Category: Learn by doing

Learning by Doing

Learn by doing, ServiceNow

Getting Started with ServiceNow: Server-side Glide, Performance common issues, Business Rules and Client Scripts

| Rafael Martins Cardoso

Hi guys,

It’s time for ServiceNow go on air, all lights pointed at him now please.

The topics for today’s post are scripting (Server-side Glide, Business Rules, Client Scripting) and how to troubleshoot some performance issues. This are basic key points for any SN admin.

If you know how to answer the questions below, probably you should jump straight away to my next post I am going to post regarding this category.

Review questions:

  • How can I obtain a list of distinct incidents?
  • How can I measure performance of a request?
  • What’s the difference between client script and server-side script?
  • What is a business rule?
  • What is a client script?

Continue reading “Getting Started with ServiceNow: Server-side Glide, Performance common issues, Business Rules and Client Scripts” →

5/5 - (1 vote)
Business Intelligence, Learn by doing, Microsoft SQL

Getting Started with Business Intelligence: Data Warehouse (T-SQL, Indexes, Isolation Levels and Performance)

| Rafael Martins Cardoso

Hello.

When we’re talking about Business Intelligence (BI), we straightly imagine all Kimball concepts, star-schema, the famous slow changing dimensions among others, but we forget where it all begins. Today I will talk about some basic concepts (but quite important) in database concepts before things can start serious. The key points for this post are T-SQL, Indexes, Isolations Levels and Performance.

If you know how to answer the questions below, probably you should jump straight away to my next post I am going to post regarding this category.

Review questions:

5/5 - (1 vote)
Learn by doing

How to add a configuration file (app.config) to your #C application?

| Rafael Martins Cardoso

Hi,

This article shows how to add a simple configuration file (app.config) to your #C project. Sooner or later, you need to change a value such database connection string or username. By adding an application configuration file (app.config file) to a C# project, you can customize how the common language runtime locates and loads assembly files which means you can create keys to be used on your project without need to recompile it everytime you need to update some value.

 

What is App.config?

At its simplest, the app.config is an XML file with many predefined configuration sections available and support for custom configuration sections. A “configuration section” is a snippet of XML with a schema meant to store some type of information.

Settings can be configured using built-in configuration sections such as connectionStrings or appSettings. You can add your own custom configuration sections; this is an advanced topic, but very powerful for building strongly-typed configuration files.

Web applications typically have a web.config, while Windows GUI/service applications have an app.config file.

Application-level config files inherit settings from global configuration files, e.g. the machine.config.

Reading from the App.Config

Connection strings have a predefined schema that you can use. Note that this small snippet is actually a valid app.config (or web.config) file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
    <appSettings>   
           <add key="ConnectionType" value="MSSQL" />
    </appSettings>
</configuration>

Once you have defined your app.config, you can read it in code using the ConfigurationManager class. Don’t be intimidated by the verbose MSDN examples; it’s actually quite simple.

Continue reading “How to add a configuration file (app.config) to your #C application?” →

3.7/5 - (3 votes)
Reviews, Tools

Synchronize your Folders using SyncToy (for Windows)

| Rafael Martins Cardoso

Hello,

If you use different computers and drives in your job or at home, it can be annoying maintaining the same data in all places in case of disaster recovery.

Today’s post is about how to create your own personal “backup” solutions. Let’s get the party started then!

My bottom line

All the lights goes to “Microsoft SyncToy“. It’s a piece of cake. It’s free, it does completely his job and it’s lightweight. What else?

 

For Windows

Creating your disaster recovery plan can be easier with the Microsoft SyncToy 2.1 utility. You might have a flash drive to bring your data from the workplace to your home and vice versa. Though sometimes you might forget to copy that files and misteriously your drive starts failing. And oh boy, now you’re in problems .. or not, if you use Microsoft Sync Toy. It’s easy!

With Microsoft’s SyncToy it allows you to easily make sure all data between drives and folders is synchronized. There are a plently of reasons you might want to synchronize folders,  wanna to sync your My Pictures folder with the one at work, or sync your music at home with music on another computer. The bottom line is, it’s free and it works. Is provided by Microsoft and was once part of the XP Power Toys but has continued to grow and improve.

