Kevin S. Goff: Life in Detail w/Microsoft Database Tools

2/5/2012 – Slides from SharePoint Saturday in Philadelphia

Thanks to everyone who attended my SharePoint Saturday presentation on BI with SharePoint 2010. Here's a link to my slide deck

Feel free to email me at kgoff@kevinsgoff.net.

KG

10/16/2011 – My fall speaking schedule

Wow – the Summer of 2011 has come and gone. I guess it's true, the older you get, the faster time goes! Time is also approaching the release of the next version of SQL Server (Denali, SQL Server 2012), due out in the first half of next year. Two of my scheduled fall presentations will be on different SQL 2012 topics.

I actually already started fall with a trip up to New York City for New York City CodeCamp, back on Oct 1. I did a presentation on T-SQL for Application Developers. This is one of my "standard" sessions. In this session, I throw close to 20 topics on the screen and ask attendees which topics they'd like to talk about. I never intend to get all 20 covered (that's what the code download is for), but usually I'm able to hit the big topics that attendees want to talk about.

Next up will be SQL Server Saturday in Washington, DC, on November 5^th. They have some great user group activity in the DC and Northern Virginia area, and this should prove to be a great event. Make sure to register soon before the registration closes! My sessions are TBD, as the schedule is still being finalized, but I just got the word that I'll be speaking

I don't normally like to travel between Thanksgiving and New Year's, but 2 events are just too important to me personally.

Next stop will be up at UConn on December 8th, for the Fairfield / Westchester SQL Server User Group. I'll be doing a talk on general features in SQL Server 2012 (Denali). The presentation won't cover any one area in any depth – the goal is just to show as many of the new features in Denali, ranging from some really cool features in SSIS to the new BI Semantic Model to Project Crescent.

Sometimes getting a full handle on all the new capabilities in a product is difficult, which is why I've put together this presentation. I love that campus up there (I'm a teacher at heart) and I love fall in New England (yes, I'm sentimental) – not to mention Mark Freedman and Leo Junquera are very cool guys.

And finally, I need to get my "fix" of one final dinner for the year at Heartland Brewery in Manhattan, so I'll be Andrew Brust's NYC BI User Group on December 12^th, talking specifically about new features in PowerPivot in SQL Server 2012. Microsoft has addressed some key areas in PowerPivot and the new release next year will be an important one. Andrew Brust is a good guy whom I respect tremendously, and he's done a great deal to promote SQL Server and Business Intelligence.

10/2/2011 - Slides and examples for my talk on T-SQL For Application Developers

Thanks to everyone who attended my talk yesterday (at NYC CodeCamp) on Transact-SQL for Application Developers.  Here is a link to download the slides and examples.

9/15/2011 - Slides and examples for my talk on .NET with the BI Stack

Hi, all....from my last 2 talks in the past week on .NET with the BI stack, here's the download link.

Thanks to everyone who attended my session at the Central PA Code Camp and the NYC .Net User Group.

For those in the NYC area, I'll be speaking at Code Camp on T-SQL for application developers on October 1, and then I'll be back at the MS Office on Dec. 12th to talk about the new release of PowerPivot in Denali, for Andrew Brust's .NET User Group.

2/5/2011 - SharePoint Saturday in Philadelphia - My slides

Thanks to all who attended my two presentations at SharePoint Saturday in Philadelphia.

Here are the links to my 2 presentations:

Business Intelligence with SharePoint 2010

Integrating SQL Server 2008 with SharePoint 2010

1/5/2011 - Speaking at SharePoint User Group in New York City

I'm speaking at the SharePoint User Group in New York City tonight.

Topic is "Business Intelligence with SharePoint 2010"

Here's a link to my slide deck:

KG

12-04-2010 - Two new slide decks...Intro to PowerPivot and MDX in OLAP Apps

Introduction to PowerPivot   (also, I'll have an article in CoDe Magazine at the end of the month on using DAX with PowerPivot)

Using MDX in OLAP Applications

08/16/2010 - Upcoming speaking events on SQL/Business Intelligence Topics

Hi, all - looks like fall will bring not only the start of football and college basketball season, but a run of speaking events as well.  Not all links are available yet - but here's the schedule for my upcoming fall road trip:

First, I'll be doing two presentations at the Central PA CodeCamp on Saturday afternoon, September 11th.  My two sessions will be on Change Data Capture in SQL 2008, and cool reporting tips using SSRS 2008R2.  One of the great things about the Central PA event is that it's practically in my backyard!  (The event is in Harrisburg and I live just across the river).

