Voice of the DBA

Tag: PASS

  • Wednesday PASS Keynote–Tom LaRock

    We’re live at the opening keynote for the PASS Summit, on Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014. Tom LaRock opens the conference learning with a welcome to everyone, those here in person, and those at home watching on PASS TV.

    Tom introduces the board, and say they’ll be in the Community Zone, as well as at a Q&A on Friday. Please ask questions, and talk to the board. It’s not just the elections where you can influence how PASS grows and changes.

    Hint: Ask for the Summit to move if you want it to.

    A few stats for the organization. In the last year, we have:

    • 285 chapters
    • 27 VCs
    • 25 24 HOP events
    • 86 SQL Saturdays (Thanks, Karla!)

    We’ve grown on member at a time. I was at the initial Summit in Chicago in 1999, and I think it’s amazing how PASS has grown. It’s really been amazing to see new people constantly come into the community, be welcomed, and become involved.

    Microsoft CAT and many support people are here on the fourth floor, near the bridge, in the SQL Server Clinic, ready to talk about issues you’re having. These are the people you reach on the phone when you call in, so this is a good resource.

    You can get certified here, and I’m not sure I’d take time out of the week to do that, but I can see the value. If there’s anywhere that you can get motivated and inspired, it’s at these events. Whether it’s at the Summit, or at a SQL Saturday, I think the boost to your confidence as a SQL Server pro come from interacting with the rest of the community.

    Nice to see the vendors being thanked. I know that many of you don’t want to be bothered by salespeople, but keep a few things in mind. First, vendors really make events work. Both large and small, because of their support. It’s worth thanking them, just for the vent.

    However vendors also make tools that solve problems. They might not solve your problems right now, or they might not fit for you, but more and more as I grow, I find that there are places where products fit in our company, and solve problems. It’s not everywhere, for all problems, and maybe not now, but at some point. It’s worth learning what products are out there, what options you have, and what you might consider when the need arises.

     

    Now on to the Keynote speakers.

  • Multiple AGs

    Today was my pre-con with Allan Hirt on AlwaysOn. It was great, and I learned a few things. I knew a bit about AGs, but Allan has a ton of experience, and he talked about some architectural things that I didn’t understand.

    We had virtual labs, which worked flawlessly. I managed to configure AGs with GUIs, PowerShell, and a bit of T-SQL. I configured multiple AGs in the lab, and finished early, though I had one PoSh error that stumped me a bit. I’m looking forward to resetting the lab and trying again on Friday, taking a few hours to try and rebuild AGs in my own way without help.

    Though I suspect I may be sending an email to Allan before this is over.

  • Summit 2014

    The 2014 PASS Summit kicked off this week in Seattle. It’s a familiar location for those that have attended past events, as the conference has been held here more often than not. Plans are that it will be here for the next few years, so if you would like to attend, plan on a trip to the Pacific Northwest.

    My plan is to try and write a bit each day about the event and get that out to those of you that aren’t attending and share a bit about the experience. Don’t expect reports on late night activities as that’s not usually part of my day. My bedtime is likely in the 10:30 range, and I plan to be in the hotel most nights by that time. I also need to get things written by late afternoon, so some of the reporting may slide to the next day.

    Yesterday was SQL in the City – Seattle 2014 for me. This was our second event this year, and I’m assuming it was fun. I’ve written this in advance as I’ll be busy speaking at the event, meeting people, and then racing to the annual Networking Dinner that Andy Warren and I put on. I’m sure that’s fun as well.

    Today is my pre-con day. There were pre-cons yesterday (Monday) and more today. I’ll be in Allan Hirt’s The A to Z of Availability Groups. I’ve fumbled through AG setups myself, but it’s been confusing at times, and I know Allan is one of the experts, so I’m looking to shore up my knowledge. I’ll be taking lots of notes that I’ll be using in blog posts to document my knowledge later.

    I’ll link to pictures as I find them and add notes when I can. Hopefully I’ll get new posts out every day with some highlights and coverage of the event. I’ll be live blogging and live tweeting on Wednesday and Thursday, so look for some posts on the announcements and happenings, possibly with some sarcasm and humor, so take things with a grain of salt.  Hopefully you enjoy hearing about the event this week.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 3.0MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.

  • Learning Options in Seattle Next Month

    The 2014 PASS Summit takes place next month. Actually a few weeks, on Nov 3-7, 2014 in Seattle. While many people attend the conference, there are some additional options for learning that you might think about in addition to the conference itself. While the conference is great, getting deeper dives on topics that last more than an hour is something you may consider.

    Make SQL Server Go Faster – A two day class, Monday Nov 3 and Tuesday Nov 4, from Brent Ozar Unlimited. You’ll get two days in depth training on practical tips for improving SQL Server performance. $695, but worth it.

    SQL in the City 2014 – Seattle – From Red Gate, my employer. We’ll have the hour long sessions, but we’ve split things into two tracks and have linked sessions. Our development track, focusing on Continuous Delivery, is really 3 hours of content that has breaks. Lots of admin stuff, and the chance to see how Red Gate tools make your job easier and faster, but we cover concepts that can be applied to other tools, or your own processes.

    Pre-Conference Sessions – Each year there are two days of pre-conference, all day sessions. We’ve had post-conference sessions as well, but not for a few years. This year there are lots of choices, and a couple I struggled to choose between. I decided on Allan Hirt’s pre-con as I could use some HA skills beefing and as a former sysadmin, I find it interesting. If you can swing the $495, it’s a good investment.

    SQL Saturday #337 – Oregon – The Saturday before, if you’re in the area early, Portland is a short drive/train/flight away from Seattle. A free, full day of SQL to get you warmed up for the Summit.

    Also, don’t forget about our Monday Networking Dinner as well. Come join us. It’s free, and you get to meet other SQL Server pros.