Trying Out the Azure SQL Database Quickstart
I’m working through a series of tutorials and learning paths for Azure SQL and sharing bite-sized reviews.
In this first walkthrough, I’m stepping through the Create a Single Database tutorial.
Tutorial: Create a Disposable SQL Server Database Container in an Azure DevOps Pipeline With Spawn
This post is part of TSQLTuesday #140, “What have you been up to with containers?"
Disposable databases are indispensable for software developers, both for initial development work and in automation pipelines. Containers pair exceptionally well with temporary databases and provide a lightweight mechanism to spin up an environment on demand.
The HBO Max Integration Test Email Means You Should Make Automation Safer-- for Everyone
When I woke up today in the UK, Twitter was alive with jokes, hot takes, and sympathy about an email sent out to millions of folks on a contact list for HBO Max featuring the subject line, “Integration Test Email #1”.
Managing Drift in Automated Deployments to SQL Server Databases
One big gotcha that teams often encounter when automating deployments for databases is that it’s difficult– or sometimes impossible – to ensure that all changes to the production database are performed through the automation pipeline.
These out-of-band changes case the production database to “drift” away from the schema as defined in version control.
Why NoSQL Database Adoption is not a One Way Journey
A coworker shared with me recently that a customer is wholly investing in adopting non-relational datastores.
“Is NoSQL taking over?” they asked.
My Sketchnotes from Redgate Level Up Week 2021
Redgate regularly holds an internal conference called Level Up week. In 2020 and 2021, this conference has been scaled to include multiple Redgate offices using a remote learning approach.
While this is an internal conference, I can share my drawings and notes from sessions I attended. I hope these inspire you with ideas on how you can contribute to learning in your own organization – or perhaps simply inspire you to give sketchnoting a try.
Azure Static Web Apps Are Now Generally Available
I wrote recently about moving my blog from Wordpress to an Azure Static Site.
Azure Static Web Apps have now moved out of Preview and are now generally available. A free tier has been announced which is great for personal blogs.
Maintaining Balance While Retraining in a New Professional Area
It’s common to shift your professional focus multiple times over your career while working in tech. But moving into a new role often causes a lot of stress.
In my recent lightning talk for Mental Health and Awareness Day, I reflected on the lessons I’ve learned to set myself up for success and protect my health when taking on a new professional challenge.
How I Got Twitter Cards Working in Hugo with the Mainroad theme
Hugo now has native support for Twitter Cards, but it took a few steps to get them working on my site in the way I wanted.
Here’s how I configured Twitter Cards in Hugo without any new shortcodes.
How to Enable TCP/IP in SQL Server Developer Edition, even if the Configuration Manager is Missing
SQL Server’s Developer Edition installs with a different default network protocol configuration than Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition.
Fixing this has gotten more complicated because it’s become common for the SQL Server Configuration Manager to not be installed on a developer’s workstation in an easily accessible way.