CS Techcasts - SQL Server and LINQ Webcast\Podcast

Last Thursday at PASS Camp in Denver I participated in a live webcast\podcast related to SQL Server topics.  Why was a developer involved?  Well I don't want to spoil the surprise so you'll just have to watch.  Wether your a SQL Server expert or just know enough to be dangerous this is a great informational cast.  Check it out!

http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=15

LINQ to SQL is the Devil?

Last Thursday I attend the SQL Server Pass Camp in Denver.  As one of the only developers there I got a lot of negative vibes related to LINQ to SQL and ADO .Net Entity Framework.  DBAs seem to think any tool that generates SQL statements is evil.  I have to admit I agree with them.  Even if the generated SQL is flawless, it can take away the DBAs ability to tune performance.

However, I think there is a happy medium that will help DBAs sleep at night and still give the developers the flexibility they need.  It's the same answer we've been using for years, Stored Procedures.  If you think about it, developers have had the option of running SQL queries directly against the DB for years using inline SQL statements.  So, nothing has really changed.  LINQ to SQL and the Entity Framework both have full support for stored procedures.  Use Stored Procedures for all updates, inserts and deletes.  You can also use stored procedures to retrieve data. However this takes away some of the the flexibility LINQ to SQL and the Entity Framework provide to the developer.  So, for reads I recommend using views.  They allow DBAs to restrict the columns visible and also provide an extra layer of security.

All the feed back I received from DBAs was positive once I explained that stored procedures and views are still the best practices for these new technologies.  They were also put to ease when I reminded them that this really is nothing new for them.

So to answer the question, LINQ to SQL is not evil.

Fallout From The Colorado PASS Camp

Yesterday I attended and presented at the Colorado SQL Server PASS camp.  A developer at a SQL DBA event?  And he made it out alive?  Yep I feel like I cheated death.

No seriously, I had a great time and learned many things about some of the DBA's fear of LINQ and the ADO.Net Entity Framework.  I will post more about this subject in a separate post in the interest of not making my posts too long.

Look for a series of posts regarding the info I gathered from attending this event.  Thanks to everyone who organized and attended the event!

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SQL Server - Colorado Pass Camp this Wednesday and Thursday

I apologize for the late notice on this but tomorrow and Thursday is the Colorado Pass Camp in Denver.  It is a free event related mostly to SQL Server related topics.  You can get all the info and register here.

I’m mostly a developer, but I find it makes me a better developer if I understand SQL Server and the issues most DBAs deal with on a daily basis. 

In this age of technology no one can know everything about everything.  However, understanding the theory and reasoning behind many different things can help you do a better job of developing good applications.  I might not always know the details of how to do certain things in technology, but I can always learn and find the details online when needed.  So, simply knowing the strong point for using one technology over another is enough to make a decision and then go learn the details after the decision is made.

I am actually a part of PASS on Thursday.  I’m participating in a pod\screen cast in the morning and then presenting on LINQ and .Net in the CLR later in the day.

Please come up to me and say Hi if you are attending!  See you there.

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