SQLBits 2024
The DBA in a hybrid environment
Ideal for database administrators, developers, and database reliability engineers, this training day will explore all the skills you need to enable you to manage SQL Server estates spanning on-premises and cloud environments.
The role of a DBA is evolving in today's hybrid computing landscape, where applications are deployed on both on-premises and within cloud platforms. This training day is specifically designed for DBAs who are required to work in a hybrid environment, where some applications use Platform as a Service databases while others are supported on-premises or on Azure VMs or are in the process of migrating to the cloud.
We will start by covering the basic concept of infrastructure as code. You will learn how to manage your infrastructure through code, allowing you to automate the provisioning, configuration, and management of your SQL Server instances and PaaS services. You will also see how this approach can improve the reliability and consistency of your environment, reduce errors, and increase the efficiency of your operations.
Then we’ll look at how we can also manage our databases through code. Managing changes within source control, and deployments with CI\CD pipelines to ensure consistent environments. We will also discuss monitoring and how to overcome the challenge of monitoring across a hybrid estate.
A common theme throughout the day will be automation tooling, we will look at how you can use GitHub Actions or Azure Functions to automate your workflows and integrate with other tools in your environment. You will learn how to create workflows that trigger when specific events occur, such as a new pull request or a database schema change and automate the execution of scripts or the deployment of changes to your SQL Server instances. This approach will help you streamline your operations, reduce manual intervention, and improve the overall quality of your work.
Overall, this training day will provide you with a comprehensive set of skills to manage your hybrid SQL Server estate. There are many tools for you to add to your toolbox and we’ll show you how to get the most out of your available time and effort, (of course we will talk about dbatools and dbachecks!)
Whether you are a senior or junior DBA, a developer who interacts with SQL Server, an accidental DBA, or someone with DevOps in your job title, this training is for you. You will improve your PowerShell skills for SQL Server and reduce the time you and your team spend administering SQL Server. You do not need any specific equipment or tools for this training, but we recommend bringing something to take notes with. All scripts and slides will be provided to you, and you will have the opportunity to follow along with most of the demos on a machine that can run Docker or with PowerShell v5 or above and a SQL Server 2012 or above instance.
Join us for a wonderful day of PowerShell and SQL, full of demos and useful solutions that you will be able to take back to your workplace.
We will start by covering the basic concept of infrastructure as code. You will learn how to manage your infrastructure through code, allowing you to automate the provisioning, configuration, and management of your SQL Server instances and PaaS services. You will also see how this approach can improve the reliability and consistency of your environment, reduce errors, and increase the efficiency of your operations.
Then we’ll look at how we can also manage our databases through code. Managing changes within source control, and deployments with CI\CD pipelines to ensure consistent environments. We will also discuss monitoring and how to overcome the challenge of monitoring across a hybrid estate.
A common theme throughout the day will be automation tooling, we will look at how you can use GitHub Actions or Azure Functions to automate your workflows and integrate with other tools in your environment. You will learn how to create workflows that trigger when specific events occur, such as a new pull request or a database schema change and automate the execution of scripts or the deployment of changes to your SQL Server instances. This approach will help you streamline your operations, reduce manual intervention, and improve the overall quality of your work.
Overall, this training day will provide you with a comprehensive set of skills to manage your hybrid SQL Server estate. There are many tools for you to add to your toolbox and we’ll show you how to get the most out of your available time and effort, (of course we will talk about dbatools and dbachecks!)
Whether you are a senior or junior DBA, a developer who interacts with SQL Server, an accidental DBA, or someone with DevOps in your job title, this training is for you. You will improve your PowerShell skills for SQL Server and reduce the time you and your team spend administering SQL Server. You do not need any specific equipment or tools for this training, but we recommend bringing something to take notes with. All scripts and slides will be provided to you, and you will have the opportunity to follow along with most of the demos on a machine that can run Docker or with PowerShell v5 or above and a SQL Server 2012 or above instance.
Join us for a wonderful day of PowerShell and SQL, full of demos and useful solutions that you will be able to take back to your workplace.
Speakers
Rob Sewell's other proposed sessions for 2026
Infrastructure as Code for Humans: The Why, the How, and the ‘Please Don’t Click That’ - 2026
What an Automation Nerd Learnt by Automating Their Home (Besides Annoying Their Family) - 2026
Rob Sewell's previous sessions
The DBA in a hybrid environment
Ideal for database administrators, developers, and database reliability engineers, this training day will explore all the skills you need to enable you to manage SQL Server estates spanning on-premises and cloud environments.
