Cloud & DevOps

Practical AWS FinOps for Cloud Success

Cloud has fundamentally changed how organizations consume technology. In the traditional IT world, engineers would submit infrastructure requests that flowed through long procurement cycles. Capacity was purchased upfront, often…

How GitHub Copilot Agent Helped Me Fix Python Errors (And What to Watch Out For)

I’ve been using the new GitHub Copilot Agent for a few days, and it already feels like a big upgrade from the older version. This new tool does more than just suggest a few lines of code. It can read your whole project,…

Setting Up Receiving Targets for Kafka Sink Connectors

Integrating Kafka with external systems is a critical step in building scalable and efficient data pipelines. Kafka Sink Connectors simplify this process by exporting data from Kafka topics to external destinations such as APIs…

Amazon Aurora DSQL - A Scalable Database Solution

Amazon Aurora DSQL is a cutting-edge relational SQL database designed to handle transactional workloads with exceptional performance and scalability. As a PostgreSQL-compatible, serverless solution, Aurora DSQL offers several key…

Terragrunt - Simplifying Terraform Management

Terragrunt is a thin wrapper for Terraform that helps manage and reduce complexity in infrastructure-as-code (IaC) workflows. It streamlines Terraform configurations by promoting DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) principles, enforcing…

Ambassador API Gateway - A Cloud-Native Approach to API Management

In the era of microservices and cloud-native applications, API gateways play a crucial role in managing and securing communication between services. Ambassador API Gateway has gained popularity as a Kubernetes-native solution…

Envoy Proxy vs NGINX for Your Architecture

When it comes to modern cloud-native applications and microservices, choosing the right proxy plays a critical role in ensuring performance, scalability, and security. Two popular choices in this space are Envoy Proxy and NGINX.…

Debezium - Real-Time Change Data Capture for Apache Kafka

In the era of real-time data-driven applications, the ability to capture and process database changes in real-time has become critical. Whether you're synchronizing data between systems, maintaining audit logs, or building…

Apache Camel - The Integration Framework for Modern Applications

In today’s digital-first world, enterprises rely on seamless integration between multiple systems to drive efficiency, scalability, and innovation. Whether you’re connecting legacy systems, modern cloud services, or IoT devices,…

Comparing Cilium and Istio - Choosing the Right Tool for Your Cloud-Native Network Needs

As Kubernetes adoption grows, so does the need for advanced networking and service mesh capabilities to manage increasingly complex environments. Among the myriad of tools available, Cilium and Istio stand out for their unique…

Automating DNS Management in Kubernetes with ExternalDNS

ExternalDNS is a third-party, open-source tool designed to automate the management of DNS records for Kubernetes clusters. It integrates seamlessly with Kubernetes to dynamically update DNS records in response to changes in your…

Migrating from AWS RDS to Aurora

Migrating databases is a critical task for any organization looking to enhance performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency. AWS Aurora offers significant benefits over traditional RDS (Relational Database Service), such as…

KEDA - Kubernetes Event-driven Autoscaling

As cloud-native applications continue to evolve, scaling infrastructure efficiently and cost-effectively has become increasingly crucial. Kubernetes has been a key player in this space, providing powerful tools for managing…

A Guide to Kubernetes Backup and Disaster Recovery

In the world of Kubernetes, ensuring the availability and integrity of data is crucial for maintaining seamless operations and achieving business continuity. As organizations increasingly rely on Kubernetes for orchestrating…

Optimizing Kubernetes Cluster Management with Intelligent Auto-Scaling

In the dynamic world of cloud-native applications, efficient resource management is paramount. Kubernetes has revolutionized how we deploy and manage containerized applications, but it comes with its own set of challenges,…

AWS Secrets Manager and CSI Drivers - Enhancing Kubernetes Security and Management

In modern cloud-native applications, managing secrets securely is crucial. AWS Secrets Manager, combined with Kubernetes' Container Storage Interface (CSI) Drivers, offers a robust solution for securely injecting secrets into…

The Digital Transformation Success Story of The New York Times

In an era where many legacy media companies have struggled to adapt to digital disruption, The New York Times has emerged as a standout success story. With over 7.6 million digital subscribers, the Times has demonstrated how a…

