The hottest DevOps Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Notes on Nix

Cloud Irregular • 2956 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Programming Development Cloud DevOps
  1. Nix is a tool that helps you set up your software environment the same way every time, making deployments easier. It's designed to manage software dependencies reliably.
  2. Nix can be complex to learn, especially because it uses functional programming concepts. This makes some programmers hesitant to adopt it.
  3. While Docker is useful for containerization, Nix offers better reproducibility for builds by focusing on what the environment should look like, rather than just the steps to create it.

Yes, you should use a Python venv in a container like docker

Bite code! • 1957 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Programming Development DevOps Containers Python
  1. Using a Python virtual environment (venv) in Docker is a good practice, even though it's possible to skip it. It helps avoid conflicts when installing dependencies, keeping your project stable and organized.
  2. Even if your Docker image seems minimal, it's hard to maintain that state. Relying on the base image without a venv can lead to unexpected issues later on, especially as dependencies change.
  3. Using a venv simplifies your workflow and ensures consistency across different environments. It protects you from potential problems that arise when system packages interact with Python packages.

Kubernetes for Data Engineers

VuTrinh. • 859 implied HN points • 03 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Cloud Computing DevOps Software Development Infrastructure
  1. Kubernetes is a powerful tool for managing containers, which are bundles of apps and their dependencies. It helps you run and scale many containers across different servers smoothly.
  2. Understanding how Kubernetes works is key. It compares the actual state of your application with the desired state to make adjustments, ensuring everything runs as expected.
  3. To start with Kubernetes, begin small and simple. Use local tools for practice, and learn step-by-step to avoid feeling overwhelmed by its many components.

What hath AWS wrought?

Cloud Irregular • 2661 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Software Development DevOps Infrastructure
  1. At this year's AWS re:Invent, there were no major new services launched, which is quite different from previous years. Instead, AWS focused on enhancing existing services and features.
  2. In the past, AWS released many new services, but many of them didn't succeed. This led to dissatisfaction within the developer community.
  3. Now, AWS seems to be concentrating on improving their core offerings. This change could help revive interest and excitement in the AWS developer community again.

Resilient Cyber Newsletter #14

Resilient Cyber • 59 implied HN points • 17 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Cloud Security AI Security DevOps Compliance
  1. Cyber attacks on U.S. infrastructure have surged by 70%, affecting critical sectors like healthcare and energy. This is causing bigger risks because these sectors are tied to essential services.
  2. Wiz has introduced 'Wiz Code' to improve application security by connecting cloud environments to source code and offering proactive ways to fix security issues in real-time.
  3. There's a growing crisis in the cybersecurity workforce, with many claiming there are numerous jobs available while many professionals feel unprepared for the roles. This highlights the disconnect between job openings and real-world experience.
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6 secrets for never being blocked again

Leading Developers • 57 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🕹 Technology DevOps Software Engineering Management Cloud
  1. Developers can avoid being blocked by working directly on DevOps tasks themselves, like opening Pull Requests instead of just making requests. This way, they learn and the DevOps team gets involved faster.
  2. Instead of just asking for help, it's better to ask intriguing questions that engage the DevOps team. It makes them think more creatively and motivates them to assist.
  3. Developers should create their own alerts for their applications. This helps them understand their changes better and ensures that they take responsibility for their work.

Edition 28: ADR v/s Shift-left should be looked at as a "Stock" v/s "Flow" problem

Boring AppSec • 7 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Security Development DevOps
  1. ADR focuses on real-time data in production, which helps reduce false positives, while shift-left aims to find issues early in the development process to fix them easily.
  2. You need a balance of both ADR and shift-left strategies. ADR manages existing problems (stock), and shift-left deals with changes being made (flow).
  3. When choosing tools, flow tools should be light and supportive for developers, while stock tools track and analyze existing issues. They both require different management approaches.

Managing Developer Feedback Effectively | Atlassian’s Andrew Boyagi

Dev Interrupted • 14 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development DevOps Productivity Feedback Company Culture
  1. Using surveys alone isn't enough for getting developer feedback. It's better to use data and metrics to understand their issues more clearly.
  2. Setting clear goals for improving developer experience can help align teams better and boost productivity. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
  3. Company culture plays a big role in connecting development efforts with business goals. A positive culture makes it easier for teams to work together effectively.

