DevConnections offers many other tracks, other than SQL Server, including:

• Visual Studio
• ASP.NET
• SharePoint
• Silverlight
• HTML5
• Cloud

So if you are a DBA who has duties other than just SQL Server, then DevConnections might be a great learning experience for you.

For those of you that are interested in SQL Server, the SQLServerCentral.com track includes the following speakers and sessions:

Grant Fritchey
Grant Fritchey is a SQL Server MVP with over 21 years’ experience in IT, including time spent in support and development. He has worked with SQL Server since 6.0, back in 1995. He has developed in VB, VB.Net, C# and Java. Grant volunteers at PASS and is president of the Southern New England SQL Server Users Group (SNESSUG). He has authored books for Apress and Simple-Talk, and joined Red Gate Software as a Product Evangelist in January 2011. He blogs at www.scarydba.com.

Common Backup Problems and How to Deal with Them
SQL Server backups can be burdensome to set up and maintain. All sorts of different problems can occur. This session targets the most common problems encountered while working with SQL Server backup and shows you how to identify these issues in your environment. In fact, I’ll walk you through how to prevent these common issues from ever cropping up within your systems in the first place. Be prepared for information you can take back to the office and put to work right away making your system backups more reliable. With backups running correctly all the time, you’ll be protecting your systems better, and feeling a lot less stress when it times to perform an emergency restore.

Top Tips for Writing Better T-SQL Stored Procedures
T-SQL provides many different ways to accomplish the same task, and as you might expect, some ways are better than others. In this session, you will learn specific techniques, that if followed, will make you a better T-SQL developer. The session is jam-packed with practical examples and is designed for administrators and developers who want to bring their T-SQL skills to the next level. In fact, you will be able to immediately implement these tips in your current projects once you get back to your office.

T-SQL Deployment and Continuous Integration Best Practices
While most T-SQL developers focus on writing quality T-SQL code and efficient queries, what they often forget is how it should best be deployed. This includes deployment of new applications, as well as upgrades and bug fixes. In this session, you will learn many best practices involving the principles of continuous integration, such as maintaining a code repository, automating builds, self-testing, auditing, automated deployment, and much more. This session is designed for both DBA administrators and developers who want to optimize their T-SQL deployment process.

Steve Jones
Steve Jones is the founder and editor of SQLServerCentral.com, the largest SQL Server community in the world. Steve has worked with SQL Server for two decades, starting with v4.2 and continuing on to SQL Server 2012. He has worked for a variety of small and large companies in that time in different industries, allowing him to learn how SQL Server can solve many types of problems. He currently works for Red Gate software, the owner of SQLServerCentral.com. He blogs at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/steve_jones/default.aspx.

An Encryption Primer for SQL Server
SQL Server has a number of encryption features that allow you to better secure your data. This session will examine the basics of encryption and cover the various ways in which you can encode and decode your data to protect it from unauthorized access. Cell level encryption, Transparent Data Encryption, and backup encryption will all be discussed. This session is designed for those who want to learn the basics of how to protect their data.

How to Take Advantage of Contained Databases in SQL Server 2012
One of the problems with databases in SQL Server is the dependency of the database on various parts of the host instance. In SQL Server 2012 there is an enhancement to the database format that allows for partial containment of your database, and will make the movement, migration, and management of the databases much simpler. This session, which includes many demos, introduces the new database structure and explains how it can be used in your environment.

How to Manage Unstructured SQL Server Data
More and more of our data does not fit neatly into a structured, relational model of rows and columns of data. In this session, you will learn about how SQL Server stores unstructured data, with a special emphasis on how to use Filestream, which integrates SQL Server with the NTFS file system by storing varbinary(max) binary large object data as files stored within the file system. You will also learn about the new SQL Server 2012 filetable feature, which builds on Filestream and provides the ability to read, write, and update Filestream objects directly through the file system. This session is designed for DBAs and developers who need to learn how to manage large quantities of unstructured data.

Brad M McGehee
Brad M. McGehee is a MCSE+I, MCSD, and MCT (former) with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. Currently the Director of DBA Education for Red Gate Software, Brad is an accomplished Microsoft SQL Server MVP with over 17 years SQL Server experience and over 8 years training experience. Brad is a frequent speaker at SQL PASS, European PASS, SQL Connections, SQLTeach, devLINK, SQLBits, SQL Saturdays, TechFests, Code Camps, SQL Server user groups, and other industry seminars. Brad is the author or co-author of more than 16 technical books and over 300 published articles. He blogs at www.bradmcgehee.com.

How to Monitor Your SQL Server for Performance & High Availability
Is your phone ringing off the hook your first sign of SQL Server performance or availability problems? Let’s hope not. As a proactive DBA, it is your job to regularly and thoroughly monitor your servers. In some cases, close monitoring can help you detect small problems before they become big problems. In cases outside of your control, you will want to be notified immediately of the problem so you can take quick action to resolve it. In this session, you will learn what aspects of your SQL Servers you should monitor, and how best to monitor them. In fact, you will be presented with a checklist that you can follow to help ensure that you are monitoring the right things in the most efficient manner. This session is designed for novice or accidental DBAs who are still learning how to best administer their SQL Server instances.

How to Defragment Indexes for Peak Performance
Over time, as indexes experience INSERTs, UPDATEs, and DELETEs, a normal process called index fragmentation typically occurs in OLTP databases. Index fragmentation takes two forms. First, it can cause gaps on data pages that waste disk and data cache space. Second, it can scatter pages throughout the database as the logical and physical order of the pages get out of synch. Added together, both of these can result in heavy index fragmentation which can reduce query performance. In this session you will learn the best ways to identify and correct index fragmentation. This includes learning how to identify which indexes need defragmentation using sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats, how to determine if rebuilding or reorganizing indexes is the best approach, and how to create index defragmentation jobs. The session will include many demos to show how fragmentation occurs, how to detect it, and how to remove it. This session is designed for all DBAs who still have yet to master the fundamentals of index defragmentation.

