Go get the popcorn and let’s get ready to watch some PASS sessions!  Last month PASS hosted an event called 24 Hours of PASS.  In this event, there were 24 back to back webcasts that focused on SQL Server and more specifically SQL Server 2008 R2.  As if that weren’t awesome enough, you can now go back and watch any of the 24 Hours of PASS sessions that you may have missed.

So if you weren’t downing the Red Bull and missed some or all of the sessions, you don’t need to feel left out any longer.  Here’s a list of the available topics:

• Introduction to PowerPivot (Brian Knight)
• Database Development Patterns (Andy Leonard)
• What Exactly is in SQL Server 2008 R2 (Kevin Cox)
• Getting Started with SQL Server Utility in SQL Server 2008 R2 (Glenn Berry)
• Data Tier Applications (Jacob Sebastien)
• What’s Really Happening on Your Server? 15 Powerful SQL Server Dynamic Management Objects (Adam Machanic)
• Filtered Indexes, Sparse Columns: Together, Separately (Don Vilen)
• Solving Common Business Problems with Microsoft PowerPivot (Donald Farmer)
• Exploring SQL Server 2005 and 2008 Security (Don Kiely)
• Using Data Compression with SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 (Maciej Pilecki)
• Easier than Ever Report Authoring in SSRS 2008 R2 (Jessica M. Moss)
• High Performance Functions (Simon Sabin)
• Manage Your DBA Career, Don’t Let it Manage You (Brad McGehee)
• Top 10 Mistakes on SQL Server (Kevin Kline)
• Producing Dashboards with PerformancePoint Services (Peter Myers)
• Reporting Services Enhancements in SQL Server 2008 (Greg Low)
• SQL Tuning – Get it Right the First Time (Dean Richards)
• Managing SSIS Package Deployments with Powershell (Sean McCown)
• Multi-Server Management With UCP, MDW and PBM (Chuck Heinzelman)
• Advanced T-SQL Query Tuning Techniques (Rob Farley)
• Implementing MDM Using SQL Server 2008 R2 Master Data Services (Rushabh Mehta)
• SQL 2008 R2 How to Manage CPU’s, Cores and CPU Groups (Thomas Grohser)
• Database Design Fundamentals (Louis Davidson)
• BLITZ! 60 Minute Server Takeovers (Brent Ozar)

You’ll need to be a PASS member to view the sessions, but if you are interested in them you shouldn’t have an issue with that.

I was a little slow at submitting this year, but this afternoon I submitted my ideas for sessions for PASS Summit 2010.  If you aren’t aware of this conference – it’s probably the best way out there to learn a ton about SQL Server while networking with the people that use it daily and helped build the product.  An aware attendee will also hear rumblings of the following while at PASS – twitter, karaoke, kilts, bacon, stickers, and jagermeister.

Without any further ado, I thought I’d share the sessions that I submitted for consideration this year.

Extended Events, Work Smarter Not Harder

Often, as DBAs, we are presented with the prospect of resolving performance issues. Consider a situation where Bob the Developer shows up at your desk accusing the server of inadequacies and expecting resolution. A couple weeks of digging through log files and traces and you are able to identify code that Bob the Developer deployed that was the root of the problem. What if there was a way to do this type of performance tuning before Bob the Developer shows up and before Sue the User figures out there are performance issues? In this session we’ll take a look at Extended Events, which is one of the newer SQL Server monitoring platforms, and how you can leverage it in every day scenarios. We’ll discuss the ins and outs of how to get detailed information on the errors and events that occur within SQL Server and how to understand the information. With just a few T-SQL statements, issues that could take weeks to research can be investigated in minutes.

Getting a Grip – Adventures in Multi-Server Management

Today’s SQL Server environments have seen an explosion of databases without a similar increase in DBAs. This change has allowed management of non-mission-critical databases to interfere with mission-critical databases. Beginning with SQL Server 2008, a number of tools were introduced to help you take better control of your SQL Server environment and deal with “database sprawl.” Some of these tools include the advent of Policy Based Management to the addition of the Utility Control Point, in SQL Server 2008 R2. In this session, we’ll take a look at the tools already at your disposal and some free CodePlex tools that you can use to get a grip on your SQL Server environment.

