Category Archives: SQLServerPedia Syndication

SQLSat403 – Recap

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SQLSAT403_header

The doors close, lights turn off, and cars begin to pull out of the parking lot. Another SQL Saturday event has come and gone, but this time it was different. The reason for this was from the hard work, effort, countless hours, and collaboration that took place.

This past year I wanted to embark on a journey that I hadn’t done before which was volunteering for a SQL Saturday event. Malathi Mahadevan (B|T) afforded me this opportunity to get involved along with John Morehouse (B|T) . Little did I know what I was about to embark on.

Listen, most attend these events by showing up and listening to a talented speaker pool. After the event attendees stick around for a raffle, and share some laughs with friends. I know because I’ve attended several of these events; I’ve also spoken at a lot of events other than SQL Saturday’s and given presentations. In those times you get to talk with other speakers, attend some nice dinners, and kick back with some deep conversations. What is missing?

SQLSaturday403 in Louisville, Ky changed my mindset drastically. If you have never been apart of something in this nature then I would recommend it; I don’t care if you are a speaker or an attendee at a user group. The hard work and effort that goes into pulling an event such as this off is phenomenal. I walked away with a new appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes along with learning a few things:

  1. People are hungry to learn
  2. It takes a strong team behind the scenes to pull something like this off
  3. Dedication and determination are prevalent
  4. Organization is key

We had a very talented speaker pool come in to town this year who provided attendees with a number of good sessions. The vendors on hand were second to none and put on a great show for everyone to see. What really got my attention was seeing all the hard work we, as a group, put into it. As we crossed that finish line and the day of the event came we saw a record crowd which maxed out our venue with people beating the door down on a waiting list to get in. That means two things to me:

  1. Shows just how eager people were wanting to learn
  2. We were doing something right

Twitter wall

Enter stage left > the twitter wall.

Something new that I have not seen before was, what became, the infamous twitter wall. The idea stemmed from a colleague/friend of mine John Morehouse.

The wall was located in our eating/silver sponsor area and was a big hit throughout the day. It also provided a glimpse into some of the fun we were having:

Photo provided by John Morehouse

Photo provided by John Morehouse

One of the cool things that I liked about this idea was seeing all the attendees thoughts as they were sitting through the sessions. The #SQLSat403 was generating quite a buzz, this was proof that what was happening in Louisville was a great thing. The vendors located in this area were pretty stoked about the twitter wall as they were getting some love as well!

Feedback

All of the above shows signs of success, or so I thought, until I got blindsided again by feedback I received from the attendees, vendors, and speakers. Some of the comments that will remain anonymous are:

“I apologize; I’ve been doing this wrong for so long with my code and I am rejuvenated to fix it and make it more efficient“

“This event is free; how is that possible?”

“I am missing out on #SQLSat403; that seems like it is the place to be today”

“I definitely will be coming back to this next year”

Those are some pretty encouraging comments. As with anything, our group realizes that we had hiccups. Some may not have even been noticeable, but the organizers noticed them. Guess what, we are making a list and looking for ways to continue to improve on this event. There is a buzz going on here in the city of Louisville around this event; know that we have a dedicated team in place that will continue to work hard in order to make this one of the best events around.

What can you do?

If you attend one of these events in the future, anywhere in the world, I implore you to walk up and thank the volunteer. I know the group I am associated with are an amazing bunch, and that will go for the rest of the organizers worldwide. It’s been an honor and privilege to serve; looking forward to many more.

How about you? Will you volunteer? Will you speak? You can check out a full schedule on the SQL Sat website here.

Thank You

To my fellow organizer – it truly was an amazing ride and I thank you for the opportunity.

To the attendees – it was a blast to see you all along with seeing a lot of light bulbs go off and discussions we had. Hope you guys had as much fun as I did.

To the speakers – spent a lot of quality time with a lot of you and I look forward to coming to your venues to speak in the future. Thanks for investing time in our community so others may learn.

To the vendors – we couldn’t have done it without you; look forward to cultivating that relationship with you as we move forward.

It’s game time folks; let’s get it done. If you reach one then it is a success.

Addicted To Busy

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payattentionOur world is made up of technology and being plugged in 24/7. As you walk down the street you may notice on either side of the sidewalk people walking and looking at their phone. Texting, emailing, social media, and the like is all the buzz. I fall victim to this very thing quite often; so much so that I will admit running into people and then having to apologize for not watching where I was going.

