DATACON, a Microsoft Data Platform conference, brings together top experts, industry leaders, and data professionals for an immersive five-day experience. Focused on cutting-edge Microsoft data technologies—including Azure SQL Databases, Microsoft Fabric, SQL Server, and Real-Time Intelligence—DATACON delivers deep technical insights and practical solutions to help individuals and organizations unlock the full potential of their data.
With two days of intensive preconference workshops followed by three days of expert-led sessions, attendees gain hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge across a range of specialized tracks, including,&nbsp;Azure Data Services,&nbsp;SQL Server Optimization &amp; Best Practices,&nbsp;SQL Server Data Solutions for Enterprise,&nbsp;Data Warehousing,&nbsp;Data Integration &amp; Transformation,&nbsp;Power BI &amp; Data Visualization,&nbsp;Microsoft Fabric, and&nbsp;Data Security &amp; Governance.
At DATACON, learning comes from the best in the industry. Our speakers include Microsoft MVPs, Microsoft Certified Masters (MCMs), Microsoft Program Managers, Engineers, MCTs, and Regional Directors—each bringing expert-level insights into Azure SQL Databases, SQL Server, Purview, Power BI, Fabric, and more.
Choose a complete learning track to deepen your expertise or mix and match sessions to fit your organization’s specific needs. Whether you’re focused on building data pipelines, designing dashboards, integrating AI into your workflows, or mastering data governance,&nbsp;DATACON&nbsp;is your destination for actionable insights and transformative learning.

DATACON

Room 320-321

This workshop is perfect for any developer eager to explore how to integrate Azure Cosmos DB into their applications! We’ll dive into the ins and outs of Azure Cosmos DB, helping you gain a thorough understanding of its architecture, features, and handy tools. We’ll also cover essential concepts like partitioning and data modeling for distributed NoSQL databases, making sure you feel confident in working with this powerful technology.

The workshop will include an in-depth look at all the database services offered by Azure Cosmos DB, with a primary focus on the SQL API. We will utilize the Azure Cosmos DB Emulator as much as possible, so participants may not need an Azure subscription for most of the workshop. Additionally, attendees will learn how to use the Azure Cosmos DB Data Migration Tool to migrate data from various sources into Azure Cosmos DB.

Azure Cosmos DB provides a range of AI capabilities via Azure AI Foundry. In the workshop's concluding section, participants will explore AI features and vector data options available in Azure Cosmos DB.

Participants are welcome to join the workshop with or without their computer, as there will be valuable learning opportunities regardless of whether a computer is used.


Azure Cosmos DB for Developers: From Basics to AI

From early database management systems to modern data platforms like Microsoft Fabric, SQL has withstood the test of time. This language can be powerful in its navigation of data relationships, calculation of detailed or aggregate values, or adjustment of records stored in tables. All of these capabilities fall under the term Data Manipulation Language (DML). This language can enable many data practitioners, from engineers and citizen developers, to harness their data and bend it to their needs.

Suppose you have not had the opportunity to learn SQL DML and would find use for your work. This introductory course to Microsoft's version of SQL, called Transact SQL or T-SQL, is a great place to start. Join this workshop to learn T-SQL DML from the ground up, starting with the SELECT statement and all of its primary clauses.

Intro to T-SQL Data Manipulation Language

Microsoft Azure is a daunting thing to look at and think about.  In this session, we'll look at the basics of Azure, what the options are for setting up an Azure account; as well as look at how regions are broken down. We'll take a look at the differences between Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service as well as the High Availability and Disaster Recovery options that are available to do with these services.  We'll finish the session off by looking at some options for Virtual Machines within Azure as well as the SQL Server offerings that are available on the platform.

Azure 101

In this session, you will learn the exciting product innovations and roadmap for Fabric Data Factory. You will learn how Fabric Data Factory provides industry-leading data movement, transformation and orchestration capabilities. You will learn how AI-powered development experiences will enable you to be more productive and effectively build data integration solutions.

Fabric Data Factory: What's New and Roadmap

Finding the balance between cost, efficiency and performance for cloud-based ETL processes can be a tricky proposition, and a good ETL framework will help you get there. 

In this session we will look at what the components of such a framework may look like in Azure Data Factory, and why orchestration can be a good option if you're trying to minimize cost. We will also walk through an actual framework I've developed and use today, which you can use as a starting point for your own efforts.

