MS Communities Code Camp / Tech Summit
Sunday,  August 29th, 2010
University of Auckland Business School

We know it can be a struggle to keep up with all of the new technologies that developers and IT professionals are expected to use. You can read blogs, books, articles, but the best solution is often the conversation you have with others. You ask a question and you get an answer. That's what makes a day like this so valuable.
 
You listen, you ask questions, you listen more and you get answers.

The MS Communities Code Camp & Technology Summit is a Free, non-commercial event, open to everybody with an interest in any of the technologies being discussed.
 
Development
This year we will be running two development streams for developers. We will be covering a range of development topics, such as ASP.NET web development, Windows Phone 7, Silverlight, Security, Building Quality Software and more!
Our aim is to have sessions on technologies that you use every day and may want to learn more about, as well as more advanced sessions on emerging technologies or techniques.
 
SQL
Don't miss your chance for a free day of SQL Server and BI technical education and business networking. Meet industry experts, professionals and fellow IT Professionals.
Learn about best practices, effective troubleshooting, how to prevent issues, save money, and build a better SQL Server environment for your company or clients.
 
SharePoint
The SharePoint track at Code-Camp is designed to build on your technical training and insight for SharePoint. Come and learn from your local community & SharePoint experts on how you can help your customers and partners envision solutions using the new capabilities SharePoint deliver.
 
Infrastructure
This stream will run several sessions focusing on the latest topics around core IT infrastructure systems. If you are an IT professional interested in or supporting; server platforms, systems monitoring and management, virtualization and other technologies, then this is the stream for you!
 

More information and registration can be found at www.codecamp.co.nz
 
Call for Speakers:
Are you interested in speaking in one of the streams above? 
Please visit the website and contact the relevant stream owner.

Urk!  May 9th for my last update.  Is there anybody still following this?

A lot has happened in the past few months.  Work has been insane (as usual), family life has been up and down (as usual) and user group stuff has been ramped up (new)

I did a tour of New Zealand talking about SQL Server which went really well except for the minior disasters.  Lots of cool new things ramping up in the user group community world.

I will (I know I've said this before) attempt to keep this updated and more relevant...

As some of you may be aware SharePoint 2010 is now already released and available for download on MSDN. To celebrate the launch the New Zealand SharePoint user groups are organising an unique event to be held simultaneously across three cities of Auckland, Christchurch and of course Wellington.

You can now sign up to be part of this unique event by registering on the following URL

The event will be hosted online if you can't physically be there. Once you have signed up you will receive instructions via email

Attendees will enter to win a number of 'door prizes' :

  - SharePoint Conference Ticket to be won ($650)

  - XBox Elite  (w00t !!)

  - Web cameras and more

** NOTE : You must RSVP to be in the running for the major prize draw

The event will start at 6PM in Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch on May 13th (Thursday) to coincide with the global SP2010 launch and will be held In the following locations

Auckland
Gen-I Tower
Level 1,
41 federal street
Auckland

Wellington
Gen-i Mobility Café,
Level 2 68-86 Jervois Quay
Wellington

Christchurch
Level 6 - Anthony Harper Building ,
47 Cathedral Square,
Christchurch CBD

Join us for an evening of community celebration and learning on the 13th May in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch!

You can now sign up to be part of this unique event by registering on the following URL

Thanks to the following Sponsors

Thanks AvePoint for the Xbox's

Thanks Silicon for the PC's to run the Hands On Labs

Thanks Gen-i for providing the venues

Thanks Microsoft for your support

Last year, the SQL PASS association held the first “24 Hours of PASS”, 24 hours of webcast training/teaching.  It was a great success, with huge numbers attending many sessions.