It reminds me of the movie I saw with my kids, Wall-E, where all of a sudden their screens go down on their motorized vehicles that takes them back and forth, and they see the swimming pool for the first time. They had no idea it was there, oblivious to the things going on around them.

In reality, we find ourselves in this same mindset whether it is with work, family, or friends we are plugged in 24/7. Have you ever been talking to someone, a colleague for example, and while talking you or them are answering emails – I have. Have your kids been running up to you in your house to ask a question, and you are half listening because you are answering a text you got from a family member or friend – I have.

Listening

I heard this statement last week and it got me thinking about this topic, “Wherever you are, be there”. Simple enough statement; being the analyzer that I tend to be I had to study that and think on it over and over again. As I type this my mind even wondered to the daily activities I need to get done at work, the 2 articles I am behind on in writing, and the countless blog posts I want to get out the door.

Am I addicted to busy?

 

Application

John Sansom (B|T) gives a good example of character traits of what an Outstanding DBA looks like. It is a great interpretation of my mindset with one I’d like to add as a bold point – listening. This past week I realized that it is okay to put the phone down, to spin the chair around from your busy day and have a conversation with others. When you are approached at work with an issue listen to that issue. It is then when you can apply some of these character traits to the conversation and be a difference to someone.

Wherever you are, be there

phoneCall it the “aha” moment or something else, but I’ve come to realize that having meaningful conversations with colleagues, family, and others is just as important in cultivating relationships on all levels. There of course will be times when we all will stumble – heck I do it daily; in the end don’t be so addicted to busy that you miss opportunities.

Now don’t take this blog post and twist it in a way to say we shouldn’t be responding to SLA’s, or if you are on call not answering alerts in a timely manner. That’s not my point and hopefully that comes across. It’s okay to step back from time to time, re-evaluate, and make adjustments.

 

Addicted To Busy

It’s hard not to be this way; I encourage you to cultivate those relationships and pick up on some of those missed opportunities that might have passed you by before. A fine balancing act it will always seem to be; being involved on a call the other day for work the person on the other end told me that they were so glad I took 15 minutes out of my day to call them to discuss the issue without sending an email.

Be that difference maker; be that game changer.

SQL Saturday Field Notes

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SQLSAT403_header

As you walk toward the entrance the door opens and there stands a volunteer smiling welcoming you in. You make your way into the building where you are ushered toward the sign in table; there is where you are greeted by more volunteers who help you get checked in and situated. After you get checked in you begin to look around and see some renowned vendors set up where they have additional swag and want to talk to you about some products. As you walk through the venue you notice speakers that you either follow their blogs or you’ve seen them speak at different locations. You sit in some awesome sessions which are free, and get a nice lunch. A great cost-effective way to learn.

All the above is pretty normal, this year though it is a bit different for myself and it has changed my view drastically. This year I decided to get involved more locally; I’ve always traveled elsewhere to attend, speak, and network but this year it hit me that the community in my own backyard is something I’ve never been involved with. This is where it all has changed for me; I have a new-found respect for the organizers and volunteers that go into pulling the above off. Sitting in speaker rooms prepping, seeing old friends, or listening to sessions that are interested in has always been beneficial, but I’ve never taken the time to thank each one of the volunteers individually.

I’m thankful this year that Malathi Mahadevan (b|t) has allowed me to be a part of something great that is going on here in Louisville. There is definitely a rising of top-tier talent here and we are on the verge of blowing the socks off this town. I’m also thankful I get to work alongside John Morehouse (b|t) who has taught me a great deal; not just from an event standpoint but a SQL standpoint in general. This dude is a complete work horse and I’d go to battle with him any day of the week.

My mind drifted back to PASS Summit and remembering the people standing near the escalators or the door ways; have I ever stopped and thanked them for helping with the event?

I realize now what it takes to put something like a SQL Saturday on and I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything. I’m humbled by the fact that so many volunteers give selflessly to make these things happen; I want to be around a long time in this venue and arena and help make SQL Saturday 403 one of the best venues around.

