Grant Fritchey
Redgate Software
Sapulpa, Oklahoma, United States
Grant Fritchey is a Data Platform MVP and AWS Community Builder with over 30 years’ experience in IT, including time spent in support and development. Grant works with multiple data platforms including SQL Server and PostgreSQL as well as multiple cloud platforms. He has also developed in VB, VB.NET, C#, and Java. Grant writes books for Apress and Simple-Talk. Grant presents at conferences and user groups, large and small, all over the world. He joined Redgate Software as a product advocate in January 2011.
Awards
Area of Expertise
Topics
Automating PostgreSQL Deployments With Azure DevOps
Whether you're running PostgreSQL on big iron, inside a container, or up on a cloud provider, you're going to need to deploy changes to the databases you have under management. Deploying changes automatically is slow and hazardous. In this session you will learn techniques to automate your PostgreSQL deployments using a combination of tools. We'll put the open source tool Flyway to work through Azure DevOps. Along the way we'll show where you can add automated testing through continuous integration. Your deployments can be made both safer and faster through automation.
DevOps, Databases, Compliance and the GDPR
More and more software teams are turning to DevOps to enable them to deliver value to the business and their customers more quickly. Environments, databases and frequency of change are all on the increase, as is the need to be compliant with a growing number of regulations and policies governing the use of data. So what should database teams do: slow delivery down or accelerate the oversight?
Neither. It's time to fully adopt a DevOps approach to speed your development while ensuring your ability to comply with more and more stringent data requirements. This session explores the pain points that GDPR, NIST and other legal data requirements places on the development and deployment process. We'll also explore how you can reduce or eliminate that pain in order to deliver functionality faster while still meeting mandatory compliance.
Efficiency up, failed releases down; compliant production data for your test and dev environments
Provisioning data for development and testing doesn’t have to be considered a time and money sink and shouldn’t come with a compromise in data quality.
DevOps test data management combines the agility of DevOps practices, with the theory of test data management – getting quality data in your hands, without being considered a bottleneck. In this session, we’ll tackle the challenges that come with provisioning quality data for test, QA, and CI practices.
Extended Events Live Data Window
In this twenty minute session, I will explain how you can use the Live Data Window within SQL Server Management Studio in order to work with Extended Events data. While Extended Events does output as XML, you can avoid dealing with the XML entirely. Please come to this session and I'll show you how to view your data, sort and aggregate the data, all on the fly in this short, but demo-heavy presentation.
Mechanisms for Implementing Database DevOps
Simply saying that you’re going to start automating database deployments in support of a DevOps implementation is the easy part. Now comes the moment where the rubber meets the road and you have to do the work. This session will outline the kind of tools you need to make database DevOps a reality. We’ll explore how those tools go together and some of the mechanisms you can employ to automate your database deployments. We’ll look at cloud offerings like Azure DevOps and AWS Developer tools, but also more earthly tools like Octopus and Jenkins. You’ll have a better understanding of the actual work involved in implementing a full blown DevOps solution for your databases.
Methods for Making Databases Part of Your DevOps Processes
Application development has a long history of successfully implementing DevOps, while databases have lagged far behind. However, with modern tooling, it is now entirely possible to automate database deployments along with your applications. This session will explore two aspects of implementing DevOps within databases. First, we'll provide you with the language necessary to convince the data experts that a DevOps approach adds protection to their production environments. Second, we'll explore the tools that can be used to assist your database automation. The days of manual processes with your database can be safely ended using the skills you'll learn from this session.
Overcoming the Challenges to Database Deployment Automation
As people move into automating more and more of their processes, they frequently run into a brick wall: data and data persistence. Deploying databases through automated means can be extremely challenging. This short session will provide a number of tips to help you get started automating your databases the same way you automate your code.
PostgreSQL in the Cloud
When you make the decision to use one of the many Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings for hosting your PostgreSQL databases, there are a number of things, good and bad, you should be aware of. This session will walk you through what it means to host your PostgreSQL databases on the major cloud vendors. We'll go over the positive things you get like backups and high availability. We'll also talk about the negative things like not being able to install some extensions. Moving to the cloud requires quite a bit of knowledge. You can start your migration with the knowledge you get in this session.
Redgate Presents: DevOps for the DBA (all proceeds donated to charity)
Proceeds from this full-day session will be donated by Redgate to BLACK GIRLS CODE.
