If you are responsible for SQL Servers, you likely ask: Who has access my data? What data did they access, and when did they access it? Did they change the data, and if so, how was it changed?

These are important questions to consider before a security event occurs.

SQL Server data auditing

In an upcoming webinar, we’ll discuss some of the built-in capabilities of SQL Server that you can leverage to audit data access. We’ll provide an overview of key SQL Server technologies that can help answer the following questions:

• Who has access to your data? Using SQL Server’s native security model to determine who can access your data.
• How has your data been accessed? Using SQL Audit to determine when data was created, queried, updated, or changed.
• How did the data change? Using Change Data Capture to see how data was changed in your database.

Register here for the free webinar on Tuesday, August 17, 2021.

In the meantime, check out some of these security-related posts.

• Who Has sysadmin Access to Your SQL Servers?
• Securing Your SQL Servers, What Should You Audit?
• Who’s the SQL Server Database Owner and How Can You Change It?
• Protect Your SQL Server from MrbMiner and Other Malware Attacks
• Want to Learn SQL Server? Here Are 3 Free Sources

Want to work with The SERO Group?

Want to learn more about how SERO Group helps organizations take the guesswork out of managing their SQL Servers? It’s easy and there is no obligation. 

Let’s talk. Schedule a free no-obligations call with us.

The post Auditing Data Access in SQL Server, a Free Webinar appeared first on The SERO Group.

There are a lots of great free options for learning SQL Server. I shared some in Want to Learn SQL Server? Here Are 3 Free Sources.

Many of those sources are directly from Microsoft through their labs, Channel 9, and EdX programs. Others are from members in the SQL Server community, both individuals and companies, usually in the form of training videos, user group presentations, and MeetUps.

But there are other resources, too, including some low-cost options for learning SQL Server.

PluralSight can be a great place to learn SQL Server

PluralSight has become a leading platform for training videos for all sorts of technical training. Some of the smartest people I know in the SQL Server world have top-notch training videos on PluralSight. I’m reluctant to begin mentioning names here because there are so many. I’m sure I’d accidentally omit someone. Nevertheless, stalwarts from the community who regularly share their knowledge in user group meetings, at conferences and pre-cons (in the pre-COVID days), and online in forums and Twitter’s sqlhelp hashtag have PluralSight courses. If you’re looking for one in particular, here’s a list of PluralSight authors. You can also search the PluralSight catalog of courses.

PluralSight is not free, however. You have to pay to have access to their content. They share that revenue with the contributors, so course authors get paid for their work. Note: I do not have any courses on PluralSight nor do I have a referral agreement with the company. So, I’m not hocking something to get a kickback .

For those of us that like to “try before we buy,” for the month of April 2021 PluralSight is making their content available for free. They are calling it FREEAPRIL.

Want to work with The Sero Group?

While you’re leveling up your SQL prowess, we’ll be happy to help out with any SQL Server needs you may have.

Schedule a call with us to learn more. There’s no obligation.

Footnote: I first started working with Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 back in 1996. In fact, that was one of the first certification exams I passed.

The post Learn SQL Server with PluralSight’s FreeApril appeared first on The SERO Group.

The gift of SQLSaturday

If you’ve been around SQL Server very long, you know just how wonderful the SQL Server community is. People around the world regularly and selflessly share what they’ve learned to help someone else. They share online in blog posts and YouTube videos. They answer questions on Microsoft forums, on Twitter, and on SQLServerCentral.com. And they speak at user groups and other meetups.

And for years, SQLSaturdays have played an integral role in the community, providing local venues where SQL professionals could gather together to learn, to share, and to connect.

The SQLSaturday founders, Steve Jones, Brian Knight, and Andy Warren, gifted the brand to PASS years ago. (This is an example of the goodness that is the SQL Community.) When the gift was made, I served on the PASS Board of Directors, and no one could have predicted then what was to happen.

In January 2021, PASS ceased operations after more than 20 years. (See Has PASS Outlived Its Purpose? for some background.) So, SQLSaturdays came to a screeching halt. And the future of SQLSaturdays became uncertain.

Uncertain, that is, until Redgate stepped in.

What’s next for SQLSaturdays

Redgate is widely recognized as a corporate member of the SQLFamily. The company sponsors events, provides speakers, and even hosts community platforms.

Earlier this year, Redgate acquired PASS’ assets, including SQLSaturday. They are donating the SQLSaturday brand to a non-profit foundation.

So it seems fitting that Steve Jones, now member of the Redgate team, has been tasked with launching the non-profit. Creating a board of directors to oversee the non-profit’s operations and management is one of his first priorities. In Rebuilding SQL Saturday–Picking a Board of Directors, Steve shares his thoughts and vision for the future of SQLSaturday.

