AnilDesai.net

Cloud Computing, Virtualization, .NET / SQL Server Development

Central Texas System Management User Group Presentation: “Software-Defined Storage Features in Windows Server and Microsoft Azure”

Sep 8

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Microsoft Azure, Presentations, Storage, Virtualization | No Comments

I really enjoyed the opportunity to present to the Central Texas System Management User Group (CTSMUG) on September 8, 2017.  You can find their latest meeting information at CTSMUG on EventBrite.  My technical focus was on the many Windows Server 2016 storage features that organizations can use to better manage storage in their own environments and in public, private, and hybrid clouds.  I also gave several live demonstrations, including the process of creating a Storage Spaces environment in the Microsoft Azure cloud, and the use of various storage-related tools such as Azure Storage Explorer.

The event went was fun, and I really appreciated the audience’s participation.  Feel free to contact me if you’d like more information about the content of the presentation.  And thanks again to CTSMUG for inviting me to speak!

24 Hours of PASS: Summit Preview: Free SQL Server Info

Jul 19

Posted by Anil Desai in Databases / SQL Server, Presentations, Webcasts | No Comments

I had the privilege of serving as Moderator for three great webinar sessions at the 24 Hours of PASS: Summit Preview online event.  If you were unable to join the sessions live, they’re all available for your viewing by using the online Schedule.

I moderated the following sessions, all of which I’d highly recommend!

  • “Writing User Stories and Slicking Epics for DW/BI Teams” (Speaker: Lynn Winterbroer)

  • “Introduction to Global Data Quality ” (Speaker: Oscar Li)

  • “Why Did My Clever Index Change Backfire?” (Speaker: Kendra Little)

I hope you find the content to be useful!

 

SQL PASS Summit 2017: Data Quality and Data Security

May 3

Posted by Anil Desai in Databases / SQL Server, Presentations, Webcasts | No Comments

The Professional Association of SQL Server (PASS) is hosting a free online summit on May 3rd – 4th, 2017.  The focus is on two very important topics: Data Security and Data Quality.  I had the pleasure of moderating two of the sessions, and learned a lot!  You can find more information about PASS at http://www.pass.org/ and about the event at the event web site:

24 Hours of PASS: Data Security and Data Quality

HackMISA Hackathon at UT Austin: April 2nd, 2017

Mar 11

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Databases / SQL Server, Development, Presentations | No Comments

I’ll be presenting topics that are focused on creating a SQL Azure database, and writing a simple web application to enter, update, and display data – all from using cloud resources.  Here’s an overview of the event:

HackMISA is a 12 hour hackathon hosted by the Management Information Systems Asscioation as a new initiative to provide more opportunities for students to learn how to code. This is where you can turn your ideas into a reality. You’ll make new friends and learn cool skills w the help of industry professionals!

Come down for a day of free food, workshops, mentorships, & prizes. Whether you have no coding knoledge or are a seasoned hacker, we would love to see you there!

For more information about the event or to sign up, please visit the HackMISA Spring 2017 web page!

Update (04/03/2017): It was a great pleasure to meet so many excited, committed, and technically-capable people at the event.  All of the entries were excellent, and I was glad to stay for most of the 12-hour session as a sepaker, mentor and judge.  Attached to this post is a copy of the Slides from my Auzre Cloud presentation.  Please feel free to download it for your own use: UT HackMISA – Azure Cloud – Anil Desai

Austin Editors Guild: “The Technology of Editing” (March 23, 2017)

Mar 10

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, General, Office 365, Presentations | No Comments

I’m looking forward to speaking at the March meeting of the Austin Editors Guild.

Here’s an overview of the topic:

Join us this month to up your tech game! We’ll talk about features in Microsoft Office and Word that will help you improve your workflow, editing process, and document management. Don’t worry if you don’t have the latest versions—we’ll discuss both free and paid options for upgrades.

We’ll show demos on how you can use Microsoft Word and OneNote to manage the editing process. You’ll also see new features in action and practical applications for their use, such as real-time document collaboration, advanced formatting features, Word’s new grammar-checking feature, SmartArt graphics, and more. Anil will share real-world examples of how he’s managed his writing and editing projects for a variety of major publishers, lessons learned, and tips for dealing with poorly organized environments and processes.

For more information, visit the Austin Editors Guild Web Site; and view updates on Twitter (@austineditors).

