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Hack Together: The Microsoft Fabric Global AI Hack
The Microsoft Fabric Global AI Hack is your playground for creating and experimenting with Microsoft Fabric. With mentorship from Microsoft experts and access to the latest tech, you will learn how to build AI solutions with Microsoft Fabric! The possibilities are endless for what you can create… plus you can submit your hack for a chance to win exciting prizes! ?
Learn how to create amazing apps with RAG and Azure Open AI
Are you ready to hack and build a RAG Application using Fabric and Azure Open AI?
?Join us for the Fabric AI Hack Together event and learn the concepts behind RAG and how to use them effectively to empower with your data with AI.
? You’ll get to hear from our own experts Pamela Fox (Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft) and Alvaro Videla Godoy (Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft) who will introduce you to the challenge, provide links to get started, and give you ideas an inspiration so you can start creating amazing AI solutions with minimal code and maximum impact. :fire:
?? You’ll also get to network with other hackers, mentors, and experts who will help you along the way. Come with ideas or come for inspiration, we’d love to hear what you’re planning to build!
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If you’re using Azure Database for MySQL and have encountered issues with name resolution or the Domain Name System (DNS) when attempting to connect to your server from different sources and networks, then this blog post is for you! In the next sections, I’ll explain the causes of these types of issues and what you need to do to resolve them.
What are DNS issues?
DNS is a service that translates domain names (e.g., servername.mysql.database.azure.com) into IP addresses (e.g., 10.0.0.4) to make it easier for us to identify remember and access websites and servers.
However, at time the DNS service can fail to resolve the domain name to the IP address, or it might resolve it to the wrong IP address. This can result in errors such as “Host not Known” or “Unknown host” when you specify the server name for making connections.
Diagnosing DNS issues
To diagnose DNS issues, use tools such as Ping or nslookup to verify that the host name is being resolved from the source. To test using ping, for example, on the source, run the following command:
ping servername.mysql.database.azure.com
If the server’s name is not resolving, a response similar to the following should appear:
Fig 1: Ping request not returning IP
To test using nslookup, on the source, run the following command:
nslookup servername.mysql.database.azure.com
Again, if the server name is not resolving, a response similar to the following should appear:
Fig 2: nslookup to DNS request not returning IP
If on the other hand the commands return the correct IP address of the server, then the DNS resolution is working properly. If the commands return an error or a different IP address, then there is a DNS issue.
To verify the correct IP address of the server, you can check the Private DNS zone of the Azure Database for MySQL Flexible server. The Private DNS zone is a service that provides name resolution for private endpoints within a virtual network (vNet). You can find the Private DNS zone in the properties of the overview blade of the server, as shown in the following figure:
Fig 3: Checking the private DNS zone in the Properties of overview blade
In the Private DNS zone, you can see the currently assigned IP address to the MySQL Flexible server, as shown in the following figure:
Fig 4: Private DNS Zone overview
Resolving DNS issues
The solution to fix DNS issues depends on the source and the network configuration of the server. In this blog, I will cover two common scenarios: when the source is using the default (Azure-provided) DNS, and when the source is using a custom DNS.
Scenario 1: Source is using the default (Azure-provided) DNS
The default (Azure-provided) DNS can only be used by sources in Azure that have private endpoint, vNet integration, or have IPs defined from a vNet. If you are using the default DNS and you are getting a DNS issue, you need to check the following:
vNet of the source: Check the vNet of the source (also check NIC level configuration in case of Azure VM) and make sure that it is set to Azure-provided DNS. You can check this on the vNet > DNS servers blade, as shown in the following figure:
Fig 5: DNS servers blade in virtual network
Private DNS zone of the server: Go to the Private DNS zone of the MySQL Flexible server and add the vNet of the source to the Virtual Network Link blade, as shown in the following figure:
Fig 6: Adding virtual network link to private DNS zone
After these steps, you should be able to ping and nslookup the server’s name from the source and get the correct IP address.
Scenario 2: Source is using a custom DNS
This is the most commonly used scenario by the users. This pattern can be used in a hub-and-spoke model and also for name resolution from on-premises servers. In this scenario, a custom DNS server is deployed in a hub vNet that is linked to the on-premises DNS server. It can also be deployed without having on-prem connectivity, as shown in the following figure:
Fig 7: Network diagram showing access through custom DNS server in Hub and Spoke network.
