7 min read
Claude Code's Monitor Tool vs Polling: What Actually Happened
I gave Opus 5.5 a build to watch and a dev server to start, with and without the Monitor tool. It used Monitor inconsistently, and headless runs hid the answer.
Automation
70 articles
6 min read
Auditing 30 of My Posts with claude -p --json-schema
I had Haiku 5.5 audit 30 of my posts twice: once with --json-schema, once asking nicely for JSON. The shape held. The judgement moved, and that's the lesson.
9 min read
Auditing a Fabric Tenant on a Schedule with the Scanner and Admin APIs
Use a read-only service principal, the scanner APIs and the Fabric admin APIs to detect governance drift in a Fabric tenant, without handing it write access.
1 min read
AI-Powered Code Review: Integrating LLMs into Development Workflows
While linters catch syntax issues, AI reviewers understand context, identify logical errors, suggest architectural improvements, and explain complex code…
1 min read
Document Intelligence: Extracting Structured Data from Complex Documents
Document Intelligence understands document structure, extracting tables, key-value pairs, and semantic entities rather than just raw text. This structured…
1 min read
Building AI Agents with AutoGen and Azure OpenAI
AutoGen enables building sophisticated AI systems that can decompose complex tasks and collaborate to find solutions.
1 min read
Azure Machine Learning Pipelines: Orchestrating ML Workflows
Configure pipelines to run on schedules or in response to data changes, enabling fully automated ML operations with minimal manual intervention.
1 min read
Azure AI Document Intelligence: Automated Document Processing at Scale
For high-volume scenarios, implement batch processing with proper error handling and retry logic to ensure reliable document processing at scale.
1 min read
Data Mesh: Federated Computational Governance
Computational governance scales where manual review cannot. Embed policies in CI/CD pipelines to catch issues before they reach production.
1 min read
AI in Data Pipelines: Intelligent ETL and ELT
AI-enhanced pipelines handle complex transformations and quality issues automatically.
1 min read
Code Generation with AI: Building Developer Tools
AI code generation accelerates development while maintaining code quality.
1 min read
AI-Powered Documentation: Keeping Docs in Sync with Code
AI-generated documentation reduces maintenance burden while improving quality.
1 min read
Data Quality Automation with AI: Beyond Rule-Based Validation
AI-powered data quality catches issues that traditional rules miss.
1 min read
dbt and AI: Intelligent Data Transformations
AI supercharges dbt workflows with intelligent generation and optimization.
1 min read
AI-Assisted Data Modeling: Accelerating Schema Design
AI-assisted modeling reduces design time while improving schema quality.
1 min read
DataOps Maturity: Building Reliable Data Operations
DataOps maturity directly impacts data reliability and team productivity. Invest in these practices to build a robust data operation.
1 min read
Fabric Analytics Agents: Automated Data Analysis
Analytics agents reduce manual toil while improving data reliability. Start with monitoring agents for quick wins, then expand to exploration and quality…
1 min read
Azure AI Agent Service: Building Autonomous AI Agents
Azure AI Agent Service provides the foundation for building sophisticated AI systems that can reason, plan, and act autonomously. Start with simple agents…
1 min read
Agentic AI Capabilities: From Chatbots to Autonomous Agents
Agentic capabilities transform AI from a question-answering system into an autonomous problem-solver. The key is combining planning, tools, memory, and…
1 min read
Claude Computer Use Preview: AI That Can Control Your Desktop
Computer Use is a significant step toward truly autonomous AI agents. Use it responsibly with appropriate safety controls.
1 min read
Procedural Memory for AI Agents: Learning How To Do Things
Procedural memory captures: Action sequences : Steps to accomplish tasks Conditions : When procedures apply Parameters : Variables in the process Success…
1 min read
Automated Actions in Microsoft Fabric
Automated actions are what make Data Activator powerful. Today I'm exploring all the ways you can respond to data conditions automatically.
2 min read
Reflex Triggers: Building Automated Data Workflows
Reflex triggers are the heart of Data Activator. Today I'm diving deep into building sophisticated automated workflows that respond to your data.
