Today we’re announcing a new update to the Power BI Designer Preview.

This month’s update is packed with lots of new features across the Data Modeling, Analytics, Get Data & Transformations areas of the product:

Data Modeling & Analytics

• Calculated Columns
• Data Categorization
• Sort by Another Column
• Improved DAX Formula Editor: Function Help and Prototype

Get Data & Transformations

• New “ODBC Tables” connector (Beta)
• Improvements to the “Excel Workbook” connector:
• Better Column type inference
• Faster load for data previews

• New Text Column Filters – “Does Not Begin With” & “Does Not End With”
• Enhanced Privacy Levels dialog

You can continue reading below for more details about each item.

Calculated Columns

This month we’re adding the ability to create “Calculated Columns” from the Report view.

With Calculated Columns, you can add new data to a table already in your model. But instead of querying and loading values into your new column from a data source, you create a Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) formula that defines the column’s values.

You can create “Calculated Columns” from the Report view by using the “New Column” button under the “Data Tools – Modeling” contextual tab.

Calculated columns you create appear in the Fields list just like any other field, but they’ll have a special icon showing its values are the result of a formula. You can name your columns whatever you want, and add them to a report visualization just like other fields.

You can watch this feature in action in the following video:

Learn more about Calculated Columns in the Power BI Designer

Data Categorization

Another new feature this month is the ability to specify data categorization for columns loaded into your report. When the Power BI Designer imports data it gathers all the information it can from the source (e.g. it is a primary key), the data in the column, the table and column names, etc.  With that information the Power BI designer makes some assumptions about how to give you a good default experience when creating a visual.  A simple example is if we know that a column is a date time column we’ll assume a time hierarchy for an axis on a line chart.   A more difficult example is geography.

With this month’s update, you can manually specify the categories for your columns by accessing the Data Category dropdown menu in the “Data Tools – Modeling” tab within the Report view.

Watch the following video to learn how to use this feature in the Power BI Designer.

Learn more about Data Categorization in the Power BI Designer.

Sort By Another Column

With Sort by Column, on the Data Tools Modeling tab in Power BI Designer, you can change how values in a column are sorted in a visualization.

When you add a column to a visualization, the default sort order works well most of the time. But, sometimes a column’s natural sort order isn’t really what you need.

Common cases where you would want to use “Sort By” column include: Weekdays or Months (sort days/months by chronological order rather than by alphabetical order), Funnel Stages (sort by logical order rather than alphabetical), etc.

“Sort By Column” can be found under the “Data Tools – Modeling” tab within the Report view.

This option brings up the sorting dialog where you can specify which column you want to sort and which column will define the sorting order.

You can watch the following video for more details.

Learn more about “Sort by Another Column” in the Power BI Designer

Improved DAX Formula Editor: Function Help and Prototype

We’re improving our DAX formula authoring support by offering you function help and prototype tooltips as you author your formulas.

New “ODBC Tables” connector (Beta)

One of the biggest challenges when trying to connect to a data source via ODBC is having to write custom query statements to specify the data that needs to be retrieved.

With this month’s update, we’re making it possible for users to retrieve tables via ODBC without having to provide a query. Simply specify the Connection String and use the Navigator dialog to select one or multiple tables. You can also reshape these tables or mash them up with other tables in the Query view, just like you would do when connecting to other sources.

Learn more about this feature by watching the following video:

Improvements to the “Excel Workbook” connector

We have improved the “Excel Workbook” connector in two different areas this month:

• Improved Column Type Inference when importing worksheets.
• Faster load for Data Previews.

New Text Column Filters

In this update we have added a couple of new Text Filters to the Query view: “Does Not Start With” and “Does Not End With”. These filters are available within the Filters menu for Text columns.

Watch the following video to see these new filters in action:

Enhanced Privacy Levels dialog

We are improving the Privacy Levels dialog where users are asked to provide privacy levels for all data sources involved in a query. With this update, users can control whether privacy levels apply to a specific location or a more general one. For instance, control whether privacy levels should be applied to a page vs. an entire site.

See this feature in action:

That’s all for this month. As mentioned previously, we’re making lots of incremental improvements to the Power BI Designer and we hope that you find it better with every new monthly update…

Please continue sending us feedback using our “Send a Smile/Frown” feature, or by voting for what you’d like to see next.

Here is also a full version of the video that combines all What's New videos from this announcement.

What can I do next?

• Preview what's next for Power BI
• Download the Power BI Designer
• Follow @MSPowerBI on Twitter
• Sign up for the Power BI Newsletter

It’s another week, which means it is time for another Power BI weekly update!