I love DevOps. I love DevOps the most because of its focus on automation. The key to understanding DevOps is to grasp that it is your communication and environment that is important, not tooling alone, though tooling plays a factor.
One of the reasons I love DevOps so much is because I’ve done it successfully. I’ve worked on teams that built fully automated deployment mechanisms to get code from Dev to Production. Further, we automated the creation of dev & test servers. We automated the creation of production servers too. We automated the heck out of everything.
Automation frees you from drudgery. Instead of having to do dull work, you automate it. Now, your time frees up to do other things and those other things will absolutely fill your time. You’ll be tuning, designing, troubleshooting, all new and better databases. Automation removes thoughtless, repetitive tasks. It replaces them with tasks that require thought, that aren’t repetitive, that are more challenging and more interesting.
So, please, join me and the team from Redgate Software as we show you how to implement DevOps as a DBA using the fantastic suite of tools available from Redgate.
We will start with understanding how source control works and end with automated deployments across environments. Along the way we’ll talk about how to easily share styles and snippets to create consistency, and get your team working in the same way.
You’ll learn about processes and tools that not only make it easier and faster to move database changes, but add protection to your production information.
We will discuss tools, process and the fundamental changes in culture necessary to take your database development and deployment into a high functioning DevOps team.
So, wanna join our team and learn how to get your databases into a DevOps process?
Understanding Execution Plans
When you're looking at a performance problem in T-SQL for the first time, it's likely that someone suggested you should look at the execution plan for the query. What is an execution plan? How do you get an execution plan. Once you've got one, how on earth do you understand what it's showing you? This session will give you the answers to those questions and more. We'll cover what execution plans are, how you can get them, and how to get started understanding what they're showing you. You'll be ready to get started fixing the performance on your own queries with the knowledge gathered here.
Understanding Extended Events
Because of a rocky launch back in 2008, combined with bad information, and some hard feelings around the XML, Extended Events has had a difficult path to adoption. Yet, Extended Events is where monitoring for all new functionality is exposed. Further, Extended Events offers a more lightweight, less intrusive way to observe behaviors on your SQL Server instances. Extended Events even offers unique insights into what is happening on your server. With all that in mind, it's time for you to learn Extended Events. This session will take you from the basics of how to use Extended Events, through a number of the unique mechanisms available for collecting and displaying data. We'll also cover tools and mechanisms, such as the Live Data Window and DBATools, which make using Extended Events much easier and more rewarding. From Azure, to your local instances, to AWS RDS, Extended Events is ready for you to use. If you've been holding off on learning Extended Events, this session is what you've been waiting for. Learn how to put Extended Events to work on your systems.
Using Query Store to Understand and Control Query Performance
Understanding which queries are causing the most difficulty in your systems can be a challenge. Then, fixing those problematic queries is yet another challenge. The Query Store, running in SQL Server and Azure SQL Database, can help you identify problematic queries, and it can help you fix their performance. This session will show you the various data points that Query Store collects that will help you identify the queries that are behaving badly. In addition, this session will show you the different mechanisms within Query Store that can help you fix poorly performing queries. We'll cover Query Store functionality from SQL Server 2016 through to the new stuff in SQL Server 2022. Along the way we'll cover various settings that help you control how Query Store behaves. Query Store is something you can put to work immediately in your own environments that will help you improve performance right away.
What I’m telling your developers about DevOps
Your developers are adopting DevOps, if they haven’t already implemented it. They are looking at your databases and wondering when you will adopt DevOps for the database. I’m telling developers that using DevOps methodologies successfully can lead to massive improvements in your ability to deliver more functionality and higher quality software quickly and safely to your business. However, they have an old-school DBA who is cautious about automation and a shift-left mentality, you. This session is specifically designed to inform you, the DBA, about the tools and language I’m giving your developers in order for them to communicate their needs. Let’s short circuit this conversation and instead, I’ll let you know exactly how you can automate your database deployments and testing in order to adopt database DevOps.
feedback link https://sqlb.it/?7265
Using Flyway To Automate Database Deployments
Whether you're working with data in AWS Aurora, Redshift, Azure Synapse, PostgreSQL or a myriad of other data platforms, automating database deployments alongside your applications is a challenge. This is precisely where the open source Flyway database deployment tool arrives to help. This session will explore the mechanisms that Flyway uses to automate your database deployments. We'll explore using Flyway from containers, with AWS Developer Tools, Azure DevOps and more. Flyway truly is a flexible solution that can help you integrate database deployments into your existing DevOps pipelines.
