August 2017 Roundup

August 2017 Round Up

My amazing wife recently gave birth to our first child. We have been blessed with a beautiful daughter who is enriching our lives in many ways. However, with any newborn you quickly work out that the amount of sleep that you enjoyed only a few short weeks ago is a thing of the past.

The last few nights have reminded me of when I carried a support pager. The pager never left my side, I had no idea when it would wake me up or what I would be faced with. Just like operational support, when a baby cries you somehow find the energy to wake up and respond. However, over time, waking up in the middle of the night starts to impact your ability to maintain all the business as usual and project activities that you are working on.

With WARDY IT Solutions Virtual DBA service there is no longer any 3am wake-up calls, (unless like me, you have a newborn) as our team work on shift in our Database Operations Centre 24×7. So if your operational support is impacting your ability to successfully deliver digital transformation, you may need a Virtual DBA.

View our latest video testimonal from Silver Chef, an entrepreneurial equipment funding company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and a long standing Virtual DBA client celebrating 5 years this week.

To wrap up, here’s my top picks for August:

How to convince your boss to carry out a SQL Server Licensing Review

You know the importance of staying on top of your SQL Server licenses and you are the one that feels the pain when true-up rolls around. But why should your boss care? After all, the IT department has an ever-growing list of priorities, why should a licensing review be one? Check out our top tips for convincing your boss that a licensing review can benefit your company, as well as you.

SQL Server 2017 containers for DevOps

SQL Server 2017 will bring support for the Linux OS and containers running on Windows, Linux, and macOS. The goal is to enable SQL Server to run in modern IT infrastructure in any public or private cloud. Developers working with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines can now include SQL Server 2017 containers as a component of their applications for an integrated build, test, and deploy experience. Find out more about how SQL Server 2017 can be used for DevOps scenarios.

$2.6 million to maintain legacy SQL Server architecture? That’s not all it may be costing

There is a tendency among some IT leaders in established organisations to try and mitigate the risk of legacy environments by keeping things ‘consistent’. This often means avoiding upgrades whenever possible so individual systems don’t get too far ahead of the ‘lowest common denominator’ baseline. In cases like the Department of Defence, the financial costs of not upgrading can be huge but what are the non-financial costs of operating outdated systems? I share my thoughts on the topic in my first LinkedIn Pulse article.

Azure Cloud Region for Australian Government

Microsoft have announced plans to deliver Microsoft Azure from two new regions, located within highly-secure data centres in Canberra, Australia. Available in the first half of 2018, they will offer unprecedented opportunity through advanced data analytics, sophisticated data protections and artificial intelligence. Get in touch to learn how we can assist government departments transform data solutions with Microsoft Azure.

Skill up on Microsoft Azure

With the continuing rise of enterprises utilising Microsoft Azure, there’s an ever-increasing need for database professionals to have a good understanding of how to design and implement cloud-based solutions. Get the skills you need and set yourself up for success with our instructor led Microsoft Azure Training.

Dashboard in a Day

We’re pleased to announce that we running Dashboard in a Day in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra! Designed by Microsoft, delivered by WARDY IT Solutions, Dashboard in a Day is a 1-day session including the latest features of Power BI for only $99 +GST per person. Spaces are limited so register now to secure your seat.

Webinar recording: What’s new in SQL Server 2017

If you were unable to attend our SQL Server 2017 webinar last month, you can now view the recording on our YouTube channel. We explain what the new version of SQL Server will bring and how it will improve database operations, developer efficiency and enable self-service Business Intelligence and Data Analytics solutions.