Getting closer to the SQL Server 2005 Launch Event

Today I spent the morning with a few key individuals reviewing the content we will be presenting at the SQL Server 2005 Launch Event starting in Toronto on November 8.  It is always great to get input on how what we will be presenting will resonate with you, the audience.   Being inside Microsoft I know that there are many things that I would love to show you and talk about when it comes to SQL Server.  I live this stuff and I love doing it!!  Just because I think something is really cool and can make the average DBA's life easier does not mean that everyone else thinks the same way.  This is why getting the input of folks like yourselves who day in and day out experience the good and the not so good about SQL Server is so important.  Overall, I think what you will see at the Launch Event will excite you and make you want to go out and implement some features right away while also wanting to learn more about some others. 

Over the last week or so I have also been involved in presenting on SQL Server 2005 to a number of audiences and also delivered my first webcast as a Microsoft employee.  If you have been looking for the slides for some of those presentations, you can download them by clicking on the hyperlink:

The webcast to the ISV community was one of the most fun sessions I delivered in a while becasue I don't often get to talk to developers.  On top of that, Ryan Storgaard, on of my colleagues within the DPE team at Microsoft, also posted reasons why ISV's should look to SQL Server 2005 on his blog (https://blogs.msdn.com/stoey).  Check out the two-part post - it is really informative!!

On Wednesday this week I attended the Toronto SQL Server User Group (TSSUG)  meeting where Shaun Tinline-Joes from Microsoft Consulting Services did a great job outlining the benefits of SQL Service Broker in SQL Server 2005 and how it can be used to build asynchronous database applications.  If you are not familiar with SQL Service Broker, check out Roger Wolter's article from the Spring 2005 issue of TechNet Magazine (https://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2005/05/ServiceBroker/default.aspx?ShowStepTwo=true#footerId) or one of his more detailed articles on the MSDN site (https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnsql90/html/sql2k5_SrvBrk.asp). 

Next month, on November 14, I will be presenting at the Toronto SQL Server User Group session where my topic will be Upgrading to SQL Server 2005.   Sign up for the event through Microsoft Worldwide Events using event ID 1032284484.  The same session is also being presented in Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, and Montreal (and I'll be delivering them all, except for Edmonton where my colleague Barnaby Jeans will be front and center). 

Next week I'm off to Redmond for some training.  Should be fun!!