SQL Data Partners Podcast

It is not very often the internal codename is used when a product is launched; however, when you think about a database designed with global distribution in mind, CosmosDB makes sense.  I was a bit shocked to hear Microsoft was releasing another database technology in 2017; however, the team leading the charge was very impressive and it looked like it was solving problems other database engines could not.  In this episode, we talk with Sidney Andrews about the Cosmos platform, what we can expect from the product and how it differs from SQL Server.  I think you will find the conversation very interesting. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/05/09/episode-134-cosmosdb. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

While the ability to shrink data files is available in SSMS, the conventional wisdom is don't do it.  I was extremely curious when I read an email from our guest suggesting the opposite.  In this episode we explain the 'real world' and discuss why you might consider shrinking files and the how it will affect you.  Nigel has a great sense of humor and I know you will enjoy today's episode. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/05/02/episode-133-shrinking-files/. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Bang! Pow! Crash!  Besides just awesome fighting techniques, are there things we can learn from superheroes?  My guest, Will Fehringer, gave that very question some thought and came up with some very interesting ideas I thought were worth passing along.  Wonder Woman and the Amazonians give us something to thing about preparing for our ultimate goal.  Drax, from the Guardians of the Galaxy, gives a great example of the Fool's Choice in conversation.  Every good superhero has a value system.  What is your value system and how do you enforce it? One of the biggest challenges to technologies is the Superhero Syndrome.  Sure, it feels safe to save the day, but the danger is we might get to the question Mr. Incredible posed "Can you keep this place in order without me?  Didn't I just save you people?"  The ability to be the superhero all the time is not sustainable, so we won't be able to work alone all the time.  The ability to work in teams and trust the process is becoming a bigger and bigger part of what is determining a great IT resource from everyone else. This episode explores some of these topics and gives some thoughts about how we can apply the lessons super heroes have to battle on a regular basis.  What are your thoughts?  What can you learn from a superhero? The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/04/19/episode-132-what-can-technologists-learn-from-superheroes. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Big Data.  Do you have big data?  What does that even mean?  In this episode I explore some of the concepts of how organizations can manage their data and what questions you might need to ask before you implement the latest and greatest tool.  I am joined by James Serra, Microsoft Cloud Architect, to get his thoughts on implementing cloud solutions, where they can contribute, and why you might not be able to go all cloud.  I am interested to see if more traditional DBAs move toward architecture roles and help their organizations manage the various types of data.  What types of issues are giving you troubles as you adopt a more diverse data ecosystem? The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/04/11/episode-131-big-data-solutions-in-the-cloud. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Heroes in a half shell, PowerShell!  Well, maybe that wasn't the original line, but you know from this program and other places on the internet, PowerShell is all the rage.  In this episode, we wanted to chat about other ways people are using PowerShell and we are happy to have Warren Estes talk with us about some of his experiences.  Warren shares some ways he has used PowerShell to push the easy button and how it lead to a contribution on the Microsoft SSRS toolkit.  We are joined this week by special guest panelist Eugene Meidinger. If you know the source of the original line, let me know on social media! The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/04/04/episode-130-use-case-for-powershell. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Books online state: “There is nothing a graph database can achieve, which cannot be achieved using a relational database.” Why then are we putting graph technology in SQL Server?  To help me answer this question, I invite my friend AZ to chat about the Graph feature in SQL Server 2017 and introduce how graph differs from a relational model.  If you have every tried to implement complicated hierarchies in SQL Server, you know what a pain this can be. I, for one, am hopeful this new feature will allow us to tackle the various relationships even though it may be lacking certain features compared with other graph databases. Are you using graph technology in SQL Server or even another platform?  I would be very interested to getting your thoughts on what you like and what you still find painful. The show notes from today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/03/28/episode-129-graph-databases. Have fun on the SQL Trail.

To Devops or not to Devops, that is the question.  We've talked before about how the developers have all the cool new tools, but this is slowly changing.  For those in development or dare I say agile (gasp!) environments there is more need for automation, but getting there can be a real challenge.  In this episode, we chat with John Morehouse about how he actually put into practice automated deployments for the database, some of his challenges, and how long it took to get there. Are you trying to implement continuous delivery for the database?  Let me know.  I am very interested to hear your experiences. The show notes from today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/03/21/episode-128-database-doing-devops. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

There has been a remarkable shift introduced in the new features of SQL Server--programming languages have been embedded into the database.  This has led to a few "What are you thinking" questions from myself and others.  It also opens new opportunities for those working with SQL Server and in this episode, I chat with Andy Roberts and Chris Hyde and discuss the new features of R and Python--why they are included, how data teams are changing, and what this means for the rest of us.  As someone who does not and has not ever considered themselves a programmer, I don’t try to tackle any of the technical challenges of the language.  We stay safe on the side of ideas, process, with a sprinkle of installation and setup. One of the most compelling ideas from this conversation is the democratizing of data.  Sure, this is not a new concept; however, now with a programming language in the database it will force a thinking realignment for those that traditionally called themselves gatekeepers.  Where CLR couldn’t quite do the trick, I think the introduction of these languages is going to require increased collaboration with teams and force administrators to up their game as they tackle challenges of data distribution and data consumption. I am interested to see what lies ahead and how consumers will use these new features.  We already have some insights into R and while I won’t call it a smashing success—it is certainly useful to those who know how to take advantage of it and those numbers appear to be growing.  With Python, I think we are increasing the breadth of those who can take advantage of analytics in the database, which I think only bodes well for those who enjoy working with SQL Server. What about you?  Is your team trying to implement R or Python?  What new skills have you had to learn because of these changes?  Hit me up on social media. The show notes for today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/03/15/episode-127-developing-in-the-database. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Have you attended a SQLSaturday? They are great events and in this episode we chat with a few organizers about what goes into putting on an event and what they think the future of these events looks like. The show notes from today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/03/08/episode-126-sqlsaturday-edition. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Have you ever found it difficult to explain how something works to a co-worker?  What about reading documentation?  We have all been there before and in this episode we chat with Ray Kim about his thoughts on how we can be better at communicating technically. What is interesting is the number of tools that are now available to help us with communicating ideas; however, we all still struggle with communication. The show notes from today's episode can be found at http://sqldatapartners.com/2018/02/21/episode-125-you-must-be-an-engineer. Have fun on the SQL Trail!