1 min read
Data Activator GA: Automated Actions from Data
Data Activator monitors your data and triggers actions when conditions are met: A Reflex is a Data Activator item containing: Objects : Entities to monitor…
1 min read
Automation in Fabric: Scheduling and Orchestration
Automation is key to maintaining reliable data pipelines. This guide covers scheduling, orchestration, and automation patterns in Microsoft Fabric.
1 min read
Fabric REST APIs: Programmatic Control of Your Analytics Platform
Microsoft Fabric's REST APIs enable automation and integration with your existing tools. This guide covers the key APIs and common use cases.
1 min read
Fabric CI/CD: Building Deployment Pipelines
Implementing CI/CD for Microsoft Fabric ensures reliable, repeatable deployments of analytics artifacts. This guide covers building end-to-end deployment…
1 min read
Automated Report Generation with AI
AI can transform raw data into polished, narrative reports. This guide covers building automated report generation systems that combine data analysis with…
1 min read
Receipt Analysis with AI: Expense Management Automation
1. Handle image quality Validate before processing 2. Classify automatically Use LLM for categorization 3. Validate against policy Automate compliance…
1 min read
AI-Powered Invoice Processing: End-to-End Implementation
1. Use prebuilt invoice Optimized for invoice extraction 2. Validate extractions Check confidence and totals 3. Implement three way match PO, invoice,…
1 min read
File Processing with AI: Automating Data Workflows
File processing — extracting structured data from PDFs, converting between formats, parsing inconsistent CSVs, pulling content from Excel sheets with…
1 min read
Building AI Agents: From Chatbots to Autonomous Assistants
Function calling, released last week with the 0613 model versions, gives AI agents a proper foundation — and I've been rebuilding some agent prototypes to…
1 min read
Building AI Agents: From Chatbots to Autonomous Systems
AI agents represent the next evolution of AI systems. By combining planning, tool use, and memory, they can autonomously accomplish complex goals while…
2 min read
The IT Market in Decline: The Importance of Upskilling in the AI Era
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are transforming the way we live and work. The rise of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, is adding a new…
1 min read
A Christmas Gift: Azure Automation Scripts for the New Year
These scripts are my gift to you for a more efficient 2023. Start with the cleanup script to reduce waste, then implement tag compliance and scheduling.…
1 min read
DevOps Practices That Defined 2022
The four key metrics gained mainstream adoption: Security integrated earlier in the pipeline: IaC practices became more sophisticated: Three pillars…
1 min read
Azure DevOps vs GitHub Actions: Choosing the Right CI/CD Platform
Feature Azure DevOps GitHub Actions YAML Config azure pipelines.yml .github/workflows/ .yml Hosted Runners Microsoft hosted GitHub hosted Self hosted Yes…
1 min read
SharePoint Syntex Document Processing: Practical Implementation
Our goal is to: 1. Automatically classify incoming documents as invoices 2. Extract key data (vendor, amount, date) 3. Route invoices through an approval…
5 min read
Using Codex Models for Azure Development Automation
return self.generate(prompt, maxtokens=500, temperature=0.3) return self.generate(prompt, maxtokens=500, temperature=0.2)
1 min read
Building GitHub Composite Actions
Composite actions bridge the gap between simple step sequences and full custom actions.
1 min read
SQL Agent Jobs in Azure SQL Managed Instance
SQL Agent in Managed Instance provides enterprise-grade job scheduling without managing infrastructure.
1 min read
Automated Machine Learning with Azure ML AutoML
AutoML accelerates model development while maintaining production-quality results.
