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If you are attending any of these events, please look me up. I will be speaking at all of them.
IndyTechFest
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Indianapolis, IN
http://www.indytechfest.org/
This free event includes over 30 technical sessions and will attract 500 attendees. In fact, if you have not signed up already, it may be too take to attend, as the event is now only taking standby registrations. The event reached its 500 attendee limit in only 6 days after open registration began.
Tulsa TechFest
Thursday, October 9 and Friday, October 10, 2008
Tulsa, OK
http://techfests.com/Tulsa/2008/default.aspx
This free event ($2, or two cans of food, per person, per day, to be donated to the local Community Food Bank) includes over 90 sessions in six different tracks, and is expected to draw about 2,000 attendees. Registration is not yet full, so there is still time to register and attend.
Olympia SQL Saturday
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Olympia, WA
http://www.sqlsaturday.com/eventhome.aspx?eventid=7
This free event includes 12 sessions in two different tracks. Seating is limited, but still currently available.
SQL Server Magazine Connections
November 10-13, 2008
Las Vegas, NV
http://www.sqlconnections.com/shows/FALL2008SQL/default.asp?s=122
This, fee-based, and very popular conference (which also includes these additional conferences: ASP.NET, Visual Studio, SharePoint, Exchange, Unified Communications, and Windows) offers over 250 sessions in multiple tracks. Last year it sold out with 5,000+ people attending (includes all conferences). All SQL Server Magazine Connection attendees will receive one free copy of SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition (with one CAL).
PASS Community Summit
November 18-21, 2008
Seattle, WA
https://www.sqlpass.org/Pages/Default.aspx
While not free, this is the largest SQL Server-only event of the year, with 3,000+ attendees expected to attend. It offers over 130 sessions in four tracks (DBA, App Dev, BI, & Professional Development). Also available are 14, in-depth, pre-conference sessions.
SQLTeach
December 1-5, 2008
Montreal, Quebec
http://www.sqlteach.com/
If you live in Canada, or even if you don't, this fee-based conference (which is also run simultaneously with DevTeach), offers 54 .NET sessions, 34 SQL Server session, 11 Visual Studio session, 17 Agile, 17 Architecture, and 12 SilverLight sessions.
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If you live within driving distance of Indianapolis, IN, I suggest you make plans for attending Indytechfest 2008, this upcoming Saturday, October 4, 2008. This free event includes 30 sessions on .NET, Enterprise Development, SharePoint, Business Intelligence, SQL Server, and more. I'll be presenting twice at the event. Besides myself, come and meet Steve Jones (the webmaster of SQServerCentral.com), Andy Warren (End-to-End Training), Kevin Kline (Former PASS president), and many more. To find out more, visit http://www.indytechfest.org/ Seating is limited, so you need to sign up as soon as you can.
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I have been spending a lot of time learning about SQL Server 2008 this past six months. I have attended conferences, on-line training, read articles and blogs, and have spent a lot of time reading SQL Server 2008 Books Online. When a new feature is discussed, like data compression, backup compression, resource governor, partition table parallelism, policy-based managment, data collector, among others, there is generally no reference as to which SQL Server 2008 edition the feature belongs. This is important to know, because the cool new features you read about in SQL Server 2008 may or may not be available to you, depending on what previous editions of SQL Server you are running on, and intend to run on after upgrading.
For example, I think data compression is a really cool feature of SQL Server 2008, and I could find many uses for it. The problem is that this feature is only available in the SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edtition. If your current servers run a previous version of Enterprise Edition and you upgrade, you are in luck and can use this new feature. But if the previous edition you are running is Standard Edition, and you don't have the budget to upgrade to Enterprise Edition, you are out of luck. In fact, many of the really cool new features in SQL Server 2008 are only available with Enterprise Edition.