Cluster Linking in Confluent Platform

In today's data-driven world, organizations require robust and scalable solutions to manage their streaming data across different environments. Confluent Platform, built on Apache Kafka, has emerged as a leading platform for…

Key Principles to Lead in the Digital Age

In the fast-paced digital age, effective leadership requires a transformative approach that adapts to the evolving landscape. Here, we explore six essential principles that leaders must embrace to navigate and thrive in this…

Benefits of ELK Stack - Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats & Logstash

In today's digital age, organizations generate vast amounts of data that need to be collected, processed, and analyzed in real-time. The ELK Stack, consisting of Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana, has emerged as a popular…

Navigating Networking - Overcoming Barriers and Maximizing Potential in the Tech Industry

In the fast-paced world of technology, networking has become a cornerstone for professionals seeking growth, innovation, and collaboration. Platforms like Meetup.com have revolutionized the way individuals connect, offering a…

Understanding MutatingWebhook in Kubernetes - Enhancing Resource Management

Kubernetes, with its extensive architecture, provides various mechanisms to manage and modify resources dynamically. One such powerful feature is the MutatingWebhook, a tool that intercepts requests to the Kubernetes API server…

AWS CloudFormation - Automating Cloud Infrastructure

In the rapidly evolving world of cloud computing, the ability to automate and manage infrastructure efficiently is paramount. AWS CloudFormation is a powerful tool designed to help developers and IT professionals automate the…

AWS Private CA - Simplifying Certificate Management

In today’s digital landscape, securing data and applications is paramount. Among the myriad of security solutions, the management of digital certificates stands as a crucial component. AWS Certificate Manager Private Certificate…

Guide to AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)

As a Solution Architect, I've encountered numerous scenarios where clients need to migrate their databases to the cloud. AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is a popular choice for many, thanks to its versatility and ease of…

Understanding AWS Aurora Replica vs Cloning

Amazon Aurora, a fully managed relational database service by AWS, offers high performance, availability, and scalability. Two powerful features of Aurora are its ability to create replicas and perform cloning. In this blog post,…

Asynchronous Communication with Apache Kafka

In the world of distributed systems and microservices architecture, communication is key. But not all communication is created equal. Today, we'll dive into the world of asynchronous communication, with a focus on a powerful tool…

A Pragmatic Approach Towards CDK for Terraform

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) has revolutionized the way we manage and provision resources in the cloud. Terraform, by HashiCorp, has been a leading tool in this space, allowing users to define infrastructure through declarative…

Securing Your Applications Anywhere with F5 and Hashicorp Vault

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the deployment and security of applications have become more crucial than ever. Traditional application deployment methods, which can take weeks or even months, are no longer…

Observability in GraphQL - Navigating the Complexities of Modern APIs

GraphQL has revolutionized the way we build and interact with APIs, offering a more flexible and efficient approach to data retrieval. However, with its advantages come new challenges in ensuring the reliability and performance…

Deploying a Python Web Server to Production with Kubernetes

Deploying a Python web server into production using Kubernetes can seem daunting at first, but by breaking down the process into manageable steps, it becomes much more approachable. In this blog post, we'll walk through the steps…

Istio Gateway and Virtual Service - Simplifying Service Mesh Routing

In the world of Kubernetes and service meshes, Istio has emerged as a frontrunner, offering a powerful suite of tools designed to manage, secure, and monitor microservices. Among its many features, the concepts of Gateway and…

Integrating Hybrid Networks with AWS Route 53, Transit Gateway, and Direct Connect

In the modern cloud-first world, hybrid networks have become a staple for organizations looking to blend their on-premises infrastructure with the vast capabilities of the cloud. AWS offers a robust set of services that…

Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) in Network Environments

In the realm of network engineering, ensuring the rapid detection of faults and the subsequent re-routing of traffic is crucial for maintaining robust and reliable connectivity. This is where Bidirectional Forwarding Detection…

Understanding AWS Security Hub - Your Centralized Cloud Security Posture Management Solution