1 min read
Power BI REST API: Automating Analytics Operations
The Power BI REST API enables: Automated content deployment Scheduled refresh management Administrative automation Custom tooling and integrations REST API…
1 min read
Language Detection with AI Builder: Routing Multilingual Content
Language detection enables: Intelligent multilingual routing Appropriate language specific processing Global customer support automation Content…
1 min read
Category Classification with AI Builder: Automating Text Categorization
For content that belongs to multiple categories: Complete implementation: Category classification automates text organization: Route content to appropriate…
1 min read
Text Recognition with AI Builder: OCR for the Power Platform
Text recognition unlocks information trapped in images: Digitize physical documents Automate data extraction Enable document search Support accessibility…
1 min read
Business Card Reader with AI Builder: Digitizing Contact Information
The business card reader streamlines contact digitization: Instant extraction of contact details Integration with CRM systems Perfect for events and…
1 min read
Receipt Processing with AI Builder: Automating Expense Management
AI Builder extracts the following fields from receipts: Receipt processing with AI Builder transforms expense management: Instant data extraction from…
1 min read
Document Processing with AI Builder: From PDFs to Structured Data
AI Builder document processing transforms manual data entry: Pre built models for common documents Custom models for specific formats Human in the loop for…
1 min read
RPA with Azure: Scaling Robotic Process Automation in the Cloud
Cloud powered RPA with Azure provides: Scalable bot infrastructure Queue based work distribution Centralized monitoring Enterprise grade security Combining…
1 min read
Power Automate Cloud Connectors: Connecting Your Enterprise
Included with most Power Platform licenses: Require Power Automate Premium or per flow license: 1. Use managed identity when possible : Avoid storing…
1 min read
Azure Key Vault Secret Rotation: Automating Credential Management
Automated secret rotation ensures credentials remain secure while reducing operational burden.
6 min read
Dependabot Without the PR Flood: Config, Auto-Merge and Triage
How to configure Dependabot so update PRs stay reviewable: schedules, PR limits, ignore rules, safe auto-merge with GitHub Actions, and alert triage.
1 min read
Azure Automanage: Automated VM Management Best Practices
Azure Automanage transforms VM management from a series of manual tasks into an automated, best-practice-driven process. It's ideal for organizations that…
1 min read
Databricks REST API for Advanced Automation
The Databricks REST API exposes every workspace capability that the UI and CLI provide—and then some—making it the integration point for external…
1 min read
Mastering the Databricks CLI for Automation
The Databricks CLI is the command-line interface for Databricks workspace operations—running jobs, managing clusters, deploying libraries, uploading…
1 min read
Azure Blob Lifecycle Management: Automating Data Tiering and Deletion
Lifecycle management policies automate the tedious work of data tiering and retention, ensuring compliance while optimizing storage costs without manual…
1 min read
Scheduling Tasks with Azure Functions Timer Triggers
Create a scheduled function: Common CRON patterns: Implement patterns for tasks that may exceed timeout: Ensure single instance execution: Configure…
1 min read
Azure Desired State Configuration for Configuration Management
DSC works with three key components: Configurations : PowerShell scripts defining desired state Resources : Building blocks for configurations (files,…
1 min read
Azure Update Management for Patch Compliance
Set up Update Management for your VMs: Onboard VMs to Update Management: Schedule update deployments: Create maintenance scripts: Query update compliance…
1 min read
Azure Automation Runbooks for Infrastructure Management
Set up Azure Automation: Create a runbook for VM management: Create a Python runbook for resource cleanup: Create schedules for automated execution: Create…
1 min read
Azure Sentinel SOAR: Automating Security Response
In Sentinel, SOAR is implemented through Playbooks (Logic Apps) and Automation Rules.
2 min read
Azure Data Factory Triggers - Orchestrating Data Pipelines
ADF trigger design is where data pipeline reliability is won or lost. Schedule triggers are obvious—run at midnight, run every hour—but the interesting…
2 min read
Power Automate Cloud Flows - Building Intelligent Automation
Power Automate cloud flows are the thing I recommend to the "I don't want to write code" person on every client engagement, and they almost always produce…
1 min read
CI/CD to Azure with GitHub Actions
GitHub Actions went from "interesting alternative to Azure DevOps Pipelines" to "my default CI/CD choice for most new Azure projects" in about twelve…
7 min read
Automating Azure Site Recovery DR Drills with Recovery Plans
Turn Azure Site Recovery recovery plans and Azure Automation runbooks into a scheduled, unattended DR drill that proves failover works and records evidence.
8 min read
Power Automate Desktop at GA: Designing RPA Flows That Survive
How to design Power Automate Desktop flows that survive UI changes, when to choose attended or unattended RPA, and when an API beats a bot.
1 min read
Azure Automation DSC: Desired State Configuration
DSC: configuration as code for infrastructure compliance.
1 min read
Power Automate Expressions: Dynamic Flow Logic
Expressions turn simple flows into powerful automation.
1 min read
Azure Automation Runbooks for Cloud Operations
Every cloud team eventually accumulates a folder full of "scripts I run monthly" — clean up old resource groups, rotate certificates, scale down dev…