Getting To Know Your Indexes

Without proper indexing SQL Server can be hard pressed to create efficient and performant execution plans. Dynamic Management Views (DMV) and system views provide a slew of information about indexes that can be used to analyze indexes within SQL Server. In this session we’ll go under the hood of SQL Server to look at DMVs and system views to know what indexes you have, should have, and how they feel about the way applications are treating them.

Using XML to Query Execution Plans

SQL Server stores its execution plans as XML in dynamic management views. The execution plans are a gold mine of information. From the whether or not the execution plan will rely on parallelism to what columns are requiring a key lookup after a non-clustered index seek. Through a the use of XML this information can be available at your fingertips to help determine the value and impact of an index and guide you in improving the performance of your SQL Server databases. In this session we’ll look at how you can begin to understand and query the structure of the execution plans in the procedure cache. Also, we’ll review how to uncover some potential performance issues that may be lurking in your SQL Server.

Last week I spoke at TechFuse 2010 and my topic was Getting to Know Your Indexes.  I thought I’d throw up a link to the presentation materials from the event.  TechFuse was a lot of fun and I got to spend some time chatting with Dan English (twitter | blog) and Lara Rubbelke (twitter | blog) about SQL Server 2008 R2.

From my session, I received some feedback and it came back a lot better than I had expected.  I hadn’t felt on my game that day and this presentation is usually pretty dry compared to others that I do.  On a scale of 1-7 I received the following scores:

• 6.6 – Speaker(s) demonstrated expertise on the subject matter
• 5.7 – Knowledge in this session will help me in the job role
• 5.4 – Content delivered met my expectations
• 5.6 – I enjoyed the subject matter

Some of the comments I received…

“A lot of useful information.”
“Good Info.”
“Lots of detail. Speaker very knowledgeable.”

If you saw me there and want to drop an additional comment, feel free to add a comment at SpeakerRate.

Also, if you saw me present on Application and Multi-Server Management at the SQL Server 2008 R2 launch event in Minneapolis I’d appreciate any feedback on that as well.

PASS announced today it’s Call for Speakers for the 2010 PASS Summit.  This is an opportunity to share your experiences and knowledge with SQL Server Community. 

Do you have some tricks that have made your job a success that you can share?  Did you work on an interesting project with hurdles that were overcome with the use of SQL Server features?  Here is your time to shine and share what you know.

PASS is looking for sessions in the following areas:

• Enterprise Database Administration and Deployment
• Application and Database Development
• BI Platform Architecture, Development and Administration
• BI Information Delivery
• Professional Development

But I’m Not Qualified

Do use SQL Server?  Well then you have the first necessary qualification.  If you are using it then I absolutely bet that you have learned something that at least 50 of the probably 3,500 attendees will be interested in hearing about for 75 minutes.

Will you be able stand in front of your peers and no run off?  Then you have the second qualification licked.  Many of us have thought about running off right before a presentation before – and sometimes in the middle of them.  Heck, at my second presentation I asked if they wanted me to bow out since the first gentleman had gone over his time.  I wasn’t being accommodating – I was petrified.

Yeah, but I am not as _____ as Brent, Bucky, Jimmy, Paul, Kimberly, Adam, Kalen, or Kevin.  Of course this list could on for a while.  Insert whatever adjective you want in the blank.  I’ll agree outright that neither am I.  We all have different experiences and styles and increasing the variety at the PASS Summit will only make it better.  Heck, they took me in last year.  I bet you would do just as well as I do.

I’m Not Ready For PASS

If I haven’t convinced you, but you still have an open mind.  I encourage you to present at your local user group.  If you are already doing that, then make the jump to presenting at SQL Saturday events.  SQL Saturdays are great lead ups to the PASS Summit.

Sure, you could say that making a Jack Bauer reference for the 24 Hours of PASS event is corny and expected.  But then you’d be right and I’d have to actually use my creative juices.  So we’ll agree on a détente of sorts and just move ahead.

Coming up next month… on May 19 beginning at 12:00 GMT (UTC) and mixed in amongst some SQL Saturday events and the launch of SQL Server 2008 R2… will be this years 24 Hours of PASS event; which will be focusing on features part of the SQL Server 2008 R2 product.

If you haven’t registered to see these, I highly recommend checking them out.  The event starts with Brian Knight and an Introduction to PowerPivot and ends 24 hours later with Brent Ozar and his Blitz! 60 Minute Server Takeover.

