Chris Bowen's Blog : SQL Server

New England Data Camp v2.0 / SQL Saturday 34

cbowen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:15:48 GMT

Back in January, the New England SQL Server Users Group and Southern New England SQL Server Users Group combined forces to host New England Data Camp v1.0. It was a solid success, bringing a focus on all things data to a large Code Camp style event.

I’m glad to pass along word that the event is making a return on January 30th!

This time, New England Data Camp v2.0 has joined forces with the SQL Saturday series of events and will be SQL Saturday #34!

Where? When?

      New England Data Camp v2.0 / SQL Saturday #34
      January 30, 2010
      All day (times TBD)
      Microsoft New England
      201 Jones Road, Waltham, MA
      [directions]

Who? What?

Anyone who works with data (yep, that’s a lot of us.) Developers, DBAs, Architects, Business Intelligence pros, etc.

Wondering what kind of content there may be? Nothing’s exact until the Call for Speakers closes, but the schedule from NEDC v1.0 should give an idea.

How?

Register here! (It’s free!)

Opportunities to Help

Like Code Camps, this event is being organized by and supported by volunteers and the community. Why not get involved?

Call for Speakers - All sessions are given by volunteers donating their time and expertise. Everyone is welcome to submit a session, and people new to public speaking are especially encouraged to join in.
Call for Sponsors – This event is made possible through the generosity and support of sponsors. It’s a great opportunity to help the community.

Grant Fritchey - “SQL Saturday #34/New England Data Camp v2.0”
Jim O’Neil - “Data Camp v2.0”
SQL Saturday Blog - “New SQLSaturday’s Announced”

-Chris

SQL Server 2008 Developer Training Kit Now Available

cbowen — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:51:18 GMT

The SQL Server 2008 Developer Training Kit, a useful collection of presentations, demos, and hands-on labs for learning about SQL Server 2008 from a developer’s perspective is now available.

The SQL Server 2008 Developer Training Kit will help you understand how to build web applications which deeply exploit the rich data types, programming models and new development paradigms in SQL Server 2008.

Overview and Benefits
The training kit offers the following benefits:

Learn how to build web applications that exploit the unique features and capabilities of SQL Server 2008.

Provides a comprehensive set of presentations, demos and hands-on labs

Designed for web developers who are already familiar with SQL Server application development.

Easy to download and install and works on free editions of SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008.

Contents
The training kit includes the following content:

Presentations (6)

Filestream

Spatial

T-SQL

Date and Time Types

SQLCLR

Reporting Services

Demos (12)

AdventureWorks Racing All-Up SQL Server 2008 Demo

SQL Server 2008 All-Up Spatial Demo

Spatial Types Demo

Intro to Filestream Demo

SQL CLR Nullable Types Demo

Programming with Filestream Demo

Reporting Services Web Application Integration Demo

Date and Time Support in SQL Server 2008 Demo

T-SQL Table-Valued Parameters Demo

T-SQL Row Constructors Demo

T-SQL Grouping Sets Demo

T-SQL Merge Demo

Hands-on Labs (3)

Using Spatial Data in TSQL

Using Spatial Data in Managed Code

Using SQL CLR in SQL Server 2008

New England Data Camp v1.0 - January 24th

cbowen — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:18:22 GMT

Adam Machanic, with the New England SQL Server Users Group and Southern New England SQL Server Users Group, has been working to create a data-focused event based on the Code Camp concept.

New England Data Camp v1.0 will be on January 24th from 8:15 AM to 5:30 PM at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA.

Registration and Details

From the Data Camp registration page:

It's all about the data! Today's applications are increasing data-dependent and whether you're a developer, DBA, or BI professional, you need to know how to work a variety of data across a range of products. This free, full-day Code Camp-style event will feature three concurrent tracks throughout the day to satisfy any tech professional who is interested in the latest and greatest tips and techniques for working with SQL Server 2005 and 2008, the Microsoft BI toolset, and all of the new .NET data access technologies--including LINQ and the Entity Framework.

Call for Speakers

Interested in helping? Data Camp is made better by multiple perspectives, so please consider giving a session! The Call for Speakers is open and available at:

http://www.thedevcommunity.org/CodeCamps

Here's how to add yourself and a session (excerpted from my Code Camp 10 post):

Sign in to an existing account or create a new one at TheDevCommunity.org site.
Complete a Speaker Registry profile (if you don't already have one.)
Go to the Code Camps home page.
Next to the Data Camp entry, you should see a "Submit a Session" link.
Submit one or more sessions.

I believe it's been a few years since we've had a dedicated data-oriented community event of this scale, so this is a nice thing to see. Whether you're a dev, DBA, or IT pro, this is a solid opportunity for networking and learning.

Registration is now open, so sign up today and I'll see you there!

