Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 320-321

Azure Cosmos DB for Developers: From Basics to AI

This workshop is perfect for any developer eager to explore how to integrate Azure Cosmos DB into their applications! We’ll dive into the ins and outs of Azure Cosmos DB, helping you gain a thorough understanding of its architecture, features, and handy tools. We’ll also cover essential concepts like partitioning and data modeling for distributed NoSQL databases, making sure you feel confident in working with this powerful technology.

The workshop will include an in-depth look at all the database services offered by Azure Cosmos DB, with a primary focus on the SQL API. We will utilize the Azure Cosmos DB Emulator as much as possible, so participants may not need an Azure subscription for most of the workshop. Additionally, attendees will learn how to use the Azure Cosmos DB Data Migration Tool to migrate data from various sources into Azure Cosmos DB.

Azure Cosmos DB provides a range of AI capabilities via Azure AI Foundry. In the workshop's concluding section, participants will explore AI features and vector data options available in Azure Cosmos DB.

Participants are welcome to join the workshop with or without their computer, as there will be valuable learning opportunities regardless of whether a computer is used.

Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 340-341

Advanced Data Protection Strategies with SQL Server: A Hands-on Workshop

This workshop equips developers and database professionals with the practical skills needed to implement robust data protection in their SQL Server environments. It creates systems where sensitive information remains secure even from privileged users like database administrators.

Through structured, hands-on exercises, participants will:

Discover and Classify sensitive data using SQL Server's built-in tools—establishing the foundation for a comprehensive security strategy

Implement Column-Level Protection through Dynamic Data Masking and Always Encrypted, including advanced scenarios with secure enclaves that maintain query performance while protecting data confidentiality

Deploy Row-Level Security to enforce granular access controls based on user context, ensuring proper data isolation and visibility

Establish Audit Trails to monitor and track all interactions with classified data, supporting compliance requirements and enabling security incident investigations

Throughout the day, participants will progressively build a secured database and a .NET web application, integrating each security feature into a cohesive solution. By the session's end, attendees will have developed a proof-of-concept that demonstrates enterprise-grade data protection techniques that satisfy security requirements while maintaining application functionality.

Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 342

Deep Dive: Building a framework for orchestration in Azure Data Factory

Finding the balance between cost, efficiency and performance for cloud-based ETL processes can be a tricky proposition, and a good ETL framework will help you get there.

In this all-day session we will take a deep dive into what the components of such a framework may look like in Azure Data Factory, and why orchestration can be a good option if you're trying to minimize cost. We will also do an in-depth review of an actual framework I've developed and use today, which you can use as a starting point for your own efforts.

If you are currently using Azure Data Factory and feel like you're recreating the wheel all the time, or if you're planning to move from SSIS to ADF in the future and would like some ideas on how to create an ETL framework, this will be the perfect training day for you.

Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 343

A Comprehensive Guide to Direct Lake for the Pro Data Modeller

Join us for a workshop designed specifically for Pro Data Modellers. This comprehensive session will guide you through all the critical elements needed to build, tune, and maintain a Direct Lake Model in Microsoft Fabric.

Throughout the workshop, you will delve into essential topics such as: -Understanding the prerequisites for setting up your model. -Exploring the anatomy of Parquet files and their role in data storage. -Mastering transcoding and framing techniques to optimize data processing. -Implementing SQL fallback strategies for enhanced reliability. -Discovering new features and how they can benefit your projects. -Ensuring robust security measures to protect your data. -Fine-tuning performance to achieve optimal efficiency. -Navigating the migration process with ease. -Tackling advanced topics to elevate your modelling skills.

By the end of this workshop, you will have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage a Direct Lake Model, ensuring your projects are both efficient and secure.

Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 348

Introduction to Microsoft Fabric for the Data Professional

Join us for a full day of exploration into Microsoft Fabric, the revolutionary Software as a Service (SaaS) product that’s changing the game in Business Intelligence and Modern Analytics. For the last 3 years, Microsoft has been building this groundbreaking technology, which offers the ability to ingest and link to existing data without duplication. With Azure Synapse Data Engineering, Data Factory, Data Science, Data Warehousing, Realtime Analytics, and Power BI all at your fingertips, the possibilities are endless. In this pre-conference event, we’ll guide you through a full build scenario, showing you how to link existing data, and utilize OneLake. Join us and discover the power of Microsoft Fabric!

Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 320-321

Intro to T-SQL Data Manipulation Language

From early database management systems to modern data platforms like Microsoft Fabric, SQL has withstood the test of time. This language can be powerful in its navigation of data relationships, calculation of detailed or aggregate values, or adjustment of records stored in tables. All of these capabilities fall under the term Data Manipulation Language (DML). This language can enable many data practitioners, from engineers and citizen developers, to harness their data and bend it to their needs.

Suppose you have not had the opportunity to learn SQL DML and would find use for your work. This introductory course to Microsoft's version of SQL, called Transact SQL or T-SQL, is a great place to start. Join this workshop to learn T-SQL DML from the ground up, starting with the SELECT statement and all of its primary clauses.

Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 342

ETL, KQL, and RTI: Harnessing Data in Motion with Microsoft Fabric

Real-time Intelligence in Microsoft Fabric brings us into the next generation of data movement and event-driven architecture. As the arms race of cloud data platforms continues, make sure you know the weapons at your disposal so you and your company are fully equipped for the future - because the future is not far away. While you may be familiar with RTI’s streaming data capabilities, did you know it can be an integral part of your ETL architecture? While you may have heard of KQL, did you know it can do data visualization? While you may have heard of RTI, did you know it can help you monitor your entire data estate?

Join RTI product group members and Microsoft Data Platform MVPs for a full day of learning. Takeaways include:

• Loading a full medallion architecture using RTI components
• Use case by use case breakdown of the components of RTI and how customers are using them today across their data estate
• Data visualization and trend analysis with KQL
• Monitoring your entire data estate using Real-time Intelligence in Microsoft Fabric

Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 343

Data Science Jump Start using Microsoft Fabric

Data scientists can manage data, notebooks, experiments, and models while easily accessing data from across the organization and collaborating with their fellow data professionals using Microsoft Fabric.

