Andy Leonard

SQL in the City Event Dates Announced!

2013-05-18T06:00:00Z

Red Gate rocks. If you didn’t know that already, you know it now. The latest evidence to support this claim is the publication of the schedule for US SQL in the City events. They are: 9 Oct – Pasadena 11 Oct – Atlanta 14 Oct – Charlotte Registration for these events opens 24 May. :{>...(read more)

Announcing the 2013 Biml Workshop 15 Oct 2013 in Charlotte NC!

2013-05-18T04:00:00Z

When : October 15, 2013 8:45 am - 4:45 pm Charlotte, NC Where : Wake Forest University Charlotte Center 200 North College Street Charlotte, NC 28202 What : Business Intelligence Markup Language (Biml) automates your BI patterns and eliminates the manual repetition that consumes most of your time. Come see why BI professionals around the world think Biml is the future of data integration and BI. Registration is just $69. Register before July 15th and receive early bird discount of just $49. Breakfast,...(read more)

Join Matt Masson and I for Developing Extensions for SSIS 22 May at 11:00 AM EDT

2013-05-17T12:44:10Z

Matt Masson and I are co-presenting Developing Extensions for SSIS 22 May 2013 at 11:00 AM EDT. If you’ve never heard Matt present, you are in for a treat. Matt is knowledgeable (he helped build Integration Services 2012!) and entertaining. This is going to be a good one, folks! Abstract Join Matt Masson and Andy Leonard for a discussion and demonstrations on extending SSIS with custom tasks and data flow components. This code heavy session walks you through the creation of a custom SQL Server Integration...(read more)

Performance-Based Management and Andy’s Law

2013-05-10T13:29:00Z

Let’s begin with an assertion: “People are more important than process.” – Andy, circa 2008 Whenever an enterprise or institution adopts a new process or policy, that policy should serve people and not shackle them. The nicest thing that can be said about a policy that binds people is, “It wasn’t well thought out.” It’s a bad idea, in other words. What’s the logical thing to do when we encounter a bad idea? Reverse it, as quickly as possible. Is it a good idea to hang on to the bad idea because (hypothetically)...(read more)

Little Data Remains Important in Healthcare IT

2013-04-30T14:31:24Z

In his article Healthcare's Big Problem With Little Data , author Dan Munro raises salient points about the state of health-related data. Electronic Health Records (EHR) were promoted as the end-all-be-all solution for the industry – a standardization that, I suppose, many thought would organically and naturally occur, stabilize, and be maintained. It hasn’t. At least not yet. My doctor and I speak about this almost each time I visit with him. The corporation that operates his practice nowadays seems...(read more)

Scripting and SSIS - Free Webinar!

2013-04-17T15:51:00Z

Join SQL Server MVP Tim Mitchell ( blog | @Tim_Mitchell ) and I as we demonstrate and discuss the many uses of scripting in SQL Server 2012 Integration Services 8 May 2013 at 11:00 AM EDT! In this demo-packed session, two co-authors of the book SSIS Design Patterns share their experience using the Script Task and Script Component to accomplish difficult transformations and improve data integration performance. Register today! :{>...(read more)

Medical Data Integration with SSIS 2012, Part 2 - 1 May 2013 11:00 AM EDT

2013-04-16T14:27:00Z

Kent Bradshaw and I are pleased to announce another free webinar: Medical Data Integration with SSIS 2012, Part 2 - Providers and Drugs. Register today! The recording of the first part of this series is available here . :{>...(read more)

Presenting at SQL Saturday 189–Costa Rica!

2013-04-09T15:00:00Z

I am honored to present Creating a Custom SSIS Task this Saturday – 13 Apr 2013 – at SQL Saturday 189 – Costa Rica ! Espero que se unan a mí! :{>...(read more)

Free Licenses: Red Gate SQL Source Control for Oracle!

2013-04-05T21:00:00Z

That’s right, I have two free licenses for Red Gate’s SQL Source Control for Oracle that are burning a hole in my virtual pocket! I like Red Gate’s SQL Source Control for SQL Server a lot. At Linchpin People , we are using SQL Source Control for several projects. It. just. works. It’s so cool to be able to store the database schema in the same source control engine as the other code (SSIS or .Net for us). We even use it with the Team Foundation Service which is free for teams of five or fewer users...(read more)

Free Webinar: Medical Data Integration with SSIS 2012!

2013-04-05T15:00:00Z

Kent Bradshaw and I have been loading medical data for years. We worked together at Unisys and Molina Medicaid Solutions to build Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) solutions for state Medicaid administrations in the US. We decided to share some of our experience – some lessons learned, if you will. Beginning Wednesday, 10 Apr, at 11:00 AM EDT, we start a series of presentations on Medical Data Integration using SSIS 2012 . In this series, we will demonstrate: Loading member, provider, and claims...(read more)

Presenting Hacking the SSIS 2012 Catalog to PASS DW/BI VC Tomorrow!

2013-02-21T17:57:00Z

PASS Data Warehouse / Business Intelligence Virtual Chapter Co-Chair Web: http://bi.sqlpass.org | Email: PASSDWBIVC@sqlpass.org | Twitter: @PASSBIVC Friday February 22nd 11am EST(US) Hacking the SSIS 2012 Catalog Speaker: Andy Leonard URL: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usergroups/join?id=H4C3NK&role=attend&pw=7%3Ec%2FM5PwM Integration Services 2012 offers a brand new way to store, log, and execute SSIS packages – the SSIS Catalog. How does the Catalog work? Can it be customized? Can it be...(read more)

BimlScript: Incremental Load Design Pattern

2013-02-06T12:00:00Z

Are you using Biml yet? Why not?! Business Intelligence Markup Language (Biml) speeds and simplifies SSIS development and improves code quality. There's a good reason that sounds like a win/win - it is a win/win! Best of all, BidsHelper supports Biml and it is free. BimlScript.com contains a collection of sample, functional Biml snippets and code that demonstrate all kinds of cool functionality. And again, it is also free. I wrote about Biml in SSIS Design Patterns and deliver a presentation titled...(read more)

New Article at SQLServerCentral: Advanced Logging - Level 12 of the Stairway to Integration Services!

2013-02-06T11:46:00Z

The latest Stairway to Integration Services article - Advanced Logging - Level 12 of the Stairway to Integration Services - is now live at SQLServerCentral.com ! :{>...(read more)

Presenting at the Greenville SC SQL Server Innovators Guild 5 Feb 2013!

2013-01-21T13:00:00Z

I will be unveiling a shiny new presentation – Hacking the SSIS 2012 Catalog – at the SQL Server Innovators Guild in Greenville South Carolina 5 Feb 2013! The location of the meeting is: ECPI, Greenville, SC 1001 Keys Dr Greenville, SC 29615 If you will be in the area that evening and if you read this blog, stop by and introduce yourself. I’m the fat guy with a fu. :{>...(read more)

From Zero To SSIS Training: 4-8 Mar 2013 in Reston Virginia

2013-01-10T16:00:00Z

Want to learn more about SSIS? I can help. In my course - From Zero To SSIS – I teach you how to effectively use SSIS to deliver data integration solutions. This is not a market-y survey of the bells and whistles contained in SSIS. I focus on the tasks data integration and ETL developers will use to produce SSIS packages in the enterprise. How do I know which tasks are used most? I have been using SSIS since the early beta versions. For over two years, I managed a team of ETL developers at...(read more)