PASS Summit West (Seattle)
Pre-Conference Speakers
Brent Ozar
Consultant, Brent Ozar Unlimited
Brent Ozar
Brent Ozar Unlimited, Consultant
I make databases go faster. I love teaching, travel, laughing, and collecting vintage sports cars. Las Vegas. He/him, pan.
Erik Darling
Consultant, Darling Data
Erik Darling
Darling Data, Consultant
Erik has been working with SQL Server just about forever – Really challenging DBA/Developer/Architect roles – Started consulting for Brent Ozar Unlimited in 2015 Started Darling Data in 2019 – Worked with over 600 very happy clients – Lots of free community activity like blogging, training, open-source projects – Speaking about SQL Server at conferences all over the world.
Ginger Grant
Principal Consultant, Desert Isle Group
Ginger Grant
Desert Isle Group, Principal Consultant
Ginger Grant is a distinguished Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), renowned for her deep expertise in advanced analytics, machine learning, AI, data warehousing, and the evolving landscape of Microsoft Fabric. As a sought-after consultant, Ginger empowers organizations to harness the full potential of their data ecosystems. Beyond consulting, Ginger is a prolific thought leader and speaker for both keynotes and technical training. She contributes regularly as a columnist for Pure AI, authors insightful books, and shares practical knowledge on her blog, DesertIsleSQL.com. Her educational impact spans a wide range of technologies, including Azure Synapse Analytics, Python, and Azure Machine Learning, making her a trusted voice in the data community. Whether on stage, in print, or in the classroom, Ginger’s passion for data and commitment to knowledge-sharing make her a standout figure in the world of data and AI.
Grant Fritchey
Product Advocate, Redgate
Grant Fritchey
Redgate, Product Advocate
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. He 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.
Joey D'Antoni
Architect, 3Cloud
Joey D'Antoni
3Cloud, Architect
oseph D'Antoni is an Senior Architect and Data Platform MVP with over a decade of experience working in both Fortune 500 and smaller firms. He is currently Principal Consultant. He is frequent speaker at major tech events, and blogger about all topics technology. He believes that no single platform is the answer to all technology problems. He holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Louisiana Tech University and an MBA from North Carolina State University.
Pat Wright
Product Advocate, Redgate
Pat Wright
Redgate, Product Advocate
Pat Wright is an Advocate with Redgate Software. He has been a database professional for 25 years, specializing in PostgreSQL for the past 10 years, after a long career with SQL Server. He has worked across large-scale SaaS platforms, early-stage startups, and a wide range of consulting engagements over the past decade. Pat currently serves as the Sponsor Coordinator for PGUS and as President of Utah Geek Events, and is a frequent speaker in both the PostgreSQL and SQL Server communities. His sessions draw on deep real-world experience with performance, automation, and operational best practices. Outside of tech, he enjoys photography, classic cars, and cycling.
Paul Randal
CEO and Owner, SQLskills
Paul Randal
SQLskills, CEO and Owner
Paul’s an author, consultant, and top-rated speaker having spoken at PASS, TechEd, and numerous other events around the world. He spent 9 years working on the SQL Server team, writing DBCC CHECKDB, and ultimately responsible for the entire Storage Engine. In 2007 Paul left Microsoft to co-own and run SQLskills.com and has been a SQL Server MVP ever since. When he's not tweeting, blogging, or helping someone recover from a disaster, he's likely to be on his tractor or underwater somewhere in the world with his wife, Kimberly L. Tripp. Full bio at https://www.sqlskills.com/about/paul-s-randal/
Pre-Conference Sessions
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Pre-Conference
Performance Troubleshooting Using Waits and Latches
Paul Randal
SQL Server performance is off – what do you do? One of the first things you should check when investigating performance issues are wait and latch statistics, as these often point you in the right direction for further analysis. Unfortunately many people misinterpret what SQL Server is telling them and jump to conclusions about how to solve the problem ('knee-jerk performance tuning'). In this full-day workshop, you'll learn how to investigate and interpret wait and latch statistics – easy, practical techniques you can take home and start using immediately. You'll also learn what a myriad of wait and latch types actually mean and how you can investigate lightly-documented types to gain insight into what causes them. Don't waste time when it comes to performance troubleshooting; wait statistics are the fastest route to understanding your problems and this workshop will help you get there faster.
Pre-Conference
Performance Troubleshooting Using Waits and Latches
Paul Randal
SQLskills
Session Goals: 1) Clear understanding of what waits and latches are and how they can guide performance tuning 2) Ability to run waits-related DMV scripts and know how to proceed with the results 3) Understanding of common wait and latch types, what they mean, and how to react to them
Session Prerequisites: Familiarity with terms and concepts like transactions, locks, indexes, DMVs. Definitely not a 100-level, complete beginner workshop.
