Event link at our Meetup page.
- 5:30 Networking
- 6:00 Meeting
Getting Started with Vector Searches in SQL Server 2025
Deborah Melkin – Lightning Talk
Mitigating Your Data Bloat with Partitioning & Data Virtualization
Andy Yun – Presentation
Are you managing a VLDB where cold data must be retained, but it’s dragging down maintenance, backups, and query performance? What if you could shrink your database footprint while still letting users query that data exactly as they always have?
In this session, we’ll start by reviewing the classic approach using partitioning and filegroup strategies. Then we’ll dive deep into a modern, more flexible solution: Data Virtualization. You’ll learn how external tables/CETAS can enable seamless access to archived data stored in object storage, with zero changes to your users’ T-SQL code. This isn’t just about saving space — it’s about redefining what “archiving” can mean in today’s SQL Server environments.
You’ll leave with practical techniques — both classic and modern — for reducing database bloat, improving manageability, lowering storage needs, and preserving fast, transparent access to historical data.
Deborah Melkin
Deborah Melkin has been working as a database professional with SQL Server for over 20 years. She spends her days helping coworkers with all aspects of database design, queries, performance, documentation, and deployment. In 2016, she began her blog, Deb the DBA. Soon after that, she began speaking at SQL Saturdays and user groups. Deborah is a board member of the New England SQL Server User group (NESQL) and a member of the Azure Data Community Advisory Council. She was named “One To Watch” as part of the #Redgate100 and won Speaker Idol at PASS Summit 2019. Deborah is also a Microsoft MVP for the Data Platform.
In her spare time, Deborah can usually be found doing something musical or doing something geeky with her husband, Andy, and dog, Sebastian.
Andy Yun
Andy Yun is a Field Solutions Architect at Pure Storage, who has been with SQL Server for over 20 years as both a Database Developer and Administrator. He focuses on performance tuning, with expertise in T-SQL, storage engine internals, and monitoring. Andy strongly believes in passing knowledge onto others, regularly speaking at conferences and user groups, and mentoring industry colleagues. Andy is a former Microsoft MVP, co-founder of the Chicago SQL Association, and former co-leader of the Chicago Suburban User Group and Chicago SQL Saturday Organizing Committee.