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Alik Levin's

Goodbye Microsoft, Hello Caradigm

Posted 9 months ago

by Alik Levin
- 1 Comments
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein.

I am moving on. I am leaving Microsoft and joining Caradigm, a Microsoft/GE joint venture, as security engineer. I won’t be updating this blog going forward. I will keep blogging on my personal blog at www.PracticeThis.com.

I was with Microsoft for 8 years, 6 years as a Principal Consultant with MCS (Microsoft Consulting Services) in the field working with enterprise customers and 2 years as Senior Programming Writer in Server and Cloud Division creating content for identity related technologies – WIF, AD FS, ACS, Graph API – and how they fit in the cloud dev story.

Here are few highlights related to my tenure at Microsoft.

Principal Consultant at Microsoft Consulting Services (2004 - 2010)
- On-hire took on struggling big project (hundreds of billable hours) and drove to customer’s success and as a result signing up for another three years retainer.
- Created and delivered Security Engineering delivery kit, generated pipeline to allow to hire two more security consultants.
- Created and delivered Performance Engineering delivery kit, generated pipeline to help another consultant to get off the bench beyond my utilization and capacity.
- Received WW Services CTO award for services community contribution in security engineering space.
- 6 years of utilization consistently above the target without burnout. This is how (slides avail here).
- Contributed for several patterns&practices guides: Improving Web Services Security, Team Development with Visual Studio Team Foundation Server, A Guide to Claims-Based Identity and Access Control (2nd Edition)
- Made ton of friends at Microsoft, with Customers, and within the Industry.
Sr. Programming Writer at Server and Cloud Division (2010 - 2012)
- Developed Information Architecture (IA) for developers content. Applied the IA for WIF, ACS, Graph API, AD FS SDK and RMS SDK content.
- Developed and applied Agile Content Engineering practices.
- Drove delivery and created original content for ACS 2.0.
- Drove delivery and created original content for WIF 4.5 through BUILD, Beta, and RC milestones.
- Drove AD FS SDK content improvements.
- Drove delivery and created original content for Graph API.
- Created original content for Windows Azure Security Guidance.
Things I Have Learned

This is partial list of things I have learned during my tenure at Microsoft:
- How to apply proven engineering practices
- How to ask cutting questions
- How to ask for effective feedback and give one
- How to assess architecture, code, and deployment of an app
- How to avoid paralysis by analysis
- How to be ahead of the pack
- How to be aligned with business
- How to be always prepared to move on
- How to build a knowledge map
- How to build commitments and deliver on it
- How to build network of v-peers using WIIFM
- How to carry out a simple message to the masses about complex topic
- How to coach/mentor and be coached/mentored
- How to cope with tough people
- How to cope with tough situations
- How to deliver value incrementally
- How to discover latent needs
- How to distinguish doing vs. achieving and focus on the later
- How to drive execution forward
- How to effectively communicate on emails and verbally
- How to get in the game quickly
- How to give effective presentation
- How to hold effective meetings
- How to identify and avoid drainers and stick with catalysts
- How to invest time in technology that matters
- How to know what’s hot and what’s not
- How to listen to customer needs
- How to manage conflict
- How to manage emails
- How to manage energy
- How to manage information
- How to manage time
- How to manage up (vs. kiss up)
- How to win hearts and minds optimizing around usefulness and usability
- How to plan and deliver daily, weekly, monthly, and annually
- How to prepare to interview (as interviewer and interviewee)
- How to read the signs time to move on
- How to reduce friction
- How to sell an idea to difference audiences
- How to set clarity on vision, mission, values, deliverables, execution
- How to share information effectively
- How to use social media to collect feedback and drive adoption
- How to write sample code that others can use effectively and efficiently
- How to write effective guidance
Thank you, Microsoft, and thank you all who helped and inspired me along the way.

My LinkedIn profile is here. Connect with me. Recommend me.
Alik Levin's

Graph API Code Sample: Authenticate and Read an Object From Windows Azure Active Directory (AD)

Posted 9 months ago

by Alik Levin
- 0 Comments
This code sample is a very basic console application written using Visual Studio 2010:
- Download the code sample: Authenticate and Read and Object From Windows Azure AD
It demonstrates the following key features:
- How to request JWT token from Windows Azure AD Access Control using symmetric key.
- How to authenticate with the JWT token to Windows Azure AD using Graph API.
- How to read Windows Azure AD Object using Windows Azure AD Graph API.
It effectively reflects on the following scenario:
- Creating Enterprise Applications by Using Windows Azure AD Graph
I have used the following resources to implement the sample:
- Sample Application for Azure Active Directory Graph API (RESTful API). I cannibalizes code from this sample.
- Windows Azure Active Directory Graph Prerequisites. I have used this content to sign up for Office 365 which effectively gives me a Windows Azure AD subscription.
- How-to: Authenticate To Windows Azure AD Graph Using Windows Azure AD Access Control. I have used this sample to request JWT token. The difference is that in the How-To Client Certificate is used as a credential and in my sample I use symmetric key as a credential.
- How-To: Implement Role-Based Access Control When Using Windows Azure AD Graph. I have used this How-To to create Service Principal and add it to a proper role. If I don’t add the Service Principal to a proper role then the request for the JWT token will result in the insufficient privileges exception.
- How-to: Read Windows Azure Active Directory Objects Using Windows Azure AD Graph. I have used this How-To to request actual data from Windows Azure AD using Windows Azure AD Graph API.
Subscribe to Office 365 to get your Windows Azure AD subscription, grab the sample and start programming against it using the sample and the How-To’s.

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Alik Levin's

Windows Azure AD Graph API Guidance Is Available on MSDN

Posted 10 months ago

by Alik Levin
- 0 Comments
Hot off the press, Windows Azure AD Graph API Guidance available now on MSDN here.

Here are key sections of the guidance:
Related

Principal Consultant at Microsoft Consulting Services (2004 - 2010)

Sr. Programming Writer at Server and Cloud Division (2010 - 2012)

Things I Have Learned

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