Earlier this year, I introduced the Sitecore XM Cloud Developer Certification Practice Exams app, a free resource that seemed to resonate well with the Sitecore developer community. The community's feedback online and offline during the 2024 Sitecore Symposium has been inspiring, and I’m excited to build on that momentum.
The Sitecore CDP Developer Certification Practice Exams app shares the same goal as its XM Cloud counterpart: providing high-quality, no-cost tools to prepare developers for their certification journeys. By simulating the exam environment and focusing on critical knowledge areas, these tools remove the financial and logistical barriers that often come with traditional study materials.
Features That Mirror the XM Cloud App Success
Authentic Exam Experience: Just like the XM Cloud app, this new tool features randomized 30-question exams and a 60-minute timer to simulate real CDP exam testing conditions.
Competency-Focused Questions: Drawn directly from Sitecore’s documentation, the questions hone your understanding of CDP-specific concepts like architecture, real-time decisioning, data ingestion, and privacy compliance.
Time Management Training: With a timer to mimic the real exam, you’ll develop the pacing skills necessary for success.
Whether you’re familiar with the XM Cloud app or just discovering these resources, you’ll find the CDP version equally intuitive and impactful.
If you're already familiar with the XM Cloud Practice Exams app, you'll find familiarity in the Sitecore CDP Practice Exams app with CDP-specific questions to level up your knowledge in preparation for the exam.
Built for the Community, Designed for Accessibility
The XM Cloud practice exam app was born from a personal need and a vision to empower developers to pass their exams and earn Sitecore certification badges. With over a decade in the Sitecore ecosystem, I’ve seen how access to high-quality learning tools can unlock opportunities for developers at every level. This app continues that mission, focusing on the expanding world of Sitecore CDP.
Certification should be about your skills and commitment, not your wallet. That’s why this tool, like its predecessor, is 100% free.
Ready to Tackle the Sitecore CDP Exam?
Dive into the Sitecore CDP Developer Certification Practice Exams app and take the next step in your Sitecore journey. With no cost, no risk, and plenty of learning, it’s the perfect added companion for your exam preparation.
I built an app to help me understand the differences in roles and responsibilities between MCP 1.0 and MCP 2.0, and I think it may be helpful for others. I wanted an easy way to search or browse the different roles and responsibilities and get a clear answer.
Navigating the complexities of the Sitecore Managed Cloud PaaS 2.0 roles and responsibilities matrix isn't particularly exciting, especially for those new to the platform or customers moving from MCP 1.0. While I discovered that the roles and responsibilities in MCP 1.0 and MCP 2.0 are fundamentally similar, MCP 2.0 introduces more detailed and specific tasks related to modern cloud infrastructure management and security enhancements.
This week, I built a learning/reference app to help Sitecore customers, developers, architects, operations administrator/support teams, and account/project managers (and myself 😏) easily reference the different roles and responsibilities defined in MCP 2.0.
The tool sets out to simplify the process of familiarizing oneself with new tasks and responsibilities, making searching and browsing through the matrix far more digestible. Whether transitioning from MCP 1.0 or diving into MCP 2.0 for the first time,
First, let's highlight the key differences between MCP 1.0 and MCP 2.0 roles and responsibilities I noted during my research.
The RACI Model
The MCP roles and responsibilities matrix is structured using the RACI model, a framework that defines various stakeholders' involvement in completing project tasks or deliverables. Understanding this model is important for effectively navigating the roles and responsibilities within Sitecore Managed Cloud PaaS 2.0.
What is the RACI Model?
RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. Each role in the matrix is assigned one or more of these labels to specify their level of involvement in a given activity.
Responsible (R): The person or people who do the work to complete the task. They are responsible for action/implementation. Responsibility can be shared.
Accountable (A): The person who is ultimately answerable for the correct and thorough completion of the task. This role is often called "the one who signs off on the work," and only one person can be assigned to this role for each task.
Consulted (C): The people who provide information for the project and with whom there is two-way communication. These are typically subject matter experts.
Informed (I): The people who are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or deliverable, and with whom there is just one-way communication.
Applying the RACI Model in Sitecore Managed Cloud PaaS
Sitecore applies the RACI model to delineate roles and responsibilities among Sitecore, customers, and partners within the MCP 2.0 environment to ensure all stakeholders understand their part of the bargain.
Here are some examples of how the RACI model is applied:
Activation and Termination: For activating the Sitecore Managed Cloud, Sitecore is Accountable (A) and Responsible (R), while the customer/partner is Informed (I).
