Frank Geisler
GDS Business Intelligence GmbH
Lüdinghausen, Germany
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Frank Geisler is the owner and CEO of GDS Business Intelligence GmbH, a leading Microsoft Solution Provider specializing in Data and AI. He holds numerous prestigious certifications, including Data Platform MVP, MCT, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Security Engineer Associate, Azure Data Engineer Associate, and DevOps Engineer Expert. In his role, Frank excels in building robust Business Intelligence systems leveraging Microsoft technologies such as SQL Server, Azure Data Platform, Microsoft Fabric, and Power BI. He is also proficient in constructing Azure infrastructures and architectures using PowerShell and Bicep.
Frank is a prolific author, having written several bestselling books including "Power BI für Dummies," "Azure für Dummies," "Docker für Dummies," and "Pro Serverless Data Handling with Microsoft Azure." As a frequent speaker, he has delivered insightful presentations at major national and international conferences like the PASS Community Summit, SQL BITS, and SQL Server Konferenz.
In addition to his professional achievements, Frank co-founded PASS Deutschland e.V. in 2004 and has served on its board of directors for many years. He also leads the Microsoft Data Community Regional Chapter Münsterland, contributing significantly to the community's growth and development.
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Build A Fabric Real-time Intelligence Solution in One Day
Real-Time Intelligence in Fabric is designed to enable organisations to bring their streaming, high-granularity, time-sensitive event data into Fabric and build various analytical, visual and action oriented data applications and experiences with it. In this session, you will learn about what Fabric Real-time Intelligence is meant for and will then build an end-to-end solution using streaming data.
This session will get you hands-on with Real-Time Hub, Eventstream, Eventhouse, Data Activator, Real-time Dashboards, Power BI, and Copilot with combination of Microsoft MVPs and Fabric product group members to guide you along the way.
The end-to-end solution we build together will encompass:
• Discovering and cataloging your data streams using Real-Time Hub
• Connecting to streaming data from various sources around the world
• Cleaning, normalizing, preparing data for superior query time experiences
• Leveraging Copilot to discover streaming data
• Low-code/no-code experiences for data exploration
• Developing dashboards
Licensing woes and headaches - how to handle Power BI and Fabric
Microsoft launched their new data and analytics offering Microsoft Fabric in preview in May this year. A Data Platform As A Service - available together with Power BI. But what kind of pricing mechanism comes into play - is it Pay as You Go? Or do you have to go for a Power BI Premium capacity?
And what about storage costs?
Join this session where we will look at the different commercial and licensing options that is available.
(the speaker and organizers cannot take any responsibility for injuries - mental or otherwise - that can occur when dealing with licensing...)
IaC Thunderdome: Bicep vs. Terraform!
As organizations increasingly adopt cloud technologies, managing infrastructure efficiently becomes paramount. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools play a crucial role in achieving this goal. In this session, we delve into a head-to-head comparison between two popular IaC tools: Bicep and Terraform. Specifically, we explore their strengths, weaknesses, and suitability for data infrastructure scenarios.
During the session we will dive into the following aspects:
1. Language: When you have understood the concept of Infrastructure-as-Code both Bicep and Terraform code is quite readable. Bicep is a relatively new language while Terraform is more mature and have a rich ecosystem. How are they licensed and how will that affect you in your scenario?
2. State and Backend: How do Bicep and Terraform handle state management? What are the implications of incremental deployment in Bicep and how do Terraforms required use of a state file affect scalability? How is configuration drift handled in the two tools? How do you make sure to secure your IaC backend from bad actors
3. Infrastructure Targets: Bicep is Azure exclusive while Terraform has multi-cloud support. Besides the obvious, how does that affect you, if at all?
4. CLI Tools: We do a comparison between Bicep’s integration with Azure CLI and Terraforms CLI. Furthermore we show practical examples of using CLI commands for deployment.
