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Barbara Forbes

Barbara Forbes

Azure technical lead @ OGD | Azure MVP | GitHub Star

Barbara works as the Azure technical lead for OGD in the Netherlands. She is a Microsoft MVP Azure, MCT and GitHub Star. Her focus is on Azure and automation. Think Serverless, Azure DevOps, PowerShell, GitHub and Infrastructure as Code. She loves teaching in an approachable way. She regularly writes posts for her blog https://4bes.nl and speaks at conferences and user groups. She helps grow the community as co-owner of the Dutch DevOps & GitHub community (DDOG), as well as co-hosting the Dutch PowerShell User Group (DUPSUG).

Awards

The Azure Cloud Adoption Framework in the real world

The Cloud Adoption Framework is a universal way of creating a flexible Azure environment with lots of freedom for developers while still keeping data and resources secure.You set up a standard to make sure all your workloads can find the most efficient implementation in the cloud. Sounds great right? And it is, but real life implementations can pose some challenges. Including the first world problem of too much documentation.

In this session, we will take a look at what the Cloud Adoption Framework is and how you can make use of it. We will cover all perspectives: The IT manager, the Cloud Platform team and of course the developers who want their own piece of Azure to work with. After that we will discuss the lessons learned from several real world implementations, both in processes and in technical solutions. At the end you will have practical insights to work with your own Azure environment.

GitHub CodeSpaces for everyone, everywhere!

With GitHub Codespaces, you can have a consistent development experience right in your browser! Write your code from every device without worrying about installing anything. Codespaces are avaliable for everyone with a GitHub account for free. A great opportunity to get a better development experience, whether you are Dev or Ops.

In this session, I'll show you how Codespaces work and how you create one from your GitHub repository. We will walk through use cases, configurations and the options to work with Visual studio code, so you can make the most of of your codespaces. After this session you will be able to get started straight away!

When powers combine: Azure Function Apps & PowerShell

Azure PowerShell function apps are a great option for all your Azure administration, event driven scripts and interaction with data in storage accounts or databases. But how do you use them? In this talk, We will take a look at the possibilities with some real-world examples as our guide. After that, let's see how you can get started with creating and deploying your own Azure Function Apps. With some practical demo's you will be ready to make the most of Azure Function Apps with PowerShell yourself.

45-60 min

Start using GIT for PowerShell

So you have been working with PowerShell. You hear a lot of people around you talking about GIT and you want to get into the game. But there are so many possibilities, you have no clue where to start. You're not a dev, you just write small scripts every now and then. Then this session is for you.

Don't hesitate to bring your laptop in this workshop to getting started with GIT. We cover the absolute basics in a very practical way. In the end you will be able to use GIT for your own PowerShell scripts, as backup and version control.

Infrastructure as Code: Better safe than sorry

With infrastructure as code, you can deploy resources to Azure with just a few lines of code. It's easy to start, just click "export template", copy PowerShell code from the documentation or use the VSCode extensions for ARM templates or Bicep. What could possible go wrong?

With great power comes great responsibility. How do we make sure the code, the Azure resources and the team running it are all safe? In this talk, we will look at different ways to test Bicep and ARM templates before they are deployed to the real world. After that, let's not forget about the team processes to protect the environment and ourselves. In the end you will have some practical guidance to ensure your code is secure, risks are mitigated and you can work together to manage your Azure environment.

GitHub CoPilot and PowerShell

This July, GitHub introduced the private preview of GitHub CoPilot. This Visual Studio Code tool is described as your AI Pair programmer. Using machine learning, it helps you develop code by predicting what you want to write next in your script.

In this session I will show what GitHub CoPilot is and I will give a demo of what it can do for your PowerShell scripts

Automating Azure: Make the portal work for you

So you are settling in with Azure. Creating and managing resources, keeping track with Azure Monitor, Making use of the different IAAS, PAAS and SAAS offerings.
To take it all to the next level, let's consider an environment where you do not need the portal. It is possible to have a complete Azure environment running on automation and code, taking away all manual work and the need for the Portal. The quickest way to start with that? Use the portal.

In this talk we take a look at the different types of automation that Azure has to offer for daily tasks, resource creation and maintenance. For each tool, we look at how the portal helps you create your code and what other resources are available to start your own automation journey.

Go Serverless - Create your first Azure PowerShell Function app

Since PowerShell Function Apps became general available in Azure, Serverless automation is a great new option for all Azure administration. In this session, Let's discover what serverless can add to traditional scripts and see how you can quickly deploy your own app, make use of different triggers and add monitoring. The demos will speak for themselves. At the end of this session you'll have enough practical know-how to start your serverless PowerShell journey.

Deploying to Azure: Azure DevOps Pipelines vs GitHub Actions

When it comes to infrastructure as code, Azure DevOps is a great way to bring your resources directly to Azure with the pipelines. It helps you automate the processes around the code so you are always sure your environment is consistent.