If you are in the area in August make sure you register and come see me, John, Mala, and others. Stop and introduce yourself, we would love to talk to you and get to know you more. Together we can do some great things and we can keep giving back to the community that has helped shape most of us.

I challenge you if you have not ever been involved in helping put one of these events on then please do so. It is a ton of work, time, and coordination, but the people you meet along the way is well worth it.

It takes one to be a game changer and difference maker; will you be that one?

For details on our SQL Saturday event here in Louisville you can go here.

To visit the upcoming SQL Saturday events you can go here.

To visit the SQL Saturday event home page you can go here.

 

 

 

Q and A With SQL MVP Chris Shaw

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cameraThis has been a long time in the making, back in 2011 I attended a session at PASS Summit by SQL MVP Chris Shaw (B|T). Little did I know that he would become one of my mentors, good friend, and someone I’m truly thankful for. I approached Chris awhile back if he would be interested in doing a question answer session here and without hesitation he said let’s roll. So, without further ado let’s see what the mighty Chris Shaw has to say.

1. SQL Server has many facets to explore; what is one important aspect of SQL that you feel most Data Professionals tend to overlook?

I am not sure if you could call this an aspect in the traditional style.  But I think a lot of data professionals overlook the basics.  Even some of the basics of design like 3rd Normal Form,  what it is, and what are some of the ways it is different from other aspects of database design. Microsoft has done such a great job at making it easier for us to query the data, and faster for us to retrieve the data.  But my first reaction when I look into an OLTP at a 16 table join is to question the design of the database (I recall a day when it was best practice for performance that you didn’t have more than 8 joins).  I am sure there are many example where this is the best way to approach the design, I just can’t help but wonder how much thought went into a design like that.

2. SQL Saturday’s are everywhere and they are an awesome experience to attend them. Can you explain why these SQL Saturday events are so important to the community and what your favorite venue is?

Multiple aspects to this question.  First I think the SQL Saturdays are critical for a couple reasons.  The big one of course is the education that is offered at the event free of charge,  how can you beat that.  But when you look at the community as a whole I think a SQL Saturday gets people ready for A larger event such as the PASS Summit, and knowing what to expect if you have never been.  PASS Summit can be a bit overwhelming as a first timer, all the sessions, all the people and then you have the parties and the events that surround the conference.  How do you take that all in?  How do you network with 200 people on a Saturday event, what can you learn from networking with 200 people that you can apply to 4,000 people over 3 days at the PASS Summit.  Anyone can go the Pass Summit, but if go without understanding how to network, how to get involved with the event, you are missing a lot.  I pose the question to you Chris…  Did you network more during your second Summit or your first?  And was the difference because the second time around you knew what to expect?

“Second time was by far the most networking done compared to the first. Not just attending the dinners but also running into people in the hall, people coming up and talking to me off the cuff, the community zone, and the SQL Runs. I think you are correct when you say the first time you go you really don’t know what to expect. It truly is one of the best SQL conferences I’ve attended.”

I am surprised that PASS doesn’t do some sort of award for the SQL Saturdays.  I have been to 16 of them as a speaker so far and I have got to admit each one has its own flavor to it.  When I organize a SQL Saturday I try to put some sort of flare on the event, something different that you don’t get at the other events.  So SQL Saturdays that do thinks just a little bit different are my favorites.  So if you are going to hold my feet to the fire and really get me to commit to one event.  My favorite event is Kansas City.  They go well out of their way to show appreciation for the speakers.  If you are a speaker this is a can’t miss event,  the Speaker dinner is always special, and the Friday before the BBQ crawl is amazing.  Another one I would mention is the Albuquerque event, they have a very good home town feeling, and I love the home made speaker gift I received.

3. PASS Summit is a big yearly event; can you describe what the “community zone” means and why it is so important?

The community zone is a dedicated area where we as speakers and attendees can gather to just network. I believe they have always had bean bags there and it is a great time to just get off your tired feet and visit with other attendees.  What do you talk about?  Well I had a complex issue that I was working on that became the topic of discussion in the zone for a little while, I was able to come away from the event with an answer to my question.  I also learned that a couple of friends were going through a rough patch in their life, some pretty serious stuff and they still came to the conference.  I hope that I was able to lend an ear for just a while and to be a friend.