Provisioning of Environments: Sitecore is Responsible (R) and Accountable (A) for creating new environments while the customer/partner is Consulted (C).
Application Design and Implementation: The customer/partner is Responsible (R) and Accountable (A) for planning Sitecore software upgrades, while Sitecore is Informed (I).
Infrastructure and Server Management: Sitecore handles the initial provisioning checks as Responsible (R) and Accountable (A), with the customer/partner being Informed (I).
Key Differences Between MCP 1.0 and MCP 2.0 Roles and Responsibilities
While both MCP 1.0 and MCP 2.0 maintain a similar structure and overall responsibilities, MCP 2.0 introduces several new and detailed tasks that reflect advancements in cloud infrastructure management and security. Here are the main differences:
Provisioning of Sitecore Environments
MCP 1.0:
Create new environment, installation, and initial set up: Sitecore (R, A)
Delete existing environment: Sitecore (R, A)
Reset existing environment: Sitecore (R, A)
MCP 2.0:
Provision Sitecore Managed Cloud production Hub-spoke environment(s): Sitecore (R, A)
Provision Sitecore Managed Cloud non-production environment(s): Sitecore (R, A)
Configure initial network security – VNET and subnets: Sitecore (R, A)
Configure initial network security – private link / private endpoint (App service, SQL, Key Vault): Sitecore (R, A)
Configure Azure Bastion service: Sitecore (R, A)
Implementation of Azure S2S VPN: Sitecore (R, A)
Ongoing S2S VPN configuration and client-side management: Customer/Partner (R, A)
Operating system (PaaS): Sitecore (R, A)
Sitecore Cloud operations change management (via ServiceNow): Sitecore (R, A)
Azure DDoS standard initial setup: Sitecore (R, A)
Azure DDoS standard post-provisioning: Customer/Partner (R)
Define basic Web Application Firewall requirements - rule management: Customer/Partner (R, A)
Implement initial Web Application Firewall configuration and rule management (Front Door): Sitecore (R, A)
Initial deployment security hardening of Sitecore product: Sitecore (R, A)
Ongoing security hardening of Sitecore application: Customer/Partner (R, A)
Why I Built This App
The roles and responsibilities matrix is a critical component of the Sitecore Managed Cloud PaaS 2.0 offering, providing essential information about the tasks and duties of different team members. However, the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming.
My goal was to create an intuitive and user-friendly tool that would streamline familiarizing oneself with these roles, ultimately enhancing productivity and understanding.
Key Features of the App
The web app is designed to be straightforward and efficient, offering several key features:
Search Functionality: Users can quickly search for specific roles or responsibilities using keywords. This feature significantly reduces the time spent sifting through documents.
Browse Capability: For those who prefer to explore, the app allows users to browse through the roles and responsibilities in a structured manner, making it easy to find relevant information.
Whether you are a new user trying to understand your role or an experienced professional looking for specific responsibilities, this tool is designed to help you find the information you need quickly and easily.
For a detailed look at the roles and responsibilities, refer to the official Sitecore documentation provided in the app. Feel free to reach out if you have any feedback or suggestions for improvement.
For some time, we struggled with a pesky issue in one of my client's Sitecore MVC Helix-based solutions: certain Sitecore TDS items would fail to load due to excessively long file paths. The problem varied depending on where the developer's cloned solution was located, leading to a cascade of error pop-ups in Visual Studio. Through experimentation, we landed on an effective solution to mitigate the errors.
Here’s a detailed rundown of what we tried and what ultimately worked.
The Persistent Error
The error surfaced as a series of pop-up messages in Visual Studio whenever a developer loaded the solution.
Close. Close. Close. Close. Close.
Each pop-up corresponded to a TDS item that failed to load due to excessively long paths. Once each pop-up was manually closed, Visual Studio would finally load the solution.
Within the TDS console, various errors like this would be present:
The file 'C:\GITCODE\Client\Client.com\src\Foundation\SharedTemplates\tds\Client.Foundation.SharedTemplates.Master\sitecore\templates\Foundation\Client\SharedTemplates\Sales Tool\Components\Text With Image Video\_textWithImageVideo\Data\Video Thumbnail Image.item' could not be loaded.
12:07:35 PM: Sitecore TDS has finished parsing 707 files for Client.Foundation.SharedTemplates.Master.
Warning: Sitecore TDS could not load all files for the project. The files may be missing or corrupted. Please see the Sitecore TDS pane in the output window for more details.