The Central PA .NET User Group is run by some of the nicest community people I've ever met: Judy Calla, Rajeev Nair and Lance Wulfers. Judy does some of the best presentations for novices that I've ever seen.

Second, on Monday night, September 13, I'll be kicking off Andrew Brust's new Business Intelligence User Group in New York City.  Topic will be an overview of the latest versions of all the tools in the MS BI stack.  I believe the event will be at the MS Regional Office in Manhattan.  (Looks like I'll be DVRing Monday Night Football that night!)  Link coming shortly.  It will be an honor to kick off Andrew's new User Group.

Third, on Wednesday night October 13th, I'll be at the Philadelphia SQL Server User Group to do a presentation on SSRS 2008R2 at the MS Office in Malvern.  This is part of a series of fall community events for 2008R2.  Vince Napoli runs the show in Philly these days, and he is a super guy.

Fourth, the next night, I'll be headed up the Mid-Atlantic to see Mark Freedman and the Fairfield/Westchester SQL Server User Group at UConn, up in Stamford, CT.  Yes, CT is a bit far, but I'm a sucker for all things "New England".  Plus which, anyone who has a chance to speak for Mark Freedman's group should do so!  I'll be doing my talk in Change Data Capture for the group. 

Fifth, while it's not yet official, I think I'll be back in Manhattan on November 20th for NYC SQL Saturday.  Topic(s) TBA.   Looking forward to doing a few SQL talks, watching college football on my new HTC Evo in between sessions, and feeling the fall nip in the air as we all walk across the street afterwards for some fun at the Heartland Brewery.

Finally, there's a good chance I'll be making an announcement for another big community event before the end of the year - stay tuned!

KG

06/25/2010 - Upcoming Speaking events on SQL/BI/SharePoint topics

Hi, all - for anyone interested, here are some upcoming events where I'll be speaking:

First, next Thursday (July 1st, 2010), I'm doing a one hour presentation (Live Meeting and audio only) on content covered in the SetFocus SQL Server Master's Program. If you want to register (it's free), go to http://www.setfocus.com/events/default.aspx to register. I'll be speaking between 3 and 4 PM. I'm doing three presentations, twenty-minutes each, on Change Data Capture in SQL 2008, dynamic file handling in SSIS 2008, and new matrix and gauge charting capabilities in SSRS 2008.

Second, I'll be at the Lehigh Valley .NET User Group, on July 19th, talking about new reporting features in SQL Server 2008R2.

Third, I'll be speaking at the New Jersey SQL Server User Group on July 20th, talking about Change Data Capture in SQL Server 2008. (Because they host the meetings at the SetFocus facility in Parsippany, which offers remote capabilities, I may be presenting from my home in Central PA. I've done this a few times before for them, and it works out fine. SetFocus has a great infrastructure for remote presentations with their interactive GRID system).

Finally, I'll be at SharePoint Saturday in Manhattan, NY, on Saturday, July 31st. I'm doing two sessions: Creating Dashboards with PerformancePoint Server 2010, and Using Excel Services and PowerPivot with SharePoint 2010.

There are some events in August and September where I'll likely be speaking (Central PA CodeCamp for one) - I'll post the dates and information shortly.

03/07/2010 – NYC CodeCamp was great!

First, thanks to all who attended my session yesterday (T-SQL 2008 for Application Developers). I've posted my slide deck and sample code in the download area of this site.

Major kudos to Steve Bohlen (http://blog.unhandled-exceptions.com/), he organized a great event. I hadn't been to Manhattan for an event since fall of 2007, so it was great to get back. Fortunately, I'll be back there again in mid-April for the SQL Saturday event in NYC (http://www.sqlsaturday.com/39/eventhome.aspx).

Upper 50's and sunny today here in Central PA – I've got spring fever! I have about four "favorite times of the year", and we're approaching one of them right now – weather is getter warmer and the NCAA basketball tournament is just around the corner!

Listened to Wes Montgomery all the way back on the train last night – one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

KG