the content to be brilliant. I’m eager to meet people in and around the booth and talk to them about the portfolio of security products we have. I want valued feedback on how to make our products better. I want to help our customers shift their security focus, helping them move from protection to detection.

But most of all, I’m using this trip as an excuse to watch Arsenal play Brighton on Thursday evening. Look for me in the stands—I’ll be the one in the red jersey, red scarf, and Black Hat.

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I am excited about this year’s event because I served as co-chair for SQL Server Live along with Andrew Brust. I joined right as the call for speakers closed. That gave me a period of exactly one day to reach out and solicit speakers. I’m hoping that next year I might have a bit more time to recruit speakers. After the call ended Andrew and I went through the list of submissions and picked the ones that best fit the tracks.

The last time I put together a speaking lineup was six years ago. In many ways, this felt like a trip back in time. It was fun trying to figure out who to place where, and when, and make sure all the pieces fit. We’ve got a great lineup, too, you can see it for yourself here. I’m especially excited to have Allan Hirt conducting the all day lab session on SQL Server High Availability on Sunday. I’ve long advocated that proper training involves labs, and Allan is the best in the industry at building labs for his training classes.

This year I have two sessions and will be part of two panels.

Cardinality Estimates in Microsoft SQL Server – One of my favorite sessions I’ve built over the years is this talk on cardinality. I delivered it at Techorama back in May and I’m proud to be doing it again at SQL Live.

Upgrading to SQL Server 2016 – I put together this session earlier this year and delivered it at SQL Konferenz back in February. It got positive feedback and I’m looking forward to delivering it again.

In with The New, And The Old Too: The Database New World Order – In what should be a lively discussion, I’m taking part in a panel where we talk about the current state of database technology and what data professionals need to do in order to continue to show value in their roles.

SQL Server Live Networking Event – What better way to close out the week than hanging out with other data geeks such as yourself.

SQL Server LIve! is a great event. I have been there every year since it started, except for one time when the Microsoft MVP Summit conflicted. I enjoy how the audience is a mixture of data professionals, as it leads to wonderful conversations and collaboration. I’m fortunate to have been a part of putting together the speakers for this year. If you have the opportunity to attend, you should. You won’t find a better lineup of speakers and content. And, what’s more, is that if you register before August 11th and use the code LSPK48 you get $500 off registration costs!

I can make it easier for you, just follow this link and the code will be applied automatically: http://bit.ly/LSPK48_reg

If you are already planning on attending feel free to contact me, I’d love to connect with you while in Orlando.

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This year I have two sessions. Together with Karen López (blog | @datachick) we will be offering a full training day session on February 14th titled “Advanced Accidental Database Design for SQL Server“. We will cover enhancements in SQL Server 2016 for building databases in an enterprise environment on modern project teams. As we have done in the past we will have demonstrations and several exercises, along with group labs to cover advanced database design skills. But this isn’t your average “Here’s how to create a table, now go build a database” course. Our goal is to cover new features in SQL Server 2016 that are relevant to modern enterprise development practices. We’ll talk about some of the pain points designers feel as well as the costs, benefits, and risks associated with design choices. And we will hand out space-themed prizes because did I mention the ESA is located in Darmstadt?

The other session I have in on February 16th and is titled “Upgrading to SQL Server 2016“. Having been involved with databases for over 20 years now, I know that upgrading to the latest version of SQL Server is often seen as a comprehensive and difficult project. Management often fails to see the benefit for migrating to the latest version and your end users aren’t interested in all of the extra testing. You need to come up with a plan that earns both management and end-user support. I will cover the information you need to collect and consider before, during, and after upgrading to SQL Server 2016. If you feel stuck on an older version of SQL Server, attend this session to understand the features and benefits of SQL Server 2016 that will justify your upgrade project. Come and learn about the tools and methods that will make your upgrade project be successful.

If you are in, or near, Darmstadt in February I hope you take the time to join us at SQL Konferenz!

The post Join Me at SQL Konferenz 2017 appeared first on Thomas LaRock.

This is very true for many database administrators out there. Nobody goes to school to be a DBA. We fall into the role by accident because (1) we think the job is cool or (2) we think we can do the job better than anyone else, or a combination of both.

But after a few weeks, once we’ve created a table, or altered a column, or reset a password we are then seen as someone that can design an entire database for a project. We sit in meetings, we take notes, and we go back to our desks to do as we’re told and we don’t often think about the ramifications of the design choices that we are implementing.

