Tech for Goods - brief story of a Cloud Marathoner

In this lightning talk, I will share my story of helping non-profits and charities by donating tech expertise and upskilling new generations with Microsoft technologies.

It is a short story about how the community helped me connect with other professionals, build lasting relationships, collaborate with community events, and become a Microsoft MVP.
I am now organizing the #CloudMarathoner community on different platforms and giving back by helping to upskill people who are starting their cloud journey.

Join me in this session to learn about the beautiful impact of helping the community grow while growing your impact via contributions.

Microsoft MVP Community Showcase

Start your Security learning journey with SC-900 exam

Do you want to get a comprehensive understanding of the security fundamentals of Microsoft services?

This session is tailored toward beginners who want to enhance their knowledge of Microsoft Security services and modern security fundamental concepts.

We will cover the following key objectives while getting you ready for the SC-900 exam:
- Understand Security Concepts
- Azure Identity and Access Management
- Microsoft Entra services
- Data Protection in Microsoft
- Network Security in the Azure environment
- Security Operations in Microsoft services

Join me for this informative session to familiarize yourself with security, compliance, and identity (SCI) fundamentals across cloud-based and related Microsoft services.

Unlocking Cloud Savings with Santa's FinOps Workshop! 🎅

Join us in Santa's cloud workshop where we'll unwrap the secrets of FinOps management and ensure your cloud environment is as efficient as Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve! 🌟✨

Just like Santa needs to manage his North Pole operations, FinOps helps you optimize cloud costs, track spending, and deliver gifts (services) efficiently. In this jolly session, we'll cover:

🎄 Budgeting like Santa:
Discover how to standardize and allocate cloud costs as effectively as Santa allocates presents!
🎁 Gift-Wrapped Cost Optimization: Learn to identify and reduce unnecessary expenses, just like Santa finds ways to keep his sleigh light and speedy!
🛷 Tracking the Naughty and Nice:
Monitor usage and performance, ensuring you reward the efficiency and manage the over-spenders.
❄️ Collaboration with Elves (Teams):
Foster collaboration between finance, operations, and development teams to keep everything running smoothly, just like Santa's workshop!
🎅 Ho, Ho, Ho! Scaling with Cheer:
Ensure your cloud environment scales efficiently to meet customer demands during peak times, akin to Santa's Christmas Eve deliveries.

Get ready to sleigh your cloud costs and bring festive efficiency to your cloud operations. Join us for a merry session of savings and success! 🎅🎄🎁

#FinOps #CloudManagement #Azure #CustomerSuccess #CloudCostSavings #SantaFinOps

Santa’s Workshop: Magic with AKS and Bicep!

Ho, ho, ho! This holiday season, join Santa in his tech-savvy workshop where we'll unwrap the wonders of AKS provisioning using the Bicep language and showcase the latest AKS features.

In this jolly session, we'll delve into the secrets of deploying AKS clusters with Bicep, turning your cloud infrastructure into a winter wonderland of efficiency and scalability. Whether you're an experienced elf or a newbie on Santa's list, this session is perfect for everyone eager to harness the power of Azure Kubernetes Service.

Get ready to sleigh your cloud game with our festive demonstrations of AKS features. Deck the halls with knowledge and cheer as we bring the magic of AKS and Bicep to life!
Join Santa for a holly jolly tech adventure!

Santa's Festive Guide to Entra ID Security Defaults!

Ho, ho, ho! Santa here, bringing holiday cheer and the gift of knowledge. Getting started with Azure security can feel like navigating a winter wonderland, but recent cybersecurity developments are shining a bright, festive light on building strong Identity and Access solutions for our customers.

This jolly session is perfect for IT administrators, security professionals, and anyone eager to unwrap the secrets of Entra ID security. Prior experience with Entra ID is like having a little extra tinsel on the tree—nice, but not mandatory.

Let's dive into the festive fun of reviewing and adjusting security default options in Microsoft Entra ID. Join us as we deck the halls with best practices for Entra ID setup and unwrap the benefits of Azure Security Benchmark recommendations.

Get ready to sleigh your security game! 🎁✨

Establishing Cloud Resource Hygiene with Azure using the latest tools

In this session, we will explore fortifying Azure deployments using Azure Bicep and Azure governance tools alongside Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles. Thus, we will dive into the critical aspects of maintaining robust security and efficient management within Azure environments.