How to Configure Database Options for Optimal Performance
Each database has a collection of individual properties, many of which can have a significant effect on a database’s behavior, performance and availability. Most of the time you want to leave these settings at their defaults, but there are some cases where you might need to make some changes. As the DBA, you should be familiar with all of the settings and what they do. In this session, we will explore every database setting, spending extra time on those settings that are most critical to SQL Server databases. In addition, you will be provided with a script you can use to identify your current database settings, which can be used to help you determine if your database settings are optimally set for your environment. This session is designed for all DBAs who still have yet to master the specifics of database configuration settings.

2012 is already upon us and I have been busy working on my travel schedule for this year. It is still incomplete, but I have many events scheduled, and I am leaving room for some additional events as they are announced.

So how about you, have your scheduled the training events you want to attend this year? In a recent poll of readers of my blog, it looks like the most popular SQL Server training events are SQL Saturdays (18 events already scheduled for this year), SQL PASS Summit (Seattle, November 6-9, 2012), SQL Rally (Dallas, May 10-11, 2012), SQL Bits (UK, March 29-31, 2012), and SQL in the City (Dates and locations not yet announced).

While many of you may not have a training budget, fortunately, many of the events are free, and assuming they are within easy driving distance, attending them should be a no-brainer decision for you to make.

So if you have not done so yet, begin planning out your training this year. With the launch of SQL Server 2012, it should be a very busy year.

The SQLServerCentral.com track includes the following speakers and sessions:

Grant Fritchey
Grant Fritchey is a SQL Server MVP with over 21 years’ experience in IT, including time spent in support and development. He has worked with SQL Server since 6.0, back in 1995. He has developed in VB, VB.Net, C# and Java. Grant volunteers at PASS and is president of the Southern New England SQL Server Users Group (SNESSUG). He has authored books for Apress and Simple-Talk, and joined Red Gate Software as a Product Evangelist in January 2011. He blogs at www.scarydba.com.

Common Backup Problems and How to Deal with Them
SQL Server backups can be burdensome to set up and maintain. All sorts of different problems can occur. This session targets the most common problems encountered while working with SQL Server backup and shows you how to identify these issues in your environment. In fact, I’ll walk you through how to prevent these common issues from ever cropping up within your systems in the first place. Be prepared for information you can take back to the office and put to work right away making your system backups more reliable. With backups running correctly all the time, you’ll be protecting your systems better, and feeling a lot less stress when it times to perform an emergency restore.

Top Tips for Writing Better T-SQL Stored Procedures
T-SQL provides many different ways to accomplish the same task, and as you might expect, some ways are better than others. In this session, you will learn specific techniques, that if followed, will make you a better T-SQL developer. The session is jam-packed with practical examples and is designed for administrators and developers who want to bring their T-SQL skills to the next level. In fact, you will be able to immediately implement these tips in your current projects once you get back to your office.

T-SQL Deployment and Continuous Integration Best Practices
While most T-SQL developers focus on writing quality T-SQL code and efficient queries, what they often forget is how it should best be deployed. This includes deployment of new applications, as well as upgrades and bug fixes. In this session, you will learn many best practices involving the principles of continuous integration, such as maintaining a code repository, automating builds, self-testing, auditing, automated deployment, and much more. This session is designed for both DBA administrators and developers who want to optimize their T-SQL deployment process.

Steve Jones
Steve Jones is the founder and editor of SQLServerCentral.com, the largest SQL Server community in the world. Steve has worked with SQL Server for two decades, starting with v4.2 and continuing on to SQL Server 2012. He has worked for a variety of small and large companies in that time in different industries, allowing him to learn how SQL Server can solve many types of problems. He currently works for Red Gate software, the owner of SQLServerCentral.com. He blogs at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/steve_jones/default.aspx.

An Encryption Primer for SQL Server
SQL Server has a number of encryption features that allow you to better secure your data. This session will examine the basics of encryption and cover the various ways in which you can encode and decode your data to protect it from unauthorized access. Cell level encryption, Transparent Data Encryption, and backup encryption will all be discussed. This session is designed for those who want to learn the basics of how to protect their data.

How to Take Advantage of Contained Databases in SQL Server 2012
One of the problems with databases in SQL Server is the dependency of the database on various parts of the host instance. In SQL Server 2012 there is an enhancement to the database format that allows for partial containment of your database, and will make the movement, migration, and management of the databases much simpler. This session, which includes many demos, introduces the new database structure and explains how it can be used in your environment.

How to Manage Unstructured SQL Server Data
More and more of our data does not fit neatly into a structured, relational model of rows and columns of data. In this session, you will learn about how SQL Server stores unstructured data, with a special emphasis on how to use Filestream, which integrates SQL Server with the NTFS file system by storing varbinary(max) binary large object data as files stored within the file system. You will also learn about the new SQL Server 2012 filetable feature, which builds on Filestream and provides the ability to read, write, and update Filestream objects directly through the file system. This session is designed for DBAs and developers who need to learn how to manage large quantities of unstructured data.

Brad M McGehee
Brad M. McGehee is a MCSE+I, MCSD, and MCT (former) with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. Currently the Director of DBA Education for Red Gate Software, Brad is an accomplished Microsoft SQL Server MVP with over 17 years SQL Server experience and over 8 years training experience. Brad is a frequent speaker at SQL PASS, European PASS, SQL Connections, SQLTeach, devLINK, SQLBits, SQL Saturdays, TechFests, Code Camps, SQL Server user groups, and other industry seminars. Brad is the author or co-author of more than 16 technical books and over 300 published articles. He blogs at www.bradmcgehee.com.