And that means this: Over 90% of the databases out there right now have been designed by an accidental administrator*, if they are being designed at all.

When the SQLBits call for speakers went out I immediately wrote an email to Karen López (blog | @datachick) and asked her if she would do another training day with me, this time focused on database design for accidental administrators. And thus the session ‘Advanced Accidental Database Design‘ was born.

Similar to last year, the day will include lecture style format as well as interactive discussions and exercises. We will break the attendees out into teams and have them perform lab exercises using Azure VMs with SQL Server installed. This isn’t your average “Here’s how to create a table, now go build a database” course. Our goal is to cover new features in SQL Server 2016 that are relevant to modern enterprise development practices. We’ll talk about some of the pain points designers feel as well as the costs, benefits, and risks associated with design choices.

Discussion topics will include:

• Advanced database design process
• Advanced Data Types (XML, JSON, Geospatial)
• Files/Filegroups/Partitioning/Archiving/Stretching
• Security/Encryption/Data masking/Audit
• Advanced Table design Topics (Temporal/Hekaton/Compression)
• Other Advanced Topics

Attendees will leave our session with an understanding of new features in SQL Server 2016, advanced database design process for modern enterprise development projects, and how to decide which design choice is the right decision choice for your needs.

If you have the opportunity to go to SQLBits and attend a training day we’d love to see you.

If you aren’t able to attend SQLBits but still want a taste of our session you are in luck, we’ve got you covered there, too. Next week (12th April, 2016) we will be doing a webinar for SolarWinds, Advanced Accidental Database Design, taking place at 9AM ET (13:00 UTC).

Join us for the webinar and get a taste of what it would be like to be stuck in a room with us for a full day!

*-I’ve no idea what the real number is, and neither do you.

The post Advanced Accidental Database Design appeared first on Thomas LaRock.

To help us along I’ve decided to use quotes from The Lego Movie because reasons. Seriously, the story of Emmet’s journey from an ordinary worker, to someone that recognizes they have something special about them, and overcoming the odds to get the job done is a familiar theme for any data professional. We all start out with little-to-no knowledge about the products we use, we develop a sense of self-worth over time, and then we become a valuable addition to a team (and sometimes the most valuable).

I joke how this career journey for us SQL Server folks is, in many ways, the longest lasting SQL migration we will ever face.

So, let’s get started!

“Everything is awesome, everything is cool.”

The PASS Summit is the largest gathering of SQL Server professionals on Earth. With over 5,000 total registrations from like-minded data professionals like you and me, you can be certain to have something in common with everyone else in the room. I’ve always talked about how I wanted Summit to feel like it was summer camp for data professionals, but when I walk into that Welcome Reception these days it feels more like…like…

Home. I feel home again at Summit. Where everything is awesome, and everything is cool.

“You know, I don’t want to spoil the party but, does anyone notice that we’re stuck in the middle of the ocean on this couch?”

This quote fits the Community Zone perfectly. It’s a place where many of us just hang around in between sessions. I don’t think there is a couch this year, but there are usually beanbags and there is always space on the floor to just crash as needed. The Community Zone is a wonderful place to get energized, and not just emotionally, because that’s where we have power strips. It is also in the Community Zone that you will connect with many of the PASS volunteers and leaders that help keep our community active and going strong all year long.

“Come with me if you want to not die.”

Twelve years ago I attended my first PASS Summit. I did so for a variety of reasons but one reason in particular is that I wanted to give myself the opportunity to sharpen my technical skills. I didn’t want to be left behind and I knew that I needed to spend time with more like-minded data professionals. The relationships I have formed (and even lost) over the years has given me the ability to sharpen not just the hard skills but also the soft skills that are needed in order to have a successful data career. In other words, I joined because I did not want my career to die.

“Well, uhh… technically I’m not a Master Builder yet.”

The PASS Summit is a place for data experts of all skills levels and job roles. Everyone starts out with zero knowledge and you will find that many folks in the PASS Community are there to help each other become a Master Builder. It’s typical for many of us to sit in a room and think that our skills aren’t as good as everyone else. Don’t let that discourage you from attending a session, or an event.

“Here in Cloud Cuckoo Land, there are no rules: There’s no government, no baby sitters, no bedtimes, no frowny faces, no bushy mustaches, and no negativity of any kind.” “You just said the word ‘no’ like a thousand times.” “And there’s also no consistency.”

