cloud2030

In this episode, we do some live vibe coding– using AI to write code. We share tips and tricks on having the best vibe coding experience and avoiding some common pitfalls. You'll get to hear what we do, how we discover what the steps are, just how easy it is to interact with the system, to set up a basic environment. We also start to explore the limitations of vibe coding. We encourage you to listen along and try on your own! Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/CqKdtWZWYb3AdPtcb-Ra_kU8HAU?utm_source=copy_url Video available the2030.cloud

Rich Miller and I debrief our experiences at the AI Infrastructure and Edge Summit in Santa Clara. This show was interesting in the way it combined a lot of different pieces together related to AI. We share our thoughts and critiques on the event's sales-oriented focus, which overshadowed meaningful discussions on AI applications and data governance. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/5zn42OkdumP-HXIdi5YlicUmYRc?utm_source=copy_url

Today we continue our exploration of vibe coding by digging into the Model Context Protocol, or MCP. We look at how MCPs connect chatbots to backend systems, why natural language matters for complex queries, and what it takes to build smarter, more adaptable interfaces. The discussion covers practical strategies for refining and automating these systems using API docs, making this a solid deep dive into the future of human-to-machine interaction. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/5zn42OkdumP-HXIdi5YlicUmYRc?utm_source=copy_url

In this episode, we talk about scale and the hard realities of system failure in large tech operations. We explore why rare failures become common at scale, and what it takes to build systems that can handle that pressure. From predictive diagnostics to component redundancy, we share practical insights on keeping high-performance and AI infrastructure resilient. This is not theory, it is grounded in real-world lessons from managing complex environments and learning how to plan, isolate, and adapt when things go wrong. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/X8JYiADfPPLEfQ-ggexAP5P_jGc?utm_source=copy_url

Today we tackle the generational infrastructure shift that's keeping IT leaders awake at night: OpenShift virtualization adoption. We dig deep into why organizations are struggling to migrate from traditional VM-focused infrastructure to Kubernetes-managed infrastructure. We explore the real hurdles blocking this transition and unpack the strategic positioning that matters when you're moving to container-orchestrated infrastructure. This isn't about dumping everything into Kubernetes and calling it done, we examine what it really takes to use Kubernetes as your infrastructure abstraction layer while navigating the operational realities that make or break these migrations. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/IY2Y0a4aFN99ILg9daArE1nwe-c?utm_source=copy_url

In this episode we dive into the practice of recapturing gear from data centers and how it can be used in the secondary market and the ramifications for that market. What started off as a tangent ended up as a rabbit hole rewarding conversation! Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/QR43ePMfKLNrxH1bZo0Ik8YyKo0?utm_source=copy_url

Today we dive deep into the mystery of Kubernetes installation, specifically OpenShift installation. We help explain why Kubernetes installs look so weird compared to traditional operations, install processes, and where are the playbooks? Where are the scripts? Are the runbooks describing all the steps you need to take? All of it seems to be missing, and in this podcast, we explain why. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/J802BlcVs3K_OU8B5K5pnQ9fAq8?utm_source=copy_url

We discuss whether or not AI export controls work, but we take a really interesting twist because what we talk about is manufacturing. What we talk about is innovation, and it's not whether or not you can control AI chips, but what does it actually take to build innovative product? That's where we really have challenges on export and controls. There's military manufacturing and goods, and that's part of what this AI embargo is about. We really talk about how challenging it is to actually build truly innovative manufacturing and what the barriers are. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/k6Thp-TOfwKc_RjXHCnTd7tdepc?utm_source=copy_url

In this episode, we talk about how to use AI and agentic AI specifically to rethink log collection and analysis, and find and solve really difficult problems generally. There's a bit of a build up and understanding how we got there will help you appreciate the conversation. Resources: https://www.usenix.org/conference/srecon24americas/presentation/cruz Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/P-p1tfjPhD4lbX8cy6pjRb_icQ0?utm_source=copy_url

Today we riff on vibe coding, and we talk about the human and economic impacts. Can this agentic coding paradigm the use of AI and how will it impact people just starting their careers or building real applications? What is the trajectory for AI, generated systems and code and what is the risk of AI slop? Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/5G4AnR858BJnYVZiPV7w5tgAh0Y?utm_source=copy_url

NOTE: It appears that the Trump administration decided to allow nVidia chips... even so, this is a very interesting discussion. We discuss whether or not AI export controls work, but we take a really interesting twist because what we talk about is manufacturing. What we talk about is innovation, and it's not whether or not you can control AI chips, but what does it actually take to build innovative product? That's where we really have challenges on export and controls. There's military manufacturing and goods, and that's part of what this AI embargo is about. We really talk about how challenging it is to actually build truly innovative manufacturing and what the barriers are. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/k6Thp-TOfwKc_RjXHCnTd7tdepc?utm_source=copy_url

DevOps Lunch and Learn focuses on home labbing versus enterprise use cases and why it is so tricky to satisfy the home user with enterprise products. This really is a dilemma because we love to see more crossover and we're going to talk about why. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/CgO1zVnY5wDFgRNb7XpdUNyIgr0?utm_source=copy_url

