PASS Summit 2012 Day 2 Keynote - Live Blog

Welcome to the PASS Summit 2012 Day 2 Keynote. You can see it live here - http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2012/

I am here at the blogger table again representing Trinidad and Tobago, TTSSUG and SolidQ!

8:20 Douglas McDowell, Executive Vice President of Finance just started the keynote!

He welcomes all the attendees from around the world and is now highlighting the PASS Revenue and Expense Trend - FY2011, FY2012 and FY2013.

Douglas highlights the new elected PASS board members - Wendy Pastrick, James Rowland-Jones and Sri Sridharan. I am sitting new to Wendy at the bloggers table!

8:35 He is now introducing the PASS Vice President of Marketing, Thomas LaRock!

PASSion award winner - Jen Stirrup - I have an interview with her - http://www.nigelpsammy.com/2012/10/interview-with-pass-summit-2012-speaker_29.html

PASSion Award Honorable mention - Amy Lewis and Jesus Gil!

Tom just announced PASS Summit 2013 in Charlotte, NC from October 15-18.

SolidQ highlighted as one of the companies who sent more than 5 people to the summit this year!

Today is the 'Women in Technology' (WIT) luncheon and tomorrow is the 'Birds of a Feather' luncheon.

8:40 Thomas just introduced Quentin Clark, Microsoft Corporate Vice President of the SQL Program Management, before leaving the stage.

9:10 Demo with Hadoop and PDW and general BI.

9:50: Demo still going but I have to go get ready for my next session so I am ending my live blog session now.

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PASS Summit 2012 Day 1 Keynote - Live Blog

Welcome to the PASS Summit 2012 Day 1 Keynote. You can see it live here - http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2012/

Today I am at the blogger table representing Trinidad and Tobago, TTSSUG and SolidQ!

8:15 Bill Graziano, PASS President, kicks off the keynote!

He highlights the PASS TV, a new feature of the PASS Summit.

Some PASS facts:
PASS has over 127000 members. There are 250+ local PASS Chapters in over 65 countries and 20 Virtual Chapters!

Bill thanks all the volunteers for making PASS what it is today.

What's that I'm hearing - A new conference, The PASS Business Analytics Conference in Chicago, April 10-12, 2013.

8:30 He is currently talking about the PASS international Focus, I am very interested in more information about this.

8:40 Bill introduces Ted Kummert, Microsoft Corporate Vice President
Ted welcomes the attendees to the SQL Family.

First big announcement from Ted, SQL Server 2012 SP1 is available today!

Buzz word for 2013 - Big Data. If you never heard of this before then you need to get familiar

Second big announcement - In-memory for OLTP - Codename 'Hekaton'

8:55 A Hekaton and xVelocity ColumnStore Demo

Third big announcement - SQL Server 2012 Parallel Data Warehouse! Coming in 2013

9:15 Parellel Data Warehouse Demo

Ted introduces PolyBase which would be in Parallel Data warehouse. PDW powered by PolyBase, enables queries across relational data & non-relational Hadoop data.
Ted highlights that PDW is built for Big Data

9:30 Amir Netz is going to do a BI demo using SQL Server 2012 SP1 and Office 2013
Full interactive map in Excel 2013 - how awesome is that!
Most of PASS attendees agree that Excel is now the complete end-user BI tool!

Entertaining demo by Amir, this dude is a very energetic individual!

Keynote Day 1 is over, time for some PASS Summit 2012 sessions and networking!

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Interview With Dr. David DeWitt - PASS Summit 2012 Special

Last week, when I saw the announcement on the PASS Summit Keynote Page that Dr. David DeWitt was coming to the PASS Summit 2012, my first thought was “cool” and then my second thought was “it would be really cool if I did an interview with him”.  If you are interested in seeing him present, then check out his Spotlight Session on “Big Data Meets SQL Server”.

The following interview with Technical Fellow and past Keynote speaker, Dr. David DeWitt is my special treat for the SQL Community!

Tell us about yourself

After finishing my PhD degree in 1976, I spent 32 years as a computer science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison teaching database courses and conducting a research program in the database area. I supervised 35 Ph.D. students over the course of my career as a professor. I spent 5 years as department chair.

In March 2008, I retired from academia and started a small research and advanced development facility for Microsoft in Madison which, organizationally, is part of the SQL Server product team. In addition to 8 full time employees, the lab also houses 8 graduate students as well as a couple of faculty members as consultants. The URL for our site is www.graysystemslab.com.

Tell us your favorite thing about your PASS session(s)

I love the enthusiasm and energy at the keynote talks I have given over the past 5 years. While the talks always take a long time to prepare (sometimes dismaying my bosses about the amount of time I spend on them) it is always worth the effort. The audience is truly amazing. Having seen the tweets, a couple of years ago my wife decided she had to come see me in person. Not only did she find a math error on one of my slides, she decided that I was not as good a speaker as the tweets might indicate.

