👋 Hey there
I’m Benedikt — a software engineer and database architect with 25+ years in IT, based in Germany. I specialize in Microsoft SQL Server, Azure Cloud, Performance Tuning, and High Availability. Currently building database infrastructure at University Medical Center Mainz. I love diving deep into tricky problems until everything just works.
🔧 Focus Areas
- ⚙️ Performance & Troubleshooting — SQL Server optimization, query tuning, deadlock analysis
- ☁️ AlwaysOn & High Availability — Cluster setup, failover, disaster recovery
- 🧱 Azure Data Services — Synapse, Data Factory, Fabric
- 🔄 Infrastructure as Code — Terraform, Ansible, automated deployments
- 🚀 CI/CD & DevOps — GitLab, Azure DevOps, automated pipelines
- 🐳 Container Platforms — Kubernetes, Docker, orchestration
- 🔐 Data & Security Architectures — in regulated environments
🛠️ Technical Skills
Databases
Cloud
Programming
DevOps
Monitoring
🎓 Certifications
- Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate (2024)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate (2022)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (2021)
- Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert (2020)
- Google Cloud Certified – Professional Cloud Architect (2020)
- Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) (since 2012)
👉 View full certification history on Microsoft Learn
📜 Show all certifications
- MCSE Data Management & Analytics (Charter) (2016) - Azure Fundamentals - Azure Developer Associate - Azure Database Administrator Associate - Azure Administrator Associate - Azure Data Fundamentals - Azure Architect Design & Technologies - SQL Server 2008/2012/2014 MCSA/MCSE/MCITP - Data Platform, Data Analytics - MCT History and more💼 Career
- Consolidation & modernization of SQL Server environments (2012–2022)
- AlwaysOn cluster architecture, performance tuning, patch management
- Monitoring via DBA Dash, PRTG, and custom T-SQL analytics
- Automation with PowerShell, T-SQL, maintenance plans
- Time off after 7 years of running my own company
- Recharged, traveled, got ready for the next chapter
- Founded and led the company as sole shareholder & CEO
- Delivered complex IT projects across SQL, Azure, BI
- Team leadership, project management, partnership development
- Design & development of relational and multidimensional databases
- SQL scripts & ETL processes for sales/controlling automation
- SSIS/SSAS/SSRS development & optimization
- Technical & disciplinary leadership of 24 employees
- ~5,000 virtual/dedicated servers in production platforms
- HA platforms for email, EntertainTV, M2M (€1M annual budget)
- Microsoft SQL Server administration & tuning
- Windows Server operations
🧩 Extended Expertise
- Roles: Architect, DBA, Trainer, Project Lead, Consultant
- Industries: Banking, Healthcare, Government, Telecom, Manufacturing, Logistics, Insurance
- Soft Skills: Team leadership, strategy development, mentoring, audits & documentation
📚 Project Portfolio
⚡ Azure SQL Security Assessment
Period: 08/2024 – 12/2024 · Industry: Energy · Role: Microsoft Azure SQL Enterprise Architect · Team: 200 (org)
Technologies: Microsoft Azure Azure SQL Data Factory GitHub CI/CD
Key responsibilities:
- Security architecture assessment and policy revision
- Implementing security functions and strategic analysis
- Advising on Azure SQL security best practices at enterprise scale
Result: Significantly improved security posture for Azure SQL databases
🏦 MongoDB Kubernetes Cluster Troubleshooting
Period: 10/2024 – 12/2024 · Industry: Banking · Role: MongoDB Consultant · Team: 5
Technologies: Kubernetes ArgoCD MongoDB HelmChart
Key responsibilities:
- Error analysis, documentation, and resolving deployment issues
- Diagnosing and fixing HelmChart-based MongoDB cluster deployments
Result: Error-free deployment of MongoDB cluster via HelmChart
🚚 6-Node AlwaysOn Cluster (SQL Server 2017)
Period: 05/2021 – present · Industry: Logistics · Role: Infrastructure Architect, Database Administrator · Team: 25
