Jerry Nixon

Jerry Nixon is a Microsoft SQL Server Principal Product Manager on the Developer Experiences team, championing Data API builder. With more than two decades of experience, Jerry is an engineer at heart. He teaches Computer Science at university and speaks at events worldwide. Over the years, he has trained thousands of developers, but today, he focuses on software simplicity, intuitive tooling, and excellence in data-driven apps. You'll find him talking about quantum computing, design patterns, machine learning, and—on occasion—SQL Server, the finest of them all. He lives in Colorado, and while most of his days revolve around Outlook, Visual Studio, and online Docs, what he enjoys most is teaching his three daughters Star Trek character backstories and episode plots.

Sessions for 2026

Introducing the SQL MCP Server

This session shows how SQL MCP Server lets language models safely work with your company’s data without bypassing security or operational controls. You’ll see how an open source, enterprise-scale MCP server exposes governed access to SQL and other databases, and how the same high-scale engine used by Microsoft Fabric enables both developer productivity and production-ready agent workflows.

Modern Architecture 101 for New Engineers & Forgetful Architects

We’ll dive into areas like scalability, security, integration, and maintainability, giving you practical insights whether you’re new to the field or just need a refresher.

The AI Hiding in your Data

In this session, learn the engineering best practices used by development teams whose databases aren't a pain in the neck. This session is a collection of patterns recently curated from many of Microsoft's largest and most demanding customers.

Previous Sessions

Workflows of Highly Functional App & Data Engineering Teams

Explore best practices in enterprise data engineering, focusing on Schema Management, Standards Enforcement, Database Testing, & Automated Deployment. Navigate Microsoft's complex options to achieve change management, observability, & quality at scale. Goals: Master schema control, ensure engineering quality, & streamline delivery through automation.

A Deep Dive into DevOps Practices with Azure SQL

Explore the intricacies of DevOps practices tailored for Azure SQL in this demo-heavy session, highlighting both the inner and outer development loops. Embark on a journey through the essential principles of Database version control, Immutable Database Infrastructure, Schema Management, Testing, and Seamless CI/CD. Bid farewell to the notorious "But it worked on my computer!" dilemma by embracing robust DevOps practices, fostering trust and efficiency across your development cycles—from local environments to the expansive cloud. Navigate the array of Azure SQL tools for DevOps practices with potent command-line tools, and uncover seamless integration with industry-leading third-party tools such as GitHub Actions, Codespaces, Terraform, and extensions for popular IDEs like VS Code and Azure Data Studio.

A Deep Dive into Microsoft Fabric Data Warehouse

Deep Dive into Data Warehousing in Microsoft Fabric. Explore the intricacies of Microsoft Fabric Data Warehouse, unraveling its capabilities and demonstrating effective strategies for its utilization.