One more SQLSaturday done I love SQLSaturdays, it’s always a fun experience for me. Uhm, ok, maybe let me qualify that. It’s always a nervewracking AND fun experience for me – when I’m speaking. I just always want it to be worth people’s time to attend my presentations.
I think there was a good crowd at my session, and I’m quite happy to see they seemed to have fun too (I hope!) …
Btw I have a couple more presentations in the upcoming SQLSaturday#114 – on PowerShell, and on ETL Basics.
Here’s a couple mementos for me to remember this day by. Thank you to everyone who attended, and spent their Saturdays with us …
I am both excited and nervous (as usual)! SQLSaturdays are special events for me – especially when I’m presenting!
I will be presenting on SSRS Beyond the Basics (aka SSRS 202). Here’s my abstract:
SQL Server Reporting Services – Beyond the Basics
You’re already familiar with your data sources and datasets, and already comfortable with your basic tables and matrices. Now you want to add a bit more “zing” to your reports.
In this presentation we will look different ways of using and extending Reporting Services. In this session we will work with expressions to add dynamic components to SSRS, create drilldowns and drillthroughs, use custom code to modularize our logic, connect to non-SQL Server data sources, and utilize your geospatial data by plotting them onto SSRS maps.
We’ll include a few more cool stuff you might not have known about SSRS! This presentation will be demo-filled. You’ll be sure to go home with ready-to-use tricks up your sleeve.
I am putting finishing touches on my presentation. I’ve added a few more GeoSpatial content, I’m pretty excited. Whoever’s attending my presentation, I hope you’ll like it
I’ve been working with quite a few PowerShell/SMO scripts for the last little while, and so far so good. Just recently I needed to map some orphaned users, and I thought – why not? Let’s do it in PowerShell.
This would have been the script that *should* work:
#unfortunately this doesn't work$user.Login ="marymargaret";
$user.Alter();
$user.Refresh();
Are you a student? Bored of your usual routine assignments? Are you looking for a challenge? Are you looking to start your career *while* you’re still in school? Or do you just want to change the world?
If you said “yes”, or even “kinda” to any of these questions, then you might want to check out – better yet, participate -in Imagine Cup Canada 2012.
Imagine what??
The Imagine Cup is a premier technology competition for students that encourages students to imagine, think, innovate – for the world. We have so many problems globally, and sometimes, all it takes is a little inspiration and a little nudge to make a difference.
Microsoft Canada is hosting Imagine Cup in two categories: Software Design and Windows Phone Game Design. The top three teams in Canada in each category will compete in a Canadian championship event to win cash, career opportunities, and chance to represent Canada at the worldwide finals in Sydney, Australia!
This isn’t your typical assignment though, this promises loads of challenge, loads of fun. You also don’t just get a “typical” mark and a pat in the back – if you win, you take home some goodies (say, Kinect), and a kickstart to your future.
Let me borrow some text from the Imagine Cup website. Me paraphrasing it would not do it justice:
Cash Grants
Winning teams can receive cash grants, mentoring and other support needed to make their dream a reality… The 2011 Imagine Cup worldwide finals held in New York in July 2011 saw cash prizes of $215,000 awarded, and the announcement of a $3 million, 3 year grant to help students’ entry ideas come to life.
Help Make the World a Better Place
Previous winners created a diverse range of ideas from an application that helps search-and-rescue teams coordinate their efforts during natural disasters, to a video game encouraging people to volunteer, and navigation software allowing physically-disabled people to overcome obstacles by identifying barrier-free routes through cities.
Get Recognized as a Future Leader
Making it to the finals has kick-started many careers… the access they get to influential business leaders has been life-changing for many contestants.
What are you waiting for? It’s a win-win situation. Go ahead, sign up now. I know you want to
Check out this Imagine Cup 2010 video featuring students who participated, competed, and won – and why they chose to become part of Imagine Cup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRyIShHHLo0&feature=related
I love SQLSaturdays. What’s not to love? They’re free one day training events, and they’re packed with SQL Server fun (I’m a geek, what can I do?) Whether you’re someone who’s just interested to see what SQL Server is, or you’re already working with SQL Server and need more in depth guidance in some aspects, there’s most likely a session for you.
There’s a couple SQLSaturdays coming up if you are in the Vancouver/Lower Mainland area.
SQLSaturday#108 in Redmond – February 25, 2012 at Microsoft, Building THE MIXER, 15255 NE 40th Street, North Commons, Redmond, WA 98052 (Check out the schedule)
SQLSaturday#114 in Vancouver – March 17, 2012 at BCIT in the South-West buildings, 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada (Check out the schedule)
When you’re working with PowerShell and SSRS, you may occasionally come across a script that works once, then just mysteriously decides not to work anymore on a second or third invocation. Or it may just not work period, even though you think the syntax is short and straightforward, and you know you’re not misspelling any syntax.
Please note I am running this on the PowerShell ISE, and PowerGUI – and tried on both PowerShell V2 and V3. Read the rest of this entry »
I love SQLSaturdays, it’s always a fun experience for me. Uhm, ok, maybe let me qualify that. It’s always a nervewracking AND fun experience for me – when I’m speaking. I just always want it to be worth people’s time to attend my presentations. 