How to Monitor Your SQL Server for Performance & High Availability
Is your phone ringing off the hook your first sign of SQL Server performance or availability problems? Let’s hope not. As a proactive DBA, it is your job to regularly and thoroughly monitor your servers. In some cases, close monitoring can help you detect small problems before they become big problems. In cases outside of your control, you will want to be notified immediately of the problem so you can take quick action to resolve it. In this session, you will learn what aspects of your SQL Servers you should monitor, and how best to monitor them. In fact, you will be presented with a checklist that you can follow to help ensure that you are monitoring the right things in the most efficient manner. This session is designed for novice or accidental DBAs who are still learning how to best administer their SQL Server instances.

How to Defragment Indexes for Peak Performance
Over time, as indexes experience INSERTs, UPDATEs, and DELETEs, a normal process called index fragmentation typically occurs in OLTP databases. Index fragmentation takes two forms. First, it can cause gaps on data pages that waste disk and data cache space. Second, it can scatter pages throughout the database as the logical and physical order of the pages get out of synch. Added together, both of these can result in heavy index fragmentation which can reduce query performance. In this session you will learn the best ways to identify and correct index fragmentation. This includes learning how to identify which indexes need defragmentation using sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats, how to determine if rebuilding or reorganizing indexes is the best approach, and how to create index defragmentation jobs. The session will include many demos to show how fragmentation occurs, how to detect it, and how to remove it. This session is designed for all DBAs who still have yet to master the fundamentals of index defragmentation.

How to Configure Database Options for Optimal Performance
Each database has a collection of individual properties, many of which can have a significant effect on a database’s behavior, performance and availability. Most of the time you want to leave these settings at their defaults, but there are some cases where you might need to make some changes. As the DBA, you should be familiar with all of the settings and what they do. In this session, we will explore every database setting, spending extra time on those settings that are most critical to SQL Server databases. In addition, you will be provided with a script you can use to identify your current database settings, which can be used to help you determine if your database settings are optimally set for your environment. This session is designed for all DBAs who still have yet to master the specifics of database configuration settings.

Tim Mitchell will be speaking at the SQLServerCentral.com track at SQL Server Connections, October 31-November 3, 2011, in Las Vegas, NV.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a practitioner of business intelligence, primarily focusing on SQL Server. I’ve been in the IT field for over a decade, and have worked with SQL Server in various capacities for about 8 years. By day, I work as a BI consultant. I’m proud to be a part of Artis Consulting in Dallas, where I help deliver BI solutions across the entire SQL Server stack. During my spare time, I serve on the board of directors for the North Texas SQL Server User Group in Dallas (Irving), and I blog and speak at community events as much as I am able.

What have you had published?

I occasionally write articles and editorial pieces for SQLServerCentral.com. I have also recorded a number of training videos over at SQLShare.com. I am also contributing to a couple of SQL Server-related books that will be published later this year or early next year.

Where do you blog?

My blog can be found at www.timmitchell.net, which is also mirrored at SQLServerCentral.com. My blog is a mix of SQL Server and career-related information.

What advice can you give to DBAs about writing?

Very simply, writing will help your career, period. I can’t say enough about the benefits of writing as a career development platform. Writing helps to hone your writing skills, which are essential to the long-term success of any database professional. By publishing what you write, you also help to boost your street cred among peers as well as creating a highly visible body of work for review by potential employers or clients. You also get the opportunity to share your ideas and open them up for scrutiny by others. Yes, this is a little scary at times, and sometimes requires thick skin. However, by sharing your insights with others, you can help to identify any flaws or potential improvements that you can make in your methods. There’s also good feedback, too. If you do something well and blog about it, the SQL Server community is very gracious in acknowledging good content.

Tell us a little about your speaking experience?

As professional speakers go, I’m a relative newcomer. Until about three years ago, I had never spoken professionally to a group of any significant size, apart from a few training sessions I’d hosted for internal employees at companies where I’d worked. I took a chance and submitted a session for one of the very first SQL Saturday events (#3, in Jacksonville) and to my surprise I was selected to speak. I was hooked from that very first presentation, and since then I’ve been very active on the speaking circuit.

These days, I frequently speak at events such as SQL Saturday, tech fest events, and local user groups. I recently spoke at the first ever SQL Rally event in Orlando, and this fall I’ll be presenting at two upcoming national events: SQL Server Connections and the SQL PASS Summit.

What advice do you have for DBAs who want to begin making public presentations?

Speaking in public is problematic for some people. I can say that with authority because I used to be one of those people.

Admittedly, it’s much more difficult to deliver presentations than it is to sit down and write an article, a blog post, or answer a question on a forum. Presenting is usually done in real-time, and doesn’t have a lot of room to pause or reset if things go wrong. Still, there’s something incredibly satisfying about delivering a presentation to your peers and leaving with the realization that they learned something from you. Much like writing, developing presentation skills can bring career rewards that surpass the personal satisfaction you receive.

My advice would be to try it out once or twice to see if you like it. Schedule a presentation for a local user group (most user groups I know of are starved for speakers, so you probably won’t have a hard time finding an audience). If it’s something you enjoy, there are countless resources to help you refine your technique, and the rewards are many.

How do you keep up with your SQL Server continuing education?

Two key things: I learn from the mistakes of others, and I learn from my own mistakes.

I enjoy reading blogs. Sometimes blog posts offer instruction on how to do something, but the really interesting ones start like, “Let me tell you how I screwed up, and how I fixed it.” On my own, I like to try things. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. If it does, I have a new method I might be able to use in the future. If it doesn’t work, I’ve learned a way NOT to do it – and it’s often those lessons that stick the best.

