I have just recently spent quite a bit of time working with Microsoft on their Fast Track initiative. My tasks were to help them create a 1-day class to explain what Fast Track Data Warehouse Reference Architecture is and then help them deliver the class at various Microsoft locations in the US. We delivered in Dallas TX, Reston VA, Iselin NJ, and Chicago IL. Hopefully over the next year the class will be delivered again in the US and in Europe as well.
While working with the material to create the class and prepare for the delivery, I started sketching out a series of blog postings, articles, and even additional whitepapers and another class that will help the average database administrator understand the technology behind what makes Fast Track RA work.
I have started the process of writing these blog postings and wills start putting them up on this site in January. I do not want to rush them as I want the information be useful in helping you understand Fast Track and what it is and what it is not while understanding all the SQL Server concepts behind it.
As I post these blogs I will also be posting deeper blogs on the SQL Server concepts behind Fast Track. These blogs will contain information and discussions on topics like partition, compression, fragmentation, parallel loads, etc. that everyone can make use of to help design and management a large environment, OLTP or DW related. Look forward to these blogs being mixed in with those discussing Fast Track over the next few months.
I have also made the decision that I will not be allowing direct comments on the blog postings. I just do not want to spend most of my time deleting spam and other comments. I do welcome comments sent through the contact form and I will answer and post those comments on the blog as I get them. If you do not want your comment posted, just say so in the email and I not post the comment. I may turn it into a FAQ that does not give away any of your information or specifics, just a general question and answer.