30 Days with SQL Server Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW)

For those of you who read my blog (including Mark's excellent content), you have probably noticed how I discuss alot of varied topics on DW/BI. Like most people, my blog is a reflection of personal day-to-day work life which necessitates me wearing alot of hats. One day I may be helping sales diagnose a new customer's business intelligence needs and the next I am creating a PowerPivot dashboard (that was today's work).

Somehow via the new XBOX 360s we gave the kids over the holidays NETFLIX is now available (hmm) and on one recent evening I watched a show called '30 Days'. The general idea behind the show is to place people into a foreign situation for thrity days and observe how he or she adjusts to the new dynamic. You can find out more about '30 Days' over at Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Days_(TV_series). So here I am watching this show and poof an idea (scary).

One of our customers is interested in evaluating SQL Server PDW for an upcoming data warehouse initiative. SQL Server PDW was officially released in November last year ( http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2010/nov10/11-09PASS10PR.mspx) and is a result of the prior Microsoft DATAllegro acquisition ( http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/jul08/07-24datawarehousingpr.mspx). Since that time additional Microsoft/HP DW/BI appliances have come onto the market but the general premise behind all of them is the same: to remove inefficiencies in the initialization of hardware and software solutions using optimal SMP and MPP configurations for the DW/BI workload.

Like most of you, I have never worked with SQL Server PDW before and thus its somewhat of a foreign environment to me. I am being given 30 days to learn PDW from the MSFT team while working with them to prepare the PDW POC for the customer's final evaluation. Several meetings with the customer have occured resulting in us, the customer, and Microsoft feeling that PDW is the right solution for their needs.

[overview of PDW]

It is my intention to provide you with valuable insights into how PDW works including tips-and-tricks beyond the formalized material you might find elsewhere. For the first week I will not have direct PDW access, however I'll share things with you I've picked up from the Microsoft team up to this point. If you have questions on SQL Server PDW that I'm not addressing directly please drop me a line. If I don't know the answer (which is quite possible) I'll do my best to get the answer for you.

Thanks for Reading