Hi, I’m trying to setup Azure datafactory to Azure Devops on-prem Server integration setup in Azure Government. I’m able to create a Azure DevOps Server in Virtual Machine using single server deployment. However I’m unable to integrate the ADF to the on-prem server. Has anyone done this setup ?

CC: @Jason Ingram @Steve Michelotti 

​Hi, I’m trying to setup Azure datafactory to Azure Devops on-prem Server integration setup in Azure Government. I’m able to create a Azure DevOps Server in Virtual Machine using single server deployment. However I’m unable to integrate the ADF to the on-prem server. Has anyone done this setup ? CC: @Jason Ingram @Steve Michelotti   Read More

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Hi everyone, good morning!

I’m working on setting up a logic flow in Power Automate that will delete VMs from my Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS) when we have a low number of items to process. I’ve already managed to create a logic that checks the number of items in my database and, based on that, I can successfully increase or decrease the capacity in my VMSS – this part is working well.

The issue is… when reducing resources, I need to check if the VM I intend to delete is still running any flow (to avoid the risk of deleting it while it’s mid-process).

I think I can determine this by looking at some table in Dataverse or something similar.

Now, my goal is to delete certain VMs. Is it possible to ensure that the VM completes whatever it’s currently executing before deletion?

This way, I could be sure that the VM has finished its task before proceeding with deletion. I know other automation platforms offer options like “Immediate STOP,” which stops the VM immediately, and “Request STOP,” which essentially means “finish what you’re doing, then stop.”

This would be when I decrease the number of instances, right?

Do you think I could achieve something like this via Power Automate or Azure?

​Hi everyone, good morning! I’m working on setting up a logic flow in Power Automate that will delete VMs from my Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS) when we have a low number of items to process. I’ve already managed to create a logic that checks the number of items in my database and, based on that, I can successfully increase or decrease the capacity in my VMSS – this part is working well. The issue is… when reducing resources, I need to check if the VM I intend to delete is still running any flow (to avoid the risk of deleting it while it’s mid-process).I think I can determine this by looking at some table in Dataverse or something similar.Now, my goal is to delete certain VMs. Is it possible to ensure that the VM completes whatever it’s currently executing before deletion? This way, I could be sure that the VM has finished its task before proceeding with deletion. I know other automation platforms offer options like “Immediate STOP,” which stops the VM immediately, and “Request STOP,” which essentially means “finish what you’re doing, then stop.”This would be when I decrease the number of instances, right? Do you think I could achieve something like this via Power Automate or Azure?  Read More

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​Latest Threat Intelligence (October 2024) 

Microsoft Defender for IoT has released the October 2024 Threat Intelligence package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file).  

 
Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. Each package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month) researched and implemented by Microsoft Threat Intelligence Research – CPS.
 
The CVE scores are aligned with the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). Starting with the August 2023 threat intelligence updates, CVSSv3 scores are shown if they are relevant; otherwise the CVSSv2 scores are shown. 
 
Guidance
Customers are recommended to update their systems with the latest TI package in order to detect potential exposure risks and vulnerabilities in their networks and on their devices. Threat Intelligence packages are updated every month with the most up-to-date security information available, ensuring that Microsoft Defender for IoT can identify malicious actors and behaviors on devices.
 
 
Update your system with the latest TI package
The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file), for more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft Docs. 
 
MD5 Hash: 0e92a7718f9f6b78738c8a6ee6c7ba89
 
For cloud connected sensors, Microsoft Defender for IoT can automatically update new threat intelligence packages following their release, click here for more information.    Read More

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Hello everyone,

I’m dealing with thousands of images with confusing, auto-generated names like ‘IMG_1234’ and ‘DSC_5678’ that are difficult to sort or locate when needed. I’m looking for a reliable way to rename all of them in a clear and consistent format in batches on my PC. Ideally, I’d like to be able to:

Add prefixes, suffixes, or specific titles to groups of images.Insert sequential numbering for easy organization.Possibly keep some metadata intact, like the date and location, if available.

I’ve tried renaming some images manually, but with such a large collection, it’s just not practical. I’d really appreciate any advice on Windows software, scripts, or built-in features that can batch rename images in Windows. Ease of use and batch processing speed would be a big plus!

Thanks for the help!