By the end of the session, you will gain insights into leveraging Azure Bicep for streamlined IaC development, ensuring consistent and scalable infrastructure configurations.

Moreover, the session delves into the integration of Azure governance tools, empowering attendees to implement effective policies and controls, enabling better compliance and risk management by learning how to establish a secure and well-managed Azure environment ready to meet modern cloud challenges.

What are the latest updates in Azure Bicep 2024?

In this session, we’ll explore the most recent advancements in Azure Bicep, Microsoft’s declarative language for Azure resource deployment, as of 2024. This session is designed to keep you updated on the latest developments, whether you’re an experienced Azure professional or just beginning your journey in the cloud.

We’ll kick off the session with a brief refresher on Azure Bicep and its benefits over traditional ARM templates. Following that, we’ll dive into the updates that have been rolled out in 2024, discussing their functionalities, benefits, and how they can enhance your Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices.

The session will also include a hands-on demonstration where we’ll guide you on how to leverage these new features in your Azure deployments.

Join me to stay up-to-date with Azure Bicep and elevate your Azure resource management skills to new heights!

Learn Security Fundamentals in Microsoft Azure with SC-900

Join my session to get a comprehensive understanding of the security fundamentals of Microsoft Azure. It is tailored toward beginners and experienced professionals looking to enhance their knowledge of Azure security.

We will cover the following key objectives while getting you ready for the SC-900 exam:
- Understand Security Concepts.
- Azure Identity and Access Management
- Data Protection in Azure
- Network Security in Azure
- Security Operations in Azure

Join me for this informative session to enhance your security skills in Microsoft Azure!

How to Keep Your Security Posture Compliant While Managing Your Security Controls with IAC

This session is intended to provide a deep dive into managing security controls and maintaining compliance in your Azure environment using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Azure Bicep. It is tailored towards cloud engineers, architects, and security professionals who are interested in automating and enhancing their security posture in Azure.

We will focus on the following learning objectives with demos:
- Security Controls in Azure
- Compliance in Azure
- Understanding Azure Bicep
- Managing Security Controls with Azure Bicep
- Best Practices

Join me for this informative session to enhance your security and compliance skills in Azure with Bicep!

What are the latest changes in Microsoft Azure Architect (AZ-305) exam?

Did you know that the Microsoft Azure Architect exam had an update in August 2023?
Well, it might be troublesome to get ready for this exam with all the digital distractions and frequent updates. However, in this lightning talk, I will share bits and tips on how to focus on the AZ-305 Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions exam objectives and help you prepare with the latest information.

You will get all the official, free, and community-driven learning resources that will boost your knowledge, get you prepared, and help you pass this important exam with confidence.

Integrate testing process into your Azure Bicep code

Embrace the power of comprehensive testing by integrating it seamlessly into your Azure Bicep code!
In this session, we will experiment with some testing strategies that allow you to weave testing processes effectively into your Azure Bicep infrastructure-as-code (IaC) development.

We'll explore the pivotal role of testing in ensuring the reliability, scalability, and security of your Azure deployments.
You will learn how to get started with Bicep-specific unit testing frameworks that complement your Bicep code, enabling you to detect and rectify potential issues at an early stage of development.

Join us to learn about these valuable but promising features of Azure Bicep that are still in the development phase.
These new skills will enable your testing culture within your Azure Bicep development, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, error-free cloud infrastructures is part of your pipeline.

How to get started in your Microsoft Azure Architect learning journey?

In this lightning talk, I will share bits and tips on how you could get started in your Cloud Architect journey. Namely, we will focus on designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions exam objectives which is an important part of the AZ-305 exam.

By the end of the session, you will be well-informed on how to start your cloud learning journey and build toward your desired goal of becoming a Cloud Architect. I will also share many learning resources that will boost your knowledge, and help you get prepared for an important exam in 2024.

Getting started with private Bicep modules in Azure

In this session, you will get an express intro to Bicep and how to start developing private Azure Bicep modules. The Azure Bicep simplifies the IaC authoring and management for Azure
and helps to provision compliant cloud infrastructure code across your projects.

By the end of the session, you will build a centralized, IaC repository of modules for your organization.

The 12 Bicep Tips of Christmas: Best Practices for Azure Deployment

This holiday season, take a trip to Azure with 'The 12 Bicep Tips of Christmas: Best Practices for Azure Deployment.' Open the present of knowledge as we show you the ropes and help you use Azure Bicep to its best potential.Join us as we spread good cheer for a prosperous and trouble-free Azure experience this holiday season in honor of efficient cloud management.

