If you like free SQL Server training you're in luck – starting at 12:00 PM GMT/8:00 AM EDT, July 31 (that's tomorrow!),  the FREE 24 Hours of PASS: 2013 Summit Preview Edition begins. That's 24 straight hours of sessions at no cost from folks who have been selected to present at this year's PASS Summit in October in Charlotte, NC. Topics are spread across Business Intelligence, Application Development, the Cloud, and Enterprise Administration; there's something for everyone who works with SQL Server!

Shameless Plug

I'm honored to be included as one of the presenters for this edition. I'm on at 4 AM GMT/12 AM EDT presenting Discover, Document, and Diagnose Your Servers on Your Coffee Break and I'll be showing you how to use SQL Power Doc to perform an inventory and health analysis of your SQL Server environment. Here's the full abstract:

Documentation is the bane of every DBA's existence. We know we should do it, but it's time-consuming; by the time you're finally done, it's probably out of date. Throw in the new servers you just found out about last week, and keeping documentation up-to-date can turn into a full-time job. You need to work smarter, not harder, and automate your documentation. In this 24 Hours of PASS session, you'll learn how to discover all the SQL Servers on your network, document their configuration from top to bottom (including OS details), and diagnose common problems before they turn into big headaches – all while on your coffee break. You'll look like a rock star without writing a line of code on your own or having to ask management to sign a check.

I'm really excited to be a part of this year's lineup and I hope that you'll stay up late (or get up early depending on where you are in the world) to attend my session!

Why Attend?

Would you like to go to the PASS Summit this year? Start with the 24 Hours Of PASS 2013 Summit Preview. Pick one or two sessions related to a project you're working on or something going on at work. Schedule a conference room and invite your coworkers – and especially your boss – to come watch so they can see firsthand the kinds of things you'll be learning at this year's Summit. Then ask your boss if you can go while it's fresh on their mind. Best case scenario, you get to go! Worst case scenario, you've just watched an awesome hour of free training (and hopefully learned something!).

Don't Just Watch - Participate!

One advantage to attending a session in real time is that you can participate - because each session is live it's a great chance to ask the presenter a question and get an immediate answer. You can also follow along on Twitter - follow @pass24hop and use the hashtag #24HOP to interact with the rest of the SQL Server community attending 24HOP.

Can't Make The Sessions?

Don't worry, if you can't make a session because you're stuck in a meeting or it's 3 AM in your time zone and you're asleep you won't lose out. Every session is being recorded and will be posted for replay (hopefully) within a few weeks afterwards.

Final Words Of Wisdom

I'll admit it, I've been lazy in the past and waited until a few minutes before each session to register. Don't be me! PASS has switched to a new platform and there's a limit of 1,000 attendees per session. You don't want to be left out in the cold so go register now and I hope to "see" you at the 24 Hours of PASS tomorrow!