Azure &amp; DevOps Podcast

Demystifying Retrieval Augmented Generation with .NET

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo

Stephen on GitHub

Stephen on LinkedIn

Suno

csharp-sdk

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Shaun Walker: Seven Years of Blazor - Episode 337

Azure & DevOps Podcast

02/17/25 • 42 min

Shaun Walker is the founder and CEO of Devessence, a global technology consultancy with a boutique approach. He’s also the founder of the Oqtane and DotNetNuke web application frameworks, which have earned the recognition of being amongst the most pioneering and widely adopted open-source projects native to the Microsoft platform. He has over 30 years of professional experience in architecting and implementing enterprise software solutions for private and public organizations.

Topics of Discussion:

[4:38] While AI can be a useful tool, it won’t replace the need for traditional programming.

[8:32] The gap between mainstream AI messaging and the reality of digital transformation.

[9:22] While AI is a significant advancement, it should be seen as just another tool in a developer’s toolkit.

[9:39] The history and evolution of Blazor.

[13:31] The versatility of Blazor and its ability to adapt to various hosting models make it a powerful tool for different types of applications.

[14:06] Challenges and best practices in Blazor development.

[16:26] The decision to make Blazor official and its impact on the .NET ecosystem.

[18:12] The evolution of Blazor Server vs. Blazor WebAssembly and why both are still relevant.

[21:06] When to use Blazor Static, Blazor Server, or Blazor WebAssembly, based on project needs.

[24:17] The tendency for technologists to be critics without actually using the technologies.

[34:36] The advantages of Octane and why it streamlines Blazor development.

[39:56] The TrailBlazor Conference.

Mentioned in this Episode:

ErrorBoundary and Logging in Blazor

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon!

Jeffrey Palermo’s Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events!

Oqtane

TrailBlazor Conference

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David Starr: Azure Cloud Marketplaces - Episode 311

Azure & DevOps Podcast

08/19/24 • 39 min

David Starr is a Principal Solutions Architect at Microsoft, focusing on Azure and cloud marketplaces. With over 20 years of experience, he has led software development initiatives, held architectural responsibilities, built high-performance teams, and fostered technical learning. He is passionate about delivering great software, designing cloud-scale solutions, and quality-focused engineering practices.

He has contributed to or led several team initiatives that enable and accelerate the Azure Marketplace, such as the Marketplace FastTrack Copilot using Azure Open AI, the SaaS Accelerator, the Data Sales Accelerator, and the .NET and Java SaaS fulfillment libraries. Additionally, he is the program owner for Mastering the Marketplace, a comprehensive learning platform for Microsoft partners and customers.

Topics of Discussion:

[6:09] Agile methodologies, Scrum, and software development leadership.

[6:38] Working with Agile Alliance and Scrum.org.

[7:50] What David learned working for several years at GoDaddy.

[9:49] Using Azure Marketplace to sell software and services, with examples of successful partners and their experiences.

[15:20] Who has full admin rights on MongoDB?

[17:49] Pricing models for AI models in Azure Marketplace.

[21:56] AI cost estimation and model selection.

[29:40] Azure Cloud Marketplace and AI advancements, with insights on how to get started with product development.

Mentioned in this Episode:

“Making HIPAA and HiTRUST Compliance Easier”

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon!

Jeffrey Palermo’s Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events!

Ep 149 with David Starr

David Starr LinkedIn

Azure for Executives

ElegantCode

ElegantCode on X

David Starr on PluralSight

AgileTeam Practices with Scrum

Mastering the Marketplace

Want to Learn More?

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Bruno Capuano: AI Developer Training in .NET - Episode 343

Azure & DevOps Podcast

03/31/25 • 38 min

Bruno Capuano is a Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft where he empowers teams to build AI solutions with Azure using programming languages like C#, Python, and C++. His approach is to solve complex problems with minimal effort, delivering simple and efficient solutions in today’s fast-paced AI landscape. Bruno has led innovation in teams at Avanade across Canada and Europe, transforming cutting-edge technologies into practical business solutions. He is passionate about working with teams, helping them grow, achieve high productivity, and foster collaborative, positive environments. As an international speaker, he advocates for making AI accessible to everyone, empowering teams and organizations to harness its transformative potential. Outside of tech, he is a runner, a lifelong learner, and always looking for his next challenge—whether it’s mastering new skills or tackling a marathon.