Update (04/03/2017): I really enjoyed talking to the group and had some great questions and answers.  Attached is a slide presentation for any attendees or anyone that missed the session: The Tech of Editing (Austin Editors Guild).

October 19, 2016: Optimizing Storage for Virtualization in Windows Server

Aug 19

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Presentations, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

BrightTalk-OptimizingStorageThe second of my three upcoming BrightTALK presentations is titled Optimizing Storage for Virtualization in Windows Server.  Here’s an overview of the topic for this free online webinar:

Virtualization workloads generate many requirements and challenges for IT departments, including high performance, low latency, high-availability and the ability to quickly move and reconfigure workloads based on changing demands.  This presentation focuses on best practices for employing a wide array of different storage features in the Windows Server platform.  Details range from the SMB 3.x protocol to data-deduplication, clustering, Hyper-V Replica, and many more related features.  The presentation will begin with suggestions for determining requirements for different kinds of virtual disks and different business workloads.  Based on these requirements, we’ll drill-down in to practical advice on how, when, and why these features can help increase service delivery and reduce costs for virtualized environments of all sizes.

If you can’t make it to the live session, it will also be available for viewing after the conference.

Update:  The presentation was originally scheduled for October 18th, and has been moved back by one day.  If the new time doesn’t work well for you, remember that the presentation will always be available on-demand, soon after the live recording.

Note: To access the recording of this session (and all of my past BrightTALK webinars), please search using https://www.brighttalk.com/search?q=Anil+Desai.

Sept. 20, 2016: Software-Defined Storage Features in Windows Server 2016

Aug 19

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Presentations, Storage, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

BrightTalk-SDStorageInWS2016I’ll be giving a presentation as part of BrightTALK‘s Software-Defined Week of presentations.  The free session (registration required) is titled Software-Defined Storage Features in Windows Server 2016.  Here’s an overview of the presentation topic:

Meeting storage-related requirements has been a long-standing challenge for IT organizations, and added workload requirements from cloud- and software-defined architectures can add quickly to the burden.  Common goals are to implement solutions that provide high-availability and high performance, with low capital and operational costs.  The Windows Server 2016 platform includes a tremendous list of improved and new features that are available “out-of-the-box”.  That makes the biggest barrier understanding how, when and why you can implementing these features.

This presentation will cover a wide array of different features in the Windows Server platform, including Storage Spaces and Storage Spaces Direct; SMB 3.x improvements; storage tiering; Storage QoS; Storage Replica; data de-duplication; and many other features.  When compared to the costs and administrative complexity of traditional SANs, these tools can provide ready solutions for environments of all sizes and types.  The focus will be on technical details about the features and capabilities of the Windows Server platform, and how organizations can make best use of them.

It would be great if you can make it for the live session, but if not, it will also be available on-demand after the event is complete.

Note: To access the recording of this session (and all of my past BrightTALK webinars), please search using https://www.brighttalk.com/search?q=Anil+Desai.

5 Strategies for Moving Your Business to the Cloud (Article)

May 25

Posted by Anil Desai in Articles, Best Practices, Cloud Computing, Systems Admin | No Comments

BizTechLogoI recently wrote an online article for BizTech’s Small Business magazine, titled “5 Strategies for Moving Your Business to the Cloud“.  Here’s the introduction to the topic:
Small businesses can use the cloud to gain scale and ensure that their infrastructure keeps up with their growth ambitions.
When a small company finds itself growing, it often faces serious challenges in maintaining an IT infrastructure capable of keeping up with the rest of the business. Leveraging cloud implementations can provide huge benefits to small companies facing these challenges. However, as with any IT initiative, a sound technology strategy can make the difference between success and failure. Here are some important considerations, based on my consulting experience…
Please see CDW’s BizTech site for the complete (free) article and more cloud-related articles for SMB’s.

Attend the Microsoft BUILD Austin Event on May 29th, 2015

May 26

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Databases / SQL Server, Development, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office, Office 365, Virtualization, Windows 10, Windows Server | No Comments

https://az118040.vo.msecnd.net/assets/7fd7654959f64dd7a2c9cbca75f4ccae/austin_l.jpg

There’s a lot of change that’s coming out for developers and IT pros that work on Microsoft technologies.  You can find more information about the available sessions at the Microsoft BUILD 2015 site, including the recordings of the keynote addresses from the live national presentation.  Just a sampler would include Windows 10 with huge consumer and Enterprise changes, UI design and development improvements, Azure, Visual Studio 2015, and a lot of other related topics.  Here’s an overview of what will be covered in Austin:

Friday, May 29, 2015 – 9:00AM

Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
310 Willie Nelson Blvd
Austin, TX USA 78701

This event series brings the Build experience to cities around the globe.

