Voice of the DBA

Tag: travel

  • Encryption and Full Text Search at The Mandalay Bay (DevConnections)

    It’s just a week until Dev Connections.  This is one of the great conferences for the hybrid technology person, with a variety of technologies being talked about, all for a single admission price. I’ll be speaking at SQL Server Connections, but wandering over to the development side at times since I’m getting back into a little bit of software development as part of my job with Red Gate Software, and of course, for fun.

    This fall the Dev Connections event is at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It’s a great hotel at the end of the strip with nice amenities and a good conference center. It’s easy to get to from the airport, which I like since traffic can be a pain. There’s also the Luxor next door, with Carrot Top playing. I’m hoping to sneak over there for a show.

    However I’m primarily there to teach you a few things about SQL Server. I’ve rewritten a bit of my Encryption talk to add a few things and give you a good grounding in how the technology works in SQL Server.  I’ll be looking at how you can encrypt your connections, secure your physical files with TDE (don’t miss the hex editor demo) and also look at data encryption using symmetric and asymmetric keys. I’ll also be talking about full-text search. I’ve reworked my talk on searching binary data to focus on extracting information from office documents.

    Both of my talks are on Wednesday, October 2, 2013, but if you are looking for other SQL Server topics, there are some great ones. Denny Cherry talks partitioning, Allen White talks Powershell and SQL Server, Tim Ford talks DMVs and Stacia Misner talks BI. There are a number of other great SQL Server speakers as well as speakers to talk Windows, Visual Studio, Exchange, Sharepoint and more.

    If you’re looking for a great conference to attend soon, think about registering for Dev Connections and I hope to see you in Las Vegas.

  • Backups, Encryption and Branding in San Diego

    This weekend is SQL Saturday #249 in San Diego. I’m looking forward to the trip for a few reasons, but mostly because I used to live in the Northern San Diego area and love going back to spend time near the beach. I’m not sure what I’ll have time to do this trip, but since the event is in La Jolla, likely I’ll visit Del Mar, where I used to work and see some sights. A short run in the sand might also be required 😉

    I arrive Thursday because Red Gate Software is hosting a small event Friday with The DBA Team: Grand Fritchey and myself.  This is one of our mini SQL in the City seminars and is targeted to DBAs. We’ve done two so far in 2013, with (I believe) three more to come. I’ll be talking about backups this time while Grant covers monitoring and parameter sniffing. I’m not sure if we’re full, but if you can come, register and we’ll see you Friday.

    Saturday is the SQL Saturday event, at the UCSD Extension campus. I’ll be opening the day talking about encryption and then have the second session on branding yourself. I enjoy these two talks, and they’ve been popular at a number of events across the last couple of years.

    I’m hoping for good weather, especially after a rainy week in Denver.

  • Decisions, Decisions. Fall Events

    I was looking over my travel calendar this fall, and I’m somewhat amazed at the variety of events that are being held for SQL Server professionals. There are a number of SQL Saturdays, and if you can attend those, I’d highly urge you to do so. Most are free, or perhaps cost you a lunch fee, but they are great chances to see SQL Server presentations, network with colleagues, and get inspired with new ways to work with SQL Server. They take a day out of your life (they’re usually on Saturday) and there’s no break from work, but they price is right.

    However if you want something a little more exotic, or with a few more frills, you’ve got some great choices out there. I’m listing a few that I’m attending, and I hope to see some of you at one of these events.

    SQL in the City

    I list this one first because these events are sponsored by Red Gate Software, my employer, and they’re a lot of fun. They are also the right price: free.

    Like some of the paid conferences, Red Gate does a great job with amenities and food. The locations are nice, and even though it’s a one day event, it’s a lot to absorb in one day. This fall we have 3 large events, and 2 (possibly 4) smaller, seminar events taking place in the US. We’d love to have you attend SQL in the City if you can. The locations we’ve picked this year are:

    • San Diego – A seminar event, with the DBA Team, on Friday Sept 20, 2013.
    • Denver – A seminar event on development, on Friday, Sept 27, 2013.
    • Pasadena – A large event, on Wednesday, Oct 9, 2013.
    • Atlanta – A large event, on Friday, Oct 11, 2013.
    • Charlotte – A large event, on Monday, Oct 14, 2013.

    We’ll talk about some real world issues you face, and give you possible solutions. We do show Red Gate tools, but that’s because they’re the quickest way to show you a solution to a problem.

    Register today if there’s a SQL in the City event you can come to.

    DevConnections

    devconnectionsI have spoken at and enjoyed the DevConnections events for a few years. This fall the event returns to the MGM in Las Vegas from Sept 30 – Oct 4, 2013. There’s a great lineup of SQL Server speakers, of which I am one. There’s a lot to do, a lot to learn, and a lot of fun to be had in Las Vegas. With the schedule, this is a perfect event to attend and add in a weekend vacation with family.

    One of the great things about this event is that there are 5 conferences taking place together, and with your registration, you can attend any session in any one of them. This is a great event for those of you that don’t just work with SQL Server.