What are your favorite SQL Server events to attend, and why?

I really like the big national events like SQL Server Connections and the SQL PASS Summit. I know a lot of people at those events, and it’s always great to hang out and learn with folks you know. But I’d say that my favorite events are still the smaller, regional events – SQL Saturday, code camps, local tech fests, and the like. These venues typically offer more of an opportunity to talk to people, and to really get to know them.

Why should DBAs consider taking part in the SQL Server community?

A better question would be, why wouldn’t you? Being a part of any community, and especially such a welcoming and friendly group like the SQL Server community, is an investment that pays back many times more than you put into it. By getting involved, you get to know people – people who may someday be clients, bosses, or even friends. If you’re looking for a job, would it be easier to send out resumes to 100 companies that have never heard of you, or to reach out to a dozen people who know you well and are interested in your professional development? If your company needs a rock star consultant, wouldn’t it be easier to reach out to someone you’ve personally met than calling names in a phone book?

Community is about people. Being a part of a community is simply getting to know people, and letting them know you. Sharing, collaboration, business relationships, and mentorship can all result from these relationships. Everybody wins.

What are some of the key characteristics that you feel differentiate between “good” and “exceptional” DBAs?

Good DBAs know their stuff. They show up for work every day and do what is required, and their systems are almost always running well.

Exceptional DBAs make investments. They invest in themselves to stay at the top of their game through education and peer collaboration. They invest extra effort to make sure that not only is the job done, but that it is done as well as possible. They invest in the community by contributing to the body of work at large, and perhaps even serve as mentors for individuals within their circles.

What are some of the biggest challenges for DBAs in the immediate future?

I think the cloud will present some changes to the role of the DBA. While I don’t agree with the popular opinion that the cloud will spell the end of the job of the DBA as we know it, I think smart DBAs are already looking ahead for ways to adapt what they do to fit into the cloud computing model.

What advice would you give to a person who is considering becoming a DBA?

SQL Server is a great place to be right now, but it’s also a very big field. For anyone considering getting in to this field, I would say that you need to find an area in which to focus. Explore the roles of DBA, database developer, BI practitioner, etc., to see which fits you best, but make it a goal to specialize in just one area.

What you are not working, what do you do for fun?

When I’m not working or writing, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading, and photography. I enjoy snow skiing, but given the absence of mountains here in Texas, this is a rare treat for me.

If you were not a DBA, and could choose the perfect job, what would it be?

I think I’d want to fly something. If the Army ever decides that Apache helicopter pilots must also have business intelligence skills, I’m in.

Briefly describe the sessions that you will be presenting at the SQLServerCentral.com Track at SQL Server Connections.

I’ll be delivering two sessions at this event. In the first session, I’ll talk about the Top 10 (ish) Best Practices for SSIS, during which we’ll identify a handful of quick wins that will help you improve the performance, reliability, and maintainability of your SSIS packages. The second session is entitled Defensive ETL, where we will assume that all data is bad, and handle it accordingly.

Grant Fritchey will be speaking at the SQLServerCentral.com track at SQL Server Connections, October 31-November 3, 2011, in Las Vegas, NV.

Tell us about yourself.

I have twenty plus years’ experience in IT, in the areas of technical support, development, and database administration. Currently, I work for Red Gate Software as a Product Evangelist, where I spend a lot of time speaking, and writing articles for SQLServerCentral.com and Simple-Talk.com. I’m one of the founding officers of the Southern New England SQL Server Users Group and I am its current president. I’ve been involved with the SQL Server community since the 2005 PASS Summit when I saw people having a good time while they were learning. I’ve also been a Microsoft SQL Server MVP since 2009.

What have you had published?

I’ve authored two books of my own: SQL Server Execution Plans and SQL Server 2008 Query Performance Tuning Distilled. I’ve also written chapters for a couple of other books, including Beginning SQL Server 2008 Administration and SQL Server Team-Based Development.

Where do you blog?

I maintain two blogs. The first, at Scary DBA, is a general technical and SQL Community blog. I basically blog about whatever technical issues I’m working on or community comments or links I’m interested in. The second, at Scarlet & Scary, is similar, but I also blog about Red Gate products there.

What advice can you give to DBAs about writing?

First, be sure that you enjoy writing, not just writing about SQL Server. Writing is a process and it’s not always a fun one. You need to have a good time with the process, or writing is just too tough. Second, don’t worry about what everyone else has written. Maybe you want to write about a new way to identify a missing index and you know someone has already written about that…so what? Go for it anyway. You may tell a better story or provide more detail, or reach people that other author couldn’t reach. Don’t hold back.

Tell us a little about your speaking experience?

Prior to officially speaking in public, there were only two things that I had done that might have helped me to prepare for it: teach private classes in a corporate setting and lead a pack of Cub Scouts. Of the two, being the Cubmaster to a bunch of young boys was the better experience for public speaking. You learn very quickly that not everything you say will be heard or is even worth hearing. It’s a good lesson when you start speaking

What advice do you have for DBAs who want to begin making public presentations?

Be passionate about the topic, whatever the topic is. If you’re passionate about what you’re presenting, you communicate that passion to the audience, and it’s much more likely that they’ll take whatever it is you are teaching them and try it out back in their office.

How do you keep up with your SQL Server continuing education?

As new books get published, I pick them up and read them. A book is still one of the most information rich areas to learn from. I also subscribe to Database Weekly. It shows me areas that I might need to spend more time on, and it links to the best blog posts out there. Finally, I try to answer questions on the forums at SQLServerCentral.com and at ASK.SQLServerCentral.com. I find that teaching others forces me to get a better understanding of a topic.

What are your favorite SQL Server events to attend, and why?

