DP-420 test Questions - Designing and Implementing Cloud-Native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB Updated: 2024

VP Fastenal Solutions, Fastenal. Leveraging technology to maximize the efficiencies of vendor inventory-managed programs.

Organizations are always looking for ways to Strengthen productivity, add value for the customer and gain a competitive advantage. This pursuit has sparked an expansion of technology — hardware, firmware and software — in all areas of business. The avenues for process improvement seem endless, but it’s important to keep in mind that technology doesn’t function in a vacuum; it requires people and processes to be successful. When evaluating solutions, don’t forget to ask: Who will be my team behind the machines?

I have the opportunity to oversee the introduction of technology throughout the industrial supply industry. Businesses are implementing various types of hardware to their supply chains, such as barcode scanning systems, electronic storage bins, vending devices, cameras and various other pieces of hardware to Strengthen productivity. Along with this hardware comes another layer of firmware and software required for the hardware to function.

Planning For Implementation Resources

Decisions have to be made. What does the hardware communicate to and how? Depending on what you’re using it for, is there a user management or product management component you need to account for in the software? Resolving questions like these will require some level of technical or operational expertise.

“Plug and play” is typically more of a marketing slogan than a reality — most technology requires at least some resources to get up and running. Who is installing the technology? Does installation require expertise or special tools? Is the new hardware replacing something, and therefore do you need to remove what’s currently in place? Understanding who will provide this technical expertise is critical.

Building A Support Plan For Training And Maintenance

Following implementation, you’ll need a plan to support the technology. What is required and who is responsible? Whether the personnel comes from inside or outside your organization, a team must be tasked to align the technology with those productivity gains you originally hoped to achieve.

People need to be trained. Who will teach your employees how to use the new technology? Is training a one-size-fits-all approach, or will you require different levels and types of training for different users? Who is responsible for continued education? Chances are those resources exist; however, you need to make a decision regarding who is performing this role.

Mechanical and IT systems require upkeep. Where is your maintenance support coming from? If mechanical components are involved, who is responsible for the supply and upkeep of those parts? If software or firmware is involved, is your vendor or your IT department supporting this, or is it a combination of resources? You need a plan to maintain the technology.

Continuous Improvement

As you learn how the technology is performing, who is working to tap its full potential? As the technology and your processes around it evolve, who is identifying the adjustments that need to be made to ensure the technology adapts with your business? In most cases, it will take time to understand how to best optimize the technology to match your environment, while the process of discovery and adaptation is ongoing.

These needed resources shouldn’t deter you from introducing technology, but they need to be accounted for. It’s important to identify the processes that will disappear and develop the new processes and resources required to support the technology. A total cost of ownership analysis around your project will help you understand the cost associated with the change and the potential value to be gained. During this process, you will also be able to explore if the tasks required to support the technology should be performed internally or externally.

The right technology improves the productivity of your workforce. But don’t forget that technology takes teamwork, from implementation and training to maintenance and optimization. Overlook this piece and you may miss out on the productivity you’re seeking.

Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?

An test proctor will begin studying test instructions approximately 15 minutes before the test start time. Students must be in the test room with their test at this time. If taking the test on a laptop, it must be booted up and have passed the security check. Hand writers must not have a laptop with them in an test room, unless otherwise allowed according to the professor’s instructions. A student entering the test room after the proctor begins studying instructions will not receive additional time for booting up their laptop, passing the security check, and/or studying test instructions.

When instructed by the proctor, write your test number on the cover page of your exam, bluebooks, and any scratch paper you turn in as part of your exam. Handwritten test answers must be written in blue books in blue or black ink. Number the bluebooks you use (1 of 1, 1 of 2, 2 of 2, etc.). Proctors will allow time to read the professor’s instructions. Other than counting the number of pages of the exam, students are not permitted to turn the page of an test past the instructions page until the proctor instructs them to do so.

When taking a closed-book exam, no books, outlines, book bags, purses, or scratch paper (other than the scratch paper provided) may be at your seat during the exam. These items must be left outside of the test room or in the front or sides of the test room. Students may not begin to write anything, including on scratch paper, before the proctor begins a closed-book exam.

Students taking in-class exams are prohibited from having any electronic communication device, other than a laptop as allowed per the professor's instructions, during the exam. Cell phones and smart watches must be turned off during the test and placed in a bag or backpack. Violations of this rule may be considered an Honor Code violation. A clock in each test room will be the official timekeeper for the exam.