Before you get too excited about a new feature in SQL Server 2008, check out the following link. It offers a comparision of the different features offered by each edition of SQL Server 2008. I hope you aren't disappointed by what you see, but I imagine many DBAs will be, as there are many more SQL Servers running Standard Edition that Enterprise Edition.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645993(SQL.100).aspx
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Over the past 13 years that I have been a DBA, I have had the opportunity to meet hundreds of other DBAs through the website I started, at my place(s) of work, at other companies, at user group meetings, and at conferences. I have meet DBAs who are new to the career, others who are experienced SQL Server MVPs, and everything in between. One thing that really has stood out when talking with other DBAs is that there are no sources of information on how to become a DBA. In other words, there are no career guides on how to manage one's own career. After a lot of thinking, I decided to write a book called, How to Become an Exceptional DBA, as a primer for those who wanted to learn more about becoming a DBA. As you can tell by the title of the book, I wrote it with the assumption that if you want to make a career out of being a DBA, that you might as well aim towards becoming an Exceptional DBA, not just an average DBA. Anybody can be average, and you don't need a book to tell you how. It was my hope that the book would get DBAs thinking about their career, and how they can actively manage it, so that they excel in what they do. As most of you know, I am the Director of DBA Education for Red Gate software. Red Gate Software, through their Simple-Talk Publishing group, published the book, and has made it freely available as an e-book. This book is my first attempt at a career guide for DBAs, and as I receive feedback from the book, I intend to continually update it, adding and updating its contents, so that it continues to be the DBA career book of choice for DBAs. If you have time, download and read it. It will only take an hour or two to read, and I bet you will learn something you didn't know that can help you make the most out of your career as a DBA. When I was discussing the book with some of the people who work at Red Gate Software, I mentioned to them that more often than not, Exceptional DBAs are not recognized for all the work they put into their jobs and career. I know many DBAs who are essentially the kingpin of their IT organization's success, but because of the "behind the scenes" type of work most DBAs do, their work is not fully recognized, if at all. This comment struck a note with these same people, and as a result, Red Gate Software has decided to do something about it. Red Gate Software, in cooperation with SQLServerCentral.com, has started what they are calling the "Exceptional DBA Award." Essentially, this will be an annual event where an "Exceptional DBA of the Year" will be selected and recognized. Besides the recognition, the winner will receive some prizes, including a full conference pass for the 2008 PASS Community Summit (November 2008), plus some travel costs. You can find out more about the award at www.ExceptionalDBA.com. So, here is my challenge to you. Are you can Exceptional DBA? If you are, then tell us about yourself and enter the contest. If you are reading this and are not a DBA, but you know of an Exceptional DBA, then nominate that person for the award. Either way, the goal is to help elevate the status of all DBAs. If you have any thoughts on what it is means to be an Exceptional DBA, let me know by writing me at exceptionaldba@red-gate.com.
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Over this past year, I have noticed how popular online video training has become. Video training on virtually any topic can be found, anywhere from free, to nominal cost, and even high dollar. All you have to do is to do an Internet search for the topic of interest, and include "video training" as part of your search phrase. As a SQL Server DBA, I find myself spending a lot of time self-learning. Most of my time is spent reading books and practicing. I have tried some conventional, web-based training, but most of it is boring and forces you into following a particular curriculum, which may or may not meet your needs. In addition, much of it is expensive. On the other hand, I have found video-based training to be less boring (maybe because I am part of the TV generation). In addition, most video-based training allows you to "learn" on your own time schedule, which is a better fit for my tight schedule. As you might imagine, many web sites have begun offering SQL Server video training. One of my personal favorites is www.LearnItFirst.Com. It is run by Scott Whigham, an experienced SQL Server consultant and trainer. He offers a full range of SQL Server training, all the way from DBA and T-SQL basics, to more specific topics, such as SSIS, Analysis Services, and Reporting Services. The cool thing about his training videos is that they are AVI-based, so you can download them and watch them anytime you want, using virtually any device you want to view them on. The web site charges a nominal fee if you want to download and watch all the available videos, but there are lots of free videos you can download. This way, you can give them a try before you decide to spend money on the training. As the Internet continues to develop, and as bandwidth becomes greater and less expensive, I imagine that video-based training will continue to grow and evolve, perhaps becoming the preferred way how most people learn on the Internet.