If you have followed us on this blog, you will have noticed that we release Power BI service updates on a weekly basis. In addition, we have been following a cadence of monthly updates for the Power BI Designer. We hope you enjoy this rapid cadence of service and designer updates, with new functionality arriving every week.

This is the first of our “What’s new in Power BI this week” post; we are going to be doing this on a weekly basis, calling out new features and improvements to Power BI.

We are excited to announce the following additions this week:

• Twilio Content Pack
• New Power BI API Additions
• List all tables
• Update existing table schema
• Power BI Designer May Monthly Update

Stay tuned for the dedicated blog posts that get into these features in depth. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on these exciting improvements.

• Preview what's next for Power BI
• Follow @MSPowerBI on Twitter
• Sign up for the Power BI Newsletter

Twilio is a cloud platform that allows developers to build, scale and operate real-time communications in their software applications. With Twilio’s cloud communications platform, businesses make communications more contextual by integrating voice, messaging and WebRTC directly into their applications. Twilio has more than 560,000 developers currently using their platform and companies like Uber, Airbnb, Coca-Cola and Home Depot trust Twilio to power their communications at global scale.

Today Microsoft and Twilio are very excited to release the Twilio content pack for Power BI. You can monitor all the details of your phone calls and text messages activities for the past 30 days as well as monitor stats like your all time spending, number and duration of calls and many more.

Out of Box Content

Connecting to Twilio in Power BI is quite simple; just click on the Twilio data source in the Get Data page and use your Twilio’s user name and password to connect. Once connected, Power BI will retrieve your data from Twilio and creates a data set as well as a ready-made dashboard and report that you can start exploring right away.

Power BI retrieves the calls and messages details for the last 30 days as well as some useful stats like your “All time spending” or “All time number of calls”, etc. Your data will be automatically refreshed everyday so your dashboard is always up to date.

The dashboard shows you some quick insights from your data that we think you would like to monitor on daily basis, like the number of calls and messages in the last 30 days, calls and messages over time and many more. You can always edit the dashboard to make it show exactly what you’re looking for.

While the dashboard is great for monitoring your data, you may want at times to explore the data a bit further. When you click on any of the visuals on the dashboard you immediately go to the underlying report where you can see some richer insights on your data and you can apply slicers and filters to find exactly what you are looking for. The out of box reports contains 3 different slides with different views on your data.

You can also use the Q&A capabilities in Power BI to explore your data by asking natural language questions. An example would be “Show me number of calls by status and direction” or “How many messages sent last month?” You can also pin visuals created by Q&A on your dashboard if you want to keep an eye on them.

Create your Own Reports

If the out of box report and dashboard are not enough, you can very easily create your own dashboards and reports exactly the way you want them. You can do that by clicking on the Twilio dataset under the Datasets sections. Once you do that, a blank report will open and you can drag the fields you want to visualize from the fields list to the canvas and start building your visualizations.

The time it takes Power BI to retrieve all your data and create the out of box dashboard and report will vary greatly depending on the amount of data you have for the past 30 days. If you have hundreds of thousands of transactions, it may take some time for Power BI to retrieve all of them. Super large accounts may encounter some issues while creating the content pack, we are working hard on eliminating those issues. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact us through the support link at the top of the page if you encounter any problems.

• Contact Power BI Support
• Lear more about Twilio
• Follow @MSPowerBI on Twitter
• Sign up for the Power BI Newsletter

The Windows Hardware Compatibility Program uses an official playlist to determine which devices meet the requirements for compatibility with Windows 10. We have an updated playlist with the following changes:

Note, you will need to download the latest errata filters for an errata for the DF – Device Driver INF Verification Test if you are running tests from build 10075 of the HLK.

The latest playlist is optional and can be download the latest playlist here.

A fast-track process enables partners to quickly qualify Windows 8.1 certified devices for Windows 10 without having to execute all of the Windows 10 Hardware Lab Kit (HLK) tests. You can fast-track the Windows 8.1 certified devices list in the table below for Windows 10 if the devices meet the following criteria:

• The device was previously certified for Windows 8.1
• The device’s binaries have not changed since the submission for Windows 8.1, and only the INF is updated to reflect the new Windows version. 

If the device meets these criteria, you can create a submission by following these steps:

1. Use the HLK for Windows 10, create a new Windows 10 project, and run the DF – Device Driver INF Verification Test.
2. Use the “Merge” feature in HLK studio to include the Windows 8.1 HCKX package that was used to certify the device on Windows 8.1 (this would be the full test run).
3. Submit the .hlkx package to the Windows Dev Center hardware dashboard.