That’s tough. I like them all. SQL Server Connections is wonderful because you can cross disciplines so easily, spending time talking to SharePoint guys and developers, as well as database professionals. The PASS Summit has become like a family reunion that also presents great technical information. SQL Saturday events are wonderful because of the intimacy of the networking that you can do there. They’re all pretty good.

What is your favorite SQL Server book?

Without doubt it’s Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Internals by Kalen Delaney. She has had a book on my shelf since, at least, SQL Server 7.0. The latest one is not only a must own, but more than that, it’s a must read, a lot.

Why should DBAs consider taking part in the SQL Server community?

It’s very simple. Do you know everything? If not, you probably should take part in the SQL Server community. You’re going to have a better chance at answering questions if you can hook into the extensive body of knowledge available in the community. Plus, they’re great people, good friends, the kind of people you want to hang around with.

What suggestions do you have for DBAs on how to become a more involved in the SQL Server community?

That’s easy. Don’t lurk. Step up, get involved, volunteer, talk to people. If you hang back, you’re less likely to get involved. If you step up, you will get involved. It’s really that easy.

What are some of the key characteristics that you feel differentiate between “good” and “exceptional” DBAs?

Principally, I think it’s a willingness to stretch a little and try new things. You can be great at tuning script deployments, but if you completely dig in your heels at something like Entity Framework, rather than seeking to understand it and figure out how it can be incorporated successfully into your systems; and, just as importantly, the places where it shouldn’t be used at all; you’re far too likely to be merely good forever. Embrace change, try to get in front of it, and lead it where it needs to go. It’s not always possible, but trying is more likely to move you up to being exceptional than not trying at all.

What are some of the biggest challenges for DBAs in the immediate future?

I think the biggest challenge is figuring out to correctly incorporate the cloud and SQL Azure into their systems. The cloud is not going away, and simply ignoring it, as far too many people are doing now, is likely to make it a worse problem than it should be for those people.

What advice would you give to a person who is considering becoming a DBA?

Plastic…. That’s tough. Personally, I think that it hurts DBAs who don’t have a good understanding of how development works. I’d suggest at least spending time with developers and trying to see the difficulties of building business solutions from their point of view. It’s more likely to make you into a helpful DBA, and not one that just says no to everything proposed to them.

What do you consider one of the most useful, but underrated features of SQL Server?

I don’t think it’s under-rated, but not nearly enough people use it, and it’s Dynamic Management Objects. There is just so much excellent information available at your fingertips if you just reach out and take it.

What feature do you think is missing from SQL Server and you would like to see in a future version?

Some way to really know, forever, and for sure; that an object, such as a table or a stored procedure; has never been accessed over some period of time. It would be so great to be able to clean out the junk from the system sometimes.

What you are not working, what do you do for fun?

I help lead a Troop of Boy Scouts (the Cub Scouts grew) which gets me out doing the things I enjoy, such as hiking, backpacking, kayaking, paddling and just being outside.

If you were not a DBA, and could choose the perfect job, what would it be?

I think I’d like to teach history at the Junior High School level. You can still get kids when they might get excited about history rather than spending too much time looking cool. History is a very important topic that just doesn’t get enough attention these days. It’s this lack of attention to history that is probably why it feels like so many people haven’t learned history’s lessons.

Briefly describe the sessions that you will be presenting at the SQLServerCentral.com track at SQL Server Connections this fall in Las Vegas?

My Performance Checklist session is going to try to give you information you can use immediately to prevent poor performance on your systems. I want you to avoid the easy mistakes that can chew on you over time. My Parameter Sniffing session is going to explain what parameter sniffing is and why it’s an excellent thing…until it isn’t. When it isn’t, I’ll show you seven different ways to fix it.

Steve Jones will be speaking at the SQLServerCentral.com track at SQL Server Connections, October 31-November 3, 2011, in Las Vegas, NV.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m the editor of SQLServerCentral.com, which is a position I’ve held for over 8 years. I started writing articles as a DBA to help other people and to share the knowledge I’d been given by so many other great authors over the years, and it has turned into an amazing job. Prior to that, I was a DBA for almost a decade, working with SQL Server v4.2, 6.5, 7.0, and 2000. I am a Microsoft MVP and enjoy working with data, mostly from the administration and management side of the DBA job.

What have you had published?

I write a daily editorial at SQLServerCentral.com now, but I’ve written a number of articles on SQL Server, which have been published at SQLServerCentral.com, as well as SQL Server magazine. You can see the list of my work here: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Authors/Articles/Steve_Jones/3/

Where do you blog?

I maintain my own site at http://voiceofthedba.com/, which is syndicated to SQLServerCentral.com. I try to include a mix of SQL Server and career-based writing, with the occasional foray into something else I enjoy, like cars or snowboarding.

What advice can you give to DBAs about writing?

There are two main things I would say. The first is to make sure you have someone proof your work, especially as you get started. The impressions you make from writing will impact the way people deal with you. Whether it’s on your blog or in an email you send at work, communication skills are important, so learn to do it better. The second thing would be to focus on one topic. All too often I see submissions from authors that are rambling across many topics, which may be related, but aren’t the central theme of their work. Learn to focus on one topic at a time and write about that. The writing technique taught in school to use a topic sentence applies here and is useful. Write that sentence and then make sure all the paragraphs that follow support it.

Tell us a little about your speaking experience?

I fell into speaking as an evolution of my writing. I wrote a piece with Brian Knight, a point/counterpoint that we submitted to the PASS Summit as a session and wound up speaking. I was a little nervous at first, but once the debate started, it was exciting. Since then I’ve presented at a number of user groups, as well as SQL Saturday events, which I really enjoy.

I was honored to be asked to give a keynote at SQL Saturday #28 in Baton Rouge and thoroughly enjoyed that, and I will give a few more of those keynotes in 2011.