5. CI/CD: How can you streamline your IaC delivery with tools like Bicep and Terraform, especially when you have multiple team members contributing to your cloud? How is testing handled and do regression-testing of IaC exist? We’ll have a look at possibilities using GitHub for this.
The session concludes with decision factors for Bicep or Terraform, so when should you use what taking factors like cloud environment, project scope and team expertise into account. We will give you some best practices for making an informed decision. Join us for an insightful session where we dissect Bicep and Terraform, equipping you with the knowledge to make informed choices for your data infrastructure projects.
Real-Time Intelligence with Microsoft Fabric
In the rapidly evolving landscape of data-driven decision-making, the ability to process and analyze information in real time has become a cornerstone of competitive advantage. Microsoft Fabric's Real-Time Intelligence (RTI) represents a paradigm shift in how organizations can leverage streaming data to drive immediate insights and actions. This introductory session will explore the fundamentals of RTI within Microsoft Fabric, providing a comprehensive overview of its capabilities and applications.
Long term Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler will give insights into how RTI combines the robust features of Fabric Real-Time Analytics and Data Activator with an array of additional tools, enabling a seamless end-to-end solution for ingesting, processing, analyzing, and acting upon data events.
Attendees will learn how RTI simplifies the creation of real-time data solutions, making it accessible to business users, analysts, data engineers, and developers alike.
By the end of this session, participants will have a clear understanding of how Real-Time Intelligence within Microsoft Fabric can transform their organization's data strategy, enabling them to act on time-sensitive information.
PowerShell and dbatools - Your secret Superpower
Being a Database Administrator is a daunting task. So many things to do, so many tasks to fullfil. Why not getting in your phone booth, change your cloths and be the superhero everyone is waiting for? In this demo packed session german Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler will give you an introduction to automate everyday SQL Server tasks though PowerShell and dbatools. After that everyone will ask..."Is it a bird?", "Is it a plane`?" "No it is a PowerShell and dbatools guru"...
Exploring Graph Semantics in Fabric Real Time Analytics: Unveiling Insights through Connected Data
In the realm of data analytics, the representation and analysis of interconnected data play a pivotal role in uncovering hidden patterns, relationships, and insights. This talk delves into the intriguing domain of graph semantics within Fabric Real Time Analytics, a powerful and scalable analytics service offered by Microsoft.
The session aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how graph data structures can be leveraged within Fabric Real Time Analytics to navigate complex relationships inherent in diverse datasets. Attendees will gain insights into the theoretical foundations of graph semantics and its practical applications in real-world scenarios, with a particular focus on optimizing data exploration and analysis.
The discussion will cover key topics such as graph database fundamentals, query languages for graph data, and the integration of graph semantics into the Fabric Real Time Analytics ecosystem. Practical examples and use cases will be presented to illustrate how graph-based approaches can enhance data exploration, uncover hidden dependencies, and facilitate advanced analytics.
Furthermore, the talk will address the seamless integration of graph semantics with other Azure services, showcasing the potential for cross-functional insights and the ability to derive holistic perspectives from interconnected data sources. Attendees can expect to leave with a deeper understanding of how graph semantics can be harnessed to unlock the full potential of their data within the Fabric Real Time Analytics environment.
Whether you are a data scientist, analyst, or a technology enthusiast, this talk offers a valuable opportunity to explore the intersection of graph semantics and Fabric Real Time Analytics, paving the way for more informed decision-making and transformative data discoveries.
Low flying planes and Realtime Data Analytics
You know what the problem is these days? Some planes approaching the airport are always too low and bother the people that live near the airport by their noise. What if there only would be a technology with which we could analyze in real time which planes are too low? Because world wide aviation produces a massive amount of data this technology should be able to analyze Terrabytes of Data in the blink of an eye. Real Time Analytics in Microsoft Fabric to the rescue! Real-time Analytics in Fabric leverages top grossing Azure services like Event hub, Azure Stream Analytics and Azure Data Explorer that have been fused together into an integrated experience with Eventstream and KQL Database. This session will go behind into the KQL language and some of its unique capabilities of analyzing and joining billions of records.