In this episode, we continue our dive into the changing architecture of IT infrastructure and look at how containers and container platforms are changing. We also look at the fundamental nature of what people want to buy, accelerated by VMware Broadcom, making virtualization platforms much less attractive, and the shifting landscape here. This is work that is based on a presentation that I've been giving around the shift towards open shift virtualization and Kubernetes in general. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/BnYKzI0zzOLqqWi45vck9gMwsDk?utm_source=copy_url

In this episode, we dive deeper into the new architectural trends for infrastructure designers in this coming decade, which is a transition from virtualization platforms first like VMware into containerized platforms first. But this time, we talk through the use of virtualization in containerized systems - keeping VMs but with what changes are necessary to make a containerized virtualization platform dominant instead of a virtualized virtualization platform. Reference: https://kubevirt.io/user-guide/architecture/ https://www.redhat.com/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/virtualization

This episode of the TechOps series goes into high availability troubleshooting. Not just high availability, not just troubleshooting, but actually talking through what it takes to manage and maintain and fix HA systems. This is part of a longer discussion we've been having and so there's some really interesting ideas in the middle of these discussions that I hope will shape your thinking as you build high availability systems, diagnostics and troubleshooting for people who are in high availability very complex environments. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/wM__4w1YIzZnhVdgLuXLsDDu0Ng?utm_source=copy_url References: https://status.openai.com/incidents/ctrsv3lwd797\

We review 2025 predictions today and dig into why I think this year is going to be both boring and terrifying for a lot of enterprise IT leaders. That, of course, spans Amazon, Reinvent storage, VMware, AI, and Agentic AI - we run the gamut on what is coming and why this is actually going to be a very challenging year. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/H6UvLC-r2zmBO9A5jffUkhnjr5o?utm_source=copy_url Reference: https://zenoh.io by ZettaScale

In this episode, we dive into all things quantum computing, starting from the idea that Microsoft managed to put a new quantum silicon chip together. We go all over quantum from compute to entanglement and everything in between. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/Tt282iKZEkt5nL3C3zCDf_-pEIE?utm_source=copy_url References: https://naumanahmad86.medium.com/is-the-mac-mini-m4-cluster-the-ultimate-machine-for-running-large-ai-models-0b6c6a2d9a18 https://news.microsoft.com/source/features/innovation/microsofts-majorana-1-chip-carves-new-path-for-quantum-computing/ https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.19118

We step back in this episode of our Tech Ops series and talk about cloud self managed infrastructure and how you balance the competing concerns. We started from a report that RackN had commissioned talking about on premises Kubernetes, and mixing that into your IT infrastructure. Can you have a cloud broker? Can you do multi cloud, some sort of tried and true topics for cloud consideration, but through a new filter and through this repatriation idea of mixing and matching your IT Infrastructure? Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/FKGuQpV-5bQFVASAYDhNQJtuoKM?utm_source=copy_url Resources: https://store.repebble.com/ https://rackn.com/2025/03/18/ready-for-kubernetes-on-bare-metal/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/google-agrees-buy-cybersecurity-startup-wiz-32-bln-ft-reports-2025-03-18/ https://gabrielsimmer.com/blog/kubernetes-plus-oneplus

We springboard from DeepThinking AI and have a robust conversation about what impact DeepThink is having on the industry. We also discuss where we see things going into the dilemma of people building AI infrastructure and working to do that quickly, robustly and with strong governance. This is necessary to ensure that they can quickly update and manage that AI infrastructure that they're spending so much money to build, and this leads into a broader conversation about virtualization, containers and open shift. Recorded Jan 30, 2025 Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/79JxdYOiXUoSS44pYP9bnZc4xN0?utm_source=copy_url Reference: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/provide-an-extensive-and-detai-HmRlePfiTQ6LJG_X0SlB5g#8

We deep dive into something seemingly very small, but with a lot of repercussions for how you manage and run a data center, and that is test scripts for servers. As you're going through a production cycle or a provisioning cycle, how do you test? What do you test? This topic was from a Reddit thread that we answered and then had a whole hour conversation about just how important and impactful this type of script is. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/Cb3yac8JHvlM2yqh72bA_CBPWgs?utm_source=copy_url

Today we dive into RackN high availability technology and what we did to build consensus based raft HA capabilities directly into Digital Rebar. This is one of those episodes where we are talking specifically and only about Digital Rebar, so it is a vendored conversation from that perspective. If you are building HA systems, or are interested in how HA systems work, this is a great session to learn firsthand from our experience! Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/9lA9djczp5GkJbj12k0EzFUXw4g?utm_source=copy_url

The cloud2030 Tech Ops series is an ongoing discussion for us to create what I think of as 200 level content for tech and operations leaders, exploring really complex, deep topics in a thoughtful way to really extend your knowledge base and capabilities in the data center and infrastructure space. Today's episode talks about gitops and immutability, and what we're doing here is connecting together the operational concepts between controls and desired state communications and how that gets executed in infrastructure in an operations sense. Rather than a developer approach, this takes an operations approach. So if you are interested in how to manage immutability and what that means in infrastructure, this discussion is for you.

