Allan's Best Week Ever

Inside SQL Data Services, actually SQL Azure Database!

allandcp_ms — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

eek! This one is for the architects! I’ve been catching up on the nosql phenomenon (and think that Windows Azure Storage should do just fine for “nosql” types). But for those of us who cherish relational databases (especially SQL Server) and want it in the cloud at scale, we’ll have SQL Data Services real soon. Oops, I’m so last week. I meant we’ll have SQL Azure Database real soon.

What follows are some links to get you up to speed on SQL Azure (if you don’t have the time to review the videos, hopefully my guide posts will help). Join the mailing list to get notified when they’ll have bits to test.

1. Get to know SQL Azure (nee SQL Data Services nee SQL Server Data Services) on the team blog and at the MSDN Developer center.

2. But does it scale? Read the Exchange Hosted Archive’s story on the team blog.

3. SQL Azure in a nutshell, watch a ~25 minute video to learn:

notion of the Data Hub (@ 2:40), does it work with my SQL Management Studio, SSIS and bcp? (answer @ 5:00), what makes it all work TDS (@ 6:05) , TSQL what works and what doesn’t in “Version 1” (aka V1) (@ 8:00), DBAs Do I have a job? (@ 10:40), Physical vs Logical Administration (@ 12:00), “Taking out the Garbage” (@ 12:45), Frictionless getting started (@ 14:40), Porting existing applications – “Code Near” vs. “Code Far” (@15:30), Suggested Partitioning pattern (@ 19:00), @ 21:00 some closing thoughts including developer portal improvements, potential general availability and more V1 limits such as no link servers, and a “nosql” type question: Azure Storage vs. Relational SQL Azure.

4. If you want more, my recommendation is this well done Channel9 video entitled The Future of SQL Data Services with Nigel Ellis. It is longish, around 56 minutes, but worth the time investment if you plan to architect for this new world. This is an “Inside SQL Azure” conversation that shows how the service is architected and works under the covers.

0:00 - 6:50 Brief History of the product, “CloudDB”, and the former “ACE Model” API.
6:50 – 11:40 The how and whys of data replicas, leader election algorithm, HA out of the box vs a VM model.
11:40 – 15:45 The architecture of the service (load balancer, gateways, data storage), how TDS fits in (and opens the service to the world of TDS Clients – Ruby, Java, .NET, Linux, etc.), statefull vs. stateless gateway tier.
15:45 – 20:25 Challenges of statefull TDS protocol, how databases are provisioned, multi-tenancy, load balancing, resource governance, the SQL Server codebase and its connection to this service.
20:25 – 28:50 Application Patterns and the life of the developer, code near vs. code far, SLAs, timeline and march to general availability, logical vs. physical, policy based management.
28:50 – 37:10 Details of the “Version 1” (aka V1) service including constraints – no cross database queries, use database changes. The methodologies used to come up with the common patterns and compatibility between on-premise SQL Server and the service, the need for an “upgrade advisor”.
37:10 – 43:30 Migration from ACE model – think ADO.NET Data Services and Entity Framework or WCF.
43:30 – 46:00 Guidance for you! Stay away from: cross db operations, switching db context, distributed transactions, Service Broker, SQLCLR (out of scope for V1).
46:00 – 56:00 The Future and Vision, watch this one if this is the only one you watch! – benefits of Azure, ubiquity of cloud, “data hub”.

For a majority of applications, SQL Azure may be a great fit…hey, you know how to connect and program it already (and now with Internet scale).

P.S. If you followed that link on nosql, you’ll see a link to Cliff Moon’s session on Dynomite at Powerset. Powerset?

A Silverlight 3 Song

allandcp_ms — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:00:00 GMT

eek! I offer you my humble, hyperlinked ode to Silverlight to coincide with the Silverlight 3 release and the laundry list of awesome features for developers and designers. Sung to the tune of Edelweiss from the Sound of Music. Go ahead, sing along, you know you want to…

Silverlight, Silverlight, every morning you greet me
Small and white,
Clean and bright,
You look happy to meet me
Blossom Three Oh
May you zoom and grow,
Zoom and grow forever
Silverlight, Silverlight, bless my browser forever.

Happy Silverlight!

