Many jobs in technology, especially those that involve writing code, take concentration and focus. It’s often called being “in the zone.” For me, it feels like I’m inside a bubble where time goes at a different pace than the rest of the world. In fact, the rest of the world seems to disappear when I’m … Read more
Every DBA should have basic PowerShell skills. In this article, Greg Moore explains how to write a PowerShell script that can create a window for a countdown timer.… Read more
Understanding all the storage options available today is not easy. In this new series, Robert Sheldon will explain what you need to know to make sure that you get the right storage for your servers.… Read more
The logic for referential integrity can be implemented in application code, but to make sure that it is enforced, include foreign key constraints in the database design instead. In this article, Joe Celko talks about the history of references in SQL and the options available today. … Read more
Automation of server builds minimizes human error, ensures that environments are identical, and saves time building servers. This article from Mircea Opera demonstrates provisioning one server or multiple load-balanced servers in AWS with code.… Read more
Accelerated Database Recovery is new with SQL Server 2019 and Azure SQL Database and used to decrease the time for rolling back large operations and database recovery. In this article, Forrest McDaniel explains how it works. … Read more
The other day, a friend asked me if Microsoft is discontinuing SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) now that Power BI is the premier MS reporting and dashboarding tool. It seems like more organizations are finding fewer reasons to use SSRS due to the ease of use and features of Power BI. Despite all the news … Read more
The choices found when provisioning storage in Azure can be overwhelming. In this article, Monica Rathbun explains the options to help your organization research which storage might be right for your solution. … Read more
Identity Server is a popular authentication framework for .NET, and version 4 was built for ASP.NET Core. In this article, Camilo Reyes explains Identity Server 4 and how to get started working with it.… Read more
The first week of November was a big week for Microsoft. They made many announcements at the Ignite conference about what’s new and what will be available in the near future. It was also the week of PASS Summit, the largest Microsoft Data Platform conference in the world. PASS Summit was a fantastic conference as … Read more
The visual elements of games are very important, and there is a lot to learn before you create the next best seller. In this article, Lance Talbert shows you how to create a shader, one tool in the game programmer’s toolbox.… Read more
In today’s world, people expect any web page to look and work flawlessly whether they are viewing through a monitor or a tiny smartphone and everything in between. In this article, Dino Esposito discusses one attempt to make developing web pages easier for any device or browser.… Read more
We participate in auctions all the time even when we don’t realize it. In this article, Joe Celko discusses the many different types of auctions and how they work… Read more
Take advantage of the CI/CD pipeline in Azure DevOps to build, test, and deploy continuously to deliver value to your customers consistently with ease. In this article, Joydip Kanjilal shows you how to get started with Azure DevOps using a .NET Core app. … Read more
I can’t remember a time when I was not involved in side-projects, usually as a volunteer but also writing books or creating courses. New projects are like bright, shiny objects, and it’s easy to get involved in too many of them. Earlier this year, I found myself working on three books at the same time. … Read more
Microsoft introduced the ML.NET framework which can be used by developers to include machine learning models in their applications. In this article, Dino Esposito discusses hosting a machine learning model in ASP.NET Core 3.0.… Read more
Before including the database in your DevOps pipeline, you’ll need to decide if you are going to use a state-based or migrations-based approach. In this article, Robert Sheldon explains the difference between them and discusses the benefits of each.… Read more
As more shops begin automating build and deployment pipelines, it’s critical to learn about containerization. In this article, Mircea Oprea walks you through deploying an ASP.NET Core API in a Docker container. … Read more