Wednesday 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM · TMB 1

Building Next-Gen Apps with Power Platform and SQL Server 2025

SQL Server 2025 introduces new capabilities that make it easier than ever to build secure, scalable applications with Power Platform. We’ll explore how to connect Power Apps to SQL 2025, take advantage of improved performance and security. You’ll learn best practices and architecture patterns that let you modernize your SQL-backed Bizz Apps with low code without rewriting your data layer.

Wednesday 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM · C202-C204

Exploring Optimized Locking in SQL Server 2025

Updating data in SQL Server can lead to lock escalation, blocking, deadlocks, or slow performance if it isn't done correctly. The newly released optimized locking helps reduce these issues while improving concurrency. This session explores how it works—covering its architecture, implementation, and best practices to maximize performance to help reduce those dreaded locking issues!

Wednesday 3:05 PM - 4:05 PM · B312-B313a

Change Tracking in SQL Server 2025: Exploring Change Event Streaming vs CDC

Need to ship row level data changes for processing downstream? Change Data Capture (CDC) used to be the go-to option. But now there's a new choice with SQL Server 2025: Change Event Streaming (CES). Come and learn about their architectures as well as the pros and cons of each. Leave knowing which is going to work best for your scenario.

Wednesday 3:05 PM - 4:05 PM · B313b-B314

SSMS 22 Unlocked: Features You’ve Been Waiting For

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) saw more updates in the last two years than a developer makes before release day. Missed them? Don't worry! We’ll showcase SSMS 22 from the installer to AI features and everything in between. Expect a whirlwind tour with demos including the new connection dialog, SQL Projects enhancements, the Query Hint tool, and editor and results grid improvements.

Wednesday 4:25 PM - 5:25 PM · TMB 4

Driving Cost-Efficient Data Architectures for SQL Server, Azure SQL and Fabric using FinOps

Learn how to optimise SQL Server, Azure SQL and Fabric costs using FinOps practices and AI-driven insights. We’ll explore key cost drivers, show how AI detects inefficiencies, forecasts spend, recommends right-sizing, and helps design smarter, cost-efficient data architectures across hybrid and cloud environments.

Wednesday 4:25 PM - 5:25 PM · C105-C106

SQL Server 2025: The Developer’s Revolution

Explore SQL Server 2025’s new dev features -JSON type, Regular Expressions, and Change Event Streaming for real-time pipelines. See how REST API and Data API Builder turn your data into secure, high-performance APIs. Packed with demos, this session is perfect for developers, DBAs, and architects

Thursday 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM · C111-C112

An inside look at how Microsoft builds SQL features

Get a behind the scenes look at how Microsoft builds features and capabilities for SQL. This session will go deep into how Microsoft uses AI technology from design to code to deployment including fun examples of how we debug our own product. This is an advanced session, but you will walk away with tips and techniques to apply to your use of SQL.

Thursday 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM · B406b-B407

Elevate SQL development with VS Code, GitHub Copilot and Microsoft SQL drivers

This demo-heavy session highlights the MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code, now more robust with new AI-driven features to streamline SQL development. With GitHub Copilot, you can move faster from schema to code, generate data, explore relationships, and keep your app in sync. What’s new in connectivity for Python and other languages, enabling faster, more secure cross-platform development.

Thursday 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM · TMB 4

From On-Prem to Next-Gen: Simplifying SQL Server Migrations

Azure SQL Managed Instance Next-gen General Purpose delivers faster performance, greater scalability, and simplified management. In this session, learn how we migrated 1,000+ SQL Server databases at scale with near-zero downtime, and how Azure Arc’s new migration experience streamlines assessment, replication, monitoring, and cutover, making your SQL Server migrations smooth and predictable.

Thursday 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM · TMB 1

SQL Server Sleuthing: Unmasking SQL Server Performance Issues

Dive into SQL Server performance like a true data detective. Learn how to analyze query plans, uncover hidden bottlenecks, and chase down the real culprits behind slow-running queries. We’ll break down key performance metrics, decode what they actually mean in the real world, and show you how to turn chaos into clarity. By the end, you’ll have the tools and confidence to keep your SQL Server environment running fast, stable, and drama-free. Join us for “SQL Unmasked” and start solving performance mysteries the smart (and fun) way.

Thursday 10:10 AM - 11:10 AM · TMB 2-3

Architecting Intelligence: What Powers SQL Copilots

SQL Copilots are reshaping how data professionals work—accelerating query development, improving user's efficiency, and enabling interaction with complex data. This session dives into the shared backend for copilots in SSMS, MSSQL in VS Code, and Fabric SQL, exploring architecture, top use cases, and showcasing real-world demos to help you maximize Copilot impact for your SQL database.

Thursday 10:10 AM - 11:10 AM · C208-C210

Turn It On: The Power of Query Store for Rapid Performance Tuning

I rely on Query Store every day—it lets me uncover performance issues in minutes, even without knowing the app code. If you want real insight into plan choices, regressions, and control over execution plans, you need to turn it on. Learn how to configure it, use its DMVs, spot plan changes fast, and finally answer, “Why was my query slow?”