Cloud Cuckoo Land…that kinda describes what it feels like behind the scenes of Summit. The amount of work done by PASS HQ and event staff to bring order out of chaos is nothing short of miraculous, and always with a smile. No negativity, no bedtimes, no frowny faces…yeah, that’s PASS HQ. When you see them at Summit, give them a hug and tell them I said it was OK.

“Hey, I can be dark and brooding too – Guys, look, a rainbow!”

If you are not aware of what the weather in Seattle is like, then this is the quote for you. Overcast, chilly, and wet one moment and then sunny rainbows the next. Well, OK, maybe not immediately next, but I’ve seen sunshine in Seattle. It happens every now and then.

“Where are my pants?”

This seems fitting for me personally, considering I need to be on stage to deliver the Day 1 keynote and I often work from home sans pantalones. I’ve been told MANY TIMES that I’m not allowed to be on stage without pants. Although we did have a keynote speaker years ago that was wearing shorts, so there *IS* precedent, but apparently we have rules now. Whatevs.

“All I’m asking for is total perfection.”

This quote works well with regards to the timing you need to attend everything you want to see and do for the week. My fellow Head Geek Kong Yang (bio | @KongYang) went old-school at VMWorld, using paper and pencil and keeping the folded sheet in his lanyard. It helped us know when and where we needed to be and was WAY more efficient than any phone I’ve ever had. So that’s what I’ll be using this year, too, as I try to avoid the struggles I’ve had in previous years. Let me know if you want to help be my handler, too, because I need an assistant willing to work long hours for no money.

“With proper training you could become a great MasterBuilder.”

The content available at PASS is the best in the world for data professionals invested in the Microsoft data platform. No other event brings together so many leading experts combined with members from the Microsoft product teams. And the content isn’t just inside the session rooms, it’s in the hallways as well as inside the SQL Clinic. You may not be an expert in something, but chances are you can find the expert at PASS. In some cases, you can find the person who wrote the code! You may not be a MasterBuilder yourself, but exposure to the collective at PASS is your first step to becoming one.

“Hi everybody. You may not know me, but I’m on TV, so you can trust me.”

This quote is for the Summit recordings you can purchase because you can’t possibly attend every session at the same time. And there are times when you will miss a session because you are having a wonderful conversation over an egg-nog latte at Tully’s with Buck Woody (blog | @buckwoodymsft). Either way, the Summit recordings are worth every penny.

“If this relationship is going to work out between us I need to feel free to party with a bunch of strangers whenever I feel like it. I will text you.”

Like I said, there are a LOT of people attending Summit. Lots of sessions and lots of events to attend. You are likely going to find yourself in a room of strangers at some point. But that’s OK, because they aren’t really strangers, they are just friends you haven’t met yet. So do yourself a favor and meet someone new. Just one person, at the very least. Don’t eat alone. Don’t just head back to your room at night. Meet someone, anyone, and ask them why they decided to attend Summit. You might find you have a lot in common.

“Well for what it’s worth, this has been about the greatest 15 minutes of my life.”

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to present sessions at the PASS Summit over the years. This year I will have one session, Database Design Throwdown, presented together with Karen López (blog | @datachick). I remember what it was like the first time presenting at Summit, when they got all the speakers together in one room to go over logistics, hand out gifts, etc. I looked around and saw the talent in the room and immediately thought I was way out of my league. The day came for my session and I was nervous. I got through it and then, just like that, it was over. It felt like no time at all had passed. If you are presenting for the first time this year, enjoy every minute while you can.

“YOU ALL NEED TO BE MORE FRIENDLY!!!!”  

This makes me think of the many volunteers we have, not just at Summit but at all PASS events. The growth that PASS has seen over the 12 years I have been involved is amazing, and is the result of the growth in the number of people willing to volunteer their time. For example, at Summit look for the red vests, those are the ambassadors and they are there to help you find your way around. When you consider the number of people we have volunteering their time you can get a sense that moving everyone in the same direction can be as challenging as herding a bunch of Unikitties.

“Got room for just one dude?”

Chances are the session you are attending is going to be packed full of people. (One of the perks as an ambassador is that you get a seat reserved down front, in case you were interested.) And there will be a time or two when you will find yourself in a crowded hallway, or looking for a place to eat lunch. Summit is crowded, but there is always room for one more person.

“Yeah! I know! Tacos! Tacos! Go crazy!”

