Bob Ward

AI agents have arrived, but their real value comes when they can securely work with your enterprise data. What exactly is an AI agent, how does it use tools and context, and what happens when you give it access to your databases?

Come learn 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...

Stop by the Microsoft booth for your chance to grab a signed copy of ‘Azure SQL Hyperscale Unveiled: The Cloud SQL AI Database for Everyone'. Meet Bob Ward while you're there! Don't miss out – limited copies available.

Start your day at PASS Data Community Summit with breakfast and an engaging Q&A with leaders from across Microsoft Data, hosted by Principal Architect Bob Ward. Bring your questions and join the conversation spanning Microsoft SQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft Fabric, Horizon DB, and more. Whether...

Version store, Accelerated Database Recovery (ADR), Optimized Locking (OL), and RSCI. What do these all have in common? Versioning. In this session the mysteries of SQL Server versioning will be unlocked. You will learn the internals of how it all works, what to use and when, and examples...

What can AI and SQL Server 2025 do for your SQL environment, and how much faster can it run? Join us as we go under the hood at Microsoft to find out. We'll start with the AI built into SQL Server 2025: native vector search, embeddings, and in-engine retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), all...

Azure SQL Hyperscale is often viewed as a niche option for very large or expensive databases. In reality, Hyperscale represents the modern evolution of SQL Server, removing long-standing limits around scale, performance, and operations while remaining fully SQL compatible.

Join us for an in-depth session on the future of Microsoft SQL, from on-premises to Azure and into Microsoft Fabric. Discover our unified, AI-ready relational database that powers modernization and next-gen AI apps.

Azure SQL Hyperscale is often viewed as a niche option for very large or expensive databases. In reality, Hyperscale represents the modern evolution of SQL Server, removing long‑standing limits around scale, performance, and operations while remaining fully SQL compatible.

Version store, Accelerated Database Recovery (ADR), Optimized Locking (OL), and RSCI. What do these all have in common? Versioning. In this session the mysteries of SQL Server versioning will be unlocked. You will learn the internals of how it all works, what to use and when, and examples...

Planning to migrate SQL Server to Azure SQL and not sure where to start? Join this Ask Me Anything session with Microsoft SQL experts for open, candid discussion and direct answers to your migration questions. This interactive panel creates space to discuss real-world migration projects,...

Azure SQL Database Hyperscale is built for modern AI apps with native vector indexes, semantic search, and low-latency RAG. Scale securely with up to 30 replicas and 150MBps log speed. Invoke models via T-SQL and Azure AI Foundry to modernize mission-critical workloads.

Join Bob Ward and friends to learn every aspect of SQL Server 2025 including AI built-in, Developer features, all of the core engine, Azure Arc, Fabric Mirroring, and more.

Join Bob Ward and friends to learn every aspect of SQL Server 2025 including AI built-in, Developer features, all of the core engine, Azure Arc, Fabric Mirroring, and more.

We’ll recap the key features of SQL Server 2025 and talk about how advanced vector extensions in AMDs processor boost the performance of your database. This session will show how SQL Server 2025 and AMD provides the services you need to start quickly to build AI applications securely delivering...

Are you trying to keep up with the pace of AI today especially when it comes to working with your data in SQL, ground to cloud to fabric? In this session you will not only learn fundamentals like vectors, AI models, prompts, model hosting, and RAG. But you will also learn what are the latest...

Do you have to be experts like Bob Ward and Anna Hoffman to use SQL? What about Fabric? Why not both? Come join our experts from Microsoft in this entertaining and educational session where the worlds of SQL and Fabric come to together in way you never knew existed

Join us for an in-depth session on the future of Microsoft One SQL—from on-premises to Azure and into Microsoft Fabric. Discover our unified, AI-ready relational database that powers modernization and next-gen AI apps. See how SQL delivers consistency, performance, and innovation everywhere you...

Azure SQL Hyperscale is often viewed as a niche option for very large or expensive databases. In reality, Hyperscale represents the modern evolution of SQL Server, removing long‑standing limits around scale, performance, and operations while remaining fully SQL compatible.

In this session, learn how Microsoft SQL enables modern AI‑driven applications by combining proven security, performance, and availability with deep integration across the Microsoft data ecosystem.

Join us for an in-depth session on the future of Microsoft SQL—from on-premises to Azure and into Microsoft Fabric. Discover our unified, AI-ready relational database that powers modernization and next-gen AI apps.

Come learn about the new capabilities in SQL Server 2025 powered by AMD processors. You will learn how to bring AI to your data with AI applications using built-in vector capabilities ground to cloud.

Explore how to build enterprise-grade Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems by harnessing the power of SQL AI Agents, vector-based search, and Microsoft Fabric. This session dives into modern architectures that combine structured data with large language model (LLM) capabilities to enable real-time, intelligent, and secure applications.

SQL is everywhere you need it with SQL Server 2025, Azure SQL, and SQL database in Fabric. Build AI applications once with your data and deploy it on-premises, in the cloud or fabric.

Join us for an engaging “Ask Me Anything” session with the engineers from the SQL Server, Azure SQL, SQL in Fabric, and Tools teams. This interactive Q&A offers a unique opportunity to connect directly with the experts behind Microsoft’s data platforms and tooling.

Come learn about the latest release of SQL Server, SQL Server 2025, with AI built-in, powered by industry proven security, performance, and availability, and connected and integrated to Azure and Microsoft Fabric. SQL Server 2025 provides a unique opportunity to build AI applications on-premises only or connect to the cloud.

