The Value of Microsoft Cloud Workshops

Microsoft Cloud Workshops are free, step-by-step guides for implementing solutions in Azure. As part of the work I do with Solliance, I’ve assisted in creating and maintaining several MCWs in collaboration with Microsoft.

Two MCWs in particular that I’ve been working on updating right now are Innovate and modernize apps with Data and AI and Big data and visualization. Both of these cover a variety of Azure technologies and show you how to combine together services to solve an overriding business problem.

Innovate and Modernize Apps with Data and AI

Innovate and modernize apps with Data and AI is the most complex MCW I’ve worked on. It combines database development using PostgreSQL and Cosmos DB, machine learning with Azure ML, integration between Azure Synapse Analytics and Cosmos DB via Cosmos Link, event handling with IoT Hub and Event Hub, containerized microservices following the CQRS pattern, and plenty of Azure Functions to glue it all together.

*This is a lot of services. Also, the image is going to be updated to simplify things.*

In this next round of updates, we’re going to re-work the process and remove PostgreSQL from the solution. We’ll also simplify the data loading process, using Event Hubs instead of going through the deployment process for an IoT Hub. That’s a bit of a shame, as I really like the IoT Hub process we created. But them’s the breaks.

Big Data and Visualization

Big data and visualization is an MCW I’m currently updating. It’s built primarily off of Azure Databricks and Power BI, but incorporates several other services including Azure Data Factory and Azure SQL Database. One of the changes I’m going to make will actually simplify the process by removing Azure Machine Learning from the lab, instead taking advantage of Databricks experiments and its REST API for ML models.

*This MCW drives off of Azure Databricks and Power BI, with several supporting services.*

More Information and a Request

If you want to see the full set of Microsoft Cloud Workshops, be sure to check out these free, advanced resources at http://aka.solliance.net/mcw.

Also, if you’ve ever used an MCW before, please provide some feedback with the following survey: https://forms.office.com/r/834zwtaNtK. This survey will help drive the future of the MCW program, so we’d really appreciate you filling it out.