Attempts to Resolve the Issue
1. Updating the Windows Registry
For Windows 10, we tried edited the registry to enable long paths by adding a LongPathsEnabled key:
git config --system core.longpaths true
(Configures Git to support long paths for all users and repositories on the entire system, requiring administrative privileges.)
git config --global core.longpaths true
(Configures Git to support long paths for all repositories the current user uses without requiring administrative privileges.)
This approach appeared to work for Windows 11, but not Windows 10.
3. Using Directory Junctions (Symbolic Links)
Our breakthrough came from using directory junctions, which effectively shortened the path length by creating a
symbolic link to the project directory. This can be accomplished using the command prompt or with PowerShell:
Creating a Directory Junction using the Command Prompt
Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
Run the mklink Command:
Suppose your project directory is located at
C:\Users\YourUserName\GitSolutions\SitecoreSolution.
You can create a shorter path like this: > mklink /J C:\ShortPath C:\Users\YourUserName\GitSolutions\SitecoreSolution
This command creates a junction at C:\ShortPath pointing to your actual project directory.
Access Your Project:
Open your project from the new shorter path (C:\ShortPath) in Visual Studio.
Creating a Directory Junction using PowerShell
Open PowerShell (in Windows Terminal) as Administrator: Press Win + X, and select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)".
Run the New-Item Cmdlet:
Suppose your project directory is located at
C:\Users\YourUserName\GitSolutions\SitecoreSolution.
You can create a shorter path like this: > New-Item -ItemType Junction -Path "C:\ShortPath" -Target "C:\Users\YourUserName\GitSolutions\SitecoreSolution"
This command creates a junction at C:\ShortPath pointing to your actual project directory.
Access Your Project:
You can navigate to C:\ShortPath and see that it points to your original directory. Open your solution file from the new shorter path (C:\ShortPath) in Visual Studio.
TL;DR
For Windows 10 Users:
Using directory junctions proved to be the most effective solution for developers on Windows 10. It’s a non-invasive
approach that doesn’t require registry edits or changes to Git configurations.
For Windows 11 Users:
Enabling long paths via Git configuration has shown similar results in Windows 11 without creating a junction.
This setting seems to leverage Windows 11's improved support for long paths across more applications, including Visual Studio.
Conclusion
If you’re struggling with similar issues, I highly recommend trying directory junctions or adjusting your Git configurations based on your operating system.
Try these methods and see the difference it makes in your
development process. Share your experiences or tips in the comments.
Another year, another exciting Sitecore Hackathon! This round, I flew solo under the moniker "Sitecorepunk
2077" (a play on the critically acclaimed 2020 action role-playing video game "Cyberpunk 2077").
If you're curious how the event unfolded, I documented my progress on X (formerly Twitter) every couple of hours:
⌚ 4 hours deep into #SCHackathon 💡
I've got an idea that I think I'm rolling with. ☑ Proof-of-concept was successful.
🔍Exploring how I want to proceed with a proper implementation.
⌚ 20 hours into #SCHackathon
<4 hours remain ✅ Video production ✅ Video uploaded + ReadMe link updated ⏳ Documentation
finalizations ⏳ Commit to Git 🏁 I can see the finish line!
⌚ 21 hours into #SCHackathon
< ~2.5 hours remain ✅ Video production ✅ Video uploaded + ReadMe link updated ✅
Documentation finalizations ✅ Commit to Git 🚀 DONE!
Needless to say, I was utterly exhausted and slept for 12 hours straight, following the 32 hours I had been
awake. While I didn't snag a win (congrats, team Cloud Surfers and team 451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons ), I enjoyed the experience, am proud of what I was able to output, and look forward to the next one.
Module Concept and Inspiration
The 2024 Sitecore Hackathon category I chose to work against was "Best Module for XM/XP or XM Cloud" - although the result could also fit the bill for "Best use of AI". Inspired by the ever-increasing need for accessible content, I decided to develop a module that converts text content into spoken audio files, which are then stored remotely and saved as an MP3 links within the item's context - all from within Sitecore. Ultimately, once I landed on the idea, the goal was to provide an easy-to-use tool for generating audio
versions of Sitecore content, thereby enhancing accessibility and improving user engagement for individuals with visual impairments or
preferences for audio content.
Features
Here’s a breakdown of what makes the SPE Text-to-Speech Audio Synthesis Module stand out:
Lifelike Speech Synthesis from Microsoft Azure Cognitive AI Speech Services
One of the core features of this module is its ability to convert text content into lifelike speech. By transforming text
into life-like speech, the module makes content more accessible to a broader audience, including those with visual impairments
and individuals who prefer consuming content through audio.