Thursday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM · C111-C112

New in modern Developer Experiences in SQL

Discover the most developer-focused SQL Server release in a decade! Explore new capabilities like JSON and Vector data types, advanced functions and indexing, Change Event Streams, improvement to query optimizer, plus powerful string functions like regular expression and string similarity search. Better integrate compute with data for improved efficiency and scalability of your solutions.

Thursday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM · C113-C114

Business Continuity for SQL Server 2025 and Azure SQL Deployments

Availability is a core tenet for any application using SQL Server 2025 or Azure SQL. You'll not only learn what's new in SQL Server 2025 and Azure SQL to see how you can meet your availability objectives and keep the business going, but also real world tips, tricks, dos, and don'ts for successful availability configurations on premises, hybrid, or in the cloud to be an availability hero back home.

Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM · B313b-B314

SQL + AI: Building Agentic Apps with SQL MCP Server + Microsoft Foundry

Future applications will combine intuitive UI with powerful AI interactions, enabling AI agents to on our behalf for the best experience. At the heart of this transformation is AI Foundry. In this session, we’ll explore how to integrate AI Foundry with Azure SQL, from architecture deep dive through security considerations, to give you the best knowledge to bring your solutions to the next level.

Thursday 4:15 PM - 5:15 PM · B308-B309

What's new in the SQL core engine - the 2026 edition

With all the news about developer and AI features in SQL, you might wonder if we had any time to invest in the RDBMS core. We certainly did! If you are a DBA, a data engineer, or a developer interested in the new performance and reliability features in query processing and all the way down into the storage engine, join us to learn what's new. We guarantee you'll walk away with new ideas!

Friday 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM · C211-C213

Modern Data Protection Strategies with SQL Server

Today, we handle increasing volumes of sensitive data. DBAs and Data Engineers must protect their data from external attackers, employees, and privileged admins like themselves. This session will teach you how to protect your data while maintaining functionality and performance. The session focuses on using column-level encryption, row-level security, and auditing to secure your data.

Friday 10:10 AM - 11:10 AM · C111-C112

SQL Server 2025 is the AI-ready Enterprise Database

You may have heard the news that SQL Server 2025 has become Generally Available. But do you know why there has been so much buzz about this new version? Come learn from the team at Microsoft everything you need to know about why you should consider upgrading to SQL Server 2025. From AI to developer features to mission critical engine, SQL Server 2025 has more new features than you might realize.

Friday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM · TMB 4

Copilot to the Rescue -Simplifying DBA tasks in SSMS 22

Unlock faster, smarter database management with Github Copilot in SSMS 22. This session shows how AI-driven guidance simplifies everyday DBA tasks from faster troubleshooting, writing better T-SQL, boosting productivity and reducing errors.

In this session you will see practical demos and learn how Github Copilot becomes your essential assistant.

Friday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM · C108-C109

Load Testing Performance for SQL Server

Learn the fundamentals of load testing SQL Server - from planning to execution and analysis - to boost performance on-premises or in the cloud. We’ll cover hardware, VM, and I/O stack insights, compare synthetic vs. real workloads, explore tools like DiskSpd, HammerDB, and Workload Tools, and use PowerShell, DMVs, and PerfMon for automated data collection and analysis.

Friday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM · C202-C204

Unlock the Azure SQL Advantage with a streamlined migration experience via Azure Arc and AI

Learn how Azure SQL gives you best price/performance with Azure benefits, flexible SKU configurations and how seamless SQL migration experience in Azure Arc puts you on fast-track migration journey to Azure SQL with evergreen assessments, best fit SKU recommendations and near zero‑downtime migrations. Learn how SSMA accelerates Oracle/Sybase to Azure SQL migrations with AI Code Conversion Copilot.

Friday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM · C211-C213

My Favorite New T-SQL in SQL Server 2025

This session is a dive into everything new that appears in SQL Server 2025 and are already available in Azure SQL Database.

Looking to use the new Regex functions? There is a surprising upgrade snuck in there for STRING_SPLIT().

Is PRODUCT() really useful? Yes. Yes it is!

What is fuzzy string matching all about?

JSON support is finally here!

There's more to be had, waiting for you right here!

Friday 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM · TMB 1

SQL Server 2025 for DBAs

Explore the key advancements in SQL Server 2025 that matter most for DBAs. We’ll highlight improvements in performance, availability, and administration, including faster queries, better indexing, enhanced HA, and new management tools. Learn how these features reduce downtime, boost efficiency, and help you get the most from SQL Server 2025.

Friday 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM · C211-C213

Batteries included: SQL DevOps with SQL projects

The evolution of SQL projects continues with expanded IDE support and deeper integration in the Fabric platform. Using the latest in VS Code and SSMS, we’ll walk through keeping our database in source control, integrating changes made in another database, and evaluating deployment plans. Finally, we'll automate CI/CD processes with REST APIs for SQL database in Fabric and the SqlPackage CLI.