Unboxing the Festive Design patterns with Santa

Ho, ho, ho! Hello, little one!
Santa is here to help you understand something about clouds, but not the fluffy white ones in the sky - we're talking about those special computer clouds!

So, imagine all the important things that people do with their computers, like making games, apps, and websites. These things need a special place to live so they can work properly. That special place is like a magical cloud where you can keep all those important things safe and make them work really well.

Now, the clever grown-ups who help with these computer things are learning more about how to use this cloud in the best way. They want to make sure everything in the cloud works just right. To do this, they plan carefully and design everything perfectly, like how we plan Santa's route on Christmas Eve to deliver presents.

In a special meeting, they will talk about something called "design patterns." These are like tricks and plans to help make sure everything in the computer cloud is super safe, works really well, and can grow if more people use it. It's a bit like Santa's workshop, where we have special patterns for making toys.

So, you see, just like Santa prepares for Christmas, these clever people are getting ready to make the computer cloud a better and safer place for everyone. It's like their own magical holiday season for computers! 🎅🌟🖥️

How to stay compliant while organizing your IaC with Azure Bicep?

It is not a secret that Azure Bicep simplifies the IaC authoring and management for Azure environments.
We will look into how you could get started in building a centralized, organizational IaC repository of reusable modules for your cloud infrastructure.
Namely, we will create, version control, and manage IaC Bicep modules using the Azure Container Registry (ACR) while securing access and management of your compliant cloud assets.

Join my session and you will learn about the organizational challenges in maintaining and sharing compliant cloud infrastructure code.

Unboxing the Cloud Design patterns for the beginners

Cloud development and migration is a very hot topic for organizations, nowadays.
Cloud leaders know that getting the maximum benefit from cloud resources does require careful planning and designing your new or existing applications.

In this session, we will re-introduce the design patterns that are useful for building reliable, scalable, secure applications in the cloud.
I will introduce each well-known pattern and the problem they intend to address. I will also share samples for certain patterns which could guide you on how to implement the pattern on Microsoft Azure.

What do you need to know about Cloud Design Patterns?

Cloud development and migration to utilize cloud services is a very hot topic nowadays.
Getting maximum benefit from the cloud does require a careful approach in designing your new application or re-factoring an existing system.

In this session, we will look into the design patterns that are useful for building reliable, scalable, secure applications in the cloud. We will describe each pattern and the problem that the pattern addresses. I will also share code samples for certain patterns which could guide you on how to implement the pattern on Microsoft Azure.

Zero to Hero: Secure IaC with Bicep

In this session, we will explore how to organize Azure Security Services using the IaC approach with Azure Bicep.
We will look into how you could declaratively define and deploy your Azure security resources including Azure Policies to tackle real-world business problems.

We will have a super express introduction to a new IaC language to get you up to speed on its fundamentals.

Building your IaC with private Azure Bicep modules

In this session, I will share the challenges in sharing compliant cloud infrastructure code across projects. It is not a secret that Azure Bicep simplifies the IaC authoring and management for Azure environments. 
Thus, we will look into how you could get started in building a centralized, common company IaC repository of modules and reuse those compliant assets in your projects.

What to expect on an upcoming Azure Bicep version 1.0?

The Azure Bicep language is a relatively new IaC language created to simplify the management of your Microsoft Azure infrastructure. It has huge improvements in usability and community support that aims to simplify infrastructure authoring and managing tasks for cloud engineers and systems administrators.

In this session, I will introduce the newest features and capabilities of Azure Bicep language. You will experience simple yet powerful demos on how you can leverage the tools and language features in your day-2-day cloud infrastructure management.

Exam prep session for AZ-305: Microsoft Azure Architect

In this lightning talk, I will share bits and tips on how to focus on the AZ-305 Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions exam objectives and help you to get informed and prepared before your upcoming exam date.

I will share official and community learning resources that will boost your knowledge, and help you get prepared for this important exam with more confidence.

Exam prep session for AZ-220: Microsoft Azure IoT Developer

In this IoT Developer exam preparation session, you will learn about the latest updates on the exam. In addition, I will share my tips on how to focus on the AZ-220 D Microsoft Azure IoT Developer exam objectives and help you to get well-informed and prepared before your upcoming exam date.

