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John Morehouse, Dbvisit SQL Server Ambassador
With so much content now being generated by AI, real human experience, opinion, and connection have never been more important. That’s why at Dbvisit we continue to invest in people who have spent years in the trenches, learning what really works, what doesn’t, and why. Strong technology communities are built through shared experience, practical guidance, and genuine conversations, not just polished outputs.
It's with that in mind that we are excited to introduce John Morehouse as our SQL Server ambassador. So, what do we mean by ambassador?
So what do we mean by an ambassador? Well, for us, an ambassador isn’t a marketer or a spokesperson reading from a script. An ambassador is someone who is part of the SQL Server community, respected for their experience, and trusted because they’ve done the work themselves. It’s about creating a genuine connection between Dbvisit and the people who use, run, and rely on SQL Server every day, a two-way relationship that allows us to listen better, share knowledge more openly, and contribute meaningfully to the community, not just talk at it.
A two-way partnership: why John and Dbvisit aligned
Many in the US-based SQL Server community already know John, who brings more than 20 years of hands-on experience as a DBA and consultant. His career has been shaped by real-world production systems, outages, migrations, and high-stakes disaster recovery scenarios. His path into SQL Server wasn’t a straight line, though—he’s a self-described “accidental DBA.”
John originally planned to become a marine biologist, but the university led him instead to physics, where he earned a Bachelor of Science and developed a deep appreciation for how complex systems work. That curiosity carried him into electronics, computers, and eventually IT, beginning with a support role at Mutual of Omaha.
While working at a consulting firm, he stepped into a vacant DBA role, learned quickly, and discovered a lasting passion for SQL Server. Within 18 months, he committed fully as a SQL Server consultant, a decision he’s never regretted!
Just as important as the technology is the community. Since attending his first PASS Summit in 2011, John has been deeply involved in the SQL Server ecosystem, learning from industry leaders and building long-standing relationships. He credits the community’s openness and generosity as a major factor in his success and sees giving back as both a responsibility and a privilege.
The person behind the SQL Server expert
LEGO has been part of his life since childhood, and later resurfaced through building with his children. What began as a hobby has become a lasting interest, with shelves of completed sets ranging from Star Wars AT-ATs and the Concorde to a remote-controlled Caterpillar bulldozer and a Voltron build. It’s a practical way to step away from screens and think differently.
More than creativity, LEGO taught him discipline. Skipping steps rarely caused immediate failure, but it almost always meant rebuilding later. That lesson has carried through his career.
He views SQL Server disaster recovery through the same lens: cutting corners rarely causes immediate failure, but almost always leads to rework later, often at the worst possible time. The strongest solutions come from understanding the goal, choosing the right building blocks, and assembling them deliberately so they behave as expected under pressure.
From simple backups to more advanced architectures, the “best” DR strategy is the one that works when needed and aligns with business realities. Moving to the cloud doesn’t remove the need for DR either—outages, human error, and security threats still exist, sometimes in familiar forms and sometimes in new ones.
This pragmatic mindset is one of the reasons he was drawn to Dbvisit. He values that Dbvisit StandbyMP builds on Log Shipping, one of the most proven SQL Server DR techniques, and extends it into a solution that is practical, flexible, and cost-effective, enhancing solid foundations rather than reinventing what already works.
He’s also closely watching where Microsoft is taking SQL Server, particularly in upcoming releases and continued improvements in availability groups, performance, and resilience, as well as the growing role of AI in the ecosystem. While he sees real opportunity in using AI to help people better understand data and systems, he’s clear it must be approached with care, transparency, and verification. As he puts it, “the future isn’t about replacing expertise, but augmenting it, using new tools responsibly while still relying on human judgment, experience, and understanding.”
As Dbvisit’s SQL Server Ambassador, John will be sharing a regular series of blogs, videos, and webinars throughout the new year.
The content will focus on SQL Server high availability and disaster recovery, starting with core concepts and progressing into hands-on demonstrations, deep-dives, and real-world lessons drawn from decades of experience.
His first post, “Disaster Recovery 101 for SQL Server – Core Concepts & Strategies,” sets the foundation for everything that follows. It introduces the essential ideas behind HA and DR, explains why RTO and RPO matter, and frames disaster recovery as something that should be built carefully, step by step, with intent.
We’re proud to have John representing Dbvisit and contributing to the SQL Server community in this way. This is a long-term commitment, and we’re looking forward to the conversations, learning, and shared insights that will come from it.
The first article in the series is coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled!
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmorehouse/
Tags: SQL Server