Setting up NextJS with GitHub Actions and feature flags using Flagsmith

The Open Source Expert • 59 implied HN points • 05 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Web Development Software Engineering DevOps Open Source Automation
  1. Using NextJS helps streamline your project with standardized setups, making it easier to onboard and rapidly develop features.
  2. Automating tasks with GitHub Actions can save time and reduce errors, giving you quick feedback on your code changes.
  3. Feature flags from Flagsmith allow you to control which features are visible without needing to redeploy your app, making it easier to manage updates and A/B tests.

SAI Notes #04: CI/CD for Machine Learning.

SwirlAI Newsletter • 511 implied HN points • 28 May 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning DevOps Organizational Structure
  1. In Machine Learning projects, CI/CD processes need to treat the ML training pipeline separately from regular software pipelines.
  2. Efficient MLOps implementation requires an organizational structure where ML product development flows within a single end-to-end ML team.
  3. ML systems in mature MLOps setups involve ML teams building and delivering pipelines that expose predictions to end users through backend and frontend services.

Last Call for Quality

QUALITY BOSS • 39 implied HN points • 03 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Quality Assurance Development Practices DevOps
  1. Testing software too late can lead to more expensive and difficult fixes. It's better to catch bugs earlier in the development process.
  2. Many teams rely too much on manual testing, which can slow things down. A mix of automated and manual testing can improve quality and efficiency.
  3. Ignoring non-functional requirements like security and performance can make software unsatisfactory, even if it meets basic needs. It's important to include these factors in testing plans.

The Tech Buffet #20: How To deploy a Cloud Function That Summarizes Youtube Videos

The Tech Buffet • 139 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Machine Learning DevOps Serverless Infrastructure
  1. Cloud Functions are a serverless way to run your code on Google Cloud without managing servers. You pay only for what you use, making it cost-effective.
  2. You can build a Cloud Function to summarize YouTube videos by extracting their transcripts and using AI to create concise summaries. This is done using Python libraries like youtube-transcript-api and langchain.
  3. Testing your Cloud Function locally is a great way to ensure it works before deploying it. You can use tools like Postman to check the API responses easily.

NIST's "Strategies for Integration of Software Supply Chain Security in DevSecOps CI/CD Pipelines"

Resilient Cyber • 159 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Development Cloud Computing DevOps Data security
  1. Software supply chain attacks are on the rise, so companies need to protect their processes from potential risks. Understanding these threats is key for organizations that rely on software.
  2. NIST provides guidelines to help organizations improve their software security in DevSecOps environments. By following their advice, companies can ensure that their software development processes are safe from compromise.
  3. Implementing zero-trust principles and automating security checks during software development can greatly reduce the risk of attacks. This means controlling access and regularly checking for vulnerabilities throughout the development cycle.

The Tech Buffet #21: Deploy A Production-Ready Streamlit App with Cloud Run and Cloud Build

The Tech Buffet • 99 implied HN points • 22 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing App Development DevOps CI/CD
  1. Cloud Run lets you deploy containerized applications without worrying about server management. You only pay when your code is actively running, making it a cost-effective option.
  2. Using Pulumi as an Infrastructure as Code tool simplifies the process of setting up and managing cloud resources. It allows you to deploy applications by writing code instead of manually configuring settings.
  3. Automating your deployment with Cloud Build ensures your app updates easily whenever you make code changes. This saves time and effort compared to manually deploying each time.

VTEX scales to 150 million metrics using Amazon Managed Service for Prometheus

VTEX’s Tech Blog • 99 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Software Engineering Data Analytics DevOps
  1. VTEX successfully scaled its monitoring system to handle 150 million metrics using Amazon's Managed Service for Prometheus. This helped them keep track of their numerous services efficiently.
  2. By adopting this system, VTEX cut its observability expenses by about 41%. This shows that smart choices in technology can save money.
  3. The new architecture allows VTEX to respond to problems faster and reduces the chances of system failures. It increased the reliability of their metrics, making everyday operations smoother.