Non-alcoholic beverages are permitted in test rooms; however, the container must have a lid.

After the test instructions have been read and the test begins, the proctor will remain in the room. Any student who has a question or problem during an test should see the proctor.

Students may use the restroom or take a break during an exam. However, all test materials must be left in the test room and no additional time will be given. Students must sign in and out at the front of the room with the proctor.

Mike Bellido at CSI Ltd explains how to make sure your data is not at risk when using Microsoft Copilot

The business community is understandably hyped with the launch of the long-awaited Microsoft Copilot.

Microsoft Copilot is a powerful AI-powered productivity tool that uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to help enhance creative and collaborative projects, whilst honing skills and focus. As the name infers, ‘Co-Pilot’ works alongside you in Microsoft 365 applications, including every favourite, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Microsoft’s new AI tool supports efficient project management by undertaking tasks such as drafting documents, summarising text, and finding information on the user’s behalf. It can perform tasks such as language translation and even ‘write’ creative content such as company updates or client facing blogs.   

Amongst all the excitement around its capabilities, there are important considerations around data protection. Onboarding any new AI resource requires a business to take precautions in protecting data from unauthorised access, use, or disclosure.  

It is therefore critical that businesses keep in mind what data is being used. Copilot will utilise Office 365 data, extracting from sources such as SharePoint, OneDrive, and your email. With potentially sensitive, private, or confidential data spread across your O365 suite, there’s a costly risk that even with the best intentions AI could expose protected information. 

So, how does your business ensure that its data remains secure while taking advantage of this innovative technology? 

Understanding how sensitive your data is 

If you are to safely protect your data, you first need to identify what kind of data you have and how sensitive it is. This is where Azure Information Protection becomes key in understanding your types of data. AIP is a cloud-based solution that helps you discover, classify, label, and protect your data across different locations and devices. 

By using AIP, a business can ensure that its data is properly labelled and protected, helping to comply with various regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 1996) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). 

As a key example, a business could use AIP to classify customer data as “confidential” and then apply a set of security controls to that data set, such as requiring users to enter a password before they can access it. These technical controls create a kind of security baseline, controlling the ebb and flow of your O365 data and supporting confidentiality, privacy and all-round guarding data that requires strict levels of compliance. 

Manage the risks with a data governance policy 

Data governance is a set of policies and processes that ensure the effective and efficient use of information in your organisation. It covers aspects such as data quality, data security, data privacy, and data lifecycle.

By implementing data governance in your organisation, you can manage the risks associated with data, such as breaches, leaks, errors, or misuse. It also helps you optimise the value of data by enabling better decision-making, innovation, and performance.

For example, administrators can create a data governance policy that requires all employees to use Microsoft Copilot in a secure fashion. This policy could include requirements such as using strong passwords, not sharing Copilot-generated content with unauthorised users, and deleting Copilot-generated content when it is no longer needed. 

Enforce DLP rules and actions 

Data loss prevention (DLP) is a technology that helps you prevent your data from being leaked, stolen, or misused by unauthorised parties. DLP can help you detect and block sensitive data from leaving your organisation, alert users, or administrators when a potential data breach occurs, and enforce remediation actions such as deleting, quarantining, or encrypting the data.

For example, you can create a DLP rule that prevents users from exporting confidential customer data from Microsoft Copilot. This rule would be triggered if a user tries to export a document that is classified as “confidential” to a USB drive or email. 

Detect data threats by monitoring anomalies 

Monitoring and auditing your data activities is crucial to data security. It helps you detect and respond to any anomalies or threats that may compromise your data, investigate, and resolve any data breaches or incidents that may occur, and identify and address any gaps or weaknesses in your data security posture.

For example, you can enable logging and auditing for your Microsoft 365 environment to track all user activity in Copilot. This will allow you to see who is using Copilot, what they are doing with it, and when they are doing it. 

By following these steps, you can ensure that your data is secure while using Microsoft Copilot. With a little planning and effort, you can harness the power of AI without compromising your data security. 

