Are you experiencing challenges managing Very Large Databases (VLDBs), or anticipate challenges with future growth? In this episode, we are joined by Aaron Hayes to discuss the practical advice on managing very large databases in SQL Server, focusing on common problem areas we have found, along with our own experiences. Topics include storage layout decisions, unique tuning challenges, HA/DR implications, and database restores, along with the challenges of getting backups, re-indexing and DBCC checks into your maintenance windows. No comparisons here -- we are sure you will enjoy the discussion regardless of your database size. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2019/03/12/episode-163-very-large-databases. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

In this corner, coming in with all its Excel glory we have Power Query! And in this corner we have a new programming language, DAX! Have you ever felt like there is a tug of war going on between these two technologies? In this episode, the team discusses the two technologies, what they do, when -- and perhaps more importantly, WHY might you use them. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2019/02/27/episode-162-power-query-vs-dax. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

How do you migrate 8,000 databases on a single instance in an environment that doesn't tolerate downtime? Today's episode focuses on migration strategy and how our guest Andy Levy faced the challenge of moving all those databases in the time constraints given him by the business. We also talk about some of the strategies Andy employs to administer and monitor all those databases. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2019/02/20/episode-161-migrating-upgrading-8000-databases. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

The traditional model for Power BI is to pay per user, but what if you want to use the reports in your web app and don't know who all the users would be? In this episode the team explores Power BI Embedded -- how it differs from the traditional service, what you need to set it up, and some reasons why you might explore this option over the others. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2019/02/13/episode-160-power-bi-embedded. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

So what happens when you want to use data from two different sources, manipulate it (transform it) and then present the data in Power BI -- and you don't know how to use SSIS? Well, it turns out you can use Power BI dataflows. In this episode we explore the topic of dataflows with our guest, Matthew Roche, and talk about the scenarios and types of folks dataflows was intended for. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2019/02/06/episode-159-power-bi-dataflows. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

For only 10 bucks a month you can start visualizing your data and finally get the dashboard your executives have been waiting for!! What's that? You need to refresh the data--perhaps even multiple times a day? Oh, well it's still $10 a month, but you are also going to install a gateway. What's that you say? Well, in this episode we begin our discussion on Power BI with one of the first components you will need outside of the Power BI Desktop for your users to start interacting with updated data. We discuss what it is, some of the requirements, and our experiences setting one up. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2019/01/23/episode-158-gateways. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

I can still remember working in high school when you had to 'dial in' to the internet and Microsoft bought the rights to the Rolling Stones song 'Start Me Up' for the release of their highly anticipated software Windows 95. It was a complete game changer for me and shaped my professional life with the releases of the Windows Server Operating System. While you could never just wing it, the GUI provided a rich interface and the ability to explore features without having to know all the syntax to execute the functionality. You can image the surprise I felt when Microsoft came out with Windows Core--an operating system with no GUI. While you may not have adopted Windows Core yet, our guest, Frank Henninger, suggests you should reconsider. We chat with him about the benefits, some of the challenges, and how we can better take advantage of using Windows Core. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2019/01/10/episode-157-windows-server-core. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

How well do you connect with others? We generally think pretty good of ourselves and at first glance you may give yourself a pretty high score.  While there is no test you can take to compare your results to mine, the way you connect with others can have a profound influence in the workplace and we are each judged by the people we come in contact with.  Our guest in this episode, Linda Groszyk, talks with us about some of the ways social intelligence can impact us, how we can get better at it and who we can reach out to if we need help. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2019/01/02/episode-156-social-intelligence. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Do you want to be a data scientist? Do you even know what data science is? In this episode, we tackle the idea of being a data scientist and discuss the criteria and what it may take to get the job description of data scientist. So not everyone feels out in the cold, our guest Brad Llewellyn, talks about how this field has developed out of data analysis and how we may have much more in common than differences between us. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/12/12/episode-155-data-science/. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Who hasn't had a deployment go a bit sideways?  For all the talk of DevOps these days, the ability to push out code can still be challenging.  When I heard David Moore, our guest today, talk about the increased confidence they have in pushing out database changes in very short cycles, I was interested.  While we have talked about tSQLt in the past, David's experience of trying to implement test driven development and the results they experienced are worth considering.  While the results can be impressive, the cultural shift required to introduce and use the framework is also a point of discussion in this episode.  I also asked David why the examples we see are so simple that it almost seems pointless to get started. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/11/28/episode-154-test-driven-development. Have fun on the SQL Trail!