I am scheduled to be the opening act, with a short 5-10 minute tip/trick session entitled “Tips – Taking Care of ‘Future You’”, and then the illustrious Allen White will take over and give a presentation on the new administration features of SQL Server 2008.  Frankly I am glad that he is going after me, because I know he is going to be quite a bit better than me 🙂 (This being based on what I have heard and the fact the he is a professional trainer and I am just a rank amateur!) 

If you don’t know Allen, his bio is:

Allen is a SQL Server Trainer for Scalability Experts, a leading provider of scalable solutions, training and services based on Microsoft SQL Server. He’s spent over 30 years in IT, including operations, development, telecommunications, network admin and database design and administration. He’s been using SQL Server since 1992 and is certified MCITP:Database Administrator, MCITP: Database Developer and MCT.  Allen has been awarded Microsoft’s MVP Award for his work in the SQL Server community for the last two years. He’s active in the Ohio North SQL Server User’s Group and contributes in the MSDN Forums, answering questions about SMO and PowerShell, and maintains a blog at http://sqlblog.com/blogs/allen_white/default.aspx.

He is a great guy, and I am looking forward to getting an opportunity to hear him speak.  He is coming to see us because he happened to be in town for the weekend to run the Country Music Marathon. I was going to run it, but then I realized I was going to be in Atlanta for SQL Saturday. (Okay, to be honest if you know me you would be fairly certain that I won’t even be walking 26 miles anytime soon.)

If you want to come out and see Allen too, we will be at Nova Copy, 15 Lindsley Ave. Nashville 37210. RSVP to Shelton Dickson (shelton@dicksonresources.com) as soon as you can if you are coming so we will know how much pizza to order.