In the dynamic landscape of cloud computing, securing your assets is a top priority. Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a comprehensive tool for this – the AWS Security Hub. It's designed to be a centralized solution for managing…

Mastering Cloud-Native Applications - A Comprehensive Guide to the 12 Factor App Manifesto

The 12 Factor App manifesto is a methodology for building software-as-a-service (SaaS) apps that are scalable, maintainable, and deployable on modern cloud platforms. Developed by engineers at Heroku, it's a set of best practices…

Infrastructure as Code - HashiCorp Terraform

In the rapidly evolving world of cloud computing, the need for scalable, repeatable, and manageable infrastructure deployment is more acute than ever. As organizations migrate from traditional data centers to cloud environments,…

Argo CD - Declarative GitOps CD for Kubernetes

Yesterday, a friend asked me about tools to use for pipeline, and I suggested Argo CD, which is a declarative GitOps continuous delivery (CD) tool for Kubernetes. It enables developers to manage both infrastructure configuration…

A comparison of CI/CD tools - Jenkins vs AWS CodePipeline

Yesterday, I was doing some research on pipeline setup. Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) are two important practices in software development that help teams automate the building, testing, and deployment of…

A Comparison of AWS Cognito vs. AWS IAM Identity Center

Today, I got a question from a consultant, who is really confused about AWS Cognito and AWS IAM Identity Center (successor to AWS Single Sign-On). They are both identity and access management (IAM) services offered by Amazon Web…

AWS Control Tower - A Secure and Governed Multi-Account Environment

Last weekend, I was taking the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional exam. One feature that I seldom got opportunity to practice is AWS Control Tower, which is a service that helps you set up and govern a secure,…

A Step-by-Step Guide - How to Connect to PostgreSQL using DBeaver

DBeaver is a versatile, open-source database management tool that allows users to connect to a variety of databases, including PostgreSQL. With a user-friendly interface and a wide range of functionalities, DBeaver makes it easy…

Labeling Kubernetes Resource with Bash Script

Sometimes, you got a challenge on labeling or tagging of various Kubernetes resources, including Pods, Deployments, StatefulSets, and PersistentVolumeClaims (PVCs). Consequently, you are unable to enforce admission webhooks or…

Exploring Jaeger - Unveiling the Power of Open-Source End-to-End Distributed Tracing

In the dynamic landscape of modern software development, the need for efficient monitoring and debugging tools has never been more pronounced. As applications evolve into complex distributed systems, understanding the…

The Dynamics of Value Creation and Co-Creation in the Digital Age

In a world driven by choices and preferences, the concept of value holds a paramount place. From personal beliefs to economic decisions, value is a multifaceted entity that shapes our lives and drives our interactions. Whether…

Lessons Learned from Disaster Recovery on the Cloud - Embracing Resilience

Today is my birthday, and I experienced a memorable incident where my MacBook Pro keyboard stopped working. This was quite frustrating as I tried all possible ways to fix it, including an SMC (System Management Controller) reset,…

Demystifying Apache Kafka

In the world of data processing and real-time event streaming, Apache Kafka has emerged as a popular distributed messaging system that allows the handling of high-throughput and low-latency data streams. In this blog post, we…

Kubernetes Operator - Simplify, Automate, and Enhance Your Deployments

Kubernetes has revolutionized the way we deploy and manage applications in modern cloud environments. As applications become more complex, managing their deployments can become a challenging task. To address this, the Kubernetes…

Authentication with HashiCorp Vault Kubernetes Auth Method

As organizations adopt containerization and orchestration technologies like Kubernetes, managing secrets and authentication becomes a critical aspect of their infrastructure. HashiCorp Vault, a popular secrets management…

Unleashing Productivity with Vim - A Powerful Text Editor for All

In the world of text editors, few have garnered as much devotion and admiration as Vim. Vim, short for "Vi Improved," is a versatile and highly customizable text editor renowned for its speed, efficiency, and extensive…

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) in Kubernetes

Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for container orchestration and management in modern cloud-native environments. As organizations adopt Kubernetes, ensuring proper security and access control becomes paramount.…

