Connect to Oracle Database with Python cx_Oracle through LDAP in Ubuntu
31 Jan 2021 | Programming | Python • Oracle
Connecting to an Oracle Database with Python cx_Oracle through LDAP is not trivial. It needs to install cx_Oracle module and Oracle Instant Client libraries, as well as set up LDAP settings in the Oracle Client. This post describes the processes to set up a connection to an Oracle Database on-premises with Python on a Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure. Read More...

My Reflections on 2020 and Resolutions for 2021
31 Dec 2020 | Reflections |
2020 is over, and brighter days are coming. On the last day of 2020, I want to reflect on the past year and setup some goals for the new 2021. The COVID-19 changed our lives and caused many losses, but I was, lucky enough, able to get on some new habits, chanllenges, and achievements in 2020. Read More...

Connect Power BI Desktop to Oracle Database through LDAP/JDBC Connection Strings
29 Oct 2020 | Database | Oracle • Power BI
Microsoft Power BI Desktop can connect to many data sources, Oracle Database is one of the most popular ones. The missed steps on installation of Oracle client and ambiguous specification of ServerName/ServiceName in the Power BI’s official document make it hard to follow. This post aims to fill the gap with step-by-step instrucitons to figure out LDAP information for connecting to an Oracle Database, to install and configure an Oracle Data Access Client (ODAC), and to connect to an Oracle Database in Power BI Desktop. Read More...

Create a Virtual Machine with Private IP from a Virtual Network that's in a Different Subscription in Azure
20 Oct 2020 | Azure | VM • Private IP
In previous post I described how to create a Linux Virtual Machine(VM) and connect to it through WindSCP on Windows 10 under a company proxy. However, it is not a best practice from security perspective. One of the best practices is to create a VM with private IP that comes from a dedicated Virtual Network (VNet). The VNet can be in the same Resource Group as the VM, but it can also be from different Resource Groups and even different Subscriptions. This post describes how to create a Linux VM with a Private IP in a VNet that comes from a different Subscription. Read More...

Create and Connect to Azure VMs through WinSCP/PuTTY
01 Oct 2020 | Azure | VM • SSH • Proxy
To learn Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine, the first thing you want to try might be to create a VM and connect to it. If you follow the steps described in Microsoft’s official quickstart document, you most likely fail to connect to it, especially when you are under a company proxy. This post decribes the step-by-step process I performed to create a Linux VM and connect to it through WindSCP on Windows 10 under a company proxy. Read More...