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Archive for the ‘SQL Training’ Category

SQLAuthority News – Koenig Solutions Invests into World’s Largest IT Training Center

Posted in PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQL Training, SQLAuthority News, T SQL, Technology on April 11, 2013 | 1 Comment »

Here is very interesting news from my friends at Koenig Solutions. They have opened a new IT training center which is indeed the state of the art facility. Here is the quick note of what I have observed about their new facility. This is excellent news for me as the leadership team of the Koenig and I go a long way back. It is fantastic to see your friends growing and becoming the largest IT Training Center.

Koenig Solutions houses the world’s largest IT training center in New Delhi. It comprises over 50 classrooms for imparting training as well as more than 26 hi-tech testing stations. There are also four other campuses throughout India, as well as a center in Dubai, to best suit all the students, no matter where they are.  Every campus boasts the same high standards, facilities, and amenities.  Their original facility in New Delhi remains the most popular classroom for “destination learning.”

This modern facility also boasts of an in-house coffee shop and travel desk to cater to all possible needs of our students, in addition to their educational requirements.  The facility doubles as a classroom and as a world-class hotel, with lodging for 25 students.  Every room features hot and cold running water, satellite television, and LCD screens.  There are also free laundry services, a free gymnasium, and free yoga classes.  At Koenig you can exercise your mind and your body!

Koenig’s Delhi Centre also garners huge credibility based on the fact that it is the largest Prometric and Vue testing center in India.  Having both certification tests available in one spot is extremely helpful because the two providers offer certifications in different technology companies.  For example, Microsoft uses only Prometric, while Cisco uses only VUE.  If you prefer one certification or another, or would like to try both, the Dehli Center is equipped to meet all your needs.

All these benefits make our Delhi Center irresistibly attractive to those who are looking for great quality training coupled with excellent infrastructure.  Additionally, fun day trips are within easy reach via this campus.  Visit Agra, location of the Taj Mahal, one your time off.  Combine business with pleasure, and learn while exploring amazing historical sites.

Other facilities:

Library: Access to a vast and rich study material for students who constantly like to expand their knowledge base.  Traditional text books are obviously available in the library, as well as online resources, so that you can better research any topic that catches your attention.

Prayer Room: Meditate and find peace in the prayer room whenever you feel like reconnecting with your Higher Self.  It has been repeatedly proven that after a day filled with study, exercise, and physical or mental exertion, the best way to both recover and recall the material is to spend some quiet time with yourself – not necessarily thinking about the subject, but letting your subconscious do the work for you.  Give the Prayer Room a shot.  You are guaranteed to emerge more relaxed.

Reflexology: Give those aching muscles some rest with a reflexology session and get back to study lessons feeling rejuvenated.  Most exercise programs recommend a full-body workout – it is pointless to exercise only the arms, or only the legs.  It is the same with learning.  Exercising the muscle that is your brain will leave the rest of your body “left out.”  We make sure to provide opportunities for our students to make the most of their training.

If you are traveling to Delhi – I suggest to stop by Koenig Solutions‘s IT center and check out their ultra modern facilities.

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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SQLAuthority News – Excellent Learning Experience at SQLskills Immersion Events

Posted in PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQL Training, SQLAuthority Author Visit, T SQL, Technology, tagged , on March 17, 2013 | 1 Comment »

As many of you know, I attended the Immersion Event at SQLskills learning center in early Feb. I consider myself a SQL professional, but there is no age limit for being a student. One can learn forever, there is always something new to pick up – particularly when you go to a SQLskills event. They are going to teach you something fantastic, something you didn’t know before. It is quite possible to know a lot about a concept, but when we learn about the right ways and wrong ways to do things, and see all the mistakes we made without knowing it, we will learn how to do our jobs better.

The quality of learning at a SQLskills event is amazing. The instructors for Immersion 1 were Paul and Kimberly, and for Immersion 2 there was Paul, Kimberly, Jonathan and Joseph. They take turns teaching, and at every interval there is a new instructor with a new style and new material. It is both stimulating and relaxing, because you are constantly learning, constantly challenged, and there is a new instructor always coming up next. You never get bored. It was also highly interactive with the audience as well.

At both Immersions, questions are encouraged, and the instructors are not shy about answering any and all questions. They encourage feedback and engage with the students. There is always plenty of time allowed for questions and answers, so the sessions are not rushed. The instructor comes at breakfast and stays the whole day, even through lunch. They make sure everyone has had a chance to ask questions and get answers, and they don’t leave the room until the job is done.

The attention to detail is amazing. Each session is right on time, nothing is delayed, nothing is late, there are frequent breaks and meals are right on time. You are totally immersed in learning. They even pay special attention to dietary restrictions. For example, I am a vegetarian and they always made sure I was provided with the correct meals and that those around me with other dietary requirements were also served probably. I was especially a big fan of the desserts, which were served every day at 4 o’clock. They were served closer to dinner time because lunches were so filling no one had room for desert! There were also plenty of drinks, munchies, and coffee available at all times, so that if your stomach growling was getting in the way of your learning, you didn’t have to worry, there was a snack available.

