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Peter Daniels
Verified Expert in Engineering
Database Engineer and Developer
Denver, CO, United States
Toptal member since September 18, 2023
Bio
Peter is a seasoned data platform expert specializing in the Microsoft stack, including Azure. With skills ranging from data architecture and engineering to database administration and development, his 29 years of experience, multiple certifications, and passion for learning set him apart in addressing clients' diverse data requirements. Most recently, Peter helped a growing company migrate their on-premise data and AI estate into Azure as part of an ERP migration to Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Portfolio
Teel Inc.
SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Docker, SQL Server 2017, Python 3, Python...
SQL Sanity
SQL Server DBA, Data Architecture, ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), Automation...
CRB Group
Azure SQL, SQL Server BI, SQL Server DBA, Windows PowerShell, Python, Synapse...
Experience
- Database Design - 20 years
- Data Warehousing - 20 years
- Data Architecture - 20 years
- Data Modeling - 20 years
- Database Development - 20 years
- Windows PowerShell - 8 years
- Azure - 7 years
- Synapse - 3 years
Work Experience
ETL Developer
2023 - PRESENT
Teel Inc.
- Developed a data migration tool in Python to migrate application data from MS SQL Server to MySQL in a Docker container.
- Utilized pandas, SQLAlchemy, and other Python packages.
- Worked with the end client (Teeltech's customer) to understand requirements, coordinate testing, and troubleshoot issues.
- Navigated the challenges involved in a secure target environment in which we had very limited visibility.
Technologies: SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Docker, SQL Server 2017, Python 3, Python, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Windows PowerShell, Pipelines, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Databases, Amazon Web Services (AWS), DevOps, ETL Tools, Advisory, Data, Databricks, Azure Databricks
President | Principal Engineer | Data Architect
2007 - PRESENT
SQL Sanity
- Founded the consulting company and provided consulting services to clients since 2007.
- Designed and developed numerous databases, primarily tailored for Microsoft SQL Server.
- Performed database administration tasks for numerous clients using Microsoft SQL Server.
Technologies: SQL Server DBA, Data Architecture, ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), Automation, Database Architecture, Data Migration, Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Data Engineering, Python, Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, ETL Development, Data Lakes, Data Warehouse Design, REST APIs, Unstructured Data Analysis, Pipelines, Data Analysis, Data Analytics, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Database Migration, Databases, Data Strategy, DevOps, ETL Tools, APIs, Advisory, Consulting, Large-scale Projects, Big Data, Data, Data Visualization, Azure Blob Storage API, Azure Databricks
Senior Data Architect | Consultant
2016 - 2023
CRB Group
- Migrated the company's data architecture to Azure using Azure SQL, Synapse, Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, and Azure Data Factory, optimizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 data ingestion, Azure SQL Data Warehouse (SQL DW) loading, and Power BI consumption.
- Implemented ingestion processes from Microsoft Dynamics 365 into a data lake using Azure Synapse Link and Export, enabling data analysts to utilize familiar Synapse serverless views and external tables for streamlined data warehouse ETL.
- Migrated Azure subscriptions to a new Azure Active Directory tenant. By changing the tenant on existing subscriptions instead of relocating resources, CRB saved significant time and costs, totaling hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars.
- Provided individual mentoring to fellow data team members and facilitated Azure data exploration meetings. Fostering team growth contributed to CRB's ability to meet the demands of a growing business.
- Implemented database, Synapse source control, and CI/CD processes using Azure DevOps. This streamlined a dependable change management system for CRB's data and AI infrastructure, enabling multiple engineers and analysts to collaborate seamlessly.
- Stabilized and managed CRB's SQL Server estate and implemented Redgate SQL for monitoring. Transitioning from constant troubleshooting to a robust data environment enabled CRB's data team to concentrate on delivering new business value.
- Created a PowerShell utility to export files stored in an SQL Server database to a file system (shares) where they could be archived and shared.
- Developed PowerShell tools to facilitate migrating SQL Server databases to new servers in a new AD domain.
Technologies: Azure SQL, SQL Server BI, SQL Server DBA, Windows PowerShell, Python, Synapse, Azure Data Factory (ADF), Azure Synapse, Delta Lake, Microsoft Power BI, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Azure Data Lake, Spark, ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), PySpark, Automation, Database Architecture, Data Migration, Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Data Engineering, Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, ETL Development, Data Lakes, Data Warehouse Design, REST APIs, Unstructured Data Analysis, Pipelines, Data Analytics, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Database Migration, Databases, Cloud Migration, Data Strategy, DevOps, ETL Tools, APIs, Advisory, Consulting, Large-scale Projects, Big Data, Data, Data Visualization, Databricks, Azure Blob Storage API, Azure Databricks
Development Database Administrator | Database Administrator Consultant | Data Architect
2005 - 2019
InComm
- Designed and built many SQL Server databases to complement software development initiatives, supporting InComm's foundational operations and growing business endeavors. Many of these applications continue to operate in production.