    If you’ve never been, consider coming to DevConnections this fall.

    SQL Intersection

    sql-int-centerSQL Intersection is a new event, managed by SQLskills. I spoke at the event this part spring, and I enjoyed it. Like DevConnections, the event takes place in Las Vegas, located in the MGM Grand from Oct 27-30. The speakers are selected and invited, and there are some very popular and talented speakers in this group. I’m honored to be a part of the event. I think you’ll get a ton of SQL Server knowledge here that you can apply back at work.

    There are 5 events taking place at the same time, so if you are interested in learning more about development, cloud computing , Sharepoint, or Azure, this might be a good choice for you. It’s also a fantastic time to take an extra day or two in Las Vegas. Halloween is truly a spectacle in that city.

    Take this letter to your boss, then register, and I hope to shake your hand when you come. If you use “Jones” as a registration code, you’ll get $100 off, and I get some credit Winking smile

    The PASS Summit

    passsummit2013This year the PASS Summit returns to the East Coast, to Charlotte, NC from October 14-18, 2013. The first day of pre-cons overlap with our SQL in the City event. This is the most popular, and largest, SQL Server only event in the world. There is a ton of networking that takes place, and it’s a great time to get to know other people in the community.

    There are a ton of sessions, too many in fact. Buy the DVD of the sessions since you’ll miss more than you attend. You can register today, and if you’re there early, look for me on Tuesday. I won’t be speaking at the Summit this year, but there are lots of other great speakers that you’ll enjoy.

    The Conference Argument

    I’ve got a busy fall. In addition to the events above, I have a few SQL Saturdays to attend and skiing to get in. I won’t be at SQL Live 360, but that’s another event you might consider attending. I’d love to speak there, but I need a break. Perhaps in 2014.

    I love attending these events, and I’d recommend them over a specific training class. Here’s why.

    If you aren’t self-motivated, you’ll waste a lot of time and not get much out of a conference. It’s easy to go to some sessions, or sit by the pool all day. However I’d argue that most of the people who aren’t looking to drive their career won’t get a lot our of week long class either.

    If you are motivated, you can learn the JIT skills from a book, by yourself, or with a relatively inexpensive class like the ones Pluralsight offers. However, at a conference, you’re the person that will network with others, talk about your problems, and get some inspiration or potential solutions from those conversations. You’ll also get new ideas and inspirations from many of the sessions. You’ll recharge better than you do from a class, and most people seem to come back to work more excited about SQL Server than when they left.

    If you’re a person that wants to move forward and are motivated enough to do so, consider attending one of these events this fall.

  • SQL in the City in the fall of 2013

    This fall I’ll be attending a number of SQL in the City events in the US. Once again we have a tour, though it’s a shorter tour than the 5 events in two weeks I was on last year.

    One of my feedback items last year was that we should be able to do a SQL in the City event that’s smaller. The big events are fun and amazing, but they’re also hard to put together and expensive. I’d rather do an event for a smaller audience, and at a much lower cost, and get to do 10 of them a year.

    Someone listened to me and we ended up scheduling 5 seminar events  (2 listed for now) along with 3 big ones in the US. We held a DBA oriented event in March of this year, and a development based one in Sacramento in July. Both went over well, and we have a few more scheduled later in the year.

    SQL in the City – The DBA Team, San Diego, CA, Sept 20, 2013 – We covered a number of items in Richmond, and we’ve scheduled a few sessions on backups, monitoring, and one TBD. This will be a half day on Friday, before SQL Saturday #249 on Saturday. I’ll be speaking there as well. If you can come, register for both.

    SQL in the City – The Development Seminar, Denver, CO, Sept 27, 2013. This seminar flows well as we present talks on putting your database under version control, automating your database build and test with continuous integration and smoothing out the deployment of your application and database. I’ll actually be presenting all three talks myself as Grant is other commitments this weekend. I’ll also be at SQL Saturday #190 on Saturday in Denver.

    SQL in the City – Pasadena 2013 in Pasadena, CA, October 9, 2013. The first of our large events in the US this year. We’re back in LA, near the Red Gate office in Pasadena. We’ll have a large staff for this all day event, which should be a great time for all. We hope to see you there for a mix of administrative and development topics.

    SQL in the City – Atlanta 2013, Atlanta, GA, October 11, 2013. We’re crossing the country for a Friday event in the South. My first time speaking in Atlanta, and I’m hoping to see something in the city before I leave. This will also be a mix of administrative and development topics.

    SQL in the City – Charlotte 2013, in Charlotte, NC on October 14, 2013. This is the final stop on our 2013 large tour, with us again covering administrative and development topics. If you can’t attend the PASS Summit and you live nearby, here’s a full day of free training. If you are attending the Summit, feel free to register for this on Monday if you are in town.

    We’ve tentatively scheduled one final Stairway to Development in Washington DC in December, just before the SQL Saturday there. More details to follow soon, and there’s a chance we’ll add a sixth one as well.

    Hopefully I’ll see some of you at one of these events. Whether we’ve met before, please feel free to say hi and shake my hand.

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