Topics of Discussion:

[5:08] Bruno explains how his passion for learning and community engagement led him to a role where he could dedicate himself to education and advocacy.

[7:17] Why data scientists and new AI tools often favor Python first, and how Bruno and his team work to ensure .NET developers also have immediate access to modern AI capabilities.

[10:31] The progression of getting developers into AI.

[11:20] Starting with familiar tools like Notepad.

[13:39] The “must have’s” for developers who want to start writing AI code.

[17:20] The benefit of GitHub models.

[23:47] Vector Databases & Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).

[25:17] How vector databases store information using numerical representations and enable semantic search.

[31:25] Bruno highlights how AI “skills” or “functions” can call external APIs to fetch real-time data.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Generative AI for Beginners

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo

Bruno LinkedIn

Want to Learn More?

Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

Patrick Escarcega: Software Engineering Principles - Episode 341

Azure & DevOps Podcast

03/17/25 • 32 min

Patrick Escarcega is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Meserow Design, a company known for its excellence in developing and maintaining custom software solutions. His background is in software engineering and has been leading software teams for many years. His technical focus has been on Microsoft development and cloud technologies.

Topics of Discussion:

[3:30] Patrick recalls the moment he transitioned from individual software developer to leading teams, highlighting the importance of understanding how software adds business value beyond just code.

[5:00] Patrick describes the joy he rediscovered in coding when starting his own company, emphasizing the delicate balance between hands-on coding and leadership responsibilities.

[7:50] The head chef and food scientist analogy.

[9:26] The importance of creating a safe environment, a “pit of success,” so developers can naturally follow best practices without feeling constrained.

[10:36] Why readable, maintainable code is crucial, especially for senior leaders whose time is spent reading code more than writing it. [13:27] Comparing software engineering creativity to building an engine from “invisible Lego bricks," emphasizes the hidden creativity involved in engineering solutions. [15:08] The importance of leaders giving developers space and freedom to craft innovative solutions, rather than overly prescribing methodologies.

[17:00] Running integration tests.

[20:41] Accessibility and WCAG compliance explained: Why accessibility should be an integral part of software development and testing workflows. [23:14] EqualWeb accessibility checker and Chrome browser extension.

[25:02] Practical everyday use of AI in software development, especially GitHub Copilot, and why developers should embrace AI tools regularly to remain productive and competitive.

[31:10] Patrick encourages developers to embrace AI and keep learning, emphasizing that continuous adaptation will keep careers vibrant over the next decade.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Engineering Practices for LLM Application Development

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo

Patrick Escarcega

Meserow Design

Want to Learn More?

Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

Étienne Tremblay: Setting up for DevOps properly - Episode 303

Azure & DevOps Podcast

06/24/24 • 51 min

As the president of Tegaaa Solutions, a DevOps consulting firm, Étienne helps clients achieve optimal performance and efficiency in their software development processes. With over 30 years of IT experience and 20 years of Microsoft specialization, he has the skills and knowledge to provide tailored solutions for any DevOps challenge.

He is passionate about sharing his expertise and best practices with the IT community as a Microsoft MVP for TFS and Azure DevOps since 2006, and a regular speaker at local technical conferences and user groups since 2005. He also offers mentoring and training for organizations using Visual Studio and Team Foundation Server and designs enterprise and application architectures for projects of all sizes. His mission is to empower developers and organizations to leverage the power of DevOps and Azure to deliver high-quality software faster and better.

Topics of Discussion:

[3:30] Étienne’s career progression from mechanical engineering to software development.

[6:14] Yes, Étienne was TFS before it was cool.

[7:14] Étienne’s interesting specialization in aerodynamics.

[11:18] Not making things too complicated.

[12:49] Étienne’s interest in the building process.

[14:07] Building the blueprint.

[17:08] GitHub vs. Azure DevOps for enterprise use.

[19:49] Microsoft's struggle with GitHub's repo-centric approach in the enterprise.

