Join Me in Prague!

Earlier this week the MCT team here at Microsoft Learning went live with the MCT Summit 2009 web site. There's information about the two currently scheduled summits:

• Prague, Czech Republic - Jan 6, 2009 - Jan 9, 2009
• Redmond, Washington, US - Jan 20, 2009 - Jan 23, 2009

We're also going to be announcing a 3rd Asia-Pacific region event soon, but the dates and location aren't yet finalized.

But the excitement here[1] today is that I will be attending the Prague event. I wasn't sure until today if I would be able to make it to Prague, but everything has come together and I will be there representing Microsoft Learning in my new Quality Architect role.

And for my own personal pleasure, I'm hoping to do a repeat performance of my "SSIS deep dive" session from February's MCT Summit event in Redmond, and present an "Everything you ever wanted to know about SSIS but were afraid your students would ask" technical session in addition to my Microsoft Learning presentations. The Summit schedule is still up in the air, but even if I can't get on the official schedule I will still do the session if I can find a room and an audience.[2] If you're interested, let me know early, ok?

I'll see you there!

[1] "Here" in this case is my office in New York - I'm sure that everyone at Microsoft Learning in Redmond is probably saying "Oh no, not that guy again!" ;-)

[2] This is what happened in Redmond at the 2008 MCT Summit. Everything came together at the last minute, so there was no way to get on the real schedule, but we ended up with a few dozen MCTs who stuck around for almost four hours of SSIS goodness, even though Microsoft was supplying MCTs with free drinks and food on the other side of town, How's that for commitment?

VDUNY Meeting Tonight

Just as a quick reminder, I will be presenting on new features in SQL Server 2008 at the Visual Developers of Upstate New York user group tonight at 6:00 PM in Rochester, New York. If you're in the Rochester area, be sure to attend.

And remember - as an added bonus I will be giving away a set of post-conference DVDs from this year's TechEd conference. This is a set of nine DVDs with all of the breakout sessions and keynotes from both the TechEd Developers and TechEd IT Professionals conferences, with a retail value of $195. It could be yours!

One More Reason to Attend

I've posted a few times already[1] about the SSWUG Business Intelligence vConference that I have been helping to organize. Well, the conference is now less than a month away, and there is more news to share:

We're giving away a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Suite with MSDN Premium to one lucky attendee.

That's right - the big one. This is the ultimate version of Microsoft's MSDN subscription, with a suggested retail price of $10,939. If you're a software developer or BI professional, this package has everything that you need to develop for the Microsoft platform, and then some.

If you'd like a chance to win this MSDN subscription, just register for the SSWUG Business Intelligence vConference. For just $100 you get:

• 30 amazing technical sessions from 10 amazing speakers.
• The ability to watch the sessions either during their multiple scheduled timeslots, or on demand for up to 14 days after the conference is over.
• Online chat and Q&A with the speakers during the scheduled sessions.
• Downloadable slides, transcripts and demo files so you can continue the learning once the session is done.
• And here's the one that blows my mind - a $150 discount on the Fall SQL Connections conference in Las Vegas. So if you're planning to attend the SQL Connections conference, the SSWUG Business Intelligence vConference more than pays for itself.

So what are you waiting for? This vConference is going to be amazing, and we'd love to see you there!

[1] For example:

• BI for the Virtual Guy
• Check Out This Lineup!
• And also a mention in What Happens in BIDS, Stays in BIDS

Waltham Code Camp 10: "Dev InTENsity!"

I just got the announcement today, so I guess I'm behind the times as usual - the 10th Code Camp event is going to be held next month at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA on September 20 and 21.

In case you missed Code Camp 9 in April, this is going to be a free two-day technical conference focusing on Microsoft developer technologies. The last time around there were over six hundred attendees who came from as close as Boston and as from as far as hundreds of miles way, and (if my memory serves me correctly) there were six or seven different tracks going on throughout each day. People presented on topics ranging from .NET to Silverlight to SQL Server Integration Services. (Guess who did the SSIS sessions? ;-)

Sadly, my travel schedule will not allow me to be in Waltham to speak at next month's event, but if you are in the northeast US, it's well worth the trip to come.