In this module, you'll learn how to understand the data science process in Fabric, train models with notebooks in Fabric and track model training metrics with MLflow and experiments.

Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 348

Execution plans explained

You probably have some tricks up your sleeve for dealing with slow queries. Index the columns in the join and where. Rewrite the WHERE clause to enable index usage. Tinker with the join order, or perhaps even break up the query in smaller parts. Those tricks work. Sometimes. Not always. And when they don't, your job suddenly gets frustrating!

Sometimes, you wish you knew WHY a query is slow. So that you can target your changes exactly right, at precisely the root cause of the slowness. And the good news is, there already exists a way to find the root cause of bad performance. You "only" need to learn to work with execution plans

In this full-day workshop, you will learn everything you need. You will learn what execution plans are, and where you can find them. You will learn the basics of how to read execution plans. And you will learn all you need about all of the commonly encountered operators in execution plans: what their function is, how they operate, and what effect that has on performance.

In short: After attending this workshop, you will know how to obtain an execution plan for a slow running query, and you will know how to look at that plan and find the spot where it hurts, so that you know what to do to fix the performance issue.

Regardless of whether you have never seen an execution plan before, or whether you already have experience working with execution plans, this workshop will teach you how to look at an execution plan and then KNOW why your query is slow ... and what you can do to fix that!

Tuesday 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM · Room 340-341

Maximize efficiency in your data-driven projects by leveraging AI and Copilot technologies.

In the Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Fabric study, the composite organization based on data from four companies using Fabric showed an increase in data engineer and data scientist productivity of up to 50%, plus a 15% increase in business analyst productivity.

In this workshop, we will explore the transformative potential of various copilots, AI services within Microsoft Fabric. It covers live demos and hands on experience on Microsoft Fabric Copilots, AI Skills, Fabric integration with AI and GenAI services.

Participants will thoroughly explore the Copilot maturity framework and learn strategies to overcome adoption challenges, enabling customers to maximize the benefits of Copilots.

Tuesday 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM · Room 347

Query Store and Azure SQL Copilot, who is the fairest in the land?

Query store + Azure SQL Copilot, which is the baddest query in my instance.

On-premises or Azure, it doesn't matter, Query Store will help you finding out how your queries are performing.

Get your performance to the next level knowing how to digg into Query Store data. Understand how it works, and how you can use Query Store data to solve performance issues and detect problems before they create a situation.

Do you want to know how to mine Query Store: plans, queries? Learn how to get the best of it in an instance with several databases.

We will also discuss the available options for troubleshooting using Azure SQL Copilot

Based on Microsoft support experience.

Wednesday 8:30 AM - 9:40 AM · Room 342

Copilot in Fabric - AI Data Science Help Tips and Tricks

Copilot and other generative AI features bring new ways to transform and analyze data, generate insights, and create visualizations and reports in Microsoft Fabric and Power BI. Come see how to take advantage of Copilot in Fabric, what it can do and how to make sure it's enabled.

Wednesday 8:30 AM - 9:40 AM · Room 340-341

Microsoft Fabric: Ultimate Data Security for Robust Data Warehousing

This session delves into the advanced security features of Microsoft Fabric, specifically designed for data warehousing. Attendees will learn how to classify and protect sensitive data using sensitivity labels and policies in Microsoft Purview.

The session will cover the implementation of Row-Level Security (RLS) to restrict access at the row level, ensuring users only see data relevant to their roles. Additionally, it will explore Column-Level Security (CLS) to secure specific columns in datasets, providing an extra layer of protection for sensitive information.

Participants will also discover how to use data masking techniques to obfuscate sensitive data, making it unreadable to unauthorized users while maintaining usability for authorized personnel. The session will emphasize aligning data warehousing practices with regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA, leveraging Microsoft Fabric’s compliance tools and features.

Join us to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to secure your data warehouse end-to-end within Microsoft Fabric.

Wednesday 8:30 AM - 9:40 AM · Room 344

Microsoft Fabric: Lessons from Year 1

As of November 2023, Microsoft made the announcement that Microsoft Fabric was Generally Available. In the time since, many organizations jumped into the exciting world of this emerging technology.

Any fabric, technical or not, needs to be well maintained to retain its initial quality and usefulness. In the same way, your approach to implementing Microsoft Fabric could either set yourself up for a successful, long-term implementation, or one that needs a rebuild in 1-2 years.

In this session, I'll walk through features of Fabric that have lived up to the hyped labels and work as prescribed. I'll also provide demos challenges I've faced with the product and how I've worked through them. Finally, I'll recommend routine activities that should be performed on any Fabric environment to keep it nice and clean.

(If this wasn't enough Fabric references and you need more, check out this session for even more puns!)

Wednesday 8:30 AM - 9:40 AM · Room 347

How much SQL do you need to know as developer?

In today’s data-driven world, developers must accurately utilize SQL and database functionalities to provide effective and cost-efficient solutions. This presentation covers key database skills for developers at all levels, focusing on design, querying, and optimization.

The topics are categorized by developer levels (Jr, Sr, Ld). We will begin with fundamental topics, such as using the correct data types, and progress to advanced topics, including vectors and artificial intelligence.

We will utilize SQL Server, one of the most commonly used databases globally. By knowing how to use this well-known server, you automatically qualify for numerous projects. Though many database engines have similar functionalities, they use different terms, so everything learned in this session will apply to other database systems you encounter.

How many new technologies will remain next year is uncertain, but SQL has been essential for decades. Mastering SQL can give you a significant competitive advantage!

