T minus 7 days: Last Free Lunch

Somehow I've slipped into blogging in the morning, but since this launch countdown is for working days, dear readers, we're still on track.

The title of this post isn't metaphorical, because today is my last free lunch provided by my current employer, 2X Software. Coffee, soft drinks, snacks and free lunch on Fridays are the perks I am leaving behind, but sometimes a better opportunity requires such bold sacrifices ;)

Yesterday, I was reminded that Microsoft has Virtual Lab environments specifically tailored to particular scenarios for nearly all of their products including (surprise) SQL Server 2008 & R2. There is absolutely no sign-up required and a single or set of Hyper-V virtual machines are prepared for you VDI-style. There are on-screen instructions for the scenario which can be downloaded to PDF file and the servers are completely controllable by you just like a real server... because they are real servers! Granted, Microsoft is guiding you in the textbook method of performing operation rather than real-world scenarios, but for brand new and Junior DBAs this is a ready, available and effective resource. The only thing it does require is a Windows workstation with IE8, RDP 7 and .NET 3.5 - Windows 7 is probably preferred.

Happy Friday Everybody! I'll talk to you later.