4. What’s on Chris Shaw’s book shelf?

Well due to my lifestyle I don’t have enough room for a book shelf (I am a full time camper and live in my rig).  I do however have enough digital media to make many people jealous.  Right now most of my attention when I am not working is spent on photography.  I have a lecture series from a guy name Manny, out of Florida who does this series called “Go Get that Shot”.  I spend a lot of time watching that and re-watching it.   One thing I do have on a very small book shelf is my MVP Award,  something that is very symbolic to me.

5. Most DBA’s don’t start out being a DBA, but they take various routes to get where they are at. Curious how you became involved with SQL?

Ok so this is a really long story, so I am going to shorten it as much as I can.  In 1996 I was the operational director at an antifreeze recycling company.  Our Access database went down and I had to hire a consultant that charged us an arm and a leg.  Well you know when you look at what you pay for things and you say “I am in the wrong business”, well that happened.  I started to learn Access and was talking to a guy who work in the office building next to ours.  After some discussion he told me I was asking questions that were above his skill level and he thought I could help him on this new thing they were doing.  Ended up being SQL Server version 6.0. They made me an offer that was 10k more than what I was making and bought me a personal computer for my home.  That database I designed was for Yellow Pages Inc. and the last time I looked it is still online today. Next time we are in the community zone, ask me and I will give you the full run down.

6. Like you, I was privileged to be a part of the DBA Jumpstart that John Sansom (B|T) put together last year. I’ve learned that the SQL life is a journey not a race; what do you feel a new data professional should consider most in starting out their career?

The chapter I wrote for that was telling people they need to choose between wanting a job and a career.  I am a firm believer that if you are just looking for a job, then being a DBA is not the way you want to go.  This career field requires a lot of dedication, and a lot of work hours.

7. Outside SQL we also have other hobbies; what are some of the things you like to get involved with to relax?

My favorite thing to do is take photos.  Recently I took an extra day with a friend on our way to a SQL Saturday, everyone we were traveling with wanted to go ski, but rather than do that we took a back road to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We had a great time visiting and stopping every 20 min to go take pictures of stuff we had not seen before.  It was a great time.

8. It’s got to be asked……tacos or barbecue?

Oh that is a hard one.  Today I would have to say…  Tacos for sure.  But when the summer comes, I may be back to Barbecue.

Conclusion

A big thanks to SQL MVP Chris Shaw for taking time out of his busy schedule to drop by and answer a few questions for the SQL Community.

Friends Of Red Gate 2015

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forg-logoI’m excited that I’ve been asked to be back involved for another year in the Friends of Red Gate program. This program allows influential community members, community bloggers,  MVP’s and intuitive minds an inside track on helping with pre-existing and existing utilities that Red Gate has in their arsenal.

I am a Red Gate user and thankful that my shop is a Red Gate shop. The tools that they provided are second to none in the life of a data professional. I always look forward to doing some sessions on some of their products at various events so if you are eager to learn then send me a note.

It’s an honor to be considered for this program and I’m humbled to be able to continue to be associated with a company as Red Gate.

Let’s get 2015 started and start making that sweet SQL music.

Impact Player Series – Part 1

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ImpactI wanted to start this series in regards to impact players that go above and beyond in the SQL Community. Coming from a sports background this resonates well with me and by the end of the year will have a 12 person roster.

I get asked a lot when I go to events, conferences, talks, groups who inspires me. Or I get asked where do I start. There are many fine folks in the SQL Community and I cannot encompass them all; believe me this 12 person team could easily become much more.

So, who the heck is the first impact player? Being that I am from Kentucky it pains me just a little to write this knowing that this person is an SEC rival (college sports) and is a true orange fan in Florida ~ Ed Watson (B|T).

Ed is a Microsoft SQL Server MVP who I have gotten to know over the past year. His tenacity alone has spoke volumes in how he approaches speaking engagements, obstacles, issues, SQL life, basically the things that make up a data professionals life. I would classify Ed as one of those exceptional data professionals that you hear about. If you not ever had the chance to hear him speak at an event I suggest that you keep your ears open and if he comes to a town near you attend ~ you would not be disappointed.

I’ve never one time have come to Ed and him tell me not today; he is always eager to assist and help and has been a strong voice in the community.