Nose-Dive Narratives: Slide Karaoke 2024
Get ready to wrap up a serious day of learning with a dash of humor, spontaneity, and friendly competition! SQLBits presents "Slide Karaoke" where SQLBits speakers reveal their hidden talents while vying for bragging rights. This session promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave you in stitches and awe, and the speakers scrambling for their non-existent notes!
20 mins to git comfortable
In this new world we're all developers! Whether we're writing application code or describing our infrastructure using bicep or terraform we need to keep it safe. Git and source control is our best option for developing on our own and as part of a team… but git is scary!
In this 20 min session we'll go through just enough to git you comfortable with source control.
10 Productivity tools in 20 minutes
You are busy, we are busy, everyone is busy. These are the tools that two busy consultants use to improve their productivity. We want to tell you about the tools that we use; that maximise our time, simplify our life, reduce our key strokes and generally make us appear more amazing. So that you can use them too. We have 20 minutes, so we wont go into much detail but we have some good quick stories to tell.
There is a time and a place for everything
There is a time and a place for everything. John and Rob, being consultants, often say "Well, it depends" Lets talk about some of the times when the "rules" may not fit
SQL Notebooks in Azure Data Studio for the DBA
While you might have read about notebooks being used for Data Science, this session is for DBAs. You will see how you can use SQL Notebooks to simplify your work.
How To Start Collaborating With A GitHub Repository
Wanted to join with open-source projects but don’t know how?
This quick session will give you all that you need to start doing so.
Creating Azure SQL Db Users with an SPN using Azure DevOps
This session will take you through the steps required to build an automated solution to create an Azure SQL Database with a Service Principal and create users and apply permissions
Validate Your SQL Server Estate with Ease Using dbachecks
Learn how you can validate your SQL Server estate with ease using dbachecks
Introduction to Pester-TDD for PowerShell
Start from nothing and use Test Driven Development to write a PowerShell function that uses the Microsoft Cognitive Services API to analyse pictures. I will take you on a journey from nothing to a complete function
Advice and guidance on becoming a speaker or volunteer
Want to become a community speaker or involved in the SQL Community?
Don't feel confident enough to try?
Need some advice and guidance?
We want to help you, we will help you
Jess Pomfret
jesspomfret.com
Jess Pomfret's other proposed sessions for 2026
Automating SQL Server Management with GitHub Actions and PowerShell - 2026
Data API Builder – Create an API for Your Database in Seconds - 2026
dbatools - Wheel of Fortune - 2026
Jess Pomfret's previous sessions
The DBA in a hybrid environment
Ideal for database administrators, developers, and database reliability engineers, this training day will explore all the skills you need to enable you to manage SQL Server estates spanning on-premises and cloud environments.
Managing replication with dbatools
One of the most highly requested dbatools features was for commands to manage replication and now they're here.
In this session, we'll run through the available commands and how they can be used to build up and tear down replication.
Anyone can be an alphabet soup ally
Folks that belong to the queer community are often referred to as LGBTQ+, Jess and Linda represent a small portion of the letters within this alphabet soup and they will guide you through some common situations where you can be a good ally.
There is no one right answer, but there are ways for you to prepare for certain situations so you know what your best move might be to provide support and allyship.
This session will provide tips for people who are new to being an ally and for existing allies who want to add skills to their toolbelt.
I'm here, I'm queer ( Why Representation Matters)
In this 20 minute session we’ll talk about why it matters that ‘I’m here and I’m Queer’. Representation, both at conferences and in the media, is so important not just for us now, but also for the future generations.
If you want to know why all this DEI stuff matters, why we need to keep striving to diversify the attendees and speakers at our conferences and events, then this session is for you.
SQL Server 2022 migrations with dbatools
Using dbatools we'll migrate our databases to a shiny new SQL Server 2022 instance.
Keynote by The Community
Ben and Rob have found some wonderful folk to actually do the important parts of the community keynote. on the theme of
How to be a nonpassive member of the data community
Introduction to PowerShell
Everything you need to get started with PowerShell.
Migrate databases easily with dbatools
Quickly and easily migrate databases and associated logins using dbatools.
Life Hacks: dbatools edition
dbatools is an open source PowerShell module. This session will walk through several life hacks that you can take back to work and quickly implement to make your life easier and impress your friends.
Install & Configure SQL Server with PowerShell DSC
Using PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) we'll install and configure a SQL Server instance in under 5 mins.