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Last edited: 2020-11-24
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Screenshots illustrating how to access
the New Horizons Lab on Demand environment:
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http://wordpress.e-squillace.com/nh-oll-lab-on-demand-screenshot-tour/
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General class times (in Eastern time), check the LMS website as the final authority.
Dedicated and onsite events, especially, may have non-standard schedules.
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Start: 9:00am
Morning Break: 10:30am (~15 minutes)
Lunch Break: 12:30pm (~60 minutes)
Afternoon Break: 3:00pm (~15 minutes)
End: 5:00pm
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To access your Skillpipe digital courseware:
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http://SkillPipe.com 
You can access your content while connected to the Internet, or,
install one of the available Reader applications for offline viewing.
The courseware content does not expire.
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Please record the following Arvato / Skillpipe
digital courseware support information:
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NACourseware@Arvato.com
855-507-6283
https://policies.skillpipe.com/en/faq [lots of questions answered here]
Google Chrome is a recommended browser for Skillpipe.
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Everything below this point is non-essential…
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…but listed below is a large number of potentially valuable resources.
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To get a free DropBox account:
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http://db.tt/kc6C7wk1 
To find out more about DropBox, go to http://www.DropBox.com
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George’s Lab Time Rules… 
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Rule #1: Use the Lab Answer Key instructions, or the inline lab instructions if they exist.
http://www.Microsoft.com/Learning
Information on Courses, Exams, and Certifications
Microsoft Learning – Companion MOC downloads http://www.Microsoft.com/Learning/CompanionMOC
Extra resources related to a particular course
“MOC” = Microsoft Official Curriculum
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To post questions to the Microsoft TechNet Forums:
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Browse to:
http://www.Microsoft.com/TechNet
Click on the “Forums” link up top.
Sign in with your Windows ID (required, to post questions, not required to browse).
Click on the “Forums [view all]” link.
Click on the “>>SQL Server” choice to expand the list of SQL Server forums.
Select the forum(s) of interest.
View the forum posts.
Click on the “Ask a question” button.
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Microsoft Hands-on Labs:
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https://www.microsoft.com/handsonlabs
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George’s Facts & Rules…
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Rule #1: The answer to every question you give a consultant is “It depends.”.
See Paul Randal’s (SQLSkills.com) related and funny post here, http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/paul/it-depends-it-really-really-does/
Rule #2: Think like a suit but work like a nerd.
Put yourself in the shoes of your users and try to think like them while you’re using your technical skills.
Rule #3: If I have to do something once, I will probably have to do it again.
So, keep reusability and abstraction in mind
Rule #4: When in doubt in Windows, right-click.
Rule #5: Leave a trail.
Leave documentation behind as if today were your last day on the planet or your last day on the job.
Rule #6: Select to Affect or…Select (the proper object) to affect (the properties of) (the proper object).
Rule #7: “Accept pain as early in the development as possible” – Dave Rodabaugh, BI Developer
Rule #8: Just because I CAN, doesn’t mean I SHOULD.
Rule #9: Write once, run many. This expresses the programming principals of modularity/encapsulation/abstraction. (related to rule #3)
Rule #10: I can’t turn to the left or right in SQL Server without being permitted to do so.
Rule #11: SQL Server doesn’t do what you WANT it to do, it does what you TELL it to do.
Rule #12: SQL Server won’t guarantee the sort order (presentation order) of results unless you force it to with an ORDER BY clause.
Rule #13: Read the manual.
Rule #14: Always query for the least amount of data that’s meaningful.
Rule #15: Anything I can “engineer” I can also typically “over-engineer”.
Rule #16: If I run into a particular problem it is likely someone else has already run in to the same problem and figured out how to solve the problem. So, SEARCHING becomes as important as SOLVING. Have a good arsenal of resources available to help you.
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Email Newsletters
Email newsletters & resources (free) you should sign up for:
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http://www.MSSQLTips.com 
http://www.SQLServerCentral.com 
http://www.SQLSkills.com 
http://www.BrentOzar.com 
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Find your local PASS User Group (Professional Association for SQL Server):
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http://www.PASS.org (search for a user group near you) 
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Find out if there is an upcoming SQLSaturday event nearby:
—
http://www.SQLSaturday.com 
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Find your local Power BI User Group and forum
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http://PBIUserGroup.com 
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