Voice of the DBA

Tag: Dev Connections

  • DevConnections–Continuous Integration for Databases

    Thanks to everyone that attended my Continuous Integration for Databases talk today. I’ve included download links to the deck here if you’re interested.

    Slides: CI for Databases.pptx

    I’d also recommend that you check out a few other resources if you want to get CI working.

    And remember, this starts with Version Control, so be sure you implement a VCS at your company. If you don’t have one, I’d recommend you try Subversion or Git, both of which are free.

    Some great questions on testing and the entire CI process and I hope I answered them all. If not, please feel free to ask.

    Keep in mind that the process isn’t about specific tools. The Red Gate tools work great, and help you get this running quickly and smoothly, but CI is about automating a process that you likely do manually already. It does it consistently and automatically, with less room for error.

    If you are looking for more information, check out the CI resources at Red Gate.

  • DevConnections 2014

    It’s time for Devconnections again, and I’m back in Las Vegas for the conference. This is a great conference if you work with a variety of Microsoft technologies, or want to learn about something in addition to SQL Server. We have some great SQL Server talks, but if you want to pop over and learn some Sharepoint, ASP, Visual Studio, or more, check out the schedule.

    If you’re not here, consider coming to DevConnections next year.

  • DevConnections 2014

    I live on a small ranch in Colorado. It’s a working ranch where we board horses, and my wife trains both horses and people. There’s a lot of work to be done at the ranch, and both me and the kids help out.

    shovel1

    We have a variety of tools we use to deal with the various chores and infrastructure we have to manage. Depending on the task, we might choose a specific tool.

    shovel2

    We also like to use the right sized tool for the job, especially when the job involves heavy lifting.

    tractor

    I often think about my career in technology, and how similar it can be to my life now. I’ve often worked with a variety of technologies, from networking routers, to Active Directory to Exchange in my career as a DBA. I’ve had to understand development languages and techniques to collaborate effectively with developers. Knowing a little bit about a lot of things has helped me often.

    That’s one of the reasons I like the DevConnections conference. With so many different technologies being discussed a the same event, I can walk from a SQL Server session on execution plans to a development talk on Fiddler. You can learn about testing software and SharePoint queries along with Trace Flags without leaving the building.

    Most of us work with a variety of technologies, and if we don’t, we often do work with a variety of IT pros. Learning a bit more about how others do their jobs, how their technologies might interact with yours, or even picking up a little jargon, can help you to be a better IT worker overall.

    I’ll be in Las Vegas this September for DevConnections and I hope you’ll join me. It’s a good time at the Aria resort with plenty of ways to relax in the evening after a packed, educational schedule each day. And if you’re interested in Continuous Integration for Databases or High Performance Encryption, stop by one of my sessions.

    I hope to see you Sept 15-19 in Las Vegas. Register today!

    If you’d like to see a video promo, click below and enjoy.

  • DevConnections Slides and Code

    I had a great time at DevConnections this week, It was a fairly quick trip for me, with lots of other events, but a good time. I presented two sessions and both went well. I had some good questions from the audience and people seemed to enjoy the talks. In order to make it easy to find the slides and code, I’m including them here:

    Encryption in SQL Server

    Searching Office Documents in SQL Server 2012

    If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.