While I was disappointed that I was not asked to do another keynote this year, I am very pleased to be able to give a spotlight talk.

Tell us about your first time presenting at PASS Summit

The first time I gave a keynote at PASS was in 2008. I had only been a Microsoft employee for about 6 months at the time and I decided to talk about parallel database systems, an area I had been working on for more than 30 years. Only after Bill Graziano rode a motorcycle across the stage did I fully understand how different PASS is than the typical academic conference I had attended as a professor. I had never spoken to more than 500 people. I was truly terrified to find myself in front of more than 2000 people. But the audience was incredibly gracious in their comments and I found the entire experience very satisfying - forcing me to up my game at every successive keynote.

As a previous keynote speaker, you know what it takes to present to a PASS audience. What advice can you give to new, current and future PASS speakers?

Prepare, prepare, prepare. I typically start on a talk at least a couple of months in advance and strive to have a complete initial draft of the talk a month in advance. I fine tune every single slide repeatedly, striving for maximum understanding by the entire audience. Having taught undergraduate and graduate classes for many years I have developed a pretty good sense of how to communicate complicated ideas as simply as possible, but I still find that every talk requires a large amount of work on my part.

Do you have any general advice for the professionals who are trying to increase their in-depth knowledge of SQL Server?

There is no better place to do this than by attending PASS. It is an incredible community of individuals willing to share their expertise with their peers.

Do you have any general advice or words of encouragement for the SQL Server Community?

This is an amazing time to be involved in the database field. The amount and types of data being accumulated by every business and organization is simply incredible. The move to the cloud opens many new opportunities that we are only beginning to appreciate.

 

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Interview With PASS Summit 2012 Speaker - Davide Mauri

This is the tenth and last in a series of interviews with speakers leading up to the 2012 PASS Summit which will be held in Seattle from November 6th - 9th.  My last post with Cindy Gross was done before I left Trinidad and this one was done in Chicago! This interview is with my Italian SolidQ colleague and friend, Davide Mauri.

Tell us about yourself

I am a SolidQ Mentor and member of the Board of Directors of SolidQ Italia.  I am also a Microsoft SQL Server MVP who speaks at international SQL Server conferences. I enjoy working with T-SQL and relational modeling and studying the theory behind it. My knowledge of Reporting Services, .NET, and object-oriented principles as well as my understanding of Integration Services and Analysis Services, gives me a broad area of expertise around the Microsoft Data Platform and the vision and experience to handle development of complex Business Intelligence solutions.

Blog(s):  http://sqlblog.com/blogs/davide_mauri/default.aspx

Twitter: @mauridb

Tell us your favorite thing about your PASS session(s)

DMVs are my favorite thing! Right from when Microsoft started to ship them in SQL Server 2005, they made my life much easier (and customers happier) since you can have a great understanding of what’s happening inside SQL Server, which is great when you have to do performance tuning or database administration.

Tell us about your first time at PASS Summit

My very first time was in Dallas. It was really great, since you can really feel the community and understand that there is not difference between being a speaker or not. Everyone is here just to share, learn and grow…and that’s really incredible!

What advice do you have for PASS Summit First Timers?

Ah, good question and a complex oneJ. I wrote a blog entry on this topic: PASS Summit for SQL starters, since it’s quite a broad one. In addition to what I said there, I would also add that the DVD is really a must have, since there are by far too many interesting session happening at the same time. And also networking is important too and you cannot do that after the event.

What are your can't-miss PASS sessions?

As said before I have wrote a blog post on this topic dedicated to the first-timers. My personal selection of session is the following:

 1. Inside SQLOS 2012 (Bob Ward)

2. Dive into the Query Optimizer: Undocumented Insight (Benjamin Nevarez)

3. Big Data Meets SQL Server (David DeWitt)

4. Performance Tuning Through the Plan Cache (Jason Strate)

5. Recovering Lost Data (Robert Davis)

And, of course, my session J DMVs are really a life saver, so everyone working with SQL Server should become very confident with them.

Besides sessions, what's on your must-do list at Summit?

Networking! Connect with other people, talk to speakers, discuss your ideas and problems with SQL CAT and SQL Development team….learn as much as you can, there’s no other place like this for someone involved with SQL Server. 

How can attendees become involved in the SQL Server Community and continue their learning throughout the year?

Well, the PASS website is surely a great resource, but also local PASS chapters are a great way to stay connected and up-to-date. In addition to that SQL Saturdays and 24 Hours of PASS (24HOP) offers additional possibilities to learn and improve.
 

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Interview With PASS Summit 2012 Speaker - Cindy Gross

This is the ninth in a series of interviews with speakers leading up to the 2012 PASS Summit which will be held in Seattle from November 6th - 9th.  This interview is with Microsoft Certified Master Cindy Gross.

