Tag Archives: Cloud

2030 Forecast for 2023

We do a 2022 retrospective slash 2023 prediction episode – a sort of end of the year classic for us, except our predictions and look ahead are different from most people’s.

We’re looking at some broader trends around software, build materials, impact of GPT (which will be a future episode), edge Technology, cloud adoption, security, faults and failures.

Not your garden variety look back look ahead type of show.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/IzKlo7CAljPkSzmyV5qLy5kLPj0
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/binocular-b…discovery-221538/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the Cloud 2030 Podcast’s December 15th retrospective on 2022, Rob Hirschfeld discusses the significant momentum and necessity behind the adoption of Software Bill of Materials (SBoMs) for describing deployed software in a structured, programmatic manner. While emphasizing the immediate security and resilience benefits, Hirschfeld also highlights the broader economic advantages of SBoMs, drawing parallels with their use in manufacturing to provide controls and structure for normal activities. The conversation delves into various insights about the industry’s direction in 2023, making it a valuable episode beyond the focus on SBoMs. Those interested in these discussions are encouraged to check out the full episode on the2030.cloud and participate in the ongoing conversations.

Platform Engineering Makes You Angry?

Platform engineering is a topic that seems to be generating a lot of interest going into 2023. It’s sure to be one of those things that enterprises spend a lot of time arguing about and telling each other that they’re doing it wrong.

In this podcast, we dissect why platform engineering seems to be so controversial, and what we can do to help make it more understandable.

We break it down into DevOps components, team components, Dev components, operations components, and ultimately talk about long term trajectories of how all this stuff is going.

Image:www.pexels.com/photo/person-skat…ard-ramp-1527241/
Transcript: otter.ai/u/SAAMNdHZh9lEeHrBxwcWmUxuDhs

Cloud2030DevOpsPlatform EngineeringAutomationCloudInfrastructureIaCSRE

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the December 13th DevOps Lunch and Learn on the Cloud 2030 podcast, Rob Hirschfeld explores the concept of platform engineering emerging from enterprises grappling with the challenges of enabling developers while rationalizing operations. The discussion introduces the idea of operational entropy or infrastructure entropy, emphasizing how platform engineering teams can effectively manage the constant changes, security vulnerabilities, and evolving environments, relieving developers of this burden. By shifting entropy management to a shared and collaborative task, platform engineering teams have the potential to enhance how they function, offering opportunities for improvement across the industry. For those intrigued by these discussions, the full episode is available at the2030.cloud, inviting participation in ongoing conversations.

Explaining Kubernetes Controller Architecture

How does the Kubernetes admission controller work, what are the failure modes and what do we need to guard against?

Today, we discuss almost everything that you need to know to understand the admission controller process better and to think about it in a secure, robust and resilient way.

I can’t think of a better primer on today’s topic and Kubernetes architecture more generally, I am certain you will enjoy the discussion.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/RG9oPvwRtpofwUfg0rXLMKdV50I
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/selective-f…ic-light-1616781/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the November 15th Cloud 2030 Podcast episode, Rob Hirschfeld delves into the intriguing topic of Kubernetes admission controllers, emphasizing how Kubernetes architecture fosters innovation by allowing admission controllers to function as a generic property, avoiding the need for direct embedding into Kubernetes itself. The discussion explores the open system created by admission controllers, which, while offering valuable capabilities, introduces complexity, overhead, and performance considerations. Kubernetes appears to have successfully balanced these factors, contributing significantly to the industry. For those interested in this fascinating conversation, the entire podcast is available at the2030.cloud, inviting participation in ongoing roundtable discussions.

Cloud Service Providers vs “The Supercloud”

How does the moniker Supercloud apply to how cloud providers are changing over time? Specifically when facing market pressures, trying to lock in, get bigger and become essential. Today we discuss the changing nature of service providers, specifically cloud providers.

This topic has been coming up on Twitter, and I know you will find this conversation fascinating. It talks both about the hypothetical and very practical drivers behind concepts like supercloud.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/MjuLlkt2JO095bMgPHi-rqeaqi8
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/flying-airp…the-sky-12846027/

Will CSPs Be The New OPEC

What happens in the age of cloud scarcity, and are the major public clouds going to become our next OPEC, where they regulate and control prices to such a degree that they can float things up and down?

In doing that, does that mean that cloud computing has become a commodity that can be traded and bought from different providers with a marketplace? All of these questions and more are on our minds as we think about how the market for compute will evolve in the future. Is there a coming compute scarcity based on greenhouse gas or silicon limitations or the ability to generate power? All of these things could have major impacts on how we make choices to consume compute.

In our discussions, a lack of resources is not the driving factor that we see – it’s more about the market power of providers.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/nHY8KLgcaNbu_hp6TJkKMOgMpFI
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/fuel-dispenser-1563510/

Reading The Analyst Tea Leaves

We talk about understanding analyst reports and engaging with analysts. How do analysts shape the industry and the industry shapes the analysts?