​Hello everyone, I’m dealing with thousands of images with confusing, auto-generated names like ‘IMG_1234’ and ‘DSC_5678’ that are difficult to sort or locate when needed. I’m looking for a reliable way to rename all of them in a clear and consistent format in batches on my PC. Ideally, I’d like to be able to: Add prefixes, suffixes, or specific titles to groups of images.Insert sequential numbering for easy organization.Possibly keep some metadata intact, like the date and location, if available. I’ve tried renaming some images manually, but with such a large collection, it’s just not practical. I’d really appreciate any advice on Windows software, scripts, or built-in features that can batch rename images in Windows. Ease of use and batch processing speed would be a big plus! Thanks for the help!  Read More

​

Hello Everyone, I’m Mohamed Faraazman bin Farooq S, a student of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science and a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador from BSA Crescent University, Chennai, India. My journey toward passing the Microsoft Fabric Certification exam was challenging but incredibly rewarding. The Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador (MLSA) program played a huge role in my success. It provided access to valuable resources, tools, and a vibrant community that helped me throughout my preparation. From hands-on experience with Power BI and Azure Synapse to the various workshops and learning paths, the MLSA program gave me a solid foundation and confidence to take on the exam.

In this blog, I’ll share how I prepared for the exam and the strategies I used to ace it. Whether you’re just starting or looking for tips, I hope my approach can guide you toward certification success! Let’s dive into how the MLSA program and other resources helped me conquer the Microsoft Fabric exam.

1. Understanding the Exam Blueprint: Your First Step to Success

Before you even crack open a study guide or begin practicing in Power BI, your first step should always be to understand the exam blueprint. The Microsoft Fabric exam is designed to test your knowledge across a variety of domains that encompass both data engineering and analytics.

Some of the core areas covered in the exam include:

Data Integration: The ability to combine and cleanse data from various sources.
Data Pipeline Management: Creating, orchestrating, and troubleshooting data pipelines.
Analytics Reporting: Building and delivering detailed reports and dashboards that derive meaningful insights from large datasets.
Data Visualization Techniques: Knowing how to represent data graphically in a way that’s both impactful and informative.
Optimization and Security: Understanding how to optimize queries, improve performance, and secure data.

Microsoft provides a detailed list of objectives and topics that the exam will cover. I studied this blueprint thoroughly and made sure to allocate time to each section based on my strengths and weaknesses. This ensures that you aren’t just studying randomly but focusing on the areas that matter most.

Tip: Make a checklist of each domain and subtopic. As you go through your preparation, cross off the areas you feel confident in and revisit the ones you find difficult.

2. Hands-On Experience with Microsoft Tools: The Most Important Preparation

Passing a certification like Microsoft Fabric isn’t just about reading books or watching tutorials; it’s about doing. Since the exam focuses heavily on real-world application, having hands-on experience with Microsoft tools like Power BI, Azure Synapse, and SQL Server is crucial.

As a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, I had a unique opportunity to conduct workshops on Power BI, which gave me invaluable hands-on experience. Creating dashboards, transforming data, and working with real datasets helped me deeply understand the concepts that were tested in the exam.

For those who might not have direct work experience, I strongly recommend creating your own projects. Here are a few ways you can get hands-on practice:

Use Power BI to Create Dashboards: Download public datasets and try creating different types of reports and visualizations.
Work with Azure Synapse: Use Azure’s free tier to practice data integration and pipeline management.
Build Data Pipelines: Use Azure Data Factory to create a data ingestion process from a SQL database to Azure Data Lake.

Remember, reading about Power BI’s features is one thing, but actually building a report with slicers, dynamic measures, and calculated columns will cement that knowledge.

3. Utilizing Microsoft Learn and Documentation: Structured Learning for the Win

While hands-on practice is essential, structured learning modules are equally important. Microsoft Learn offers a series of free learning paths specifically tailored to Microsoft Fabric. These modules are incredibly helpful because they’re divided into bite-sized lessons that cover every component of the exam, from data integration to analytics and visualization.

What I loved most about Microsoft Learn is its interactive nature. The modules aren’t just long walls of text; they offer quizzes, knowledge checks, and even hands-on labs where you can practice directly in the Azure environment.

For example, if you’re preparing for the exam’s data pipeline section, Microsoft Learn provides specific paths that focus on orchestrating data pipelines using Azure Data Factory or Synapse Pipelines. The lessons also often mirror real-world scenarios, which is exactly what the exam tests.

In addition to Microsoft Learn, the official Microsoft documentation is a goldmine for deep-dive knowledge. While Microsoft Learn gives you a broad overview, the documentation is where you’ll find the nitty-gritty details of advanced functionalities. Whenever I encountered an unfamiliar term or needed clarification on a particular feature, I’d dive into the documentation for a more in-depth explanation.