Welcome to Feel Good Fridays! Read my blog and make some money!

allandcp_ms — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

eek! It’s friday and for a while, it has been “Facebook Fridays” on my blog. I’m changing that and hope to bring you a new theme on fridays…Welcome to Feel Good Fridays (FGF) – a spotlight on happy, moderately tech related tips/tricks/anecdotes.

FGF Episode 1

I finally caught up with my listening and stumbled upon Sheryl Sandberg’s (COO of Facebook) talk entitled Spotlight on Scalability. Yes I thought this was going to be about some Hadoop style architectural talk but I was pleasantly surprised.

The blurb:

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg shares her trilogy of ideas for a successful start-up and a fulfilling career. Her thoughts include building an enterprise with scalable vision, building personalized, scalable products, and the ability to scale your own connections and capabilities.

It’s a thought provoking, immediately useful and an easy listen. I especially liked her story telling and how her kids are teaching her. Hope you enjoy the session.

Thank you Sheryl for turning me on to DonorsChoose.org, an organization that I had never heard of, until now. I’m a fan.

Oh, before I forget, I did promise that you could make some money by reading my blog, so here goes…

Every Feel Good Friday, I plan to give two gifts of US$25 to projects on DonorsChoose.org. The projects will be picked at random based on input from you (yes you make money for a good cause just by reading my blog)!

So send me a link to the project and I’ll pick 2 entries at random. Email me allandcp@microsoft.com.

Happy Feel Good Friday!

Meet my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss (the Imagine Cup!)

allandcp_ms — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Got about 14 minutes? Meet the head honcho of my organization at Microsoft - Walid - as he sits down to chat about why the Imagine Cup matters to students and Microsoft. This was a short/smart interview that reminded me that some of the technology companies we rely on everyday were started by students in dorm rooms (Microsoft included).

Don’t know about the Imagine Cup? Check out the website - the finals are this week in Cairo! And if you are a student, let your dreams spark!

Breaking the Glass Ceiling (Sisters are doing it for themselves Part 2)

allandcp_ms — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:00:00 GMT

A few months ago, my team ran the Microsoft Enterprise Developer Conference in New York City. If you spelunk our website, you’ll find some great sessions that you can view on demand. Here are 3 that I’m picking at random from my favorite sessions…

Windows Azure Case Study: How we ported ScrumWall and built Wikipedia Explorer – You’ll want to watch this one if you are trying to appreciate what Windows Azure can do for your company.
A Lap Around Visual Studio 2010 (by none other than Brian Harry)
The Daily Scrum – plain fun!

One of the sessions that I attended in person was Breaking the Glass Ceiling:A True Story of the career of female technologist and financier in the development world. Sally Baldauf from Microsoft entertained us with personal stories, research she had done and a David Letterman-esque Top 10 list. She presented the barriers to advancement for women, the toll the current economy is taking on leadership opportunities and strategies for beating the odds and crashing the glass ceiling.

If you are a woman (in IT) or are mentoring women to become leaders, you’ll want to review this session for thought provoking statistics, links to useful resources, and practical tips. Sally had a very engaging style and her stories spoke of hard work, creative thinking, work/life balancing acts, asking for it and luck!

Watch the session on demand and grab the slides. Without giving too much away, here are Sally’s Top 10 tips for Breaking the Glass Ceiling (check out her session for details):

Believe in yourself!!!
Create balance in your life
Create you own style / develop your brand
Have mentors / be a mentor
Network, network, network (join industry groups)
Take stretch opportunities
Ask for it
Get training
Find your passion
Embrace diversity

Watch it and get insipired!

Got a great story? Let me know. Catch Part 1 of this article.

Gentle Robots? A peek into Microsoft Health Now and the Vision

allandcp_ms — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:00:00 GMT

I’m a Microsoft HealthVault Fan on Facebook and I just found out that the session recordings from the Microsoft Connected Health Conference earlier this month are available. Check out the website for abstracts and presentation/video links. I’ve shown my bias :) by highlighting the items I’m currently reviewing - I’ll get to all eventually.

