Microsoft Acquires Cycle Computing

Microsoft today declared that it has procured Cycle Computing, a twelve-year-old Connecticut-construct organization that concentrations with respect to helping undertakings coordinate elite processing occupations, expansive information workloads and other "huge figuring" employments in the cloud. The money related subtle elements of the arrangement were not unveiled.

While Microsoft intends to utilize the organization's mastery to enhance its Azure administration for these sort of top of the line workloads, Cycle Computing's lead CycleCloud benefit constantly bolstered an extensive variety of cloud and on-premises stages, including AWS and the Google Cloud Platform. Microsoft takes note of that the Cycle Computing tech will enable it to enhance its help for Linux-based superior processing workloads.

Current Cycle Computing clients incorporate any semblance of Novartis, Pacific Life, MetLife and other significant assembling, protection, biotech and media organizations. Cycle Computing, which was bootstrapped and never raised a "genuine" financing round, says that its administration will oversee around a billion center hours of figure this year and that it has grown 2.7x at regular intervals.

"We've just observed hazardous development on Azure in the ranges of computerized reasoning, the Internet of Things and profound learning," Jason Zander, Microsoft's corporate VP of Azure, writes in the present declaration. "As clients keep on looking for speedier, more proficient approaches to run their workloads, Cycle Computing's profundity and aptitude around hugely adaptable applications make them an awesome fit to join our Microsoft group."

Cycle Computing fellow benefactor and CEO Jason Stowe composes that his organization will keep on supporting its current clients, however it's vague if this implies Microsoft will likewise keep on developing help for contending stages. We have connected with Microsoft for illumination and will refresh this post once we hear more.

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Microsoft Unveils A Beautiful Cortana-powered Thermostat

Microsoft is banding together with Johnson Controls to assemble an indoor regulator. The product monster divulged the new GLAS indoor regulator in a YouTube video today. It's worked by Johnson Controls, producers of the main electric room indoor regulator. It gives the idea that GLAS will incorporate a translucent touchscreen show that will enable proprietors to change room temperatures, check vitality utilization and air quality, and see schedule data.

GLAS will keep running on Microsoft's Windows 10 IoT Core working framework, and will have Cortana voice administrations incorporated with the indoor regulator. It's one of the main indoor regulators to incorporate Cortana coordination, after Microsoft uncovered its intends to convey its computerized associate to ice chests, toasters, and indoor regulators. Microsoft takes note of that GLAS has sensors that recognize when you're in the room or not, and the indoor regulator will always screen indoor and outside air quality. These sensors are intended to spare vitality by changing settings on the fly, much like a Nest indoor regulator or the Ecobee4. Johnson Controls' GLAS indoor regulator contrasts from the Nest by including Cortana voice controls, yet contenders like the Ecobee4 do incorporate Alexa fabricated straight in.

Microsoft's special video seems to advertise this as an indoor regulator for organizations and business properties, because of the reality it's intended to be controlled by the organization's Azure cloud administrations. It's not clear if GLAS will be accessible to shoppers, or when the indoor regulator will dispatch. We've contacted Microsoft for more data, and we'll refresh you appropriately.

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Microsoft 70-461 Exam Questions

Question: 18

You develop three Microsoft SQL Server 2012 databases named Database1, Database2, and Database3. You have permissions on both Database1 and Database2. You plan to write and deploy a stored procedure named dbo.usp_InsertEvent in Database3. dbo.usp_InsertEvent must execute other stored procedures in the other databases. You need to ensure that callers that do not have permissions on Database1 or Database2 can execute the stored procedure. Which Transact-SQL statement should you use?

A. USE Database2
B. EXECUTE AS OWNER
C. USE Database1
D. EXECUTE AS CALLER

Answer: B

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Microsoft 70-461 Certification Exam Course Outline & Other Information

By this Post we want to provide our readers some information and knowledge about this Exam, so that they can plan well for this and look forward to go through this exam.

Exam Highlights:

- There were total 54 Questions
- Total time to attempt the paper was 3 Hrs.
- Total Marks: 1000
- Passing Marks: 700
- The Questions in the Exam were:
1. Mostly Objective Type.
2. Some were Subjective: where you’ve to write code, like SELECT statement and/or View Definition, etc.
3. And very few were Multiple Choice.
4. A few Question were where you’ve to pick up the appropriate code snippet and arrange them in correct sequence.