Pro Tip: Bookmark key pages from the official documentation for quick reference. If you’re stuck on a particularly tricky area, you can easily revisit those pages later.

4. Joining a Study Group: The Power of Collaboration

No matter how prepared you think you are, there’s always value in collaborating with others. I joined an online study group dedicated to Microsoft certifications, and it was one of the best decisions I made during my exam prep.

Study groups provide several advantages:

Sharing Resources: Other members might have access to study guides, notes, or tips that you don’t.
Problem-Solving Discussions: Sometimes, explaining a concept to someone else helps solidify it in your mind. I also benefited greatly from others explaining their approaches to complex problems.
Accountability: Knowing that you have a study group can keep you on track and motivated.

I highly recommend finding or joining a community that focuses on Microsoft Fabric or related topics. You can find study groups on platforms like LinkedIn, Microsoft Teams or Microsoft’s own forums.

5. Taking Mock Exams: The Ultimate Readiness Test

Once I felt comfortable with the material, I began taking mock exams to gauge my readiness. These practice exams mirror the format and difficulty of the real test, allowing you to see which areas you’re excelling in and which still need improvement.

There are several online platforms that offer mock exams. Some even come with timed simulations to give you a feel for how you’ll perform under actual exam conditions. I found that taking these mock tests helped alleviate a lot of anxiety about the timing and structure of the real exam.

Strategy Tip: After each mock exam, carefully review the questions you got wrong. Even if you get the correct answer by chance, make sure you understand the reasoning behind it.

6. Focusing on Visualization Techniques: Power BI Mastery is Key

One of the standout sections of the Microsoft Fabric exam is data visualization. While much of the exam focuses on the technical aspects of data engineering and integration, a large portion is dedicated to your ability to present data effectively using Power BI resources.

As someone who has led Power BI workshops, I can’t stress enough how important it is to master the art of data visualization. In my preparation, I focused on the following:

Chart Selection: Knowing when to use specific charts (e.g., bar charts, line charts, scatter plots) based on the type of data being analyzed.
Data Cleansing and Preparation: Ensuring that your data is optimized for reporting. This includes handling missing values, optimizing data types, and creating calculated columns or measures.
Building Dashboards: Practice building full-scale dashboards with multiple visuals, slicers, and dynamic data. Ensure that each element of your dashboard tells a story.

Final Thoughts: My Key Takeaways

Passing the Microsoft Fabric exam was a challenging but rewarding journey. It’s a certification that tests not only your theoretical knowledge but your ability to apply that knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Here are my final takeaways for anyone preparing for this exam:

Be Methodical: Don’t just dive into random study materials. Follow a structured plan based on the exam objectives.
Get Hands-On: Real-world practice with Microsoft tools like Power BI, Synapse, and Azure is the key to success.
Use Available Resources: Microsoft Learn, official documentation, and study groups are all invaluable assets.
Practice Makes Perfect: Take mock exams and review your mistakes to fine-tune your knowledge. 
Master Data Visualization: Power BI is a big part of the exam, so make sure you’re proficient in visualizing data effectively.

By following these steps, I was able to pass the exam with confidence, and I’m sure you can too. Good luck on your journey to becoming Microsoft Fabric certified! 

​Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More 

Hoping someone can assist, my OneDrive file predating 2024 can be seen locally on my desktop and are showing a small brown box icon,

​Hoping someone can assist, my OneDrive file predating 2024 can be seen locally on my desktop and are showing a small brown box icon,  Read More

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Hi everyone,

We currently use classic sites of online Sharepoint (MS 365). We heard that its classic features will be end of life soon.

Is there anyone know when classis Sharepoint is retired and if we can still use existing classic templates which we already created before that date?

Thank all.

​Hi everyone,We currently use classic sites of online Sharepoint (MS 365). We heard that its classic features will be end of life soon.Is there anyone know when classis Sharepoint is retired and if we can still use existing classic templates which we already created before that date?Thank all.  Read More

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Hi all,

I am trying to write to a Sharepoint list from Excel VBA, I’ve been attempting to connect as an ADODB

When I attempt to open the Connection I receive the error “Could not find installable ISAM”, would anyone have any guidance on what I am doing wrong, here is a snippet of the code.

(How do I know if I am using the correct settings string values?)