HealthVault 101: Business Overview
HealthVault 101: Technical Overview
Improving Populations Health & Wellness with HealthVault Enabled Solutions and Devices (Business Track)
Showcasing Microsoft Solutions in Federal & State Wide Initiatives (Business Track)
How to Build a World Class HealthVault Application (Technical Track)
Connecting Devices to HealthVault (Technical Track)
Learn How Continua Devices Can Work with HealthVault (Technical Track)
Saving Lives, Saving Money Through Connected Medication Management (Business Track)
Creating Stronger Data Connections among Hospitals, Referring Clinics, & Patients (Business Track)
Connecting HealthVault & Clinical Systems, a Best Practice (Technical Track)
Connecting Rich Client Applications to HealthVault (Technical Track)
Leveraging Connectivity Solutions for Physicians & Patients (Business Track)
Introduction to Microsoft Amalga UIS 2009 (Business Track)
Extending HealthVault With Other Microsoft Technologies (Technical Track)
Using CCR & CCD with HealthVault (Technical Track)
Using Digital Signatures & APIs in HealthVault (Technical Track)
Connecting Patients and Hospitals Remote Monitoring (Business Track)
Connecting Communities: Stimulus Package & Beyond (Business Track)
Transforming Privacy & Security into Opportunities (Technical Track)
Building a Usable HealthVault Application (Technical Track)
Microsoft Amalga UIS 2009: Technical Overview (Technical Track)
Harnessing Wellness & Enhancing Care in a World of Information Technology (Business Track)
HealthVault Goes International (Business Track)
A Look Into the Future With HealthVault (Technical Track)
Computing Futures: Directions and Reflections

I watched the Computing Futures: Directions and Reflections by Dr. (x2) Eric Horvitz.

Really great stuff here that is applicable to several industries. Dr. Horvitz described several ongoing Microsoft Research projects and their applicability to the mission of Microsoft Health: to improve health, around the world, through software innovation. Science Fiction stuff here!

If you are looking for Gentle Robots, around 40 minutes into the video :) My must haves?

41 minutes: Interruption Workbench, you’ve got to see the video to appreciate and then (like me), you’ll want.
45 minutes: Life Browser, Memory, Recall and more (I need this in my advancing years).

If you like this sort of thing, you are going to love this post from Dr. Crounse on the HealthBlog: Promising New Projects at Microsoft Research May Lead to Better Healthcare. More details about the themes discussed in the session by Dr. Eric Horvitz delivered in Dr. Crounse’s very engaging style.

Sisters are doing it for themselves (Part 1)

allandcp_ms — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

As part of my last post, I mentioned DigiGirlz and completely forgot to tell you, dear reader, about a remarkable team effort that went into running our second DigiGirlz Day in Connecticut a few months back. We really had an awesome event last year and this year matched it. Details…

We had over 50+ students and chaperones from 14 schools across Connecticut. The keynote speaker was Honora Kenney, curriculum director for the Connecticut Invention Convention, who started us off with a great keynote focused on empowering women to reach their full potential. “We must ensure that women have every opportunity become the innovators, the problem solvers, the inspirational leaders of tomorrow, fully prepared to grow our society and our world, unhampered by artificial and societal constraints. ”

We were visited by a special guest star – the Microsoft Surface – courtesy of our good friends at Infusion Development. Both students and chaperones were amazed and delighted by actually interacting with the Microsoft Surface.

We had a non-traditional career panel that talked about “real life” that included:

Our Shy Scientist – a University professor (of Biomaterials and Reconstructive Sciences)
Our Math Geek – an actuary
Our Developer Diva – an enterprise web developer
Our Amateur Egyptologist – a Microsoft Client technologist
Our Psych Major – a Microsoft Enterprise Account Team member

Interactive sessions focused on Internet Safety, School of the Future, Technology Trends, and College Prep.

And a great Student Innovation series where small groups of students designed, presented and defended their “innovative product” to the rest of the attendees. The students really liked this exercise and it helped cement the themes of the day – innovation, technology, empowerment.

It takes an amazing team to make this happen and that’s what we had. Thank you all!

One of the slides from our career panel hit home with me. It talked about achieving Joy at Work: work with nice people, surround yourself with good people, teach others, and make time for family.

This event and all the hard work from every team member reminded me that I have Joy at Work!

Advancing careers from the classroom to the boardroom

allandcp_ms — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:00:00 GMT

eek! I love my job and yet again, I was able to step out of ordinary and connect with folks who volunteer their time and resources to helping their community. Tonight I had the privilege of chatting with the Hartford chapter of the BDPA. It is truly amazing to me that there are so many unseen and unheard ~~leaders~~ heroes giving of themselves to inspire, educate and mentor kids.