Submissions are reviewed for the following items:

1. The earlier Windows certification referenced in the readme.doc file.
2. The “DF – Device Driver INF Verification Test” passes.
3. No driver binary changes occurred from the Windows 8.1 binary, as verified using WinDiff.

If the review is successful, the submission is approved. 

The following list specifies product types eligible for Windows 10 fast track approval based on Windows 8.1 submissions, per the conditions defined above:

Windows 8.1

If you are submitting for Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, you can request a Windows 8.1 signature without completely retesting with Windows 8.1 if your product type is in the list below. You’ll need to prove that the INF is well-formed for Windows 8.1 by following these steps:

• Using the new HLK for Windows 10, create a Windows 10 project and run the full suite of tests.
• Using the Hardware Certification Kit (HCK) 2.1, create a Windows 8.1 project and run only the Device.Devfund INF test.
• Package the results of the projects for the submission by using the Windows Dev Center hardware dashboard packaging tools.

The following list specifies product types eligible for Windows 8.1 fast track approval based on Windows 10 submissions, per conditions defined above:

In continuous process innovations, many of which are outlined in Managing Agile Open-Source Software Projects with Microsoft Visual Studio Online, we evolved the rolling triage and the fire-and-forget project type.

Rolling triage

In the past we processed quarterly triages of project ideas, many originating from UserVoice, creating four main waves of projects per annum. As shown, some side-effects were last-minute spikes of activity as teams realised they needed to wrap-up, and troughs during which resources are on the bench, waiting for new projects.

We introduced the concept of a rolling project idea triage, triggered whenever a project enters its last scheduled sprint. The rolling triage allows us to investigate new project opportunities, and resources to engage, while we wind up a project. While we have not been able to nudge the last-minute spike to extinction, the occurrence and impact hereof are on the decrease.

Fire-and-Forget Project

In Managing Agile Open-Source Software Projects with Microsoft Visual Studio Online we share our default and Program Manager (PM)  managed process, with geographically distributed, and part-time resources. It starts with an idea, planning, a fairly detailed roadmap, planning and proceeds with the development and release of a solution, aligned with a common iteration / sprint plan cadence. We often refer to this type of project as a formal project, or project that comes with a lot of ceremony, and a weekly scrum.

Pros

• Predictability, based on roadmap.
• Near real-time insight into status and impediments.
• Can work with one or more feature teams, each with 6+-3 team members.

Cons

• Volunteers with only 15min to spare, find it difficult to engage on projects with pre-defined milestones and priorities.
• We are limited to ~five concurrent projects, based on PM and resource bandwidth.

The new fire-and-forget project begins with the same triage and investigation, but less planning, process, ceremony and typically no detailed roadmap and milestones. Teams self-organise, work through their backlog at their own pace and meet with the PM less frequently, typically every second week or monthly.

Pros

• We can support an infinite number of concurrent projects, constrained only by the available part-time bandwidth.
• Teams can self-organize and work when and how they prefer.

Cons

• Insight into status and impediments is less frequent.
• Does not scale well beyond one team with 6+-3 team members.

As the Program Managers never “forget” a project or associated team, we should really call these projects fire-and-self-organise, but fire-and-forget is simpler and more common.

If you have been keeping an eye on our status board (aka.ms/vsarflightplan) you would have noticed that our first two fire-and-forget projects have taken off, under the leadership of Gordon Beeming and Utkarsh Shigihalli.

We will share the evidence of this new project type as it emerges.

What do you think?

Guest post by Tom Willis, Digital Marketing Manager, LawPath

Most Australian businesses don’t realise the impact legal structure has on their business. The majority of us will start our entrepreneurial journey with an ABN (Australian Business Number), and operate with this as a sole trader or as part of a partnership. However as the sales treacle in and expansion becomes a necessity it is important to understand the process and benefits of registering a company (aka incorporating). And although registering a company may seem like a daunting experience, it will prove to be an essential part of getting your legal foundations sorted as you move forward.

Keeping your finger on the pulse

The first few sales are always the most difficult to come by, and this struggle often leaves owners low on motivation. At LawPath we see many businesses lose focus when they don’t achieve instant results, raising doubts about the business’ future and testing their will to succeed.

We often find that the process of incorporating provides an instant kick of motivation for new business owners, in addition to legal stability and structure. Incorporation helps justify that you’re serious about your business and you consider it to be more than just a hobby on the side.

Authenticity is everything 

Nothing feels better than securing your first sale. It’s an exhilarating feeling that doesn’t leave in a hurry, and if your products / services are of good quality then chances are that your new customers will want to refer you to friends, family, co-workers, etc.  

