I’ve been away from the blog far too long! I logged back in after four months and found comments waiting, updates to perform and a host of other things to take care of. Now, it’s time to get back to blogging.
The reason I’ve been away for all this time is I’ve been working with a few guys to build an awesome new consulting company, Hive Mind Consulting. Our basic idea is simple: none of us can know everything, but together we can. So we’ve all come together so we have a mastery over all things SQL. DBA Services, BI/DW Services, and programming services. We’ve got it covered! After a year, we’re in the black. We’ve got a small number of clients that we’ve converted into fans! Everything is coming together, and it looks like 2013 is going to be the year we start moving from part-time to full time with Hive Mind Consulting.
So where does that leave blogging?
Well, I’ll be contributing monthly to the Hive Mind Consulting Blog, My next post is about migrating your on-premises SQL Server instances over to Windows Azure SQL Database. My largest project this year was converting a company from two average sized SQL Server boxes up to the cloud. As a direct result of that migration and some amazing code from Chad Meyer, our Principal of Software Development, the company is on a path that will see them more than double their client base and revenue within the next year!
On this blog, I’m going to get back to blogging about certifications.
Right now I hold two MCITPs (Microsoft Certified IT Professional), SQL 2008 Database Developer and SQL 2008 Database Administrator. I’m going to upgrade them to MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert) Data Platform. While my journey is following the upgrade path, you will find information useful for the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) exams too!
How am I going to blog about the certs? Well first, I’m going to start tagging my older articles with the new exam numbers, so you can find materials for the exams on the site. Next I’m going to start poking holes in my own knowledge. I’m going to be covering the skills measured for the 70-457: Transition your MCTS on SQL Server 2008 to MCSA: SQL Server 2012, Part 1. Man, that’s a mouthful!
As I review these skills, if I find nothing on my site for a topic, I’ll spend a day researching the topic and put my findings here.
I invite anyone who wants to get certified this year to reach out to me. Let’s walk this path together.