Using AWS DevOps to Automate Database Deployments
DevOps is all about a cultural change to how you manage your IT resources. However, the biggest challenge when implementing DevOps is learning all the necessary tooling in support of automation. The issue of automation is even more challenging when it comes to automating database deployments. This session will show you the tools and mechanisms needed to get your databases deploying through AWS. We’ll slowly add additional steps and tools within AWS to expand the complexity and functionality of the database deployment process. Understanding how to build out the bare bones of an AWS deployment process will make it easier to automate your database deployments. Integrating your database into the rest of the automation you're already using results in enhanced speed of delivery while also providing added protection to your production systems.
Flyway: An Evolution in Database Deployments
The core behavior of Flyway assures you of a mechanism to run the right scripts in order to safely deploy your databases. While that core behavior is key, you can get even more functionality in support of fast, safe, automated database deployments. Come and see the next steps in the evolution of Flyway. This session will walk you through these new functions, all to help you deploy your databases better.
Feedback link: https://sqlb.it/?7233
Why You Should Be Standing Here: Learning to Present a Session
You should know how to present a session. In fact, you should be standing up on the stage where I will be standing while presenting this session. It's not about becoming an industry expert, an MVP or an AWS Community Builder. No, it's about learning how to take an idea to your management team and convince them that you can help the business. It's about teaching new techniques to your peers. It's about expanding your own knowledge on a topic as you prepare a session, present it, and then answer questions. There are very good, career driven, reasons for you to learn to present.
This session will go over how to put together a session. From choosing meaningful titles to putting together abstracts, you'll get the information you need to get started. We'll discuss how to build the slides, demonstrations, and more. You'll learn about how to rehearse to get ready for your session. Finally, we'll cover actually giving the session, handling questions, hecklers and other points.
You should be standing at the front of the room, giving your own session. Please, come here, learn why, and learn how. It will help you in your career.
Common Backup Problems and How To Solve Them
One of the single most important things you can do for your SQL Server instances is to ensure that you have protected the data within them. One of the single most important ways you can provide that protection is through the use of backups. However, there are a number of problems that can regularly arise around backups. This session is intended to provide you with solutions to, and understanding of, those common backup problems. You'll come of out of this session with a better understanding how best to protect the data under your management within your organization. The lessons learned here can be put to work immediately.
Capturing Query Metrics in Azure SQL Database
While under the covers Azure SQL Database is just good old fashioned SQL Server, when it comes to capturing query metrics, it can present unique challenges. This session will demonstrate various methods for capturing query metrics in Azure. We'll explore the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. You'll go back to your own databases with enough knowledge to truly understand how your queries are performing on Azure SQL Database.
Benefits of Using Version Control In Database Development
Sure, fully automated DevOps deployments are great. However, is there any other benefit to using version control when it comes to databases? Yes. If you'd like more detail, come to the session where I lay out a number of benefits for using version control with your database development.
Automating Database Deployments Using Github Actions
Implementing DevOps or DevOps-style automation can be difficult, but when you start to deal with data, that difficulty increases rapidly. This session shows how to implement various techniques that allow you to safely automate database deployments using Github Actions. You'll learn how to successfully deploy to both on-premises and cloud-based databases in support of a complete DevOps approach.
Automating Database Deployments using Azure DevOps
Automation is a fundamental aspect when adopting a DevOps-style deployment process. Learn how you can use Azure DevOps tools to automate your database deployments successfully. Topics include the challenge of supporting more than one database system, deployments in Azure SQL Database, Postgres and Maria DB. We'll also show how you can use Azure DevOps to deploy to an on-premises database. All the databases you have under management can have their deployments automated. Come to this session to learn how.
3 Reasons to Include Data and Databases In Your CI Process
The difficulties inherent in dealing with data and databases frequently cause them to be left out of a CI process. However, when you’ve put together a successful Continuous Integration (CI) process, you’ll immediately see the benefits. This session will focus on these benefits gained by adding databases to your CI process. We’ll also cover a few ways to overcome the difficulties that databases present within a CI process. Adding data to your CI process will make it better than ever. Come to this session to learn why.
SQL Server Tools for Query Tuning
Query tuning within SQL Server can be a tough skill to master. The new tooling released with SQL Server 2016 and 2017 changes how you identify poorly performing queries, troubleshoot their behavior and tune the queries, all a little easier.
