SQLvariations: SQL Server, a little PowerShell, maybe some Hyper-V Rotating Header Image

Indexes

Mid September Free Training from PASS VCs

pass_logoThere’s going to be over 30 hours of free online SQL Server training next week and you’re not going to want to miss out!
Indexes and Other Free Performance Boosts
Building your 1st Performance Point Dashboard in SharePoint 2010
24 Hours of PASS: Summit Preview
_____________________________________________________________

Indexes and Other Free Performance Boosts
September 14th 12:00 PM EDT (GMT -4)

Presenter: Jeremiah Peschka

The database is often viewed as a major performance bottleneck. There are a number of quick, easy, painless techniques that can increase the performance of an application not just by a small amount, but by orders of magnitude. These techniques include simple indexing techniques, T-SQL techniques, and general database application design patterns that give great gains in performance. In this session, you will learn how to look at a database to identify these problem areas and how to resolve common issues that you will encounter.

Jeremiah Peschka

Jeremiah (blog|twitter) is a Database Expert with Quest Software. He is a SQL Server MVP, user group leader, and PASS Director at Large. Jeremiah has a passion for spreading knowledge and writing about himself in the third person. When not using a computer, Jeremiah can be found playing guitar, reading, writing, wandering around central Ohio, or speaking at various SQL Server events.

Live Meeting Link: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usergroups/join?id=DJ8WK2&role=attend
_____________________________________________________________

Building your 1st Performance Point Dashboard in SharePoint 2010
September 14th 12:00 PM EDT (GMT -4)
Presenter: Adam Jorgensen

Many of you have seen the coolness that is PerformancePoint in SharePoint 2010. Come get hands on with Adam as we go through the ins and outs of creating your first dashboard.  See some of the cool visualizations you can use and how they work together to create a cool user experience.

Adam Jorgensen

Adam, MBA, MCDBA, MCITP: BI has over a decade of experience leading organizations around the world in developing and implementing enterprise solutions. His passion is finding new and innovative avenues for clients and the community to embrace business intelligence and lower barriers to implementation. Adam is also very involved in the community as a featured author on SQLServerCentral, SQLShare, as well as a regular contributor to the SQLPASS Virtual User Groups for Business Intelligence and other organizations. He regularly speaks at industry group events, major conferences, Code Camps, and SQLSaturday events on strategic and technical topics.

Live Meeting Link: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usergroups/join?id=K5S9BK&role=attend&pw=B%3B4%2F%7D38%3Br
_____________________________________________________________

One more quick note.  There’s this little online event going on the following day called the 24 Hours of PASS and this time it’s been rearranged to be timed better for the massive amount of Data Professionals in the Eastern half of the US [and Canada, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Virgin Islands, Netherland Antilles, & Brazil, etc… yeah them places too]

24 Hours of PASS: Summit Preview

Join an exceptional lineup of SQL Server and BI experts from around the world as they present a sneak peek of PASS Summit 2010 in 24 free live webcasts September 15-16.

This installment of 24 Hours of PASS delivers the hottest SQL Server and BI content directly to your computer – with a twist. Instead of running continuously for 24 hours, the September event divides the webcasts across 2 days, with each day beginning at 12:00 GMT (UTC). Check out what time it starts in your neck of the woods.

Dig into data warehousing, MDX, KPIs, and DTS-to-SSIS migration. Learn best practices for sizing database hardware and performance tuning. Get an in-depth look at PowerShell, storage for the DBA, and the latest T-SQL enhancements. And see how to manage teams, make your presentations rock, prepare for your next job, and more.

Tune in to hear your favorite MVPs and PASS Summit speakers, including Kalen Delaney, Andy Leonard, Kevin Kline, Brad McGehee, Allen White, and many more.

Register today for your top picks – or plan to attend them all!


Think the 24 Hours of PASS lineup is impressive? You won’t want to miss PASS Summit 2010 in Seattle, WA, Nov 8-11. The 24 Hours of PASS program gives you a glimpse at the unmatched technical content PASS Summit has to offer across more than 160 technical sessions, 14 pre/post-conference seminars, and invaluable networking opportunities.

Late March PASS VC Presentations

pass_logo

The PASS AppDev and DBA Virtual Chapters have even more free training lined up for you:

Index Statistics
March 23rd at 12:00 PM Eastern (GMT -4)
Presenter: Josef Richberg
Add to Calendar

A semi-technical guide to understanding and using non-clustered  indexes in your databases. Learn the benefits of covered indexes and  their differences between SQL 2000 and SQL 2005+.

Josef Richberg

Josef Richberg is a DBA for HarperCollins Publishers working with SQL Server and SSIS. He has over 17 years experience designing, building, and tuning SQL Server. He is the recipient of the ’2009 Exceptional DBA’ award and actively blogs at http://josef-richberg.squarespace.com

How do I view the presentation?

Attendee URL:  Live Meeting link

_____________________________________________________________________

Topic:  SQL Server Internals and Architecture

Date: March 24, Noon EasternTime (GMT -4)

Abstract:

Let’s face it.  You can effectively do many IT jobs related to SQL Server without knowing the internals of how SQL Server works.  Many great developers, DBAs, and designers get their day-to-day work completed on time and with reasonable quality while never really knowing what’s happening behind the scenes.  But if you want to take your skills to the next level, it’s critical to know SQL Server’s internal processes and architecture.  This session will answer questions like:

- What’s different about 32- and 64-bit systems?