Wednesday 8:30 AM - 9:40 AM · Room 348

Infrastructure for Data Professionals: An Introduction

It doesn’t matter if you are a Junior DBA, an accidental DBA or all the way up to a Senior DBA, the infrastructure your SQL Server environment runs on is important. Many among the DBA community came in as developers or perhaps directly into database administration roles it is equally possible that you have been out of the operations world long enough to have fallen out of the loop with what is happening. This session is intended to provide a full stack infrastructure overview so that you can talk shop with your cohorts in operations to resolve issues and maybe even be proactive. We will discuss, in an introductory fashion, hardware, network, storage, virtualization and operating system layers. Additionally, some suggestions as to where to find more information will be provided.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 320-321

Fabric Data Factory: What's New and Roadmap

In this session, you will learn the exciting product innovations and roadmap for Fabric Data Factory. You will learn how Fabric Data Factory provides industry-leading data movement, transformation and orchestration capabilities. You will learn how AI-powered development experiences will enable you to be more productive and effectively build data integration solutions.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 342

Accelerate Intelligent App Development with SQL Database in Microsoft Fabric

Discover the new SQL database in Microsoft Fabric, where seamless setup and an integrated development environment enable you to quickly leverage the power of an AI-driven data platform. Provision and deploy an autonomous database with built-in security in seconds, featuring automatic setup. In this session, we'll delve into the potential of SQL database in Fabric, which combines the enterprise-scale features and capabilities of the Azure SQL Database engine with the autonomous management and ease-of-use advantages of the Microsoft Fabric data estate. We'll uncover core functionalities, best practices, and real-world strategies to integrate your database with other Fabric workloads, creating a tailored, high-impact data stack that empowers your solutions to thrive within the Fabric ecosystem.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 340-341

Generate self-service governance dashboard using Microsoft Fabric and Purview

1. Data Ingestion & Integration Utilize Microsoft Fabric’s OneLake to unify governance data from Purview, M365, and third-party data sources. Implement Synapse Data Engineering to transform governance metadata into structured insights.
2. Governance Metrics & Compliance Monitoring Define key governance KPIs, including: * Data Quality Scores (accuracy, completeness, consistency). * Compliance Status (GDPR, HIPAA, industry-specific regulations). * Data Lineage & Sensitivity Labels (metadata classification). * User Access & Data Usage Trends.
3. Self-Service Dashboard with Purview Integrate Purview with Fabric for real-time metadata visualization. Design interactive dashboards in Power BI with drill-down capabilities for governance teams. Enable role-based access control for different user personas (CIO, Data Stewards, Compliance Officers).

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 343

Indexing Internals for Developers & DBAs

What are the secrets to making your queries run faster? Why does SQL Server use an index for some queries and not for others? What makes a good index? How many indexes should I have? Have you ever asked these questions? When you want to understand an application you look at its core architecture. Underneath the covers SQL Server is just a C++ application. Together we will discuss how the application architecture of SQL Server works, and how to apply this logic to building the best indexes for your queries.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 344

Deep dive into Direct Lake

Join Patrick Leblanc and Phil Seamark for a deeper dive to discover what makes Direct Lake so fast. This session will cover important elements of monitoring and optimizing your Fabric data platform to unlock the full potential of Direct Lake, such as how to interpret Delta Analyzer logs and what to look out for if things slow down.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 347

Deployments aren’t enough – databases deserve a development process

How quickly can you take your database and examine its code? Database-as-code is not a new concept, but all too often we focus only on being able to apply changes to the database instead of having a development process that ensures that we’re making good database changes. A more wholistic development process offers early warnings of antipatterns via code analysis and increases our confidence even on mature databases with deployment “practice runs” and unit tests. In this session we’ll discuss the components of a database development cycle through the lens of Microsoft.Build.Sql projects and what capabilities we should expect to deliver database object updates easily and more reliably.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 348

Getting started with SQL database in Fabric

Microsoft Fabric, the unified data platform, now includes an operational database solution and it is SQL! Come learn all the fundamentals of how this solution is the same and different from other SQL deployment options. We will also show you the value of using SQL in the Fabric ecosystem including developer experiences, automation, monitoring, and integration for AI applications.

Wednesday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 320-321

Building a framework for orchestration in Azure Data Factory

Finding the balance between cost, efficiency and performance for cloud-based ETL processes can be a tricky proposition, and a good ETL framework will help you get there.

In this session we will look at what the components of such a framework may look like in Azure Data Factory, and why orchestration can be a good option if you're trying to minimize cost. We will also walk through an actual framework I've developed and use today, which you can use as a starting point for your own efforts.

If you are currently using Azure Data Factory and feel like you're recreating the wheel all the time, or if you're planning to move from SSIS to ADF in the future and would like some ideas on how to create an ETL framework, this will be the perfect session for you.

Wednesday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 342

Build an end-to-end data solution with Microsoft Fabric

In this session, we will explore how to leverage Microsoft Fabric to create an end-to-end data solution. From leveraging Data Factory for data movement and orchestration, Notebooks to assist with data cleansing and further transformation, along with various engines such as Lakehouse and Power BI to complete the story. We look at how to get your data, get it into a usable form and possibly even reusing that data without having to copy with the end goal of providing reports and visualizations. We'll also look at other benefits where you can leverage the data for a complete solution.

Wednesday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 343

Now Where Did THAT Estimate Come From?

The SQL Server Query Optimizer makes its plan choices based on estimated rowcounts. If those estimates are wrong, the optimizer will very likely produce a poor plan. And there's nothing you can do about it. Or is there? In this session, you will learn exactly where these estimates come from. You will gain intimate knowledge of how statistics are built and maintained and how they are used to estimate row counts. But you will also learn how filters and joins influence those estimates. Though the focus of this session is on understanding the cause of bad estimates, you will also learn ways to fix the problems and get better estimates - and hence, better performing queries.

Wednesday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 344

PowerBI, DirectQuery and SQL Server. It is a good choice?

You will learn best practices, tips and tricks on how to successfully use SQL databases (OnPremise,IaaS, PaaS,SQL Managed Instance) with PowerBI on production environments.

How improve the performance, using for example, Read-Scale, HyperScale or Synapse, partitioning, ColumnStoreIndexes, Indexed views, etc..

How to monitor and diagnostic your database and find out issues with Query Data Store. These learnings are fruit of Microsoft CSS support cases, and customer field engagements.

Wednesday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 347

Learn how to troubleshoot SQL Server like a Microsoft engineer would

How many times have you wished that you could self-diagnose a really strange issue with your SQL Server, that did not seem to be related to typical reasons like missing indexes, query plans, lock blocking, etc.?