What advice do you have for DBAs who want to begin making public presentations?

The first thing I’d say is that anyone can give a good presentation. You don’t have to pick an amazing topic that impresses MVPs. Pick something you’ve worked on, some problem you’ve solved, and then try to explain the details in 45 minutes. Practice your delivery and timing a few times, and if you can, run a mock presentation in front of a friend. That will get you good feedback.

I’d also say that there will always be someone in the room that knows more than you, so don’t worry about that. There will be people attending that haven’t dealt with your topic, and talk to them. Let your eyes roam around the room, talk to different people as you deliver your information.

Leave time for questions, and don’t worry about filling every second of time. If you end 10 minutes early, no one will complain.

If you’re nervous about talking for that long, ask your local user group if you can do a 15-20 minute talk on one small thing. You might be surprised how easy that is.

How do you keep up with your SQL Server continuing education?

It’s harder for me than most speakers because I don’t have a job that forces me to work with SQL Server every day. I have to make an effort to read a lot about the changes in SQL Server, and then consciously work on features. I often use questions asked in forums as a basis for testing out a solution or trying out some new feature.

I think the key these days is to constantly make time in your life, at least once a week, to read an article, or skim some blogs. There’s no excuse not to spend a little time on your career regularly these days, especially with the pace of change that Microsoft seems determined to push on us, and with all the free information on the Internet. That’s one of the reasons I started the Database Weekly newsletter. If you’re busy, skim it once a week, and look for something you can learn in 5-10 minutes.

What are your favorite SQL Server events to attend, and why?

I’ve been lucky to attend so many events in my life. I used to love the PASS Summit for me, mainly because I would see so many friends that I communicated with on a regular basis. Now I see many of those same people at SQL Saturday events throughout the year, and they Summit has gotten to be more work than fun for me. This last year I’ve had fun at SQL Server Connections, mostly because of the locations. Vegas is fun to walk around and people watch , and Orlando is a great place to sit by the pool and relax for a few hours. However, I think that Baton Rouge has been my favorite SQL Saturday. I don’t mind the heat, it’s a great crowd of organizers, and tons of people (> 400) attend. Plus I like running around University Lake. 2011 will be my third event there. Pensacola is a close second, with my daughter having attended that event twice with me.

What is your favorite SQL Server book?

It used to be Inside SQL Server, but now that the series has expanded to multiple books, it’s not really one book. However there are great authors in there and some amazing information. Grant Fritchey’s SQL Server Execution Plans book is definitely one of my favorites, as that’s a topic that I enjoyed learning about.

Why should DBAs consider taking part in the SQL Server community?

There are two reasons. The first is networking. We have a great, close community of people that are willing to help each other out, and are very friendly for the most part. Spending time getting to know a few people is a great way of making friends, its fun, and potentially could help you grow your career in the future. I talk a lot about this in my branding talk, which I give at many events.

The second reason is to give back. We all typically learn a lot from other people, whether it’s in person or through something like a blog or book. As you become more skilled, I think you ought to consider taking some of your knowledge and helping to educate the next generation of SQL Server professionals.

What suggestions do you have for DBAs on how to become a more involved in the SQL Server community?

Go to events, either as an attendee or volunteer, and say "hello" to someone. Ask them what they do, and get to know a few people. It’s a great skill to develop, and it can make conferences or user groups a lot more fun to attend. If you would like to share your knowledge, start a blog first, and if you enjoy that, then consider writing an article. SQLServerCentral.com is always looking to help new authors publish something. I’d also suggest you consider answering some questions online. We have very active forums at SQLServerCentral.com, but there are also places like MSDN, where other technology people are looking for help in doing their jobs.

What are some of the key characteristics that you feel differentiate between “good” and “exceptional” DBAs?

I think good DBAs keep the systems running and functioning at a high level. Exceptional DBAs improve the systems constantly.

What are some of the biggest challenges for DBAs in the immediate future?

I would say security is going to be a constant and difficult challenge. All of the changes with cloud computing, new enhancements to databases, and the interconnections between relational platforms, and perhaps warehouses, or even NoSQL systems, all require security. It’s a low priority and an afterthought for many people until something goes wrong. Then it’s very difficult to retro-fit back into a system, even though it may be mandated.

Think about security early, and learn to implement good security, without impacting the convenience of making data easily available.

What advice would you give to a person who is considering becoming a DBA?

To me a DBA is more an administrative role, so you ought to be someone that is comfortable with the tedious and sometimes boring nature of managing and administering systems. If you come from a system administration background, that’s easy; but if you’re a developer, really think about whether you want to take a job that often requires less creativity, or a different kind of creativity.

In terms of the job, I think that every DBA must think in sets. Not only in terms of T-SQL and data sets (union, joins, etc.), but also in terms of handling sets of servers, or instances, or tables. The idea of working with a group of widgets is almost fundamental to SQL Server, and databases in general.

What do you consider one of the most useful, but underrated features of SQL Server?

Service Broker. I love the idea of asynchronous processing, but so many people seem to avoid building it into their systems, or even thinking about it. It’s a little complex and cumbersome now, but I think some better tooling from Microsoft, and better patterns, would make this very easy to build into many systems.

Remember, asynchronous processing doesn’t mean long delays. It could be microseconds after you have submitted a message to the queue.

What you are not working, what do you do for fun?

One of the things I’m known for is running. I run every day and my employer, Red Gate Software, sent me a pair of new shoes to commemorate 1000 days of running in a row.

I have 3 kids, and spend a lot of time with them in sports (karate, volleyball, tennis) and Scouts (boy and girl). I try to snowboard 20+ days a year and I love reading, usually getting through 50+ books a year.

I also have a lovely wife who convinced me to live on a ranch outside of Denver. That allows me the opportunity to regularly carry bales of hay, fill water troughs, and shovel presents from the horses into buckets.