For more information, check out Chris Bowen's blog. He's one of the event organizers and he has all of the details, whether you want to attend or present, or both.

Visual Developers of Upstate New York

I apologize for the late notice (I've know for weeks, but have kept forgetting to post) but I will be speaking next Wednesday, August 27th, at the VDUNY user group in Rochester, New York. This user group meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month in the Rochester Microsoft offices, and generally has a great turnout of talented software development processionals.

This month I'll be presenting on some of my favorite new developer-centric features in SQL Server 2008. I realize that this is awfully vague, but that is intentional. I'm planning on going in with a loose agenda and lots of demos, and seeing where the session goes.

And to sweeten the pot a little, I will also be giving away a complete set of nine DVDs with all of the content from the TechEd Developers and IT Professionals conferences in Orlando this June. If you're in the Rochester area, you should plan on attending - it will be a lot of fun.

Check Out This Lineup!

I've posted before about the Business Intelligence Virtual Conference I'm helping to organize. Even though I have not had much to say about this exciting event in the last few weeks, this doesn't mean that I haven't been feverishly busy making sure that the conference will be great. We're still finalizing the session schedule, but we have the speaker list nailed down[1]. Check this out:

• Donald Farmer: Donald is the Principal Program Manager for SQL Server Data Mining at Microsoft and was the Program Manager for SQL Server Integration Services for the SQL Server 2005 RTM release. Donald is always a much sought-after and highly rated speaker, especially when he's talking about his favorite topics like data mining and fish farming.[2]
• Brian Knight: Brian is a SQL Server MVP and the author of multiple books on SQL Server Integration Services. He's presented regularly at major conferences like TechEd and PASS, and is a great speaker all around.
• Ted Malone: Ted is a Visual Studio Team System MVP, but knows more about the Microsoft BI stack than most SQL Server MVPs I know. Ted is also a great speaker who has presented at various conferences on lots of SQL Server related topics.
• Matt Masson: Matt is a developer on the SQL Server Integration Services team at Microsoft, and worked at Cognos before joining Microsoft. As an SSIS insider, Matt has great insight into the inner workings of the product, and will be sharing them during his sessions.
• Sonya McNeal: Sonya is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and consultant who specializes in the Microsoft BI stack. She presented some of the highest rated instructor led labs at the TechEd conference in Orlando this June, and will be bringing her many years of training and presenting experience into play for the virtual conference.
• Scot Reagin: Scot is a SQL Server MVP and a mentor with Solid Quality Mentors with more than 20 years experience in the database and BI field. Scot has presented at many major conferences including TechEd, PASS and SQL Connections.
• Matthew Roche: If you're reading my blog hopefully you have some idea who I am, but just in case, I'm a SQL Server MVP, MCT and experienced BI speaker and consultant. I'm honored to be the conference chair for this conference, and will be doing everything in my power[3] to ensure that this conference sets the bar for BI conferences to come.
• Craig Utley: Craig is a mentor with Solid Quality Mentors, and used to be a Program Manager on the SQLCAT team at Microsoft and is the author of several books. These guys are the best of the best - they're the ones that get called in when no one else can solve the problems. Craig is also a regular presenter who can make even the most complex BI topics easy to understand.
• Erik Veerman: Erik is a SQL Server MVP and a mentor with Solid Quality Mentors who has co-authored several books on SQL Server Integration Services and is responsible for the SSIS ETL best practices in Microsoft's Project REAL. Erik is a regular author and presenter on all facets of the Microsoft BI stack.
• John Welch: John is a SQL Server MVP and is the Chief Architect at Mariner, where he is responsible for the full end-to-end Microsoft BI stack. John is an experienced presenter with deep insight into all of Microsoft's BI products.