• Maybe you are seeing unexplained high CPU usage.
• Maybe you have blocking, but it's on a really strange wait type that you've never seen before and does not show up in your web searches.
• Maybe you are seeing unusually high memory consumption in a memory clerk that you have never heard of?

You get the idea - all of us have had these head-scratching moments. Having the right tools and techniques at your disposal is crucial for diagnosing and resolving these issues efficiently and on time. Join us for an in-depth exploration of SQL Server extended events, wait statistics, call stack information, and debugging symbols. We will demonstrate how to leverage these powerful tools to gain a comprehensive understanding of the root causes behind various issues like the ones described above.

This will not be an introductory or general troubleshooting session. It assumes that you are familiar with the usual tools of the trade and want to know more. In other words, you are asking yourself - "can I do what the Microsoft support engineer would do"?

Through real-world scenarios and hands-on demonstrations, you will learn how to apply these tools effectively to diagnose and resolve SQL Server performance issues. By the end of this session, you will be equipped with a robust toolkit which will help you get a deeper understanding of SQL Server internals. And who knows, you might just be able to skip that support call to Microsoft and be the hero who saved the day!

Wednesday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 348

Transform your business with integrated solutions using SQL database in Microsoft Fabric

The promise of SQL Database in Fabric is that it is simple, autonomous, and optimized for AI - but what does that mean for you and your organization? In this session we will explore how various personas can benefit from a deeply integrated operational database in Fabric. Discover how customers are using SQL Database in Microsoft Fabric today, and how Fabric databases can help you build innovative solutions in the age of AI, faster and easier than ever.

Wednesday 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM · Room 320-321

Everything you need to know about Data Virtualization in Azure SQL Database

Learn everything you need to know about Data Virtualization, OPENROWSET, External tables, parquet, Delta, best practices, how to access external data using Azure SQL Database, export cold data, and create your very own data tiering solution.

Wednesday 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM · Room 342

Fabric houses, when to go for Lakehouse or Warehouse (or both)?

Should you keep your data in the Fabric Lakehouse or the Warehouse? What are the pros and cons? In Fabric, all and any data is kept in the OneLake, and it is processed by one of the Fabric’s data engines. Choosing between Lakehouse and Warehouse (or both) is at the same time a strategic and performance impacting decision. • In this demo oriented session you will learn: o Their distinctions and particular use cases o When they overlap o How to use them together o When not to use one of them (or either)

Wednesday 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM · Room 340-341

Skills to Pay The Bills: Using AI Skills in Fabric

Have you struggled with the wide variety of ways to implement AI in and around your data? Which API to call? Which model to deploy? Where do I go for help? Did you know there are built-in AI skills in Microsoft Fabric that provide a single place for you to utilize AI in and around your Fabric data? Join me for this demo-rich 1-hour session as we learn about what AI skills can do for your data in Microsoft Fabric - and for you!

Wednesday 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM · Room 347

Worst code ever! Reviewing real-world examples that mandated refactoring.

This session looks at SQL Code that couldn't be tuned without a rewrite, working through why it was bad, why the optimizer couldn't deal with it appropriately, and what needed to be done to fix it.

Thursday 8:25 AM - 9:35 AM · Room 345-346

Harness the Power of Microsoft Fabric and Notebooks

Microsoft Fabric gives us a notebook experience unlike any other previous Microsoft product. The power of notebooks is immense. Sure you can use data from your Lakehouse, Data Warehouse, or OneLake but what about PYODBC? Can we connect to a relational database without a Data Pipeline or a Data Flow? Could we just download a file from Kaggle or Github and start using Data Wrangler? Could we use Beautiful Soup to scrape data, load it into a Pandas data frame, and begin working with it? Can we invoke OpenAI models using GPT to glean new insights into our data? Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes. Yes we can, and in this session you will learn how to harness the power of Microsoft Fabric Notebooks.

Thursday 8:30 AM - 9:40 AM · Room 320-321

TSQL Best Practices Through Behavior Analysis

Ever wonder why your query behaves a certain way? Looking at the behavior of your query can lead you down a path to tuning. As with all queries, different servers will behave differently. With all those permutations (CPU, Memory, disk type, etc.) you can easily give up. But with these best practices you learn here, you have a shot at getting more consistent behavior by following them. I will show you what to look for and how to affect the behavior through better TSQL. Join me in a quest to write and tune queries by looking at how they behave.

Thursday 8:30 AM - 9:40 AM · Room 343

Performance and execution plan improvements in SQL Server 2025

SQL Server 2025 was announced in November 2024, and will probably be in preview, or perhaps already released, at the time of this conference. Join execution plan expert Hugo Kornelis as he takes an in-depth look at all the new features that affect query performance and execution plans.

Thursday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 320-321

SQL Server and AI, tomorrow has arrived

Applications in need of modernization and integration with AI usually pick up an AI broker to bridge the gap. Microsoft SQL Server 2025, still in private preview, as announced interesting features to implement this bridge and help developers to get AI results in existing applications faster. In this session will you learn about these features and how they will help infuse AI in current apps.

Thursday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 342

Revolutionizing Data in Motion w/ Real-Time Intelligence in Microsoft Fabric

If you work with data, you're generally dealing with two types of data: data in motion and data at rest. While we have many time-tested solutions for dealing with our data at rest, it hasn't been simple or straightforward to deal with data in motion - yet.

Real-Time Intelligence in Microsoft Fabric opens the door to some truly innovative, low-code approaches to dealing with your data in motion, whether that data is in ETL processes, streaming data, or something else entirely. Join me for this hands-on walkthrough to RTI - what it is, what it isn't, and what it can do for you.

Thursday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 348

10 Free SQL Databases: Your Playground for AI, Advanced Analytics, and Next-Gen Applications!

The Azure SQL free database offer is bigger than ever—now providing 10 free databases per subscription for life! This means unlimited opportunities to build, analyze, and innovate without worrying about costs.