The module utilizes Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services Speech Service to generate audio from
selected text fields dynamically. This integration ensures high-quality, natural-sounding speech output. Whether
it's a blog post, news
article, or product description, every piece of content can be converted into audio, broadening its reach and
enhancing user engagement.
Storage via Azure Blob Storage
To store the generated audio files, the module leverages Azure Blob
Storage APIs. Once an audio file is
generated and store locally in a temporary directory, it is then uploaded to a dedicated Azure Storage container. The API returns a URL to the audio file, which is then
populated in the context page item’s Audio URL field.
Interface and Custom Ribbon Button
A custom Ribbon Button on the Home tab streamlines the audio-generating process. This button triggers
an interactive Sitecore PowerShell Extensions dialog where authors can configure various options, such as voice selection, field selection, and speech rate adjustment, and kick off the speech synthesis generation.
The customizable options ensure the audio output matches the intended tone and speech rate, providing a tailored
listening experience.
Multi-Language Support
Recognizing the diverse needs of global users, the module supports multiple languages. For demonstration purposes and
within the natural time constraints of the Hackathon, the following languages are supported in the initial implementation:
English (en)
Japanese (ja-JP)
German (de-DE)
Danish (da)
Each supported language selection has a series of Neural
(lifelike, natural-sounding) voice options from Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services Speech Service (~449 neural voices to choose from). These
hand-selected voices are configured to provide the best audio experience for each language. Of course, support can be expanded to include additional languages (there are 136 languages supported by Azure AI Speech Services).
High-level Technical Breakdown
Initialization and Setup
The script sets up the necessary Azure services and local environment configurations.
User Interaction and Dialog Configuration
The script provides a dynamic interface through a custom Ribbon Button in the Sitecore Content Editor. This button, titled 'Generate Audio' or 'Regenerate Audio' based on the context item’s state, opens a dialog for configuring the audio output. The fields and options available in the dialog are as follows:
- Field to Convert to Speech
Lists all Rich Text Editor (RTE) and multi-line text fields available on the item.
Special Case: If the 'Speech Content Override' field is populated, it appears as an additional option.
- Include Title?
A standalone radio button to include the item's title in the audio file.
- Voice
Dynamic option based on the item's language, the dialog offers preselected AI Neural voices.
- Speech Rate
Control the how fast the speech is spoken.
Optional double value, defaulting to 1.0 if left empty.
Range: Between 0.5 (slow) and 2.0 (fast).
The dialog properties and user input handling are defined as follows:
Fetching and Sanitizing Text Content
The Invoke-AudioStreamFetch function handles the core functionality of fetching the text content from
Sitecore, sanitizing it, and preparing it for conversion into speech.
The function checks if the title should be included and concatenates it with the main text content. It then sanitizes
the text by removing HTML tags and special characters, ensuring clean input for the TTS service.
Sending Text to Azure AI for Speech Synthesis
As seen above, the sanitized text is then sent to the speech service endpoint for conversion into an audio file. The response, which
contains the audio stream, is saved locally.
Uploading the Audio File to Azure Blob Storage
Once the audio file is generated, it is uploaded to Azure Blob Storage by calling the Upload-FileToAzureStorage
function. This function handles the Azure Storage REST API authentication and the file upload process.
Updating Sitecore Item with Audio URL
After uploading the audio file to Azure, the script updates the Sitecore item with the URL of the audio file,
ensuring that the content authors can easily access and manage the generated audio files.
Utilizing the Audio File on the Front-end
Once an item's Audio URL field has been populated, it can be used on the front-end within an HTML audio tag:
This is the simplest approach for playing the audio file, but further styling customizations are doable.
Video Demo
Part of the Hackathon Entry includes a video demo. You can check it out below:
Final Thoughts
Participating in the Sitecore Hackathon has always been an exhilarating experience for me, given the time crunch and competitiveness of the community. That night, the development of the SPE Text-to-Speech Audio Synthesis Module pushed my organizational and technical boundaries, and I'm proud of what I could accomplish in such a short timeframe. More importantly, I hope the resulting module helps highlight the importance of accessibility in content management and end-user experiences.
If you're interested in or inspired to build your own Text-to-Speech synthesis module, the full PowerShell script and documentation are available on Github.
Certification is a crucial milestone for any developer pursuing excellence and proficiency in Sitecore XM Cloud. One of my preferred ways to learn and study is via practice exams. However, with existing spread of Sitecore XM Cloud practice exams available online cost being between $30 and $150, the financial burden of personally preparing can be as daunting as the exam itself.