Immersion Event Completion Certification

The best part was that the instructors never tried to hide their information. Sometimes at training events the trainer is reluctant to share slides or give handouts. However, at SQLskills, every slide, demo and diagram were delivered to the students. Before you leave you are sent an email with all the details. I had a great time, those 15 days were tremendous. I will never forget them. If you love SQL you need to attend an event at least once – you can’t afford NOT to.

Additionally, if you are a Pluralsight subscriber, you can also watch the SQL courses authored by SQLskills trainers.

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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SQL SERVER – 3 Online SQL Courses at Pluralsight and Free Learning Resources

Posted in PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL in Sixty Seconds, SQL Performance, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQL Training, SQLServer, T SQL, Technology, Video on October 5, 2012 | 124 Comments »

Usain Bolt is an inspiration for all. He broke his own record multiple times because he wanted to do better! Read more about him on wikipedia. He is great and indeed fastest man on the planet.

Usain Bolt - World’s Fastest Man

Usain Bolt – World’s Fastest Man

“Can you teach me SQL Server Performance Tuning?”

This is one of the most popular questions which I receive all the time. The answer is YES.

I would love to do performance tuning training for anyone, anywhere.  It is my favorite thing to do, and it is my favorite thing to train others in.  If possible, I would love to do training 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  To me, it doesn’t feel like a job.

Of course, as much as I would love to do performance tuning 24/7/365, obviously I am just one human being and can only be in one place at one time.  It is also very difficult to train more than one person at a time, and it is difficult to train two or more people at a time, especially when the two people are at different levels.  I am also limited by geography.  I live in India, and adjust to my own time zone.  Trying to teach a live course from India to someone whose time zone is 12 or more hours off of mine is very difficult.  If I am trying to teach at 2 am, I am sure I am not at my best!

There was only one solution to scale – Online Trainings. I have built 3 different courses on SQL Server Performance Tuning with Pluralsight. Now I have no problem – I am 100% scalable and available 24/7 and 365. You can make me say the same things again and again till you find it right. I am in your mobile, PC as well as on XBOX. This is why I am such a big fan of online courses.  I have recorded many performance tuning classes and you can easily access them online, at your own time.  And don’t think that just because these aren’t live classes you won’t be able to get any feedback from me.  I encourage all my viewers to go ahead and ask me questions by e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever way you can get a hold of me.

Here are details of three of my courses with Pluralsight. I suggest you go over the description of the course. As an author of the course, I have few FREE codes for watching the free courses. Please leave a comment with your valid email address, I will send a few of them to random winners.

SQL Server Performance: Introduction to Query Tuning 

SQL Server performance tuning is an art to master – for developers and DBAs alike. This course takes a systematic approach to planning, analyzing, debugging and troubleshooting common query-related performance problems. This includes an introduction to understanding execution plans inside SQL Server.

In this almost four hour course we cover following important concepts.

  • Introduction 10:22
  • Execution Plan Basics 45:59
  • Essential Indexing Techniques 20:19
  • Query Design for Performance 50:16
  • Performance Tuning Tools 01:15:14
  • Tips and Tricks 25:53
  • Checklist: Performance Tuning 07:13

The duration of each module is mentioned besides the name of the module.

SQL Server Performance: Indexing Basics

This course teaches you how to master the art of performance tuning SQL Server by better understanding indexes.

In this almost two hour course we cover following important concepts.

  • Introduction 02:03
  • Fundamentals of Indexing 22:21
  • Practical Indexing Implementation Techniques 37:25
  • Index Maintenance 16:33
  • Introduction to ColumnstoreIndex 08:06
  • Indexing Practical Performance Tips and Tricks 24:56
  • Checklist : Index and Performance 07:29

The duration of each module is mentioned besides the name of the module.

SQL Server Questions and Answers

This course is designed to help you better understand how to use SQL Server effectively. The course presents many of the common misconceptions about SQL Server, and then carefully debunks those misconceptions with clear explanations and short but compelling demos, showing you how SQL Server really works.

In this almost 2 hours and 15 minutes course we cover following important concepts.