As a developer, you can expect:

  • Best of Build announcements and insights
  • Deep dive in the Windows 10 developer platform for app and web developers
  • Coding sessions and exciting demos across devices
  • Partner showcases
  • Open Q&A and face-to-face time with Microsoft engineers
  • Each Event is Free

Build Tour Event Agenda

8:00 – close Registration
8:00 – 9:00 Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 Keynote
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 11:45 Session #1 Universal Windows Platform
11:45 – 12:45 Lunch
12:45 – 13:00 Challenge
13:00 – 14:00 Session #2 Microsoft Edge & Web Apps
14:00 – 15:00 Session #3 Lightning Talks
15:00 – 15:30 Break
15:30 – 16:45 Panel Q/A
16:45 – 17:00 Closing remarks

Best of all, there’s a good chance that the all-day event is coming free to a place near you.  While I won’t be presenting any specific sessions in the Austin BUILD Event.  I will be available on-site all day to answer questions during breaks.

Be sure to register, if you plan to attend this free event (it’s at the amazing ACL at the Moody Theater downtown).  If you’re unable to attend, you can still find the sessions you’re interested online at the Channel 9 BUILD 2015 site.

Building and Managing Storage Environments for MSPs: Free Webinar on 05/27/2015

May 22

Posted by Anil Desai in Best Practices, Cloud Computing, Storage, Systems Admin, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

I’ll be presenting a Ziff-Davis webinar on the topic of Building and Managing Storage Environments for MSPs.  The topic will cover best practices and considerations for moving from local-based storage architectures to storage-based service offerings.  For more information, or to register for the free webinar, please visit Building and Managing Storage Environments for MSPs.

Attend the Microsoft MVP Virtual Conference: May 14-15, 2015

Apr 24

Posted by Anil Desai in Best Practices, Cloud Computing, Databases / SQL Server, Microsoft Azure, Office 365, Presentations, Virtualization, Webcasts, Windows Server | No Comments

MVP15_MicrosoftMVP_VC_EmailBannerMicrosoft is soon hosting a great free event that Microsoft and the MVPs are putting on, May 14th & 15th.  Join Microsoft MVPs from the Americas’ region as they share their knowledge and real-world expertise during a free event, the MVP Virtual Conference.  As a member of the IT Pro selection committee, I can definitely vouch for the many interesting session topics (I’m planning to attend as many as I can on both says).

The MVP Virtual Conference will showcase 95 sessions of content for IT Pros, Developers and Consumer experts designed to help you navigate life in a mobile-first, cloud-first world.  Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Developer Platform, Steve Guggenheimer, will be on hand to deliver the opening Key Note Address.

Why attend MVP V-Conf? The conference will have 5 tracks, IT Pro English, Dev English, Consumer English, Portuguese mixed sessions & Spanish mixed sessions, there is something for everyone!

Come learn from the best and brightest in the tech world today. All of the sessions will all be delivered by the Americas’ Region Microsoft MVPs. These MVPs are experts who present at premiere conferences, independent community events and local user groups all over the globe.

This is a technical conference focused on helping attendees to learn and develop skills for everything from everyday technical work to wackier weekend projects. Whether it is on the IT Pro, Dev or Consumer side of things, you can bet that the content of MVP V-Conf will be cutting edge, exciting and relevant.

Be sure to register quickly to hold your spot and tell your friends & colleagues.

The conference will be widely covered on social media, you can join the conversation by following @MVPAward and using the hashtag #MVPvConf.   We hope to see you there!

Optimize SQL Server with Flash Storage: Webinar

Mar 12

Posted by Anil Desai in Best Practices, Databases / SQL Server, Storage, Systems Admin, Virtualization | No Comments

On March 12th, I’ll be presenting a free online webinar titled, “Optimize SQL Server Performance with Flash-Based Storage – On a Budget“.  Here’s an overview of what the session will cover:

Are you tired of database latency? Low transaction throughput? Have you created a complicated storage design just to eek out a few more IOPS? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should consider investigating flash-based storage. A flash-based storage array provides consistent performance, simple storage design, and low latency for SQL Server workloads such as OLTP, Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing.

Register for the webinar to learn more about how moving to flash-based storage addresses many of the pain points that application owners and DBAs face in the spindle world.

