Virtualduction
Hello,
I've always found introductions,
especially virutalductions,
awkward. But since it's good for you to know who's sitting at the keyboard I'll
give it a shot. My name is Dan Jones, I'm a principal group program manager on
the SQL Server product team focusing on SQL Server Manageability. I've been
with the SQL Server team for over five years. My team is staffed with program
managers (PMs) who drive product and feature planning, design, and
implementation. It's a lot of fun in that we get to work with a wonderful
cross-section of people: marketing, developers, testers, executives, and most
importantly customers, and partners.
During the development of SQL Server 2008
my team was responsible for two essential manageability features: PowerShell
integration and Policy-Based
Management (PBM). Both of
these are very cool technologies that empower DBAs to be more efficient and
productive in their day to day work. If you haven't explored them I highly
encourage you to do so. These are some of the technologies that we're using as
a foundation for new features and capabilities.
Today my team is wrapping up development
on SQL Server 2008 R2 and starting to look ahead to the next major
release of SQL Server. I think that's one of the challenging aspects of my job:
customers are just becoming acquainted with one release and I'm already off
thinking one or two releases ahead. Anyway, in R2 my team is delivering Application and Multi-Server Management (AMM). This encompasses the Data-tier Application
(DAC, different than dedicated admin channel) and the SQL Server Control Point.
The DAC is about removing friction in the development, deployment and
management of the data-tier portion (think database schema) of an application.
The Control Point is designed to help DBAs understand the utilization of
resources within their SQL Server environment (CPU and disk space) and quickly
and easily identify consolidation candidates. These are v1 technology stakes
that will grow in capability and scope subsequent releases. If you haven't
pulled down the August CTP of SQL Server 2008 R2 do so and let me know what you think of these
new features.
Prior to joining Microsoft I spent a few
years working for a couple of different start-ups; one in the software development
tools space and another in the IT business intelligence area. Prior to that I
spent a little over eight years working in enterprise IT for a fortune 50
company. There I worked on several different technologies: mainframe,
client-server, packaged software (ERP), business intelligence and e-commerce.
My professional passions gravitate toward
SQL Server and how to make it the best data platform for our customers;
probably a little too motherhood and apple pie like, but it'll do. Some of the technologies/concepts
that are firmly on my radar these days include PowerShell, declarative
management (think PBM), virtualization (Hyper-V), and cloud computing. I enjoy
talking with customers and users to hear what's on their mind, understand how
they're using the product and how we can make it better for them .
On the personal front, I'm a drummer
currently playing in a Journey tribute band. I also love fine wine and food.
And I love golf but with three kids I just don't have as much time to enjoy it
as I wish. Plus the Pacific Northwest weather isn't always as accommodating as
I wish.
I look forward to sharing my perspectives
and hearing back from you on what you think and what you want to know more
about.
Cheers,