What an amazing lineup - I can't adequately express how excited I am to be working with this team. Each speaker will be presenting three sessions (and I'm just as excited about the session list as I am about the speaker list - I can't wait to share it with you) for a total of 30 sessions plus three keynote presentations - one for each day of the conference.

And remember - the entire virtual conference is just $100 for the full three days, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, if you attend the virtual conference you also get a $150 discount off the Dev Connections Fall 2008 Conferences this November in Las Vegas.

How could it get any better than this?

[1] As of this writing, the speaker list on the conference web site isn't complete - we're still waiting on a photo from Matt Masson, but everything else is there.

[2] Don't ask. Trust me. ;-)

[3] And of course, because I listen to Manowar, my power is pretty much limitless.

SQL Connections, Revisited

I just posted about the two breakout sessions I'll be presenting at the Fall SQL Server Connections Conference in Las Vegas. Just in case you're wondering if it's worth it, I want to share with you some attendee comments from my session on SSIS deployment at the Spring SQL Server Connections Conference in Orlando:

• Good presentation skills.
• Great ideas on guidance I can apply immediately.
• Too crowded! Tables?
• Room was way too small.
• Without question, the best session of the conference. If I had learned nothing else, it would have been worth the trip for his alone.
• Great speaker.
• Really tested me on program terms. Presenter was fabulous!
• Good jokes.[1]
• Outstanding!

As you can see, we had an excellent time in Orlando. We were a little crowded - it was standing room only room - but we didn't let that slow us down, and now that the conference organizers understand just what a big draw SSIS can be, we should not run into the same problem in Vegas.

Do you notice anything else about these comments? Everyone had fun. SSIS is such an exciting and interesting topic[2] that people had no choice but to learn a lot. And of course the fall sessions are only going to be better, so plan on being there!

 

[1] I'm not honestly sure what this guy was smoking - this is a comment I've never seen before. ;-)
[2] Well, I think so anyway, and since I'm the one on stage for these sessions my passion will be contagious - if you're there you'll catch it too.

What Happens in BIDS, Stays in BIDS

That's right - it's time to start planning for the Fall 2008 SQL Server Connections Conference in Las Vegas. It's going to be held at the Manadalay Bay Resort and Casino from November 10th through November 13th, and there are lots of excellent sessions scheduled. In fact, I will be delivering two SQL Server Integration Services sessions:

SQL Server Integration Services Development Best Practices
Are you tired of feeling like you’re making the same mistakes over and over again? Would you like to have a roadmap that outlines the pitfalls you’re likely to encounter when building ETL solutions with SSIS? Then this session is for you! You’ll learn how to get the most from the SSIS tools and platform through a set of SSIS development best practices from a battle-scarred database and BI consultant who has survived the rough projects and lived to tell the tale.

SQL Server Integration Services Performance Tuning and Optimization
SSIS packages have many capabilities, from control flow to event handlers to scripting. But the SSIS data flow is where the decisions you make will have the greatest impact on the performance of your packages. In this session, you’ll learn what’s going on under the hood in the SSIS data flow pipeline, and how to take advantage of that knowledge to make your packages perform better. You’ll also learn general tips and tricks to improve SSIS package performance and how to get the most out of your packages.

Sound like fun? Well, it gets even better!

Do you remember the Business Intelligence Virtual Conference I mentioned a few weeks back? I'll post more information about the virtual conference once we get the session schedule finalized, but for now you should know that if you attend the Business Intelligence Virtual Conference - $100 for three days worth of amazing content - you will get a $150 discount for the Fall SQL Server Connections conference.

How cool is that? If you're planning on attending the SQL Server Connections conference (or any of the Dev Connections conferences being held at the same time, because a ticket to one gets you admission to all of them) then we're essentially paying you $50 to attend the Business Intelligence Virtual Conference. That's like $50 better than free, which in my book is pretty darned cool.

So start planning now, and I'll look for you in Las Vegas!