Mary and Matthew, thank you for having me! You’ll here more about this organization from me in the future. In their words or how they are advancing careers from the classroom to the boardroom:

A primary emphasis of the Hartford Chapter has and continues to be improving the technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills of the adult and youth members of the region communities.

They can always use your help!

Resources from today

Microsoft DreamSpark – don’t forget the free training of the program.

Microsoft BizSpark – let’s make Hartford: New England’s Rising Software Star :)

Microsoft’s DigiGirlz Programs – 2 years and running in Connecticut!

P.S. Matthew, you’ll want to show them Project Natal…

…but here’s the one about the 2019 vision I showed you.

Windows 7 RC Developer Training Kit

allandcp_ms — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:15:00 GMT

eek! I submit that one of the best blog posts that I’ve read on Windows 7 for Developers is Mike Taulty’s Windows 7: What’s there for Developers? Cool stuff from Mike. If you are looking to get a handle on some of the cool new features that Windows 7 offers developers, the same team that brought you the world famous training kits, now offer you the Windows 7 RC Developer Training Kit. Go get it!

From the link:

The Windows 7 Training Kit for Developers includes presentations, hands-on labs, and demos. This content is based on Windows 7 RC and provides an early peak to our final training. This training kit is designed to help you learn how to build applications that shine on Windows 7 by utilizing key features such as:

Taskbar

Libraries

Multi Touch

Sensors and Location

Ribbon

Trigger Start Services,

Instrumentation and ETW

Application Compatibility

It’s all about the Tools!

allandcp_ms — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMT

eek! Our dear friend Russ has a TV Show and its called – It’s All About the Tools -catch episode 2 and more! Watch Russ and guests showcase great demos and get geeky. As Russ says, make some popcorn and enjoy!

Jumpstart your VS2010 skills

allandcp_ms — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:00:00 GMT

eek! If you’ve downloaded the training kit and are ready to get your hands dirty, Dan Fernandez’s cheat sheet will definitely save you time and aggravation. Pay special attention to the link from Brian Keller on how to download and install VS2010. For Vijay, who asked a question on templates and website, I’d recommend…

Start here on the Web Development features in ASP.NET 4.0
Try a 10-4 episode
Visit the Visual Studio Extensibility Blog for some of their recent announcements (templates, SDK, DSL, SDK docs, etc.)

You down with PHP, yeah you know me

allandcp_ms — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

eek! If you didn’t see it yet, the latest PHP Architect Magazine is dedicated to running PHP on Windows. Articles include:

Installing PHP on Windows
Configure and Optimize PHP on Windows
Getting Started with the SQL Server Driver for PHP

Oh and this month’s issue is free (registration required though).

P.S. Extending PHP to Azure is also welcome!

Get trained on Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0 – Today!

allandcp_ms — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:15:00 GMT

eek! If you missed it, the team that brought you the other cool training kits, has a new version for the beta of Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework 4.0.

28 Presentations, 13 demos and 16 hands on labs with topics ranging from Data Access to Parallel Computing.

Get the training kit today and get ahead!

bing is…

allandcp_ms — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

eek! B(ing) I(s) the N(ext) G(oogle). The announce here and more bing next week!

Search you later! Happy Friday.

How Architects are made

allandcp_ms — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:15:00 GMT

eek! If you are looking to don that coveted architect tag, then this event may be for you. Join us on Tuesday June 2, 2009 in Cambridge MA for The Architect Factory - Take Your Technical Skills to the Next Level.

Details on registration, directions and agenda are available here - it is a free event and will fill up quickly.

Why?

The Architect Factory event focuses on you, senior technologists interested in becoming software, solutions, enterprise, or design architects. This event helps bridge the knowledge gap between senior technical, design, enterprise, information, and solutions roles and real-world architecture roles, putting you on the path to becoming an architect in your field.

Are you looking to take that next step and expand/extend your skills to next level? What differentiates you from other technology job seekers today? With competition here at home and technical jobs going overseas, how can you make your skills stand out?

This is an opportunity to establish yourself as a visionary that architects the future, being able to design and create integrated systems that solve complex business problems. It can be challenging to find the right information and advice for taking steps toward becoming an architect, so join us for The Architect Factory and you’ll be well on your way!