Track: Database Management
Level: Level 300
Theme: AI + Data
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Monday -
9:00 AM-4:30 PM -
Room: 401 Chelan
SQL Server performance is off – what do you do? One of the first things you should check when investigating performance issues are wait and latch statistics, as these often point you in the right direction for further analysis. Unfortunately many people misinterpret what SQL Server is telling them and jump to conclusions about how to solve the problem ('knee-jerk performance tuning'). In this full-day workshop, you'll learn how to investigate and interpret wait and latch statistics – easy, practical techniques you can take home and start using immediately. You'll also learn what a myriad of wait and latch types actually mean and how you can investigate lightly-documented types to gain insight into what causes them. Don't waste time when it comes to performance troubleshooting; wait statistics are the fastest route to understanding your problems and this workshop will help you get there faster. -
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Pre-Conference
T-SQL That Doesn't Suck: Solving Performance and Concurrency Problems
Erik Darling
You know how to write T-SQL that works. It compiles, it returns rows, nobody's filed an incident yet. But "works" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, and production has a way of finding out what you got away with in dev. In this full-day, demo-packed session, Erik Darling walks you through the T-SQL that silently bleeds your servers dry and shows you how to fix it without rewriting the whole app. You'll tackle the performance killers that don't show up until scale does: implicit conversions, non-sargable predicates, parameter sniffing traps, and joins that look fine in an execution plan until they absolutely aren't. You'll learn when temp tables beat table variables, when CTEs help versus when they just make you feel organized, and how to write window functions that don't spill to tempdb. But performance is only half the fight. We'll dig into concurrency problems that turn a Tuesday into a war room: blocking chains, isolation level surprises, and data modifications that hold locks like they're paying rent. You'll learn DML patterns that play well with others. Along the way, we'll put AI-generated T-SQL on the table. Not to dunk on it, but because it's showing up in pull requests and you need to know where it falls apart and where it saves you time. If you've ever inherited a stored procedure that made you question your career choices, this is your day. Come write T-SQL you'd be proud to put your name on.
Pre-Conference
T-SQL That Doesn't Suck: Solving Performance and Concurrency Problems
Erik Darling
Darling Data
Session Goals: • Recognize and fix performance anti-patterns across joins, predicates, temp objects, CTEs, and window functions. • Understand and resolve concurrency issues including blocking, isolation levels, and lock-friendly DML. • Evaluate AI-generated T-SQL and learn to use AI tools without losing your edge.
Session Prerequisites: You should be comfortable writing T-SQL: SELECT, JOIN, WHERE, GROUP BY, and basic stored procedures. If you can read an execution plan without panicking, you're ready. This session picks up where the fundamentals leave off.
Track: Development
Level: Level 300
Theme: AI + Data
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Monday
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9:00 AM-4:30 PM
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Room: 302 Beckler
You know how to write T-SQL that works. It compiles, it returns rows, nobody's filed an incident yet. But "works" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, and production has a way of finding out what you got away with in dev. In this full-day, demo-packed session, Erik Darling walks you through the T-SQL that silently bleeds your servers dry and shows you how to fix it without rewriting the whole app. You'll tackle the performance killers that don't show up until scale does: implicit conversions, non-sargable predicates, parameter sniffing traps, and joins that look fine in an execution plan until they absolutely aren't. You'll learn when temp tables beat table variables, when CTEs help versus when they just make you feel organized, and how to write window functions that don't spill to tempdb. But performance is only half the fight. We'll dig into concurrency problems that turn a Tuesday into a war room: blocking chains, isolation level surprises, and data modifications that hold locks like they're paying rent. You'll learn DML patterns that play well with others. Along the way, we'll put AI-generated T-SQL on the table. Not to dunk on it, but because it's showing up in pull requests and you need to know where it falls apart and where it saves you time. If you've ever inherited a stored procedure that made you question your career choices, this is your day. Come write T-SQL you'd be proud to put your name on. -
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Pre-Conference
Learning the Cloud: From Managing Resources to Designing Solutions
Joey D'Antoni
With over 200 services in Azure, trying to learn the platform can feel overwhelming. You've probably built a virtual machine or deployed an Azure SQL Database, but have you thought about your network design, tagging strategies, or how AI services fit into your architecture? In this all-day session, we'll go well beyond basic DBA and sysadmin tasks and into the mindset of an architect. Topics covered will include: Azure Networking Azure and Entra ID Security How to automate processes in Azure A deep dive on storage performance and costs Azure AI services including Microsoft Foundry, AI Search, and Cognitive Services We'll start with Azure's foundational infrastructure and how to manage availability. From there, we'll cover how security, authentication, and authorization work with Entra ID and how to implement them in your applications. You'll learn how to choose the right data and AI services for your workloads, how to secure them, and when to reach for tools like Azure OpenAI Service or AI Search to add intelligence to your solutions. We'll also dig into supporting services like Azure Key Vault, Azure Functions, Logic Apps, and Automation that help tie everything together. This session will be packed with demos and plenty of open Q&A.