Tell us about yourself

I have worked with SQL Server since 1993 when we had to feed stacks of diskettes to the OS/2 machines to install SQL Server 1.11. Since then I have worked with many different feature sets within SQL Server and I currently focus on the SQL BI stack and Big Data, including our new HDInsight offerings. As a member of SQL CAT I work with challenging scenarios to remove real world implementation roadblocks and publish lessons learned back to the community. I have spoken at SQL PASS Summits, SQL Saturdays, and local and virtual user group meetings. One of the hardest things I’ve done is earn the SQL Server 2008 Microsoft Certified Master certification. I live in Boise, ID where I can enjoy outdoor activities right outside my front door while also being only a short bicycle ride from our vibrant downtown.

Blog(s):  http://blogs.msdn.com/cindygross

Twitter: @SQLCindy

Tell us your favorite thing about your PASS session(s)

Hive is such an easy entry point for SQL Server professionals into the world of Big Data. It makes Hadoop data look like familiar tables with columns and rows and you can reuse your existing SQL language skills to enter into this new Big Data World. I’m excited to introduce Hive to whole new group of SQL Peeps and give some additional insights to those who have already dipped their toes into Hive!

Tell us about your first time at PASS Summit

I first attended the PASS Summit in Dallas. I was working the local Microsoft PSS support office at the time and went to PASS to work in the SQL Clinic. It was a great experience to meet so many people I had previously only met virtually. The wealth of knowledge and sense of #SQLFamily at the PASS Summit is astounding and it’s great to be part of that experience.

What advice do you have for PASS Summit First Timers?

Reach out to your fellow geeks and share your experiences with them. No matter how little or how much time you have been working with SQL Server you have valuable insights, questions, and answers. The PASS Summit is your chance to learn from the best in the SQL world and make some great friends along the way.

What are your can't-miss PASS sessions?

The SQL CAT team members are well known for presenting “can’t miss” sessions based on real world scenarios. Make sure you attend at least a couple of those. Base your decisions not just on the content but on the speakers, there are some people like Kalen Delaney that you just have to hear speak in person.

Besides sessions, what's on your must-do list at Summit?

Everyone should visit the SQL Clinic and talk to the CAT and PSS folks. Ask architectural or troubleshooting questions, get advice on something you’re thinking about or struggling with, and meet some of the people who get to work heads down on SQL Server every day. Networking with your peers is also very important – the connections you make at PASS can help you solve problems, become a member of the #SQLFamily, and maybe even help you find that perfect career move.

How can attendees become involved in the SQL Server Community and continue their learning throughout the year?

Attend local user group and SQLSaturday events, talk to people during breaks and at lunch. Find an active discussion group on a forum or mailing list and start reading the posts. Find some questions you are willing to answer and start answering. Sometimes just asking for clarification on the question can be a great help to both the questioner (who may find their answer while trying to add the information) and to the other readers. Start thinking about what you’re really good at or what you struggled to learn but figured out, whether it’s something basic or something really complicated someone else will be interested in knowing that same thing. Blog about it or put it together into a talk and demo and share it!

 

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Interview With PASS Summit 2012 Speaker - Erin Stellato

This is the eighth in a series of interviews with speakers leading up to the 2012 PASS Summit which will be held in Seattle from November 6th - 9th.  This interview is with PASS Performance Virtual Chapter Leader, Erin Stellato.

Tell us about yourself

I am a Senior Consultant for SQLskills.com and a SQL Server MVP.  I like to know how things work, and in my SQL Server world that translates to knowing how the storage engine and query processor work.  I have been working with clients for the past 12 years, and each day is an adventure.  I learn something new every day.

Blog(s):  http://www.erinstellato.com/   and http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/erin

Twitter: @erinstellato

Tell us your favorite thing about your PASS session(s)

My favorite thing about both of my Summit sessions is that I share practical, real-world knowledge that a DBA or developer can put to use immediately.  It goes back to knowing how things work.  It's not just about understanding how statistics get created and how they get updated, it's also how they are used by the query processor.  For DBCC, I don't want people to simply know the commands, I want them to understand the impact on their data or on performance, so they don't have one of those "Whoops!" moments with a production environment.

Tell us about your first time at PASS Summit

It was two years ago, 2010.  I finally had the opportunity to meet so many people in person - people that I "knew" from Twitter.  One of the first people I met up with was Ted Krueger.  I remember sitting down near the front for the keynote on the first day and it opened with a Tina Turner impersonator.  I was so confused.  I remember thinking, "What inside joke did I miss here?"  Then I realized that I wasn't the only one who didn't get it.  I planned to attend a session in every time slot, every day.  By the second day I was exhausted. I learned a lot, met a ton of people, and it was a fantastic week.

