Andrew Lock: Testing Frameworks - Episode 376
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Andrew Lock is a staff software engineer at Datadog and educator whose contributions to the .NET ecosystem have shaped how developers approach modern web applications. Located in the UK, Andrew is a Microsoft MVP, Author of , and has an active blog all about his experience working with .NET and ASP.NET Core. Topics of Discussion: [2:56] Andrew talks about appreciating the joy of coding and the minutiae of figuring out the correct way to do things. [3:28] Andrew discusses the various testing frameworks available for .NET, including MS Test, NUnit, XUnit, and TUnit. He explains the...
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Ben Day: SlideSpeaker.AI - Episode 375
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Ben Day is a seasoned software consultant and fractional CTO. With over two decades of experience, he brings a blend of hands-on coding expertise, strategic clarity, and people-focused coaching to help companies — from startups to Fortune 500s — deliver high-quality software faster and with less friction. As the founder of Benjamin Day Consulting, Inc., Ben offers training, coaching, and architectural guidance rooted in Agile, Scrum, Azure DevOps, and GitHub best practices. He’s a Microsoft MVP, a certified Professional Scrum Trainer for over 15 years, and a sought-after speaker...
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Josh Arzt: 23 Years of .NET - Episode 374
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Josh Arzt is a Senior Solutions Architect with 25+ years of experience modernizing systems, solving complex problems, and delivering scalable cloud solutions. He is an expert in software engineering, DevSecOps, serverless architectures, and cloud migrations. He is a certified professional with a strong publication record in IT and applied mathematics. His professional career began in the early 2000s, when he discovered .NET and all it had to offer in its early days. Using that framework, paired with his maturation in software architecture, helped shape how he approaches challenges —...
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Lee Brownhill: The Data Community - Episode 373
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Lee Brownhill is a Principal Cloud DBA at Cloud Rede with deep expertise in SQL Server performance tuning and automation. With years of experience across Azure and AWS, Lee helps clients optimize their cloud data platforms. His journey began in IT support, quickly evolving into a passion for SQL Server that led him through roles as a Production and Developer DBA. Now, he’s a trusted consultant, known for making systems run faster and smarter. Lee is a Redgate Community Ambassador, a regular at SQLBits and Data Relay, and once spent a transformative week learning from...
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Aaron Palermo: Cyber Security and Systems Engineering with AI-Driven Development - Episode 372
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Aaron Palermo is a Senior Solutions Architect, DevOps engineer, and all-around cybersecurity expert. He works for a global cybersecurity services company, Appgate. Aaron was last on the show in episode 196, sharing about Zero Trust Networking. Topics of Discussion: [3:20] Aaron shares his excitement for learning new things and solving innovative challenges, which keep him engaged in the field. [3:30] Aaron explains his current role at Appgate, a zero-trust network access company. [4:25] The importance of direct-routed solutions for federal customers who want to own and manage their...
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Software Leadership with Jonathan “J.” Tower - Episode 371
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Jonathan Tower is known to friends and colleagues simply as “J.” J. is a Microsoft MVP, Telerik Developer Expert, and the founder of Trailhead Technology Partners, a global custom software consultancy. With nearly 25 years of experience in the industry, J. has held roles ranging from senior architect to director of development, and now leads a team building high-quality, large-scale applications across a wide range of technologies. J.’s technical expertise spans C#, .NET, MVC, and modern JavaScript frameworks, along with mobile app development. But what truly sets him apart is...
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Peter Ritchie: .NET Foundation - Episode 370
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Peter Ritchie is a veteran software architect and consultant with over 35 years of experience in the tech industry. Peter is renowned for his deep expertise in .NET development, distributed systems, and agile methodologies. He’s an accomplished author of several technical books, a former Microsoft MVP, and a sought-after international speaker. Peter is also actively involved in the .NET community and was a candidate for the .NET Foundation Board of Directors, reflecting his commitment to open-source and developer advocacy. Through his consulting work, he helps teams elevate their...