  • Introduction 00:54
  • Retrieving IDENTITY value using @@IDENTITY 08:38
  • Concepts Related to Identity Values 04:15
  • Difference between WHERE and HAVING 05:52
  • Order in WHERE clause 07:29
  • Concepts Around Temporary Tables and Table Variables 09:03
  • Are stored procedures pre-compiled? 05:09
  • UNIQUE INDEX and NULLs problem 06:40
  • DELETE VS TRUNCATE 06:07
  • Locks and Duration of Transactions 15:11
  • Nested Transaction and Rollback 09:16
  • Understanding Date/Time Datatypes 07:40
  • Differences between VARCHAR and NVARCHAR datatypes 06:38
  • Precedence of DENY and GRANT security permissions 05:29
  • Identify Blocking Process 06:37
  • NULLS usage with Dynamic SQL 08:03
  • Appendix Tips and Tricks with Tools 20:44

The duration of each module is mentioned besides the name of the module.

SQL in Sixty Seconds

You will have to login and to get subscribed to the courses to view them. Here are my free video learning resources SQL in Sixty Seconds. These are 60 second video which I have built on various subjects related to SQL Server. Do let me know what you think about them?

Here are three of my latest videos:

You can watch and learn at your own pace.  Then you can easily ask me any questions you have.  E-mail is easiest, but for really tough questions I’m willing to talk on Skype, Gtalk, or even Facebook chat.  Please do watch and then talk with me, I am always available on the internet!

Here is the video of the world’s fastest man.Usain St. Leo Bolt inspires us that we all do better than best. We can go the next level of our own record. We all can improve if we have a will and dedication.  Watch the video from 5:00 mark.

http://youtu.be/2O7K-8G2nwU?t=5m3s

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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SQL SERVER – Beginning of SQL Server Architecture – Terminology – Guest Post

Posted in PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Query, SQL Security, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQL Training, T SQL, Technology on August 30, 2012 | 16 Comments »

SQL Server Architecture is a very deep subject. Covering it in a single post is an almost impossible task. However, this subject is very popular topic among beginners and advanced users.  I have requested my friend Anil Kumar who is expert in SQL Domain to help me write  a simple post about Beginning SQL Server Architecture. As stated earlier this subject is very deep subject and in this first article series he has covered basic terminologies. In future article he will explore the subject further down. Anil Kumar Yadav is Trainer, SQL Domain, Koenig Solutions. Koenig is a premier IT training firm that provides several IT certifications, such as Oracle 11g, Server+, RHCA, SQL Server Training, Prince2 Foundation etc.

In this Article we will discuss about MS SQL Server architecture.

The major components of SQL Server are:

  1. Relational Engine
  2. Storage Engine
  3. SQL OS

Now we will discuss and understand each one of them.

1) Relational Engine: Also called as the query processor, Relational Engine includes the components of SQL Server that determine what your query exactly needs to do and the best way to do it. It manages the execution of queries as it requests data from the storage engine and processes the results returned.

Different Tasks of Relational Engine:

  1. Query Processing
  2. Memory Management
  3. Thread and Task Management
  4. Buffer Management
  5. Distributed Query Processing

2) Storage Engine: Storage Engine is responsible for storage and retrieval of the data on to the storage system (Disk, SAN etc.). to understand more, let’s focus on the concepts.

When we talk about any database in SQL server, there are 2 types of files that are created at the disk level – Data file and Log file. Data file physically stores the data in data pages. Log files that are also known as write ahead logs, are used for storing transactions performed on the database.

Let’s understand data file and log file in more details:

Data File: Data File stores data in the form of Data Page (8KB) and these data pages are logically organized in extents.

Extents: Extents are logical units in the database. They are a combination of 8 data pages i.e. 64 KB forms an extent. Extents can be of two types, Mixed and Uniform. Mixed extents hold different types of pages like index, system, data etc (multiple objects). On the other hand, Uniform extents are dedicated to only one type (object).

Pages: As we should know what type of data pages can be stored in SQL Server, below mentioned are some of them:

  • Data Page: It holds the data entered by the user but not the data which is of type text, ntext, nvarchar(max), varchar(max), varbinary(max), image and xml data.
  • Index: It stores the index entries.
  • Text/Image: It stores LOB ( Large Object data) like text, ntext, varchar(max), nvarchar(max),  varbinary(max), image and xml data.
  • GAM & SGAM (Global Allocation Map & Shared Global Allocation Map): They are used for saving information related to the allocation of extents.
  • PFS (Page Free Space): Information related to page allocation and unused space available on pages.
  • IAM (Index Allocation Map): Information pertaining to extents that are used by a table or index per allocation unit.
  • BCM (Bulk Changed Map): Keeps information about the extents changed in a Bulk Operation.
  • DCM (Differential Change Map): This is the information of extents that have modified since the last BACKUP DATABASE statement as per allocation unit.

Log File: It also known as write ahead log. It stores modification to the database (DML and DDL).