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If you live in Canada, or nearby Toronto, consider attending SQLTeach and DevTeach this May. I will be presenting three sessions on SQL Server you might want to check out: - DBA 101: Best Practices for New DBAs
- How to Use SQL Server Hints
- Introduction to the SQL Server 2008 Performance Data Collector
Besides my sessions, check out the following features: DevTeach is innovating with its Silverlight 2.0 workshop in Toronto For the first time an independent conference is having a workshop on Building Business Applications with Silverlight 2.0. Join Rod Paddock and Jim Duffy as they give you a head start down the road to developing business-oriented Rich Internet Applications (RIA) with Microsoft Silverlight 2.0. In case you just crawled out from under a rock, Microsoft Silverlight 2.0 is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in positioned to revolutionize the way next generation Rich Internet Applications are developed. Microsoft’s commitment to providing an extensive platform for developers and designers to collaborate on creating the next generation of RIAs is very clear and its name is Silverlight 2.0. In this intensive, full-day workshop, Rod and Jim will share their insight and experience building business applications with Silverlight 2.0 including a review of some of the Internet’s more visible Silverlight web applications. This workshop is happening on Friday May 16 at the Hilton Toronto. http://www.devteach.com/PostConference.aspx#PreSP Party with Palermo, DevTeach Toronto Edition… Jeffrey Palermo (MVP) is hosting Monday May 12th in Toronto is acclaimed ‘’Party with Palermo’’. This is the official social event kicking off DevTeach Toronto. The event is not just for the attendees of Toronto it’s a free event for everyone. It’s a unique chance for the attendees, speakers and locals to meet and talk with a free beer. The event will be held at the Menage club location and you need to RSVP to attend. Get all the details at this link: http://www.partywithpalermo.com/ Bonus session: .NET Rock host a panel May 14th at 18:00 This year the bonus session (Wednesday May 14 at 18:00) will be a panel of speakers debating the Future of .NET. Where is .NET going? How will new development influence .NET and be influenced by .NET? Join Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell from .NET Rocks as they moderate a discussion on the future directions of .NET. The panellists include individuals who have strong visions of the future of software development and the role that .NET can play in that future. Attend this session and bring your questions to get some insight into the potential future of .NET! Panelists are: Ted Neward, Oren Eini ,Scott Bellware http://www.devteach.com/BonusSession.aspx Keynote by Scott Hanselman, Microsoft Scott Hanselman is one of the most prolific, renowned and respected blogger (http://www.hanselman.com) and podcaster (http://www.hanselminutes.com) about technologies. Scott is a hands-on thinker, a renowned speaker and writer. He has written a few books, most recently with Bill Evjen and Devin Rader on Professional ASP.NET. In July 2007, he joined Microsoft as a Senior Program Manager in the Developer Division. In his new role he'll continue to explore and explain a broad portfolio of technologies, both inside and outside Microsoft. He aims to spread the good word about developing software, most often on the Microsoft stack. Before this he was the Chief Architect at Corillian Corporation, now a part of Checkfree, for 6+ years and before that he was a Principal Consultant at STEP Technology for nearly 7 years. http://www.devteach.com/keynote.aspx Bonus session: .NET Rock host a panel May 14th at 18:00 This year the bonus session (Wednesday May 14 at 18:00) will be a panel of speakers debating the Future of .NET. Where is .NET going? How will new development influence .NET and be influenced by .NET? Join Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell from .NET Rocks as they moderate a discussion on the future directions of .NET. The panellists include individuals who have strong visions of the future of software development and the role that .NET can play in that future. Attend this session and bring your questions to get some insight into the potential future of .NET! This bonus session is free for everyone. Panelists are: Ted Neward,Oren Eini ,Scott Bellware
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SQL Server guru Kalen Delaney, with help from http://sqlserverdvd.com, is offering a series of two-hour DVDs on SQL Server Internals. The first of the DVD series, Lesson 1: Architecture and Metadata, is currently available for $29.95 from http://sqlserverdvd.com. If you would like to save a few dollars, you can watch the DVD for only $14.95 online instead of getting a hard copy. In the near future, http://sqlserverdvd.com will be offering additional DVD training, including training from Paul Neilson, the author of the SQL Server Bible series.
