The data experts exchange and family friendly conference For the third time now we turned the annual SQLBits conference into a trip for the whole family. Why? Well, maintaining a work/life balance is always a challenge, so whenever possible making community events into long weekends and trips away with the family is a great opportunity … Continue reading SQLBits 2023
Author: mrpaulandrew
Avanade Centre of Excellence (CoE) Technical Architect specialising in data platform solutions built in Microsoft Azure.
Data engineering competencies include Azure Synapse Analytics, Data Factory, Data Lake, Databricks, Stream Analytics, Event Hub, IoT Hub, Functions, Automation, Logic Apps and of course the complete SQL Server business intelligence stack.
15+ years’ experience working within healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and gaming verticals delivering analytics through the definition of industry leading design patterns and technical architectures.
STEM ambassador and very active member of the data platform community delivering training and technical sessions at conferences both nationally and internationally.
Father, husband, swimmer, cyclist, runner, blood donor, geek, Lego and Star Wars fan!
Creating a Data Sandbox
Data Product Infrastructure as a Service Another blog post inspired by a recent conversation with my lovely Norwegian colleagues where I was asked about the creation of a data sandbox to support a customer engagement. Having done this before it seemed like a good enough reason to share my knowledge and experience with the community … Continue reading Creating a Data Sandbox
Data Engineering Interview Questions
Something a little different for this post... I was asked to put together a set of interview questions that could be used on a cohort of data engineering candidates with a varied level of experience. This seemed like a good thing to blog for the wider community to review and feedback on. Please also accept … Continue reading Data Engineering Interview Questions
Building a Data Mesh Architecture in Azure – Part 16 – Dead or Alive?
Is the Data Mesh dead or have we been using it without realising? The Gartner Hype Cycle for Data Management 2022 curve (shown below) is now a well-known picture in certain circles of the data community. It seems the trolls love to point out the relatively low position that Data Mesh has on this curve … Continue reading Building a Data Mesh Architecture in Azure – Part 16 – Dead or Alive?
Building a Data Mesh Architecture in Azure – Part 15 – Frequently Asked Questions
Addressing Hype, Problems Faced & Common Misconceptions As I continue my day job supporting customers in their journey towards a true data mesh architecture, I've started to see a series of common questions. Or a set of common problems that I get asked. Frequently asked questions (FAQ's) if you like 🙂 For clarity, I am … Continue reading Building a Data Mesh Architecture in Azure – Part 15 – Frequently Asked Questions
Can Azure Data Analytics unlock better business decisions?
My MSIgnite UK Spotlight Session 2022 Abstract The drive to stay ahead of the competition is greater than ever. With this comes a new wave of demand for data, in a resilient, reliable, and easily accessible form. In this session we’ll address the growing requirement for this capability head on, aligning our understanding on what … Continue reading Can Azure Data Analytics unlock better business decisions?
Building a Data Mesh Architecture in Azure – Part 14 – Anti Patterns
Meeting with Zhamak at Big Data London On 21st Sept 2022 I attended the first day of the Big Data London (BDL) conference held at the London Olympia. My main reason for travelling to the conference was simple, to see and speak with Zhamak Dehghani. In short, objective achieved, including clearing the air from those … Continue reading Building a Data Mesh Architecture in Azure – Part 14 – Anti Patterns
Training Events in October 2022
Azure Data Factory & Azure Synapse Analytics Pipeline Training Get your tickets for more in person training with me this October. Limited places available, don't miss out. Azure Data Integration Pipelines: Fundamentals to Level 300 When: Monday, 10th October Where: Lamot Conference & Heritage Centre - Mechelen, Belgium Host: dataMinds Connect Tickets: https://tickets.datamindsconnect.be/ Azure Data … Continue reading Training Events in October 2022
Visio Stencils – For the Azure Solution Architect
I feel like I've mentioned this collateral to loads of people, but only recently releaised that I've never actually blogged about it! So, just a quick post to help anyone that likes Visio and drawing pictures. In short, my brains works best with pictures. I like drawing architecture diagrams and can represent almost anything visually … Continue reading Visio Stencils – For the Azure Solution Architect
Building a Data Mesh Architecture in Azure – Part 13 – How To Organise Data Domains In Practice
Should Data Domains Be More Than a Simple Structure? Spoiler alert... Yes... Based on my experience. Read all blog posts in the Data Mesh vs Azure series via this link. Context Defining an organisation hierarchy is always hard, even more so for large enterprises with massive amounts of interlock between business functions. In the context … Continue reading Building a Data Mesh Architecture in Azure – Part 13 – How To Organise Data Domains In Practice
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