- Designed and implemented database source control, change management, and deployment processes, giving InComm confidence in deploying their applications and associated database changes to production.
- Facilitated meetings between operations and development database administrator (DBA) teams, helping to break down silos and encourage more collaboration between teams.
- Aided multiple software development teams by reviewing database designs and SQL migration scripts to support their development processes.
- Implemented replication for numerous SQL Server databases. Often, this was used to isolate reporting from a replicated copy of a production DB, reducing the impact of reporting queries from the production databases.
- Triaged production database issues to help InComm resolve problems quickly and efficiently.
Technologies: SQL Server DBA, Data Architecture, Database Design, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Data Modeling, MySQL, Database Replication, Windows PowerShell, Data Warehousing, ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), Automation, Database Architecture, Data Migration, Microsoft Azure, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, ETL Development, Pipelines, Data Analysis, Data Analytics, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Database Migration, Databases, PostgreSQL, DevOps, ETL Tools, Advisory, Large-scale Projects, Data, Data Visualization, Retail & Wholesale
Data Architect | Database Administrator Consultant
2011 - 2015
Coinstar
- Managed SQL Servers and databases to facilitate a gift card purchasing system initiated by Alula, a pilot venture of Coinstar. These SQL Server instances were hosted on AWS Windows virtual machines.
- Designed and developed the SQL Server databases to support the gift card purchasing system.
- Designed and implemented data architecture to facilitate reporting isolation using SQL Server replication.
Technologies: SQL Server 2010, SQL Server 2012, SQL Server 2014, Database Design, SQL Server DBA, Data Modeling, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Database Replication, ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), Automation, Database Architecture, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, ETL Development, Data Warehouse Design, Pipelines, Data Analysis, Data Analytics, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Database Migration, Databases, Amazon Web Services (AWS), ETL Tools, Advisory, Consulting, Large-scale Projects, Data, Data Visualization, Retail & Wholesale
Data Architect | Data Engineer | Consultant
2008 - 2009
Batmann Consulting
- Designed and implemented a data warehouse to support a service call reporting solution, which helped its client, Comcast, reduce in-person service visits by 15%.
- Developed ETL to bring Comcast service call data from various sources, predominantly Oracle, into an SQL Server data warehouse.
- Created custom, metadata-driven SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) tasks to make ETL processes more flexible, efficient, and extensible.
Technologies: SQL Server BI, SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, Oracle, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), Database Architecture, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, ETL Development, Data Warehouse Design, Pipelines, Data Analysis, Data Analytics, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Databases, ETL Tools, Advisory, Consulting, Large-scale Projects, Big Data, Data, Data Visualization
Senior Database Administrator | Data Architect | BI Architect
2006 - 2007
Statera
- Evolved a rudimentary supply chain integration tool into SSIS, providing a more reliable and better-monitored system.
- Assisted the other DBA in day-to-day SQL Server administrative tasks.
- Developed Statera's BI practice and industry metric inventory documentation.
Technologies: SQL Server 2005, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Migration, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Data Engineering, Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, ETL Development, Data Warehouse Design, Pipelines, Data Analysis, Data Analytics, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Databases, ETL Tools, Advisory, Consulting, Large-scale Projects, Data
Senior Development Database Administrator
2003 - 2005
eCollege
- Implemented database source control at eCollege, aiding developers in effectively managing programmable objects and schema migrations.
- Developed a database to support Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) technologies.
- Supported the management of development and test SQL Servers for various development teams.
Technologies: SQL Server 2000, C#.NET, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Databases, Data
Database Administrator | Data Architect
2002 - 2003
Cendant Travel Services
- Supported both the production and development of SQL Servers for multiple teams.
- Implemented Cendant's first SQL Server clusters, significantly enhancing their availability and reliability.
- Developed software architectures for accessing the data tier database.
Technologies: SQL Server 2000, Sybase, Visual Basic 6 (VB6), Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Databases, Data
Software Engineer | Database Administrator | Database Developer
1998 - 2002
School Link Technologies
- Designed and developed SQL Server databases to support myLunchMoney.com website.
- Developed migration tools to help customers migrate from Microsoft Access to Microsoft SQL Server.
- Developed database migration tools to ensure the dependable installation and updates of customer databases at School Link Technologies. The software verified database versions for compatibility, ensuring seamless operation.
Technologies: C++, SQL Server 2000, Visual Basic 6 (VB6), Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Databases, Large-scale Projects, Data
Software Developer | Data Warehouse Developer
1997 - 1998
US West
- Created an ETL process to load network monitoring data into a data warehouse.
- Used Perl to convert SQL results into HTML tables on web pages.
- Developed SQL reports for the network monitoring data.