In this session, you'll explore how to:

1. Unlock AI-driven insights by running ML models, anomaly detection, and intelligent recommendations directly in SQL 2.Power real-time analytics by processing and visualizing data streams for predictive forecasting and decision-making 3.Automate workflows and optimize data pipelines with SQL-based automation and event-driven processing 4.Enhance BI reporting and dashboarding with seamless integrations into Power BI and other analytics tools 5.Develop enterprise-grade applications, including AI-powered customer insights, fraud detection, financial forecasting, IoT telemetry, and marketing personalization 6.Set up multi-database environments for development, experimentation, and CI/CD pipelines—all without affecting production

Whether you're a developer, data scientist, or analytics enthusiast, this session will show you how to harness the full power of SQL for AI and analytics—with zero cost and limitless possibilities.

Join us and take your data-driven applications to the next level!

Thursday 12:40 PM - 1:50 PM · Room 320-321

Choosing the Right Data Store--An Overview of Azure Data Platform Choices

There are several different data platform solutions for use within your application. Selecting the right option can make the difference between a well-performing application and a poorly performing one; not to mention the cost aspect of choosing the wrong solution.

In this session we'll look at the options of Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Database Managed Instance, and Cosmos DB to see when these are all going to be the correct option, and when these aren't going to be the right option; both from a price and performance perspective.

Thursday 12:40 PM - 1:50 PM · Room 340-341

Best practices and Guidance when using Microsoft Dataverse

We'll cover best practices when developing solutions using Microsoft Dataverse. We'll cover guidance for API usage, form design, app performance, security, maintenance and more!

Thursday 12:40 PM - 1:50 PM · Room 342

Transform Your Business with Real-Time Intelligence: Microsoft Fabric Meets Dynamics 365

Abstract: Imagine your Dynamics 365 data not just as a record-keeping system, but as a live, actionable resource driving real-time decisions across your organization. In this session, we’ll dive deep into how Microsoft Fabric enhances Dynamics 365 with real-time intelligence, enabling you to unlock new opportunities for operational efficiency and innovation. We’ll start by demonstrating how to implement event sourcing to capture and process changes in Dynamics 365 in a real time fashion way, integrating into Microsoft Fabric’s powerful analytics and data integration capabilities. Using real client success stories, you’ll see how these patterns enable instant updates, real-time reporting, and proactive decision-making. You’ll also experience live demos showcasing the full lifecycle of real-time data integration—from capturing events in Dynamics 365 and transforming them in Fabric pipelines, to visualizing actionable insights in Power BI and bringing them back into Dataverse to empower your teams.

In this session you will learn how event sourcing and modern integration patterns bring data to life, through real client success stories and live demos.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to set up real-time data pipelines between Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Fabric.
• Practical event-sourcing patterns for building seamless, scalable integrations.
• Techniques to surface actionable insights back into Dynamics 365 and Dataverse to empower decision-making.
• Best practices for operationalizing real-time intelligence with minimal disruption to your existing architecture.

Why Attend:

You’ll leave this session with a step-by-step understanding of how to create real-time intelligence solutions, backed by practical examples and real-world use cases. Whether you're a data professional, architect, or Dynamics 365 expert, this session will give you actionable tools and insights to take back to your organization.

Post-Session Outcomes:

• Start building your first real-time integration using Microsoft Fabric and Dynamics 365.
• Access resources, templates, and best practices shared during the session to accelerate your implementation.
• Connect with like-minded professionals to collaborate and share ideas.

Call to Action:

Don’t just learn—act! After the session, you’ll be encouraged to apply what you’ve seen, with resources and next steps to kickstart your real-time intelligence journey. Let’s turn your data into a strategic advantage!

Thursday 12:40 PM - 1:50 PM · Room 343

A Query Runs Through It: An Introduction to the SQL Server Engine

Have you ever wondered what happens inside SQL Server when you execute that query you wrote? This session will serve as an introduction to what is going on under the hood, commonly called SQL Server Internals. Whether writing queries or tuning them, SQL Server internals knowledge is highly valuable in Azure VMs or SQL DB, AWS, GCP, and on-premises as the SQL Server engine is the same. Together we will dip into why data types matter, ponder pages, sample the storage engine, and ponder the query processor as we see what happens when your query runs.

Thursday 12:40 PM - 1:50 PM · Room 344

Power BI Storage Modes: The Ultimate Showdown

Power BI offers three different storage modes for data: Direct Query, Import and Direct Lake. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the scenario and the requirements. But which one is the best overall? How do they compare in terms of performance, scalability, flexibility and ease of use?

In this session, we will put the three storage modes to the test in a series of challenges inspired by the Olympic Pentathlon. We will use real-world data sets and scenarios to measure how each storage mode handles different aspects of data analysis and visualization. We will also share some best practices and tips on how to choose the right storage mode for your project.

By the end of this session, you will have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each storage mode, and you will be able to decide which one deserves the gold medal in your Power BI dashboard.

Thursday 12:40 PM - 1:50 PM · Room 347

Unleash the Power of SQL Database in Fabric: Innovate Without Limits Using the Free Trial

Curious about SQL Database in Fabric but unsure where to start? This session is your gateway to limitless innovation—completely free. Discover how to leverage the Fabric free trial to explore serverless computing, real-time analytics, and AI-powered insights—all without cost or commitment.

We’ll walk you through hands-on scenarios, best practices, and real-world workflows that showcase the full potential of SQL Database in Fabric. Learn how to automate processes, optimize performance, and seamlessly integrate SQL with other Fabric components to drive efficiency and scale effortlessly.

Whether you're a developer, data engineer, or tech innovator, this session will give you the tools to experiment, build, and unlock new capabilities—risk-free. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your data solutions and bring your ideas to life with zero barriers, zero cost, and endless possibilities.

Thursday 12:40 PM - 1:50 PM · Room 348

Azure SQL DB Hyperscale: The Definitive Modern Database Choice​

Join us at DataCon to explore the Azure SQL Database Hyperscale. We'll discuss its architecture and use cases, highlighting benefits like larger database sizes, faster throughput, and continuous priming. Learn how these advancements boost scalability, speed, and reliability in data management. Stay ahead with the cutting-edge features of Azure SQL Database Hyperscale. We'll dive into real-world use cases and innovations that demonstrate the power of Azure SQL in driving the next generation of databases. Discover how organizations are leveraging Hyperscale for mission-critical applications, and how vector support enhances performance for complex queries and AI workloads. Experience firsthand the transformative impact of Azure SQL Database in various industries and understand why it is the preferred choice for modern data solutions.

Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 320-321

Handling Big Data with Power BI

When you started working in Power BI you only had a few million rows or data or the data latency requirements were non-existent. Now all of that has change, the data volume is billions of rows and/or data latency must be less than 5 seconds. How do you manage these challenges with Power BI. Join this demo-heavy session where we will explain and demonstrate how.

Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 342

Data Processing Architecture: Key Design Principles & Considerations

In the era of big data, the design of data processing architecture is crucial for efficient data management and analysis. This presentation explores the fundamental principles and considerations essential for constructing robust data processing systems. Key design principles such as scalability, reliability, security, and flexibility are examined in detail.

The architecture's ability to handle varying data flows, ensure data integrity, and maintain security across multiple stages is emphasized. Additionally, the presentation discusses various architectural patterns, including data warehouses, data lakes, and data flow pipelines, highlighting their respective use cases and benefits.

Furthermore, the presentation contrasts traditional data processing architecture with the emerging concept of data mesh. While traditional architectures focus on centralized data processing and transformation, data mesh advocates for a decentralized approach, promoting domain-oriented data ownership and self-serve data infrastructure.

This comparison underscores the shift from monolithic data management to a more flexible and scalable architecture, addressing the diverse needs of modern data-driven organizations.

By adhering to these principles and considerations, data engineers can create systems that not only meet current data processing needs but are also adaptable to future technological advancements and data requirements.

Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 340-341

Working with OAuth 2.0 APIs in Azure Data Factory

Working with APIs can be tricky, and even more so when it's an OAuth 2.0 API. Add to that an ETL platform and automation, and you now have a perfect storm that's pretty difficult to navigate.

This session is about my journey with OAuth 2.0 APIs while trying to extract my own financial data, how I struggled with the authorization flow and how it finally started making sense.

We'll talk about what an OAuth 2.0 API is, and why they are so difficult to deal with when your tool of choice is an automated ETL platform. After that we'll take a closer look at the steps to develop an ADF pipeline that extracts data from an OAuth 2.0 API, and review some tools that can help you throughout the development process.

Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 343

Migration Mystery Solved: Moving SSRS and SSAS to Power BI

Management has come to you and said that now is time to migrate your SSRS and SSAS assets to Power BI. Now you’re wondering about things like: where do I start? Is there planning that can be done to de-risk the migration? Are there tools that could help me with migration? Good News! There are places to start, there is planning that can be done, and yes, there are tools that can help with migrations. We will also discuss P SKU to F SKU migration as a lot of customers are facing that challenge now as well.

During this session we are going to guide you through the migration process by covering: • Assessing your current environment • Planning your migration strategy • Selecting the right tools • Executing the migration in phases • Validating and optimizing the migration and its processes

Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 347

Unified DevOps for Microsoft Fabric, Azure SQL, and SQL Server with next-gen SQL projects

With Microsoft.Build.Sql SDK-style SQL projects, your database objects are stored as code for seamless development in Microsoft Fabric and client tools like VS Code and Visual Studio, but the advantages don’t stop there. The modernized SQL projects format backs Fabric’s git integration and deployment pipelines for Data Warehouse and SQL database, providing interoperability with extended CI/CD capabilities and your existing DevOps investments for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and Synapse Data Warehouse. SQL project’s code analysis and other build-time tests validate database code quality and correctness during continuous integration of code changes. With SQL projects delivering database object updates is easier and more reliable whether you're managing one database or a fleet of databases because the deployment plan is dynamically calculated through the SqlPackage CLI. In this session we’ll learn how to leverage the Fabric experiences for database DevOps in addition to the depth of capabilities from SQL projects such that we can efficiently develop and deploy database changes with source control integration, all with the tools you love.

Thursday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 320-321

Rethinking Databases: Blockchain for Security, Trust, and Transparency

In an era where data breaches, fraud, and lack of transparency plague traditional databases, blockchain emerges as a revolutionary solution for secure and trusted data management. This session explores how blockchain technology is transforming the way we store, access, and verify data—eliminating single points of failure, enhancing security, and ensuring transparency like never before.

I'll dive into the core principles of blockchain that make it a superior alternative to traditional databases, from immutability and cryptographic security to decentralized trust mechanisms. Attendees will gain insights into real-world applications across industries such as finance, healthcare, and supply chain, showcasing how blockchain is redefining data integrity and ownership.

Whether you’re a developer, business leader, or tech enthusiast, this session will equip you with the knowledge to understand why blockchain is the future of secure and transparent databases—and how your organization can leverage it for a more trusted digital ecosystem.

Thursday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 342

Indexing for Performance

What does the optimizer actually do with an index, what do the index structures look like, and what can e do to optimize index performance? This session covers index internals and optimizer limitations

Thursday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 343

SQL Server 2025: The Enterprise AI ready database

Come learn about the latest information for SQL Server 2025, now in preview. You will learn how to bring AI to your data with AI applications using built-in vector capabilities ground to cloud. In addition, you will learn about new enhancements for developers including JSON, RegEx, REST API, GraphQL, Change Streaming. You will also learn about all the new engine features for security, performance, and availability. You will also see how to integrate your SQL Server 2025 experience using the new SSMS21 and SSMS Copilot.

Thursday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 344

SSMS 21 Spotlight: What's new and why it matters

With the Preview 1 release of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 21 in November, the SQL Tools team made available the biggest set of updates to SSMS in recent memory, including numerous requests that customers have been waiting to see...for years in some cases.

In this session we'll show off what's new in SSMS 21, what's in progress, and what we have planned for SQL 2025. We'll start by walking through installation and jump to the first step for each launch - connecting. You'll want to connect to a database using our new connection dialog - we'll take a tour through the experience and take feedback (we're always listening :) We'll also cover updates you'll find throughout SSMS such as changes to Azure authentication, and improvements in the query editor and results grid. Folks have been excited about support for Git in SSMS, so we'll show you how to get started. If Git is new to you, it may seem daunting. Don't worry, if we can figure it out, so can you!

Expect lots of demos, as many tips, tricks, and updates as we can fit in.