If you were not a DBA, and could choose the perfect job, what would it be?

Well, I’m more of a writer now, so that would be it. If I moved away from SQL Server.com, I’d love to make a living writing fiction. If I couldn’t write, I’d go back to working with SQL Server as a DBA

Briefly describe the sessions that you will be presenting at the SQLServerCentral.com track at SQL Server Connections.

My session is “Preparation for SQL Server Disaster”. It showcases how a DBA can be ready for any problems that might occur in their SQL Server environment. Attendees will learn how to develop a well thought out backup and recovery solution, taking into account the needs of clients and the employer. Attendees will see demos on backup schedules, restore techniques for full and partial databases, and an easy way for regularly running DBCC to check for corruption.

SQL Server Connections includes three regular tracks, plus the SQLServerCentral.com track. The regular tracks include speakers such as Stacia Misner, Kimberly Tripp, Brent Ozar, Adam Machanic, Itzik Ben-Gan, Maciej Pilecki, Bill Vaughn, Andrew Kelly, and Paul Randal.

The SQL Server track includes the following speakers and sessions:

Andy Warren

Andy Warren is a SQL Server consultant and trainer based in Orlando, focusing on administration, performance, and enterprise patterns. Over the course of his career he has been a DBA, developer, and a manager. Andy was one of the founders of SQLServerCentral.com, created the SQLSaturday event concept and web site, served as President of the Orlando SQL Server User Group for three years, and is now serving a second term on the PASS Board of Directors. Andy is a SQL Server MVP and blogs daily at www.sqlandy.com.

Tips and Tricks for Database Design

Designing databases is a lot like building the foundation of a house, once it’s done it’s very hard to change and you live with the results for a very long time! This presentation focuses on a practical approach to database design. We’ll start by reviewing and discussing the rich array of data types and why picking the right data type matters more than you think, and we’ll look at our options for insuring we have good data including defaults, constraints, triggers, and foreign keys. We’ll also look at the role of views and synonyms as part of a good design. Then we’ll move into a case study of a real world problem and actually build a database to meet the needs of our customer, who as it turns out wants the best design but can only afford to implement it in phases – more of design in the real world. We’ll finish up by reviewing our checklist to make sure we’ve applied our standards consistently.

Top 10 SSRS Best Practices

Want to get more out of Reporting Services? Make sure that you’re doing things the “right” way? This presentation focuses on ten best practices that you can take back to the office and use immediately on your own Reporting Services reports and servers. We will be looking at Reporting Services from the perspectives of the report designer, the testing and QA team, and the DBA as we explore best practices that include defining usable naming standards and layout conventions, planning for Firefox users, tracking report usage, developing a process for moving reports from development to test to production, and more!

Grant Fritchey

Grant Fritchey is a SQL Server MVP with over 20 years’ experience in IT, including time spent in support and development. He has worked with SQL Server since 6.0, back in 1995. He has developed in VB, VB.Net, C# and Java. Grant volunteers at PASS and is president of the Southern New England SQL Server Users Group (SNESSUG). He has authored books for Apress and Simple-Talk and joined Red Gate Software as a Product Evangelist in January 2011. He blogs at www.scarydba.com.

Lucky 7: Seven Different Solutions for Bad Parameter Sniffing

Parameter sniffing is a misunderstood issue on SQL Server. Most of the time parameter sniffing is helping performance on your servers. But sometimes, circumstances change and what was helping you is now hurting you, bad. In this session we’ll gain an understanding of what exactly parameter sniffing is and why it’s usually so helpful. Then, we’ll explore how parameter sniffing can wrong and I’ll show you seven different ways you can deal with it when it does. You’ll bring back a wealth of knowledge so that you can identify and resolve bad parameter sniffing in your own environment.

The SQL Server Optimization Checklist

Squeezing the absolute most performance you possibly can out of your server, database, and T-SQL code can be very difficult. But you should be able to get more than adequate performance just by following some simple guidelines. This session walks you through a basic set of checks that you can use on your own machines to ensure that you’re avoiding common and easily solved performance problems. From the checklist you’ll know what to look for and I’ll show you what to do about issues when you find them.

Steve Jones

Steve Jones is the founder and editor of SQLServerCentral, the largest SQL Server community in the world. Steve has worked with SQL Server for two decades, starting with v4.2 and continuing on to SQL Server 2008 R2. He has worked for a variety of small and large companies in that time in different industries, allowing him to learn how SQL Server can solve many types of problems. He currently works for Red Gate software, the owner of SQLServerCentral. He blogs at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/steve_jones/default.aspx.

Preparation for a SQL Server Disaster

This session will showcase how a DBA can be ready for any problems that might occur in their SQL Server environment. Learn how you can develop a well thought out backup and recovery solution, taking into account the needs of your clients and employer. Attendees will see demos on backup schedules, restore techniques for full and partial databases, and an easy way for regularly running DBCC to check for corruption.

Tim Mitchell

Tim Mitchell is a business intelligence consultant, database developer, speaker, and trainer. He has been working with SQL Server for over 8 years, working primarily in business intelligence, ETL/SSIS, database development, and reporting. He has earned a number of industry certifications and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, and is a Microsoft SQL Server MVP. As an active member of the community, Tim has spoken at numerous SQL Saturday events, Houston Tech Fest, and various user groups and PASS virtual chapters. He is a board member and speaker at the North Texas SQL Server User Group in Dallas, and is an active volunteer for PASS. Tim is an author and forum contributor on SQLServerCentral.com and has published dozens of SQL Server training videos on SQLShare.com. Tim blogs at www.TimMitchell.net.