This is where authenticity becomes a key factor, as customers will be more likely to refer friends if they can ensure they’re recommending and incorporated, established and reputable business.

Is your business leaving you liable?

Many sole traders don’t realise that they are personally liable in the event of something going wrong in the business. This often isn’t considered when starting out, however as you begin to gain traction it’s vital that you consider how business liability could affect you.

When you register a company you create a ‘corporate veil’ between you and your company. This means that a company lawsuit would most likely only put the assets of your business at risk rather than your personal assets (e.g your house, car, etc).

Help needed!

Anybody running their own business knows how overwhelming busy periods can be. However the more work you take on the more risk you take, resulting in tight deadlines and less communication. It could be time to hire your dream team!  

When bringing on employees, you’ll want to ensure that you’re operating as a company to limit liability. Employees will enter into an agreement with the company rather than you personally, which you’ll be thankful for in the event of things going pear-shaped.

How are companies taxed?

We all want to pay less tax, and many Sole Traders would be horrified to know that they’re potentially paying more tax than need be!  

In Australia corporate taxes are calculated at 30%, which is a flat rate. This is different to personal income taxes which work on a progressive scale and are based on entire earnings.  

For example, a company can declare that 60% of earnings are paid in salary, where the other 40% is deemed as profit. In this case, the self-employment tax would not be paid on the 40% profit.

Looking to raise funds?

We all have grand plans for expansion, and often this involves seeking the assistance of investors. How do you make yourself an attractive investment?  

Registered companies are just about mandatory when looking for investment, with all propriety limited companies consisting of a generic structure made up of shares. This makes life easy for investors as the exchange of investment for shares is seamless.

In closing..

When your business becomes more than a hobby, it’s time to register a company. Whether you’re looking for investment or bringing on employees, incorporation makes the process easier, safer and legally accurate.  

Businesses often fret at the prices charged by high-end law firms, but new cloud-based services make company registration simple to understand, affordable and fast. Online incorporation solutions will provide you with an ACN within minutes, including helpful steps through each step of the process.

みなさん、こんにちは。

今回は Dynamics CRM Online 2015 Update 1 で追加されたプロセス
関連と業務ルールの新機能をまとめて紹介します。

ワークフローの新機能

ユーザー定義アクションサポート

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 より提供されているユーザー定義アクション
(操作) は独自のメッセージを作成できるという強力な機能ですが、これまで
SDK からの呼び出しのみをサポートしていました。

今回のリリースではワークフローからも呼び出せるようになっているため
より手軽に利用できるようになりました。

利用手順

1. ブラウザで Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online に接続します。

2. 設定 | プロセスより新しいワークフローを 1 つ作成します。

3. ステップの追加一覧より「アクションの実行」を選択します。

4. 実行したいアクションを指定します。

5. 必要に応じてプロパティを設定します。

業務プロセスフローの新機能

必須ステップの順守

これまで業務プロセスフロー上で必須と設定したフィールドは、次ステージへ
移動する際に検証されますが、SDK を利用した場合や一部の作業では必須の
フィールドの値がない状態でもステージを移動することができました。

今回のリリースではこの検証作業をプラットフォームレベルに移動する事で
すべてのシナリオにおいて検証を行えるようになりました。

ステージの遡り

これまで業務プロセスフローのステージは遡ることができませんでしたが、
今回のリリースでは一度完了したステージに戻って、かつその状態を有効に
することができます。

以下の手順でステージの設定を行います。

1. 業務プロセスフローが有効なエンティティのレコードを開きます。ここでは
サポート案件を例にしています。

2. 業務プロセスフローを進めます。以下は解決ステージまで進んでいる例です。

3. 移動したいステージを選択します。ここでは特定を選択しました。この
時点ではただステージの内容を見ているだけです。

4. 業務プロセスフロー右端の「アクティブに設定」をクリックします。

5. アクティブを示す旗のアイコンが移動します。

業務ルールの新機能

これまで業務ルールは、特定のフィールドの値を設定したり、表示と非表示を
切り替えることができましたが、今回のリリースではフィールドの値をクリア
することができるようになりました。

利用手順

1. 任意の業務ルールを開くか、新規に業務ルールを作成します。

2. 「操作」より「フィールド値の設定」を選択します。

3. 値をクリアしたいフィールドを選択して、「種類」より「クリア」を選択します。

尚、値をクリアできるのは以下のタイプです。

- 1 行テキスト
- オプションセット (既定値を設定していないもの)
- 整数
- 浮動小数
- 10 進数
- 金額
- 参照
- 日付型

まとめ

Dynamics CRM 2013 以降で追加された機能に対しても、不足している
機能が徐々に充実してきました。まだこれらの機能を使っていない場合は
これを機に是非利用をご検討ください！