Thursday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 348

Introduction to Version Control, GIT, and Power BI Developer mode

This session will guide you through the basics of version control, ensuring you understand its significance for efficient Power BI project management. We will introduce you to GIT, a widely used version control system, without delving into intricate code or overly technical jargon. In just one hour, you will gain a genuine grasp of how it all works.

Key Topics Covered:

• Demystifying Version Control: We'll explain version control in plain language, emphasizing why it's pivotal for successful Power BI projects.

• An Introduction to GIT: Get a straightforward overview of GIT, without getting bogged down in technical details. Discover why it's so popular and beneficial.

• The Power of Power BI Developer Mode: Understand how the new Power BI Developer Mode simplifies development and collaboration, without diving into intricate coding.

• Version Control in Power BI: Not all users need GIT, so understand the options for all projects and different methods available.

• Practical Tips for Success: We'll share practical insights and straightforward tips for effectively using version control in Power BI.

Suitable for any data analyst, a Power BI developer, BI enthusiast, or anyone looking to understand enterprise features.

Friday 9:00 AM - 10:10 AM · Room 340-341

The Power of Semantic Layers: Ensuring Reliable and Governed BI

Developers often create excellent reports, only to be asked for data exports to Excel.

Ultimately, users want only one thing: easy access to data that helps them do their job. While Power BI reports and dashboards are powerful, they can't answer every question. Users may need to create their own reports, build Excel pivots, or extract data for other processes. These needs must be met securely and consistently, avoiding governance bypass, duplicated calculations, or compromised security.

Enter the Semantic Layer. The semantic layer connects Power BI and Microsoft Fabric back-end systems to end users, offering secure, governed, and user-friendly data access. Certified semantic models means that the content meets the organisation's quality standards and can be regarded as reliable, authoritative, and ready for use across the organisation.

This session will cover:

1. What is a Semantic Model? Define the semantic layer, its components, and its role in self-service BI.

2. The Certification Process Explore the structured, repeatable steps required to certify semantic models. This introduces the certification process map and checklist - a list of best practices a model requires to pass to be certified.

3. Deep dive into the Certification Checklist Learn some common best practices, optimization tips, security considerations, and practical advice for building robust semantic models.

Who Should Attend?

This session is for Data Analysts, Data Engineers, and BI Developers aiming to upgrade models to meet enterprise business and self service needs.

Led by Steve Campbell, a Microsoft MVP and co-owner of a Microsoft data consultancy. Steve previously led data analytics for large-scale EMEA platform implementations.

Key Takeaways

• Understand the Role of Semantic Models.
• Learn the Certification Process and a repeatable framework for ensuring your models meet organisational standards.
• Take away practical tips for optimisation, security, and best practices.

Friday 9:00 AM - 10:10 AM · Room 343

Approximate functions: How do they work?

Sometimes, a close approximation is good enough. And sometimes, a close approximation is a lot faster. Microsoft has introduced “Approximate Query Processing” (the APPROX_COUNT_DISTINCT and APPROX_PERCENTILE functions) to give you exactly that benefit when you don't need exact answers.

But do you have a good response when you propose to use this function and your manager asks you to explain how they work first? Or is your only option to claim "black magic by smart Microsoft engineers"?

The algorithms used are not a secret. HyperLogLog and KLL Sketch. And now you most likely know exactly as much as you already knew before. And when you google for those terms ... you end up with a headache.

Time to join me for a session where I explain the black magic in the simplest possible terms, so that you can then explain it to your manager!

Friday 9:00 AM - 10:10 AM · Room 344

Supercharge your analytics with Microsoft Fabric Real Time Intelligence

For many years, data has been primarily batch loaded from sources on fixed schedules, resulting in operational challenges, outdated data, and delayed insights. The introduction of Lambda architecture aimed to mitigate these issues by accelerating some data processing. Now, with Microsoft Real Time Intelligence, we can easily enhance analytics architecture to easily integrate "hot-path" approaches to make data available faster. In this instructional session, we will explore how to integrate event sourcing and other microservices patterns to achieve real-time data integration using Microsoft Fabric. Attendees will learn practical techniques and best practices for implementing these patterns to ensure seamless and efficient data flow.

Friday 9:00 AM - 10:10 AM · Room 348

Mastering Elastic Database Pools: Best Practices and Troubleshooting from Microsoft Support

Join us for an in-depth exploration of Elastic Database Pools, the game-changing technology that empowers developers and DBAs to efficiently manage and scale their databases. In this session, we'll delve into best practices and strategies for leveraging Elastic Database Pools to optimize your workload management and improve performance. Drawing from real-world support cases at Microsoft, we'll demonstrate the significant impact and benefits of using Elastic Database Pools in various scenarios. Our talk will also cover essential troubleshooting techniques to identify and resolve incidents effectively. Plus, don't miss our live demos showcasing practical examples and code in multiple programming languages. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a DBA looking to enhance your toolkit, this session is tailored for you! Gain valuable insights, practical tips.

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 320-321

Make your solution sparkle with the medallion architecture

As a data engineer you spend a lot of time transforming data into data models that in turn will be used to provide insights to your organization. As the lines between the technical and business roles become more and more blurred it is even more important to establish a solid data architecture.

In this session we will demystify the medallion architecture and its different layers. We will showcase how you can use it in your solutions like Azure Databricks or Microsoft Fabric as well as digging into the benefits of using a non-technical approach when collaboration between different data roles increases even more.

If you are a data engineer, a data analyst, a business analyst or a business representative consuming analytical data, this session is for you. You will by the end of this session identify how your data flows through the layers of the medallion architecture and what data to use for different use cases.

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 340-341

Securing Azure PaaS Network Communications

Many companies use one or more Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings when working with Microsoft Azure. However, these companies don't want to allow the network traffic to these PaaS services to go over the public Internet. In this session, we will learn more about why companies want to secure this network traffic and, more importantly, how to secure this traffic and what application changes need to be made to use these private connections.