Top 10 SSIS Best Practices

SQL Server Integration Services is a highly versatile product for performing all manner of ETL (Extraction, Transformation, and Loading) operations. Because it is so multifaceted, there are a lot of ways to configure – and misconfigure – the tasks and components within SSIS packages. In this session we’ll discuss ten of the best practices for building and configuring SSIS packages. From package configurations to logging and auditing, and naming conventions to deployment, we’ll review what works, and why, in real-world SSIS environments. We’ll include demos for each of these best practices, along with tales of some less-than-best-practices lessons learned the hard way.

Defensive ETL

Dealing with clean data is easy. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that luxury! In the real world, data contains duplicates, inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and other anomalies that can render the information useless to the business. Much like motorists are taught to drive defensively, ETL developers and other data professionals must maintain a "code defensively" attitude to avoid collateral damage from unexpected (and unhandled) occurrences during the ETL process. In this session, we’ll discuss some of these pitfalls, including some realistic examples and a few war stories. We’ll address some best practices for defensive ETL coding, along with practical demonstrations of these methodologies.

Brad M McGehee

Brad M. McGehee is a MCSE+I, MCSD, and MCT (former) with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. Currently the Director of DBA Education for Red Gate Software, Brad is an accomplished Microsoft SQL Server MVP with over 16 years SQL Server experience and over 7 years training experience. Brad is a frequent speaker at SQL PASS, European PASS, SQL Connections, SQLTeach, devLINK, SQLBits, SQL Saturdays, TechFests, Code Camps, SQL Server user groups, and other industry seminars. Brad is the author or co-author of more than 15 technical books and over 275 published articles. He blogs at www.bradmcgehee.com.

Top 10 Database Maintenance Best Practices

Many DBAs take routine database maintenance for granted. What they don’t understand is that the cumulative effect of poor database maintenance can significantly hurt performance and reduce uptime. In this session, you will learn the top 10 key things all DBAs need to know in order to help them maintain their databases at peak performance. In this session you will learn about: Physical File Fragmentation; Database and Log File Management; tempdb Maintenance, msdb Maintenance; Index Maintenance; Statistics Maintenance; Data Corruption Detection; Database and Log File Protection; and Database Maintenance Monitoring.

Using SQL Server Compression to Boost Database Performance

SQL Server 2008 (including R2) Enterprise Edition offers the ability to compress rows or pages so that more data can be stored on disk and in the data cache. If properly implemented, it not only saves memory and disk space, it also can also boost your databases’ performance. In this session, you will learn how row and page compression works, how to implement it, and how to implement compression best practices.

Joe Webb will be speaking at the SQLServerCentral.com track at SQL Server Connections, March 27-30, in Orlando, FL.

Tell us a little about yourself.

For the past 16 years, I’ve been self-employed as a database consultant and I regularly work with clients in the areas of business process analysis and improvements, database design and architecture, software development, and technical training.

I served for six years on the Board of Directors for the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) culminating my tenure on the board by serving as the Executive Vice President of Finance for the organization. I also serve on the MBA Advisory Board for Auburn University and the Computer Science Advisory Committee for Nashville State Community College.

What have you had published?

I was fortunate to have several books published over the past 10 years, including The Rational Guide to IT Consulting and The Rational Guide to Notification Services. I was also a contributing author in the SQL Server MVP Deep Dives book, and the SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Technical Reference Guide from Microsoft.

Where do you blog?

I regularly blog on my own web site, http://www.webbtechsolutions.com/blog. It’s also syndicated on the SQLServerCentral.com site and SQLServerPedia.com sites. Much of my blog is devoted to technology like SQL Server, PowerShell, etc. But I also share experiences in consulting, speaking, community, etc.

What advice do you have for DBAs who want to begin making public presentations?

I’ve written an article for Simple-Talk.com that describes how I approach making public presentations. http://www.simple-talk.com/opinion/opinion-pieces/creating-technical-presentations. In short, my advice is to share your experiences. You don’t have to be an expert in the field, just share what you know.

What is your favorite SQL Server book?

I had the pleasure and privilege of participating in the SQL Server MVP Deep Dives book a couple of years ago. It turned out really well and it raised quite a bit of money for the WarChild charity. It’s a good book for a good cause. Many SQL Server MVPs are currently working on a follow up book that will likewise benefit a charity.

What advice would you give to a person who is considering becoming a DBA?

I’m frequently asked this question. My advice is always the same: follow your passion. If you find a job where you actually get paid to do what you love, it’s not work anymore.

What you are not working, what do you do for fun?

Oh, I have a lot of hobbies. Sometimes, I think one of my hobbies is collecting hobbies. Some people refer to me as the DBA Farmer since I live on a small farm in Tennessee and raise cows, goats, turkeys, chickens, and ducks. We enjoy growing and canning our own food from our garden. I’m also heavily involved in my son’s Boy Scout Troop, participate in my daughters Girl Scout activities, and serve in our Church.

If you were not a DBA, and could choose the perfect job, what would it be?

I think being the owner/operator of a hunting lodge would be awesome. Bringing men and boys into the lodge for a week of hunting, communing with nature, and learning some outdoor survival skills would be a lot of fun.

Describe the two sessions that you will be presenting at the SQLServerCentral.com track at SQL Server Connections in Orlando this March.

In many ways, SQL Server is a very forgiving database platform. It does a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure it runs as optimally as possible. However, there are things that we can do as database administrators and developers to help SQL Server perform even better. That’s what I discuss in each of my two sessions.

In SQL Server Locking & Blocking Made Simple, I discuss how SQL Server maintains integrity through the locking of resources. Unfortunately this often results in resource contention, or blocking. Understanding how SQL Server implements locks can help us to design applications that perform better.

In my Tips & Tricks for Writing Better Queries session, I will share what I’ve learned over the years about creating efficient T-SQL queries and database designs.