Free Microsoft Software and Tools

Before you get too excited this isn't a situation where I am giving away any software. It also is not a promotion or a scam, it is about legitimate sites and programs that offer Microsoft software and tools for various time periods. I thought this post would be useful to people with personal projects and students who are choosing what software to use for their final project as well as students entering the upcoming Teleios Code Jam competition which has highlighted bonus points for using specific technologies. I am focusing on Microsoft products because whenever I suggest using Microsoft products in classes or during presentations I always hear complaints about license price especially for small short projects.

Here is the list of sites and programs that I am aware of:

MSDN Evaluation Centre - This centre allows individuals to download full featured Microsoft software and tools which can be used for a trial period (90 or 180 days). It also sometimes has links to Microsoft preview of new products.

DreamSpark - This program allows students, educators and academic institutions to get access to Microsoft software and tools at no cost to assist with learning, teaching and research. In technical education who wouldn’t want to use the latest technologies?

BizSpark - This program provides start-ups with free software, tools and support for three years. For more information about eligibility of the BizSpark program check out the FAQ. 

Windows Azure Free Trial - This is a great option if you want to see what you can do in the cloud.

While the options above are the full products for a limited time, if you want to use a free version of the product for an unlimited time then look for the Express edition. Of course each product Express edition will have some limitations and lack some features.

If you know about any other legitimate sites or programs please feel free to mention them in the comments.

 

 

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Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Live Event

This Friday, Tobias Ternstrom (Microsoft Principal Program Manager Lead) and Brian Alderman (CEO and Founder, MicroTechPoint) will be the instructor team for this 8 hour Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) Jumpstart event. The purpose of this course is to help you prepare for the MCSA Exam 70-461. Even if you are not interested in taking the exam, I suggest attending to get some more insight into the power of queries and T-SQL.

Course Outline

   - Introduction to SQL Server 2012

   - Advanced SELECT statements

   - SQL Server data types

   - Grouping, aggregating and modifying data

   - Table expressions and SET operators

   - Programming with T-SQL

   - Retrieving SQL Server metadata

Event details

Date: September 13th 2013

Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm (PDT)

 

Register TODAY

 

 

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Speaking - Red Gate's SQL in the City Charlotte Event

I have been accepted as a speaker for the SQL in the City event in Charlotte which is being held on October 14th at the Ritz-Carlton. Red Gate's SQL in the City is a free, all-day SQL Server training event that takes place in various cities and provides great learning and networking opportunities for the SQL Server community. I will be presenting a session entitled Understanding and Controlling Transaction Logs.

Here's the abstract:

This session will unravel the mysteries of the transaction log, including how you can manage your logs and optimize their performance. Transaction logging is one of the most important activities SQL Server does for you, and understanding it thoroughly means you can ensure SQL Server does the best job possible. You'll leave with tips you can implement as soon as you get back to the office.

The event has an awesome line-up of speakers and a great agenda for the day. Remember the event is taking place the same week as PASS Summit 2013 so if you want to secure your spot then register as soon as possible.

I will also be attending SQL in the City Atlanta and look forward to meeting many of you at both events - Atlanta and Charlotte. See you in October!

 

 

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PASS Azure VC Meeting: SQL Server 2012 IaaS and SQL Database in Depth

Topic: SQL Server 2012 IaaS and SQL Database in Depth

Speaker:  Herve Roggero, Partner Blue Syntax Consulting LLC

Date: Tuesday, 30 July 2013 12:00-13:00            

RSVP URL: LiveMeeting Link

Summary: 

Let's talk database! SQL Server 2012 IaaS is a new offering, while SQL Database (previously SQL Azure) is a PaaS relational database engine. How do they compare? Which one should you use? Let's discuss pros and cons, and see how easy it is to build a database in the cloud.

About Speaker:

Herve Roggero, SQL Azure MVP and co-author of PRO SQL Azure, is the founder of Blue Syntax Consulting (http://www.bluesyntax.net/). Herve’s experience includes software development, architecture, database administration and senior management with both global corporations and startup companies. Over the last 15 years, Herve has worked in the Education, Financial, Health Care, Management Consulting and Database Security sectors. He holds multiple certifications, including an MCDBA, MCSE, MCSD. He also holds an MBA from Indiana University. Herve is heavily involved with the South Florida SQL Server community, speaks at multiple venues, and runs SQL Saturdays in South Florida.

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Free SQL Server Training in Trinidad and Tobago

In 2009, two of my friends, Ruselle Seeboo and Anand Singh, and I were discussing ways in which we could help improve the IT community in Trinidad and Tobago. We discovered that in various parts of the world there are IT User Groups which provide training to individuals and the opportunity to network with peers so we decided to start a group. After much discussion and research we started the Trinidad and Tobago SQL Server User Group in 2010 which focuses on SQL Server and other Microsoft technologies.

The group still exists and we still want to make a positive impact on the IT community but I have realised that the number of attendees and volunteers for our events is not increasing. One reason is that newcomers to the IT field don't know that we exist and the other reason is that some of our registered members have lost interest.

 

If you are or were a member of the group but don't attend events anymore please give us feedback by sending us an email at info@ttssug.org. Never heard of TTSSUG before? Then check out the follow links for more information about the group:

TTSSUG Homepage

TTSSUG blog post

 

If you are interested in upcoming events then follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. We have an event next week Tuesday at Microsoft Trinidad and Tobago Building, so review the event details and register.

 

Anyone with ideas on how we can continue growing can email us at info@ttssug.org. The group was created for building the IT community so feedback from the community is very important to us and would be greatly appreciated!

 

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SQL Server 2014 CTP 1 Now Available!

During the TechEd 2013 Europe Keynote today in Madrid, it was highlighted that SQL Server 2014 CTP 1 has been released. The CTP is currently only available in 64-bit and the installation limitations should be properly read to avoid issues.

Some of the 2014 capabilities that I am looking forward to are the In-Memory capabilities and the AlwaysOn enhancements.  For more details about 2014 check out the following links:

• What’s new in SQL Server 2014
• SQL Server 2014 - Public CTP Now Available

 

 

Already got it installed :)

 

Download Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Community Technology Preview 1 (CTP1)

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TechEd NA 2013 Product Announcements

I am watching the TechEd North America 2013 keynote presentation and it was just announced that they are releasing Windows Server 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 R2 and Windows Intune. While these announcements were happening my twitter was going insane with tweets about SQL Server 2014!

Check out the keynote presentation and other live TechEd 2013 sessions on Channel 9:
http://channel9.msdn.com/

Also take a look at the SQL Server 2014 Product Overview and the SQL Server 2014: Unlocking Real-Time Insights blog post by Quentin Clark, the Corporate Vice President of the Data Platform Group.

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