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Conferences and Classes

Join Me for Free Live SQL Server Training Next Week.

Last Updated February 28, 2024

Conferences and Classes

Next week, I’m teaching my very favorite class live online, for free, two different ways – one with all slides, and one with all demos. Whatever way you like to learn, I’ve got you covered. So, what’s the subject? You’re comfortable writing queries to get the data you need. But you’re uncomfortable if someone asks you…

How to Think Like the SQL Server Engine

Free Live Webcasts: Slide & Demo Versions of How to Think Like the Engine

Last Updated February 26, 2024

Conferences and Classes

You’re comfortable writing queries to get the data you need. But you’re uncomfortable if someone asks you how it works, how SQL Server and Azure SQL DB turn your queries into results. You know there are execution plans, but … you’re uncomfortable reading them. You know queries need indexes, but you’re not sure which columns to…

This? It's just coffee, as far as you need to know.

Join Me in Orange County for Tuning Databases in One Day

Last Updated February 26, 2024

Conferences and Classes

You’ve got production databases in SQL Server or Azure SQL DB, and you want to make ’em faster. You need to identify the database’s bottleneck, prove the root cause, and then recommend fixes. You want to make the right choice for each bottleneck – should you do index changes, query tuning, or server-level settings? The…

Sessions You Should Attend at SQLBits Online 2024

Last Updated February 26, 2024

SQLBits 2024 is next month, and the session agenda is out, including the Microsoft-led sessions. If you’re going to get the boss to buy you an online or in-person ticket, it’ll help if you have a specific list of sessions you wanna attend. Managers love it when you can point at each session and say,…

Save 10% on SQLBits 2025 Registration with Coupon Code OZAR102025.

Last Updated April 13, 2025

Going to the SQLBits conference? Whether you’re registering in-person or attending virtually, save 10% on your ticket with discount code OZAR102025. During the checkout process, look for this: And save yourself some quick bucks. The screen will refresh after you hit Apply, so make a note of the price before & after. You’re welcome! Register…

How to Think Like the SQL Server Engine

Free Webcast: How to Think Like the Engine, Live

Last Updated November 6, 2023

Conferences and Classes

You’re comfortable writing queries to get the data you need. But you’re uncomfortable if someone asks you how it works, how SQL Server and Azure SQL DB turn your queries into results. You know there are execution plans, but … you’re uncomfortable reading them. You know queries need indexes, but you’re not sure which columns to…

Fundamentals Week is Coming. Every Day, the Price Goes Up.

Last Updated October 25, 2023

Company News, Conferences and Classes

You’ve attended some of my free online streams, read my blog posts, and you use the First Responder Kit. You enjoy my laid-back, humorous approach to sharing what I’ve learned over the years. You love live classes. You’ve tried watching recordings or stepping through demos yourself, but…you just can’t block out the time, and you…

Well, I’m Not Doing SQLBits After All.

Last Updated October 10, 2023

I was so excited when SQLBits announced their 2024 dates & location, and I told y’all that I was blocking out my calendar and I’d be there. Unfortunately, not gonna happen. This year, SQLBits dramatically cut payments for speakers. We used to get paid per attendee at our workshops, but that’s done. Now you get…

Announcing SQLBits 2024: 19-23 March, Near London

Last Updated September 14, 2023

I hate picking favorites, but I gotta be honest: SQLBits is my favorite conference. Sure, like any conference, it has workshops, training days, and even a free community day, but the icing on the crumpet is the attendee party. Every year, Bits goes all out to pick a theme and throw a monster Friday night…

Free Webcast: Avoiding Deadlocks by Tuning Queries

Last Updated August 26, 2023

Conferences and Classes

You’ve been getting more and more deadlock errors, and users are starting to complain. You’re wondering if your queries are the root cause, and if so, what you should do to fix ’em. In a fast-paced session, I’ll explain the 3 causes for deadlocks, and the 3 ways to get relief. We’ll use 2 demo…

The PASS Summit Lineup Is Out and Registration is Open!