The XM Cloud Certification demands a deep understanding of numerous Sitecore aspects, from XM Cloud architecture and developer workflow to security and data modeling. This exhaustive list requires serious preparation. The Sitecore XM Cloud Developer Certification Practice Exams app offer a thorough, cost-free study tool that reflects the actual exam's breadth and depth.
Tailored for Comprehensive Preparation
Precise Exam Simulation: The practice exams simulate the actual test with 50 questions chosen randomly, testing not just your knowledge but also your ability to perform under exam conditions.
Competency-Centric Learning: Dive into crucial competencies on which the exam will test you. Each practice question is sourced from Sitecore's documentation and is an opportunity to fortify your understanding of core Sitecore XM Cloud competencies.
Real Exam Experience: Sharpen your time management skills with a 100-minute timer that mirrors the exam's duration.
Commitment to Community and Accessibility
Access to educational resources should be barrier-free in a landscape dotted with expensive prep materials. The Sitecore XM Cloud Developer Certification Practice Exams app was born from a blend of personal needs and a commitment to the Sitecore community. This practice exam tool is my contribution towards leveling the playing field for all aspiring XM Cloud certified developers.
I'm excited to offer this resource to the community, ensuring that everyone has the chance to study effectively and become certified without the financial strain. Start your free practice runs today and please share this tool with anyone who might benefit.
My team is currently in the process of purging millions of historical anonymous xDB contact records and associated data using the ADM module for a client whose xDB shard database sizes have been approaching max storage capacity for the Azure tier. Because xDB is a crucial portion of the client site's operations, our options for reducing the DB size have been somewhat limiting due to complex custom external integrations with xDB.
In our approach, we opted to use ADM to purge historical anonymous contacts in batches. We prepare ~300k contact records per shard for each batch, which are manually retrieved via SQL query. Once we've created the temporary table in the shard DB, we prepare the data by generating a comma-delimited list of contacts and then kick off the purge process via ADM.
When ADM populates its Tasks table, each queued record is subsequently processed by ADM and removed from the Tasks table as it completes processing that record. The ADM task execution is a generally slow process (1 contact processed every 2-3 seconds); we closely monitor the progress with a SQL query:
With this approach (in addition to SHRINK and REINDEX operations between batches), we have seen the necessary disk size reduction of both xDB shard DBs after running a cadence of several batches.
However, we ran into a snag in a recent batch, which resulted in the entire ADM task processing halting entirely. The issue appeared to directly correlate with general Azure Maintenance operations, which had occurred over the weekend while the batch was mid-process. Azure Maintenance updates typically happen without any advanced notice or warning. Usually, Azure Maintenance operations have minimal adverse effects, but this round seemed to have caused much of the infrastructure to spiral. We observed that the ADM tasks were no longer processing when all was said and done.
Attempts to re-start the job via ADM kept resulting in the same error:
"[ADM] Response from xConnect did not indicate success. Status code: BadRequest, Message: {\"Message\":\"The remove task can't be started while another one is running.\"}"
Upon initial analysis, we noted that the ADM tasks table was still populated with IDs that had yet to be processed when the operation was cut off. I began dissecting the ADM binary files for clues - specifically in search of the message "The remove task can't be started while another one is running".
I learned that theStartContactsDataRemoving method queries an IsRunning method to determine if any other tasks are in progress. If there are, it throws a BadRequest
response and returns the "The remove task can't be started while another one is running.
message" message.
Digging deeper led me to this ClearRemoveDataSettings method - called in the StopRunningTasksAndClearStorage method. Deeper in, there are references to a PropertiesRepository class and an object name of "RemoveDataSettings" used to store task information:
This, in turn, finally led me to a PropertyValueQuery method in a PropertiesRepositoryQueries class, which contained a SQL command used as part of the process:
We reviewed the current state of the ADM Properties table within the ADM DB and found three entries, including RemoveDataSettings:
The RemoveDataSettings record's value appeared to be a JSON representation of ADM's last ADM removal task run. However, the JSON representation was cut off after a few hundred characters. With this state of the present value, ADM was convinced that the task was not completed.
Following the approach used in the code (mimicking what should occur when an ADM removal task is completed), we ran the following command:
We also entirely cleared the remaining IDs and Tasks table and re-initialized the process. With these steps, our ADM tasks were back to processing as expected.
I hope this one helps anyone in a similar situation!