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Microsoft recently released the newest cumulative hotfix package for SQL Server 2005 SP2. If you want a copy of it to install it, you must specifically request it from Microsoft. You can not just download it. Find out more at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946608/en-us
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I must be crazy, but I recently decided to install Windows 2008 on the same physical server where I already have Vista Ultimate installed. The reason I did this was that I had an extra 500 GB drive on the server that was not being used, and I thought it would be a good place to install Windows 2008 so I could learn more about it. In addition, it was my goal to run several SQL Server instances in virtual machines in order to have several different SQL Server instances available for experimentation. Wow, I was in for a surprise. It can be done, but it is not explained very well anywhere I could find. Here's what I learned: 1) First, be sure that the drive you have available in install Windows 2008 on has already been setup and formatted from within Vista. In my case, this was drive E. This drive should be recently formatted and empty. 2) Next, you have to go through a convoluted procedure to prepare drive C of your Vista installation so that the Windows 2008 installation process understands that drive C exists. Apparently, Windows 2008 doesn't automatically know that it can use drive C for the initial installation process (temporary files) before the installation actually occurs on drive E. To find out about this process, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928232. 3) Once you have completed the above process, then reboot to Vista then startup the Windows 2008 installation program and following the instructions. Be sure that you specify the empty drive (drive E in my case) where you want to install Windows 2008. Once you are done installing Windows 2008, you can now dual boot between Vista and SQL Server 2008. Have fun!
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I recently visited a large organization, taking a look at how they managed their SQL Servers. I spent most of my time with the production DBAs, but in one short section of the meeting, the production DBA's boss came in for a short visit. In the less than 10 minutes he spent talking to us, it was very apparent he was the boss from Hell. He even made Dilbert's boss look like a good guy. This got me thinking about some of the bosses I have had as a DBA, and then I started thinking about what makes a good boss. Here is what I came up with. - The boss should know how the organization runs, inside and out.
- The boss should know IT technology, inside and out.
- The boss should be very familiar with SQL Server, even though the boss may not be a DBA.
- The boss should be a leader, the kind of person people look up to.
- The boss should be a good manager, knowing how to get the best out of his or her available resources. This would include great project management.
- The boss should treat this staff with respect and professionalism, and help his staff grow in their career development.
The boss I met failed each of the above points, and it was so bad, that anyone who just spent a few minutes with him would agree. I would never be able to work for such a boss. The problem is, that when you start a new job as a DBA, you may or may not be able to speak to your new boss. And if you do, it is often hard to tell much about him or her, unless you run across one like I just met that is so obviously terrible that you can tell virtually immediately. So what can you do? If at all possible, I think it is important that you interview your potential boss before you accept any new DBA position. Often, you can do this at the same time he is interviewing you, or if you aren't interviewed by him, ask if you can speak to him or her before you decide to accept any job offer. Another option is ask his staff what they think of him or her (this may be difficult, but sometimes possible). And last, be sure to do an Internet search on the boss to see if you can find out anything about him or her on the Internet that might give you a clue. In other words, it is very important to check out any future new boss. There is nothing worse than starting a new job and finding out that the boss is a jerk. It causes a lot of unnecessary stress and takes all the fun out of the job. But if you strive to be an Exceptional DBA, then you will need a boss that will support you, so it's worth making the effort to find a great boss. If you do get stuck with a terrible boss, either because you couldn't find out about him or her before accepting the position, or because your old boss was replaced by a new boss after already going to work for an organization, I suggest you begin looking for a new job. I know this is tough for many people, but it can be done. Working for a terrible boss is just not worth it. Period. Let me know what you think.
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I am currently writing a book for Simple-Talk Press on the top 10 new features in SQL Server 2008 that are of the most interest to DBA administrators. As you probably know, there are many more than 10 new features, and picking the top 10 is not an easy task. Below is a list of what I consider are some of the top new features, and I want to know what you think. Take a look at the following list, and then post your comments, letting me know what your top 10 favorites are. I have listed more than 10 below because I still haven't made a final decision on which 10 features to include in the book. - Policy-Based Management
- Performance Data Collection with Performance Studio
- Data Compression
- Resource Governor
- New Data Types
- Transparent Data Encryption
- Database Mirroring
- Auditing
- Change Tracking and Change Data Capture
- LINQ
- Multi-server script execution
- Intellisense
- Extended events
- Integrated Full-Text Search
- Sparse columns
- New index types
- PowerShell integration
If I have not listed your favorite new feature of SQL Server 2008, please let me know what it is.
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If you would like to learn more about SQL Server or .Net development, and at the same time sample some Canadian culture, consider attending the upcoming SQLTeach and concurrent DevTeach in Toronto this upcoming May 12-16, 2008. The conference is divided into two sections. SQLTeach (www.sqlteach.com) is for SQL Server administrators and developers, while DevTeach (www.devteach.com) focuses on .Net. Of course, you can attend sessions from both events if you like. I will be making three presentations this year. They include: - DBA 101: Best Practices for DBAs
- Introduction to the SQL Server 2008 Performance Studio
- How to use SQL Server Hints
I hope to see you there.