Continue reading “Synchronize your Folders using SyncToy (for Windows)” →

5/5 - (1 vote)
Road to Certification, ServiceNow

How to become a Certified ServiceNow Administrator (CSA) in 20 days

| Rafael Martins Cardoso

Hello.

Before you start this journey, you need to take some points in consideration:

1. Where are you going to take the exam?

The first question is answered easily. Training is available directly from ServiceNow Education Services or through ServiceNow Authorized Training Partners. I purchased the certification through the website http://www.webassessor.com/servicenow and I selected on site, Rumos at Lisbon, Portugal. As alternative, you have Online Proctored which is online using a webcam and empty room.  As I’m afraid that’s something goes wrong, I preferred In Site option. So far so good.

2. When are you planning to take the exam?

The second question is tricky. It all depends on the amount of experience you have in this type of tool and your learning ability. Mark only the exam when you have experience as developer and user. The exam is 70% experience + 30% tricky questions from the official book. Schedule with a 2 weeks margin to give time to mentally be prepared.

3. How much experience you have?

It is advisable that you have at least 6 months of development experience in ServiceNow.

4. How many hours can I devote daily and what to study?

 Although you feel that you have mastered this already, you have to spend a considering amount of time daily to mistake in order to get it right.

5. Test, fail and try again

Search for sample tests, chapters questions existing in books. Evaluate yourself regularly, try to know where your faults are and correct them. Search your why!

The following books covers the last servicenow versions:

  • Mastering ServiceNow 1 – revised for the Eureka version, release date May/2015
  • Mastering ServiceNow 2 – revised for the Helsinki version, release date November/2016
  • ServiceNow Integrations Basics Wiki Book (*)

Probably a bit outdated and shabby but thats what it is.

 

Thank you,
Rafael

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Microsoft SSRS, Problem solving

Keep your SSRS ExecutionLog more than 60 days

| Rafael Martins Cardoso

Hello,

Welcome back! As 2017 begins, things are going to change around here. A new challenge has arrived, #22posts12months. I will try to keep posts shorter and objective. I will publish every 15 days. Keep me updated on how it all works for you!

ExecutionLogDaysKept

Probably you didn’t noticed yet but if you try to collect usage information for our Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (execution log), by default Reporting Services instance will only keep the most recent 60 days in the execution log . Even though the server had been running a good deal longer than that!

Parameter: ExecutionLogDaysKept

The number of days to keep report execution information in the execution log. Valid values for this property include 0 through 2,147,483,647. If the value is 0 entries are not deleted from the Execution Log table. The default value is 60.

Source: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb934303(v=sql.105).aspx

How to keep them then?

There’re 2 ways to do this: (1) through Server Properties page or (2) a SQL statement.  Continue reading “Keep your SSRS ExecutionLog more than 60 days” →

5/5 - (2 votes)
Learn by doing, ServiceNow

The Beginner’s Guide to ServiceNow (Part 1): How to start and continue?

| Rafael Martins Cardoso

Hello,

If you have been involved with IT in any capacity over the last years, you have probably heard the name ServiceNow. That is because in just a short period of time, this PaaS (Platform-as-a-service provider) has become one of the major players in the world of IT management. And with the company increasingly servicing the public sector, the ubiquity of ServiceNow products is only expected to grow. Continue reading “The Beginner’s Guide to ServiceNow (Part 1): How to start and continue?” →

5/5 - (2 votes)
Microsoft Windows Server, Problem solving

LMCompatibility – Failed to connect remote server via Remote Desktop (RDP)

| Rafael Martins Cardoso

4.5/5 - (2 votes)
Hey guys,

Everything has been working great until recently for some reason you cannot use your RDP client to access your remote server? Did your remote desktop client continues to pop-up and you’re sure that entered the right password? Or your session unexpectedly exits? The following procedure could work on you.

Continue reading “LMCompatibility – Failed to connect remote server via Remote Desktop (RDP)” →