SQL Server Connections Wrap-Up

Wow - what a great show!

Today was the last day of the SQL Server Connections conference in Orlando, Florida. I've been in Orlando since Sunday and am ready to go home, but wow, what a week it's been.

First of all, I've had the opportunity to meet tons of people, including people who have been instrumental in shaping my skills over the years - people like Itzik Ben-Gan and Bob Beauchemin. As you likely know, Itzik is the Godfather of Transact-SQL, and knows more about T-SQL than I will ever forget.[1] Bob was the lead author on one of my favorite SQL Server 2005 development books and is a leading expert in his field. It was awfully exciting.

But I also had a very exciting time during my "SQL Server Integration Services Deployment Best Practices" session as well. My session was scheduled at the same time as sessions by Bob Beauchemin and Kimberly Tripp and Paul Randall. I figured my session would be empty, scheduled on the last day of the conference, and coming up against such well-known heavy hitters. Instead, I presented to a packed room, with people sitting in the aisle and standing against the walls. I guess I'm not the only one who has felt the pain of building a repeatable deployment process for SSIS solutions. ;-) There were lots of great questions during the session, and quite a few people followed up with me afterward. It was a great crowd and an incredible experience for me - I just wish there could have been more time.

With that said, there will definitely more time in June in Orlando for the Microsoft TechEd IT Professionals conference. I'll be delivering two breakout sessions (including an updated and refined version of the session I delivered today - thanks for the great feedback everyone!) on SSIS. If you're going to be at the conference (and you should be) make sure you attend my sessions.

And now, it's time to catch my flight home...

[1] Or something like that.

I Came, I Saw, I Coded

Starting one week from today, April 5th and 6th 2008 is the 9th semi-annual Code Camp at the Microsoft New England District office in Waltham, MA. A code camp is something like a mini-conference, held on a weekend, and it's free.

That's right - it's free.

And why am I blogging about an event that's around 300 miles away from me? Because I'm going to be presenting three sessions on SQL Server Integration Services, that's why! I am scheduled to deliver these three exciting SSIS sessions:

Jumping Into the ETL Deep End with SQL Server Integration Services

If you’re a developer, you often run into situations where you need to get data from point A to point B, and often need to massage it along the way. Odds are you’ve seen the SSIS tools, but like many DBAs and developers you weren’t quite sure where to begin. If this sounds familiar, then this is the session for you. In this session you’ll learn what SSIS can do, how to make it do what it does, and what tools to use to make it work its magic. We’ll look at package development and deployment, and when the session is done you’ll be ready to build and deploy SSIS packages with confidence.

SQL Server Integration Services Development Best Practices

Are you tired of feeling like you’re making the same mistakes over and over again? Would you like to have a roadmap that outlines the pitfalls you’re likely to encounter when building ETL solutions with SSIS? Then this session is for you! In this session you’ll learn how to get the most of the SSIS tools and platform through a set of SSIS development best practices from a battle-scarred database and BI consultant who has survived the rough projects and lived to tell the tale.

SQL Server Integration Services Deployment Best Practices

You've built a set of SSIS packages to populate your data warehouse, and everything works great on your development environment - but what next? SSIS has a great set of tools, but when it comes to preparing for and executing a seamless deployment from development into test and finally into production, it's not always obvious what tools to use or how to best use them. In this session you'll learn how to prepare for and execute a seamless deployment of complex ETL solutions through a repeatable, testable process for both SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008. If you're tired of saying "but it worked on my machine!" then this is one session you can't afford to miss.

And not only am I scheduled to present these three sessions, there are over 60 different sessions on topics ranging from SQL Server to Windows Communication Foundation to SilverLight to Visual Studio to BizTalk. It looks like this will be a fantastic event!

Fantastic for the attendees, anyway. ;-)

Did you notice how I was being especially careful to say "I'm scheduled to present three sessions" instead of "I'm presenting three sessions?" There's a reason for that. The "Jumping Into the ETL Deep End with SQL Server Integration Services" session is scheduled for 10:35 Saturday morning, and there is a decent chance that I will not be able to reach Waltham in time. I'm going to be out on the west coast all next week, and my flight home is scheduled to arrive around midnight Friday night. Since it's a four hour drive to Waltham under ideal circumstances, there's a pretty good chance that I will actually deliver two SSIS sessions and not all three.

But don't let this stop you! There are still around 75 attendee slots still open (out of the available 500) so sign up now if you haven't already. And I'll see you there!

Update: The fantastic organizers of the Code Camp (thanks, Chris and Chris!) have reworked the schedule to accommodate my travel restrictions, so all three sessions should go as planned. Here are the updated times for my three sessions:

Sat 15:25-16:40 - Jumping Into the ETL Deep End with SQL Server Integration Services

Sat 16:50-18:05 - SQL Server Integration Services Development Best Practices

Sun 12:30-13:45 - SQL Server Integration Services Deployment Best Practices

Heroes, Heroes Everywhere

Last week in Los Angeles was just the kick-off of Microsoft"s worldwide "Heroes Happen Here" launch wave. Not only is Microsoft running a lot of major events, they have organized a series of Community Launch Events organized and run by local users groups in cities all round the world.

And next week my local CNY Developers users group is holding its community launch event next Wednesday, March 12th. I will be presenting the SQL Server 2008 content and group leader Andy Beaulieu (who has just returned from the MIX 08 conference in Las Vegas, so he should have lots of news and excitement to share) will be presenting content on Visual Studio 2008.

If you're in the Syracuse area, please plan on attending this event. Not only will you get the best SQL Server 2008 content this side of Redmond, but I will also be giving away a surprise gift to the person who asks the best[1] SQL Server 2008 question.

Also, there is a rumor that our Windows Server 2008 presenter will not be able to make it; if that is the case we'll have even more time to cover the really good stuff: SQL Server 2008.

I'll see you there!

 

[1] You want the gift, at least is you're a geek. But the judging will of which question is best be strictly performed by me. If you can stump me on a SQL 2008 BI question, you'll probably win, but the competition may well be fierce, so be prepared!

Join Me In Orlando for TechEd: IT Professionals

Although you probably can't tell from the state of my blog (I don't think I have posted a truly technical post so far this year) I've been awfully busy lately, and it looks like 2008 is going to only get busier. How do I know this?

I know because I just got email confirmation that I've been accepted to deliver two SQL Server Integration Services sessions at TechEd 2008 US IT Professionals in Orlando this June.









I've been accepted to present these two sessions:

Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services Deployment Best Practices
So you've built a set of SSIS packages to populate your data warehouse, and everything works great on your development environment - but what next? SSIS has a great set of tools, but when it comes to preparing for and executing a seamless deployment from development into test and finally into production, it's not always obvious what tools to use or how to best use them. In this session you'll learn how to prepare for and execute a seamless deployment of complex ETL solutions through a repeatable, testable process for both SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008. If you're tired of saying "but it worked on my machine!" then this is one session you can't afford to miss.

Moving Beyond Package Configurations: An End-to-End Approach for Custom Package Portability
SQL Server Integration Services includes Package Configurations – a powerful mechanism for implementing location independence in SSIS packages, and an integral part of successful SSIS deployments. But package configurations are not adequate to every SSIS deployment scenario, and unfortunately there is no mechanism to extend or customize their behavior – it’s all or nothing. This means that if package configurations don’t give you what you need, you need to build your own replacement from scratch. This session will present a complete end-to-end replacement for package configurations, implemented using the SSIS .NET API. This solution includes not only the core code to implement the configuration functionality but also a set of development and management utilities to ease deployment, testing and validation tasks that “just work” with package configurations but which must be replaced when using a custom solution. We will look at the design criteria that necessitated a move away from the built-in package configurations feature, the code used to implement the solution, focusing on the challenges presented by the SSIS API, and a real-world SSIS solution in which the code and tools presented have been used for large scale production deployments.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Hopefully you'll be able to join me there. I had an amazing time presenting (especially my SSIS sessions!) at the MCT Summit conferences in Berlin and Redmond over the past month or so, and I know that these TechEd sessions will be at least as much fun - probably more.[1] If you're planning on being at the TechEd IT Pro conference, you should definitely make sure that you attend both of these sessions. And if you're not planning on attending - why not? There's no time like the present to start talking to your boss!