He is a frequent blogger over at the SQL Swampland and can be found on twitter; although don’t interrupt him while a University Florida football or basketball game is on. If you choose to do so then you have been warned up front.

Check out Ed’s blog or give him a shout on the twitter feed. Truly a standup guy and one worth following in the community.

While having a Fab Five intact I’m excited to build this out and see where it leads.  Check back next month for Part 2 in the series.

Reports In SSISDB

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I was approached with an in shop issue where a group could not view the execution reports in the SSISDB. The reason for this was due to the security standards in place at the shop; the user could not be allowed to have the SSIS_Admin role.

In order to allow the user group access to the review Integration Services reports on package executions the SSIS_Admin role had to be given. This role would allow the following capabilities:

· Import Packages

· Delete own packages

· Delete all packages

· Change own package roles

· Change all package roles

This role also elevates privileges to sysadmin. This elevation of privilege can occur because these roles can modify Integration Services packages and Integration Services packages can be executed by SQL Server using the sysadmin security context of SQL Server Agent.

What this document will provide is a solution around not granting the SSIS_Admin role, but still allow the necessary entities access to the SSIS execution reports without granting any write, execute, create, update, or insert access.

The Catalog Views

Microsoft has two catalog views that make up the report access for SSIS packages (2012 and later) that I have found. We will look at both of these views and alter them to comment out the where clause. In doing so this will negate only SSIS_admin and sysadmins from having access to the reports, but will allow other users access to these reports.

Catalog.Event_Messages

The first catalog view we will look at is catalog.event_messages. This view is simply utilized for displaying information about messages that were logged during operations. The way Microsoft has configured this view is to only allow the SSIS_Admin or sysadmin privilege to view. In our case we would like to have other groups the ability to review the messages only. In order to do this we need to alter the catalog view.

To access the catalog view navigate to the SSISDB on the SQL Instance. Right click the catalog view and say alter:

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Next comment out the where clause and execute the alter statement updating the catalog view appropriately

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Catalog.executions

The second catalog view can be accessed in the same manner as the first catalog by repeating the same methodology of altering the view. Catalog.executions displays the instances of the package execution in the Integration Services catalog. Packages that are executed with the Execute Package task run the same instance of execution as the parent package.

After right clicking and altering the view, the where clause will need to be commented out as shown below:

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After the where clause is commented out execute the alter command to update the catalog view.

Granting Catalog Access

After altering the catalog views we are left with a manual but needed process. Within the Integration Services Catalogs the following steps will need to be completed:

1. Right click on the package and go to properties

2. Once the Folder Properties dialog box is initiated go to Browse in the upper right hand corner

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3. Once the Browse All Principals dialog box is initiated select the public database role and click ok

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4. Ensure the grant read access is then given to the database role and click ok

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Conclusion

By taking the above steps the users can now see the reports and that is it. In testing I’ve found that users cannot do the following:

· Create new environmental variables

· Create new packages

· Create new folders

· Cannot add, insert, update, or delete anything in the SSISDB or the Catalog Folders

· Cannot initiate any SSIS SQL Agent jobs

· Cannot execute any queries against the SSISDB

What I’ve found users can do the following:

· See package names

· Right click and select all executions

· View the reports

**As with anything do not take code from the web and blindly implement into your production environment.

SQL Sentry Plan Explorer – Don’t Leave Home Without It

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CollaborateImageIf you’ve been around me long enough then you realize that I am a Red Gate fanatic. With that said I’ve grown accustomed to another utility called SQL Sentry Plan Explorer by SQL Sentry.

I’m a big Aaron Bertrand (B|T) fan and he is the one that first introduced me to this utility via his blog; if you aren’t following this man then you are missing out. He has some stellar commentary on his blog and twitter and has a deep passion for the SQL Community.

What is SQL Sentry Plan Explorer

One thing that I think of when the words SQL Sentry Plan Explorer are said is query optimization. Do you have that one go to script or utility when you are troubleshooting stored procedures and queries? If so, and this utility isn’t part of it then add it to your tool DBA tool belt.

There are two different versions that you can download; a free version and a Pro version. Both utilize SQL Server to help streamline and make optimization of queries become more efficient for the every day data professional.