The Exam is divided into 4 modules:
 
1. Create Database Objects
2. Work with Data
3. Modify Data
4. Troubleshoot & Optimize

You need to brush up on following Skills in the these Modules:

Create Database Objects | 24%
 
- CREATE/ALTER/DROP TABLE/COLUMN
- Data Types (XML, DATETIME, SPATIAL, VARCHAR)
- Constraints (Primary Key, Foreign Key, Unique, Check, Default)
- Calculated Column
- Views
- Indexed Views (SCHEMABINDING, COUNT_BIG(*), CLUSTERED INDEX)
- Stored Procedures.
- DML Triggers (INSERTED, UPDATED, UPDATE function) vs CHECK Constraint
- TRIGGER for VIEWS (INSTEAD OF)
- UDF (Functions).
- SP vs UDF.

Work with Data | 27%
 
- New Functions in SQL Server 2012 (IFF, TRY_PARSE, CONCAT, FORMAT), 
- FETCH-OFFSET.
- SEQUENCE.
- Ranking and Window Functions (ROW_NUMBER, RANK, DENSE_RANK, NTILE).
- JOINS (INNER, OUTER LEFT, OUTER RIGHT, CROSS), .
- APPLY Operators (CROSS APPLY vs OUTER APPLY).
- CTE and Sub-Queries.
- PIVOT.
- ROLLUP, CUBE & GROUPING SETS.
- Dynamic SQL
- ANY, SOME, ALL
- CASE vs ISNULL vs COALESCE.
- FOR XML RAW/AUTO/PATH [ELEMENTS].
- Implementing XML Schemas and Handling of XML data

Modify Data | 24%
 
- Stored Procedure (with EXECUTE AS, RECOMPILE)
- MERGE Statement (TARGET, SOURCE, WHEN MATCHED, WHEN NOT MATCHED, OUTPUT).
- EXCEPT vs INTERSECT
- UNION vs UNION ALL.
- SCALAR vs TABLE Valued Functions.
- Use of APPLY with UDFs.
- VARCHAR(MAX) and .WRITE().

Troubleshoot & Optimize | 25%
 
- Using Statistics
- SQL Internal JOINS (NESTED – Small, MERGE – Large Sorter, HASH – Large Unsorted).
- TRANSACTIONS (BEGIN, COMMIT, ROLLBACK, XACT_ABORT, TRANCOUNT).
- ISOLATION Levels (READ UNCOMMITTED, READ COMMITTED, REPEATABLE READ, SNAPSHOT, SERIALIZABLE)
- TRY/CATCH.
- RAISE vs THROW
- CURSORS (Row-Based) vs SET Based Approach
- Table Hints (UPDLOCK, ROWLOCK, TABLOCK, …etc)
- Query Hints (OPTION (OPTIMIZED FOR … [UNKNOWN]))

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Learning Path: Querying SQL Server (70-461)

Before you begin, keep in mind that your preparation for the exam should include both formal training and practical experience. We strongly recommend that you associate your workout Pluralsight with extensive practical experience in a production environment.

Learning Objective trail:

This training course focuses on the skills needed to write a wide range of topics for Microsoft SQL Server. This material is applicable to Microsoft exam 70-461 Consultation SQL Server 2012, and also applies to Microsoft SQL Server 2014 (Microsoft does not review the 2014 examinations with the hardware-specific).

Target audience:

This training course is intended for Microsoft IT professionals and database administrators seeking certification and basic job skills applicable to the management of SQL Server 2012 and 2014 in a production environment.

Learn a description of route:

This learning path will help you learn how to write a wide range of topics for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 and later. These courses can also help you prepare for certification under ACEM Microsoft - SQL Server programs, by equipping it with the necessary skills to succeed in your 70-461 exam.

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Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012

This 5-day instructor led course provides students with the technical skills required to write basic Transact-SQL queries for Microsoft SQL Server 2012.This course is the foundation for all SQL Server-related disciplines; namely,Database Administration, Database Development and Business Intelligence. This course helps people prepare for exam 70-461. Many of the exercises in this course are SQL Azure enabled.

Audience:

This course is intended for Database Administrators,Database Developers,and Business Intelligence professionals.The course will very likely be well attended by SQL power users who aren't necessarily database-focused or plan on taking the exam;namely,report writers, business analysts and client application developers.

Objectives:

• Write SELECT Queries
• Query Multiple Tables
• Use Built-In Functions
• Use Subqueries
• Execute Stored Procedures
• Use Set Operators
• Implement Error Handling
• Implementing Transactions
• Use Table Expressions
• Sort and Filter Data
• Use Window Ranking, Offset and Aggregate Functions
• Query SQL Server Metadata
• Program with T-SQL
• Improve Query Performance

Course Outline: 

Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server 2012 

• SQL Server Denali Architecture
• Working with SQL Server Denali Tools
• Working with SQL Server Databases

Lab : Working with SQL Server Denali Tools (Azure enabled)

• Working with SQL Server Management Studio
• Exploring with Database Objects
• Organizing and Creating T-SQL Scripts
• Using Books Online