[1] And if I can deliver them without getting horribly ill that will be even better. I came home from the Redmond MCT Summit with the worst flu I've had in 10 years or more, and have been laid low for more than a week now. I'm over the worst of it, but I still feel like I've been run over by a truck or two...

MCT Summit Event Follow-Up

I've just returned from a whirlwind trip to Berlin, Germany, where I was presenting at the 2008 MCT Summit conference that Microsoft organized for the worldwide Microsoft Certified Trainer community. Despite the fact that I had a 24-hour day yesterday getting home to New York, and this on the tail of a very active and very fun trip that involved very little sleep[1], I am still feeling incredibly energized - this was a great event!

Why am I so energized?

1. The MCT community itself - I've been an MCT for over 11 years now[2] but I have never been surrounded by so many trainers at once. There were over 400 MCTs at the event, from 58 different countries, and although I didn't get to meet each of them, I did get to speak to them all (more on that later) and it was an absolute adrenaline rush. Besides, I got to meet a lot of European friends I don't get to see very often, and meet new friends as well. I love being an MCT!
2. My scheduled presentations - The three SQL Server 2008 sessions that I delivered were all very well received. I had around 100 people attending my first two sessions and probably 150 in the third and final session, and had an amazing time interacting with each crowd. Keep in mind that everyone attending each of these sessions is used to being up on the stage himself (or herself!) so I wasn't sure quite what to expect, but it was wonderful all around. My final session was targeted at MCTs who do not currently teach SQL Server classes (I don't know if I was trying to scare them off or encourage them - both are probably appropriate) but there were many existing SQL Server trainers in the crowd as well. It was a riot. We covered 75 days worth of SQL Server content in 75 minutes, and had a great time doing it as well.
3. My surprise presentation - I have been working in the evenings[3] for the past week or two on a proof of concept SharePoint portal for the worldwide MCT community so that trainers can have better tools to help support each other in many different ways. I've been doing this work as part of my role on Microsoft's MCT Advisory Council, and had spoken to the conference organizers about getting a few minutes during the keynote address to present the portal to the assembled MCTs both to let them know what we were working on and to elicit critical feedback. Everyone agreed that this was a good idea, but the schedule was planned weeks in advance and no one was sure where my presentation would fit in. So imagine my surprise when Tjeerd Veninga, the person responsible for the Berlin summit, announced that the next speaker, Matthew Roche, was going to demonstrate a new MCT Community Portal web site... I just wish that I could have seen my face. ;-) But how often do you get the chance to address a hall full of 400+ professional trainers and a bunch of senior people from Microsoft? How could I resist? So onto the stage I went, and despite the fact that I had no demo, no slides and nothing but a microphone, it went very well. The amount of positive feedback and support that I received from the assembled masses was nothing short of phenomenal. Over the next day I had dozens of MCTs seek me out to ask how they could help, how they could volunteer, all for the benefit of the community at large.
   Now do you see why I love being an MCT?
4. My family - I love to travel, but I hate being away from home. And now I'm home with my wonderful wife and children. What could be better?
5. My music - I'm brutally jet-lagged, but am forcing myself to get up and stay up in order to re-acclimate to New York time, instead of sleeping all day, which is what my body really wants to do. So I have Manowar cranked up as loud as it will go, filling my home office (and probably the rest of the house) with the most powerful music in the world. It will get me through the day, and then my body will be caught up with the fact that I'm home again.

