In distributed systems, "just put a lock around it" sounds reasonable — until you add retries, multiple regions, and a job that can run twice. Under real load you get duplicate processing, stuck workflows, and race conditions that only appear when everything is slow and concurrent.

Eric Boyd (Founder & CEO of responsiveX, Microsoft Azure & AI MVP, Regional Director) shows how to use Cosmos DB as a coordination mechanism for distributed workflows — from lock/lease and leader-style patterns to saga orchestration for long-running work.

Focus is on the correctness tradeoffs teams run into in production: contention, hotspots, retries, and how consistency choices affect what your system can safely assume across regions.

👤 Connect with Eric Boyd
📝 Eric D. Boyd is a highly experienced entrepreneur, public speaker, and author with nearly 30 years of experience in the technology industry. He is the founder and CEO of responsiveX, a Microsoft partner and digital innovation consultancy. Eric is a sought-after speaker and thought leader, delivering keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and participating in panel discussions at many industry events. He is a Microsoft Azure and AI MVP, a Regional Director, and has extensive experience helping organizations with system design and architecture, cloud-native development, and artificial intelligence. Eric is the co-author of "Step-by-Step Azure SQL Database" and has contributed to several other publications. He shares his expertise and insights through his blog, social media, podcast interviews, and educational videos. Eric is committed to giving back to the community and supporting the next generation of technology leaders.

💼 http://www.linkedin.com/in/EricDBoyd
𝕏 https://x.com/EricDBoyd
✍️ http://www.EricDBoyd.com
🌐 https://responsivex.com/
🏆 https://mvp.microsoft.com/MVP/profile/77e968c6-3c9a-e411-93f2-9cb65495d3c4
🎤 https://developer.azurecosmosdb.com/conf/#speaker/eric-boyd

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Azure Cosmos DB Conf 2026 is a free virtual developer event focused on building modern, scalable applications with Azure Cosmos DB. Sessions feature Microsoft engineers, product teams, and members of the global developer community sharing real-world solutions and best practices.

Originally streamed on April 28, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM PT

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Distributed Locks, Sagas & Coordination with Cosmos DB | Eric Boyd | Azure Cosmos DB Conf 2026