- 中村 憲一郎

こんにちは。Surface 法人向けサポート担当の岩松です。

日本時間 5 月 20 日（米国時間 5 月 19 日）、 Surface Pro 3 の最新ファームウェア更新プログラムが公開されました。

今回の更新は、Miracast （ワイヤレス ディスプレイ接続）のパフォーマンス向上やサポート改善に関するものです。

更新内容については、下記の公式サイトをご覧ください。

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 update history | Surface firmware updates

• Surface Pro 3 UEFI update (v3.11.850.0) includes changes needed for compatibility with the updated graphics driver. 
• HD Graphics Family driver update (v10.18.14.4170) improves graphics performance and includes better Miracast (wireless display) support.
• Display Audio driver update (v6.16.00.3172) improves audio experience and supports compatibility with the updated graphics driver.

更新プログラムのインストール方法

現在、 Windows Update で配信中ですので、自動更新または手動更新で適用ください。「システム ファームウェアの更新 2015/05/19 」という名称の更新プログラムです。

また、社内で WSUS をご利用の法人のお客様につきましては、恐縮ながら、本ファームウェアは WSUS からは展開が行えません。つきましては、下記のページから ”Surface Pro3_1505XX.zip” または “Surface Pro3_1505XX.msi” をダウンロードしてインストールしてください。（記事執筆時点では未公開のため、公開まで少々お待ちください）

Download Surface software, firmware, and drivers from Official Microsoft Download Center

上記 zip / msi ファイルの詳細については、こちらの記事をご参照ください。

Surface Pro Firmware and Driver Pack の構成ファイルとその内容 (15/04版: 4/13 更新)

Using the OneNote Class Notebook, students at Ormiston College are using the recording tools to: provide their take on every chapter, track the moves of the heroes and highlight what they hope will happen next.

Premier Field Engineers are our deep technical experts that work with customers on tough problems either in a Reactive capacity(i.e. things have gone really really bad!!), or more importantly in a Proactive manner so that things are done properly upfront and there isn't a need to put out fires. The Premier Field Engineering team (PFE) provides technical support for Microsoft’s Premier customers world-wide through onsite and remote support services. PFEs act as the primary onsite technical contact, providing customer visibility, advanced technical troubleshooting support and problem resolution for Product Support Services and corporate customers, including issues escalated to the highest levels of management. Candidate must be able to manage hot issues by setting customer expectations, devising and implementing action plans, delivering training and assessments, etc.

 A successful PFE can do the following and much more

• Ability to apply technology to improve existing products and systems at customers and for internal use; 
• Ability to actively participate in team support by proposing and implementing solutions; 
• Superior problem solving and troubleshooting skills at the System Engineer level; exceptional customer service, overall communication and technical writing skills. 
• Ability to enhance the technical expertise of peers via the development of product training, mentoring of new hires, and team content development; 
• Assist in developing strategies to gain additional Premier support accounts by contacting and establishing relationships with Program Managers and Technical Account Managers.

Currently I am interviewing people for a Development PFE role....so if you are someone who loves helping people make great software, then you may be a good fit for our team. We need someone with deep experience with

1. Visual Studio and .NET development
2. Using and Administering Team Foundation Server
3. Helped their teams adopt Software Development Methodologies like Agile, Scrum, etc.
4. Experience with tools and technologies related to all stages of software development life cycle including Requirements, Design, Development, Testing, Deployment
5. Have performed code and architectural reviews to weed out performance, reliability and scalability issues.

Additionally, experience with Sharepoint, Dynamics, and other MS development platforms would be a bonus.

Here is a link to the current role.

https://careers.microsoft.com/jobdetails.aspx?ss=&pg=0&so=&rw=2&jid=173400&jlang=EN&pp=SS

Going through the list above, you must be feeling daunted by now...(I know I am :) ). Its hard to find someone with everything on my wish list above, so we are looking for someone who has most of the above, but above all has the right attitude. I cant stress how important that is at Microsoft. We face tough customer issues and questions every day, so people have to bring their A-game every time. I am constantly having to learn and research new things for my customers to provide answers. PFE's get a lot of training time allocated to keep their knowledge up to date, and your peers really bend over backward to help out as well. If you are looking for a tough, challenging, constantly changing environment for your next career move, then reach out and let me know. I would love to have a chat with you about this role, and see if this is a good fit for you to apply.

(PS. If this role isn't something you feel you are ready for today...but would like to explore or work towards in the future, then please let me know as well. I am happy to work with you and help build up a roadmap to get you up to speed. We are always looking for great people and roles like this keep opening up all the time.)