SQL Server and storage-related issues are among the most common issues I run into with my clients.  This presentation, sponsored by PureStorage, will try to dispel many of the myths and not-so-best practices, and will include some real-world input from Rob “barkz” Barker, Solutions Architect at Pure Storage.  Be sure to register if you’re planning to attend!

Windows Server Software-Defined Storage and Networking Presentation: Dec. 5th, 2014

Nov 24

Posted by Anil Desai in Automating / Scripting, Best Practices, Microsoft Hyper-V, Networking, Presentations, Storage, Virtualization | No Comments

image

I’m excited to have been given the opportunity to present at the December meeting of the Central Texas Systems Management User Group (CTSMUG)!  I’ll try to post some more details on the topic here within the next week. 

The meeting starts at 10:00am and includes lunch.  For details (including directions and a full agenda) and to register to attend, see the Event Details.  There are lots of other interesting topics on the agenda, so do try to attend if you’re in the Austin area!

BrightTALK Webinar: Windows Server Enterprise Storage and Networking Features

Nov 14

Posted by Anil Desai in Best Practices, Management, Microsoft Hyper-V, Presentations, Storage, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

imageOn December 9th, 2014, I’ll be presenting a free online webinar titled, Windows Server Enterprise Storage and Networking Features.  Here’s a quick overview of the topic:

IT professionals face many challenges in their struggle to deliver the infrastructure, applications, and services that their organizations need. Common issues include limited budgets, datacenter infrastructure complexity, and technical expertise to support a wide variety of changing goals. The presentation will provide guidance and best practices for data center admins that are looking for cost-effective ways to increase automation, improve hardware resource utilization, and provide HA/DR features without having to make costly investments in third-party products.
This webinar will discuss:

  • Features that include support for iSCSI-based SANs,
  • SMB-based virtual disks
  • Management UI and automation improvements
  • The latest version of Hyper-V
  • Low-cost high-availability

Register online if you’d like to attend!

Note: To access the recording of this session (and all of my past BrightTALK webinars), please search using https://www.brighttalk.com/search?q=Anil+Desai.

Austin Code Camp 2014

Oct 14

Posted by Anil Desai in Databases / SQL Server, Development, Presentations | No Comments

The eight annual edition of Austin Code Camp is almost here, and I’ll again be presenting two SQL Server topics.  The event takes place at the New Horizons Learning Center (near Highland Mall).  This is a full-day event filled with presentations from expert developer and IT experts from Austin and beyond. 

Registration via EventBrite is required, as space is limited.  It looks like the tickets are selling out quickly, so be sure to get yours soon if you’re in the Austin area and want to attend! 

Here are the details on my updated presentations:

SQL Server Performance Monitoring & Optimization

Developers often overlook the art and science of query optimization, despite the importance of storing and accessing data in all types of applications. Developers can dramatically improve their users’ experience by monitoring and optimizing how they leverage their database. This session will cover practical ways in which attendees can monitor performance at various levels, and how they can use this information to optimize queries. We’ll start with an overview of the many different SQL Server tools that can be used for finding and troubleshooting performance issues. Then, we’ll walk through the process of using SQL Profiler to collect data for supporting real-world questions and goals, including: Generating a "hit list" of worst-performing queries based on execution times and frequency, and finding sources of bottlenecks.

Next, we’ll go through the process of using the Database Tuning Advisor to use captured workloads to optimize physical database structures such as indexes and partitions. Also included will be ways in which developers can use built-in reports and dynamic management views to gain further insight into their production systems. Finally, the presentation will include an overview of analyzing query plans. The overall emphasis will be on solving practical, real-world database performance problems.

SQL Server Reporting Services: Developing and Managing Reports

SQL Server Reporting Services allows developers to author and distribute complex reports that come from a variety of data sources. This session will begin with an architectural overview of Reporting Services and demos of how developers can install and configure the required services. Then, we will walk through the process of creating new reports using Report Builder and Visual Studio. Reporting features including dynamic drill-downs, tablix reports, charts, and sorting will be demonstrated. Also included will be methods by which multiple levels of report parameters can be used to efficiently filter data.

A key goal for reports is to get data to the users who required them, and to manage performance, permissions, and report contents over time. This presentation will cover deployment details, including scheduling report execution, report subscriptions, data caching, creating snapshots, and managing security. Attendees are welcome to bring their reporting-related questions and issues for discussion.