This is my third January as an independent database consultant, and it is always a really slow month for me. This year, I planned ahead and decided to take advantage of the extra time on my hands. I decided to learn more about Azure.

I knew that there were several courses on EdX  and MicrosoftLearning  (related to EdX) on Azure so I started there. One of the initial courses is an introduction to PowerShell. I have written a few PowerShell scripts in my time, but I haven’t done it frequently enough to really become confident in the language. PowerShell was becoming popular and more useful with SQL Server about the same time that I left my job as a DBA. Since then, on the rare occasion that I have written as script,  I have used the age old technique of searching online for something similar to what I want to do and then modifying it. Until now, I never have taken the time to really learn it.  In addition to the EdX course, I found out that there is another PowerShell fundamentals course in TechNet Virtual Labs. There are also a number of courses on  Pluralsight.

I am continuing the Azure series on Microsoft Learning and will take a look at some of the Azure certification exams soon. I love learning and am glad that I have some time to devote to it.