In this scenario, the MySQL Flexible server is deployed in a delegated subnet in Spoke2. Spoke1, Spoke2, and Spoke3 are connected through the Hub vNet. Spoke1 and Spoke3 have a custom DNS server configured which is deployed in the Hub vNet. Since both spoke vNets (1 and 3) are connected through the Hub vNet, clients can directly connect with the MySQL Flexible server with IP address only and DNS name resolution would not work.
To fix this issue, perform the following steps:
Conditional forwarder: Add a conditional forwarder on the custom DNS for mysql.database.azure.com domain. This conditional forwarder must point to the Azure DNS IP address: 168.63.129.16, as shown in the following figure:
Fig 8: Adding conditional forwarder for mysql.database.azure.com
Virtual network link: You need to add a virtual network link in the Private DNS zone for the custom DNS server’s vNet, as described in the previous scenario.
On-premises DNS: If you have clients on-premises that need to connect to the Flexible server FQDN, then you need to add a conditional forwarder in the on-premises DNS server pointing to the IP address of the custom DNS server in Azure for mysql.database.azure.com. Alternatively, you can use the same custom DNS IP in additional DNS servers on on-premises clients.
Conclusion
In this blog, I have shown you how to solve DNS issues with Azure Database for MySQL using different DNS scenarios. I hope this helps you to enjoy the benefits of using Azure Database for MySQL for your applications.
We are always interested in how you plan to use Flexible Server deployment options to drive innovation to your business and applications. Additional information on topics discussed above can be found in the following documents:
“Help technical users who had problem installing update KB5034441 2024-01-09 “0x80070643 – ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE” Workaround: It might be necessary to increase the size of the WinRE partition in order to avoid this issue and complete the installation.”
“The content in this repository is highly valuable for beginners, as it not only introduces the concepts of generative AI but also provides hands-on examples and code snippets to help users understand and implement the techniques. The lessons cover a wide range of topics, including language models, semantic search, transformers, and more, giving learners a holistic understanding of generative AI.
Moreover, the repository is actively maintained and has received significant community engagement, with over 23.6k stars and 15k forks. This level of community activity demonstrates the value and popularity of the content. Additionally, the presence of 50 contributors indicates a collaborative environment where users can benefit from the expertise and insights of others in the field.
I have personally found this content to be highly informative and well-structured, making it an ideal resource for individuals looking to explore generative AI. I believe that this repository will greatly benefit those who are new to the field and provide them with a solid foundation to build upon.
As an MVP, I have written a blog post discussing the significance of generative AI and its potential applications in healthcare. In the blog post, I have highlighted the “Generative AI for Beginners” repository as an excellent starting point for individuals interested in learning more about this field. I have shared practical examples and insights from the repository to showcase the practicality and versatility of generative AI in the healthcare domain.
Additionally, I have organized a virtual event for the local developer community, where I conducted a workshop using the lessons from the “Generative AI for Beginners” repository. The event aimed to introduce beginners to the world of generative AI and provide them with hands-on experience in building their own models. The event received positive feedback, with participants expressing their appreciation for the comprehensive and beginner-friendly content provided by Microsoft.”
“This is a content that compiles all the installation methods for implementing Microsoft 365 security and compliance, and can be used as a reference when writing work or blog articles. It is also a very useful content for planning and proposals, as it serves as a guideline for design and includes license information, which is helpful when planning the order of implementation and construction.”
(In Japanese: Microsoft 365のセキュリティ、コンプライアンスの実装についてすべての設置方法がまとまっており、仕事やブログ記事を書く際にリファレンス的に参照することが可能なコンテンツ。企画、提案の際にも設計の指針になり、ライセンス情報も同コンテンツに記載があるため導入構築順などを計画する際にも役立つ非常に有用なコンテンツ。)
“This is a valuable article that delves deeper into the Microsoft Global Network and provides an answer to the question, ‘Does this connection architecture connect to the internet or not?”
(In Japanese: Microsoft Global Network について一歩踏み込んで「この接続アーキテクチャはインターネットに出るのか否か」に答えを与えてくれる、ありがたい記事です。)
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Power Platform and Low Code are a fast-growing practice area for many partners and we want to hear from you about how you are building and expanding this practice and the type of services you offer, so that we can share back broad trends and insights with the partner community.
