1. Microsoft SQL Server Overview: Product, Courses & Background
by George SQUILLACE

2. George SQUILLACE “SQL” is in the name!
Husband & Dad
Twenty Two Years of New Horizons service (June 2015)
Thirty years in I.T.
Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) since 1997
96 times in the exam booth!
Microsoft SQL Server certifications
MCSE: Business Intelligence
MCSE: Data Platform
MCSA
Microsoft Virtual Academy presenter
SQLSaturday presenter
Certified in every version of SQL Server since SQL 2000
Certified in every version of Windows Server from NT 4.0 – Windows Server 2008
For fun: (no particular order)
Movies
Reading
Bicycling (road / city / trail)
Travel
Music / Acoustic Guitar
Computers
Aircraft +
"

3. Why should you care about selling SQL Server courses?
Product expertise is in high demand
It’s a sophisticated product
Many third party applications use SQL Server for a back-end data storage
The product is becoming increasingly entrenched
It’s market share is growing
The following Microsoft products require some edition of SQL Server
SharePoint
System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)
System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVM)
System Center Operations Manager (SCOM)
System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM)
System Center Endpoint Protection
Team Foundation Server
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
More confidently sell high margin courses that are not provided by many vendors
Be able to respond to customer questions more rapidly
Make better course recommendations
Grow in your career skills

4. What is “SQL”, Anyway?
SQL (Structured Query Language) is a data-oriented programming language
SQL is an industry standard (ANSI, ISO)
SQL permits a nearly universal method of querying (interacting with and changing) database data
Most popular database servers support their own “dialect” or form of SQL (Microsoft’s “dialect” is “Transact-SQL” or “T-SQL”)
Microsoft SQL Server is a software product which supports the SQL language.

5. A bit of Microsoft SQL Server Product History
SQL Server originated as a joint development between Sybase and Microsoft (for the OS/2 operating system)
Microsoft later developed a version for the Windows NT operation system
There have been many versions of Microsoft SQL Server spanning ~25 years
Having gone through many versions and refinements SQL Server is a mature, robust, & stable product
SQL Server 2016 (latest version) was released on June 1, (just days ago!)
Reference:
“Microsoft SQL Server” at Wikipedia
Trivia: How many developers at Microsoft work on SQL Server?
2,000

6. SQL Server Features /Components In other words, “What does this product do?
There are many installable components available within the SQL Server product
All these features are included with the price (depending on the Edition purchased)
What SQL Server is best known for, the relational database service.
Reference:

7. SQL Server Editions Standard Edition
Business Intelligence Edition (more B.I. features than Standard)
Enterprise Edition (every product feature)
Trial Edition
Every feature of Enterprise Edition
Will function for 180 days
Developer Edition
Only for development purposes
Now free!
SQL Server Express Edition
Totally free
Can be used in production
Strict feature limitations
Can only address 1GB of RAM
Database size cannot exceed 10GB
No SQL Agent Service (for automation purposes)
Several packaging options
There are also free editions of the Visual Studio development tools!
Visual Studio Community Edition
Team Foundation Server 2015 Express

8. Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) SQL Server 2012/2014 Course Portfolio
20461D – Querying
Retrieving and modifying data
20462D – Database Administration
Database Engine Installation, maintenance & administration, disaster recovery, security, automation
20463D – Data Warehousing
DW design and population, SSIS (mostly), DQS, MDS
20464D – Database Development
Views, Functions, Stored Procedures, Triggers, Error Handling, Transactions
20465D – Designing a Data Solution with Microsoft SQL Server
Sort of like an Advanced Administration course
High availability features
Revision “D” changed to 3 days; Cloud content was removed
20466D – Data Models and Reports (a.k.a. “Managed BI”)
SSRS, SSAS Multidimensional & Tabular Models, Data Mining Models
20467D - Implementing Self Service BI and Big Data Solutions
Revision “D” completely changed the course
10977B - Updating Your SQL Server Skills to Microsoft SQL Server 2014
These Microsoft courses are five days in duration
These courses uniformly apply to both SQL Server 2012 and 2014.
In some cases they apply much further backward.
Other query course alternatives are:
Microsoft Course 2778 (SQL 2008 – based, three days)
SQL Querying - Level 1 Fundamentals of Querying
SQL Querying - Level 2 Advanced Querying

9. Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) SQL Server 2016 Course Portfolio
10985A – Introduction to SQL Databases (3 days)
10986A – Updating Your Skills to SQL Server 2016 (3 days, brand new)
10987A – Performance Tuning and Optimizing SQL Server Databases (4 days, brand new)
10989A – Analyzing Data with Power BI (2 days, brand new course)
10990 – Analyzing Data with SQL Server Reporting Services (3 days, brand new course)
20761A – Querying Data with Transact-SQL (3 days)
20762A – Developing SQL Databases (4 days)
20764A – Administering a SQL Database Infrastructure (5 days, no installation)
20765A – Provisioning SQL Databases (3 days, includes installation and storage management)
20767A – Implementing a SQL Data Warehouse (5 days)
20768A – Developing SQL Data Models (3 days, focus on SSAS)
These courses uniformly apply to both SQL Server 2012 and 2014.
In some cases they apply much further backward.