At the end of the session, you will be knowledgeable about the official and community learning resources that will boost your knowledge, and help you get prepared for your exam date.

Zero to Hero: Secure IaC with Bicep

In this session, we will explore how to organize Azure Security Services using the IaC approach with Azure Bicep. We will look into how you could declaratively define and deploy your Azure security resources including Azure Policies to tackle real-world business problems. Thus, get yourself ready for simple yet powerful demos that will turn you into a hero.

And don't worry, if you are new to Azure Bicep as we will have a super express introduction to this new IaC language to get you up to speed on its fundamentals.

Why should you be managing cloud resource hygiene in your environment?

Securing the cloud resources of your environment is an error-prone and time-consuming task when performed manually. In fact, there are many examples of data breaches caused by misconfiguration of the cloud resources like S3 buckets or Cloud storage accounts.

But, there are better ways to automate this process with a couple of technical approaches that you can use to mitigate these risks including cloud resource hygiene with infrastructure-as-code (IaC).
In fact, by eliminating manual configuration and shifting to infrastructure-as-code (IaC) your organization can minimize this threat and improve the security posture of the workloads.

Join my session to learn how you could eliminate these risks by following DevSecOps principles. Learn how IaC could allow you to version control changes in the Azure cloud environments.

Productivity tips for setting infrastructure-as-code with Azure Bicep

Azure Bicep language brings a new Infrastructure as a Code (IaC) approach to manage your Azure resources in a clean way.
We also have a classic ARM JSON template that traditionally is used to define Azure infrastructure resources in a declarative way.

Azure Bicep language is created to simplify the management of your infrastructure while re-using code.

In this demo-heavy session, we will introduce the latest features and capabilities of the Azure Bicep language.
I will demonstrate how it is simple to create, and manage a modularized Azure infrastructure-as-code while using familiar tools in VS Code.

What is new in Azure Bicep language?

Azure Bicep language brings a new Infrastructure as a Code (IaC) approach to manage your Azure resources in a clean way.
We also have a classic ARM JSON template that traditionally is used to define Azure infrastructure resources in a declarative way.

However, it is not easy to author and maintain ARM JSON templates when your project grows in complexity.
But, I have good news for you. Azure Bicep language is created to simplify management of your infrastructure while re-using code.

In this demo heavy session, we will introduce new features and capabilities of Azure Bicep (v.0.latest) language.
I will demonstrate how it is simple to create, manage a modularized Azure infrastructure-as-code, while using familiar tools.

Getting you ready for Microsoft Azure Architect (AZ-305) exam!

There have been a number of changes in Microsoft Azure Architect exam, and it might be troublesome to get ready for this exam with all the digital distractions around us.
However, in this lightning talk, I will share bits and tips on how to focus on the AZ-305 Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions exam objectives and help you to prepare.

I will share free, official and community learning resources that will boost your knowledge, and hopefully help you pass this important exam with confidence.
In addition, I will also share tips and tricks on how to be laser focused and fit on the day of exam.

Getting you ready for Microsoft Azure Architect (AZ-305) exam!

There have been a number of changes in Microsoft Azure Architect exam, and it might be troublesome to get ready for this exam with all the digital distractions around us.
However, in this lightning talk, I will share bits and tips on how to focus on the AZ-305 Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions exam objectives and help you to prepare.

I will share free, official and community learning resources that will boost your knowledge, and hopefully help you pass this important exam with confidence.
In addition, I will also share tips and tricks on how to be laser focused and fit on the day of exam.

What is new in Azure Bicep language?

Azure Bicep language brings a new Infrastructure as a Code (IaC) approach to manage your Azure resources in a clean way.
We also have a classic ARM JSON template that traditionally is used to define Azure infrastructure resources in a declarative way.

However, it is not easy to author and maintain ARM JSON templates when your project grows in complexity. But, I have good news for you. Azure Bicep language is created to simplify management of your infrastructure while re-using code.

In this demo heavy session, we will introduce new features and capabilities of Azure Bicep v0.5 language.
I will demonstrate how it is simple to create, manage a modularized Azure infrastructure-as-code, while using familiar tools.

Setting up your Biceps for success in Azure

Azure Bicep is a new DSL language that aims to help you in Azure resource authoring and management. This new language comes with a powerful VS Code extension and config file options.

In this session, we will unveil dozens of powerful features in our config file to suit your style of coding on VS Code and cheer up our productivity skills. We will create several Bicep demos in the process.