Software Supply Chain Security in DevSecOps & CI/CD

Resilient Cyber • 259 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Development DevOps Cloud Computing Information Security
  1. Software supply chain attacks are increasing, making it essential for organizations to protect their software development processes. Companies are looking for ways to secure their software from these attacks.
  2. NIST has issued guidance to help organizations improve software supply chain security, especially in DevSecOps and CI/CD environments. Following NIST's recommendations can help mitigate risks and ensure safer software delivery.
  3. The complexity of modern software environments makes security challenging. It's important for organizations to implement strict security measures throughout the development lifecycle to prevent attacks and ensure the integrity of their software.

Learning from the Best

Permit.io’s Substack • 79 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Engineering Practices Open Source DevOps
  1. Learning from bigger companies can help solve problems effectively. They often share their insights which can be adapted to smaller projects.
  2. Not reinventing the wheel is smart. Using existing solutions like policy engines can save time and effort while ensuring reliability.
  3. Engaging with the community and resources available online can provide valuable knowledge and support for developers looking to improve their work.

DevEx: Better than an ExDev (And your Ex)

Permit.io’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 04 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Cybersecurity User Experience DevOps Cloud Computing
  1. Developer experience (DevEx) is really important because it helps developers focus on building great apps while also handling security tasks more smoothly.
  2. It's crucial to make security features easy to use so that everyone involved, from developers to non-technical users, can manage permissions and access without problems.
  3. A successful approach to DevEx considers the whole development process, ensuring security practices are integrated naturally into workflows from start to finish.

Defending CI/CD Environments - The NSA/CISA Way

Resilient Cyber • 299 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Development DevOps Cloud Computing Information Security
  1. CI/CD environments are crucial for the development and delivery of software, but they can also be targeted by hackers. It's important to secure these systems to prevent attacks.
  2. The NSA and CISA have released guidelines that offer best practices for protecting CI/CD pipelines. Using existing frameworks and tools can help improve security effectively.
  3. Transitioning to a Zero Trust model is recommended to enhance security in software development. This approach minimizes risks by ensuring that all access is restricted and monitored.

Understanding Konfig's Opinionation

realkinetic • 19 implied HN points • 11 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing DevOps Tech stack
  1. Konfig is an opinionated platform that reduces the investment and total cost of ownership needed for an enterprise cloud platform and speeds up the delivery of new software products.
  2. Konfig promotes a structured platform with a focus on service-oriented architecture and domain-driven design, encouraging decoupling services and promoting durable teams.
  3. The platform enforces group-based access management, uses GitOps for infrastructure management, leverages managed services and serverless offerings, and provides an escape hatch for flexibility outside of its opinions.

My Love, Hate Relationship.

Data Engineering Central • 137 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Data Engineering AWS Serverless DevOps CI/CD
  1. Data Engineers may have a love-hate relationship with AWS Lambdas due to their versatility but occasional limitations.
  2. AWS Lambdas are under-utilized in Data Engineering but offer benefits like cheap solutions, ease of use, and driving better practices.
  3. AWS Lambdas are handy for processing small datasets, running data quality checks, and executing quick logic while reducing architecture complexity and cost.

2024 DORA Report

Engineering Enablement • 15 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software Development DevOps Artificial Intelligence Data Analysis Engineering
  1. Using AI tools can actually make software delivery worse, as they lead to larger code changes that are riskier. This is surprising because many people think AI would improve coding efficiency.
  2. Software delivery performance indicators are becoming more independent from each other. This year's report shows some unexpected trends, like medium performance groups having fewer failures than high performance groups.
  3. To boost productivity, companies should focus on creating user-friendly internal platforms for developers. It's important for leaders to understand their team's needs and provide clear support to improve overall performance.

How to Deploy a Java Application Using Supervisor and Set Up Log Rotation

Vasu’s Newsletter • 13 implied HN points • 18 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software Cloud DevOps Java
  1. Use Supervisor to keep your Java application running smoothly. It automatically restarts your app if it crashes.
  2. Set up log rotation to manage log files effectively. This helps prevent your system from running out of disk space by rotating and compressing logs.
  3. Make sure to test both the application and the log rotation. Checking logs regularly ensures everything is working as expected.

