DESA Enterprises

Yes I know – even if this was all the Azure Resources available, it would be outdated as soon a I hit publish.  The most important Azure Resource I can think of is docs.microsoft.com.  Why?  Because it started with Microsoft Azure documentation of course!  There are so many places to find how to, videos, screenshots and many other Microsoft Azure resources it can be difficult to find out what is in preview (meaning subject to change), being maintained and what is already out of date.

I’m leading a couple Azure prep exam prep sessions next week, so we will look at some of the various locations that the documentation exists.  This – like anything else Azure, will be updated frequently for your reference.

Link courtesy of Internet Wayback Machine

It took me a while to dig up this blast from the past.  First I had to recall where I had used it on the early Internet.  Then I had to hope I could find that page using the Internet Wayback Machine – I finally found an old website with the content I was looking for:

https://web.archive.org/web/20050206055517/http://danrey.com:80/humor.html

So thank you Internet for backing up some of these early memories.

Over the weekend I took another Microsoft exam.  This was my first Azure exam and I am already scheduled to put it to good use teaching a class on it in Indianapolis next week.  I’ve been teaching for 17 years and this is the first time:

1. The subject matter can literally change from day to day (certainly week/week month/month)
2. The course lab instructions are updated so frequently, the instructor must download the week of the course
3. The lab instructions are either wrong, slightly wrong or will stop working as soon as something goes from preview to production

It’s a great time to be a Microsoft Certified Trainer – the value we bring to this ever changing technology has never been at such a premium!  This isn’t my first work with Azure, though.  Microsoft first announced what would later become Azure at an internal Microsoft Conference in the summer of 2008 (you can read about it here).  Code named Red Dog, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.  Later the name was revealed.  It started small, but grew like wild fire.  I saw the changes from within – first websites moved, then services provided to employees (apps, databases, etc.) and eventually virtual machines.

Virtual machines have been of interest to me ever since I saw my first copy of VMWare working at Motorola on a developer’s computer (1999).  I had learned about Windows almost 10 years prior to that (I saw betas of OS/2 and Windows 3.0 early working at ComputerLand in Decatur, IL).  Once Azure started CTP (community technology preview) of virtual machines, I was hooked.  No more downloading betas of code – build it online and check it out.  Once you were done, shut it down.  Microsoft took these simple concepts and kept pushing boundaries – on demand demo environments, and finally internal beta access with Project Nebula.

This also marks my next Acclaim Digital Badge.  I will be proudly displaying new certifications as I achieve them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and here on my blog page.  I should also mention for those that may have missed the news (or wish to take a Microsoft Certified Exam in the most comfortable spot available – your home) that I took this exam from a room in my home (on a Saturday).  No traveling to a testing site, no locking up valuables.  No driving home afterwards required – just a congratulatory hug from my wife and a weekend of celebrating.

It’s been six months since DESA Enterprises began and since then I have been working with a number of clients near and far.  One of the goals for this new company was to work closer to home and that will be a focus of this new website.  DeKalb has been my home for most of my life.  Even when I lived in Decatur, IL for college, DeKalb was my permanent address.  After I married Eva and we moved from Decatur to Elk Grove Village and then to South Elgin, we frequently visited DeKalb.

The theme I have chosen for the redesign is called “Eighties” – those were most of my formative years.  It seems fitting to leverage it for my business.  Websites are just one of the things DESA Enterprises focuses on.  We have training, disaster recovery, website design and technical architecture and implementation services.  We also have LinkedIn and Office 365 expertise to showcase you, your company and your services.

It’s been a productive year so far – the second half will see even more growth and it’s the return of one of our employees (back from college) – Sam will be helping with many aspects of the business.

Monday will be a big launch day for DESA DRIVE (Delivering Relevant Information Via Experiences).  The Server Superstar course will launch.  If you have hardware, you can purchase access to just the materials and course, if you would like a portable lab with all of the virtual machines and content, that will be available as well.  Don’t worry if you only have one system, we are also coming up with ways for you to work remotely on hardware hosted by DESA Enterprises.

The various offerings and packages will be available at http://desadrives.com.  Tips and tricks and other in person events across Chicagoland will also accompany the training.  Watch for dates and locations soon!