I know that this coming year, 2014, is going to be my best year yet! I’m starting 2014 off with a blast!

Virtualization for SQL Server DBAs 101

First in 2014 is a webinar for the SQL PASS Virtualization Virtual Chapter on January 8th at 11am Central time. This presentation is the first of four presentations that I plan on holding in 2014 to help DBAs get up to speed on the current state of virtualization and how they can embrace it to make their jobs better. Register for free for this webinar today at GoToWebinar!

SQL Server Virtualization 101, 201, 301, 499

Most DBAs experience virtualization through a telescope – from at least a mile away. Virtualization projects are pushed down from IT and DBAs are told they are being virtualized, but are given very little insight into what virtualization means to them and how they can embrace it to improve their systems. This four-part educational series by David Klee (@kleegeek) is designed to help DBAs understand what virtualization really is, what it can do for them, and how they can embrace it to improve the quality of service of their business-critical systems.

SQL Server Virtualization 101 – Abstract

What is virtualization? What impact does it have on DBAs and their systems? What aspects of their job stays the same, and what changes? What is really going on inside that black box? The fundamentals of private cloud computing and how it impacts data professionals will be discussed in this interactive session. Tips on how to use the best of virtualization to improve their daily tasks and efficiencies will be demonstrated, and common questions and concerns will be addressed.

Register for free for this webinar today at GoToWebinar!

For those that do not know, the SQL PASS organization holds monthly virtual chapter webinars in a large number of different areas for free! I am proud to be a large contributor to the Virtualization Virtual Chapter. Check out the list and sign up for the ones that interest you today!

All Day Training – Virtualization for SQL Server DBAs

Next, on January 17th, the Friday before SQL Saturday Nashville, I will be holding an all-day preconference training session to help SQL Server DBAs learn more about the virtualization platforms that their mission critical SQL Servers are probably running on today.

If you are a SQL Server DBA and manage or maintain a virtualized SQL Server environment in your private cloud, attending this session is of utmost importance. You will learn more about that black box called virtualization, how to validate that the performance of the system stack is where it should be, tips and tricks for creating the ideal SQL Server virtual machine template,  common issue remediation steps, and long-term management of the environment.

Description: 

VMware vExpert and SQL Server performance expert David Klee leads this full-day, hands-on introduction to enabling and managing a virtualized SQL Server environment. The focus of the course is to help those new to virtualization and/or infrastructure concepts to become familiar with the concept and purposes of virtualization and how it can benefit them as data professionals. Participants will gain exposure to all layers of virtualization underneath SQL Server, from storage to hypervisor to the SQL Server instance, and will learn how to construct the entire stack with the focus on SQL Server performance.

Course Objectives: 

• Understand key virtualization and cloud concepts
• Determine the optimal infrastructure configuration for best performance
• Construct a SQL Server virtual machine template with best practices for agility and performance
• Understand how and what stack metrics to benchmark and baseline to ensure proper objective performance measurement
• Identify and remediate common virtualized SQL Server performance killers
• Understand proper virtualized capacity management techniques for long term management

Register for this event today at this Eventbrite location. An early bird discount of $25 is available if you register before December 21st! 

SQL Saturday Nashville

 Next, on Saturday, January 18 is Nashville’s next SQL Saturday! I am proud to be presenting a session after lunch in Room Swang 110 called ‘SQL Server Virtualization 101‘ designed for beginners with virtualization. It is a different twist on the SQL PASS Virtual Chapter presentation, and if you are currently virtualizing your SQL Servers but feel unsure or uneasy about what is going on in that new layer beneath your data, make sure to attend!

Abstract: What is virtualization? What impact does it have on DBAs and their systems? What aspects of their job stays the same, and what changes? What is really going on inside that black box? The fundamentals of private cloud computing and how it impacts data professionals will be discussed in this interactive session. Tips on how to use the best of virtualization to improve their daily tasks and efficiencies will be demonstrated, and common questions and concerns will be addressed.

I will see you at these events, and check back here often, as new events are constantly popping up! It’s going to be a great year!