Ben Miller

Ben Miller, aka @dbaduck, is a seasoned database professional with over 25 years of experience in SQL Server, PowerShell, and automation. As a passionate advocate for efficiency and innovation, Ben specializes in empowering IT professionals and DBAs to harness the power of PowerShell for database and server management. A Microsoft Data Platform and PowerShell MVP, speaker, and community contributor, Ben has a knack for breaking down complex topics into practical, actionable insights. When he’s not automating workflows or sharing his knowledge, you’ll find him engaging with the #SQLFamily or exploring new tech to help others work smarter. Follow Ben on all Social Media (@dbaduck) and dive into the world of automation and database magic with him!

Sessions for 2026

Automate All the Things: A Deep Dive into PowerShell, dbatools & dbachecks for SQL Server

A full-day, hands-on workshop for DBAs on using PowerShell with dbatools and dbachecks to automate SQL Server management, enforce standards, validate health, and manage environments at scale with confidence.

Beyond “Set and Forget”: Mastering the Ola Hallengren Maintenance Solution

If you’ve installed Ola and never looked back, you’re missing the best part. Learn how to tune the solution and analyze the CommandLog table to understand what ran, what failed, and how to improve SQL Server maintenance.”

DBA Horror Stories and Practical Advice for Surviving Your Worst Day

Hear real production horror stories from Ben Miller, Kellyn Gorman, Rob Volk, and Eric Peterson. Learn to identify red flags and build a good defensive strategy. You may not experience the same incident, but one day, you will recognize the moment.

Designing a Real-World Recovery Strategy for SQL Server: From Theory to Survival

Backups alone do not guarantee recovery. In this session, you will learn how to design a real-world SQL Server recovery strategy that aligns technical capabilities with business expectations. We will explore common failure scenarios, the limits of availability features, and how to validate that restores actually work within required timelines. You will leave with a practical framework to assess, test, and improve their SQL Server recovery posture—before an outage forces the issue.

From Data to Decisions: Building Agentic AI for Smarter SQL Server Maintenance

Static maintenance jobs don’t scale. Learn how to build agentic AI–driven SQL Server maintenance agents that analyze index usage and statistics data to make smarter decisions—reducing wasted work while improving performance stability.

Pair Programming with AI: Writing Better PowerShell, Faster

Learn how DBAs and IT Pros can use AI as a PowerShell pair programmer to generate, refine, and harden automation scripts. See how to prompt, validate, and productionize AI-generated code safely and effectively.