And remember! The Berlin event was simply the first of five MCT Summits taking place early this year. There are events all over the world (this link will prompt you to log in as an MCT, so if you're not an MCT, you're out of luck here) in the weeks ahead:

• Singapore
• Sydney, Australia
• Redmond, Washington, United States
• Sao Paulo, Brazil

I won't be at all of these events (I have a family and a full-time job, you see) but I will be delivering the same three SQL Server sessions I delivered this week in Berlin. If you're an MCT based in the US, this is going to be a great event that you do not want to miss. I'll see you in Redmond!

[1] Just in case you have yet to learn this lesson yourself, never go out drinking with your Swedish friends the night before you have three technical sessions to present. Trust me.
[2] And yes, I'm still watching the mail every day, Mike! ;-)
[3] This is on top of all of the other work I've been doing in the evenings. Someone needs to invent a longer day... (NSFW: http://www.xkcd.com/320/)

Back to the Glory of Germany!

If you're a Manowar fan, you know the lyrics to the song "Blood of the Kings" by heart:

"Our armies in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
Our brothers in Belgium, Holland and France will not fail
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy
Switzerland, Austria, back to the Glory of Germany"

Well, I don't get to visit all of these other countries right now, but I am off today flying to Berlin Germany to present three SQL Server 2008 sessions at the Microsoft MCT Summit event.[1] This is the premier annual technical conference for Microsoft Certified Trainers, and I feel very honored to be involved. According to the attendance numbers I was given a early in the week, I have around 100 people registered for each of these sessions:

• What's new in SQL Server 2008 for Database Developers
• What's new in SQL Server 2008 for Business Intelligence Developers
• So you want to be a SQL Server MCT? Jumping into the Deep End with SQL Server 2008

That last session is the one that I'm looking forward to the most, and is also the one with the most attendees signed up. I've been training people on SQL Server for over ten years now, and have loved every minute of it. There are so many talented trainers out there who teach Windows admin and Exchange Server and SMS and .NET Development and so on whose lives could be wonderfully enriched by exposure to SQL Server. And I get to help open their eyes to the beauty of SQL. What could be more fun? [2]

Of course, I'm also going to have an audience comprised completely of professional trainers. That's both exciting and slightly disquieting. I hope they're all better students than I am.

And remember - if you can't meet me in Berlin, the North American Summit event is scheduled for the first week in February in Redmond. If you're an MCT, you don't want to miss this!

[1] Believe it or not, this is the first time I've traveled to Germany for business. I've been there three times in the last few years, but each time has been to see Manowar in concert. Traveling to Germany for Microsoft instead will be an interesting change. Quieter. ;-)
[2] Going to a Manowar concert. Yes, that's exactly correct!

Last Night's Deployment Slides Online

I had a great time last night in Rochester at the Visual Developers of Upstate New York users group meeting. I delivered a session on SSIS Deployment, based on requests from the organizer of the users group, who attended my ACM presentation back in October. Deployment is not one of SSIS's strongest points, so I knew we'd have a lot of fun. We had a great turnout and some killer questions, and everyone had a great time.

I've put the slide deck from last night's presentation online - you can get it here.

There's not a lot of "meat" in the slides (this is probably why I was actually able to finish on time, which is pretty much unheard of when I only have 90 minutes to work with) but quite a few people asked for them, so here they are. If you have any questions, comments or criticisms, please be sure to post them here.

Reminder: SSIS Deployment Presentation Tomorrow

In case you've forgotten to add this to your calendar, I am delivering a presentation on SSIS deployment at the Visual Developers of Upstate New York users group meeting tomorrow night. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:00 at the Microsoft offices in Rochester, NY. I've heard from the users group organizers that they have received many more RSVPs than they usually get for presentations this time of the year (it's hard to compete with Santa) so you may want to plan on showing up a little bit early too.

Don't forget - After the presentation there will be plenty of time for Q&A, so be certain to bring your tough SSIS questions!