Last Updated August 14, 2023

This year’s PASS Data Community Summit is November 13-17 in Seattle. (No online version is available this year – you gotta be there in person.) If you’ve attended in person before, you already know the value: it’s like a family reunion for the Microsoft data community. It’s your chance to see the authors you’ve read…

Poll Results: Are You Going Back to In-Person Events?

Last Updated June 11, 2023

Conferences and Classes

Last week, I asked if y’all had been to in-person regional events before, and whether you were going back. I wanted to know because Data Saturdays and SQL Saturdays are starting to happen again, but … attendance seems way down from pre-COVID numbers. I wondered, are people just not going to return to conferences for…

Microsoft Build 2023 Keynote Live Blog: Introducing Fabric

Last Updated May 23, 2023

Conferences and Classes

Goooood morning, party people! Today is the opening day of the annual Microsoft Build conference, an event focused on people like developers and power users who build things with Microsoft tools. I’ve never attended Build in person before because the data part of the event tends to be fairly thin, and the releases for Azure…

Mastering Query Tuning

I’m Coming to Boston for SQLSaturday!

Last Updated March 7, 2023

Conferences and Classes

I’m coming back to Boston for SQLSaturday this October 14th! On Friday the 13th (muhaha), before the event, I’m teaching a one-day pre-conference workshop on Mastering Query Tuning. You need to speed up a SQL Server app, and you’re allowed to change the queries and indexes – but not the server hardware or settings. Good…

Mastering Query Tuning

I’m Coming to Gothenburg and Oslo This Fall!

Last Updated February 13, 2023

Conferences and Classes

Back in 2020 before the wheels came off the world, I’d scheduled visits to Gothenburg and Oslo for their annual SQL Server events. Now that things are back to normal, it’s back on! Data Saturday Gothenburg, Aug 26 & 28, 2023 – Monday Post-Con: Mastering Server Tuning – You’re constantly facing new performance challenges on different servers.…

Looking Back at the 2022 #PASSDataCommunitySummit in Seattle

Last Updated November 21, 2022

I’m back home in Vegas, back down to Inbox Zero, and I’ve had some time to think about last week’s conference in Seattle. I liveblogged the keynotes, but I wanted to talk about the conference overall. This was Redgate’s first time running an in-person Summit after the professional organization folded in December 2020. Redgate bought…

#PASSdataCommunitySummit Keynote Day 2 Live Blog

Last Updated November 17, 2022

I’m in Seattle for the PASS Data Community Summit, and the day 2 keynote is about to start. This year, now that Redgate owns the Summit event, they’re doing the day 2 keynote. Gotta pay the bills, I suppose! Redgate’s CEO, Jakub Lamik, is leading a team of speakers for the keynote, and here’s the…

Join #TeamHugo and Help Fight Leukemia.

Last Updated November 16, 2022

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while or subscribed to my email newsletters, you’ve learned something from Hugo Kornelis. Hugo is the wildly productive and selfless guy behind the Execution Plan Reference, SQLServerFast.com, tons of SQLBits sessions, videos on YouTube, and he’s @Hugo_Kornelis. He’s unbelievably upbeat and positive. He loves what he does, and…

Rohan Kumar

#PASSdataCommunitySummit Keynote Day 1 Live Blog: SQL Server 2022 is Out Now.

Last Updated November 16, 2022

I’m in Seattle for the biggest annual gathering of Microsoft data platform professionals, the PASS Data Community Summit. This is the first in-person Summit since the pandemic, and the first since Redgate took over ownership from the old PASS organization. I’m really excited – this is like a family reunion for me. Microsoft’s Rohan Kumar…

Let’s Hang Out in Person at the PASS Summit Next Month.

Last Updated October 20, 2022

I’m so excited to see everybody again at the PASS Data Community Summit in Seattle on November 14-18. I’M BACK IN PERSON! Here’s the crazy part: I’m not going to attend a single session. Not one. (Well, except the ones I’m teaching, and the keynotes.) Instead, I’m gonna spend every single conference hour hanging out in…