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DevOps and OSS Can Scale

Microsoft has changed quite dramatically in the last decade, in many ways. One of the more surprising ways to me is their embracing of open source software, while still building products that customers want and use. This is quite a change from the Microsoft that I knew back in the early 90s when I started working with SQL Server. Open Source software was seen as a complete anathema to the Microsoft way.

One of the very interesting ways that Microsoft works in the open is their use of GitHub as a VCS (version control system) for many projects. From .NET to Azure Data Studio to the new virtual kubelet code, thousands of Microsoft engineers are writing and committing code in a very transparent way. Not all their products are here, but there are more than I would have ever expected.

Part of the challenge of using a (formerly) third party platform is the infrastructure and administration of users. Microsoft has a scale issue here that most us do not deal with. While we work with dozens or hundreds of developers, they deal with thousands. There's a good blog post about how they've scaled up to ensure 25,000+ developers can work.

The post has lots of information, both at a high, conceptual level as well as at a detailed, technical level in places. Some of the big themes I see in the post is that automation is important, and that there are tools that facilitate the collaboration of their developers by sharing information, triggering notices and reminders, and by enabling the discovery of others. Collaboration is a huge part of DevOps, and the more software can encourage this while reducing the burdens of tedious work, the better the system works.

None of this works without a culture change. If Microsoft can do this with thousands of developers and thousands more non-technical staff, any of us can. Microsoft has grown in the recent years to be one of the more valuable companies on the planet. Many of our organizations can learn from this by adopting DevOps, but not just in name or at a technical level. The technical tools are easy, but to get your organization to perform better, you need to ensure culture grows with the Three Ways and a team environment. Let your management know that you can all do better, but only if they truly embrace all the concepts of DevOps, teamwork, feedback, and learning from our previous actions to drive continuous improvement.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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 Question of the Day

Today's question (by Steve Jones - SSC Editor):

 

A Pandas Series

I have this list in Python: 
>>> a
['Ford', 'Chevrolet', 'BMW', 'Audi', 'GMC', 'Porsche', 'Toyota', 'Honda']
I have the Pandas package and I run this: 
>>>import Pandas as pd
>>> pd.Series(a)
Of these four choices, which one is output? 1: 
{0:'Ford', 1:'Chevrolet', 2:'BMW', 3:'Audi', 4:'GMC', 5:'Porsche', 6:'Toyota', 7:'Honda'}
2: 
{1:'Ford', 2:'Chevrolet', 3:'BMW', 4:'Audi', 5:'GMC', 6:'Porsche', 7:'Toyota', 8:'Honda'}
3: 
>>> pd.Series(a)
0         Ford
1    Chevrolet
2          BMW
3         Audi
4          GMC
5      Porsche
6       Toyota
7        Honda
dtype: object
4: 
>>> pd.Series(a)
1         Ford
2    Chevrolet
3          BMW
4         Audi
5          GMC
6      Porsche
7       Toyota
8        Honda
dtype: object

Think you know the answer? Click here, and find out if you are right.

 

 

 Yesterday's Question of the Day (by Steve Jones - SSC Editor)

Histogram Steps

In SQL Server 2017, what is the maximum number of steps in a column statistics histogram?

Answer: 200

Explanation: A statistics histogram consists of up to 200 steps. Ref: Statistics - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/statistics/statistics?view=sql-server-2017

Discuss this question and answer on the forums

 

 

 

Database Pros Who Need Your Help

Here's a few of the new posts today on the forums. To see more, visit the forums.

