Following Andy Leonard's (blog | twitter) footsteps, here are my PASS Summit submissions. I decided to go a little different this year and included two professional development abstracts, as that's where my interest has been strongly focused the last six months or so.
From the Ramparts: Knowing What to Look for in SQL Server Security
Regular session, 75 minutes
In warfare, understanding your enemy is a supreme advantage. The same is
true when it comes to protecting SQL Server. We’ll get into the mindset
of an attacker, looking at the methods and techniques attackers use to
go after SQL Server. Once we understanding the threats, we’ll then
examine defensive techniques to secure and protect our SQL Servers,
using both new and creative methods, as well as the tried and true.
This was first presented at SQL Connections Spring 2011 - Orlando.
Windows Operating System Internals for Database Pros
Regular session, 75 minutes
In this session, we’ll take a look at Windows operating system
internals, including kernel architecture, threads and processes, memory
usage, and I/O, and how they affect how SQL Server performs and acts. By
having a good understanding of how the operating system works under the
covers and how it interacts with the SQL OS, you will gain a deeper
knowledge of what’s going on with your SQL Servers and where performance
issues may be on your systems.
This was first presented at SQL Connections Spring 2011 - Orlando.
Being the Swiss Army Knife of Database Professionals
Regular session, 75 minutes
Being a specialist means you're really, really good at one thing. Being a
generalist means you're good at a a lot of different things. The
generalist has an advantage over the specialist because he or she can
see and solve problems the specialists can't. In this session I'll cover
why it's important to diversify your skill set, not only for career
protection, but to be better as a database professional. We'll look at
what skill sets to build on to expand your abilities around SQL Server
to include the operating system, development, networks, and security.
Remember, this saying isn't complete, "Jack of all trades, master of
none." The full saying is, "Jack of all trades, master of none, though
often times better than master of one."
How to Be a More Effective DB Professional without Losing Your Mind (or Life)
Regular session, 75 minutes
"There is no such thing as work/life balance." So says David Allen,
founder of the Getting Things Done methodology. He's right and I'll show
you why. I've been there, lost in my job because I wanted to perform at
a high level while trying to meet the needs of my family and myself. In
this session I'll cover what I've learned with respect to time
management, goal setting, learning to say no, and understanding that in
order to truly be successful you can't separate aspects of your life
into independent compartments. Rather, you must blend them together to
meet your priorities and not worry and stress over the things which
aren't.