Of course I need to mention something about the food, as that is a topic of conversation every year. We do our best to work with convention staff on the menu options in order to provide something for everyone. We don’t always get it right, but we do try our best. It’s not easy to feed a few thousand people at the same time. Many events of our size have started serving boxed lunches and are scaling back on appetizers served during receptions. We may get there at some point, too, but not this year. So I will enjoy the fact that we are still able to serve a hot lunch.

“You have a great day too, President Business. Man, he’s such a cool guy. I always wanna hear more of…wait! Did he say put to sleep?!”

There is a lot to do and see while at Summit. And sleep is often at a premium during the week. I do my best to get extra rest the week before, and also to make sure I find my way to bed before midnight (especially since I have to be up at 6AM each day). The days are long at Summit, get plenty of water and get rest especially early in the week. Pace yourself, finsih hard, and sleep on the plane ride home.

If you can’t tell, I love this event, and the people that make up my #sqlfamily. I am fortunate that twelve years ago my manager agreed to send me to my first PASS Summit. I do my best to repay that kindness by helping others, as I have been doing ever since. I would not be where I am, or the person I am, today without my having joined PASS all those years ago.

See you in Seattle!

The post PASS Summit 2015 Preview appeared first on Thomas LaRock.

First, Ignite came on the heels of Microsoft Build. And at both events Microsoft unleashed a wave of announcements that shows this is a much different Microsoft than even 18 months ago. I think this tweet summarizes how all of us feel about Microsoft right now.

Those of us who really pay attention to what Microsoft is doing these days are literally giddy with excitement. #newmicrosoft #moretocome

— Gabor Fari (@GaborFari) May 7, 2015

You can find long lists of the announcements at both events, I’m not going to detail them again for you here. Let’s just say that for two straight weeks Microsoft was on top of the headlines and everyone else is playing catch-up right now. The developers are in charge of Microsoft again, and that makes me smile.

Second, the Power BI dashboard that SQL Sentry has put into their product. I’ve been clamoring for YEARS to get something similar into database monitoring products. Now that someone else has taken the plunge maybe we will see other companies invest in such efforts. The native reporting tools and structures in many applications is less than useful. I’ve no idea why any company spends so much time on trying to build the perfect reporting solution when all anyone wants to do is export data to a CSV files and pull it into Excel anyway.

The PowerBI dashboard is going to deliver great insights but remember this is BI. That means it is only going to tell you how you got to where you are. If you want to know what actions to take, that’s where you need to do some analytics. And that’s the 2nd generation of self-service reporting I want to see monitoring tools provide. I want a tool that can take all of the events from the past and then perform some predictive analytics. Imagine the power in being 95% confident that next Tuesday you would see a parameter sniffing problem?

That’s light-years ahead of the native reporting many tools offer today. And that’s why the Power BI dashboard was one of the coolest things I found at Ignite last week.

Ignite event also marked the first time I’ve given an in-booth presentation. I liked the format, and it struck me as being similar to a lightening talk (something I’ve also not done yet). I’ll do a separate blog post about that talk, hopefully later this week.

Lastly, here’s a group shot of the most amazing booth staff I have ever had the opportunity to work with. I have a dream job because these people are so wonderful to work with.

The post Microsoft Ignite Recap appeared first on Thomas LaRock.

I thought that EDW was well executed considering the hotel was undergoing some lobby renovations making it difficult at times to find a place to network effectively. Having helped run a few events you might have heard about I know how challenging it can be to pull everything together. I enjoyed many aspects of EDW but two items in particular stand out to me because I believe I see a relation between them.

First, during my session on Wednesday morning, I asked the audience how many were attending their first EDW. Almost every hand went up. It reminded me how at PASS events we often find 40-50% of the people in the room are new to the event. 

The second item happened in the exhibit hall where I came across a product that claims to be the “only Hadoop RDBMS“. Here’s a link to Hortonworks describing what Hadoop is: distributed computing. So, not quite a traditional relational database. The need for this product must exist. I cannot imagine a company would invest their time and money in making a product without having a market in which to sell.

Now, think about those two things put together. Not only did a company decide that there was a need to take something non-relational and somehow add a layer of abstraction to make it relational, but there are more and more people looking to gain knowledge about data, data modeling, and data architecture.

I think it’s about time we realize that 50% new attendees to data-focused events is not the result of marketing efforts, it’s a result of the changing nature of data professionals.

In other words, the future is bright for all data professionals. Our world keeps evolving; always something new to learn.

Looks like I need to learn about relational Hadoop.

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