All you need to know about Azure Bicep configurations

Azure Bicep is a new DSL language that aims to ease Azure resource authoring and management. This new language comes with a powerful VS Code extension and config file options.
In this session, we will unveil dozens of powerful features in our config file to suit your style of coding on VS Code and cheer up our productivity skills. We will apply our fresh skills by creating several Bicep demos in the process. 

What you need to know about Azure AD security defaults?

Getting started with Azure security on right foot is not easy. However, resent cybersecurity developments drive the focus toward building strong Identity and Access in any cloud solution that we are creating for our customers. One simple way to get started is review and adjustment of security default options in Azure AD.
In this session, we will look into the set of practices to get you started with Azure AD setup and learn about the benefits of Azure Security Benchmark.

Managing your Azure environment security guardrails with Azure Bicep

Microsoft Azure has ARM templates that are widely used to deploy resources. The Azure Bicep language was created as a next iteration of ARM templates and simplified infrastructure authoring in Azure. Unfortunately, security guardrails like Azure Policy have been an after thought in many projects.

In this session, you will learn about managing your resource deployments with Azure Bicep and Policies in one wholistic approach that will satisfy your organization’s policy.

Transformation journey from Azure ARM into Bicep

Infrastructure as a Code (IaC) is important strategy to manage your digital estate in any cloud environment. Simplifying management of your infrastructure while re-using code is even better.
In Microsoft Azure, we have ARM (Azure Resource Manager) templates that could declaratively define your cloud project infrastructure. However, it is not easy to author ARM JSON templates and maintain them when your project grows and requires changes.

In this demo heavy session, we will introduce the Azure Bicep language and demonstrate how it simplifies authoring ARM templates for your Azure infrastructure. We will author a manageable, readable, and modularized Azure infrastructure code, while using familiar tools.

Transitioning your ARM knowledge into Bicep

In this digital first, cloud first world, the Infrastructure as a Code (IaC) is a trending concept that almost every tech person knows or use it. In Azure, we have ARM (Azure Resource Manager) templates that are used to declaratively define your cloud project infrastructure. They are not easy to understand and have a number of limitations.

In this session, we will refresh our ARM templating knowledge and introduce the Azure Bicep language. We will continue with demos on how to simplify authoring ARM templates for your Azure infrastructure while using Bicep language.

How to up-skill with Azure Data Engineering certification?

Things were different before COVID-19 and accelerated digital transformation requires rapid changes to the data work that we do. However, it is not easy to jump into an ever growing cloud environment and use your existing skills to perform your job securely and efficiently.

In this session, we will investigate how to up-skill our existing data and SQL skills with a new Data engineering mindset.
A recently released Azure Data Engineering learning path (certification) could help us up-skill purposefully in this challenging time. I will share my learning journey and challenges to make you better prepared and ready for this transformation journey.

Sharing story of a cosmic journey with Cosmos DB

In this demo heavy session, i will my experience, challenges and usage of Cosmos DB on multiple projects.
We will get glimpse into Cosmos DB inner-workings and how we could easily get started developing on Cosmos DB while utilizing helpful tooling around it.

Along the line we will cover following topics:
• Deciding on setup & configuration
• Reviewing configuration details
• Back-ups and options for custom back-ups
• Pricing models and de-mystifying RUs
• Consistency models and how to run Cosmos DB for free)
• Other tooling to support your development, and more…

Getting started with data transformation services in Azure

In this lunch and learn session, we will learn about cloud ETL service Azure Data Factory (ADF).

Along the way, we will look into inner-workings and fundamentals of a cloud-based ETL and data integration service that allows you to create data-driven workflows for orchestrating data movement and transforming data at scale.

We will conclude the session with ADF demo and Q&A.

Beginner's journey to a Blockchain Workbench API

We will jump start this session with quick overview of Blockchain technology and will look at Microsoft Blockchain workbench service app. We will provision a sample solidity contract and interact with it in minutes. I will demonstrate new workbench API capabilities which should ease development effort drastically. By the end of session, you should be good to start your own blockchain development project.

Azure automation 101: what you need to know about ARM templates

Let’s start with intro to Azure basics by exploring auto-generated scripts. Learn about Azure resources and providers by decomposing ARM templates. Dive into template parameterization, customization and troubleshooting of potential runtime warnings/errors. By the end of this demo heavy session, we will be fearlessly provisioning our dev environments on demand and feel like a hero.