Technologies: SQL Server Azure Azure SQL Azure Functions Microsoft Fabric PRTG SQL Monitor Azure IoT Azure Synapse SSRS SSAS SSIS Power BI Redgate
Key responsibilities:
- Infrastructure design and operation of a 6-node AlwaysOn cluster
- Managing 91 Azure SQL databases
- Advising management on SQL Server and Azure capabilities
- Performance tuning and implementing active monitoring
🏦 Cloud SQL & Dataproc Migration (MySQL/Hadoop → Google Cloud)
Period: 08/2022 – 06/2024 · Industry: Banking · Role: Data Engineer / Support Engineer
Technologies: Google Cloud MySQL Hadoop Spark Hive Python SQL PySpark
Key responsibilities:
- Migration of on-prem MySQL and Hadoop workloads to Google Cloud
- Implementing new cloud-native data management services
🏥 MongoDB Migration On-Prem to AWS
Period: 01/2024 – 05/2024 · Industry: Healthcare · Role: IT System Engineer and Architect · Team: 5
Technologies: MongoDB AWS Jira RedHat
Key responsibilities:
- Architecture consulting for cloud migration strategy
- Technical implementation of on-premises to AWS migration
📡 Container-Based Analytics Platforms & CI/CD Pipelines
Period: 04/2022 – 05/2024 · Industry: Telecom · Role: Data Engineer
Technologies: Google Cloud Platform Vertex AI Apache Beam Dataflow Python SQL PySpark
Key responsibilities:
- Design and implementation of data pipelines in GCP
- ML model integration with Vertex AI
- Optimizing data processing workflows
📜 Show earlier projects (2014–2023)
🏦 Kubernetes 2nd Level Support
Period: 05/2023 – 01/2024 · Industry: Finance · Role: IT System Engineer and Architect · Team: 25
Technologies: Docker RedHat Jira GitHub Helm
Key responsibilities:
- Supporting existing Kubernetes cluster operations
- Providing illness coverage and backup for platform team
🏦 Database Platform Migration to MongoDB
Period: 02/2021 – 06/2024 · Industry: Finance · Role: IT System Engineer and Architect · Team: 50
Technologies: MongoDB Docker RedHat JSON Cassandra
Key responsibilities:
- Migrating from Cassandra NoSQL to MongoDB
- Advising and upskilling the internal team
🏦 Kubernetes Platform Setup with MongoDB
Period: 06/2021 – 12/2023 · Industry: Finance · Role: IT System Engineer and Architect · Team: 34
Technologies: MongoDB Docker RedHat Jira Helm
Key responsibilities:
- Initial Kubernetes cluster and MongoDB multicluster configuration
- Platform handover to internal staff, 2nd level support, consulting
📡 Data Warehouse Development
Period: 11/2020 – 04/2023 · Industry: Telecom · Role: Principal Consultant, Solution Architect · Team: 25
Technologies: SSAS SSIS SSRS Visual Studio RDBMS Azure Data Factory CI/CD GitLab
Key responsibilities:
- Azure infrastructure design and DWH migration to Azure
- Technical coaching, requirements analysis, solution design
- Performance-optimized data modeling, ETL processes, reports
🏭 On-Premises to Azure Cloud Migration
Period: 02/2022 – 05/2022 · Industry: Industrial Services · Role: Principal Consultant for Database Administration and Lead Developer · Team: 25
Technologies: Azure SQL Azure Cosmos DB SQL Managed Instance PaaS SharePoint Online SQL Server
Key responsibilities:
- New Azure solution design and operations optimization
- Migrating on-prem databases to cloud-based SQL
- BI portal and SharePoint Online integration
Result: Successful migration to Microsoft Cloud
🏥 SQL Server Operations & Optimization
Period: 01/2019 – 02/2023 · Industry: Healthcare · Role: Senior Database Administrator
Technologies: SQL Server 2008/2014/2016 Data Factory Microsoft Fabric AlwaysOn PRTG SQL Monitor
Key responsibilities:
- Ensuring smooth SQL Server operations
- Architecture consulting and migration to newer SQL Server versions
🛡️ Data Warehouse / MS BI Consulting
Period: 04/2021 – 07/2021 · Industry: Insurance · Role: IT Consultant / Auditor
Technologies: MS BI Stack SQL Server SSAS SSIS SSRS Power BI SCRUM Jira
Key responsibilities:
- Data model audit and master data management for DWH