En el último evento de Microsoft Build 2015 se presentó el servicio de SQL Database elastic pool, un servicio para gestionar recursos compartidos de aplicaciones SasS.

Antes de comenzar a hablar de este servicio, lo primero que hay que hacer es mostrar cual es la motivación que hay detrás de este nuevo servicio de Microsoft, y ¿por qué para determinado casos puede ser el condicionante del éxito de un cliente o producto?

La situación actual

A día de hoy cualquier empresa que se plantee dar un servicio de Software como servicio, el Cloud es una de las primeras cosas en las que piensa. No solo desde el punto de vista el almacenamiento, del que se va a hablar ahora mismo, sino desde el punto de vista de la computación.

En lo que se refiere a los datos, un concepto muy importante que hay que tener en cuenta, es el de multi-tenant. Esto permite tener una base de datos para cada uno de los clientes, de esa manera se consiguen muchos beneficios:

• Tener los datos aislados de cada cliente. Haciendo así que cada uno de los clientes esté seguro de hay una unidad de aislamiento física y sus datos no están en la misma base de datos que otro cliente, pudiendo darse la situación de que uno de esos clientes sea competencia suya.
• Permite escalar independientemente cada una de las base datos. Cada cliente es único desde un punto de vista de consumo y rendimiento y tratarlos a todos por igual es injusto, además también de esa manera se puede segmentar mejor los planes de uso de la aplicación. Quien quiera más potencia se podrá actualizar esa base de datos sin tener que afectar en rendimiento u operaciones a otros clientes.

Este escenario multi-tenant se puede implementar a día de hoy con SQL Database el servicio que se ofrece en Azure, que te permite provisionar una base de datos y olvidarte de la gestión de la base de datos. Además, cada base de datos tiene su propio nivel de rendimiento que se puede cambiar en cualquier momento.

Esta tabla muestra las diferentes opciones que se pueden elegir a la hora de elegir qué nivel de servicio se puede elegir para una base de datos.

La columna que interesa ahora mismo es la de DTU, Database Throughput Units, que viene a ser una unidad de medida para saber cuántas operaciones está ejecutando la base de datos. Esta unidad es fija durante todo el tiempo que está activa la base de datos, independientemente de las operaciones que se estén haciendo en ella. Eso significa que, si un cliente se ha provisionado en una Estándar S2 de 50 DTU, pero en los últimos días solo está usando de media 10 DTU, estás desaprovechando los 40 DTU restantes de esa base de datos.

SQL Database elastic pool

Detrás de esta última idea está la motivación que hay detrás de SQL Database elastic pool. Ya que hoy en día se construyen aplicaciones SaaS que con un grupo de base de datos, que en general todas comparten el mismo esquema de datos, y representan a un conjunto de clientes, pero esos clientes hacen usos distintos de esos recursos, ¿por qué no aprovechar los recursos que un cliente de una base de datos S2 no está aprovechando para que otro cliente las pueda aprovechar?

Un elastic databse pool es una colección de recursos compartidos por base de datos elásticas dentro del pool. Se puede añadir o eliminar base de datos del pool en cualquier momentos. Estas base de datos elásticas compartes los recursos elásticos (expresado en elastic database throughput eDTU) y capacidad de almacenamiento dentro del pool. En vez sobredimensionar base de datos individuales y pagar por esos recursos para que estén en espera, puedes dimensionar y pagar por un grupo de recursos previsible que se pueden agregar.

¿Cómo agregar un elastic pool?

SQL elastic pool solo se puede provisionar en un servidor de base de datos en la versión V12 del motor de SQL. Desde la nueva consola de administración y teniendo abierto un servidor de SQL Database, se puede crear un nuevo pool.

Cuando se han aceptado las condiciones de uso del servicio en Preview, se puede empezar a añadir base de datos que formen parte de ese servidor.

El último paso es configurar el rendimiento del pool entre valores máximo y mínimos,

Se puede seguir los siguientes pasos para crear el elastic pool desde la documentación oficial de Azure.

Siguientes pasos

SQL elastic pool, es un servicio estupendo si estas desarrollando una aplicación SaaS multi-tenant, en el que cada uno de los clientes del servicio tiene su propia base de datos y además los clientes tienen usos muy diferentes de esas base de datos. En vez de provisionar el número de clientes que tengas por el número de base de datos, puedes provisionar las mismas base de datos, pero compartir los recursos entre clientes para ahorrar costes.