It’s happening again, kicking off at 1200 (GMT) on May 19 and running for 24 hours. As with last year, the topics are wide and varied, but this year there is a special focus on the newly released SQL Server 2008 R2.  Here are some of the sessions:

1. PowerPivot
2. PerformancePoint
3. Utility Control Point
4. Parallel Data Warehouse
5. StreamInsight
6. Master Data Management
7. Multi-Server Management
8. Report Builder
9. Data Tier Applications

So, if your calendar doesn’t already look like this:

Then you seriously need to be clicking on this link

The AucklandSQL User Group is proud to present:  SQL Server Integration Services

Session
Ready to get started using SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). Join Patrick LeBlanc, founder of the SQL Lunch in the session on how to use SSIS. Patrick will cover everything you need to get started with this powerful technology. You’ll learn how to utilize several key components of SSIS, while applying common business rules to your data.

Patrick LeBlanc is currently a Business Intelligence Architect for Pragmatic Works. He has worked as a SQL Server DBA for the past 9 years. His experience includes working in the Educational, Advertising, Mortgage, Medical and Financial Industries. He is also the founder of TSQLScripts.com, SQLLunch.com and the President of the Baton Rouge Area SQL Server User Group. Patrick is a regular speaker at various SQL Server community events, including SQL Saturday’s, User Groups and the SQL Lunch

Time
Tuesday, 27th April
Food & Drink from 5:30pm, Presentation starts at 6pm.

Location
Datacom Systems Ltd
210 Federal St
Auckland CBD

Registration: http://www.aucklandsql.com/Meetings/April2010.aspx

If you are unable to attend the session at Datacom, it will also be broadcast online at: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usergroups/join?id=FFG9R9&role=attend&pw=MzC4g%24B5n

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

9AM -> 5PM
Saturday, April 10

8:30 - REGISTRATION
 
9AM - INTRODUCTION / WELCOME
 
Analysis Services - Introduction to Business Intelligence with SQL 2008
Justin King
 
What is LINQ – and what the heck is it doing to my database?
Ivan Towlson
 
Database Index investigation with DMVs
Leo Miller
 
Common Misconceptions about Clustering
Leo Miller
 
SQL Server Integration Services 2008
Ben Gracewood
 
12:30 - LUNCH
Hell Pizza, Subway Sandwiches, Giapo Gelato
 
36 to 6 SQL Servers – Consolidation from the Trenches
Peter Ward
 
Data warehousing & BI on SQL Server 2008
Douglas Barrett
 
Comparing SQL in large vs small environments
James Stewart
 
10 things you didn't know about SSMS
Dave Dustin
 
Training for SQL Server 2008 certification, and why it's worth it
Amanda Jackson

5PM - PRIZES / FAREWELL
Software and Licenses from Microsoft, Red-Gate & SQL Sentry

There will be short breaks between each session for toilet or fresh-air.

If you haven't already registered, please do so here:  http://aucklandsql.com/sqlsaturday
Information about the speakers can be found at: http://aucklandsql.com/sql-saturday/speakers.aspx
More details about the sessions can be found at: http://aucklandsql.com/sql-saturday/sessions.aspx

Please note: Pens / Paper are not being provided, so please bring your own in order to take notes.

The venue:  Wolters Kluwer, 41 Centorian Drive, Mairangi Bay.  Map
Free onsite parking is provided all around the building, but please enter using the front steps.

Any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me
 
Cheers
 
Dave Dustin
dave@aucklandSQL.com
+64 27 323 4670

The Microsoft MVP Award is an annual award that recognizes exceptional technology community leaders worldwide who actively share their high quality, real world expertise with users and Microsoft.

I knew about the program, and some people had asked / were surprised I wasn't already tapped given what I do in the SQL community.  I wasn't fussed about being recognised. 

Sure I joked about it with people that it seemed like people who (in my opinion) didn't seem to do anything were being rewarded, but I never expressed a desire to be tagged; I was (and still am) having fun and enjoying helping others.  Being able to help somebody solve a problem with SQL was my reward.  I mean it.  I can’t count the number of “clients” who I have helped by introducing them to generic scripts like index defrag or automated backups without charging them for my “consulting services”.

