Deborah Melkin
Data Engineer, Microsoft MVP - Data Platform
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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Deborah Melkin has been working as a database professional with SQL Server for over 20 years. She spends her days helping coworkers with all aspects of database design, queries, performance, documentation, and deployment. In 2016, she began her blog, Deb the DBA. Soon after that, she began speaking at SQL Saturdays, user groups and other data platform events. She was named "One To Watch" as part of the #Redgate100 in 2022 and won Speaker Idol at PASS Summit 2019. Deborah is also a Microsoft MVP for the Data Platform.
In her spare time, Deborah can usually be found doing something musical or doing something geeky with her husband, Andy, and dog, Sebastian.
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Topics
Single Statement, Many Changes: How One Statement Can Modify Multiple Tables
You can only insert into, update, or delete from one table at a time. At least that’s what we’re told when we first learn to write SQL statements. However, the truth is that one data change could affect many other tables.
In this session, we will example how one data modification statement can affect numerous tables. We'll break these down into two different approaches: implicit & explicit. We will explore syntax, performance gains, and gotchas of these different methodologies.
Our goal is to not only understand how to implement these different techniques but ask why (and where) we may want to use them.
Choosing the Right Tool for the Job
There’s a saying about using the right tool for the right job. After all, you don't want to use a hammer when you need a screwdriver. We have many tools available to us to do our job as data professionals - some work better as development tools and other for admin tasks while some can handle either. So how do you decide which to use when?
In this session we’ll cover the most commonly used tools. We’ll look at where they work well and when we may need to look for a different tool. We’ll discuss areas where the tools intersect and work directly with each other. Some of the tools we will look at include Management Studio, Azure Data Studio, and Plan Explorer.
At the end, you should be able to go back to work with a better understanding of the tools available to us, when to use them, and how they can make your job easier to do.
Data Integrity Demystified
When we talk about “knowing our data,” we don’t seem to refer to the term “data integrity” anymore as part of that conversation. After all, that phrase can be very intimidating. But at its heart, it’s very simple – guaranteeing our data has meaning. The good news is much of what we already do creates data integrity in our databases.
In this session, we will explore how the basic constructs in our database design enforce data integrity. We will look at this from table design down through details, like data types and constraints. Additionally, we will discuss the difference between objects that support data integrity and those that support database performance.
At the end of the session, you will have a better understanding of what data integrity is, how to implement and enforce it in your databases, and why it is so important for our data.
Mastering Dynamic SQL
Dynamic SQL has a bad reputation. Some of it is even deserved. However, dynamic SQL can be a great tool to have in your toolbox when used correctly.
In this session, we'll dive into creating and troubleshooting dynamic SQL syntax. We will start by examining various scenarios that would be good candidates for implementation. Then we'll take a look at how it executes under the covers. We'll discuss ways of smarter and safer ways of crafting our SQL statements. And of course, we will discuss various ways to debug the statements as well as add error handling.
You will leave this session with a better understanding and appreciation for how dynamic SQL works as well as why and when to use it.
Database Deployment Methods Demystified
If you had to describe the database deployment process, you may say: We make changes in dev, magic happens, and then they appear in production. The technical part of that magic is what we’ll discuss.
In this session, we will explore the different ways that database changes can be applied - state based or migration scripts. We’ll look at how this impacts the various parts of the development lifecycle. We’ll examine some of the unexpected implications of how we deploy changes, including source control and database projects. This session isn’t just about implementing DevOps but about technical considerations regardless of how you deploy changes.
By the end of this session, you should have a clear understanding of the different ways to deploy your database changes, how they work, and most importantly, why you may want to implement those options.
Back to the Basics: T-SQL 101
Do you consider yourself a beginner to T-SQL? This session will go over the basic T-SQL syntax for querying data. We'll break down the fundamental statements to look at the different parts to see how they work together.
This session is designed for the junior DBA or developer who is looking for a better foundation of the basics. The goal is to feel more confident with how to write queries and understand how to build on that knowledge.
A Practical Starter Guide to SQL Notebooks
Have you been hearing about SQL Notebooks in Azure Data Studio but haven't worked with them yet? Or have you played around with notebooks but not been able to figure out how to make them work for you?
Let's jump into SQL Notebooks together as we figure out how we can use them in our day-to-day work! We will start by looking at the different options that are available to us in SQL Notebooks. Then we will examine real world scenarios and create notebooks for them. Finally, we will learn how we can share the notebooks with our coworkers.
When you leave, you will have the practical knowledge and comfort level to use SQL Notebooks in your day-to-day work.
Beyond the Basic SELECT
The SELECT statement is one of the most used tools in our SQL toolbelt. While it’s the basis for what we do with data, it’s anything but basic. In this presentation, we will first explore how SELECT statements are processed. Then we will discuss various ways we build on to our SELECTs. We'll also examine how and why we may or may not want to use them. At the end of the session, we will have a greater understanding of how SELECTS work and how we can approach them so we can be smarter as we write more complex statements.
Conquering the Monster Proc - How to Combat Legacy Code
We all have that one monster stored procedure: incredibly complex and integral to the application. But performance has been getting worse, and now it can no longer be ignored. You finally got the green light to make improvements but upon opening the code, you realize there's a bigger problem: Where do you begin? Is a full rewrite is appropriate? Do you have enough time to resolve all the issues? Are there any easy fixes to improve performance?
In this session, we'll answer these questions and more. By the end, you will leave with a smart tactical plan of attack to conquer that monster proc.
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