If you’re interested in helping Steve rebuild SQLSaturday, please consider volunteering. His blog post has the information you’ll need.

Ours is a giving community. And I feel fortunate to be a part of it.

Want to work with The Sero Group?

Want to learn more about how SERO Group helps organizations take the guesswork out of managing their SQL Servers? It’s easy and there is no obligation. 

Schedule a call with us to get started.

The post The Future of SQLSaturday appeared first on The SERO Group.

To help answer that question, I went to the PASS website to look for its mission statement. I couldn’t find it in the dropdown menus. I searched the site. No results found.

That’s disappointing.

And perhaps it explains why the organization is struggling as it is now.

The Mission of PASS

I served on the PASS Board of Directors from January of 2001 through December of 2007. I poured my heart and soul, not to mention thousands of volunteer hours, into the organization. I served in many capacities, including Executive Vice President of Finance, during some very trying times. In fact, I was in the EVP role when we decided the relationship with the former management company was unsalvageable and we needed to move in a different direction. But that’s another story.

Thinking back, I’m struggling to remember the official Mission Statement we had back then. I’m certain we had one.

But I remember well what my mission was. I know exactly why I served.

I served in appreciation for those who had gone before me in the SQL community, who had given freely of themselves so that I, and many others like me, could benefit from their experiences.

I served to create a place where we could connect with fellow SQL Server professionals and improve our craft.

I served to pay it forward to the up-and-coming SQL professionals who would undoubtedly surpass all I could do. I wanted to do for them what others had done for me.

I was but a small part of much larger effort. My role was tiny compared to those I served along side – both on the board and other volunteers. And that’s not false humility on my part. At times, I really was in over my head. But the team I served with was strong and we carried each other when needed.

Although I don’t want to speak for them, I suspect they served for the same reasons I did.

Connect. Share. Learn.

The reasons that I served those many years ago still exist today. I believe there are seasoned SQL Server veterans who still want to connect with those following in their footsteps. I believe that good data professionals still want to share with other good data professionals to sharpen their skills. And I believe still that our SQLFamily actively wants to help the next generation learn.

Connect. Share. Learn.

I did see that on the PASS website. Connect. Share. Learn.

That’s the closest thing that I could find on the PASS website that could be counted as a Mission Statement. I think those three words encapsulate why SQL professionals from around the globe are PASS members. Imagine, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide with a shared heart for the SQL Server community.

So, if we run with that. PASS has not outlived its usefulness or its purpose.

Are there other places to connect? Other places to share? To learn?

Absolutely. PASS has never had a monopoly on those things. It wouldn’t be healthy for the SQL Community if PASS did. But that doesn’t mean the community isn’t better for the organization’s efforts and presence.

I know I have benefited personally and professionally. The knowledge I’ve gained. The relationships I’ve made. The friendships that I cherish. I’ve certainly benefited from PASS.

An Organization on Life Support

But now, PASS is in dire straits. I don’t believe that’s been officially communicated, but we all know it’s true.

The pandemic has exposed and amplified every weakness in PASS’ operations and structure. From its complete dependence on in-person events for revenue to the way it relies on a for-profit company for senior leadership and staffing, every aspect of PASS that could be a liability has become a massive, potentially devastating death nail for the organization.

That grieves me.

I wish PASS was not in this predicament. I wish decisions had been made differently over the past 10 years. I wish there was a better revenue model. I wish there was a different arrangement with the management company. And, I wish the Board of Directors had a trusted advisor, one with sound business acumen, that could provide unbiased advice.

I don’t mean to cast stones. That’s not the point here.

I’m not second guessing any specific decisions or arrangements. Now is not the time for that. That time will come.

I hope.

But it’s not guaranteed.

Helping PASS

Let’s face it. Without support from the SQL Community that it helped nurture, PASS may not exist in 6 to 12 months.

It may not survive.

If you’ re like me, you don’t want to see that happen. You’d like for PASS to be around next year, and the year after that. Maybe not in its current form. Maybe not without significant changes. But at least still be around.

So, how can we help? How can we give back to an organization that’s benefited our careers and enriched our friendships? A few ways come to mind.

First, register for the PASS Virtual Summit. It’s 100% online so there are no travel costs. It’s reasonably priced, currently 599 USD for the 3-day event and 399 USD for a pre-conference seminar. Or you can opt for the bundle which provides 5 full days of training for 999 USD. That’s 200 USD per day, and you can access the content for 12 months.

Second consider buying a PASS Pro Membership. I know. You get almost nothing for that membership. It was a kneejerk reaction to try to bring in a bit of revenue. That’s OK. Just consider your PASS Pro Membership a vehicle to donate approximately 100 USD to an organization you support in principle.

