Azure & DevOps Podcast

• AI in .NET with Stephen Toub - Episode 344

  Stephen Toub is a Partner Software Engineer at Microsoft. Stephen has been at Microsoft for almost 24 years and has done it all. If it has to do with .NET, he’s been in it. And today, he looks after all the .NET libraries making sure .NET continues to be the fastest platform on the planet.  He ran the MSDN Magazine before it morphed into the docs and blogs of today. He was a leader in the concurrency and async and parallel programming developments, and now he’s turned his attention to pushing the AI envelope with .NET.   Topics of Discussion: [4:37] Stephen morphed a few of his many interests into the role he has today.  [6:04] How moments like the push for parallel computing, the open-sourcing of .NET, cross-platform support, and performance goals shaped Steven’s current focus. [7:37] Steven highlights the two major AI tracks: (1) AI-augmented tools that improve developer productivity, and (2) building AI capabilities into applications themselves. [10:37] The future of user interfaces.  [12:43] Why “agents” are basically advanced actor-based systems empowered by large language models and tool calling, enabling reasoning and orchestration beyond simple Q&A. [23:22] Model context protocol.  [24:08] A paradigm shift in system integration.  [30:24] How Stephen and the .NET libraries team factor out common AI abstractions for the ecosystem, so that different frameworks (Semantic Kernel, Onnx Runtime, Olama, etc.) can interoperate. [32:15] Steven gives examples of how minimal C# code, combined with locally hosted LLMs or cloud endpoints, can solve real tasks.    Mentioned in this Episode: Clear Measure Way Architect Forum Software Engineer Forum 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 Demystifying Retrieval Augmented Generation with .NET Suno csharp-sdk   Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

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• AI Developer Training in .NET with Bruno Capuano - Episode 343

  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: Clear Measure Way Architect Forum Software Engineer Forum 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 Generative AI for Beginners   Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.  

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• Per Kops: Architecture of Ollama and Local LLMs - Episode 342

  Per is an experienced software architect and developer with more than 19 years of experience in designing, developing, and testing software. He is currently serving as a Distinguished software developer at Delegate, a Microsoft Partner in Denmark.   Topics of Discussion: [3:02] More about Per’s background in nearly two decades in .NET and Azure consulting. [6:11] The concept of a boutique consultant. [7:00] Founding ATC-Net to share common .NET libraries and avoid duplicative coding. [10:02] Building trust with customers by open-sourcing “generic” components. [11:50] Creating a connector to run Olama (local LLMs) with Semantic Kernel. [20:08] Why Per “fell in love” with Semantic Kernel’s abstraction layers and extension possibilities. [21:44] The role of vector stores (like Azure Cognitive Search) in retrieval-augmented generation. [24:33] What do we mean by “vector” in the AI space? [26:39] What is a “text chunker”? [31:43] Azure AI search. [34:07] Finding the right tool for the right task.   Mentioned in this Episode: Clear Measure Way Architect Forum Software Engineer Forum 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 atc-net GitHub Per Kops LinkedIn Per Kops GitHub   Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

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• Patrick Escarcega: Software Engineering Principles - Episode 341

  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: Clear Measure Way Architect Forum Software Engineer Forum 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 Engineering Practices for LLM Application Development     Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

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• Daniel Roth: .NET 10 Preview 1 - Episode 340

  Daniel Roth is a Principal Product Manager on the ASP.NET team working on ASP.NET Core, Blazor, and other web features. He has previously worked on various parts of .NET, including System.Net, WCF, XAML, and ASP.NET. His passions include building frameworks for modern Web frameworks that are simple and easy to use.   Topics of Discussion: [3:15] Daniel shares his journey from back-end services to front-end development and his role in making .NET open-source and cross-platform. [6:10] Blazor and its impact on development. [8:32] A few of the strengths we get with .NET. [9:24] .NET 9 and performance improvements. [12:45] .NET 10 Preview 1 and new features. [17:32] Architectural guidance for Blazor applications. [30:17] The importance of handling state persistence to avoid memory bloat and security issues. [32:32] Observability and telemetry in Blazor. [36:28] Is the nature of the UI web user interface changing as we integrate AI technology and large language models and agents? [37:12] Integration of AI and Generative AI in Blazor. [37:38] The new Microsoft Extensions AI library for interfacing with chat services in .NET applications.   Mentioned in this Episode: Clear Measure Way Architect Forum Software Engineer Forum 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 Ep 274 with Daniel Roth Daniel Roth LinkedIn What's New for ASP.NET Core Blazor in .NET9 Daniel Roth — Author in .NET Blog Performance Improvements in .NET9 .NET Preview 1 is now available! ASP.NET Core in .NET 10 Preview 1 — Release Notes ASP.NET Core Roadmap for .NET 10 #59443   Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

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