If you are currently using Azure Data Factory and feel like you're recreating the wheel all the time, or if you're planning to move from SSIS to ADF in the future and would like some ideas on how to create an ETL framework, this will be the perfect session for you.

Building a framework for orchestration in Azure Data Factory

Learn everything you need to know about Data Virtualization, OPENROWSET, External tables, parquet, Delta, best practices, how to access external data using Azure SQL Database, export cold data, and create your very own data tiering solution.

Everything you need to know about Data Virtualization in Azure SQL Database

Ever wonder why your query behaves a certain way? Looking at the behavior of your query can lead you down a path to tuning. As with all queries, different servers will behave differently. With all those permutations (CPU, Memory, disk type, etc.) you can easily give up. But with these best practices you learn here, you have a shot at getting more consistent behavior by following them. I will show you what to look for and how to affect the behavior through better TSQL. Join me in a quest to write and tune queries by looking at how they behave. 

TSQL Best Practices Through Behavior Analysis

Applications in need of modernization and integration with AI usually pick up an AI broker to bridge the gap. Microsoft SQL Server 2025, still in private preview, as announced interesting features to implement this bridge and help developers to get AI results in existing applications faster. In this session will you learn about these features and how they will help infuse AI in current apps.

SQL Server and AI, tomorrow has arrived

There are several different data platform solutions for use within your application. Selecting the right option can make the difference between a well-performing application and a poorly performing one; not to mention the cost aspect of choosing the wrong solution.

In this session we'll look at the options of Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Database Managed Instance, and Cosmos DB to see when these are all going to be the correct option, and when these aren't going to be the right option; both from a price and performance perspective.

Choosing the Right Data Store--An Overview of Azure Data Platform Choices

When you started working in Power BI you only had a few million rows or data or the data latency requirements were non-existent.  Now all of that has change, the data volume is billions of rows and/or data latency must be less than 5 seconds.  How do you manage these challenges with Power BI.  Join this demo-heavy session where we will explain and demonstrate how.

Handling Big Data with Power BI

In an era where data breaches, fraud, and lack of transparency plague traditional databases, blockchain emerges as a revolutionary solution for secure and trusted data management. This session explores how blockchain technology is transforming the way we store, access, and verify data—eliminating single points of failure, enhancing security, and ensuring transparency like never before.

I'll dive into the core principles of blockchain that make it a superior alternative to traditional databases, from immutability and cryptographic security to decentralized trust mechanisms. Attendees will gain insights into real-world applications across industries such as finance, healthcare, and supply chain, showcasing how blockchain is redefining data integrity and ownership.

Whether you’re a developer, business leader, or tech enthusiast, this session will equip you with the knowledge to understand why blockchain is the future of secure and transparent databases—and how your organization can leverage it for a more trusted digital ecosystem.

Rethinking Databases: Blockchain for Security, Trust, and Transparency

Join us at DataCon to explore the Azure SQL Database Hyperscale. We'll discuss its architecture and use cases, highlighting benefits like larger database sizes, faster throughput, and continuous priming. Learn how these advancements boost scalability, speed, and reliability in data management. Stay ahead with the cutting-edge features of Azure SQL Database Hyperscale.
We'll dive into real-world use cases and innovations that demonstrate the power of Azure SQL in driving the next generation of databases. Discover how organizations are leveraging Hyperscale for mission-critical applications, and how vector support enhances performance for complex queries and AI workloads. Experience firsthand the transformative impact of Azure SQL Database in various industries and understand why it is the preferred choice for modern data solutions.

Azure SQL DB Hyperscale: The Definitive Modern Database Choice​

As a data engineer you spend a lot of time transforming data into data models that in turn will be used to provide insights to your organization. As the lines between the technical and business roles become more and more blurred it is even more important to establish a solid data architecture. 

In this session we will demystify the medallion architecture and its different layers. We will showcase how you can use it in your solutions like Azure Databricks or Microsoft Fabric as well as digging into the benefits of using a non-technical approach when collaboration between different data roles increases even more. 

If you are a data engineer, a data analyst, a business analyst or a business representative consuming analytical data, this session is for you. You will by the end of this session identify how your data flows through the layers of the medallion architecture and what data to use for different use cases. 