DBPedias

Your Database Knowledge Community

Andy Lohn

  1. SQLQuill – Link Round Up – May 2012 Edition

    Here’s the links I’ve tweeted in the last month – hope it is useful/entertaining/etc.  (I’ve been trying out ifttt and sending all my tweeted links to instapaper.com, then exporting exporting it from there)

    SQL

    Tools

    News

    Entertainment

    Humor

    Sports

    Sports Humor

    Running/Workouts

    Here’s all the Link Round Ups from 2012

  2. May PASSMN Meeting – Introducing Microsoft’s Big Data Solution

    Sponsor: Emergent Networks

    Date: May 15th, 2012

    Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

    Location: 3601 West 76th Street, Suite 600 Edina, MN  55437  – Note new location!

    Live Meeting:

    Agenda:

    • 4:00-4:15 : Registration / hospitality / networking
    • 4:15-4:30 : Quick Start for Basic Presentations
    • 4:30-5:45 : Introducing Microsoft’s Big Data Solution
    • 5:45-6:00 : Closing comments/prize giveaways

    Presentation:

    Introducing Microsoft’s Big Data Solution

    Lara Rubbelke, Microsoft

    Welcome to the world of Big Data! Hive, Pig, Sqoop, HDFS, MapReduce… Discover how to gain new insight from your data by integrating Hadoop with SQL Server. Join this introduction to fundamental Big Data concepts and terms. Learn how others are leveraging Hadoop and how the Microsoft Big Data Solution fits within the data platform ecosystem.

    Lara Rubbelke (B/T) brings her passion for data solutions to the community as a Principal Program Manager for Microsoft. Her expertise involves Big Data, OLTP and OLAP systems, data management, performance tuning, encryption, ETL, and the Business Intelligence lifecycle. She regularly delivers technical presentations at local, regional and national conferences, user groups and webcasts. Notably, Lara has regularly presented at TechEd, PASS Summit, numerous SQL Server Launches, and delivered MSDN and TechNet webcasts.

  3. Top 10 Technological Time Savers to Keep in Touch

    Social media these days can be a full time job – at least I could easily kill many hours per week in this area.  My job doesn’t allot any time for twitter, blogging, reading blogs, etc.  Therefore if I want to network, read blogs, blog, keep an eye on what’s happening in the SQL world in general, I’ve got to be smart about it, stay organized and make some shortcuts.  Here’s a list of my top 10 time savers to keep my finger on the pulse and interact with the SQL Community.  Note, all of these apps/services are free – at least at the basic level, which works fine for me.

    time

    1. Google Reader – Anytime I’m on a computer, Google Reader is usually up.  Anytime I am browsing the web, I’m looking for feeds.  My three Google Reader tips:
      1. Learn the keyboard shortcuts
      2. Use folders to organize your feeds
      3. If you don’t know how Google Reader works, watch this video, or here’s a slightly deeper explanation.
    2. Google Chrome – every browser has it’s strong and weak points – I’ve learned the ins and outs of Google Chrome and it works for well me.  I know the keyboard shortcuts and I love the fact that the address bar is a built in Google search box with instant results.
    3. Paper.li – This creates a daily paper from the shared links on Twitter.  I try to set aside 5 minutes a day to read up on what’s happened in the last 24 hours.  I’d recommend these two papers:
      1. The PASS MN Paper
      2. The SQLQuill Daily
    4. Tweetdeck – newest version has a better ability to manage columns, list management and I like the chrome app.
    5. ifttt – “Put the internet to work for you” – this site/service is amazingly simple.  It allows you to create custom tasks from things that happen.  Here’s a good explanation of how it works from LifeHacker.com.
    6. Buffer – This site allows you to schedule tweets (and facebook updates), but the really cool thing it provides is the analytics of the links you send via twitter.  I was quite surprised – a few things I thought people loved, nobody clicked on.  A few things I thought was no big deal, tons of people clicked on.
    7. Dropbox – Is a simple, easy to use file synchronization tool.  I install it in the same location on all of my computers for consistency sake.  This also allows me to make bookmarks in chrome to dropbox files, sync my chrome bookmarks and have them work.  It also works well for tasks in ifttt.
    8. Keepass – Password manager – works great, I keep it in my dropbox folder and thus it’s on all my computers.
    9. TrueCrypt – Creates encrypted volumes, which looks just like a file.  Anything in my Dropbox folder that I want extra security on, I mount an encrypted volume in my Dropbox folder and add the files there.  Okay, I know on the surface it doesn’t look like it has much to do with Social Media, but I can use this to secure files for presentations, upcoming blog posts, presentations, etc – plus I also have created drives using truecrypt for data files on my local machine to mimic the drive layout of a server.
    10. Windows Live Writer – My blog editor of choice because it’s fast, free and easy to use.  It’s just like MSWord.  You can also customize it and add plugins to it.

    I hope this has helped – I know they help me all the time.  In fact, I started this post on a different computer, put the notes in my dropbox folder and posted via Live Writer on a different computer.  Hopefully it will at least introduce you to one tool that will help you get organized, be more productive or interact with the SQL Community.

    TimeMindMap

  4. SQLQuill – Link Round Up – March 2012 Edition

    Here’s the links I’ve tweeted in the last month – hope it is useful/entertaining/etc.