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I imagine that my headline above is not very original. But I just can't figure out why so many large software companies provide such bad software and bad support.
Just today, I had another terrible support experience. I recently purchased a Motorola Q Global phone from ATT. On it was a sample of VirsusScan Mobile from McAFee Software. I installed it, but after discovering how much of a resource hog it is, uninstalled it.
The only problem is that after uninstalling it, it was not uninstalled. It was still running. I checked the Remove Programs option, and it no longer showed up on the list. I tired to delete the program files directly, but could not as the application was running. Every time I killed the app, it would automatically reload it before I could delete its files.
So I first went to McAfee website and searched their knowledgebase. No help there.
Then I contacted support via chat. Below is a copy of the transaction, slightly edited. Once you read it, I think you will find it unbelievable. In addition, the entire chat took just over one hour. Great. Once again, big software companies have goofed up and made another customer unhappy, and I have lost another hour of my time.
Chat Transacript with McAfee Support---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you for contacting McAfee Consumer Support. How can I help you?
Shawn Francis: Brad, my name is Shawn and I would be assisting you from here on.
Customer: I have VirusScan Mobile on my Mortorola Q Global Phone. I can't uninstall it. I have gone to remove programs and did install it, but it did not install. There is no longer any listing for the software, but it is still loaded. I have turned off my phone and restarted it. How do I remove it?
Customer: Anybody there?
Shawn Francis: As I understand clearly, you have an issue with uninstalling McAfee, is that correct?
Customer: Yes.
Shawn Francis: May I place you on hold for two minutes while I research this issue?
Customer: Do I have a choice?
Shawn Francis: Thank you for being on hold. I really appreciate your patience.
Customer: Yes
Shawn Francis: Brad, can you help me with the exact model number of your mobile.
Customer: Motorola Q Global
Shawn Francis: Brad, sorry for the delay.
Customer: yes
Shawn Francis: Brad, do you have remove option inside application?
Customer: no
Customer: where might I look
Shawn Francis: It will be inside menu
Customer: I can't see any option
Customer: So what do I do?
Customer: I thought about reinstalling the software and then try to uninstall it again, but I am unable to download it again and try this option. I downloaded it from a link provided on the phone. That link is now gone.
Customer: Are you there.
Customer: Hello
Customer: Hello
Customer: Hello
Customer: Hello
> Shawn Francis is having Internet connectivity problems.
> Shawn Francis has joined the session.
Customer: Hello
Shawn Francis: Sorry Brad, it was technical problem.
Customer: So, what can I do to remove the software?
> Shawn Francis has left the session.
Customer: Hello
Shawn Francis: Brad, so you require the link to download McAfee. Is that correct?
Customer: Yes. If I reload it, and then try to uninstall it, it might work. Just a guess on my part.
Shawn Francis: Right now is McAfee installed on your phone?
Customer: Yes, and I am trying to uninstall it.
Customer: This chat has now taken 52 minutes, and we still haven't gotten anywhere yet. Can you be a little more speedy?
Shawn Francis: From the main menu select start/settings.
Shawn Francis: Select remove programs.
Customer: First, your instructions are wrong. Second, I have tried these steps already, as I said in my very original message.
Customer: Can I speak so someone who has some experience?
Customer: I uninstalled the progam originally, but the program did not unistall. It is no longer in the Remove Program screen.
Customer: I need someone who understands SmartPhones and Mobile 6 who can help me remove the program.
Customer: Hello
Shawn Francis: Brad, actually we don't support this particular model. But we tried our best with the available supporting models, the option are different.
Customer: Yes you do. I found a press release from your company saying they supported it. Is is dated May 2007.
Customer: In addition, the software came with my phone, based on a marketing deal between ATT and McAFee.
Customer: So you do support it.
Customer: Here's the press release:
Customer: SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE), the global leader in Intrusion Prevention and Security Risk Management, today announced the availability of its mobile security solutions for the new Motorola Q(TM). Q users are able to be protected against threats from viruses, trojan horses and other forms of malware with McAfee VirusScan Mobile.
--Press release was abbreviated here to save space--Brad
Customer: Please put me in contact with the right person.
Customer: Hello
Customer: Hello
--Then the case was closed and I was dropped from the chat.--Brad
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