As always, there are many free ways to learn more about SQL Server and the Professional Association of SQL Server (PASS) free membership to Virtual Chapters is one of those ways.

Here is what I would suggest watching:

Next Meeting: Tue, Aug 12 2014

Bridging the Communication Gap Between DBA and Developer

Online Meeting URL:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3764807338290354689

Database Administrators and Developers are all working toward the same common goal yet sometimes they seem to be talking different languages. This session is for developers and DBAs alike and helps bridge the communication gap between the two groups.

Better communication means better relationships and better communication begins with understanding the other person. Learn how to think like the other person to understand what they are saying and to know how to respond back in a way that they will understand your point of view.

Bio:

Robert is a SQL Server Certified Master, MVP, and an experienced Database Administrator, SQL Server evangelist, speaker, writer, and trainer. He has worked with SQL Server for 14+ years. He has recently worked for Outerwall, Idera Software, and Microsoft, He served as PM for the SQL Server Certified Master Program at Microsoft Learning, and as a production DBA at Microsoft. Robert is co-founder and co-leader of the Security Virtual Chapter for PASS.

When

iCal
UTC : Tue, Aug 12 2014 16:00 - 17:00
Event Time : Tue, Aug 12 2014 12:00 - 13:00 Eastern Daylight Time

Next Meeting: Tue, Aug 12 2014

Tue, Aug 12 2014 12:00 Central Daylight Time

Mirroring Start to Finish

RSVP: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/30598668687577858

MIRRORING START TO FINISH

Mirroring is not dead! If you don't have Enterprise Edition, then this is still your tried and true solution. We’ll cover what mirroring is from start to finish, how it can fit into an HA/DR plan, the rules surrounding its use, configuration via the GUI and T-SQL, as well as how to monitor mirroring. This presentation is designed to walk you through a basic implementation. At the end you will have learned what mirroring is, how it can fit into your environment, what business requirements it solves, and how to configure it.

Ryan Adams has worked for Verizon for 16 years. His primary focus is the SQL Server Engine, high availability, and disaster recovery. Previously he was a Senior Active Directory Architect and designed the company's worldwide Active Directory infrastructure. He serves on the Board of Directors for the North Texas SQL Server User Group and is President of the PASS Performance Virtual Chapter

Wed, Aug 13 2014 10:00 Mountain Daylight Time

Optimizing SQL Server Performance in a Virtual Environment

RSVP: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5549269630483888130

Building Your Own SQL Server Virtual Playground

As the number of SQL Server versions and features grow over time so does the the difficulty in maintaining a set of tools for working with all of them on your local machine. Add in that some features require multiple physical instances and suddenly a single installation isn't enough. Need to quickly switch between versions and editions of SQL Server? Want to learn how to set up a cluster? Or maybe you want to try out the latest features in SQL 2012...virtualization offers a convenient way to do any or all of these. In this session we'll show you how by covering the fundamentals of desktop virtualization and demonstrating how to set up a virtual playground on your own machine.

Bio:

Kendal is a database strategist, community advocate, public speaker, and blogger. He is passionate about helping leaders use Microsoft SQL Server to solve complex problems that protect, unlock and optimize data's value. Since 1999, Kendal has specialized in SQL Server database management solutions and provided IT strategy consulting.

Wed, Aug 13 2014 12:00 Mountain Daylight Time

Best Practices for your Very Large Databases– sponsored by Dell Software

RSVP: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6234121338626213890

BEST PRACTICES FOR YOUR VERY LARGE DATABASES– SPONSORED BY DELL SOFTWARE

Abstract: As businesses' data needs keep growing so do the sizes of the databases we are entrusted to manage. Faced with constant growth and the scale of multiple Terabytes, more DBA's are facing the challenges to properly tune and maintain the VLDB's in their environment. In this session we will go into the best practices, tips and tricks learned from helping customers in the field with this common growing pain. We will cover the best way to do integrity checks, stats updates, index maintenance, partitioned tables and more so you can to tame your Very Large Databases and keep them running in top shape.

Warner is a SQL Server MCM and SQL Server Principal Consultant at Pythian, a global Canada-based company specialized in DBA services. A brief stint in .NET programming led to his early DBA formation working for enterprise customers in Hewlett-Packard ITO organization. From there he transitioned to his current position at Pythian, managing multiple customers and instances in many versions and industries while leading a highly talented team of SQL Server DBAs.

Tue, Aug 19 2014 11:00 Central Daylight Time

The Roadmap to Better Performance: Reading Query Plans

RSVP: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2124351382524970497

THE ROADMAP TO BETTER PERFORMANCE: READING QUERY PLANS

Whether you’re a DBA or a developer, you probably know that when you submit a query to SQL Server it generates a plan – a map if you will – that determines how it will get the data you’ve requested. But if you’re not familiar with how to read that map, then how do you know how to create a faster route to the data? How can you tune a query? If you’ve been lost when looking at plans before, then sign up for this session where we will cover the basics of query plans. We’ll step through how to capture them, discuss the essential information to review in a plan, and highlight a couple patterns to look for when tuning queries. As usual, expect lots of demos to highlight key points, and “plan” to walk away with new methods to use when reviewing query plans in SQL Server. Level: 200

Erin Stellato is a Principal Consultant with SQLskills and lives in Cleveland, OH. She has over 12 years of technology experience and has worked with SQL Server since 2003. Her areas of interest include internals, performance tuning, and high availability and disaster recovery. Erin is a SQL Server MVP and an active member of the SQL Server community. She is involved with the Ohio North SQL Server User Group and blogs at SQLskills.com/blogs/erin. You can find her on Twitter at @ErinStellato.