Blog

Cloud Tech Summit – Chicago

I am very excited to be helping others learn new technologies and asisst them in earning new certifications. On January 19, 2017, I will be delivering two exam prep session at the Microsoft Tech Summit in Chicago. The first is for the 70-473: Cloud Data Platform exam and the second…


MCSA: SQL 2016 Development

Last September I took the BETA exams for 70-761: Querying Data with Transact-SQL and 70-762: Developing SQL Databases. Well it looks like I passed them, because today I received an email saying I have earned my MCSA: SQL Server 2016 Database Development. I always like when I pick up a new…


Chicago Tech Summit

 Two weeks from today, I will be delivering Prep sessions on the 70-473 (Cloud Data Solutions) exam and the 70-475 (Big Data Analytics) exam at the Chicago Tech Summit. There are so many other great Azure and Office 365 sessions to attend if you are in the area.


MBA: First Course Finished

Well, I am off and running on my Masters of Business Administration degree from Western Governors University. Finished my first course, Managing Organizations and Leading People. I was required to write two papers, the first I evaluated my fictional boss Roscoe P. Coltrane on his leadership style. The second paper,…


Train Trip to Seattle

So I was planning my trip to the MCT Summit which is in Bellevue, Washington from March 28 -30, 2017. I was originally going to fly to Phoenix and speak at a SQL Saturday. But instead, I figured I would take the scenic route on a train trip through the…


Big Data Analytics

Would you like to know how to build big data and advanced analytics solutions? This course from Microsoft Virtual Academy is a great starting point. Learn features and capabilities of the Microsoft cloud data platform that can help you build solutions using big data and analytics.


Exam Passed – 473

Well, that was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I was able to pass the 70-473 exam for the Cloud Data Platform Specialist certification.  The first place to start if you are interested in passing this exam is Microsoft Virtual Academy. It has a great overview of the exam topics…


Cybersecurity Reference

Well, that is one busy infographic. If you need more insight into Cybersecurity, here is a great video on securing #Office365 like a cyber security professional. This session covers the primary areas of customer responsibility with Office 365 including administrative privilege management, account and access management, and client endpoints.


Security and SQL Azure

I was doing some research on Security and SQL Azure Databases and found this great article form Joseph D’Antoni (Denny Cherry & Associates Consulting) and Stacia Varga (Data Inspirations) that I highly recommend. The summary states, “This paper details the security and data management features found in Microsoft Azure SQL Database….


Arizona 2016

Had the chance to teach two weeks of SQL Server in Phoenix, Arizona with a weekend off in between the two weeks. I took the opportunity to drive up through Sedona and Flagstaff to stay a night at the Grand Canyon. It was such a surreal experience as if I…