Tuesday, January 16, 2018

SQL Saturday 700 in Colorado Springs is coming up!

If you work with SQL Server in any capacity, I can't recommend attending a SQL Saturday enough. A day of no-cost training and networking is a fantastic opportunity. SQL Saturdays offer a wide variety of content - there are commonly tracks on database administration, business intelligence, development, professional development, management, and many others. 

So many big names in the SQL Server community got started speaking for local user groups, SQL Saturdays, and the like, and many of them continue doing so. It's a fantastic opportunity to learn and spend time with deeply knowledgeable people, pretty much all of whom are also super-nice!

It's also a great opportunity to get to know the sponsors. Odds are you'll have the opportunity to talk directly with knowledgeable folks from storage vendors, tool vendors, recruiters, and more.

One of the other best things about SQL Saturday is that there's an open call for speakers for each event, and many of them work hard to include new speakers and local folks. If you want to share your knowledge in a larger venue, it's a great opportunity to get started. I've submitted a session myself this year. You don't even have to stick to your local area. While you're on your own for your expenses, it can be extremely rewarding to travel, meet new people, and get yourself out there in front of a larger audience.

If you live along the Front Range in Colorado (or anywhere in CO, really), northern New Mexico, etc., I hope you'll consider attending SQL Saturday #700 in Colorado Springs on 24 March.  

There are also ample volunteer opportunities. It can take a surprising amount of work to make the events run smoothly, and there's always something the organizers can use help with. Even though I'm no longer helping to plan and run the event, I've still ticked the volunteer opt-in on the registration form.

Dan Gurney, 1931 - 2018

I wrote a brief memorial for Dan Gurney over at The Pit Crew Online. The man had a LIFE, let me tell you.

Monday, January 15, 2018

A quick note about multi-hop replication in SQL Server

Many people use SQL Server replication in a multi-hop setup. Publish from A to B, republish from B to C, and so on. This is a well-known use case, even if it makes those of us who have to maintain it a bit crabby at times - throw in some other stuff like Change Data Capture that uses the Log Reader Agent and it's a recipe for fun (but that's another post for another day).

One thing I've seen a number of people run into trouble with is making changes to publications in this sort of environment. It's simple enough when you're adding new things - you start at the start and move down the chain. Where I've seen folks have the most trouble is with removing articles and publications - for that, you have to start at the last hop and work your way back to the source.

Managing this kind of setup can become tedious, so I urge you to get comfortable with the various stored procedures, views, and tables that are present in SQL Server. Microsoft's documentation on the topic is thorough and helpful, and spending some time in the lab poking around will amply repay you. Document your environment, learn what replicates where, and when it comes time to make those changes you'll be in much better shape.

If you don't have a lab, don't fret! Simply sign up for a Visual Studio Dev Essentials account at VisualStudio.com, and you can download SQL Server Developer Edition at no cost to you.

Helllllloooooo 2018!

Gosh, about 4 years. I figure it's time to start bloggin' again!

I'm still working with SQL Server, so I'm going to mostly blog about that. I'm still interested in things Japanese, so I'm probably going to blog about that a bit too. I've also developed an interest in motorsport in the interval, but for that you'll want to check out The Pit Crew - that's where I write about that!