Two years ago, GitHub announced a new pipeline on the block: GitHub Actions. You are able to deploy to Azure as well, but how do they compare? In this session, we will look at the similarities and the differences between these two tools. How much time does it take to learn, how much management do they require and how do they connect to Azure? Let's find out which of the two fits your own use case best!

No cartoons in Azure: Creating a solid naming- and tagging strategy

Working with Azure brings a very familiar challenge: the naming convention. Who remembers inheriting servers named after cartoons, vegetables, scientists or random jokes? It's always funny until it starts scaling. With Azure, you reach this point very fast and it pays to get it right directly.
In this talk, we will look at the choices to make, the technical and strategical challenges and some tips & tricks from the field. Last but not least, let's see how we can integrate that naming- and tagging convention in our Infrastructure as Code to help get the most consistent environment. You will thank yourself later!

Bicep: From zero to hero

If you work with infrastructure as code and Azure. You have probably heard of Bicep. Haven't found time to check it out yet? Here is your chance!
In this session we will take our first steps together in Visual Studio Code. After that, let's take a look at all the possibilities Bicep has to offer. From conditions and loops right up to of modules, registries and CICD. After this session filled with demo's and real-live examples, you are hopefully just as excited as I am and ready to start right away!

Infra as Code: Bicep for the enterprise

If you work with Azure, you will want to use infra as code. Maybe you have are familiar with ARM templates already. Have you heard of Bicep? It has a lot to offer when you use infra as code in an enterprise environment.

How do you make use of all the possibilities that are available to deploy your Azure infrastructure? We will consider a few of the great code solutions that Bicep has to offer and how VSCode can help you create templates. To see a real-life scenario, we take a look at how Bicep can be used to ensure the right mix between flexibility and usability. And to bring it together, let's see how it fits into your CICD process.
In the end, you will have the tools to start and the insights to take it all to the next level.

PowerShell & Azure: Automation Accounts or Functions?

Remember when we ran production scripts on our local machine? Managed a scripting server with task scheduler? It's time to move on! Azure has some great possibilities, but choosing the right resources can be difficult, even if you have worked with Azure for a while. In this session, let's look at the options to run your PowerShell scripts. Automation accounts, Azure Functions, Azure DevOps, choices, choices! We will walk through these options and compare their properties, benefits, limits and use cases. All so you are able to make the right choices and make the most of the possibilities

GitHub for the IT Pro

You have probably heard of GitHub. A great tool for software development processes and deployment. But what about the IT Pro? For you, GitHub can be a great tool for PowerShell, Bicep, and other infrastructure as code. It can make your processes auditable, secure and documented. And let's not forget how it can provide a development environment and a personal learning tool.

In this session, we will take a look at the possibilities that GitHub has to offer if you are an IT Pro that uses automation. We will see the options for personal development, connecting to Azure and features like Codespaces and Co-Pilot. With some practical demo's, real world examples and guidance you will be able to get started yourself right after the session.

GitHub Actions to deploy to Azure: Take it to the next level

A basic deployment to Azure from GitHub Actions can be set up in 10 minutes. And we will do that, to get the basics down. But let's take it a step further. How can you make sure a workflow runs as efficient and flexible as possible? What options do you have to make a connection? Can different Bicep templates interact with each other? How do you work with stages? How do you make the workflow act differently based on branch or pull request label? Can you implement manual approvals?

In this session we will start with the basic workflow and walk through these great options that GitHub has to offer to get your workflow to work for you.

PowerShell: Better safe than sorry

With PowerShell, you can create magic with just a few lines of code. It's easy to start, it's always available and you can copy it right from the documentation. What could possible go wrong?

With great power comes great responsibility. How do we make sure the code, the resources and the team running it are all safe? In this talk, we will look at different ways to test PowerShell before it makes its way into the real world. But there is something far more important: the team processes to protect the environment and ourselves. Let's see what could go wrong, why it went wrong and what we can do to protect ourselves in the future. In the end you will have some practical guidance to ensure your code is secure, risks are mitigated and you can work together to be safe instead of sorry

Improve your infrastructure as code with Bicep

If you work with infrastructure as code and Azure. You have probably heard of Bicep. Haven't found time to check it out yet? Here is your chance!
In this session we will take our first steps together in Visual Studio Code. After that, let's take a look at all the possibilities Bicep has to offer. From conditions and loops right up to of modules and registries. After this session filled with demo's and real-live examples, you are hopefully just as excited as I am and ready to start right away!

30min

[Meta]Speak up! How to give great tech sessions

Speaking at conferences is awesome! You’ll meet new people, share your knowledge, and inspire others. But there are a lot of challenges to face and overcome. In this session, Barbara will share her tips on how to get accepted at a conference, how to overcome imposter syndrome, and how to create great sessions. She will also tell you how to send a strong message into the world. To top it off, we will look at the difference between a good and a bad demo. Spoiler: you don’t have to depend on the demo gods!

Barbara Forbes

Azure technical lead @ OGD | Azure MVP | GitHub Star