-Chris

Free SQL Server 2008 Event in Boston on November 12th

cbowen — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:55:10 GMT

Looking for the latest on SQL Server 2008? Join Adam Machanic for a free event on November 12th in Boston where he'll spend the morning (8-12) sharing many details of SQL Server 2008:

Learn more about SQL Server 2008 and the new enhanced capabilities of the product. We’ll be exploring security and database management, how to best manage your data, and what’s new in business intelligence with SQL Server 2008. Don’t miss this half day event that will give you a better understanding of what SQL 2008 has to offer and how you can best put it to use at your company.

Adam is a recognized leader in the SQL Server community, helping with user groups, speaking at conferences, and running an informative blog. This looks to be a worthwhile event!

Register here

-Chris

First Western NY Pro. Assoc. for SQL Server (PASS) Meeting on Sept. 11

cbowen — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:17:34 GMT

Are you working with SQL Server in the western upstate NY? I'm happy to pass (no pun intended) along word that the first meeting of the Western NY PASS (Professional Association for SQL Server) will be on September 11th in Buffalo, with a focus on disaster recovery techniques:

We would like to invite you the 1^st WNY Professional Association for SQL Server (WNY PASS) meeting!

Please RSVP by replying to [events at wnypass dot org] with your name, so we have an accurate count for food.

Topics: Disaster Recovery

Speaker: Jamie Smith
Date: 9/11/2008
Time: 6:00pm – 8:30pm
Location: KnowledgeAir (726 Exchange St, Suite 628 in the Larkin building).
Food: Pizza and Pop (Courtesy of PSI)

Agenda:
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM :: Food and Networking
6:30 PM - 6:45 PM :: Announcements and Introductions
6:45 PM - 7:30 PM :: Presentation Part I
7:30 PM - 7:45 PM :: Food and Networking
7:45 PM - 8:30 PM :: Presentation Part II (if needed) then giveaways

Giveaways: There will be more than what is listed below.

Red Gate - 6 T-Shirts

Culminis – Assorted Swag

It's great to see the rapidly-growing tech community in Buffalo! I hope you'll be able to show your support and attend.

-Chris

New England SQL Server User Group Special Event - 5/8

cbowen — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:55:54 GMT

Adam Machanic sends word that the New England SQL Server User Group is hosting a special event on May 8th at 6:30 in Waltham.

Microsoft's Craig Freedman, on the SQL Server team in Redmond, will be visiting to speak on "Understanding Query Processing and Query Plans in SQL Server":

Have you ever wondered how the SQL Server query processor really works? Or how to read a query plan? Or what the real difference is between a nested loops join and hash join or between a stream aggregate and a hash aggregate? In this talk we will cover how query processing and query execution work in SQL Server. This talk is based on a review of the life cycle of a SQL query and a discussion on how iterators -- the basic building blocks of a query plan -- work, plus an explanation of how to read query plans. We will also dig into some of the most important and most common operators, including scans, seeks, joins, and aggregation.

Note that, unlike other meetings, an RSVP will be required. To get access to RSVP, join the group's mailing list by Tuesday (5/6).

-Chris

Save the Dates - Northeast 2008 Launch Events Announced

cbowen — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:16:59 GMT

We've just announced the schedule for the 2008 Launch Events across the country, following the kickoff event in Los Angeles on February 27th!

These events are a great way to learn about what's new with three major products, Visual Studio 2008, Windows Server 2008, and SQL Server 2008. You'll have a chance to attend sessions, speak with experts, and test drive the software.

Here are the in-person events for the northeast:

~~April 15~~ March 11: Manchester, NH
March 18: Boston, MA
April 17: Hartford, CT
~~March 20~~ May 13: Albany, NY
May 15: Rochester, NY

Registration ~~will be available soon~~ is now available for most events. Details are on the Heroes Happen Here site.

-Chris

[Update 1/11 - Noted registration is open and corrected changed dates (thanks John Ross!)]

VS2008, SQL 2008 and Windows Server 2008 Launch Date Announced

cbowen — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:12:24 GMT

Today (July 10th) at the Worldwide Partner Conference, Kevin Turner announced that Visual Studio 2008, Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 will be launched on February 27th at an event in Los Angeles, followed by a series of launch events around the world.

For details and press coverage see:

-Chris

Technorati tags: Visual Studio, Windows Server, SQL Server

Chris Bowen's Blog : SQL Server

New England Data Camp v2.0 / SQL Saturday 34

Where? When?

Who? What?

How?

Opportunities to Help

Related Posts

SQL Server 2008 Developer Training Kit Now Available

New England Data Camp v1.0 - January 24th

Registration and Details

Call for Speakers

Free SQL Server 2008 Event in Boston on November 12th

First Western NY Pro. Assoc. for SQL Server (PASS) Meeting on Sept. 11

New England SQL Server User Group Special Event - 5/8

Save the Dates - Northeast 2008 Launch Events Announced

VS2008, SQL 2008 and Windows Server 2008 Launch Date Announced