We are currently conducting a survey to identify and define the value partners realize through their relationship with Microsoft and Power Platform. This research is being done by IDC’s Channels and Alliances Research Group on behalf of Microsoft. Please use this link to take the survey: https://aka.ms/PowerPartnerProfitabilitySurvey. It takes approximately 10-15 minutes and we recommend that it is completed by your Power Platform practice lead. The questions included are related to Microsoft and Power Platform revenue growth, profit across resale, services and/or software, investments in your Power Platform practice, and Microsoft activities/programs that drive success.
We’re interested in learning about your practice development and the profitability of your Power Platform business. The information you provide will be aggregated and used in an IDC eBook, and will help Microsoft improve its partner strategy and programs related to Power Platform.
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Learn how the upcoming 2024 release wave 1 will enable you to track and report your greenhouse gas emissions with ease and accuracy.
Sustainability is more than a buzzword. It’s a global imperative that demands urgent action from all sectors of society, including the business world. As regulations and expectations around environmental reporting evolve, organizations need reliable and efficient tools to measure and manage their impact on the planet.
That’s why we’re excited to announce that Dynamics 365 Business Central will soon offer new sustainability features that will help you comply with the latest standards and best practices, as well as drive positive changes for your business and the environment. Starting from the 2024 release wave 1, you’ll be able to track and report your greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across three scopes defined by the ESG standard, using sustainability journals and built-in calculation methods. You’ll also be able to leverage the new Chart of Sustainability Accounts to organize and analyze your emission data with ease and transparency.
The new functionality is designed to oversee and regulate an organization’s environmental footprint by tracking various greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, facilitating proper insights. This functionality will be a multi-wave investment and at this first release we delivered basic framework as a foundation for future expanding. The first version focuses on GHG emissions, and related to that the solution is focused on three emission scopes defined by the ESG standard. This feature supports the basic process of collecting emission data via sustainability journals, allowing for manual entry of known data, or utilizing built-in methods for calculating emissions footprints.
Chart of Sustainability Accounts
The Chart of Sustainability Accounts forms the foundational structured list used for recording all emissions data. It functions as a comprehensive framework that categorizes and organizes these accounts based on their attributes, such as scope or other groupings. Each account is typically assigned a unique code or number for easy reference and tracking, following the same structure as a traditional Chart of Accounts but customized specifically for monitoring sustainability-related data and metrics within an organization.
This chart typically encompasses categories such as energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, and other pertinent sustainability metrics. Users have the flexibility to add Account Categories and Subcategories to define how the system behaves, selecting dedicated emissions for tracking, emission factors, formulas, and similar configurations.
In essence, the Chart of Sustainability Accounts serves as the backbone of the Sustainability feature, facilitating effective tracking, measurement, and management of sustainability-related data and metrics within the organization.
Chart of Sustainability Accounts
Sustainability Journals
Sustainability Journals are designed to track and record sustainability-related activities, and metrics within an organization, using the same user experience as other journals in Business Central. Within the journal, users have the option to input emissions manually if they possess the necessary information. Alternatively, if they lack this data, they can utilize built-in formulas to accurately calculate emissions based on specific known parameters corresponding to various types of sources and accounts.
When posting with a Sustainability Journal, entries are generated on the Sustainability Ledger. Similar to other journal types, users have the flexibility to utilize various templates and batches with specific configurations. They can opt for standard journals or recurring journals to manage sustainability data efficiently.
Sustainability Journal
Sustainability Entries
The Sustainability Ledger organizes all emission data according to the Chart of Sustainability Accounts. When a user posts the Sustainability Journal, all crucial data is recorded within the Sustainability Entries. Posting to these entries can be regulated by specific rules configured in the Sustainability Setup, and users can use dimensions in a manner consistent with other entries throughout Business Central. All reports are generated based on Sustainability Entries. Presently, there are several existing reports available for analyzing and tracking emissions. However, in future releases, Business Central will introduce additional reports for printing or submission to relevant authorities.
Future Development
As mentioned in the introduction, Microsoft will continue to enhance this feature by adding more horizontal capabilities and improving its connection with other features in Business Central, without focusing on industry-specific aspects. The development of new features will depend on research of the key elements for such solutions, compliance with regulatory requirements, and useful feedback from partners. Also, it is expected that ISV partners will use this basic framework to create industry-specific sustainability solutions.
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