- What are the various areas of memory inside of SQL Server?

- How are queries handled behind the scenes?

- What does SQL Server do with procedural code, like functions, procedures, and triggers?

- What happens during checkpoints?  Lazywrites?

- How are IOs handled with regards to transaction logs and database?

- What happens when transaction logs and databases grow or shrinks?

This fast paced session will take you through many aspects of the internal operations of SQL Server and, for those topics we don’t cover, will point you to resources where you can get more information.  So strap on your silly, as we cover all these topics and more at speed with tongue planted firmly in cheek!

Prerequisites: Basic understanding of SQL Server operations and activities – such as transactions, queries, and preventative maintenance tasks like backup and recovery.

Speaker: Kevin Kline is the Technical Strategy Manager for SQL Server Solutions at Quest Software. A Microsoft SQL Server MVP, Kevin is a founding board member of PASS and the author of popular IT books like “SQL in a Nutshell” (O’Reilly & Associates). Kevin is a top-rated speaker at industry trade shows and has been active in the IT industry for over 20 years.

Door Prize:
Kevin will have two copies of his “In a nutshell” book that will be raffled off to attendees. You must register no later than 5:00 PM Eastern on March 23rd to be included in the raffle.

Registration: You can attend the meeting without registering but if you want to be entered in the drawing, you must register at

https://www.livemeeting.com/lrs/8000181573/Registration.aspx?pageName=pzjr7664vdwssm3t

Live Meeting Link (just paste into your browser):
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/8000181573/join?id=344ND5&role=attend

PASS AppDev, Virtualization, and DBA VCs Present

Hello folks.  Even more free training is coming your way in February from the PASS Virtual Chapters.  At least 3 of our chapters have scheduled training sessions I want to let you know about.  More press on these should be available  in the next week.  I can’t speak for the other VCs but I know those of us at the AppDev chapter are very open to doing sessions at time slots other than noon eastern (if fact you’ll see that later this month) but we need feed back as to what time you would like to have us bring you a session.  (and by feedback I don’t mean flame-mail!)
 
PASS AppDev Presents: SQL Server Indexing

Date:  Start Time:   End Time:   Time Zone: Add to your calendar
2/9/2010 12:00 PM 1:00 PM GMT-5  Click Here

Event Description:
While indexing traditionally has been the concern of the DBA, it’s important for developers to understand both the usefulness and the impact of indexes in your relational database.  With the right indexes your application will perform like a Formula One racer, without them performance will better resemble a Model T.  This presentation will explain how indexes work, what options are available to you in SQL Server 2008, and how to tune your application and your database for the best performance. 

Allen White:
AllenWhite
Allen is a consultant and mentor for Upsearch Technology Services in Northeast Ohio. He’s spent over 35 years in IT and has been using SQL Server since 1992 and is certified MCITP in SQL Server and MCT.  Allen has been awarded Microsoft’s MVP Award for the last three years. He’s active in the Ohio North SQL Server User’s Group and contributes in the MSDN Forums, answering questions about SMO and PowerShell, and maintains a blog at http://sqlblog.com/blogs/allen_white/default.aspx

How do I view the presentation?
Attendee URL:  Live Meeting link
_____________________________________________________________________

PASS Virtualization Presents: SQL Meets Virtual CPUs, Memory, and Storage

Date:  Start Time:   End Time:   Time Zone: Add to your calendar
2/9/2010 12:00 PM 1:00 PM GMT-5  Click Here

Event Description:
SQL Server can run great in virtual environments like Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware vSphere, but you can dramatically increase the odds of success if you know which knobs to tweak.  Just like SQL Server, virtualization software doesn’t always work best with the default settings, and knowing which settings change SQL Server performance is key.  In this session, Brent will explain: 

  • Why virtual CPUs, memory, and storage are different
  • Hidden gotchas that often cause virtual performance
  • How to stress test your virtual server to find limits

Brent Ozar:
BrentOzar
Brent Ozar is a SQL Server Expert for Quest Software, a systems management company.  Up until a year ago, Brent managed the VMware, storage area networks (SANs) and SQL Servers for a $7b company.  He’s used virtualization on the desktop and in the datacenter, and he can explain the options with real-world experience.  He coauthored the book Professional SQL Server 2008 Internals and Troubleshooting. 

The Where and When
To get the attendee links, go to Virtualization.SQLPass.org, and click on Register at the top right of the page to sign up.  We’ll email all members before the webcast. 

Even though this is a SQLPass.org web site, they don’t share the same username/passwords.  You’ll need to register again with a new login to attend the meeting.  Thanks for your understanding! 

______________________________________________________________

PASS DBA VC Presents: SQL Server Locking & Blocking Made Simple

Date:  Start Time:   End Time:   Time Zone: Add to your calendar
2/10/2010 12:00 PM 1:00 PM GMT-7  

Event Description:
A good working knowledge of how SQL Server makes use of locking and transaction isolation levels can go a long way toward improving an application’s performance. In this session, we will explore SQL Server’s locking methodology and discover techniques for enhancing query response times. 

Joe Webb:
joewebb

Joe Webb, a Microsoft SQL Server MVP, serves as Chief Operating Manager for WebbTech Solutions, a Nashville-based consulting company. He has over 14 years of industry experience and has consulted extensively with companies in the areas of software development, database design, and technical training. 

Live Meeting Information:
Attendee URL: Live Meeting Link