Almost time to hit the road… and I’m heading to SQL Saturday 31 in Chicago.  Rumor has it that this weekend will provide an awesome experience.  From the presentations being provided to the karaoke after party – I’m expecting a great time.

If you will be at SQL Saturday 31, please stop by and introduce yourself.  And if it suits your fancy, sit down and listen in on my topics.  I am scheduled for the following topics:

Using XML to Query Execution Plans

SQL Server stores its execution plans as XML in dynamic management views.  The execution plans are a gold mine of information.  From the whether or not the execution plan will rely on parallelism to what columns are requiring a key lookup after a non-clustered index seek.  Through a the use of XML this information can be available at your finger tips to help determine the value and impact of an index and guide you in improving the performance of your SQL Server databases.

Goals:

1. Discuss information available in an execution plan
2. Demonstrate use of XQuery to query execution cache
3. Demonstrate methods to performance tune

Extended Events – Work Smarter, Not Harder

There are many ways to performance monitor your SQL Server environment.  In this session we’ll review Extended Events, which is one of the newer SQL Server monitoring platforms.  Learn the ins and outs of how to get detailed information on the errors and events that occur within SQL Server and how to dig into the information.  With a few T-SQL statements, issues that could take weeks to research can be investigated in minutes.

Goals:

1. Define the architecture for Extended Events
2. Identify scenarios where Extended Event can be used to troubleshoot performance
3. Demonstrate solutions to real-world performance scenarios

I’ll be staying an extra day in Chicago after the conference, so if anyone has ideas on what I should do please leave a comment.  I haven’t been in Chicago since I was 10 or 11 years old so it’s probably changed a bit.  So far I have been told to get a hot dog from a street vendor and check out the piers.  Any other ideas are very welcome.

PASSMN Meeting Next Tuesday

The Minnesota SQL Server User Group (twitter | website) is meeting next week on Tuesday (4/20/2010).  The meeting should be smoking and I’m not meaning the 4-20 kind.  The meeting will start with a Visual Studio 2010 for the SQL Developers.  Next, Fusion IO (twitter | website) will be on of the presenters on SSD and they have an awesome giveaway – A DRIVE VALUED AT $7,000.  If you plan to attend, please, please, please RSVP so that we can order enough food.  We were a little too close last month and too little is always awkward.

It was bound to happen, a launch event for the upcoming release of SQL Server 2008 R2.  This is a great thing because it means we’ll be able to play with the cool new toys in production soon and start getting our client’s upgraded.  I do wonder though if there are talking dolphins in these oceans of data, but that’s a topic for another blog.  If you didn’t read the logo above, the last sentence is probably quite off.

I digress though, so… the event is happening on May 11 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and will be done as a joint event between PASS and Microsoft.  Below are some of the details for the event, but the most important detail is that you need to register here.

AGENDA

Registration
8:00am – 9:00am
Welcome & Introductions
9:00am – 9:15am

Keynote Presentation:

Data Platform Vision & SQL Server 2008 R2 Introduction
9:15am – 10:00 am

SQL Server 2008 R2 Overview:

Trusted & Scalable Platform

Managed Self-Service BI

IT & Developer Efficiency
10:00am – 11:30am

The SSWUG Spring 2010 Virtual Conference is coming up.  On April 7, 8, and 9, attend a conference from the comforts of your living room, office, or couch.  And while you are at it you’ll get to sit on on some incredible presentations, interaction with speakers, chat with other attendees, make new contacts, lots of fun and surprises.

• More than 80 technical sessions
• These are NOT sales presentations.
• Live keynote presentations and interaction
• On-Demand access to sessions for 45 days – miss a session? No problem.
• Chat, Twitter Integration, SKYPE integration for Q&A
• Experience-based learning – find out what you need to know from people that are using the technology every day
• 6-Month SSWUG.ORG Membership (or membership extension), included!
• ALL-ACCESS Pass: SQL Server and Business Intelligence… SharePoint and .NET technologies – all included, one low price
• Great vendor hall – learn about the best tools, technologies, publications and partners out there for your shop
• Learning, learning and more learning

If this sounds as awesome as it is, register for the event here.  Among the presenters will be myself with the following topics:

Using XML to Query Execution Plans

SQL Server stores its execution plans as XML in dynamic management views. The execution plans are a gold mine of information. From the whether or not the execution plan will rely on parallelism to what columns are requiring a key lookup after a non-clustered index seek. Through a the use of XML this information can be available at your finger tips to help determine the value and impact of an index and guide you in improving the performance of your SQL Server databases.