  • Sufficient information is logged to be able to:
    • Roll back transactions if requested
    • Recover the database in case of failure
    • Write Ahead Logging is used to create log entries
      • Transaction logs are written in chronological order in a circular way
      • Truncation policy for logs is based on the recovery model

SQL OS: This lies between the host machine (Windows OS) and SQL Server. All the activities performed on database engine are taken care of by SQL OS. It is a highly configurable operating system with powerful API (application programming interface), enabling automatic locality and advanced parallelism. SQL OS provides various operating system services, such as memory management deals with buffer pool, log buffer and deadlock detection using the blocking and locking structure. Other services include exception handling, hosting for external components like Common Language Runtime, CLR etc.

I guess this brief article gives you an idea about the various terminologies used related to SQL Server Architecture. In future articles we will explore them further.

Guest Author 

The author of the article is Anil Kumar Yadav is Trainer, SQL Domain, Koenig Solutions. Koenig is a premier IT training firm that provides several IT certifications, such as Oracle 11g, Server+, RHCA, SQL Server Training, Prince2 Foundation etc.

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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SQLAuthority News – Technical Review of Learning at Koenig Solutions

Posted in PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQL Training, T SQL, Technology on August 15, 2012 | 5 Comments »

Yesterday I finished my 3 days fast track in person learning of course End to End SQL Server Business Intelligence at Koenig Solutions. You can read my previous article over here regarding why am I learning SQL Server. Yesterday I blogged about my experience of arriving to Training Center and my induction with the center.

The Training Days

I had enrolled for three days training so my routine each of the three days was very much same. However, the content every day was different as I was learning something new every day. Let me describe a few of the interesting details of my daily routine.

A Single Student Batch

The best part of my training was that in my training batch, I am single student. Koenig is known to smaller batches and often they have single student batches as well. I was very much delighted to know that I will have dedicated access and attention from my trainer in my batch as I will be single student in my batch. In most of the labs I have observed there are no more than 4 students at any time.

Prakash and Pinal

Prakash and Pinal

7:30 AM Breakfast Talk

We all students gather at 7:30 in breakfast area. The best time of the day. I was the only Indian student in the group. The other students were from USA, Canada, Nigeria, Bhutan, Tanzania, and a few others from other countries. I immediately become the source of information and reference manual. Though the distance between Delhi and Bangalore is 2000+ KM I was considered as a local guy.

8:30 AMHeading to Training Center

Every day without fail at 8:30 the van started from our accommodation to the training center. As mentioned in an earlier blog post the distance is about 5 minutes and we were able to reach at the location before 8:45. This gave us some time settle in before our class starts at 9:00 AM.

9:00 AM Order Lunch Food

Well it may sound funny that we just had breakfast 30 minutes but the first thing everybody has to do is to order lunch as soon as the class starts. There is an online training portal to order food for the day. Everybody has to place their order early during the day so the food arrives on time during lunch time. Everybody can order whatever they want to order using an online ordering system. The options are plenty and everybody can order what they like.

9:05 AM Learning Starts

After deciding the lunch we started the learning. I was very fortunate to have a very experienced trainer - Prakash Chheatry. Though I have never met him before I have heard a lot about Prakash. He is known as the top most SQL Server Trainer in India. His student list contains some of the very well known SQL Server Experts of the world and few of SQL Server “best seller” book authors.

Learning continues till 1:00 PM with one tea-coffee break in between.

1:00 PM Lunch

The lunch time is again the fun time. We all students get together in the afternoon and tell the stories of the world. Indeed the best part of the day beside learning new stuff.

4:55 PM Ready to Return

We stop at 4:55 as at precisely 5:00 PM the van stops by the institute which takes us back to our accommodation. Trust me seriously long long day always but the amount of the learning is the win of the day.

7:30 PM Dinner Time

After coming back to the accommodation I study till 7:30 and then rush for dinner. Dinner is world cuisine and deserts are really delicious. After dinner every day I have written a blog and retired early as the next day is always going to be busier than the present day.

What did I learn

As I mentioned earlier I know SQL Server fairly well. I had expressed the same in my conversation as well. This is the reason I was assigned a fairly senior trainer and we learned everything quite quickly. As I know quite a few things we went pretty fast in many topics. There were a few things, I wanted to learn in detail as well practice on the labs. We slowed down where we wanted and rush through the concepts where I was very comfortable.

Here is the list of the things which we covered in action pack three days.

  • Introduction to Business Intelligence (Intro)
  • SQL Server Analysis Service (Theory and Lab)
  • SQL Server Integration Service  (Theory and Lab)
  • SQL Server Reporting Service  (Theory and Lab)
  • SQL Server PowerPivot (Lab)
  • UDM (Theory)
  • SharePoint Concepts (Theory)
  • Power View (Demo)
  • Business Intelligence and Security (Discussion)

Well, I was delighted that I was able to refresh lots of concepts during these three days. Thanks to my trainer and my friend who helped me to have a good learning experience. I believe all the learning  will help me in my growth and future career.

With this I end my this experience. I am planning to have another online learning experience later this month. I will blog about my experience as I begin it.

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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