How to deploy software to Linux-based IoT devices at scale
Mar 20, 2024
The internet of things (IoT) has transformed the way we interact with the world, connecting a myriad of devices to the internet, from smart thermostats in our homes to industrial sensors in manufacturing plants. A significant portion of these IoT devices relies on the Linux operating system due to its flexibility, robustness, and open-source nature.Deploying software to Linux-based devices, at scale, is a complex and critical process that requires planning, well-thought-out processes, and adherence to best practices to ensure the stability, security, and manageability of the IoT fleet. In this article, we’ll explore some best practices for deploying software on large fleets of Linux-based IoT devices.To read this article in full, please click here
Evaluating databases for sensor data
Mar 18, 2024
The world has become “sensor-fied.”Sensors on everything, including cars, factory machinery, turbine engines, and spacecraft, continuously collect data that developers leverage to optimize efficiency and power AI systems. So, it’s no surprise that time series—the type of data these sensors collect—is one of the fastest-growing categories of databases over the past five-plus years.However, relational databases remain, by far, the most-used type of databases. Vector databases have also seen a surge in usage thanks to the rise of generative AI and large language models (LLMs). With so many options available to organizations, how do they select the right database to serve their business needs?To read this article in full, please click here
Securing Azure Kubernetes with Falco
Mar 15, 2024
Falco, the open-source, cloud-native, runtime security tool, recently graduated from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation’s incubation program. That means it’s considered stable and ready for use in production environments, including Azure. It joins many of the key components of a cloud-native platform including Helm, Envoy, etcd, KEDA, and Cloud Events.I recently had a conversation with Loris Degioanni, the CTO and founder of cloud-native security company Sysdig and the creator of Falco, about the philosophy behind the project and how it’s being used across Kubernetes applications.To read this article in full, please click here
Why public cloud providers are cutting egress fees
Mar 15, 2024
Public cloud providers are often loathed for charging data transfer or “egress fees” for removing data from a specific cloud provider. If you move data out of a cloud provider, there’s a cost; for instance, you move inventory data from an inventory system residing in a public cloud provider to a supply chain system on premises or perhaps even on another public cloud provider.This is the number one complaint about cloud providers that I hear. The fee is thought of as arbitrary and counterproductive to using the cloud with systems that exist outside of a specific provider. In some cases, it’s a reason applications are not in a cloud today.The writing on the wall
This customer discontent is not lost on cloud providers, who are initiating a significant shift in their pricing strategies by reducing these charges. Google Cloud announced it would eliminate egress fees, a strategic move to attract customers from its larger competitors, AWS and Microsoft. This was not merely a pricing play but also a response to regulatory pressures, greater competition, and the significantly lower cost of hardware in the past several years. The cloud computing landscape has changed, and providers are continually looking for ways to differentiate themselves and attract more users.To read this article in full, please click here
Netlify AI analyzes failed deployments
Mar 07, 2024
Web development platform provider Netlify has added AI-enabled deploy assist capabilities to its Composable Web Platform.Unveiled March 7, AI-enabled deploy assist analyzes failed deployments and offers suggestions to correct errors. Netlify said the feature is intended to reduce the time developers spend manually reviewing logs and debugging failed builds, ensuring failed builds do not become bottlenecks and improving the developer experience.Netlify CTO Dana Lawson explained how the company’s AI addresses issues across toolsets. “When building composable architectures, teams are pulling in tools, content, and integrations that suit them best. When issues happen, it’s not always clear what part of your composable architecture is having issues. It could be code, configuration, etc,” Lawson said.To read this article in full, please click here
The open source problem
Mar 04, 2024
Folks, we have an open source problem. And, no, it’s not the problem some think. You’ll hear people rail against corporations that falsely describe their code as open source. Sometimes they’re correct. You’ll hear others bemoan the influx of venture-backed companies that dilute the meaning of open source to fuel corporate gains. Sometimes they’re correct.But the problem isn’t the companies. At least, that’s not the primary problem. Businesses piggybacking on open source branding in pursuit of commercial gains is nothing new. The difference is that, over the past few years, free and open source software has lost its way, leaving developers (and businesses) just one option: permissive, Apache-style licensing. The first kind of open source licensing was, as its sometimes prickly and pedantic adherents insist, not “open source” at all, but rather copyleft, free software licensing like the GPL. (“We want people to know we stand for freedom, so we do not accept being mislabeled as open source supporters,” said Richard Stallman.)To read this article in full, please click here