Hampton Roads Sql Server User Group (HRSSUG)

Speaker: Jason Brimhall (view bio)

Session: A Masters Passport to Extended Events

Abstract:  As is commonly the case, all good things come to an end. And now is as good a time as any for the use of SQL Trace and Profiler to come to an end. Let’s face it, Trace was a good tool and had some wonderful uses. Profiler for that matter was a good tool and was useful at times.

It is time to let those old tools retire gracefully and move into the world of XE. This session will provide you the means to let Profiler and Trace be retired from your toolset as you discover all that XE has to offer.

This session on Extended Events will help prepare you to put this tool to immediate use as you walk back to your daily duties. This workshop will teach you about Extended Events starting with the basics and moving through how to create XE sessions that will get the right data for you, while doing so with minimal impact.

Speaker: Rob Collie (view bio)

Session: Power BI and SQL Pros: Impact and Opportunity Demystified.

Abstract: “This is a SQL and data warehousing user group. They don’t understand Analysis Services, OLAP, or really even BI as you think of it.” Five years ago, that’s what I was told by a BI user group coordinator immediately after giving a Power Pivot talk – a talk in which I had assumed the exact opposite, and which had yielded a lot of blank faces in the audience.

So… have things changed today? To an extent yes, and to an extent no. But no matter, because this time, I’m ready for you, regardless of your background!

Join us for a lively and interactive (and cartoon-illustrated!) discussion of the following questions/points:

• What can Power BI do that “pure SQL” cannot?
• Why PBI’s advertisement as “pretty dashboards” sells it WAY short.
• How is Power BI different from traditional BI?
• How can SQL pros benefit from Power BI even if they don’t use it personally?

Speaker: Glenn Berry (view bio)

Session: Analyzing I/O Subsystem Performance

Abstract: SQL Server is often I/O bound – but why? Do you feel lost when talking to your storage administrator? Are your storage subsystems like a mysterious black box where your databases live but you can’t go visit? This session will get you up to speed with the fundamentals of storage subsystems for SQL Server. You will learn about the different types of storage that are available, and how to decide what type of storage to use for different workload types. You will also learn useful tips and techniques for configuring your storage for the best performance and reliability. We’ll cover methods to effectively measure and monitor your storage performance so that you will have valuable information and evidence available the next time you have to discuss IO performance with your storage administrator. Come to this session to learn how to analyze I/Os as well as options to reduce the bottlenecks.

Speaker: Monica Rathbun (view bio)

Session: I’m It – Survival Techniques for the Lone DBA

Abstract: Are you the only database person at your company? Are you both the DBA and the Developer? Being the only data professional in an environment can seem overwhelming, daunting, and darn near impossible sometimes. However, it can also be extremely rewarding and empowering. This session will cover how you can keep your sanity, get stuff done, and still love your job. We’ll cover how I have survived and thrived being a Lone DBA for 15 years and how you can too. When you finish this session, you’ll know what you can do to make your job easier, where to find help, and how to still be able to advance and enrich your career.

Speaker: Doug Purnell

Session: Are Availability Groups a good fit for your database?

Abstract: How do you know if Availability Groups are the correct high availability solution for your business application? We’ll cover some common business problems that Availability Groups can solve and go through a quick demo where we’ll cover some pre and post checklist items to help you understand the requirements for a successful implementation.