Devang Shah, Fabric CAT PM at Microsoft who is focussing on Azure Data Explorer (Kusto) and long time Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler will demonstrate the capabilities of ADX in Fabric with a massive demo: As per FlightAware, there are about 9000-10000 flights in air at any given point in time. Certain countries mandate that aircraft must fly above 2500 feet in residential zones. Wondering what flights and altitude levels have go to do with Real-time Analytics in Fabric. In this session, you will see how billions of data points are stream ingested into Real-time Analytics, analysed at scale using advanced geospatial and timeseries analysis queries and then visualizing it all in Power BI in near real-time. With this setup, we are preparing a dashboard for port authorities of a town that can monitor the flights that are violating the noise control altitude that has been put in place by the city.
Living on the Edge: SQL Server Edge
In this session German Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler shows what exactly SQL Server Edge is, how to use it and how to install SQL Server Edge on an edge device like a Raspberry Pi.
Beginners Guide to Azure Data Studio
Two years ago Microsoft published a new tool that can be used for Development and Administration of SQL Server and meanwhile also for PostgreSQL. In this session German Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler will explain the differences between SSMS and Azure Data Studio and show you why it is important to learn and work with this tool now. If you heared about Azure Data Studio but don't know what it is and how it works this is the perfect session for you.
Bad habbits DIE HARD!
In this demo packed session Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler examines SQL Anti Patterns. There are so many things that can be done wrong while writing T-SQL Code. Some mistakes are made because of lazieness some are made because of lack of knowlegde. What this session will show you what SQL Anti Patterns are and why it is wise to avoid them.
Automating Power BI with PowerShell
In this Demo packed Session German Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler will show how to automate Power BI adminitstrative task with Power BI. Attendees will learn where to get the tools, what can be automated. There are several easy to follow examples, e.g. how to automatically create a Power BI Dataset via PowerShell or how to build a Power BI Inventory.
Introduction to SQL Server on Docker
In this session German Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler explains how the container technology Docker can be used to execute a SQL Server in a container environment and how this could be benificial for Development Teams using SQL Server Data Tools and TFS.
Code Your Report Environment
You too can build a development Environment for Reporting Services and SQL Server with Azure completely in PowerShell without any GUI!! Additionally, Frank Geisler will be discussing the ReportingServicesTools in PowerShell.
Introduction to the Microsoft Dataverse
Microsoft Dataverse is a cloud-based, low-code data service and app platform, which allows you to leverage the security and connectivity of Microsoft services. Dataverse connects easily to all aspects of Microsoft Power Platform so that you can fully control, automate, and strengthen your business. With standard tables and columns, as well as the ability to easily define relationships between your data, Dataverse was built for powerful, scalable solutions. In this session Microsoft Data Platform MVP will give you an introduction in the Data Layer behind the Power Platform.
Data Wranglng the PowerShell way
Data is the Oil of the 21th century as The Economist once titled. In a perfect world this data is stored in the perfect data model, either on prem or in the cloud, nicely formed and ready to use. Right? But we live in a world that is far away from this. Data is everywhere. It is in SharPoint Lists, CSV Files, Excel Files, maybe in your System, maybe in another Application, even in your Active Directory. Often there are requirements to transform this data from one Data Storage to another just to sync data between different sources or just because the boss wants some Excel file (sigh). A big Data Transformation Solution like SSIS or Azure Data Factory might not always be the best solution to accomplish these tasks. Join german Data Platform MVP Frank Geisler in a demo centric session where he demonstrates how to transform data between different data sources with PowerShel, dbatools and ImprortExcel and do all this little transformations in the blink of an eye. And remember your Boss waiting on his Excel Sheet? Even this can be archeived easily through PowerShell!
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Frank Geisler
GDS Business Intelligence GmbH
Lüdinghausen, Germany
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