What advice do you have for PASS Summit First Timers?

Keep an open mind.  The value in Summit is not just the content, it's also the people.  There are a few thousand people at Summit.  Most of them are like you in a lot of ways, but that doesn't mean that you'll connect with every person.  Introduce yourself to people - that includes the person sitting next to you in a session, at lunch, or the speaker whose session you just attended.  Some people may take a while to chat (some of us are introverts :), others will be happy to have an hour long conversation with you.  You never know who you'll meet; you never know who will help you solve a performance problem you've been struggling with at work, who might get you actually using PowerShell (finally!), or who might end up being your roommate at Summit next year.

What are your can't-miss PASS sessions?

The ones from Bob Ward and Paul White.  If I want to know how things work, those are two of the go-to individuals in the community.

Besides sessions, what's on your must-do list at Summit?

Wednesday morning's #sqlrun organized by roommate Jes Borland.  Donuts from Top Pot.  A trip down to La Panier in Pike's Place.  But mostly, just seeing old friends, catching up, and meeting new people!

How can attendees become involved in the SQL Server Community and continue their learning throughout the year?

Take advantage of your Local Chapter, and start following the Virtual Chapters!  Not everyone can attend their local meeting every single month, life is crazy.  But the virtual chapters don't require you to go anywhere, just tune in and learn.  I highly recommend Twitter.  It is a great medium for getting to know people.  And if you want to really get involved in the SQL Server Community, volunteer.  If you don't where to start, stop by the Community Zone while you're at Summit.  I know that PASS is always looking for smart, motivated individuals to help out with the many on-going projects in the community.
 

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Interview With PASS Summit 2012 Speaker - Grant Fritchey

This is the seventh in a series of interviews with speakers leading up to the 2012 PASS Summit which will be held in Seattle from November 6th - 9th.  This interview is with SQL Server MVP Grant Fritchey.

Tell us about yourself

I'm working as the product evangelist for Red Gate Software. That means I'm in marketing. But I've got more than 20 years of experience in IT working in support, development and database administration. After either making the mistake or watching others make the mistake, I've managed to learn a lot about how not to code and structure databases, so I tend to specialize in query tuning, database design and architecture. I've got my name on several books including "SQL Server 2012 Query Performance Tuning, SQL Server 2012 Administration, SQL Server Execution Plans and others.

Blog(s):  www.scarydba.com

Twitter: @gfritchey

Tell us your favorite thing about your PASS session(s)

I'm doing three sessions at PASS, an all-day pre-conference seminar on query tuning, a spotlight session on improving query performance by fixing bad parameter sniffing, and an introductory session on what to look for in execution plans. The one thing I really like to aim for in all my sessions is providing some information that people can put to work immediately. I think I get that at least once in every session.

Tell us about your first time at PASS Summit

My first time at PASS was Dallas in 2005. I was one of those guys who went to the sessions, visited the vendor floor to pick up some t-shirts, and then went back to my hotel. Completely the wrong the way to go about it. But, I happened to score an invite to a vendor party and met some people from all around the world who were volunteering for the PASS organization and clearly having a blast. That chance meeting basically changed my life.

What advice do you have for PASS Summit First Timers?

A bunch of stuff! Don't just attend sessions. Make sure you talk to people. And walk right up and say hello to your favorite author/blogger/presenter. They're just human and are at the Summit in order to engage with people. If you are in a session and it's not going well for you, get up and leave. It's not rude. Better to go outside and find another session or chat with some people than waste your time in a session that's not for you and then fill out bad evaluations on the speaker. Also, do fill out the evaluations on the speakers. Trust me, we read them and take them seriously. If you have feedback, please provide it, but be specific and as helpful as you can. Take your favorite three sessions back to the office and present them to co-workers. It'll reinforce what you learn.

Oh, and have some fun!

What are your can't-miss PASS sessions?

Mine of course -Kidding. Dr. DeWitt session is the one session I will crawl across broken glass to get to. Other than that, it depends on what I'm working on at the moment. I'm probably going to track down some of the cloud-oriented content.

Besides sessions, what's on your must-do list at Summit?

Everyone has a different list for this, but I've always attended the SQL Server Central party. It's always been a gambling theme where you can play poker, blackjack, craps or roulette and instead of risking your money, you get the chance to win some fun geeky prizes. There is a small entry fee.

Also, you have to make sure you have your kilt for Kilt Day on Thursday (AKA Day 2). It's a tradition I started three years ago and it's grown.

How can attendees become involved in the SQL Server Community and continue their learning throughout the year?

Watch the PASS website. It lists things going on constantly. Watch the SQL Saturday web site for events in your area. Find your local user group and get to their meetings. If nothing else, get involved in some of the online forums like SQL Server Central. All this is a great way to keep engaged in the community.

 

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