Voice of the DBA

Tag: PASS

  • Influence the Program

    When I first started going to the PASS Summit, I was enthralled with the speakers, no matter what the topic. Meeting Kalen Delaney at the first Summit was a milestone in my career. In those early years, there weren’t many speakers, and they submitted the talks they were interested in giving. The program committee made their decisions, and many of us went to watch whatever was available. The surface area of SQL Server was much smaller, so we could probably guess many of the topics, and that worked out well.

    As SQL Server has grown, some of us have questioned the makeup of the sessions over time. At one point it seemed we were very light on BI, almost as if the conference hadn’t kept pace with the changes in the platform. It seemed that the next conference was based on ratings and attendance from the previous Summit, but that’s a slowly changing way to pick talks.

    Things changed, and for a number of years PASS has been trying to understand what content you’d like to see. There have been surveys and polls to understand not only what worked last year, but what changes should happen this year. Last year’s tracks were set not by technology, but by the Analyze/Build/Design/etc. monikers. I’m not sure I loved that, but it was a worthy experiment.

    There’s a survey open from PASS from now until Feb 14, trying to understand what you’d like to see. Once again, they are asking what you’d like to see. I’d encourage all of you to fill it out, as you can truly influence the balance of sessions that will be presented. Do you want more ML/AI/bots, and other advanced topics? Do you need more beginning content for your junior DBAs? Is the core engine still important for you, or are you looking for SSIS, SSRS, or other content. Power BI on your radar?

    Speakers often have preferences, and I see no shortage of conferences that just pick talks from what they get. This can make a disjointed event at times. I like the idea of having submissions in areas that I might not consider as an organizer, but I also think that inviting speakers to talk on specific topics is good. I’m glad PASS does a mix of these things, inviting some speakers, asking for topics, and also taking community submissions. Many of us that present are happy to slightly tailor our talks if we know that’s what the audience wants.

    So take the survey, with a chance to win a Summit admission. Tell the committee if DevOps and testing are important (they are), or if you want to see more SSAS content (are there that many of you using this?). Even if you aren’t going, it’s useful for us as a community to learn what’s of interest to everyone. I’d also request that you ask PASS to release the data, which will help SQL Saturdays and other events better plan their schedules.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 5.1MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and Libsyn.

  • Summit 2018 Program Survey

    PASS has a survey out asking for your thoughts on the  2018 content. Take a few minutes and fill it out, and maybe you’ll win a registration.

  • Prepping for Summit 2017

    It’s about time for the PASS 2017 Summit. The event essentially starts on Monday with pre-cons and the unofficial networking dinner. Be sure you RSVP and come to the dinner if you don’t have plans. The official event is

    Many people are already traveling and packing for the event. I feel a bit behind as I won’t leave until late Monday afternoon and arrive late Monday night. I’m sure I’m not alone, but it seems like everyone’s ready and I’ve still got a day of work Monday.

    Redgate Software has a booth and a few presentations next week on Wednesday. We’d love to chat with you about ways to make database development easier, especially if you’re thinking DevOps. We also have some contests, swag and prizes.

    I’ll be around Tues, Wed, and Friday, and of course, moving from Game Night to the Redgate Party Thursday night. I’ve got other commitments Thursday day, but hope to see lots of you there.

  • Redgate at Summit 2017

    I’ll be heading out to the PASS Summit next week, spending Halloween in a conference center with a lot of other geeks. I know some of you won’t make it, and we’ll miss you, but I understand.

    I’m meeting my colleagues from Redgate there, including the new editor of Simple Talk, Kathi Kellenberger. We’ll be at the event all week and we look forward to chatting with you about databases, DevOps, and more. We’ve also got a few events during the week that we hope you’ll attend.

    Stop by the Redgate Booth in the expo center for a demo, or just to chat about SQL Server.

    Adopting a DevOps Process for Your Database

    I’ve got a session on Wednesday, Nov 1, at 1:30 that will provide an overview of how you might rub some DevOps on your database development. I’ll use some of the Redgate tools, but really I want you convince you that a smoother, more reliable database development process is possible.

    Lower your risk, make your deployments reliable and repeatable. Come join me, see how the process can work, and ask lots of questions. I’ll have lots of answers.

    How DevOps for the Database Helps with Compliance

    Immediately after my DevOps talk, I’ll be joining Grant Fritchey and Richard Macaskill to talk about DevOps and compliance. We are seeing more and more organizations bound by rules and regulations that require them to be careful about who can see their production data and how it’s stored. This will mean that more of us need to be careful about how we manage data.

    With the move to DevOps and releasing changes more often, this can present some challenges for data professionals. However, DevOps can actually help with compliance if done right. Join Grant, Richard, and I for a discussion of the challenges and potential solutions.

    Redgate Rocks

    If you are coming to the Summit, make sure you stop by the Redgate booth to pick up your #RedgateRocks ribbon for entrance to our party Thursday night. I’ll be there with the Redgate crew to celebrate the last evening of the Summit at 1927 Events.

    This is your chance to get out of the Conference Center, head towards the ocean and have a good time in downtown Seattle with us.