Applied Visual Studio Team System : Writing

Priorities

andy — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:32:00 GMT

... note the smudged laptop screen... the pacifier... the nearly-finished bottle...

The smudges are from Emma showing me things on my screen. The bottle and pacifier are Riley's. The manuscript is an upcoming e-book on Team Edition for Database Professionals. More on that in a later post.

Juggling priorities is part of many lives - especially if you're a working parent. I've written about 75% of this current work between the hours of 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM. I was up anyway with Riley (Christy and I have "Riley shifts") - might as well write when he's snoozing.

Tonight is Stevie Ray's first soccer practice, so I won't be making the Richmond .Net Users Group meeting as earlier planned. I encourage you to attend if you're available this evening, Matt Harvell is one of those scary-smart people. Trust me, you'll learn stuff!

I will be speaking at next week's meeting of the Richmond SQL Server Users Group talking about Database Testing. I didn't mention it in the abstract online, but I'm planning to break out the Orcas Beta 2 version of TFS during the presentation - there's just way too much cool stuff in the new version!

Things are busy, that's true. And most work is done on flexible schedules. But life is going well for the Farmville Leonards.

Time to run - Wigglin' Boy needs to burp...

:{> Andy

Technorati Tags: Richmond Developer Community User Groups Writing Team Edition for Database Professionals Work-Life Balance Farmville

Tech bloggers: Heads up

andy — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:48:00 GMT

I received an interesting email a few days back. The sender isn't important - the text is:

Hi ,
I am interested in purchasing textlink advertising on your website Let me know if you are interested and we can discuss further details. I can make a good offer to make it worth your time.

Let me know!

Thanks

No one had ever asked about advertising on VSTeamSystemCentral.com before, so I responded positively.

The conversation took a couple odd turns - enough to raise red flags.

I eventually refused politely, and then not so politely (begging, the final red flag). Compare the message I received to the one received by the blogger at phillsacre.me.uk. Again, I had a different name, but the same pattern of email domains - for me first it was Yahoo, then Gmail.

I'm not sure what these folks are up to but after the problems suffered by job boards last week, I'm sticking with the Google Ads for a while.

:{> Andy

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Testing With VSTS Sample Chapter Available

andy — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 22:29:00 GMT

The cool people at Wiley (Wrox) allowed the cool people at Solid Quality Mentors to post my chapter, Testing The Database, from the upcoming Wrox release Professional Software Testing with Visual Studio 2005 Team System: Tools for Software Developers and Test Engineers!

:{> Andy

Technorati Tags: Team Edition for Database Professionals Database Testing Unit Testing Wrox Solid Quality Mentors Wiley

Getting Lucky

andy — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:28:00 GMT

I was recently reminded how lucky I am.

It's true, pure luck has played an important role in my life, defining where I am today personally and professionally. Well, maybe not an important role, but it's been there.

How?

Mostly in the form of opportunities. But I then had to act on these opportunities to get the most out of them.

This is starting to remind me of a joke a pastor once told:

A local minister rides out to visit Farmer Brown one fine summer day. As he pulls off the main road onto Farmer Brown's acreage, he admires the tall corn and plush rows of tomatoes and beans. When he greets the old farmer, the minister says "You and the Lord are running a fine farm here!" To which Farmer Brown replies "You should've seen it when the Lord was running it Himself."

I can show a direct correlation between the number of 75-hour weeks I work and how lucky I am.

I can also demonstrate an inverse proportion between the number of mornings I awake completely rested and how lucky I am; as well as a positive ratio of 20-hour days / "luckiness".

So yep, I'm a pretty lucky guy.

:{> Andy

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New Book! Professional Software Testing with Visual Studio 2005 Team System: Tools for Software Developers and Test Engineers

andy — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:18:00 GMT

Professional Software Testing with Visual Studio 2005 Team System: Tools for Software Developers and Test Engineers is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com!

I was honored to work on this book with three testing gurus: Tom Arnold, Mike Frost, and Dominic Hopton.

The book covers many aspects of testing. More than just what to test, why to test is also covered. Although the book covers testing with Visual Studio, non-Microsoft technologies are referenced.

The book is written for developers practicing test-driven and test-first methodologies, and for test engineers. It provides great insight into the Visual Studio testing framework.

