Back in November 2009, I was lucky enough to present a session at the SQLBits V conference, on “Creating High Performance Spatial Databases“. I say “lucky” not because I enjoy presenting at conferences (because I don’t particularly), but because SQL Bits is a fantastic conference, organised by a highly-dedicated, bloody-hardworking, talented, and generally nice bunch of people, and it was an honour to be associated with them and to learn from them.
The next SQL Bits conference, SQL Bits 8, is happening in Brighton between 7th – 9th April 2011, and I’ve just submitted a new session for it, titled (as is this post) “Who needs Google Maps? Build your own Mapping, Geocoding, and Routing service”. If my session gets accepted, I’m planning demonstrating practical uses of the spatial datatypes in SQL Server to perform, well, mapping, geocoding, and routing.
Following feedback from Simon Sabin (a SQL Server MVP with much more presenting experience than me) I got after my last presentation , I’m going to be ditching the Powerpoint slides and the theory and, if my session is selected, I’ll be presenting a lot more eye-candy like this instead:
Routefinding
Mapping Features
Alastair Aitchison 
So, you have hinted at routefinding with SQL Geometry several time, even posted a video showing you doing it. I have a powerpoint from you with “Smart ROuting with SQLCLR”. Is there a reason you have not/will not just post the solution? I appreciate the hints, but I actually need a solution. If it’s waiting for your book, I’ll buy it!
Hi Bill – sorry for teasing you!
I can’t share the particular code that you saw me demonstrating – it was developed for a client and belongs to them.
However, I will be including a chapter on routefinding in “Pro Spatial with SQL Server 2012” in which I describe a few different approaches and provide several working code examples including the A* algorithm. It won’t be ready for production use, but should give you a good start.