Pre-Conference
Learning the Cloud: From Managing Resources to Designing Solutions
Joey D'Antoni
3Cloud
Session Goals: Evaluate and design Azure networking, security, and storage architectures beyond basic admin tasks. Implement authentication and security strategies using Entra across your applications and data Identify when and how to integrate AI services like OpenAI and AI Search into your solution architecture.
Session Prerequisites: NA
Track: Architecture
Level: Level 200
Theme: Cloud + Multi-DB
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Monday
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9:00 AM-4:30 PM
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Room: 405 Kachess
With over 200 services in Azure, trying to learn the platform can feel overwhelming. You've probably built a virtual machine or deployed an Azure SQL Database, but have you thought about your network design, tagging strategies, or how AI services fit into your architecture? In this all-day session, we'll go well beyond basic DBA and sysadmin tasks and into the mindset of an architect. Topics covered will include: Azure Networking Azure and Entra ID Security How to automate processes in Azure A deep dive on storage performance and costs Azure AI services including Microsoft Foundry, AI Search, and Cognitive Services We'll start with Azure's foundational infrastructure and how to manage availability. From there, we'll cover how security, authentication, and authorization work with Entra ID and how to implement them in your applications. You'll learn how to choose the right data and AI services for your workloads, how to secure them, and when to reach for tools like Azure OpenAI Service or AI Search to add intelligence to your solutions. We'll also dig into supporting services like Azure Key Vault, Azure Functions, Logic Apps, and Automation that help tie everything together. This session will be packed with demos and plenty of open Q&A. -
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Pre-Conference
Building an AI-Enabled Fabric Practice
Ginger Grant
Want to move beyond theory and actually embed AI and automation into your Microsoft Fabric workflows? This session shows how to turn AI’s promised productivity gains into disciplined, repeatable practices you can implement immediately in Microsoft Fabric. We will walk through how to set up an AI-ready environment on your own laptop, along with the tools, libraries, and patterns needed so you can follow along and reuse everything yourself. The session covers how to build prompt libraries, reusable patterns, and guardrails so your results are consistent instead of hit-or-miss. We will also use Fabric APIs and CLIs to turn those prompts into agentic processes so you can implement strategies beyond cutting and pasting from chat windows. To ensure governance and good CI/CD practices are included, the session shows how to automate quality checks with GitHub Actions and enforce standards using AI-assisted code generation and review. These processes can ensure hallucinations don’t see production and ensure improve that you can catch issues before your users do. Using real examples, we will walk through how to move from written specifications to fully implemented models, moving from inception to deployment pipelines. Attendees will leave with a structured framework, practical automation techniques, and repeatable methods to improve quality, consistency, and delivery speed across your Fabric environment.
Pre-Conference
Building an AI-Enabled Fabric Practice
Ginger Grant
Desert Isle Group
Session Goals: Learn the tools, techniques and setup requirements to needed to create an AI environment for Fabric Understand the process to build repeatable AI processes to implement Fabric requirements Recognize how to implement testing and CI/CD elements to improve the quality of your Fabric output.
Session Prerequisites: Some experience with Fabric is required
Track: Analytics
Level: Level 200
Theme: AI + Data
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Monday
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9:00 AM-4:30 PM
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Room: 301 Ashnola
Want to move beyond theory and actually embed AI and automation into your Microsoft Fabric workflows? This session shows how to turn AI’s promised productivity gains into disciplined, repeatable practices you can implement immediately in Microsoft Fabric. We will walk through how to set up an AI-ready environment on your own laptop, along with the tools, libraries, and patterns needed so you can follow along and reuse everything yourself. The session covers how to build prompt libraries, reusable patterns, and guardrails so your results are consistent instead of hit-or-miss. We will also use Fabric APIs and CLIs to turn those prompts into agentic processes so you can implement strategies beyond cutting and pasting from chat windows. To ensure governance and good CI/CD practices are included, the session shows how to automate quality checks with GitHub Actions and enforce standards using AI-assisted code generation and review. These processes can ensure hallucinations don’t see production and ensure improve that you can catch issues before your users do. Using real examples, we will walk through how to move from written specifications to fully implemented models, moving from inception to deployment pipelines. Attendees will leave with a structured framework, practical automation techniques, and repeatable methods to improve quality, consistency, and delivery speed across your Fabric environment. -
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Pre-Conference
Adding PostgreSQL to Your SQL Server Skill Set
Grant Fritchey
Pat Wright
More organizations are adding PostgreSQL to their technology stack than ever before. The challenge is that they are not immediately replacing their existing technology, which means more and more people need to understand both SQL Server and PostgreSQL. This session is explicitly designed to support people who already know SQL Server in their journey to add PostgreSQL to their skill set. The session covers the areas of overlap between the two platforms, as well as all the differences that can make learning PostgreSQL a challenge. Not only does this all-day session teach PostgreSQL, but it also explores tooling, documentation, the cloud, and other resources to help on the journey of adding PostgreSQL to an existing SQL Server skill set.