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 343

Performance tuning for Azure Cosmos DB

Azure Cosmos DB is a fully managed database service, freeing developers from database management tasks. However, as a developer, you still have important responsibilities, such as changing indexing policies, configuring connections, estimating workloads, and selecting the right throughput options. All of these tasks have a direct impact on the performance and cost of your application. To keep your application running smoothly and fast, we'll explore the .NET/SDK settings, connection types, and indexing types. We'll also focus on selecting the right throughput options, using Query Execution Metrics and server-side programming. Join me as we explore how to optimize your Azure Cosmos DB solutions for the best performance.

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 344

Harnessing the Power of Data Mesh: A Deep Dive into the Four Pillars of Modern Data Architecture

Abstract: In today's data-driven world, traditional data management approaches often struggle to keep pace with the growing complexity and scale of enterprise data. Enter Data Mesh, a revolutionary paradigm that redefines how organizations handle data. This session will explore the four foundational pillars of Data Mesh architecture: Domain-Oriented Decentralization, Data as a Product, Self-Serve Data Infrastructure, and Federated Computational Governance.

We'll delve into how Domain-Oriented Decentralization empowers teams to own and manage their data, fostering agility and innovation. Discover the concept of Data as a Product, where data is treated with the same rigor and care as any other product, ensuring quality and usability. Learn about Self-Serve Data Infrastructure, which democratizes data access and tooling, enabling teams to work independently and efficiently. Finally, understand the importance of Federated Computational Governance in maintaining security, compliance, and consistency across decentralized data environments.

Join us to gain insights into implementing Data Mesh in your organization, transforming your data strategy, and unlocking the full potential of your data assets.

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 347

AI and SQL ground to cloud to fabric

New to AI? Come learn the fundamentals of how to get started with AI and Microsoft SQL everywhere it exists: ground to cloud to fabric. This includes SQL Server 2025, Azure SQL, and SQL database in Fabric. SQL is the perfect place to integrate data with AI because of its industry proven security, scalability, and availability. We will show GenAI capabilities like vector search, how to integrate these with your application, and Copilot experiences everywhere SQL exists including GitHub Copilot.

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 348

Microsoft Database Docs - Learn about Contributing for your Career

Join content developers from the Microsoft Database Docs content team for an interactive discussion and call to action on modern Microsoft docs. Learn about the Docs publishing process in GitHub, and the best ways to add content and fixes to Docs that are read by the entire customer community. We'll also ask for your feedback on Docs and host Q&A. Learn what contribution to Microsoft Learn can mean for your Microsoft MVP status, your career, or your personal brand.

Friday 12:30 PM - 1:40 PM · Room 343

Data Virtualization in SQL Server 2022

PolyBase is Microsoft's primary data virtualization technology, allowing you to integrate SQL Server with a variety of external systems such as Oracle, MongoDB, Cosmos DB, Teradata, Apache Spark, and even other SQL Server instances. In this talk, we will walk through the mechanics of PolyBase, showing how we can write T-SQL queries to access data from heterogeneous sources. We will see how data virtualization in SQL Server has evolved over the years and the new capabilities you will find in SQL Server 2022. Finally, we will look at several interesting use cases for data virtualization in the modern data environment.

Friday 12:30 PM - 1:40 PM · Room 344

Build a Robust App with Fabric SQL Database, GraphQL API, and User Data Functions

Discover how to harness the full potential of Fabric to build powerful modern data-driven applications. In this session participants will learn how to use the API for GraphQL and User Data Functions over SQL databases and other data sources in the Microsoft Fabric Platform to build modern “CRUD” (Create, Read Update and Delete) data APIs that you can immediately call from an application. APIs for GraphQL enable you to effortlessly connect your Fabric data with your applications, with only a few clicks. If you have more complex business logic for your data, you can implement it with Python User Data Functions. With these two powerful building blocks and a SaaS-ified, developer-friendly experience, your app will be up and running in no time!

Friday 12:30 PM - 1:40 PM · Room 347

Build AI Apps Smarter: Optimize SQL Database Costs & Performance in Fabric

Take your AI apps to the next level with cost-smart SQL database optimization in Fabric. This session explores how to maximize performance while minimizing costs by leveraging Fabric's capacity monitoring tools for SQL databases. Learn to track resource usage, identify inefficiencies, and optimize database performance—all without exceeding your budget. Designed for app developers, architects, and innovators, this talk will provide real-world strategies to build scalable, high-performing AI apps powered by intelligent SQL database cost management. Discover how to turn insights into action and supercharge your AI applications with Fabric

Friday 12:30 PM - 1:40 PM · Room 348

Unleashing Modern Data Warehousing: Architecture, Insights & Future Innovations in Fabric Warehouse

Join us for a deep dive into the modern data warehouse! We’ll break down the core principles, use cases, and architectural intricacies. Discover how innovations like Data Virtualization, enhanced Data Modeling experiences, AI-powered insights with Copilot, and more are helping developers and customers unlock the full potential of Fabric Warehouse. This session is packed with live demos, best practices, and an exciting glimpse into the future roadmap of Data Warehousing.

Friday 1:50 PM - 3:00 PM · Room 344

Mirroring in Microsoft Fabric - Overview and Roadmap

Microsoft Fabric accelerates data potential for the era for AI. Mirroring simplifies linking of external databases into Fabric, with full replicas created with just a couple of clicks. Once a database is mirrored, real-time updates will automatically be replicated into OneLake and stored as Delta Parquet, an analytics-ready format that works seamlessly for every analytics workload in Fabric. Join us to gain deeper insights and learn how to get started with Mirroring by bringing data gravity to unlock powerful insights in Fabric.

Friday 1:50 PM - 3:00 PM · Room 347

Introduction to SQL Server Essential Concepts

When I first started learning about SQL Server, really deeply learning, there were a few “key” concepts that you hear repeated often by top speakers and SQL MVP’s. Internals, recovery models, and backups. They are interconnected. As the learning continued, it was self-evident how understanding basic data internals with pages, extents, and allocation bitmaps or database recovery models, the transaction log, and VLF’s or advanced backup options backups like stripping and piecemeal restores affected the uses of SQL Server. They affected not just SQL Server but the way you make decisions in order to determine how best to use SQL Server to support your business. This session enables you to have that core set of understanding required for advanced SQL learning.