En este modelo, una de las preguntas recurrentes de los clientes es la necesidad de actualizar el esquema de las base de datos que forman partes del elastic pool. Para esta tarea en concreto dentro del mismo pool se ofrece el servicio de Elastic database Jobs que permite programar la ejecución de un script escrito en T-SQL para este se ejecute en todas las bases de datos que forman parten del pool.

Luis Guerrero.

Technical Evangelist Microsoft Azure.

@guerrerotook

If you haven’t had the chance to catch up on the recent announcements from Microsoft’s two major conferences, Build and Ignite, I highly recommend that you carve out some time on your calendar to head on over to Channel 9 to watch the keynotes, and any deep dive sessions that are relevant to your role, whether it be mobile, cloud, web, or desktop. Big changes are coming our way, and you need to be ready. Your career depends on it.

In fact, it is so vital that Microsoft is planning a worldwide Build Tour to bring these announcements directly to you.

If you’re not convinced that you will walk away from the event learning anything new, here are some teasers that will give you some insight into some of the latest, greatest technologies that may have an impact in how we develop applications in the very near future.

It’s Not a Hallucination, It’s a Hologram

Microsoft provided a teaser to HoloLens the day before registration opened to this year’s Build conference. HoloLens is a holographic computer, in the form of a headset with lenses, which enables mixed reality experiences by integrating holographic images into the physical space around you. Not only is the device an exciting announcement for consumers, but for developers as well, because it opens up a new development opportunity. Microsoft demonstrated a few potential uses for the device during the Build keynote, which had everyone on the edge of their seats. From interacting with a robot hologram to pinning virtual items on a wall, not to mention the capabilities to use HoloLens for virtual conferencing, there’s no denying that this device will change the way people learn, work, and communicate.

If you are skeptical that the HoloLens is real, and will be available to all of us in the near future, then read the post, Magic Moments – Recap of the Holographic Academy, from Microsoft MVP, René Schulte, about his experience at the half day HoloLens developer academy which was held during the Build conference.

Azure All The Things!!!

Azure has been around for quite some time now, but the number of available cloud service offerings it provides continue to grow. These new services provide a benefit to any application development effort, but many developers aren’t aware of them yet. In the Cloud Camps I have hosted in recent years, there are quite a few in attendance who are surprised at the wide array of services that Azure has to offer. And each year, that list continues to grow.

Azure is not just about hosting web sites or spinning up virtual machines. There is so much more to it than that. You will be hard pressed to come up with a reason why you can live without it. There are so many great services that will significantly enhance your application, with very little effort on your end. Azure makes it easier for you to focus on developing your application, rather than building up the backend services to support it, including mobile services, machine learning, big data, Active Directory, media streaming, API management, and so much more.

Office 365 Platform

In the past, any kind of development surrounding Office seemed more of a chore. I’ve been guilty of groaning and grunting at the mere thought of developing an Outlook add-in or using VSTO to manipulate Excel spreadsheets from a custom application. With Office 365, this has changed. Not only can you continue to develop Office add-ins to extend functionality within the Office 365 product suite, but the Office 365 APIs enable you to seamlessly integrate Office data into your applications. You can even publish add-ins you’ve developed to the Office Store. Considering the amount of users that are on the Office product suite in education, enterprise, and consumer markets, this presents a huge developer opportunity that is worth exploring.

No Developer Left Behind

Microsoft has opened its doors to the Windows platform, and invited iOS and Android developers to bring their apps to the Windows ecosystem. With Windows 10 will come the Universal Windows Platform Bridges toolkits, enabling iOS and Android developers to package their existing apps as Windows applications and publish to the Windows Store without a full scale redevelopment effort. No C# needed.

In addition, there is a toolkit to enable .NET developers to convert and package their existing Win32 applications and .NET applications for publication in the Store as well.

Last but not least, web developers will be able to leverage a toolkit to package and publish their websites as Windows applications as well.

XAML Is Your Friend

With Windows 10 also comes the unified API, enabling you to develop a single application which will run on any Windows device. For C# developers, the easiest way to develop Windows 10 applications will be to use XAML and C#. XAML is a fundamental skill in this space which many .NET developers seem to be overlooking.

I recently went onstage for ObjectSharp’s At the Movies event in downtown Toronto (stay tuned for the on-demand links) to talk about the Windows 10 announcements at Build. I asked all of the .NET developers in the room to raise their hands which included about 90% of the group. When I then asked them to keep their hands up if they have used XAML, only 10% of the hands remained in the air. As the adoption rate for Windows 10 increases, so too will the demand for Universal Windows Platform application development. Don’t get left behind in the dust.

Where do you go from here?