[24:17] The key differences in how work is tracked.

[28:10 What is Entra ID?

[34:08] Agility is becoming a religion, where it needs to be more of a spirit.

[38:04] Kanban system for managing work in progress.

[46:24] Implementing Azure DevOps for beginners, with tips and resources.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Get Started with Azure DevOps

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon!

Jeffrey Palermo’s Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events!

Etienne LinkedIn

Tegaaa Solutions

Want to Learn More?

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Jeff Wouters: PowerShell Programming - Episode 320

Azure & DevOps Podcast

10/21/24 • 33 min

Jeff was born and raised in The Netherlands and is an IT geek with a passion for automation. At the young age of 6, he had his very first computer and started developing his own Pacman to learn Batch programming. Looking back, the performance was terrible, but it worked. Over the years, he has always kept in touch with some sort of scripting or programming languages, such as Batch, (Turbo) Pascal, PHP, Delphi, Kixtart, Visual Basic Scripting (VBS), VB .NET, PowerShell, and C# .NET (Core). He is the owner of Methos, a consultancy and managed services company from The Netherlands focused on Microsoft Modern Workplace (Windows + Intune + Office365) and Azure through automation and Infrastructure-as-Code.

Topics of Discussion:

[4:19] Jeff’s passion and the three turning points in his career.

[8:47] The architecture and intention behind PowerShell being built on .NET.

[12:33] What are the biggest mistakes Jeff sees people making when it comes to PowerShell?

[11:50] Best practices for using PowerShell in DevOps environments, and common mistakes to avoid.

[16:04] Differences between binary and PowerShell-based modules, and the benefits of exploring module code.

[18:18] Leveraging .NET code in PowerShell scripts and the advantages of this approach.

[20:00] Preferred methods for writing automated tests for PowerShell code.

[23:39] Jeff’s current focus areas, including certifications and his upcoming “script portal” project.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon!

Jeffrey Palermo’s Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events!

Want to Learn More?

Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

Scott Nichols: Azure AI Foundry - Episode 338

Azure & DevOps Podcast

02/24/25 • 40 min

Scott Nichols is a Principal Cloud Solutions Architect at Microsoft. He works for the commercial enterprise division serving the high-tech division out of Silicon Valley. He is also the leader of the .NET and the Azure user groups in Boise, Idaho. He started his career in the IT profession in 1993 as a mainframe and web developer. Since then, he has served as a Lead Software Engineer/Solution Architect, a Software Development Engineering Manager, a Sr. Cloud Software Solution Architect, and a Sr. Enterprise Solution Architect. When not at the keyboard, he loves the outdoors hunting, camping, fishing, archery, and working in the yard.

Topics of Discussion:

[4:03] Generative AI’s turning point.

[5:52] Bridging the AI coding gap.

[6:39] Scott explains the shift in project workloads to generative AI-based projects, both customer-facing and internal.

[7:25] Networking companies using AI to analyze telemetry data and create new products.

[8:49] Azure AI Foundry is a web portal that allows developers to spin up Azure Compute and access over 1800 models.

[13:00] Although a “Cloud Guy,” Scott values his on-prem hardware as a playground for learning and experimenting with AI tools.

[15:04] The benefits of using open source or on-prem tools to start working with AI without incurring cloud costs right away.

[15:40] The rapid pace of innovation.

[20:41] An example of Khan Academy using AI to create an online tutor, requiring significant prompt engineering to ensure accurate responses.

[27:12] AI agents monitoring AI agents.

[27:59] AI’s limitations and opportunities.

[31:56] Testing strategies for AI-Integrated systems.

[35:37] The future of AI and how it’s a great time to be in AI.

[39:35] Great advice for the next generation of developers and software engineers.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Ep 116 with Scott Nichols

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo

The Five Pillars: Leadership For Effective Custom Software, by Jeffrey Palermo

Jeffrey Palermo’s Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events!

Scott Nichols LinkedIn

Scott Nichols Twitter

Want to Learn More?

