Simon Whiteley
Director of Engineering for Advancing Analytics Ltd, Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Databricks Beacon. Simon is a seasoned solution architect & technical lead with well over a decade of Microsoft Analytics experience, who spends an inordinate amount of time running the Advancing Spark YouTube series. A deep techie with a focus on emerging cloud technologies and applying "big data" thinking to traditional analytics problems, Simon also has a passion for bringing it back to the high level and making sense of the bigger picture. When not tinkering with tech, Simon is a death-dodging London cyclist, a sampler of craft beers, an avid chef and a generally nerdy person.
Simon Whiteley's Training Days
Lakehouse in a daySQLBits 2023
In this training session you will build a full fletched green field Lakehouse architecture based on best practices! You will be guided by experts in the field to learn about the key components & how to build it in the most dynamic & performant way!
A Data Engineer's Guide to Azure SynapseSQLBits 2022
Azure Synapse Analytics has been steadily maturing and growing since it's release, but it's still hard to know where to start! This introductory training session will give you a grounding in all of the Synapse engines so you'll know your Spark Pool from your SQL Pools and be ready to hit the ground running!
Azure Databricks: Engineering Vs Data ScienceSQLBits 2019
Azure DataBricks can be used for both engineering and for data science. This session is led by two Microsoft MVPs, facing off. Engineer vs Scientist. The session is half how to build data pipelines and half how to do machine learning at scale.
A Data Engineer’s Guide to Azure SQL Data WarehouseSQLBits 2018
Azure SQL Data Warehouse provides a blazing fast, petabyte-scale SQL system. This all-day pre-con helps you, the data engineer, make the most of all this power by learning directly from the Microsoft Product group and industry leading consultants.
Simon Whiteley's Sessions
Behind the Hype - Architecture Trends in DataSQLBits 2023
In this session, seasoned data engineer and youtube grumbler Simon Whiteley takes us on a journey through the current industry trends and buzzwords, carving through the hype to get at the underlying ideals.
Building a Lakehouse on the Microsoft Intelligent Data PlatformSQLBits 2023
This session session aims to give you that context. We'll look at how spark-based engines work and how we can use them within Synapse Analytics. We'll dig into Delta, the underlying file format that enables the Lakehouse, and take a tour of how the Synapse compute engines interact with it. Finally, we'll draw out our whole Lakehouse architecture
Bringing Data Lakes to your PurviewSQLBits 2022
A short, fast dive into the specific elements of Azure Purview that work well with Data Lakes, and how you implement them yourselves
Value-Driven Analytics DevelopmentSQLBits 2020
Ever spent an age releasing a data model, only to find no-one uses it? There's a better way of working, driven by both technology & agile working practices, let me tell you about Value Driven Development & DataOps
Databricks, Delta Lake and YouSQLBits 2020
Databricks, Lakes & Parquet are a match made in heaven, but explode with extra power when using Delta Lake. This session will dive into the details of how Databricks Delta works and how to make the most of it.
The Azure Spark Showdown - Databricks VS Synapse AnalyticsSQLBits 2020
Azure now has two slick, platform-as-a-service spark offerings, but which one should you choose? A separate specialist tools or a one-size-fits-all solution? Join Simon as he compares and contrasts the spark offerings.
Azure SQL DataWarehouse: 0-100 (DWUs)SQLBits 2017
Azure SQLDW - WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and HOW to use it.