SQL Server Blog Post

Database Administration

Workshop: PostgreSQL for the SQL Server Professional with Buck Woody and David Seis

Written by Buck Woody

June 30, 2026

In this workshop you’ll learn:

  • How PostgreSQL’s architecture (process model, MVCC, WAL, cluster vs. database) differs from SQL Server’s and what that means for day-to-day work
  • How to map SQL Server data types, schema objects, and DDL patterns to their PostgreSQL equivalents
  • How to translate T-SQL stored procedures, functions, and scripts into PL/pgSQL, handling syntax, error handling, and control-flow differences
  • How PostgreSQL’s rich index ecosystem (B-tree, GIN, GiST, BRIN, partial, expression) compares to SQL Server indexes, and how to read and tune EXPLAIN ANALYZE output
  • How to perform common DBA tasks in PostgreSQL: user/role management, backup and restore with pg_dump/pg_basebackup, VACUUM, and monitoring with pg_stat_* views
  • How to leverage PostgreSQL-specific advanced features including JSONB, extensions (PostGIS, pg_trgm, pgvector), Foreign Data Wrappers, and migration tooling

The goal of this workshop is to train SQL Server professionals, DBAs, developers, and architects, who need to support, design, or migrate to PostgreSQL workloads.

The concepts and skills taught in this workshop form the starting points for:

  • Database Administrators and Architects who are evaluating or migrating workloads from SQL Server to PostgreSQL (on-premises or cloud managed services such as Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Amazon RDS, or Google Cloud SQL).
  • Application Developers who write T-SQL today and need to understand PL/pgSQL, connection drivers, and PostgreSQL-specific query patterns.
  • Data Engineers who work across mixed-platform environments and need to bridge SQL Server and PostgreSQL for data pipelines and ELT workflows.

Event Details

Title: DPF01 Hands-On Workshop: PostgreSQL for the SQL Server Professional

Topic(s): Database Administration

When:

Starts on November 20, 2026 at 8:00 am

Ends at 5:00 pm

Cost: $ 2,225.00 for a 4-Day Conference Pass (Includes 1 Workshop on Monday or Friday)

Abstract

In the one-day, hands-on workshop on PostgreSQL for the SQL Server Database Professional, you’ll learn how to apply your existing SQL Server knowledge to become productive with PostgreSQL quickly, and understand where the two platforms are similar, where they differ fundamentally, and how to translate your skills across both.

The focus of this workshop is to give experienced SQL Server professionals a guided, hands-on path to PostgreSQL competency in a single day, covering architecture, query language, development patterns, indexing, administration, and advanced features.

You’ll start by understanding how the PostgreSQL engine differs from SQL Server at an architectural level, then progress through data types, T-SQL-to-PL/pgSQL translation, index strategies and query tuning, administration and security, and finally advanced features and migration tooling, with a focus on how to extrapolate what you have learned into production workloads at your organization.

Who Should Attend

Attendee Requirements:

  • You must provide your own laptop computer (Windows or Mac) for this hands-on workshop.
  • All other requirements will be posted two (2) weeks prior to the conference.

About the Speaker

Buck Woody is the Chief Data Officer at Straight Path Solutions, and uses data and technology to efficiently and effectively help businesses achieve their objectives. With over 40 years of professional and practical experience in computer technology, he is also a popular speaker at conferences around the world; author of over 700 articles and nine books on databases, machine learning, and R, he also sits on various Data Science Boards at two US Universities and specializes in advanced data analysis techniques. He is passionate about mentoring and growing the next generation of data professionals.

David Seis is a DBA working on the consulting team at Straight Path IT Solutions, LLC, and uses long term automation-based thinking to solve problems. Working with SQL Server since 2021 and working as a public school teacher for 5 years before that, he is also a proficient technical blogger and session builder. He leads the local Tampa Fabric Analytics Group (TFAB) as well as develops advanced automation tasks to increase productivity and value for his team and customers. He is passionate about helping in the development of systems to work more efficiently, reduce tedium, and to enable teams to make well informed decisions for their customers.

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