SQL Server 2017 - Administration
SQL Server Training - Can anyone recommend the best place to get the SQL training when the company is willing to pay for it?
Store Procedure... - Hi Is there anyone who can help me explaining, in real job field, in what kind of scenario I would need to use output parameters in my store procedures. And also I would like to know how data gets into tables, do we manually entered it or its gets inserted via back end file? Thank […]
Is DBA responsible for ETL operations and cube creation in DW design project? - If a company wants to build a DW from sketch, is DBA responsible for schema design, ETL extraction and transformation process, loading physical data from different sources into a DW database? Or DBA is responsible only for physical design, and tools like SSIS or SSAS should be used by developers.   Thanks
SQL Server 2016 - Administration
DQS DB Maintenance and Cleanup - Hi, Apologies if this has been posted and answered already. Would just like to ask what happens if the DQS project created by SSIS running a DQS component is not ended? What impact does it have in terms of server or database performance? DQS performance? memory consumption? I've been trying to look for more details […]
SQL Server 2016 - Development and T-SQL
Changing @ExecutionTime parameter value in SSRS subscription - Hi Everyone,   Can you please guide me how to change @ExecutionTime parameter value in SSRS standard subscription and version is 2012? Thanks Kanagarajan S
How to disable Upload options to end user in SQL SERVER REPORT Services 2016 v? - Hi Every one,   Could you please help me to achieve this requirement? I am having a requirement like need to disable the upload RDL or IMAGE option to end user also, restrict to view hidden data sources list in reporting manager.   Thanks Kanagarajan s.            
How to do Count of values on mutiple columns - I have the folllowing data in a table If OBJECT_ID(N'tempdb..#OutputTable', N'U') IS NOT NULL DROP TABLE #OutputTable CREATE TABLE [#OutputTable]( [MainHoldingID] [int] NULL, [OfferingElementID] [int] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GO INSERT [#OutputTable] ([MainHoldingID], [OfferingElementID]) VALUES (1133535784, 58413) GO INSERT [#OutputTable] ([MainHoldingID], [OfferingElementID]) VALUES (1133535784, 58413) GO INSERT [#OutputTable] ([MainHoldingID], [OfferingElementID]) VALUES (1133535784, 58413) GO INSERT […]
Administration - SQL Server 2014
error upgrade ssis - Hello everyone I proceed to update my ssis package from SQL server 2008R2 to 2016 during the upgrade wizard phase I got this message   thank you for your help    
SQL Server 2012 - T-SQL
In a t-sql 2012, I can trying to make a case statement work in an update statem - In a t-sql 2012, I can trying to make a case statement work in an update statement and I am getting the error ' Msg 207, Level 16, State 1, Line 5 Invalid column name 'TOT_ABSENCES'. from the following sql: UPDATE Milestone set TOT_ABSENCES = case when (details.TOT_ABSENCES is not null) or isnumeric(details.TOT_ABSENCES) = 0 […]
SQL Server 2008 - General
Free Webinar: SQL Server 2008 has gone out of extended support - Hi All I thought I would post, I'm not sure its the correct place, but thought I'd let you know that I'm putting on a free webinar on 31st July - midday UK time. With SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 going out of extended support with Microsoft last week, the webinar will […]
Error: Database is already open and can only have one user at a time - Any idea how to resolve this error? seemingly a nightly process loads data into my joebloggs_DB database, its then copied from jobbloggs_DB database to LIVE DB. Issue is sometimes the process fails with the following error: Error: Database 'JoeBloggs' is already open and can only have one user at a time. It looks like the […]
Dynamic Pivot Query with three fields - Hi,   I am creating a dynamic pivot query to produce a simple monthly table showing clients on the left column, calendar dates across the top and simple text in the middle. Table are CREATE TABLE [dbo].[TblClientActivity]( [ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL, [ClientID] [int] NULL, [LocationID] [int] NULL, [ADate] [date] NULL, [Outcome] [nvarchar](10) NULL) Data […]
Strategies and Ideas
What do bridge tables contain? - I understand that one technique for many-to-many relationship implementation in data warehouses in using bridge table. I have difficulties understanding its nature and what exactly in contains - real measures, or just keys? Good articles and books are welcome.   Thanks for your help!
Integration Services
Upgrade file SSIS - Hello everyone I have two dtx file SSIS develloper EN SSDT 2008 AND I'm going to migrate it in SQL2014 If I import these files through SSDT 2013 the files are well imported then if I click on the button upgrade all package i have this message At least one package has to be selected […]
Administering
How can access SQL Server by same windows user account from multiple Machine - I have a scenario, Need to create windows based authentication in SQL Server, but applications are running different PCs accessing the same SQL server, is it possible to Access the SQL server from Different machine using same window Account.
 

 

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