I got to write a chapter on Testing the Database. I use Team Edition for Database Professionals in the chapter to build a database project, then test it. I'm really happy with the chapter. The last section contains a detailed, step-by-step walk-through of building a custom test condition in C#, then integrating it into the TEDP test conditions. I wrote it assuming no experience with the Visual Studio 2005 IDE and little or no experience with software application development. I wrote it so database professionals with no exposure to application development could write their own custom test condition.

The book should be available in September!

:{> Andy

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Managing The Thing You Cannot Touch

andy — Sun, 27 May 2007 07:01:00 GMT

Yesterday I wrote about The Thing You Cannot Touch. Today I'm going to tell you some ways to manage the situation.

First, try to determine why You Cannot Touch The Thing. This is invaluable information in charting the waters ahead - especially if you're consulting.

Second, accept the fact that there's better than a 90% chance that you will not, in fact, be allowed to Touch The Thing. In my experience, three things must be true for you to overcome the business friction imposed by The Thing:

You have to try everything else first.
Everything else must fail to sufficiently address the issue.
The source of the issue must be mission-critical.

Regardless, your best knee-jerk reaction is acceptance. This is tough for a professional. In your heart of hearts you know what it takes to solve the real issue. And yet, you've been told You Cannot Touch It.

The good news? There's also a better than 90% chance you can find a way to solve the issue - or at least alleviate the client's pain - without Touching The Thing.

Modern enterprise applications are comprised of lots of moving parts. The Thing is probably not the sole source of pain. Addressing other bottlenecks may do the trick - at least for now.

And, if you're the person they called last time they had an issue and you solved it (and weren't "difficult" to work with), you'll likely get the call next time.

How cool is that?

:{> Andy

Technorati Tags: Consulting Software Development Satisfying The Customer Leveraging New Business

Signs It's Been a Tough Week...

andy — Fri, 18 May 2007 07:01:00 GMT

It's been one of those weeks. I finished up a large project and both books I've been working on moved into editing (which is another way of saying I stayed up a lot writing to get them ready for editing).

The books are Professional Software Testing with Visual Studio 2005 Team System: Tools for Software Developers and Test Engineers (Wrox) and MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-441): Designing Database Solutions by Using Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2005 (Microsoft Press).

I could tell you about the project, but then I'd have to kill you.

I can tell I've been working a lot. I keep asking questions like "What day is it?" and "Shouldn't I be doing something right now?" I also feel guilty for only working 9 hours or so each day. It's just... weird.

It's nice to have a normal workload again - and a little boring. I get to used to doing stuff all the time and I don't know how to stop.

Enter Christy - my beautiful bride. She's scheduled a week away from it all (well, most of a week anyway). The place doesn't even have internet access.

Gosh I love that woman!

:{> Andy

Technorati Tags: Writing Visual Studio Testing Training Kit Microsoft Press MSPress Wrox Wiley Getting Away From It All

Updating the Virtual Team Foundation Server document

andy — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:00:00 GMT

Talk about overdue... I'm finally updating the Virtual Team Foundation Server documentation at VSTeamSystemCentral.com.

There are 163 pages out there now that demonstrate the procedure I use to build a vTFS but they were written for the December 2005 CTP of TFS. A couple things changed - not much mind you: I think the biggest change is less permissions (not a member of local administrators) for the TFSReports and TFSService accounts. This means the document is ok as far as functionality is concerned, but it's always best to follow the principle of least privilege.

I'm finishing up some writing and a project in the next couple weeks. Adding some content to my blogs and VSTeamSystemCentral.com is one priority. I have about 35 blog posts in my \Andy\Blogs\Primordial folder just waiting to be posted - most of them at Applied Business Intelligence in a series I'm calling SSIS Design Patterns.

I really enjoy having too much work to do - I like it a lot more than the alternative. But I'm also looking forward to doing more work around the house as Wee's birth approaches.

:{> Andy

Technorati Tags: Team System Team Foundation Server SSIS Design Patterns Business Intelligence Wee Leonard

Congratulations Frank!

andy — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:21:00 GMT

Frank La Vigne is published in CoDe Magazine!

Frank's article Exploring Ink Analysis is now available online. Congratulations Frank!

:{> Andy

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It's MVP Day

andy — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 22:25:00 GMT

So far as I know, MVPs are annouced the first day of each quarter.

Congratulations to Frank La Vigne who was re-awarded Tablet PC MVP for another year!

