SQL Data Partners Podcast

Moving data with SSIS is a forgone conclusion for most of us -- it is part of SQL Server, it has a interface we are somewhat familiar with, and connects to lots of common data sources like csv, excel, and of course SQL Server. Are our needs changing as our environments become more hybrid -- as we introduce cloud services? Are you still building packages the same way you were 10 years ago? Just as our data sources have grown, the capabilities needed to move data around have increased. This episode, with Jason Horner and Cathrine Wilhelmsen, challenges some of the thoughts around data movement and gives some things to think about as new tools are available to move data around. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/08/29/episode-144-is-ssis-still-relevant. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

We frequently talk about how many DBAs are concerned our job may be phased out in the future. This episode discusses one common career path in going from DBA to Data Warehouse Architect and we talk with Thomas LeBlanc about his transition: his decisions, his path and his advice.  Many companies can’t afford to staff separate individuals as developers, DBAs, analysists and architects, so there are generally opportunities for most of us to learn these technologies. Whether or not you can fully transition into a completely different job, never stop learning and broadening your knowledge base and abilities. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/08/08/episode-143-transitioning-from-dba-to-data-warehouse-architect. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Are you giving yourself a HEAP of trouble by using tables with no clustered indexes?  But it is faster you say . . . because you don't have to worry about the sorting when inserting.  Our guest Rick Lowe suggests everything is fast until you decide to SELECT, UPDATE, or DELETE.  We talk about why you may or may not want to use HEAP tables.  I know I was surprised to get his take on the use of HEAP tables and I think you will be, too. Do you agree with our assessment?  Let us know in the comments on the show notes page. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/07/25/episode-142-do-you-have-a-heap-of-hurting. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

In this episode, we chat with David Maxwell about wait stats, what they are and why we should care about them. There are so many different directions we can go and if you have a specific use case you’d like us to consider, let us know and we can include it in a future episode. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/07/04/episode-141-wait-wait-what. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

They're just numbers, right?  A date's a date.  It's just string data, who cares?  I admit I have posed those questions before and only much later did I understand how complicated it can get. Angela Henry, our guest for today, has heard these same phrases many times before and she chats with us to enlighten us on the issue and ways we can get around it.  Perhaps you have heard about terms like SARGable and implicit conversions. This episode seeks to tie these terms to one of the very first decisions you have to make about your data -- the data types. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/06/20/episode-140-why-data-types-matter. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

"The move to the cloud is inevitable."  Listening to Microsoft marketing and all the MVPs out there, it can certainly seem like we are getting further and further behind each day we aren't use cloud services.  Sure, lift and shift of VM resources are straightforward at this point and they are happening with more frequency; however, this doesn't mean everyone is leveraging cloud services.  How do you go about trying to prepare for the future when the company you work for isn't quite ready to make the leap?  In this episode, we talk with Jim Donahoe about making the transition from our traditional SQL Server environments to using Azure SQL Database.  We discuss some of the basics and some of the challenges you will face as you make the migration. It can be a bit overwhelming to think about all the other services available in Azure.  Lift and shift gets us to the 'cloud', but if we want to start doing the cool stuff, we will have to make our data available to start interfacing with these services.  We know that cloud providers are pushing more hybrid models as not every system is ready for the cloud.  New development initiatives make better candidates for the cloud services and this episode covers the first steps to help you on path to cloud services. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/06/13/episode-139-getting-started-with-sql-server-in-azure. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

I invited our fearless panelists Kevin Feasel and Eugene Meidinger to join me for a podcast discussion.  We couldn't agree on a topic so we'll just call this episode Meeting of the Minds.  You're welcome. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/06/06/episode-138-meeting-of-the-minds. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by Any Other Name would smell as sweet.  We could say the same for analytics -- there are plenty of similar or related words we use to describe the role or process of working with data.  In this episode, we talk with Nicki Tinson about her journey into analytics, how others, like you, might break into the fields, and what has remained the same even when the names change.  I am joined by Kevin Feasel and Eugene Meidinger, so you know we keep the conversation lively. Be sure to check out Nicki's Facebook page if you are interested in making the transition into analytics.  Tell her Carlos sent you. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/05/30/episode-137-you-want-to-work-with-analytics. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Everybody does things a little differently and this is one of the things I LOVE about the podcast--chatting with others about how they get work done.  In this episode I chat with Tom Norman about how he uses Visual Studio for source control, deployments, and keeping his sanity.  We explore the setup process and how we have a reverse 80/20 rule when it comes to importing databases with Visual Studio. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/05/23/episode-136-devops-with-visual-studio. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Normally we have one specific topic we focus on each episode.  This episode is a little different. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/05/16/episode-135-seinfeld-episode/. Have fun on the SQL Trail!