Bringing AI capabilities into your business 

Microsoft Copilot is an exciting, powerful use of artificial intelligence that can meaningfully and beneficially Strengthen an organisation’s ability to collaborate, create and manage its O365 workflows.  Copilot is not just a content engine, it is a smart assistant that can help employees regain better focus and tackle time-sensitive, demanding workloads.

However, as with any AI tool or resource, it is important to take precautions in protecting business data so your business isn’t exposed or people using sensitive data inappropriately.   

Mike Bellido is a Solution Architect at CSI Ltd  

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com

Windows

At the event in the Boston Convention and Expo Center -- held less than a week before the software is slated to be released to the public -- Microsoft Vice President of Managed Solutions Ron Markezich told more than a thousand partners and IT executives that the full value of the products won't be apparent out of the box.

"Vista and Office [2007] have different user experiences, and it's not just about the client but how it interacts with the back-end data and servers in your environment," Markezich said. "We are extremely dependent on our partners in our economy."

He said Microsoft will rely on partners to implement and serve to end users the new workflow, communications and collaboration services in Vista and Office 2007 that will change the way business is done.

Microsoft, EMC and Enterasys Networks, Andover, Mass., have collaborated on a workflow system that provides a simple on-ramp to systems for new employees, said Scott Burgess, CTO of the Microsoft practice at Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC.

Erik Dubovik, director of IT strategic planning at Digitas, a Boston-based Web advertising firm, said during a panel discussion that his company will use Office 2007 and SharePoint 2007 to reduce the time it takes to create quality presentations, as well as Strengthen their quality with new features such as SmartArt. "Last time, we did the rollout in four weeks, and we're hoping to meet or beat that," Dubovik said.

Microsoft and its partners highlighted the advanced features of Vista and Office 2007, including search, business intelligence, analytics and communication and collaboration. But attendees largely focused on core issues that could hinder adoption by small and midsize businesses: high costs, compatibility issues and interoperability with current systems.

During a question-and-answer session after the panel, Neil Wasserman, a managing partner at Belmont, Mass.-based Adaptive Service Engineering, said customers often resist changes, especially when they entail a major transformation of business practices. "There are a lot of people who don't want to move," he said.

Another attendee, David Schrag, who identified himself as a problem-solver for Schrag Consulting, Brighton, Mass., said the solutions demonstrated on Wednesday would likely be too costly for small businesses that have an annual budget of $1 million to $5 million and can only spend $10,000 to $20,000 on products and $15,000 on services in one year.

"Do you see small companies buying hosted applications rather than buying software in-house?" Schrag asked.

Others expressed concern about application compatibility and interoperability issues that may crop up once the software is implemented. Boston attorney Sandra Singer asked if applications now running on Windows XP would run on Vista and how much of a software and hardware investment would be needed to upgrade.

Scott Munsey, owner of WillsterWebWorks, a Web design and IT consulting firm in Arlington, Mass., asked if Microsoft has enabled non-Windows clients to use SharePoint 2007.

Interoperability is a key issue for Claudia Boldman, chief of IT planning and strategy for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which engaged in a highly publicized battle with Microsoft two years ago over open document standards. At the event, Boldman asked if Vista and Office 2007 "bring us further down the road" toward open standards.

Microsoft's Markezich and other partners had some answers to all of those questions:

&#149 To get customers to adopt a new platform, dangle a cool, new end-user application that requires the new platform.

&#149 For small businesses on a tight budget, Microsoft advises trying out Office Live, although Markezich acknowledged that Office Live doesn't actually include the Office applications.

&#149 Microsoft and its partners said most Windows XP applications will run well on Vista -- as long as the makers of those apps have provided a Vista driver -- and that current PCs can be upgraded with a little memory and a graphics card to run Vista.

&#149 Digitas was pleased to note that SharePoint 2007 offers out-of-the-box support for Macintosh clients via IP-based forms capabilities.

&#149 In the area of interoperability, Microsoft has worked with Sun Microsystems, Novell and Nortel Networks to Strengthen Windows' interoperability with other platforms, Markezich said. Office 2007 also provides deeper XML support, partners added.

Attendee Kevan Keegan, a Boston-based consultant for The Beta Group, asked why Microsoft had little to say about Office Groove 2007, especially since Boston is the hometown of Groove Networks, which Microsoft acquired, and Groove founder Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's new chief software architect, who was hand-picked by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates to succeed him as the technology visionary at the company. "I was kind of surprised about that," Keegan said.