Update! Darrell Norton was renewed as an ASP.Net MVP!

Congrats also to David Silverlight, the brains behind Community Credit, XML PitStop, NonProfitWays, Code Camp Evals, and many other cool websites - at least one of which he's asked me not to talk about yet! David was also re-awarded as an XML MVP.

I was nominated for Q3 / 2006 but not awarded. I was disappointed but understood: the process looks at your community involvement over the past year, and I sort of "came out of nowhere" a few months earlier.

I was fortunate enough to be nominated again earlier this year. And today I received the news I was awarded SQL Server MVP! The email arrived around 4:30 AM EDT. I was up until 3:45 AM EDT polishing off my Testing The Database chapter for the upcoming Wrox book: Professional Software Testing with Visual Studio 2005 Team System: Tools for Software Developers and Test Engineers - so I almost knew about it real-time!

It's a huge honor and I am humbled and overwhelmed all at the same time.

:{> Andy

Technorati Tags: About Andy MVP SQL Server

A couple changes!

andy — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:45:00 GMT

I've started a new blog: Applied Business Intelligence!

I will continue to blog here about Team System topics. I'll probably continue to share personal stuff here as well - I'm debating that...

I've also changed my login here at VSTeamSystemCentral.com. I'll no longer be posting as that dry and boring "admin" guy - now I'll be posting as me!

:{> Andy

Technorati Tags: New blog Applied Business Intelligence BI SSIS ETL Reporting Services

2006 - the Year in Review

admin — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 23:44:00 GMT

This is probably my last post of 2006. It's been a good year. Not perfect, but very good.

SQL Server 2005 got lots of traction in the industry. Most SQL Server technologists I know agree five years was a long time to wait for a new release, but the feature set matches or exceeds the development effort.

Most shops I deal with have either migrated, are testing 2005, or have plans to in 2007.

SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 was released and Service Pack 2 is on its second CTP.

Team Edition for Database Professionals - aka Data Dude - went from CTP1 to RTM in six months. Very impressive development cycle!

It's been a good year for the Richmond Developer Community.

We started a new SQL Server Users Group, which is now the official PASS chapter for Richmond, VA! We also held two successful MSDN Code Camps - and the leadership team is planning more for 2007.

Speaking of leadership, the team did an outstanding job in 2007 - thanks to all who led and participated at every level! You folks rock!

Personally, it's been a good year too.

Christy and I bought a house in Farmville, VA - completing our move from Jacksonville, FL back home to Virginia.

We recently learned we're going to be parents again! :)

Business-wise, it's also been a cool year.

I moved from a temp-to-perm position to a permanent consulting gig, and was then recruited by Solid Quality Learning! The relationship with Solid Quality allows me to be an independent consultant. It's nice to be working for me again, although my boss is sometimes a jerk... ;)

I learned a couple difficult lessons as well. Without going into detail, suffice it to say this year affirmed my long-held business standards regarding the importance of integrity, loyalty, and trust. At my age and with my experience with people and in the industry, I am not often surprised by people - but I was surprised this year. My lovely bride Christy has an applicable saying about such times: "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment." Amen. I believe it is best to always treat people as you want to be treated because you never know...

I also experienced new levels of trust and respect. I worked with an incredibly talented team on a cool project. Loyalty was a hallmark of our experiences on the team. The result? Against seemingly insurmountable odds and obstacles, both internal and external, we succeeded - and made it look easy! My experiences at Solid Quality Learning have underscored the value of loyalty and integrity in all we do. The professionals that lead this company are at once the most talented, intelligent, down-to-earth, humble, and open people on the planet. It is an awesome honor to be part of this organization!

I was honored several times this year:

one of the authors of Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (Wrox)
allowed to participate on the leadership team for the Code Camps
honored to lead the Richmond SQL Server Users Group
honored to lead the Richmond .Net Users Group
nominated for MVP
honored to deliver the Team Edition for Database Professionals keynote at the Philadelphia Launch Event
honored to be invited to Redmond several times to participate in TAP and certification discussions
honored to work with a fantastic team to develop an industry-changing application (which I cannot talk about!)
honored to be asked to join Solid Quality Learning as a mentor

I don't do resolutions, I merely set goals for the forseeable future. I was able to accomplish two of three goals I set at the end of last year. I find three is a nice round number for goals - and I am working on my three goals for 2007 this last afternoon of 2006.

