Introducing Azure Data Studio

Azure
If you're watching Microsoft Ignite or tracking the information coming out of it on social media, then you know that Azure SQL Studio has been changed to Azure Data Studio. I've got an early release on some of the bits. Let's explore what's going on. Azure Data Studio The core concept here is to have a development tool that gives you a common framework for working with data, not just SQL data, but CosmosDB and others. Further, a tool that you can run where you work. Do you have a Mac? Cool. Use Azure Data Studio. Running Linux? Cool. Use Azure Data Studio. Still on Windows with me? We also get Azure Data Studio. The first thing I'm excited about is the load time. It's fast. Really fast. Out of…
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Presentation Tools

Professional Development
Let's face it, the core of a presentation is you. Your knowledge and your ability to share that knowledge through whatever means you choose, slides, demos, sock puppets, whatever, is the primary tools you need to hone. Know what you know and be ready to acknowledge what you don't. Put out the information as only you can. That's the key to presenting. But... A few things can help reduce your stress and make your life easier. Let's talk about them. My Presentation Tools Whether your travel to the event or not, chances are good, that whatever code camp, SQLSaturday, or awesome event where you are presenting is not your home or office. This means, you can't know what their set up is. Because of this, road warrior or not, if…
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IT/Dev Connections 2017

Database Lifecycle Management, DevOps, SQL Server 2016
I'm very honored to be able to announce that I am going to be speaking at IT/Dev Connections in San Francisco. I'm not just speaking there, I'm presenting an all day seminar on the tools needed for query tuning. The title does say SQL Server 2016, but most of the tools I'll cover can be used be used from SQL Server 2012 to SQL Server 2017. I'll also throw in a few SQL Server 2017 tools just to spice things up. If you're looking for a lot of information about how to get your query tuning done, I'm here to help. I'm also going to be talking about two other favorite topics of mine, DevOps and Monitoring. Please check it out and join me at this event.
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Carpenters vs. DBAs

Professional Development
Let's get the caveat out of the way up front, I work for a tool vendor. If you look around at the tools landscape for the Microsoft Data Platform, it's really interesting. There are a few tools vendors, primarily clustered around monitoring tools, and then there are a bunch of point tools for helping with various aspects of operations against the Data Platform (mostly SQL Server). Some of these are free tools. Some are pay only. Some are a mix. There are variables in the quality of these tools, and I'm sure not going to comment on that. Instead, I find one thing really interesting. Let's step back a bit. My neighbors have both worked as carpenters (well, one carpenter, and one general contractor who also does carpentry). They both…
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Developers Rate Azure One of Their Favorite Tools

Azure
Yeah, Azure. How we program, what we program and where we program is changing. All the time. This excellent article lays out a bunch of the trends that are going on within software these days. And one of the single biggest parts of this trend is the fact that more and more things are online. In the cloud, if you insist. Clearly, despite unusual (and I would argue, unreasoning) resistance from my fellow DBAs, Azure is absolutely becoming "a thing." If you're like me, as you sit around carefully weaving your buggy whips, you're also keeping an eye on the road, just in case you start to see more automobiles than horses. Maybe I'm located in a bad spot, but it's starting to look like a sixteen lane mega-highway outside…
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SQL Inspect

Tools
I was asked if I would look at a new tool from a company I hadn't heard of. It's SQL Inspect from Yohz Software. Nominally this is a SQL query editor. However, strictly as a query editor, especially when compared to what's available in SQL 2008 or what tools like Red Gate's SQLPrompt or SQLRefactor can do for you, it's not so hot. Luckily, that's not where its strengths lie. Instead, it's all about performance tuning your queries and it does this very well indeed. It takes a query and returns a tree structured execution plan, looking a bit like the old text plans, but much more sophisticated with roll-ups, etc. It shows you all the details of the operations, just like an execution plan, but immediately accessible on the screen,…
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