MVP award announcements come out at the beginning on January, April, July and October.

At 3:40am this morning, an email from the MVP program arrived in my inbox, and for some reason was classified as spam and thus wound up in the Junk Mail folder.

Dear Dave Dustin,

Congratulations! We are pleased to present you with the 2010 Microsoft® MVP Award! This award is given to exceptional technical community leaders who actively share their high quality, real world expertise with others. We appreciate your outstanding contributions in SQL Server technical communities during the past year.

Now I must admit when I checked my email on my phone at 6:30am I was a little disappointed to only see work related material sitting there, but it quickly passed.  It’s not a popularity contest.  If I’m helping people, that’s what’s important.

After spending the morning playing with my son I headed downstairs to my laptop where I could perform my regular checks and tasks.  One of those was checking the junk mail for false positives.  And the above email was there.  Remembering it was still April 1 in the US, I thought some of my friends might have been playing a trick. But no, the links actually lead to the Microsoft servers, and my MVP url was valid.

I knew that a couple of people on Twitter had nominated me throughout the year, and for that I am forever grateful, but it takes more than “give this guy the nod” emails.  So to everybody that backed up these statements, I am in your debt.

As I stated on twitter earlier today…

It’s an honour just to be nominated. I don’t have the words to actually describe being awarded.

Paul Randall (Blog | Twitter) summed it up really well in his renewal post:  “It's a privilege being recognized as a top contributor to the SQL Community, not a right.”

I’m not an eloquent man, so I will finish with this.

Thank you.  Very much.  Please don’t let me let you down.

Hi all,

I’d like to invite you all to the Auckland SQL Saturday, being held on the North Shore of Auckland, on Saturday, April 10th.
 
This is a FREE, full day of sessions covering real world scenarios and situations along with information relevant to current as well as future projects and positions.

• 10 things you didn't know about SSMS 
• 36 to 6 SQL Servers – Consolidation from the Trenches 
• Analysis Services - Introduction to Business Intelligence with SQL 2008 
• Common Misconceptions about Clustering 
• Comparing SQL in large vs small environments 
• Database Index investigation with DMVs 
• Solving the "Running Total" & "Ordinal Rank" Problems 
• SQL Server Integration Services 2008 
• Training for SQL Server 2008 certification, and why it's worth it 
• What is LINQ – and what the heck is it doing to my database?

Plus more...  A full schedule, including session times will be available after Easter.

This event runs from 8:30am -> 5pm, includes lunch and is FREE for all attendees.

Further information and registration can be found here:  http://www.aucklandsql.com/sqlsaturday

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

More info to come VERY soon

In conjunction with the AucklandSQL User Group, we present:

PowerShell for Data Professionals
Tuesday, February 23rd at noon (NZ time)

In this session we will learn to perform several everyday data tasks including user database backups, scripting table objects and evaluating disk space usage with PowerShell. For each task we will explore the benefits of using PowerShell over the standard method. Only a basic understanding of PowerShell or DOS is needed. This session should serve as a good introduction to PowerShell for database users. The goal is to help everyone get their feet wet using PowerShell.

Presenter:
Aaron Nelson is a Senior SQL Server Architect, Database Developer, DBA, and Business Intelligence Developer with over 10 years experience in architecture, development, maintenance, and performance tuning of SQL Server.

He has Experience managing enterprise-wide data needs in both a transactional and data warehouse environment.  He also holds certifications for  MCITP: Business Intelligence Developer, Database Administrator, Database Developer; as well as MCTS: Windows Server Virtualization, Configuration (meaning Hyper-V). Aaron blogs at SQLvariations

LiveMeeting link:
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usergroups/join?id=BJ5M5D&role=attend

If you're on the North Shore and would like to get together to watch this (and have some Pizza & drinks for lunch) drop me a note and I'll sort out a suitable location here.