Technologies: Oracle8i, HTML, Perl, ETL, Database Development, SQL, Database Modeling, ETL Development, Data Warehouse Design, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Data Pipelines, Databases, Data
Database Administrator
1996 - 1997
Tsunami Consulting | CSC | BLM
- Oversaw the development and testing of databases and their servers.
- Co-developed KornShell-based database patching tools.
- Optimized SQL performance for software developers and fellow database administrators.
Technologies: IBM Informix, Unix Shell Scripting, SQL, Data Processing, English, CSV Export, Database Administration (DBA), Databases, Data
Software Developer
1995 - 1996
US West
- Developed Visual Basic (VB) software that enabled customer service representatives to load images of Yellow Pages contracts when receiving customer calls.
- Created software to scan Yellow Pages contracts, save the images, and store them in a central location for easy retrieval.
- Established a standardized language for contract document metadata.
Technologies: Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual C++, English, Data
Lotus Notes Developer and Administrator
1994 - 1995
Grey Wolf Systems
- Managed Lotus Notes infrastructure for various clients.
- Developed custom Lotus Notes applications for clients.
- Evolved the company's Lotus Notes practice through certifications.
Technologies: Lotus Notes, English, Data
Project History
New Data Warehouse Architecture
Designed and implemented a new cloud data architecture for data warehouse and reporting. Moving the client's estate to the cloud was driven by moving their ERP to Dynamics 365 and utilizing existing Power BI service resources.
Data Factory Metadata-driven ETL
Designed an ETL platform streamlining the export of data from diverse on-premise SQL Servers and databases into a centralized data lake. Developers could effortlessly incorporate new servers, databases, and tables or queries into the system, with the ETL automating the export process to the data lake.
Synapse Link and Export to a Data Lake
Implemented Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse to synchronize Dynamics 365 data with Synapse serverless, providing ETL developers with accessible tables for data warehouse ETL. Also, I implemented Export to the data lake for Dynamics 365 apps incompatible with Synapse Link.
Document Export Utility
Designed and developed a PowerShell tool to efficiently export files from an SQL Server database to designated file shares. This streamlined file sharing and archiving and contributed to optimizing storage space within the SQL Server database for the customer.
Database Design
Designed numerous SQL Server databases catering to diverse applications throughout my career. Noteworthy projects encompass a broadband activation system, an automated clearing house (ACH) processing system, a gift card purchasing system, a network monitoring data warehouse, a human resources data warehouse, and an enterprise data warehouse. Proficiency in both online transaction processing (OLTP) and online analytical processing (OLAP) modeling is second nature to me.
Azure Subscription Migration to a Different Tenant
Utilized PowerShell to create a framework and suite of tools for migrating multiple Azure subscriptions to a new Azure Active Directory tenant. This encompassed reassigning permissions to mapped identities in the new tenant. The migration concluded seamlessly without any submitted support tickets.
Education
1987 - 1992
Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering
University of Colorado - Boulder, Colorado, United States
Certifications
APRIL 2024 - PRESENT
Databricks Lakehouse Fundamentals
Databricks Academy
JULY 2022 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals
Microsoft
AUGUST 2019 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft
DECEMBER 2006 - DECEMBER 2016
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: SQL Server 2005
Microsoft
Skills
Libraries/APIs
PySpark, REST APIs, Azure Blob Storage API
Tools
SQL Server BI, Synapse, Microsoft Visual C++, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Power BI, GIS
Languages
SQL, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Python, C#.NET, Visual Basic 6 (VB6), C++, HTML, Perl, Visual Basic, Python 3
Frameworks
Windows PowerShell, Spark, Data Lakehouse
Paradigms
Database Design, Database Development, ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), Automation, DevOps
Platforms
Azure, Azure Synapse, Databricks, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Oracle, Docker, Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
Storage
Azure SQL, SQL Server DBA, SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2017, Database Modeling, Microsoft SQL Server, Database Replication, Database Architecture, Data Lakes, Data Pipelines, Database Administration (DBA), Database Migration, Databases, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Azure Cosmos DB, SQL Server 2010, SQL Server 2012, SQL Server 2014, SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), Sybase, IBM Informix, MySQL, PostgreSQL
Industry Expertise
Retail & Wholesale
Other
Data Engineering, Data Warehousing, Data Architecture, Data Modeling, Data Migration, Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Data Warehouse Design, ETL Development, Pipelines, Data Analysis, Data Analytics, Data Processing, English, Query Optimization, CSV Export, Advisory, Consulting, Large-scale Projects, Data, Azure Data Lake, Azure Data Factory (ADF), Delta Lake, Unstructured Data Analysis, Cloud Migration, Data Strategy, ETL Tools, APIs, Big Data, Data Visualization, Azure Databricks, Engineering, Oracle8i, Unix Shell Scripting, Dynamics CRM 365
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