- Audit of cubes, reports, SQL code, SSIS packages, Power BI reports
- Performance optimization
Result: Complete audit of complex DWH environment
🏦 SQL Server Migration (Regulatory Compliance)
Period: 04/2020 – 09/2021 · Industry: Banking · Role: Principal Architect, Principal Database Administrator · Team: 9
Technologies: SQL Server SSIS Reporting Services Visual Studio Python
Key responsibilities:
- SQL Server 2000 → 2019 migration
- DTSX package conversion to SSIS, building subject-specific cubes
- Testing, optimization, documentation
Result: Passed internal audit — all regulatory requirements fulfilled
🏭 SAP Datacenter Migration (Zero Downtime)
Period: 06/2019 – 03/2020 · Industry: Manufacturing · Role: Principal Architect and Principal Database Administrator · Team: 15
Technologies: Azure SQL Azure Synapse SSIS SSAS Power BI Jenkins Python Salesforce VMware CI/CD
Key responsibilities:
- Solution design for data and service availability
- Migrating SAP application database to new datacenter without service interruption
Result: Successful migration without downtime or service disruption
🏛️ SQL Landscape Build & Optimization (Public Sector)
Period: 04/2018 – 02/2019 · Industry: Public Sector · Role: Principal Architect, Coach, Principal Database Administrator · Team: 12
Technologies: SQL Server 2014/2019 AlwaysOn Dynatrace PRTG SQL Monitor Redgate
Key responsibilities:
- Building SQL Server landscape for central public service provider
- Automated migration of systems, operations handbook for HA landscapes
- Team coordination, performance tuning, knowledge transfer
Result: Many systems successfully migrated and operated
🛒 SQL Server Operations, 1st & 2nd Level Support
Period: 04/2018 – 02/2019 · Industry: Retail · Role: Senior Database Administrator
Technologies: SQL Server 2008/2012 AlwaysOn JIRA
Key responsibilities:
- Support team coordination, architecture consulting
- Security concepts & auditing, ticket handling, release implementation
🏦 Reporting Platform Modernization
Period: 01/2017 – 03/2018 · Industry: Banking · Role: Principal Consultant / Architect and Senior Database Administrator
Technologies: SQL Server 2005/2008/2014 Reporting Services Azure Service Bus AlwaysOn ClickView Visual Studio
Key responsibilities:
- New solution design and project team coordination
- Knowledge transfer, migration execution, SQL optimization
Result: High customer satisfaction with modernized solution
🏦 Reporting Platform Expansion
Period: 01/2017 – 03/2018 · Industry: Banking · Role: Architect and Senior Database Administrator
Technologies: SQL Server 2005/2008/2014 AlwaysOn Reporting Services Azure Service Bus Hyper-V ClickView Visual Studio
Key responsibilities:
- Implementing new requirements and creating reports
- SQL Server landscape migration
🎓 Microsoft Certified Trainer
Period: 07/2016 – present · Industry: Various · Role: Trainer
Technologies: SQL Server Azure MS Architectures SQL Server BI AlwaysOn
Key responsibilities:
- Delivering training, coaching, and knowledge transfer on MS technologies (up to 8 participants)
🏦 SQL Server Landscape Build & Operations
Period: 09/2014 – 12/2016 · Industry: Banking · Role: Architect and Senior Database Administrator
Technologies: SQL Server 2012/2014 Reporting Services T-SQL Visual Studio Python MySQL AlwaysOn
Key responsibilities:
- SQL landscape design, migration strategy, operations handbook
- 1st & 2nd level support, ETL pipeline creation
- SQL performance tuning, requirements gathering with business units
🌐 Open Source MongoDB/Kubernetes Community Support
Period: 10/2019 – present · Industry: Community · Role: Developer
Technologies: MongoDB Docker Kubernetes RedHat
Key responsibilities:
- Contributing to open source MongoDB and Kubernetes community projects
📫 Get in Touch
📧 benedikt@schackenberg.com · 💼 LinkedIn · 🐙 GitHub
🔐 PGP: Download key · 0xA25274BE4DD68691
“Technology can be learned — passion for solutions makes the difference.”