    SQL

    Tools

    Entertainment

    Sports Humor

    Sports

    Running/Workouts

  5. March PASSMN Meeting – Choose Your Own Adventure: Performance Tuning

    Meeting Details

    This month’s sponsor:

    Confio_LogoLg_0106

    Please click here for meeting details and to RSVP

    Choose Your Own Adventure: Performance Tuning

    Jason Strate, Digineer and Thomas LaRock, Confio Software

    Life is all about choices, and when it comes to SQL Server it is no different. If you don’t have a methodology for researching questions and resolving issues then you need to get one, and soon. Join Microsoft MVPs Jason Strate from Digineer and Thomas LaRock from Confio Software as they help guide you while YOU make the choices in this interactive performance tuning adventure.

    Jason Strate (B/T), Digineer Inc, is a DBA with over fifteen years of experience. Thomas LaRock (B/T) is a seasoned IT professional with over a decade of technical and management experience.

  6. Support me and Team #SQLPlunge for the Special Olympics

    logo_plunge_bearOn March 3, 2012 I will be jumping into a hole in the ice in Lake Calhoun to raise money for the Special Olympics. One item on my bucket list will be crossed off – I don’t think I want to get good at this, but I do want to try it.

    The big reason we are doing this is to raise money for the Special Olympics, this has always been one of my favorite charities.  I love sports and competing in anything – this organization gives people with disabilities the opportunity to experience the thrill of competition and the fun of learning a skill and working on a craft.

    This is where you come in.  I need your help raising money.  If you wish to donate to the cause, you can do so here.

    Support Me

    Here are the facts about the event:

    Who - Tracy McKibben* (B/T), Jason Strate (B/T), Afroza Ahmed and I make up Team #SQL Plunge

    Here is Team #SQLPlunge’s page

    *denotes team captain

    What – Jumping in a hole in the ice.

    Why – I’m still not sure, Tracy tweeted something about not knowing if he should do it this year, I responded that with these temperatures, this would be an easy year to do it.  The next thing I know…

    Where – Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis

    When – March 3rd, 2012

    Here is more info on the Minneapolis Polar Plunge.

    Other Info – My alma matter participated in an event this year – Gusties Support Special Olympics Minnesota

    GAC_PolarPlunge

    This is just cool – not what we are doing, but just too cool not to share.

  7. Updated – February 2012 PASSMN Meeting – Geographic Visualizations Using Maps in SSRS

    Sponsor

    True Source Logo

    Meeting Details

    Please click here for meeting details and to RSVP

    Geographic Visualizations Using Maps in SSRS

    Brian Larson, Superior Consulting Services

    This session will explore the many and varied uses of the map report item in Reporting Services. From providing geographic analytics to diagramming locations on a warehouse floorplan, the map report item – when combined with SQL Server spatial data types – can be used in a variety of ways to create spatial representations of your data. We may even look at a game or two created using the map report item.

    Brian Larson, as a contract member of the Reporting Services development team, contributed to the original code base. Brian is the Vice President of Technology for Superior Consulting Services. Brian has presented at national conferences and events and is the author of “Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services: 3rd Edition” and “Delivering Business Intelligence with SQL Server 2008: 2nd Edition” both from McGraw-Hill Professional.

  8. SQLQuill – Link Round Up – February 2012 Edition

    Here’s the links I’ve tweeted in the last month – hope it is useful/entertaining/etc.  (I’ve been using buffer, ifttt and instapaper.com to manage my lists).  Here’s last month’s version.  Without further ado – here’s the list:

    SQL

    Time Management/Productivity

    Tools/Tips

    News

    Entertainment

    Humor

    Sports

    Sports Humor

    Running/Workouts

  9. Link Round Up – January 2012 Edition

    Here’s the links I’ve tweeted in the last month – hope it is useful/entertaining/etc.  (I’ve been trying out ifttt and sending all my tweeted links to instapaper.com, then exporting exporting it from there)

    SQL

    Tools

    News

    Entertainment

    Humor

    Sports

    Running/Workouts

  10. January PASSMN Meeting – Writing Better Queries

    Meeting Details

    Please click here for meeting details and to RSVP

    Writing Better Queries

    Joe Webb (B/T), WebbTech Solutions

    Transact-SQL is not a very difficult language to learn. As long as the syntax is correct, it can be quite forgiving. However to truly get the best performance from your SQL Server, careful consideration should be given to the structure and logic of the queries. In this session, we’ll discuss some Transact-SQL tips and tricks that can be employed to help you write better queries, allowing your server to perform better.

    Since its inception, Joe Webb has served as Chief Operating Manager for WebbTech Solutions, a Nashville-based consulting company. He has over 15 years of industry experience and has consulted extensively with companies in the areas of business process analysis and improvements, database design and architecture, software development, and technical training.

    In addition to helping his consulting clients, Joe enjoys writing and speaking at technical conferences. He has spoken at conferences in Europe and the North America and has authored or co-authored four books including “SQL Server MVP Deep Dives, Volume 2”,  “SQL Server MVP Deep Dives”, “The Rational Guide To: SQL Server Notification Services”, and  “The Rational Guide To: IT Consulting”.

    Joe is an eight-time recipient of the prestigious Microsoft MVP Award for demonstrating a willingness to share his expertise with the SQL Server Community.

  1. 1
  2. Next ›
  3. Last »