SQL databases in Fabric provide a unique development experience for operational databases in the unified data platform, Microsoft Fabric. Databases become simple, autonomous, and optimized for AI. The integration with Fabric services makes it a perfect solution for AI applications and data...

❓Are you proficient in SQL and eager to learn about the new world of AI? ❓Is your business asking you to sprinkle AI magic on your data? In this full-day workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of Generative AI, and how AI can be applied to your data, integrating seamlessly from SQL on the...

Data is the fuel that powers AI, and organizations need comprehensive, secure, and integrated solutions to transform their data into a competitive edge. Join CVP Shireesh Thota to uncover innovative approaches with Azure's suite of data services, including Fabric, AI Foundry, Azure SQL and SQL...

Come join an interactive Q&A session with a panel of leaders across Microsoft Data hosted by Principal Architect Bob Ward. Our panel would love to hear what is top of mind for you across all of Microsoft Data including SQL Server 2025, Azure SQL, AI, Microsoft Fabric, Azure PostgreSQL and more....

Join us as we talk about how SQL Server 2025 and AMD Technologies are utilizing AI, while showing you to do the same across your applications. ​We’ll recap the key features of SQL Server 2025 and talk about how advanced vector extensions in AMDs processor boost the performance of your database....

Come learn about the latest information about SQL Server 2025. You will learn how to bring AI to your data with AI applications using built-in vector capabilities ground or cloud. In addition, you will learn the most significant SQL Server in a decade for developers including features like JSON,...

Are you proficient in SQL and eager to learn about the new world of AI? In this full-day workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of Generative AI, and how AI can be applied to your data, integrating seamlessly from SQL on the edge to cloud solutions using Microsoft Fabric.

Everyone is talking about Microsoft Fabric – a whole new way of thinking about your organization’s data. While Fabric has been focused on Analytics, Microsoft SQL has not been left behind.

The new SQL Server Fabric mirroring and replication continuously replicates data in real-time from on-premises SQL Server, SQL Server on Azure VMs, or non-Microsoft clouds to Fabric OneLake.

Come learn about the latest release of SQL Server, SQL Server 2025, with AI built-in, powered by industry proven security, performance, and availability, and connected and integrated to Azure and Microsoft Fabric.

Microsoft Fabric now has an operational database solution, and it is based on SQL Server and Azure SQL! SQL database in Microsoft Fabric is a unique simple, autonomous, and integrated approach for operational databases in Fabric including a platform for new AI applications.

In this session come see the future of how AI technologies are integrated with SQL including various ways to build GenAI applications using your data and how Copilot experiences can accelerate your time to develop and manage across all of SQL.

Copilot AI companions are changing the landscape of productivity in everything we do. Come see in this session a new world of Copilot technology specifically built for SQL developers and IT pros.

The future of databases is intelligent, data-driven applications using the power of generative AI. It is seamlessly integrating all of your data in the Microsoft Fabric platform.

Everyone is talking about Microsoft Fabric – a whole new way of thinking about your organization’s data. While Fabric has been focused on Analytics, Microsoft SQL has not been left behind.

Microsoft is building a new experience of an AI companions called Copilot that are transforming how people work, write code, and solve problems faster. In this session come learn the latest innovations in SQL Copilot technology including GitHub Copilots for developing code and assisting with the...

In this session, you will learn topics that are important for making your experience successful including architecture, licensing, monitoring, troubleshooting, cluster types, failover, contained, cloud, best practices, and more. We will bust some myths during this session and do some fun...

Come learn all the latest technology for Azure SQL to power your data applications including Azure Arc, SQL in Azure VM, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and Azure SQL Database. This session is the one to attend to keep up with the fast pace of the cloud and hybrid.

SQL Server 2022 has many new capabilities for the database engine across security, performance, and availability. In this demo-heavy session learn about new enhancements that you may not be familiar with that have real practical value.

Come learn about the latest major release of SQL Server and the "wheel of power" with capabilities across hybrid, built-in query intelligence, core database engine, data virtualization, and T-SQL.

Immerse yourself in this day-long workshop on SQL Server 2022 including presentations, hands-on exercises, and interactive Q&A taught by the Microsoft engineering team.

Get ready for a journey through the cutting-edge platform advancements in SQL Server 2022! In this must-attend session, our Microsoft and Intel subject matter experts will take you on a tour of the latest platform innovations, demonstrating the new capabilities and solutions that are driving the...

Immerse yourself in this day-long workshop on SQL Server 2022 including presentations, hands-on exercises, and interactive Q&A taught by the Microsoft engineering team. You will learn all aspects of what is new in SQL Server 2022 including features for hybrid, built-in query intelligence,...

The SQLBits event theme this year is Video Games – and in the “Level Up With Azure Data” keynote, you'll see the latest and greatest in SQL Server 2022 and Azure Data, and there will be some surprise guests - always a fun time at the SQL Bits keynote!

Come learn all the new capabilities of SQL Server 2019 directly from the Microsoft engineering team. This session will provide the strategy behind SQL Server 2019 as well as a deep dive into all the new features and how they can help you modernize your data estate with SQL Server.

Come learn all the new capabilities of SQL Server 2019 directly from the Microsoft engineering team. This session will provide the strategy behind SQL Server 2019 as well as a deep dive into all the new features and how they can help you modernize your data estate with SQL Server.

SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 are quickly approaching end-of-support. If you are looking to modernize your existing database workloads running on SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2, then attend this session to learn about how SQL Server 2019 can help you