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Philip Japikse: Migrating from .NET Framework to .NET 8 - Episode 296

Azure & DevOps Podcast

05/06/24 • 43 min

An international speaker, Microsoft MVP, ASPInsider, MCSD, PSM II, PSD, and PST, and a passionate member of the developer community, Phil has been working with .NET since the first betas, developing software for over 35 years, and heavily involved in the agile community since 2005 as well as a Professional Scrum Trainer. Phil has taken over the best-selling Pro C# books (Apress Publishing), including Pro C# 10, is the President of the Cincinnati .NET User’s Group (Cinnug.org), and the Cincinnati Software Architect Group, co-hosted the Hallway Conversations podcast (Hallwayconversations.com), founded and runs the CincyDeliver conference (Cincydeliver.org), and volunteers for the National Ski Patrol. During the day, Phil works as the CTO for Pintas & Mullins. Phil always enjoys learning new tech and is always striving to improve his craft.

Topics of Discussion:

[3:47] Philip’s career journey and why he’s still hands-on coding.

[5:37] Sometimes it’s not a technical problem, but a process or human interaction problem.

[6:37] Philip’s love of mentoring.

[8:18] The importance of collaboration.

[9:53] Challenges in migrating applications from .NET Framework to .NET Core.

[12:55] The importance of staying current.

[14:48] Modernizing legacy web applications using .NET Core.

[19:22] Rebuilding an old app using new technology, with challenges and lessons learned.

[24:22] Gradually introducing a new screen using feature flags is better than a "big bang" rewrite.

[26:01] Continuous deployment helps to roll out new features gradually to limited users.

[27:53] Differences between the .NET framework and .NET Core apps, including configuration settings to environmental awareness.

[34:59] Philip’s favorite resources to dig into, including his book.

[41:20] The power of collaborative learning.

Mentioned in this Episode:

“Philip Japikse: Professional C# in .NET - Episode 230”

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at [email protected].

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

.NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon!

Jeffrey Palermo’s Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events!

Want to Learn More?

Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

April Yoho: GitHub in 2025 - Episode 346

Azure & DevOps Podcast

04/21/25 • 37 min

April is a senior developer advocate and DevOps practice lead for GitHub, specializing in application transformation and DevOps ways of working. Her focus is working on Microsoft Azure to take customers on a journey from legacy technology to serverless and containers, where code comes first, while enabling them to take full advantage of DevOps. April was previously a cloud consultant and solution architect for various partners in the UK and brings her years of experience in helping customers plan their journey. She also serves as a Hashicorp Ambassador, dedicating much of her time to working with infrastructure as code (IaC). She enjoys making Azure and its features more accessible. Her technical expertise includes PowerShell, Golang, and occasionally TypeScript and C#. In her free time, April enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and scuba diving. Additionally, she is a triathlete who competes in Ironman and Half Ironman events.

Topics of Discussion:

[1:57] April’s career journey — from U.S. data center outages and 72-hour shifts to discovering cloud and automation after relocating to the U.K. [3:53] How an early Azure migration in 2013 ignited her passion for infrastructure as code and DevOps.

[5:33] GitHub’s evolution into a full end-to-end enterprise platform, with a major focus on security, scalability, and developer productivity. [6:51] Code Spaces: VS Code in the cloud with 60 hours free per user — solving compute and environment parity issues across teams. [10:00] GitHub’s internal use of Code Spaces: every GitHub employee (aka “Hubber”) uses it to work on the github.com codebase. [12:29] Code Spaces’ advantages in lab and hackathon settings, including speed, security, and reliability. [13:55] Breakdown of GitHub Copilot’s flavors: chat, inline suggestions, edits, pull request reviews, and agentic AI. [17:12] Real-world uses of Copilot Edits: generating documentation, writing tests, and making cohesive multi-file changes. [20:00] GitHub’s goal of enabling the “10x developer,” not just in speed but in quality, consistency, and creativity.

[25:00] How AI tooling is changing how we think about architecture, code reuse, and shrinking monoliths into modular libraries. [30:00] Prompting strategies: how different cultures and languages impact the way developers interact with AI tools. [32:47] GitHub Workspaces: start from requirements, generate a plan, and get a head start on writing and converting code. [35:00] April’s belief that AI-driven development is already here, and edits are one of the best ways to experience that transformation now.

Mentioned in this Episode: