Category Archives: All

OSS, Promotions, and Lava Lamps

How can promotion boards be hostile or hurtful to open source technology? We talk about the dynamics of corporate support in open source technology, and if being rewarded for internal work at companies translates into challenges for open source technology.

This discussion starts to peel apart what makes open source technology sustainable, and what it works for. We bring up an analogy of a lava lamp where things heat up and then cool down as part of a natural cycle, which can be a normal cycle for all software, and that led us back to how promotion boards work.

We covered a lot of ground through the dynamics of corporate software governance and open source and interweaving those together.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/nZS6rtcam88JUuqMctOiEyWq5G4
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/food-cold-d…nk-glass-5677999/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the Cloud 2030 podcast on April 19th, Rob Hirschfeld discusses the challenges of sustaining open source projects and the dynamics of job review boards. The conversation highlights the common evolution of software projects, where initial excitement and rapid development give way to stabilization, increasing complexity, and less excitement. The key takeaway is the need to recognize and reward individuals contributing to the maintenance and extension of existing projects, emphasizing the importance of such work for communities, companies, and society. Join the discussion at the2030.cloud for diverse opinions and insights.

APIs With Composable State

What makes API’s complex? In this episode, we talk about how we compose APIs into higher level systems, and how we think about the design elements that go into building durable, reusable API’s.

This is a classic topic for us, and in this discussion we looked beyond the API itself and started talking about the state of the system and how you manage that state.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/Oae5e_ay0d_l48TmWk3PO3lpIDU
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/a-nacho-chi…ng-sauce-5848731/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the Cloud 2030 podcast on April 21st, Rob Hirschfeld delves into the complexity of APIs, emphasizing the layered and nested nature of API systems. The discussion unveils the challenges of managing distributed state within APIs, where each layer needs to be aware of and interact with the state of adjacent or underlying APIs. The key insight is that without a well-understood distributed state model at the architectural level, building resilient APIs becomes inherently complex. Join the conversation at the2030.cloud for a comprehensive exploration of API design challenges and solutions.

Musk, Twitter and Web3 Social Media

Will Elon Musk take over Twitter? What are the tech and societal motivations for creating distributed social media?

In today’s episode, we discuss the future of social media and if we can create distributed social media and distributed user interactions. We also question how these systems could be monetized and controlled, and who would benefit from those changes.

This is a fascinating discussion about how we will build human interaction in the future.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/J2B4oRO5WTohJI1KqqNobfyZsdE
Images: www.pexels.com/photo/a-group-of-…num-foil-7105799/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the April 14th episode of the Cloud 2030 Podcast, Rob Hirschfeld explores the potential implications of Elon Musk taking over Twitter and delves into the broader questions about the future of distributed systems, regulation, monetization, and centralized control. The discussion contemplates the evolving landscape of social media, distributed ledger technology, and infrastructure. While no definitive answers are provided, the conversation highlights the ongoing shift toward decentralized systems and the impact it may have on the market in the coming decade. Join the discussion at the2030.cloud for a deeper exploration of these complex and significant topics.

Can Kubernetes Prevent Vendor Lock In?

How does Kubernetes create lock in versus how could Kubernetes be used to prevent lock in?

Lock in is not always a bad thing. When you avoid committing to a single vendor, you may have to work to the lowest common denominator or deal with heterogeneity in your infrastructure. Heterogeneity is pretty normal, and you might have to do this work regardless, but when you commit to a vendor you get to focus on using the vendor’s strengths.

In this episode, you’ll pick up some great tips on how to reduce your lock in when using Kubernetes.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/vIo1p15bb6VmcrWjwgOLbM25nq4
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-…door-knob-792032/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the April 12th episode of the Cloud 2030 Podcast, Rob Hirschfeld delves into the nuanced discussion of whether Kubernetes prevents or exacerbates vendor lock-in. The key takeaway is that lock-in is not inherently negative, and there’s a need to balance risks and consider the inertia associated with established systems and practices. The podcast encourages listeners to think intentionally about using Kubernetes as an abstraction layer and to recognize the value and challenges of inertia in platform development efforts. For further insights and discussions on DevOps and future strategies, visit the2030.cloud and join the conversation.

Orchestration Automation Workflow [with Terraform]

Building reliable automation at scale for infrastructure presents challenges. In this episode, we discuss orchestration, workflow automation, and the reconciler pattern in the context of Terraform.

We refer to the pattern of Terraform, automation, and orchestration systems as “TACOS” and today we dig into how you test it and check it against drift. These are real topics of operational concern for anybody building any type of infrastructure.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/w-NA0HBsTc5NRaqWQQwlWUj4Whw
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/person-hold…ith-food-8448079/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the April 5th Cloud 2030 Podcast episode, Rob Hirschfeld discusses orchestration, automation, and workflow, focusing on Terraform and introducing the “Terraform Automation and Orchestration” (TACO) pattern. The conversation emphasizes that while Terraform is a valuable tool, the broader patterns of reconciliation, GitOps, and event-driven automation are crucial for building and maintaining complex systems over time. Hirschfeld encourages listeners to view tools like Terraform and Ansible as initial steps in a journey, prompting consideration of scaling, building orchestration systems, and understanding the importance of comprehensive system development. For more in-depth discussions, explore the full episode on orchestration, automation, and workflow from April 5th, and join the ongoing conversations at the2030.cloud.

Does Your Metaverse Take MasterCard or Visa

How are Metaverse environments built? Today we talk about how we use intellectual property to build these Metaverse environments, and who has access to what and who’s going to create it. That turns into a discussion on how you’re going to pay for it.

Typically, Metaverse is framed as a platform, but we got interested in the content, media wars, and streaming platforms. Since we started the conversation at streaming media, that led us to payment platforms and transactions. It was fascinating that we couldn’t talk about intellectual property without also talking about payment and purchase transactions.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/Be5ZKdeQvvubwQhCFzhFAHTdtak
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/girl-wearin…lden-hour-166055/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the April 7th Cloud 2030 Podcast episode, Rob Hirschfeld explores the complex dynamics of intellectual property in the metaverse. The discussion delves beyond the ownership of intellectual property itself, emphasizing the crucial role of payment platforms and how transactions for content will be facilitated. Hirschfeld highlights the intersection of payment platforms, cryptocurrencies, and microtransactions, underscoring the potential influence of jurisdiction within the Metaverse on the acquisition, usage, and transactions related to intellectual property. For an in-depth exploration of these topics, tune in to the full episode on April 7th, available on the2030.cloud.

Uses for Distributed Ledger Technology

Today’s discussion was about distributed ledger technology (DLT), also known as blockchain and the technology behind Bitcoin. We had a balanced discussion: some people who were excited about the technology and others who were skeptical. That interplay really created one of the best conversations I’ve heard about DLT and its applications

Throughout the conversation, we tested each other and we came back to basics. We didn’t assume that blockchain was good because it was new, or that organizations like Banks or Ticket Sellers were bad. That neutrality really plays out by helping us consider how DLT can actually benefit people.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/iox4ywvekE-3zWDDWyAPFkUGJtA
Photo: www.pexels.com/photo/toasted-bre…ch-fries-1437568/

Everything As Code !

What makes Everything as Code and Infrastructure as Code interesting? In today’s episode, we discuss what makes something code-like and the idea of Everything as Code, based on Patrick Dubois’ article “In depth research and trends analyzed from 50+ different concepts as code.”

Reference: www.jedi.be/blog/2022/02/23/tre…0-as-code-concepts/

Some of our conclusions were practical, like if a concept is a process that is reproducible and auditable, that’s what makes it code-like. And some other possible conclusions were that it’s just marketing because it makes everything programmable. The reality is somewhere in the middle.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/E1TezO2XutwJyS-vCNetslwWO4A
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-grey…icky-note-879109/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the Cloud 2030 Podcast episode on March 29th, Rob Hirschfeld provides insights on the “everything as code” discussion. While acknowledging the term’s playful exaggeration, Hirschfeld emphasizes the underlying desire for reproducibility, auditability, and code-like experiences in various aspects of operational and infrastructure activities. Despite the term’s potential for marketing hype, the aspiration to apply code principles to different facets of infrastructure management remains significant, influencing how we build and manage systems. To delve into this engaging discussion, check out the full episode on March 29th, available on the2030.cloud.

How Lock in Creates Risk

Organizations take a risk when they get locked into a vendor. In today’s episode, we talk a lot about the risks of lock in, both in general and in the context of Oracle.

That discussion takes us into a question of insurance, and if insurance policies could ultimately drive people to reduce lock in exposure. This was a fascinating discussion, not only about lock in but about what would drive organizations to fix their lock in problems.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/zJf0WMUwJgamk7IpscHCsL2vsV4
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/closed-white-door-3119977/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the Cloud 2030 Podcast episode on March 31st, Rob Hirschfeld discusses the intricate aspects of vendor lock-in, focusing on the risks associated with relying on a single provider, such as an authentication service like Okta. The conversation delves into the challenges of migrating away from tightly integrated platforms and emphasizes the importance of assessing and mitigating lock-in risks. The broader theme within Cloud 2030 discussions seems to revolve around identifying and understanding various risk factors in building complex infrastructures, aiming to drive market dynamics by addressing and managing these risks. To explore this insightful discussion further, check out the full episode on March 31st at the2030.cloud and become part of these engaging conversations.

Goldilocks Platforms [w James Urquhart]

A Goldilocks’ balance challenges us to trade off prescriptive and flexible platforms. James Urquhart shares his experiences with Cloud Foundry, VMware, and Amazon about trying to find the right balance between building it yourself versus a prescriptive service approach.

We’ve decided that there needs to be a middle zone with enough opportunity for customization, as well as enough pre-set, prescriptive methods to create sustainability.

In this episode, we talk about that balance and how different processes have done it in industry.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/OQBfCHldtYjUpqjKdkN3KjzLiR0
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/brown-teddy…h-outside-207891/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the Cloud 2030 Podcast Lunch and Learn on March 22nd, Rob Hirschfeld explores the Goldilocks problem, focusing on the challenge of striking the right balance between prescriptive platforms and open toolboxes. He emphasizes the difficulty of handling the diverse and heterogeneous nature of various systems while aiming for reuse, reduction of toil, and collaboration. Hirschfeld points out the nuanced nature of variations within the 80-20 rule, stressing the importance of considering how toolboxy or prescriptive a platform should be based on individual needs. To delve deeper into this thought-provoking discussion with insights from James Urquhart, check out the full episode on March 22nd at the2030.cloud and become part of these engaging conversations.