Today we discuss how every part of this ecosystem has to work together in order for us to build serviceable technology, because fundamentally, we count on the analysts to help understand what’s ready, what the problems are, and what’s working or not working in the enterprise.

It’s easy to pitch stuff, it’s much harder to use stuff and sell tech, and the analysts are a reasonable filter for that, and we break down how and why.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/A3BlbqbPObA1_2erEfKZsFPqURs
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-ho…-a-spoon-3889850/

Rob’s Hot Take:


In the September 27th Cloud 2030 Podcast, Rob Hirschfeld provides insights into the dynamics of reading analyst reports. The discussion highlights the bi-directional nature of communication between analysts and enterprise customers, emphasizing a feedback loop where analysts absorb insights from the market while customers are influenced by market buzz and marketing efforts. Hirschfeld encourages participation in these conversations at the2030.cloud, urging listeners to join roundtable discussions and make their voices heard in this collaborative space.

VMware Explore Retrospective

VMware Explore is a show at the end of August where VMware brings together its community, its vendors and tells what’s going on. VMware is dominating in their market, they are making the right moves, and doing a good job for their customers and their partners. This is a surprising summary of the conversation, because this conclusion is certainly not where we started out.

In this conversation, we start from the position of VMware not doing what it needs to do. It’s fumbling its message, it’s not doing the right things. Then we talk through all of the things that contribute to VMware’s position in the market.

If you listen through, the conversation follows a fascinating path to our concluding position.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/NO-lHxp4EfDy9cmyP8Yr-dayi9Q
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-brow…noculars-3811807/

Are Platform Teams Good?

How do you build effective, productive platform teams? What should their mission be, and what type of tools and dangers do they have? 

We start by questioning if there are such things as platform teams and their roles, as well as how they can go awry in modern organizations. 

At the end, we recognize that they do and can provide a very important role. In this conversation, you will learn the right ways to form a platform.

Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/Kf-Hi9H6bTmhufavGaa1ae9w_R4

Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-beside-woman-in-train-1970830/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the August 23rd DevOps Lunch and Learn, Rob Hirschfeld discusses the evolving concept of platform teams as centers of excellence for corporate governance and controls in IT and operational environments. He notes the current diversity in approaches to solving problems in infrastructure but anticipates a consolidation phase where standardization becomes more prominent. Hirschfeld emphasizes the cyclical nature of IT innovation, suggesting that platform teams will play a crucial role in advocating for standards, processes, and best practices, ultimately contributing to the industry’s progress.

IT In An Age of Scarcity

How do supply chain, ecologic, capital, and political issues limit our ability to continue to build big data centers? Today we expand on this continued conversation.

We’re already seeing this in the news, and we need to rethink how we are building a lot of the core infrastructure we depend on. That includes power, data centers, networking and connectivity. Potentially even human logic, which we get into.

The purpose of this conversation was to look at the bigger picture, and then pull it back into how we build IT systems.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/herJl7zHewHfDIIEhdI_tdUewA8
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/white-paper…-surface-1101124/

Rob’s Hot Take:

Rob Hirschfeld, CEO of RackN and host of the Cloud 2030 podcast, discusses the shift from availability to scarcity in the IT landscape, highlighting the need to find synergies and connections between systems. He emphasizes the necessity of coupling components and integrating systems efficiently, especially as resources like power, data centers, and supply chains become limited. Hirschfeld encourages listeners to engage in the conversation at 2030.cloud, emphasizing the importance of diverse insights for shaping future discussions.

CHIPs Act And Global Supply

How do we build advanced innovative products and companies? We discuss the Chips act and global supply chain of silicon and manufacturing in today’s episode.

We took that apart into its component parts: supply chains, raw materials, power, whether talent, real estate, and put it back together in ways that look forward towards how we think these forces and global politics are going to shape manufacturing for the next decade.

Absolutely fascinating and critical discussion that will impact every single person’s health, their careers, and frankly, what they can buy on the store shelves.

Transcript: otter.ai/u/JPNiGOfYD8WZzyqGcbQ9y4biN5k
Image: www.pexels.com/photo/closed-up-p…ing-unit-1432680/

Rob’s Hot Take:

In the August 18th Cloud 2030 discussion, Rob Hirschfeld delves into the complex factors influencing technology innovation, including geopolitical considerations, weather, supply chain dynamics, and the significance of the CHIPS Act. The conversation explores the potential impacts on innovation, particularly in the semiconductor industry, and debates whether the CHIPS Act will lead to increased vertical integration by large companies or foster innovations in smaller-scale manufacturing methods like 3D printing. Hirschfeld highlights the disruptive nature of the CHIPS Act and its potential to reshape supply chain dynamics, encouraging listeners to explore the full episode at the2030.cloud.