10. Other query course alternatives are:
Microsoft Course 2778 (SQL 2008 – based, three days)
SQL Querying - Level 1 Fundamentals of Querying
SQL Querying - Level 2 Advanced Querying

11. List of SQL Server – related Job Roles which are Candidates for SQL Server Training
Database Administrator (DBA) (including “Accidental DBAs”)
Candidate course(s): , 20462, (sort of an Advanced Administration course)
Database Developers
Candidate course:
Business Intelligence Developers (implementers of “Managed BI”)
Report Writers / Developers
OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) and Data Mining Developers and Users
Candidate course: “Managed BI”
possibly 20467
ETL/Data Warehouse Developers (ETL = Extract, Transform, & Load)
Candidate course(s):
Business Analysts
Candidate course: “Self-Service BI”
Note: these numbers are low
Diagram courtesy of Pragmatic Works

12. Definition: What is Business Intelligence (BI)?
From Wikipedia: Business intelligence (BI) is a business management term which refers to applications and technologies which are used to gather, provide access to, and analyze data and information about company operations
Business intelligence systems can help companies have a more comprehensive knowledge of the factors affecting their business, such as metrics on sales, production, internal operations, and they can help companies to make better business decisions
So, BI is about using tools and data to make better decisions.
Humor: just because I have good data and tools doesn’t mean I make good decisions 
Remember four key words as related to monitoring anything:
Use Tools à Get Facts à Draw Conclusions à Implement Changes

13. News Flash!
Hopefully Microsoft will create a course around this exciting acquisition, which may create some additional sales opportunities

14. SQL Server Course Pre-requisites
Basic Windows User Interface Knowledge
Basic Windows Server Operating System Knowledge
User and Group Accounts
Services and Service Accounts
File System and Shared Folder Permissions
Relational Database Experience
(Microsoft Access experience “counts”)

15. Common Sales Mistakes Student doesn’t meet pre-requisites
Querying student is not placed in the correct quering course
Student is placed in a Microsoft quering course using Microsoft query writing tools even though the student uses a different database engine
Salesperson promises instructor will work with customer’s own data
Permissions
Exercises and development time
Liability
If you violate the SQL Server sales principals I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.
The Fangorn Forest

17. This diagram represents the former “mis-alignment” between courses and exams; now exams and courses match more closely…mostly.

18. Why Should a Student Certify?
Increases product knowledge
Increases competency; can solve more and different kinds of problems
Increases confidence
May lead to other job opportunities within and outside of your current organization
“You don’t know where you’ll be working next Monday, so pack a parachute!” –me
The current certification track is extremely challenging

19. Resources (for you and your clients)
Microsoft SQL Server homepage
Microsoft Learning homepage
My website
Homepage
Search button, Test taking tips link
Diagrams
Several SQL and SQL BI diagrams
Screenshot Gallery
Look in the SQL screenshot category; a SQL BI category exists too
SQL Server reference homepage
Huuuuge amount of links
SQL Server BI reference homepage
Also a huuuuge amount of links
My Library Books (click on this link)
NHLS SQL blog posts
I have several blog posts on free resources for SQL Server

20. What Are Your Action Items?
Learn & study?
Download and install SQL Server?
Call a client with a recommendation or new opportunity?
Fair assumption: almost any business mid-range and above likely has one more more database servers
Second assumption: everyone in charge of a SQL Server needs to know the product better than they do today
Flee?
Other?
Reference: Suggested Action Items List

21. Don’t forget to wear an Aloha shirt on Aloha shirt Fridays!
Thank you for your time!
instructor profile
describe SQL Server job roles
show Pragmatic Works BI pyramid
courseware portfolio and student placement
Resources
strategies for passing certification exams
NH Blog posts
local SQL Server User Group
?? my website
Aloha shirt Friday
Don’t forget to wear an Aloha shirt on Aloha shirt Fridays!