Third, assuming PASS comes through this, scathed or not, consider running for the Board of Directors. Be the change you’d like to see. Applications are open until 9 October, 2020.

Objections

But wouldn’t giving money to PASS simply enable them to continue making bad decisions, decisions that I disagree with? Wouldn’t the money just go into the pockets of the for-profit the management company, C&C? Isn’t supporting PASS now the same as endorsing every decision they’ve made to this point? Besides, haven’t they lost their way and don’t they treat the SQL Community they claim to love poorly these days?

Those are tough questions, ones I’ve wrestled with myself. This has been a difficult post for me to write because there is an element of truth in each of those questions.

But I can tell you that I believe we are past the point of enabling, past the point of disagreeing on principle.

For PASS to be around to reform, it must first survive. And frankly I’m doubtful it can without substantial help. If we can help it survive, we can change it and make it better.

Has PASS Outlived Its Purpose?

I don’t think PASS has outlived its purpose. I think it’s just as relevant today as when founded twenty-plus years ago.

The question is: will it have a future?

I, for one, hope so.

[Edit – 10/2/2020] After this post was originally published, Chris Yates (@YatesSQL), the current Vice President of Marketing for PASS, reached out to me. The PASS Mission Statement may be found here. It reads: “Empower data professionals who leverage Microsoft technologies to connect, share, and learn through networking, knowledge sharing, and peer-based learning.”

The post Has PASS Outlived Its Purpose? appeared first on The SERO Group.

Free SQL Server Training Resources

Often these IT Professionals, sometimes called “Accidental DBAs,” do an admirable job, even with little formal SQL Server training. Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources available online for the “Accidental DBA.” Here are a few free SQL Server learning resources worth checking out:

1. Microsoft Resources and Labs

Microsoft has put together quite a few learning opportunities available to the public for free. These are in several different formats so you can pick the one you’re most comfortable with. Here are a few you may want to check out:

1. Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (CTP 3.2) Lab. In this self-paced lab, you’ll learn how to use SQL Server 2019 to solve business challenges.
2. Microsoft AI School. Artificial Intelligence is a hot topic in today’s business environment. In Microsoft AI School, you’ll “find the information, learning materials, and resources you need to start building intelligence into your solutions.”
3. SQL Server Tutorials. More than just Online Documentation, SQL Docs is a great place for detailed information about how to use SQL Server. It includes tutorials that will step you through learning the database technology.
4. EdX. Founded by Harvard and MIT, EdX is a place where education is freely available to everyone online. Microsoft has partnered with EdX to provide free courses online for SQL Server. Here are a few:
   • Querying Data with Transact-SQL.
   • Developing SQL Databases.
   • Analyzing and Visualizing Data with SQL Server Reporting Services.
5. Channel 9. Microsoft produces a lot of video content for SQL Server and other products. They make it available online via Channel 9.

2. YouTube Channels

YouTube can be a great resource for learning just about anything. From changing a tire to playing the ukulele, you can find it on YouTube. It should come as no surprise that there are a lot of great SQL Server training videos available as well. Of course, since just about anyone can create a video, you’ll want to be careful. Not everyone is the expert that they portend to be online. Do your own research. Here are a couple of places to start.

1. SQL Server YouTube Search. A list of SQL Server-related videos.
2. Microsoft SQL Server YouTube Channel. Microsoft SQL Server home on YouTube.

3. SQLSaturdays and Virtual Groups

For many years, I was on the board of Directors for a global user group called PASS. The organization is committed to providing learning opportunities for professionals around the globe and to helping the community to better connect with one another. There are a couple of ways PASS helps with this.

1. SQLSaturdays are a series of free one-day training events in cities around the world. These events, as the name suggests are held on Saturdays and are free to attend. They typically have some of the best and most well-known SQL Server experts around. Look for a SQLSaturday near you and plan to attend. You’ll see some great content and better yet make some incredible connections.
2. Virtual Groups. Through live webinars, PASS Virtual Groups offer top-notch training no matter where you happen to be. Check out a list of upcoming webinars.

Summary

With a new release every 18 to 24 months, keeping up with the latest changes can be a challenge. Hopefully, these free resources will help. We also have an ever growing SQL Script Library available to help get you started with some of the more common tasks.

Want to work with The Sero Group?

Want to learn more about how SERO Group helps organizations take the guesswork out of managing their SQL Servers? It’s easy and there is no obligation. 

Schedule a call with us to get started.

The post Want to Learn SQL Server? Here Are 3 Free Sources appeared first on The SERO Group.