Understanding Observability in Software Distributed Systems

In today's highly complex and interconnected world of software distributed systems, ensuring the reliable and efficient operation of applications is of utmost importance. As applications become more distributed, dynamic, and…

Monitoring Systems and Services with Prometheus

In the dynamic landscape of modern software development, effective monitoring systems and services play a critical role in ensuring the reliability, availability, and performance of applications. One such system that has gained…

Introduction of Grafana Dashboard

In the world of data visualization and monitoring, Grafana has emerged as a powerful and versatile tool that is revolutionizing the way we analyze and interpret data. Whether you are a data scientist, a system administrator, or a…

Introduction to Amazon DocumentDB

In today's digital landscape, modern applications face increasing demands for performance, scalability, and availability. With millions of users generating terabytes to petabytes of data across the globe, developers need robust…

CQRS Pattern in Microservices Architecture

Microservices architecture has revolutionized the way we design and build modern applications. With its emphasis on scalability, flexibility, and maintainability, microservices have become the go-to approach for developing…

Saga Pattern in Microservices Architecture

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts," a sentiment articulated by Plato, perfectly encapsulates the essence of great architecture. Great architecture is a blend of experience (patterns, anti-patterns, and battle…

Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is a crucial strategy for any organization seeking to stay competitive in today's market. It involves leveraging digital technologies to create value and enhance customer experiences. There are three key…

Reflection on Scenarios & Strategic Foresight

As a digital leader, it's crucial for me to engage in ongoing reflection. We often underestimate the future, making it vital for me to remain open-minded, consider alternative approaches, and think from multiple perspectives.…

Setting Up Ubuntu Desktop on AWS Workspace

I've been a fan of the Ubuntu desktop distribution since 2009, back in my university days. It was exciting to use it as a Windows desktop replacement, although the journey was filled with challenges such as hardware compatibility…

Setting up a Three-Tier Architecture on AWS

Today, I'm going to demonstrate how to use Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) services to set up a three-tier architecture on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Below is the architecture diagram that illustrates the setup, which is mainly…

On Digital Transformation

Over the last 5 years, I have assumed leadership roles in multiple digital transformation projects.

MongoDB Kafka Connector

Apache Kafka is an open-source publish/subscribe messaging system. Kafka Connect, a component of Apache Kafka, addresses the challenge of linking Apache Kafka with various datastores, including MongoDB. Kafka Connect offers:

Azure EventHub, Logic Apps, and DataVerse

Kafka messages can be exported to and imported from Microsoft Cloud for Financial Services (FSI). This cloud solution offers various components, including a unified customer profile for managing customer data. It also has the…

Connecting Apache Kafka to Azure Event Hubs

Recently, I worked on an integration with Azure Event Hubs. A colleague of mine faced challenges while trying to export messages from an existing Kafka topic and import them into Event Hubs. To assist, I've documented the steps…

On Having a Social Circle That Is Too Small

As an expatriate working and living in a foreign country, I've found that my social circle is quite small. While most of my friends reside in my home country and I communicate with them through my work, this limited network puts…

How to Install Ubuntu Desktop on an AWS Instance Using Chrome Remote Desktop

In today's cloud-centric world, many resources have been moved to the cloud—photos, files, and servers among them. So why not your desktop environment? Imagine not needing to carry a heavy laptop. You could access your computing…

How to Install Ubuntu on an External Drive Using macOS

If you're using Mac hardware but also want to run Ubuntu, you can install Ubuntu on an external hard drive without risking the removal of your macOS installation. Here's how to do it without messing up your bootloader:

How to Fix the "Access Denied" Error in an AWS Amplify Angular App

When you deploy your Angular app on AWS Amplify, the first landing page loads without any issues. However, if you have defined a path in your router and attempt to access it, you may encounter an "Access Denied" error:

Install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on MacBook Pro 14,1

Ubuntu 20.04 has just been released, and I couldn't wait to try it out and install it on my MacBook Pro 14.1 model. In this post, I will detail what works, what doesn't, and how to work around those issues.