Module 2: Introduction to Transact-SQL Querying

• Introducing Transact-SQL
• Understanding Sets
• Understanding Predicate Logic
• Understanding the Logical Order of Operations in SELECT Statements

Lab : Introduction to Transact-SQL Querying

• Executing Basic SELECT Statements
• Executing queries which filter data using predicates
• Executing queries which sort data using ORDER BY

Module 3: Writing SELECT Queries

• Writing Simple SELECT Statements
• Eliminating Duplicates with DISTINCT
• Using Column and Table Aliases
• writing Simple CASE Expressions

Lab : Writing Basic SELECT statements

• Write simple SELECT statements
• Eliminate Duplicates using DISTINCT
• Use table and column aliases
• Use a simple CASE expression

Module 4: Querying Multiple Tables

• Understanding Joins
• Querying With Inner Joins
• Querying With Outer Joins
• Querying Using Self and Cross Joins

Lab : Querying Multiple Tables

• Write queries using inner joins
• Write queries using multi-table joins
• Write queries using self joins
• Write queries using outer joins

Module 5: Sorting and Filtering Data

• Sorting Data
• Filtering Data
• Filtering with the TOP and OFFSET-FETCH Options
• Working with Unknown Values

Lab : Filtering and Sorting Data

• Write queries that filter data using a WHERE clause
• Write queries that sort data with the ORDER BY clause
• Write queries that filter data using the TOP option
• Write queries that filter data using the OFFSET-FETCH clause

Module 6: Working with SQL Server Denali Data Types

• Introducing SQL Server Denali Data Types
• Working with Character Data
• Working with Date and Time Data

Lab : Working with SQL Server 2012 Data Types

• Write queries which return date and time data
• Write queries which use date and time functions
• Write queries which return character data
• Write queries which use character functions

Module 7: Using Built-In Functions

• Writing Queries with Built-In Functions
• Using Conversion Functions
• Using Logical Functions
• Using Functions to Test for Nullability

Lab : Using Built-In Functions

• Write queries which use conversion functions
• Write queries which use logical functions
• Write queries which test for nullability

Module 8: Grouping and Aggregating Data 

• Using Aggregate Functions
• Using the GROUP BY Clause
• Filtering Groups with the HAVING Clause

Lab : Grouping and Aggregating Data

• Write queries which use the GROUP BY clause
• Write queries which use aggregate functions
• Write queries which use distinct aggregate functions
• Write queries which filter groups with the HAVING clause

Module 9: Using Subqueries

• Writing Self-Contained Subqueries
• Writing Correlated Subqueries
• Using the EXISTS Predicate with Subqueries

Lab : Using Subqueries

• Write queries which use self-contained subqueries
• Write queries which use correlated subqueries
• Write queries which use scalar and multi-result subqueries
• Write queries which use the IN and EXISTS predicates

Module 10: Using Table Expressions

• Views
• Table Expressions

Lab : Using Table Expressions

• Write queries which use views
• Write queries which use derived tables
• Write queries which use common table expressions
• Write queries which use inline table-valued expressions

Module 11: Use Set Operators

• Write queries which use UNION set operators and UNION ALL multi-set operators
• Write queries which use CROSS APPLY and OUTER APPLY operators
• Write queries which use APPLY with derived tables and functions
• Write queries which use EXCEPT and INTERSECT operators

Module 12: Using Window Ranking, Offset and Aggregate Functions

• Write queries which use ranking functions
• Write queries which use offset functions
• Write queries which use window aggregate functions

Module 13: Pivoting and Grouping Sets

• Write queries which use the PIVOT operator
• Write queries which use the GROUPING SETS subclause
• Write queries which use GROUP BY ROLLUP
• Write queries which use GROUP BY CUBE

Module 14: Querying SQL Server Metadata

• Querying system catalog views
• Querying system functions
• Querying system dynamic management views

Module 15: Executing Stored Procedures

• Use the EXECUTE statement to invoke stored procedures
• Pass parameters to stored procedures
• Return results from a stored procedure using the OUTPUT clause
• Execute system stored procedures

Module 16: Programming with T-SQL

• Declaring variables and delimiting batches
• Using control of flow elements
• Generating dynamic SQL
• Using synonyms

Module 17: Implementing Error Handling

• Redirecting errors with TRY/CATCH
• Creating error handling routines in a CATCH block with ERROR functions
• Using THROW to pass an error message back to a client

Module 18: Implementing Transactions

• Controlling transactions with BEGIN and COMMIT
• Using XACT_ABORT
• Adding transaction handling logic to a CATCH block

Module 19: Improving Query Performance

• Viewing query execution plans
• Using SET STATISTICS statements
• Viewing index usage
• Comparing cursors to set-based queries

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