What does the Free Plan offer

The free plan offers quite a bit. You can check out the overview here

  1. Enhanced plan diagrams
  2. Statements tree
  3. Plan trees
  4. Top operations
  5. Query columns
  6. Join diagrams
  7. Parameters
  8. Expressions
  9. I/O

These are just a few of the things you can expect to see with the free version

What does the Pro plan offer

In addition to what the free plan offers you will find some of the following:

  1. Wait Stats
  2. Full Query Call Stack
  3. Open Deadlock files
  4. Plan Filtering
  5. Rotate plans

…and much more

Personal Approaches

In the past I have found that the free plan has allowed me to:

  1. Quickly identify bottlenecks
  2. Review and compare statements
  3. Review costly operations
  4. Review index seeks and scans

I think one of the most beneficial items that SQL Sentry has done for this utility is adding it as an SSMS add in.

Utility Downloaded, Now What?

Like any other tool, the goal is to help streamline and make the data professional more efficient. With that said, the data professional has to know the “why’s” and how things function within SQL; don’t utilize the tool as a crutch nor should you utilize the tool as a means to solidify commands like a robot.

A SQL community member and MVP has taught me (thanks Tim Chapman (B|T) that just because you have all these tools at your disposal you, yourself have to be able to connect all the dots which means what guys – learn and know what you are reading.

You see an index seek; great….now why?

You see that Plan Explorer is showing you a critical alert in red on index cost…great; why?

Don’t just simply follow a tool; know what you are looking at.

Conclusion

I highly recommend SQL Sentry’s Plan Explorer; from personal experience it is helped me on more than one occasion. You can view all they have to offer here.

Well done SQL Sentry; well done indeed.

I tell you what; check out what my other colleagues have to say on the matter and how they have benefited from this utility:

If you want to read more about the newly released SQL Search, don’t forget to check out these blog posts:

On a SQL Collaboration Quest

Four SQL professionals gathered from the four corners of the world to share their SQL knowledge with each other and with their readers: Mickey Stuewe from California, USA, Chris Yates from Kentucky, USA, Julie Koesmarno from Canberra, Australia, and Jeffrey Verheul from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. They invite you to join them on their quest as they ask each other questions and seek out the answers in this collaborative blog series. Along the way, they will also include other SQL professionals to join in the collaboration.

 

PASS Summit 2014 ~ My GameTime Experience

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“How did you like your convention?”

“How was your trip?”

“What did you learn?”

“Where did you go for a week?”

“Who did you meet?”

“Talk with the vendors?”

“What is PASS Summit?”

Those are the types of questions I received after arriving back from attending PASS Summit 2014. More have come in from various places and not just locally so I figured I would share my experience as so many have inquired.

The Journey

Tuesday

20141104_152208After being registered and anticipating the time when it would be to fly out to Seattle finally came. Two colleagues and myself left early in the morning with a layover in Atlanta; we soon found ourselves touching down in Seattle for what always is a great time. I get a kick out of my saying the 5.5 hour plane ride was long after talking to people from all over the world. Makes it seem not so long 🙂

After touchdown we made our way over to the hotels we were staying at. I always stay in the Grand Hyatt; not sure why, but just have since I’ve been attending. Always nice people and have never had a problem.

Walking over to register at the convention center I knew it was game on. I just stood back and looked at the steps in the picture on the left. I remember saying to myself, “time to learn”. Little did I know what I was in store for with the upcoming week…more on that as you read.

Upon grabbing some dinner with my colleagues at the Daily Grille we were gearing up for the welcome reception. It was there I got to see some of my ole friends I hadn’t seen in a year or even longer. Great conversations ensued and Tom Larock (B | T) got us off to the right start. You could feel the vibe in the room and how everyone was excited to be there and about the week that we were about to embark on.

 

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After talking with many of my friends it was time to head over to SQL Sentry’s VIP party at the Pike Brewing Company. What an awesome experience to talk with a lot of my friends and many new friends. For those of you who are not aware of SQL Sentry I implore you to check them out. Peter Shire (T) and Aaron Bertrand (B | T) are a few of the people I follow who are associated with this great company. They also provide a product called SQL Sentry Plan Explorer that I highly recommend.

All in all it was a great night full of conversation and mingling. Had a great time and am thankful to have been a part of it. Well done SQL Sentry…..well done indeed.