This workshop teaches new techniques for tuning queries using all the new tools introduced in SQL Server 2016 and 2017. You'll be able to put this knowledge to work immediately, not only in your 2016 or better instances but also in your Azure SQL Database databases. You will be tuning your queries faster and more accurately using the new tools available.
SQL Injection: How it Works, How to Stop It
This session will explain and demonstrate exactly how a SQL Injection attack occurs. While the core vulnerability is easy to understand, exactly how hackers exploit that vulnerability is not. I'll show you how a hacker explores your database through SQL Injection to find vulnerabilities and sensitive data. Better still, I'll show you the errors that this exploration generates as a mechanism for monitoring your systems to find SQL Injection attacks. Finally, I'll show you the steps you should be taking to properly secure your systems in order to completely avoid SQL Injection attacks.
Learn to Read Execution Plans
There's more to reading execution plans than just looking for scans. This session will show you how to understand the information inside an execution plan.
Learn to Effectively Use Extended Events
Too many people have looked at Extended Events, seen what looks like a horrible interface, heard about the XML, and have subsequently run away. This session is here to show you how to effectively use Extended Events to monitor your query performance, and more, in an efficient and useful way. The interface for Extended Events isn't bad, just grossly misunderstood. After you attend this session, you'll be able to easily do things that you've never been able to do with Trace. You need a more efficient query metrics tool, and it's waiting for you in Extended Events.
Exploring Execution Plans
Getting started reading execution plans is very straight forward. The real issue is understanding the plans as they grow in size and complexity. This session will show you how to explore the nooks and crannies of an execution plan in order to more easily find the necessary information needed to make what the plan is telling you crystal clear. The information presented here will better empower you to traverse the execution plans you’ll see on your own servers. That knowledge will make it possible to more efficiently and accurately tune and troubleshoot your queries.
DevOps for the DBA
Far too many people responsible for production data management systems are reluctant to embrace DevOps. The concepts behind DevOps can appear to be contrary to many of the established best practices for securing, maintaining and operating a reliable database. However, there is nothing inherent to a well-designed DevOps process that would preclude ensuring that the information stored within your data management system is completely protected. This session will examine the various methods and approaches available to the data professional to both embrace a DevOps approach to building, deploying, maintaining and managing their databases and protect those databases just as well as they ever have been. We will explore practices and plans that can be pursued using a variety of tooling and processes to provide DevOps methodologies to the systems under your control. You can embrace DevOps and protect your data.
Convince Your DBA to Support DevOps
You know that using DevOps methodologies successfully can lead to massive improvements in your ability to quickly and safely deliver more and better functionality to your business. However, you have an old-school DBA who refuses to get on board with automation and a shift-left mentality. This session is specifically designed to give you the tools and the language you need to talk to your DBA in a language they'll understand. You'll be able to convince them that not only is implementing DevOps good for the organization, it will lead to a safer database environment. Get your DBA into the modern age using the knowledge from this session.
Identify Poorly Performing Queries - Three Tools You Already Own
One of the first challenges you’ll face when you decide to address poor query performance is identifying which query you should focus on. While you can simply wait for the people using your application to complain, a more proactive approach will serve you better. This session will walk you through three different, built-in tools within SQL Server that can be used to identify poorly performing queries. We’ll focus on the ubiquitous Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) since you can use them anywhere. Then, we’ll talk about what’s possible in SQL Server 2012 and greater through the use of Extended Events. Finally, we’ll talk about how you can put Query Store to use if you’re working in SQL Server 2016 or greater. Between these three tools, you can better understand which queries you need to focus on to fix problems in your environment right away.
Answering questions using extended events
Sure, you can use Extended Events within SQL Server to capture query performance metrics. However, is that all you really want?
For most people, they want to know the answers to questions. Which query is using the most CPU? Why did that statement recompile? Is Query Store having problems on my database? These and many other questions can be easily answered through the use of Extended Events.
This session explores how to use Extended Events to do more than simply capture performance metrics, although we'll do that too. You can learn to put Extended Events to work in your own systems to answer your own questions based on the information provided here. We'll go beyond simply capturing events and talk about how to combine them through Causality Tracking. We'll also consume the data in ways beyond simply capturing to a file, such as through histograms.
You will better be able to put Extended Events to work helping you answer your questions.
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