Security Throwing Toil Over the Fence

Resilient Cyber • 99 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Development DevOps Application Security Innovation
  1. It's important to shift security measures smartly rather than just shifting them left in the development cycle. We need the right context to effectively identify real risks in applications.
  2. Many security tools produce a lot of noise and false positives, which frustrates developers. If security teams provide context-rich insights instead, it would help everyone work better together.
  3. There’s a cultural gap where security teams dump problems on developers without proper context, leading to resentment. Improving communication and collaboration can help avoid this issue.

Lean SRE

Certo Modo • 19 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🕹 Technology SRE DevOps Webinar Startup Automation
  1. Smaller organizations and startups can benefit from implementing Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices, leading to reduced operational costs and time savings.
  2. Implementing SRE practices in smaller companies may differ in approach from larger organizations, but can still yield significant benefits.
  3. Starting an SRE program at a larger company can be achieved by beginning with just one software engineering team.

12 Scenarios of Failure: Applying Chaos Engineering to SAP | Guilherme Sesterheim

Dev Interrupted • 32 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Chaos Engineering DevOps Engineering Leadership Personal Branding
  1. Guilherme Sesterheim discusses applying Chaos Engineering to SAP systems to test and improve resilience.
  2. It's beneficial to have a trifecta of engineering, product, and UX at senior leadership levels for better outcomes.
  3. Anton Zaides argues that hiring only senior engineers is not the best policy and suggests considering junior engineers for fresh energy and adaptiveness.

Building a Compliance and AppSec Program for a Federal Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

Resilient Cyber • 59 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Cloud Computing DevOps Compliance Software Development
  1. Building a compliance and AppSec program for a federal Platform-as-a-Service is challenging. It's important to understand which security controls can be inherited by development teams.
  2. Scaling the compliance program across multiple teams can lead to unique challenges. It's crucial to onboard each team effectively while minimizing their workload.
  3. Developers need support in balancing security and compliance with their work. Educating auditors about cloud practices is also important for smoother collaboration.

CI / CD for Data Engineering (Python)

The Orchestra Data Leadership Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 22 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Data Engineering CI/CD Python DevOps Unit Testing
  1. Understanding basic CI / CD for Python code in a Data Engineering context is crucial for Data Engineering Leaders.
  2. For unit tests, use pytest to ensure functions work correctly, and for integration tests, test connections to third-party APIs.
  3. Implementing CI / CD involves writing code, testing and linting locally, and then deploying to a merge environment to ensure code compatibility.

It's not the DevOps engineers’ fault that the ecosystem is broken

Condensing the Cloud • 19 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Software Development DevOps Ecosystem Version Control Scalability
  1. Blaming DevOps engineers for a broken ecosystem is counterproductive; collaboration is key.
  2. Version control systems may not always control software versions effectively, requiring additional tools in the software supply chain.
  3. Implementing scalable technologies like Kubernetes may not always be the best decision and can lead to inefficiencies.

AImagine: Pioneering Hyperrealistic AI Image Generation

CodeLink’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Image Generation DevOps Security Privacy
  1. AI technology is revolutionizing image generation and manipulation, offering new creative possibilities and demand
  2. AImagine app by CodeLink stands out for its hyperrealistic results and high level of customization in generating unique images
  3. Utilizing innovative technologies like the stable diffusion model, Flutter, and Python, AImagine offers a seamless user experience and efficient server-side processing

Developers: Why do we need containers?

Weekend Developer • 19 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Software Development Containerization DevOps Microservices Cloud Computing
  1. Containers are crucial for modern software development, solving issues with managing environments and configurations manually.
  2. Docker revolutionized development by providing a simple way to package applications with dependencies, ensuring consistency and portability across environments.
  3. Docker and containers have reshaped the software industry, enabling microservices, DevOps, and cloud-native development, but also brought challenges like container management, networking, security, and efficiency.