SQL Data Partners Podcast

Episode 281: OneLake - The OneDrive for Data

As you start using Fabric, having a central location for your data is crucial. OneLake acts as this unified destination, offering a single, consolidated repository for all your data. In this podcast episode, we explore the core features of OneLake and its benefits with our guest, Mariano Kovo, and discuss how it efficiently handles large amounts of data from diverse sources. We'll also dive into the importance of how your data is presented to Azure services, focusing on the Delta Parquet format. Did you know you can explore OneLake data directly through Windows Explorer? Microsoft aims to make a single copy of your data accessible across multiple services, eliminating the need for constant data movement. Shortcuts make it easier to access your data seamlessly within the OneLake environment, enhancing efficiency and accessibility. We hope you enjoy this foundational episode on Microsoft OneLake! If you have questions or comments, please send them our way. We would love to answer your questions on a future episode. Leave us a comment and some love ❤️ on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram. The show notes for today's episode can be found at Episode 281: OneLake - The OneDrive for Data. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Episode 280: A Focus on Microsoft Fabric

At the Microsoft Build Conference in May 2023, Microsoft announced the new Fabric, where you could slice and dice all your data harmoniously within the environment. A few months later, Kevin, Eugene, and I discussed this evolution of the Azure Data platform in episode 267, and our thoughts on the vision for it's future, our expectations, and predictions. Now, more than a year later, we decided it's a good time to take an in-depth look at the platform to see what goals have come to fruition, what predictions have come true, and what may have changed. In this introduction to Season 8, we'll get the conversation started. In the next 10 episodes we'll be taking a deep dive into the reality of what Microsoft Fabric is today, navigating through the nuances, complexities, and sheer vastness of the product. We'll break it down into digestible chunks focused on specific aspects such as: One Lake Data Warehouse vs. Lakehouse vs. Eventhouse Data Factory Microsoft Synapse Data Governance and Security Data Activator Power BI and AI Features and much more If you have questions or comments about Microsoft Fabric, please send them our way. We would love to answer your questions on a future episode. Leave us a comment and some love ❤️ on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram. The show notes for today's episode can be found at Episode 280: A Focus on Microsoft Fabric. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Episode 279: SQL Server Migrations Demystified

If you use SQL Server, you will eventually have to migrate that instance somewhere – to a new version, a new server, the cloud . . . somewhere. Or perhaps you'll find yourself migrating from another database into SQL Server. No matter which way you slice it, SQL Server migrations can be daunting, not to mention complex and time-consuming. While we know there are risks and many things that can go wrong, the "new" Microsoft continues to put time and effort towards making successful SQL Server migrations attainable for everyone. In this episode of the podcast, we chat with Tejas Shah and Sudhir Raparla, 2 of the Microsoft Project Managers responsible for SQL Server migration tooling. They share practical perspectives on approaching your SQL migration with confidence and the tools and enhancements that will help. During the conversation, Tejas and Sudhir also take us through the 5 migration steps they want you to consider as you undertake your SQL Server migration process. Even though we’ve migrated thousands of databases, I had to go back and peek at a couple of the new features the migration tooling team has added. One intriguing addition is the Azure SQL Pricing repository, which is part of the SQL Server Migration assistant and can help with determining costs based on industry standards, deployment recommendations, target sizing, and monthly savings based on your unique scenario. Let us know what you think! What SQL migration features have you come to trust and rely on? Did you get any good takeaways from today's podcast or have some questions? Leave us a comment and some love ❤️ on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram. The show notes for today's episode can be found at Episode 279: SQL Server Migrations Demystified. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Episode 278: Running SQL Server on Azure VMs

Can you run SQL Server on Azure VM? Which VM is best? Is running SQL Server on a VM in Azure the right choice? Find out in this insightful episode with Anders Pedersen! With over 10 different SQL Server services now offered in Microsoft Azure, it can be difficult to know how you want to run your environment. Sometimes, the old ways are the best ways for an organization, and running SQL Server on a VM in Azure is the right fit.    In this episode of the SQL Data Partners Podcast, we chat with Anders Pedersen about his experience moving their systems to Azure VMs. We discuss some of the tiering issues, the newest storage tier being rolled out, and how he manages upgrades.    Join us for another informative podcast where a seasoned database administrator shares their experience of managing a SQL Server environment. Did you get any good take-aways from today's podcast or have some questions? Leave us a comment and some love ❤️ on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.  The show notes for today's episode can be found at Episode 278: Running SQL Server on Azure VMs. Have fun on the SQL Trail!

Episode 277: PostgreSQL for the SQL Server Crowd

Is testing out pgAdmin on your to-do list? In this episode of the podcast, we chat with Ryan Booz, a PostgreSQL advocate at Redgate, about how a SQL Server professional might begin a dive into PostgreSQL, one of the most popular open source databases in the world. Ryan came from a career background in SQL Server, but after experiencing his accidental "jump-into-the-deep-end" PostgreSQL moment, he hasn’t looked back. Naturally, open source presents DBAs and their organizations with many desirable features, but there are certain drawbacks as well. Ryan shares how he navigated his transition into PostgreSQL and raises some points to consider if you are thinking about a switch. We discuss a few of the land mines you might encounter along the way as well as terminology differences in this space. Be sure to check out Planet PostgreSQL for the most recent blog posts from the very folks that are contributing code to the PostgreSQL project. Have you shifted from SQL Server to PostgreSQL? How'd it go? Did you get any good take-aways from today's podcast or have some questions? Leave us a comment and some love ❤️ on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.  The show notes for today's episode can be found at Episode 277: PostgreSQL for the SQL Server Crowd. Have fun on the SQL Trail!