 

Wednesday

20141107_171206After starting off on the right foot Tuesday, little did I know how awesome Wednesday would be. This day I joined in on the #SQLRun. This really wasn’t early to me as back home it would have been 9:00 a.m. so I was ready. As we waited to take off I got to speak with one of the guys who’ve I’ve looked up to a lot in my career, Steve Jones (B | T). While we’ve met before at previous events it is always good just to talk to him of things outside of SQL; truly a stand up guy who genuinely cares about people.

The run was superb; running down by the water and up by the Space Needle. On the way back I just so happened to be running next to Rob Farley (B | T) when I started to cramp up; something I have been battling with my legs. As we continued to run, Rob talked me through it and got me to the finish line; if it wasn’t for his keeping me focused and the cadence down I doubt I would have.

Sessions

After breakfast I decided to hit a few sessions I wanted to hear.

First up was Ryan Adams (B | T) who gave a session on Always On a quick start guide. This session ended up being one of my favorites and was the very first one I went to. Ryan, you rock dude.

Second was Kendra Little (B | T) on world’s worst performance tuning techniques; funny how much I could relate to her session. Kendra’s sessions are always awesome regardless of topic

Third was Sean McCown (B | T) on performance tuning your backups; first time I sat in on this session of his but picked up a few tricks.

Last up was Robert Davis (B | T) on boosting performance with indexing. The SQL Soldier put on a great session and a lot of reinforcement was done in listening to the techniques shown.

Later that night I was excited to attend an event I was invited to, the LinchPin party, where I was stoked to talk with people like Mike Walsh (B | T) and Jason Brimhall (B | T). John Sterrett (B | T), ,whom I value greatly as a friend and community member, got the night started off nicely for me. Having a great conversation with John is exactly what I needed discussing things form PBM (Policy Based Management) to CMS (Central Management Server). Getting to speak with several of my friends at the party was fantastic.

Thursday

20141106_150025I attended a couple sessions on Thursday but the one I want to mention here for this day was Adam Machanic’s (B | T) Query Tuning Mastery: Manhandling Parallelism, 2014 edition. Good gosh what a great mind this guy has. It just so happened that while attending PASS Summit the following week I was hosting T-SQL Tuesday; for more on that you can click here.

After some great sessions and hitting the Community Zone again I was off to one of the events I was looking forward to – The Friends of RedGate dinner over at Farestart. I’ve enjoyed being a FORG this year; I believe in their products and utilize them daily. The story behind the restaurant itself was pretty amazing and I got to hang with some amazing people. TJay Belt (B | T), Julie Koesmarno (B | T), and Mickey Stuewe (B | T) “missed you Jeffrey Verheul (B | T) to name a few. Meeting the RedGate team that I’ve come accustomed to chatting with frequently was a big highlight for me. If you don’t know about their tools you can contact me and I will be happy to let you know my views on them.

Friday

Friday seemed like a whirlwind. It was nice to have many discussions with attendees who just wanted to come up and talk. I found myself in some pretty good conversations throughout the day; in walking back to the community zone and saying bye to my RedGate friends I ran into Argenis Fernandez (B | T). I supported his cause for “Argenis without Borders” (Doctors Without Borders) and he hooked me up with a ribbon for my credentials. I’ve heard Argenis speak on occasions; if you haven’t stop what you are doing and find a video or webinar. This dude is passionate about his work and highly recommended.

The People

So, had a very eventful week. One might say it was non-stop which I enjoyed. However with that said one thing sticks out in my mind above and beyond everything else ~ the People. Guys, I don’t know how else to explain it until you lived it. The camaraderie that exists is second to none. Seeing people in the Community Zone discussing things about issues, or simply just hanging out with friends is surreal. Walking around with the vendors having fruitful conversations on what may or may not work in your shop and why. Hitting the SQL Clinic to discuss problems and get solutions from some of the best minds in the world. All this rolled up into one setting can be overwhelming for some; for me it was so much more than that. Building friendships while learning some new things; what could be better?