Here's to 2007 - may you have a safe, prosperous, and happy new year!

:{> Andy

Technorati Tags: 2006 Year in Review trust Solid Quality Learning integrity new baby 2007

Trust

admin — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 01:33:00 GMT

My older daughters Manda and Penny gave me gift cards to a popular bookstore chain for Christmas. So I purchased a sci-fi paperback (you can't beat sci-fi for inspiration) and The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey.

I like this book a lot so far. It reminds me of the ethics I've witnessed at Solid Quality Learning. Here's a quote from Chapter 1 in a discussion about the Sarbanes-Oxley Act:

Compliance regulations have become a prosthesis for the lack of trust - and a slow-moving and costly prosthesis at that.

Amen.

:{> Andy

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Writing Again

admin — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 22:48:00 GMT

I remember Brian Knight approaching me about contributing to the Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (Wrox, 2006) book. He said something like "Writing is a lot of hard work." He was right.

Remembering my younger, wilder days (I'm older and tamer now) I compare it to a hangover. While you're in the middle of it, you swear you'll never do this again. Time passes, healing the wounds and dimming the memories and you begin to think "That wasn't so bad."

Sooner or later you get another opportunity and you say "Ok!" It's when you start facing that first milestone or deadline that the old memories come flooding back.

But seriously, it's all good.

It's a big honor to even be asked to write. One that I humbly accept and hope to continue for many years.

The reason it's sometimes painful for me is I'm so unorganized. You don't have to take my word for it - ask my lovely bride Christy! Lucky for me, Christy keeps me straight and doesn't complain about my lack of organization skills.

To help me with organizing my time, I bought a book on time management... now if I only I can find the time to read it...

:{> Andy

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The Clean Break

admin — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:14:00 GMT

For the first time since 2001, I find myself sitting behind the president's desk in the global headquarters of my own business!

The new venture is called Andy Leonard Technologies, Inc. and this my first full-time day on the new office.

I mostly perform work for Solid Quality Learning as a mentor. For those who are unfamiliar with S. Q. L., it's a fantastic company! Not only are the people industry-recognized experts, they're actually cool! They engineer the entire process of joining their ranks so that it's low-stress. It has allowed me to ramp up quickly - and for that I am very thankful.

Mentoring is a great concept - it's a hybrid between consulting and instructing. Here's how it works: I join teams for a number of days or weeks. While working together, we develop a specific set of objectives - usually to develop template projects, best practices, and establish a foundation for the working environment. Together, we build out example projects using the templates to demonstrate their effectiveness.

In addition to this, I'm also a trainer. When training, I lead excellent classroom-based instruction courses. I currently lead the ETL with SSIS course, but I am ramping up on more course material - hoping to lead others.

In my previous jaunt into business, I operated ASI. ASI specialized in industrial automation and integration. It was a lot of fun for me because it brought together several disciplines I enjoyed (and still enjoy!): engineering, electrical control systems design, and software development.

ASI started in 1995 when I wrote one of the first completely web-based Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) called Plant-Wide Webs. Plant-Wide Webs started using dynamic HTML before DHTML was widely available, then graduated to ASP. Writing the application and running the business were cool experiences!

I learned a lot about business and myself. :)

Most of those lessons were learned the hard way. I remember looking at the checking account one day during my first few months of entrepreneurship and seeing $80 in there. I thought "I must've done something stupid." I was right, and this was the beginning of my understanding of business development.

When Solid Quality Learning called I was ready. I understood the risks of making the leap. I knew it would be a lot of hard work. But, unlike last time, this time I have a fantastic team supporting me - and outstanding business development support!

The person who deserves the most credit has to be Christy. Not only does she support this decision, she's actively involved - booking my flights, making hotel arrangements, and renting cars... she's awesome! She even jumps onto mapping software and talks me in from the airport to the hotel so I don't drive around lost my first night in a new town! (The car rental people always ask "Do you know where you're going?" and look at me funny when I say "No, but I'll find it!") Christy does this in addition to taking care of Stevie Ray and Emma without help from me (when I'm out of town or holed up in the office) - and she does it without complaining.

Thanks, Cutie. I couldn't do this without you!

It feels good to be back. So far, the new boss is treating me ok... but it's still early on the first day... ;)

:{> Andy

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