Import npm Modules into AWS Lambda Function

When you create a Node.js Lambda function on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and begin editing it using the online editor, you might want to run npm install and import a third-party library, such as lodash. Unfortunately, there's no…

Fixing Endless Redirection with HTTPS Settings in WordPress When Using AWS Load Balancer

I set up a WordPress blog on two Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 instances located in different availability zones. In front of these instances, an Elastic Load Balancer (ELB) is configured to redirect all HTTP requests on port 80…

Installing PHP 7.2 Instead of PHP 5.4 on Amazon Linux 2

When you launch a new Amazon Linux 2 AMI server and try to install PHP using the following command:

Migrating WordPress MySQL Database to AWS RDS

In this article, I'm going to explain how to migrate your local WordPress MySQL database to Amazon Web Services (AWS) Relational Database Service (RDS). You might want to do this for the following benefits:

Removing .DS_Store Files from Git Repositories

If you are a Mac user who also uses Git, you might accidentally commit a .DSStore file. This could confuse your Windows colleagues, who may wonder what these files do and why you've committed them.

Ignoring Already Modified Files in Git

I've encountered a rare scenario where a file has been modified, but I don't want to commit this change to Git. There are various methods to achieve this, such as using a .gitignore file. However, this approach doesn't work if…

Find and Kill Processes Locking Specific Ports on a Mac

Problem: Sometimes, when you start a local Node.js server, it may continue running in the background. If you try to start the server again, you may encounter an error indicating that the port (e.g., 8080) is already in use and…

Installing Nextcloud on AWS EC2 with S3 Storage

In an effort to enhance my privacy, I've decided to minimize the use of Google products. I've replaced Chrome with Firefox, switched from Gmail to ProtonMail, and am now using Nextcloud instead of Google Drive. Nextcloud allows…

Installing Ubuntu 19.10 on a MacBook Pro 13,1

I became frustrated with macOS Catalina and decided to switch to Ubuntu as the primary operating system on my 13-inch MacBook Pro without a touch bar. As a software developer, I found that macOS bundles many tools with Xcode,…

Migrating Your Blog from Medium to Ghost 3.0

Ghost 3.0 has just been released (https://ghost.org/3/). I have a strong preference for Ghost over WordPress because it uses Node.js instead of PHP. Not only is Ghost open-source, but it also offers a pretty cool dark theme. So,…

Enabling HTTPS on an AWS EC2 Instance with Node.js and Nginx on an Ubuntu Server

I have an AWS EC2 instance running Node.js and Nginx on an Ubuntu 16.04 server. In this tutorial, I will show you how to switch your website from HTTP to HTTPS using Let's Encrypt. HTTPS prevents unauthorized tampering with the…

Replace Text in a File Using a Batch Script

Yesterday, I was working at a client site. The site had a Windows server that was isolated from external internet access, and installing new software was prohibited.

Upgrade AppMon from Version 6.5 to 7.1

I am working on upgrading Dynatrace AppMon from version 6.5 to 7.1. AppMon is a performance data gathering tool trusted by many clients; it assists developers in troubleshooting issues within applications. This version upgrade…

AWS Cognito User Pools with Mobile SDK for iOS Using Custom Challenge

I recently integrated an AWS Cognito User Pool into an iOS application. The sign-in feature utilizes a custom challenge for authentication. However, there is limited documentation on how to use the iOS SDK for this purpose. After…

Deploying a Koa.js Application to an AWS EC2 Ubuntu Instance

I am developing an application using Koa.js, a new web framework created by the team behind Express. In this step-by-step tutorial, I'll guide you through deploying a Koa.js application on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Ubuntu…

Launching RancherOS on AWS EC2

RancherOS is a Linux distribution designed for running Docker containers. While there is an AMI (Amazon Machine Image) available in the AWS Marketplace, setting up the security group and other configurations can be tricky. This…

Resolving Merge Conflicts for the Unity Game Engine

I'm working with a team of four on a Unity 3D game project over the weekends. It's a lot of fun, but we've encountered problems with version control. Using Git and GitHub, we've faced many merge conflicts that are not easy to…

Install Hadoop on AWS Ubuntu Instance

Configure CircleCI with Karma Test

I was setting up continuous integration using CircleCI and Karma tests for Angular on Heroku.