I had some stellar conversations with some of my favorite people and it would take a long time to get through them all some of my highlights were getting to talk with:

  • Allen Kinsel (B | T) speaking to him  for a little bit was a great highlight for me. One of the most down to earth people I’ve been privileged to meet.
  • Steve Jones (B | T) this guy is one of my Fab Five; easy going guy who knows his stuff. One of the all around good guys in our community.
  • Chris Shaw (B | T) it is because of this guy that I am involved in the community; you already know the impact you made on me bro. Always love hanging out with him; another one of my Fab Five
  • Jes Borland (B | T) I can’t say enough about Jes; one of the most talented SQL minds in our industry, running motivator, and inspiration to many.
  • Ted Krueger (B | T) mad props to this guy. First time I got to speak with Ted (meeting him at some of the parties); I have the utmost respect for him and if you don’t follow him, well then you are missing out.
  • Andy Leanord (B | T) I was blessed enough to spend some good quality time with Andy over breakfast one morning. This was one of my highlights and while I won’t go into detail about our hour long conversation; no words can express my gratitude for this man.
  • Mike Walsh (B | T) you ever meet someone and been like; man I should have reached out to you a long time ago. This is another guy who invested some time in me while at PASS Summit 2014 and I can’t thank him enough. Like Ted if you don’t follow this guy then you are missing out.
  • Tom Roush (B | T) many talks with this man and he is becoming a good friend. While our conversations remain separate from this post; I want to say thank you my friend.
  • Grant Fritchey (B | T) love talking to Grant every chance I get. Has extremely helped me in my career with many things; I truly admire his tireless work ethic.
  • Tim Chapman (B | T) dude is the real deal; I’d go to battle with him any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
      The list could go on and on of discussions had, people met, bridges formed. While I picked up some stellar information I left with one major thing more so than when I attended in the past.

Investing time in others – seems simple enough doesn’t it?

All my life starting with my basketball days in high school and college, to my career as a data professional people have been investing time with me. To the coach who would arrive at 3:30 a.m. for wind sprints in high school, to my mom holding up a broom in front of me while shooting hundreds of jump shots, to the senior in college who took me aside and taught me how to be a true point guard, to the Chris Shaw’s, Steve Jones’s, John Sansom’s (B | T) in our industry; all these people have one thing in common. They all invested time in me.

For me that is what makes this SQL Community so special and what makes PASS Summit such an exciting place for me. Sure you can tap into the learning, that is why most attend. It is when you tap into that extra percent and have meaningful conversations with people does it really hit home.

Do I still have a lot to learn? You bet your SQL database I do. I’m not perfect by any means; only thing I can offer are my past experiences, what I’ve learned and will learn, and encourage others to keep fighting the good fight. I believe in our SQL Community and will continue to work hard and be an advocate for it; I will be here for as long as it will have me.

As my friend Chris Shaw told me many years ago; “pull up a chair and stay a while”. I think I just might.

A BIG HUGE thank you for all the people who made PASS Summit happen. I made it a point to go to the volunteers when I could and just tell them thank you. Countless hours went into this and wanted to make sure nothing was overlooked. While speaking on occasions, I know what goes into it; a huge thank you to all the speakers for taking the time to invest in others; it is not taken for granted.

Until the next PASS Summit……cheers!

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What Are You Thankful For

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ThankfulBob Pusateri (B | T) wrote a blog post yesterday for anyone who was interested on sharing what they were thankful for to write a blog post and link back to his. With Thanksgiving on the way the picture is painted perfectly; I can hear now as family members gather around the table and one by one you hear words of gratitude and what everyone is thankful for.

Taking Bob’s post and bringing it, for myself, into the SQL realm I would be amiss if I didn’t express my gratitude for the many SQL family members who have invested time in me and my career. After attending PASS Summit 2014  this year it hit me like a ton of bricks ~ The People.

After many conversations and a lot of observations the many people who are helping other people in our community is mind boggling. Time and time again I meet people who are not aware of this camaraderie. It is exemplified everywhere you can find this type of commitment and effort in various places:

  • websites
  • forums
  • twitter
  • events
  • webinars

The list could go on and on; while we are thankful for our immediate families we need to remember the many community volunteers, leaders, community involvement ~ the people. For you see, the people make up this great community in which we call “The SQL Community. Even if you are the most celebrated community leader; someone somewhere invested time in you. Even if you didn’t know it at the time; they did.

I encourage you to take a moment and thank someone who has helped you along your way.

Many thanks Bob for putting something like this on and for the job you do day in and day out. I’m glad our paths crossed at Summit this year.