—

Dim sListID$, sPathDB$

Set cnt = New ADODB.Connection

Set rst = New ADODB.Recordset

mySQL = “SELECT * FROM ” & sListID & “;”

With cnt

    .ConnectionString = “Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;WSS;IMEX=0;RetrieveIds=Yes;” _

                                      & “DATABASE=” & sPathDB & “;LIST=” & sListID & “;”

End With

With cnt

    .Provider = “Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0”

    .ConnectionString = “Data Source=” sPathDB & “;LIST=” & sListID & “;”

    .Open

End With

—

Sample example I found transfer-excel-data-from-ado-recordset

Any guidance greatly appreciated

​Hi all, I am trying to write to a Sharepoint list from Excel VBA, I’ve been attempting to connect as an ADODB When I attempt to open the Connection I receive the error “Could not find installable ISAM”, would anyone have any guidance on what I am doing wrong, here is a snippet of the code.(How do I know if I am using the correct settings string values?) — Dim sListID$, sPathDB$ Set cnt = New ADODB.ConnectionSet rst = New ADODB.Recordset mySQL = “SELECT * FROM ” & sListID & “;” With cnt    .ConnectionString = “Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;WSS;IMEX=0;RetrieveIds=Yes;” _                                      & “DATABASE=” & sPathDB & “;LIST=” & sListID & “;”End With With cnt    .Provider = “Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0”    .ConnectionString = “Data Source=” sPathDB & “;LIST=” & sListID & “;”    .OpenEnd With — Sample example I found transfer-excel-data-from-ado-recordset Any guidance greatly appreciated  Read More

​

Hi,

We have been using AVD for some time now but we have been experiencing some inconsistencies with the way profiles are created and managed on the session hosts.

Originally when a user logged in they  would have the “roaming” profile copied to C:Usersusername and have another temporary folder C:Userslocal_username created. Upon logout the “local_username” folder is removed.

I have another server in the host pool where no “local_username” folder is created, but the C:Usersusername remains. Everything seems to work ok though.

I have introduced a new server into the pool ( due to Teams issues on a previous host ) , built from a MS supplied AVD image. For this server the C:Usersusername folder is created and removed on each login. As a result we have slow logins as the profile is copied back and forth upon every login.

My question is what it the correct behaviour and am I misconfiguring FSLogix somehow for the newly introduced session host ?

​Hi, We have been using AVD for some time now but we have been experiencing some inconsistencies with the way profiles are created and managed on the session hosts.Originally when a user logged in they  would have the “roaming” profile copied to C:Usersusername and have another temporary folder C:Userslocal_username created. Upon logout the “local_username” folder is removed. I have another server in the host pool where no “local_username” folder is created, but the C:Usersusername remains. Everything seems to work ok though. I have introduced a new server into the pool ( due to Teams issues on a previous host ) , built from a MS supplied AVD image. For this server the C:Usersusername folder is created and removed on each login. As a result we have slow logins as the profile is copied back and forth upon every login. My question is what it the correct behaviour and am I misconfiguring FSLogix somehow for the newly introduced session host ?    Read More

​

I have come across an issue being reported by one of the user stating that he is unable to connect to an application on port 5672 hosted behind azure internal load balancer. 

on my observation from Azure portal post login i see that Azure front end load balancer is marking the front end port as unresponsive/down for service 5672, while the back end port 2009 on azure internal load balancer is seen up on the back end pool virtual F5 .port mapping done properly on azure

Error as seen on Azure is “TCP probe out, unhealthy backend instances or unhealthy app listening on port”

However when I check on the Virtual F5 the backend server is responding on port 5672 normally, the health checks look ok, thereby the vip is marked as up. 

is this abnormal behaviour on the application side against 5672 service or something more to check on the azure side which is resulting to TCP probe out error.. pls suggest

​I have come across an issue being reported by one of the user stating that he is unable to connect to an application on port 5672 hosted behind azure internal load balancer. on my observation from Azure portal post login i see that Azure front end load balancer is marking the front end port as unresponsive/down for service 5672, while the back end port 2009 on azure internal load balancer is seen up on the back end pool virtual F5 .port mapping done properly on azure Error as seen on Azure is “TCP probe out, unhealthy backend instances or unhealthy app listening on port” However when I check on the Virtual F5 the backend server is responding on port 5672 normally, the health checks look ok, thereby the vip is marked as up.  is this abnormal behaviour on the application side against 5672 service or something more to check on the azure side which is resulting to TCP probe out error.. pls suggest  Read More

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