Pre-Conference
Adding PostgreSQL to Your SQL Server Skill Set
Grant Fritchey
Redgate
Pat Wright
Redgate
Session Goals: • Learn about the differences in language between SQL Server and PostgreSQL. • Understand what's different and unique in how PostgreSQL operates.
Session Prerequisites: General understanding of SQL Server in order to understand the mapping.
Track: Database Management
Level: Level 200
Theme: Cloud + Multi-DB
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Monday
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9:00 AM-4:30 PM
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Room: 307 Methow
More organizations are adding PostgreSQL to their technology stack than ever before. The challenge is that they are not immediately replacing their existing technology, which means more and more people need to understand both SQL Server and PostgreSQL. This session is explicitly designed to support people who already know SQL Server in their journey to add PostgreSQL to their skill set. The session covers the areas of overlap between the two platforms, as well as all the differences that can make learning PostgreSQL a challenge. Not only does this all-day session teach PostgreSQL, but it also explores tooling, documentation, the cloud, and other resources to help on the journey of adding PostgreSQL to an existing SQL Server skill set. -
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Pre-Conference
Dev-Prod Demon Hunters: Finding the Real Cause of Production Slowness
Brent Ozar
Production is slow. Development is fast. The same query runs in both. Somewhere between the two, a performance demon is hiding—and this session is about hunting it down. Inspired by Brent Ozar's love of the K-Pop Demon Hunters theme song, this class is delivered almost entirely as live demos, not slides. Brent Ozar will run real queries against two environments labeled “dev” and “prod,” then work through them exactly the way an experienced DBA would in the real world: comparing server settings, analyzing execution plans, and uncovering the subtle differences that led SQL Server to make different decisions. Each “hunt” reveals another demon—statistics, configuration, data distribution, or plan choice—and shows how easily a test environment can lie. Along the way, Brent will demonstrate practical techniques you can use immediately: running sp_Blitz to surface meaningful environment differences, comparing execution plans to understand *why* SQL Server behaved differently, and making targeted changes to development so it better reflects production reality. By the end, you’ll understand how to stop guessing, stop blaming the engine, and follow the clues that lead to the truth—because when dev and prod finally move in sync, that’s when performance goes golden.
Pre-Conference
Dev-Prod Demon Hunters: Finding the Real Cause of Production Slowness
Brent Ozar
Brent Ozar Unlimited
Session Goals: Discover what caused query plans to vary from production Learn how to quickly assess environment differences that would cause query plan changes Understand how to change dev to more closely match prod
Session Prerequisites: You should already be comfortable writing queries, reading execution plans, and using the First Responder Kit to gather data about your server's wait stats and health.
Track: Database Management
Level: Level 300
Theme: Cloud + Multi-DB
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Monday
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9:00 AM-4:30 PM
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Room: 402 Chiliwack
Production is slow. Development is fast. The same query runs in both. Somewhere between the two, a performance demon is hiding—and this session is about hunting it down. Inspired by Brent Ozar's love of the K-Pop Demon Hunters theme song, this class is delivered almost entirely as live demos, not slides. Brent Ozar will run real queries against two environments labeled “dev” and “prod,” then work through them exactly the way an experienced DBA would in the real world: comparing server settings, analyzing execution plans, and uncovering the subtle differences that led SQL Server to make different decisions. Each “hunt” reveals another demon—statistics, configuration, data distribution, or plan choice—and shows how easily a test environment can lie. Along the way, Brent will demonstrate practical techniques you can use immediately: running sp_Blitz to surface meaningful environment differences, comparing execution plans to understand *why* SQL Server behaved differently, and making targeted changes to development so it better reflects production reality. By the end, you’ll understand how to stop guessing, stop blaming the engine, and follow the clues that lead to the truth—because when dev and prod finally move in sync, that’s when performance goes golden. -