AndyLeonard.blog()

I’ve been using SpeakerRate.com to gather feedback on my presentations. If you attended my sessions at CodeStock last week, please rate them. If you’re speaking regularly at Code Camps or SQL Saturdays, feedback is cool. If you’re new to presenting, it’s essential! :{> Andy

Introduction This post is the nineteenth part of a ramble-rant about the software business. The current posts in this series are: Goodwill, Negative and Positive Visions, Quests, Missions Right, Wrong, and Style Follow Me Balance, Part 1 Balance, Part 2 Definition of a Great Team The 15-Minute Meeting Metaproblems: Drama The Right Question Software is Organic, …
Continue reading Institutionalized!

There are lots of things I love about training. I enjoy interacting with those enthusiastic to learn. I love watching the lights come on as students realize the solution to some issue they’ve battled. I really love hanging out with students durning breaks and after class – talking about ways to solve their ETL or …
Continue reading SSIS Training Class in Waltham, MA October 6 – 8

I’m honored to present two sessions at CodeStock Saturday 26 Jun 2010: Introduction to Incremental Loads with SSIS and Applied SSIS Design Patterns! I love speaking at developer events and I am sincerely grateful CodeStock is allowing me this opportunity. Introduction to Incremental Loads with SSIS is a neat session. I talk about ways to get SSIS to …
Continue reading Speaking at CodeStock Saturday!

I am honored to present Database Design for Developers to the PASS AppDev Virtual Chapter today at noon EDT via LiveMeeting! Details here. :{> Andy

I am honored to present Applied SSIS Design Patterns to the New England SQL Server Users Group on 10 Jun 2010! This is a reprise of the spotlight session presented at the PASS Summit 2009. Abstract “Design Patterns” is more than a trendy buzz phrase; design patterns are a way of breaking down complex development projects into …
Continue reading Presenting to the New England SQL Server Users Group 10 Jun 2010!

My favorite mother-in-law hooked my bride on the television series Criminal Minds during her last visit. I started watching the show as well, and sort of followed along. I was ok with the show until a recent episode in which Fonzie used his motorcycle to jump a shark in a pool in front of Al’s. …
Continue reading Simple Criminal Minds

Introduction I have some thoughts on the selection of pre-conference and post-conference session presenters at the PASS Summit. PASS pre-conference and post-conference sessions are $395. Trainers and speakers in the various SQL Server fields (relational engine, business intelligence, etc.) are selected to deliver these day-long seminars before and (now) after each PASS Summit. I have attended …
Continue reading Pre-Conference Sessions at the PASS Summit

Introduction SSIS is case-sensitive even if the database is case-insensitive. Imagine…  … you work in an ETL shop where someone who believes in natural keys won the Battle of the Joins. Imagine one of your natural keys is a string. (I know it’s a stretch… play along!). Let’s build some tables to sketch it out. If you …
Continue reading SSIS is Case-Sensitive

Introduction Ever have a need to calculate the total available storage space for a server? Recently I did. Here’s a solution I came up with – I bet someone can do this better! xp_fixeddrives There’s a handy stored procedure called xp_fixeddrives that reports the available storage space: exec xp_fixeddrives This returns: drive MB free—– ———–C     …
Continue reading T-SQL Snack: How Much Free Storage Space is Available?