This evening I'll be presenting a brand new session on installing and managing SQL Server 2012 with PowerShell. Here's the abstract: Windows Server 2008 introduced Server Core, the operating system without the Graphical User Interface. SQL Server 2012 is the first version of SQL Server to support Server Core. To gain the maximum efficiency from ...

I'll be presenting at the South East Michigan SQL Server User Group (SEMSSUG) tonight. The session will be Gather SQL Server Performance Data with PowerShell. We all know how important it is to keep a baseline of performance metrics that allow us to know when something is wrong and help us to track it down and fix the problem. We don't always ...

On Monday, Tom LaRock (b/@sqlrockstar) presented his #MemeMonday topic as What #SQLFamily Means To Me. The #sqlfamily hash tag is a relatively new one, but is amazingly appropriate. I've been working with relational databases for almost 20 years, and for most of that time I've been the lone DBA. The only one to set things up, explain how things ...

As Adam Machanic said, Fall is the busy season for speaking, and it will be for me. Here's a brief list of what's coming up: On Saturday, September 17 I'll be in Kalamazoo, Michigan for SQL Saturday #84, where I'll be presenting my Automate Policy-Based Management using PowerShell. The lineup of presenters for this event is amazing and I'll ...

Last fall, and winter, and spring I was part of the PASS Election Review Committee. It was interesting, sometimes fun, sometimes frustrating, but a very rewarding experience. My first PASS conference was in the fall of 2003, and I've attended every one since then. The PASS community, as I've gotten to know it, has been supportive at all times, ...

I'll be presenting at tomorrow's PASS DBA Virtual Chapter. Here's the abstract: How your business applications interact with the corporate database directly can have a dramatic impact on how successful you are, and one of the biggest issues is performance with large databases. By designing the application to use asynchronous messaging for ...

This year the Program Committee decided to open up the selection process to the community. I'm anxious to see how well this is received, since it'll be the people who are actively online and aware of the process who'll influence the sessions that are selected. I've submitted four regular sessions and one pre-conference session for this year's ...

Recently a few people have approached me privately about their careers, and how they can make the changes to allow them to do the kind of work they'd like to do, be it consulting or in a full-time role. (In every case, I was flattered and surprised, as I never felt I had that much insight into career choices.) The most important thing, I told ...

Last July I asked the assembled group at the Ohio North SQL Server Users Group meeting if they'd be interested in putting on a SQL Saturday. Enthusiastically, they said yes! A great group of people came together and met, first monthly, then every other week, and finally every week, taking time from their families to do the things necessary to ...

The voting for sessions for SQL Rally has been going on for a couple of weeks now. This week the Enterprise Database Administration & Deployment sessions are up for voting. I didn't go into politics because I don't feel comfortable telling people that they should vote for me but this is how the sessions are being decided for this ...