1. Register for the Toronto stop of the Build Tour. (I hear there’s a live stream option coming for this. Stay tuned to @cdndevs or Microsoft Developer on Facebook for more info when it becomes available.)
2. Catch up on the Build announcements
3. Watch the sessions from Microsoft Ignite
4. Register and attend the upcoming online MVA course, The Developer’s Guide to Windows 10, presented by Andy Wigley and Jerry Nixon.

Shameless Plug

In addition to that, if you happen to live in, or are visiting, the Southwestern Ontario region, be sure to come check out the Build Highlights sessions that both I and fellow Microsoft MVP, Tom Walker, will be running for our local area .NET User Groups: London Developers .NET Meetup Group and Canada’s Technology Triangle .NET User Group (Kitchener).

If you want to read up on how I geeked out in San Francisco over Build, and a variety of other things, check out my blog post, Attending Build 2015 – What It Meant To Me. While you’re at it, feel free to follow me on Twitter, @loriblalonde.

Eduardo Ramirez Santos, ‘Edu’ as his friends call him, is soft-spoken and doesn’t much like to talk about himself. Until you ask him about technology, that is. Then his words come out fast and easy, his voice gets louder and more animated and he makes punny techie jokes like, “I give Windows 10 a 10!” He’s 23, but when he talks about coding, Edu sounds more like a young boy with a brand new toy than a student developer, almost as if he’s been transported back to the first time he ever looked at a line of code.

Edu was 10 years old, visiting his uncle at work at a telecommunications company in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, when he had his first meaningful encounter with technology. Standing at a computer terminal, Edu watched lines and lines of letters and numbers scroll by onscreen. When he realized that those lines controlled the machine’s movements, something came alive inside him. The idea that his own written commands could affect a machine’s functions thrilled him then and continues to drive him today. Edu loves that it takes so little code to do such big things.

By the time he turned 14, he executed the “Hello World” program on his own. At 15, he coded his first complete program using Visual Fox Pro. At 18, he taught himself C++. He went on to code dozens of apps, and is already starting to develop for Windows 10.

Edu is excited for Windows 10 as both a user and a developer. “As a user, having a personal assistant at my desktop is a dream come true [Cortana]. Additionally, I am thrilled about the universal app and the possibility that with one set of code, your hard work and creation can be available for others to enjoy across a number of Windows devices.”

Edu is a coding machine, relying on the courses offered by Microsoft Virtual Academy to code 42 apps for Windows 8 and 23 apps for Windows Phone. To create his most popular apps, MakePass and TextEditor, Edu used Visual Studio.

MakePass (see the screenshots below) is a password generator for Windows Phone. 

TextEditor (screenshots below) offers a quick way to change text into all caps or all lowercase, offered for Windows.

When Edu isn’t coding, he spends his time teaching and mentoring students in all things tech. Hearing him speak of his passion for teaching made us curious about who helped Edu in his coding education. He humbly admits that he taught himself most of the time, and that it was hard to find people able and willing to help him. Because of the lack of role models available to Edu, he decided to become a Microsoft Student Partner so he could be the mentor to students that he never had.

As an MSP, Edu hosts dozens of hackathons for student developers each year. He thinks these kinds of all-day, intense coding events are really valuable for young programmers because hackathons allow developers of all skill levels to share code with each other and immediately work together to improve it. Not only do students get to make theirs and others’ code better, they also make friends along the way. A lot of really great ideas come from hackathons. In fact, the hackathons Edu has hosted have resulted in nearly 100 published Windows apps.

Edu believes that mentoring tomorrow’s coders not only helps them, but it improves his skills too. For Edu, the adage “you never really know something until you can teach it” rings true. Edu dreams of working for Microsoft one day, but also wants to write a book to help inspire people to support the community through outreach programs just like the Microsoft Student Partner program.

Want to try your coding skills at a hackathon like the ones Edu hosts? Want to create an awesome new game for Windows 10, but you’re not sure where to start? Be sure to check out a Microsoft Imagine Windows 10 Game Jam, which will be hosted in more than 40 countries between now and June 23.

Microsoft wants to make it easy to help young people like you to change their world through technology, just as Edu and many other Microsoft Student Partners have. Head over to Microsoft Imagine, where you can find all the software tools you need, no matter your skill level or experience, and all at no cost.

And if you want to explore the basics of teaching yourself how to code like Edu, head on over to the Microsoft Virtual Academy and check out some of these courses to get started:

• Universal Windows App Development with Cortana and the Speech SDK
• Cross-Platform Development with Xamarin & Visual Studio
• Windows Phone Development for Absolute Beginners
• Live Event: A Developer's Guide to Windows 10