Prerequisites

• Understanding of basic T-SQL coding
• Understanding of basic XQuery statements

Goals:

1. Discuss information available in an execution plan
2. Demonstrate use of XQuery to query execution cache
3. Demonstrate methods to performance tune

Getting To Know Your Indexes

Without proper indexing SQL Server can be hard pressed to create efficient and performant execution plans. Dynamic Management Views (DMV) and system views provide a slew of information about indexes that can be used to analyze indexes within SQL Server. In this session we’ll go under the hood of SQL Server to look at DMVs and system views to know what indexes you have, should have, and how they feel about the way applications are treating them.

Prerequisites

• Understanding of performance tuning needs
• Experience with Database design

Goals:

1. Identify methods to analyze current and potential indexes
2. Learn how to alleviate stress found on indexes
3. Demonstrate methods for tuning indexes

A Function By Any Other Name Is A Function, Right? Right?!?

User defined functions provide a means to encapsulate business logic in the database tier. Often the purpose of the encapsulation is to provide standard method access segments of data within the database. Unfortunately, not all methods of creating user defined functions are equal. In this session we’ll review the types of user defined functions and investigate the performance impact in selecting the different types

Prerequisites

• Understanding of basic T-SQL

Goals:

1. Identify purposes for creating user defined functions
2. Discuss the types of user-defined functions
3. Demonstrate performance impact in selecting different types of functions

Stop in an check it out, there will be a lot of great sessions and great conversation.

I’d like to thank Pam Shaw (twitter as @pamshaw) and Jorge Nunez (twitter as @sqlchicken) for letting me come down to Tampa this past weekend to present at SQL Saturday #32.  Jeez, that picture doesn’t make me look very happy.  For someone like me that tends to forget to take time off, this is a great way to get out and travel and still feel like I’m being a workaholic.

The session I presented was ABCs of CTEs.  Here’s the description of the session:

Common Table Expressions (CTE) aren’t as common as their name implies.  CTEs are often seen as a secret part of the dark art of recursion.  This session will explore CTEs to show how they can be extremely useful in improving performance and legibility of T-SQL code.  And, of course, we will look at their use in returning recursive data.

I put this session together a couple years ago when I realized I was behind the ball in leveraging CTEs into the T-SQL that I was writing.  And after asking around found there was a lot of confusion surrounding their use.  Hopefully, people that sat through the session go something out of it.

I’ve uploaded the slide deck to the SQL Saturday site but for those that just want the information now… here’s the presentation material: 

Figured since I helped write the meeting announcement and newsletter for PASSMN this month that I’d just copy most of the details. Since last month we’ve moved from our old host to a new host, so the RSVP/registration process has changed a bit. Hopefully, there aren’t any hurdles but if so please contact me and I’ll help anyone that needs to get registered.

Location: 8300 Norman Center Drive, 9th Floor, Bloomington, MN  55437
Date: January 19, 2010
Time: 3:00-5:30

Please click here for meeting details and to RSVP.

SQL Azure

Sarita Garg, United Health Group

This session will answer some of the following questions about new state of the art technology  SQL Azure from Microsoft

• What is SQL Azure?
• Why to use it?
• How does it work?
• How the pricing and licensing will work?
• Role of DBAs, Developers with SQL Azure
• Future of SQL Azure

SQL Server 2008 R2

Jin Cho and Lara Rubbelke, Microsoft

Some of the details are still being flushed out on this presentations, but this will be covering the items below with some demos of these features.

• Overview/Highlight of SQL Server 2008 R2 (new features)
• PowerPivot – Excel Add-in, deployment to SharePoint, IT Management

Other News

Live Meeting

• Beginning with the January 2010 meeting, you will now be able to join monthly meetings virtually through Live Meeting. This is a great opportunity to stay connected that has been provided to us by PASS.

PASS Summit 2010

• Registration for PASS Summit 2010 is now open. Register for only $995 until Jan 15. Tap into your 2009 or 2010 training budgets to take advantage of the lowest rate for PASS Summit.