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Greg Leonardo: Azure and AI - Episode 369
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Greg Leonardo is a Principal Cloud Architect, Certified Azure Solution Architect Expert, and Microsoft Azure MVP with over two decades of experience driving high-impact cloud transformations for global enterprises. Greg’s work sits at the crossroads of architecture, innovation, and mentorship, where he crafts scalable, cost-efficient, and future-ready solutions that align technology with business strategy. He’s a recognized authority in Azure-native architecture, FinOps optimization, and AI integration, known for delivering measurable results—from reducing cloud spend to accelerating...
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John Bristowe: The Latest from Octopus Deploy - Episode 368
Azure & DevOps Podcast
John Bristowe brings over 20 years of experience in technology to his role as Community Director at Octopus Deploy. His career includes time at Progress and Microsoft, where he developed his skills in management and technology. Known for a straightforward and engaging style, John often speaks at industry conferences, sharing practical tips and insights. John is a HashiCorp Ambassador and part of the Progress Champions program. He enjoys creating content such as articles, webinars, and podcasts, aiming to help others in the tech community. In his free time, John likes to stay informed...
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Mads Kristensen: Visual Studio 2026 - Episode 367
Azure & DevOps Podcast
Mads is a Principal Product Manager on the Visual Studio team at Microsoft, where he champions developer productivity, performance, and extensibility. With a deep passion for streamlining the development experience, Mads has created dozens of widely used Visual Studio extensions — including Web Essentials, File Nesting, and Markdown Editor v2 — and maintains the Extensibility Essentials toolkit to empower other developers to build better tools. Mads brings over a decade of experience in web development on the Microsoft platform. He is also the founder of SchemaStore.org and a home...
info_outlineBob Ward is a Principal Architect for the Microsoft Azure Data team, which owns the development for Microsoft SQL Edge to Cloud. Bob has worked for Microsoft for 31-plus years on every version of SQL Server shipped, from OS/2 1.1 to SQL Server 2025, including Azure SQL. Bob is a well-known speaker on SQL Server, Azure SQL, AI, and Microsoft Fabric, often presenting talks on new releases, internals, and specialized topics at events such as SQLBits, Microsoft Build, Microsoft Ignite, PASS Summit, DevIntersection, and VS Live. You can also learn Azure SQL from him on the popular series https://aka.ms/azuresql4beginners. You can follow him on X at @bobwardms or linkedin.com/in/bobwardms. Bob is the author of the books Pro SQL Server on Linux, SQL Server 2019 Revealed, Azure SQL Revealed with a 2nd edition, and SQL Server 2022 Revealed available from Apress Media.
Topics of Discussion:
[1:38] Bob reflects on nearly 30 years at Microsoft, growing alongside SQL Server since 1993.
[4:16] Transitioning from engineering to advocacy: why Bob now focuses on helping developers unlock the power of SQL Server.
[6:12] Debunking myths about SQL Server — yes, it’s cloud-ready, developer-friendly, and supports containers and Linux.
[10:15] Key tools and features for developers using SQL: containers, Bicep templates, SQLCMD, and DevOps pipelines.
[16:23] SQL projects and source control: how modern database DevOps practices improve reliability and testing.
[19:32] Common challenges in database development: fear of breaking production, limited test data, and cultural silos.
[22:55] Bob’s perspective on responsible database change management and the importance of a good rollback plan.
[26:02] The evolution of developer tooling in SQL Server, and how Microsoft is making the CLI and APIs first-class citizens.
[30:47] Advice for new developers: SQL isn’t going anywhere, and it’s easier than ever to get started.
[34:00] Resources and community support: Bob highlights docs, GitHub samples, training courses, and his book.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at programming@palermo.net.
Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)
Bob Ward: SQL Server - Episode 321
Bob Ward MBob Ward — Microsoft | LinkedInicrosoft
Azure SQL Revealed: The Next-Generation Cloud Database with AI and Microsoft Fabric
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