-- senior database administrator & bi consultant
Ronald de Groot
SQL Server runs better once I've had a look at it.
Senior (Azure) SQL Server DBA and SSIS/ETL/BI consultant with over 30 years of experience. Specialised in performance tuning, execution plans, indexes and migrations to Azure.
Complex database problems, analysed fast
Since 1992 I have worked as a freelance DBA and BI consultant for banks, insurers, healthcare organisations, energy companies and industry. I analyse complex problems quickly and enjoy coming up with technical solutions — fast. On a project I'm the one who gets things moving: careful planning means I hit deadlines.
New technologies challenge me; I want to understand them quickly and thoroughly. At Stichting BKR (the Dutch national credit registry) I spent years migrating failover cluster environments to Azure SQL Database — and my IT colleagues voted me winner of the "Bruggenbouwer" (bridge builder) trophy for that Azure migration work.
My heart is in performance tuning: reading execution plans, designing the right indexes and turning a slow query into a fast one. I've also built ETL solutions with SSIS and Azure Data Factory, data warehouses and cubes (SSAS) for many years.
Beyond that I'm calm, stress-resistant and helpful — a genuine finisher who doesn't shy away from problems. Outside work you'll find me on a road bike or mountain bike, or outdoors flying a drone.
What I'm good at
From database administration and T-SQL to ETL pipelines and BI — this is my toolbox.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator
Certified since October 2020 (DP-300).
BKR "Bruggenbouwer" trophy
Voted by all IT colleagues for supporting the various Azure migrations.
Over 30 years in the field
A selection of recent assignments. The full list goes back to 1992.
BMN · SQL Server DBA
Performance tuning of the ELT load process.
NEP · ETL Consultant
Maintaining and implementing ETL changes in SSIS.
Stichting BKR · Azure SQL Server DBA
Migration of databases from failover cluster environments (incl. CKI3, VIS, EVA, VPS, KYC) to Azure SQL Database. Supporting scrum teams, Azure Cost & Security Management, Azure Stack HCI data sync and the Ola Hallengren maintenance solution.
EMS / ABN AMRO · DBA / BI Developer
Performance tuning and redesign of databases and ETL for loading credit card transactions; central export functionality and cube changes.
Greenchoice & WMD · DBA
Setting up remote DBA services; security reporting with the SQL Server Vulnerability Assessment for all database servers in the domain.
Menzis · DBA / BI Developer
Performance tuning, SQL Audit implementation for GDPR compliance and ETL development for SAS.
WMD, Bartimeus & Marel · DBA / BI Developer
VLDB data warehouse for sensor measurements (Big Data), enterprise data warehouse sourced from SAP and Microsoft Dynamics, data warehouse with a QlikView frontend and Azure ETL.
Propertize, Smurfit Kappa, SNS Reaal & PGGM · DBA / BI Developer
Database migrations, a generic SOX audit implementation (DBSP Policy), conversions and ETL for the Actuarial Database (coverage ratio reporting, annual accounts).
1992 — 2011 · DBA/BI work for clients including:
From the trenches: execution plans & indexes
Practical articles about the topics I work with every day.
Reading execution plans: what to check first?
An execution plan can be overwhelming. With these five checks you'll find the culprit in most plans within minutes.
Read article → -- indexesIndex tuning: clustered, nonclustered and included columns
The right index is the difference between milliseconds and minutes. How to choose column order and when INCLUDE pays off.
Read article → -- all articlesMore SQL tips
Browse the full list of articles about SQL Server, performance and Azure.
To the overview →Recent projects on GitHub
A slow query, or a migration that has to succeed?
Happy to help — from a second opinion on an execution plan to full Azure SQL migrations and remote DBA services via OpenData.nl.