Broadly Known in the SQL Community by His Handle, @SQLRockstar, LaRock Brings Over 15 Years' Experience and Technical Expertise in Database Performance Management as the Newest SolarWinds(R) Head Geek

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Apr 30, 2014) - SolarWinds (NYSE: SWI), a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, today introduced Thomas LaRock as the newest member of the Head Geek team, bringing his expertise in database administration and all things SQL Server to support the ever-changing challenges and needs of IT Professionals everywhere.

Meet the new Head Geek: Thomas LaRock

Microsoft SQL Server Certified Master and six-time Microsoft SQL Server MVP

Known as "SQL Rockstar" in SQL circles and on his blog, which he started in 2003

Over 15 years of IT industry experience as programmer, developer, analyst, and database administrator (DBA), among other roles

Authored "DBA Survivor: Become a Rock Star DBA," providing junior- to mid-level DBAs better understanding of the necessary skills for excelling in their careers

President, Board of Directors for the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS), an independent, not-for-profit association dedicated to supporting, educating and promoting the global SQL Server community

"Thomas is an excellent addition to the SolarWinds Head Geek team. His hands-on experience and broad knowledge of the database management market have already positioned him as an expert in his field as a true 'SQL Rockstar,'" said fellow SolarWinds Head Geek Patrick Hubbard. "Moreover, Thomas loves sharing his knowledge with fellow DBAs and IT Pros, which reflects the commitment to education and community that is at the heart of SolarWinds."

LaRock joins the SolarWinds Head Geek team following SolarWinds' 2013 acquisition of Boulder, Colorado-based Confio, where he served as the company's technical evangelist for Confio Ignite, now SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer (DPA). SolarWinds DPA provides comprehensive performance monitoring, analysis and tuning for SQL Server, Oracle, DB2 or Sybase databases and features a VM Option, offering users unique visibility into databases on VMware to improve performance and reduce risk for database projects. LaRock now joins four current SolarWinds Head Geeks to support the varied concentrations and needs of the IT Professional community.

What IS a Head Geek?

SolarWinds Head Geeks bring years of real-world expertise and renowned industry credentials to provide the IT Pro community with hands-on perspective, advice, and discussion on the latest trends and challenges in technology. SolarWinds Head Geeks engage with IT Pros on SolarWinds' thwack® community forums and Geek Speak blog and provide advanced technical training in monthly SolarWinds Lab sessions. The Head Geeks also participate regularly on various IT forums including myITForum.com, Windows-Noob.com, StackOverflow, and Spiceworks.

Patrick Hubbard boasts over 20 years' technical expertise and network management experience in areas including campus, datacenter, HA/DR networks, storage networks, VoIP/telepresence and VDI Fortune 500 and startups. He contributes regularly to TechTarget's SearchNetworking and SearchSDN.

Lawrence Garvin is a nine-time Microsoft MVP and a Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), and has been working with Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Software Update Services (SUS) since the release of SUS SP1 in 2003, and update management, generally, since the availability of Windows Update in 1997. He contributes regularly to Mission Critical.

Don Thomas Jacob has worked in a variety of tech roles including tech support engineer, product blogger, product evangelist, and tech marketing lead. His experience and interests lie in network performance monitoring, security analytics, packet inspection solutions, flow-based technologies like NetFlow, sFlow and IPFIX, and technologies such as QoS, NBAR, IPSLA, and Cisco Medianet and MediaTrace.

Praveen Manohar has worked as a support engineer, product trainer and technical consultant, and specializes in technologies including NetFlow, Flexible NetFlow, Cisco NBAR, Cisco IPSLA, WMI and SNMP. Praveen gives strategic guidance for end users on applications, networks and performance monitoring tools.

Connect with the Head Geeks

Twitter: @HeadGeeks

thwack:

Thomas: SQLRockstar

Patrick: Patrick.Hubbard