This is one of those fun conversations where we're really diving not just into the tech but the enterprise consumption of the tech and how people are thinking about it. How does technology like Kubernetes evolve and get used in ways that the community is not thinking about and find a whole new path for adoption and commercialization? If this is going on in your organization, we want to hear from you. We want you to be part of the conversation, because this is a really important transition point for the industry, for people questioning their VMware consumption, and for people looking to expand their Kubernetes footprints. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/nEzH4t1JDEa51fvQFcWcFzMXmkE?utm_source=copy_url

We talk about current events, the acquisition of data stacks and the closing of the HashiCorp acquisition by IBM. Later, we dive into the productivity of AI and what's going on - are companies really getting the benefits that they expect from AI chat bot integrations and what the challenges are? We touch base on a little bit of something more infrastructure focused, where I give a preview of work I've been doing on separating Kubernetes virtualization from Kubernetes development use cases, which is something that we will be talking about more in the future. References: https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/microsoft-just-put-this-controversial-notepad-feature-behind-a-paywall https://www.ibm.com/new/announcements/ibm-to-acquire-datastax-helping-clients-bring-the-power-of-unstructured-data-to-enterprise-ai-applications https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ioc3r70HNLM https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dhinchcliffe_major-agentic-ai-news-for-cios-this-week-activity-7303122989498138624-jR2R/ 20250227

In this episode, we dive deeper into the new architectural trends for infrastructure designers in this coming decade, which is a transition from virtualization platforms first like VMware into containerized platforms first. But this time, we talk through the use of virtualization in containerized systems - keeping VMs but with what changes are necessary to make a containerized virtualization platform dominant instead of a virtualized virtualization platform. Reference: https://kubevirt.io/user-guide/architecture/ https://www.redhat.com/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/virtualization

We discuss Symbolic AI via LLMs for advanced reasoning in manufacturing and real-time analytics. Key points included leveraging symbolic representations and algebraic equations, utilizing knowledge graphs to improve model accuracy, and exploring agentic AI frameworks with specialized agents working together using swarm intelligence principles to tackle complex problems like anomaly detection and process optimization. The group also discussed the challenges of building trust in AI systems and the importance of capturing and storing questions and answers to build a knowledge base.

We revisit edge infrastructure and the motivations behind building and managing edge infrastructure with an unusual take. In this case, we ask ourselves if all of these edge devices are becoming more software defined or becoming more standardized, off the shelf component tree. And will that change how we look at managing and running edge infrastructure? Will we shift compute and operations processes into these ever smarter devices? The answer is going to surprise you. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/tGIcIC1bijvaW4OkJNm9YCEBdOE?utm_source=copy_url

We explore the certificate issue in which secure boot is potentially compromised because of certificates that have been compromised in ways they could be easily used as for an attack vector. This is a very significant flaw and something that should be on your purview and radar to fix. We're going to talk about what the issue is, why it's important, how secure boot works, and what you can do to mitigate this problem in your own infrastructure. This is a really important episode for anybody running or managing desktops, data centers or infrastructure of any type. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/59uYpJpra5SutJOpEB_bPZ2CUqI?utm_source=copy_url

Today we go back to our book club and talk about Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. It's really foundational work that has elements pulled into a lot of other books that we've already discussed, and I think it’s essential for people who are looking to be better leaders. It’s also great to learn how to communicate with more empathy, to frame and phrase questions and engagement that explains your feelings, needs and intents, and hear other people's needs. If that sounds a little bit too foo-foo for you, bear with me. This is a really, really, really powerful communication technique. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/2p1NpJOZbuLxixQVOKETzFZWk8A?utm_source=copy_url

We dive deep into the current state of the venture capital (VC) market, exploring the significant shifts and challenges faced by entrepreneurs and investors alike in the post-COVID landscape. Key topics discussed include: The decline in the allure of VC funding and the impact of "pump and flip" models The market volatility and caution among venture firms due to economic factors The changing focus of VCs towards sectors like healthcare, fintech, and deep tech The challenges in building sustainable, billion-dollar companies The rise of corporate venture capital and strategic investments The potential for rational valuation adjustments and market consolidation The importance of clearly articulating the problem being solved and achieving product-market fit The conversation provides valuable insights for founders navigating the evolving VC ecosystem, as well as investors seeking to adapt their strategies to the changing market dynamics. Join Rob and Rich as they explore the future of VC and the strategies needed to succeed in this dynamic landscape.

We dive deep into the technical details of BootC - a Red Hat-led technology that uses container-like definitions to describe machine boot processes. BootC is an important development, especially as companies embrace containers and seek a unified approach to machine configuration. RackN CTO, Greg Althaus, provides an in-depth overview of how BootC works, its key capabilities, and the potential benefits and challenges for operations teams. They explore topics like BootC's relationship to containers, the concept of immutability, different deployment methods, and the operational considerations around managing BootC at scale. This conversation offers a balanced, non-Red Hat perspective on BootC, highlighting both its technical merits and the significant operational work required to successfully adopt and integrate it. Listeners will come away with a nuanced understanding of this emerging technology and the factors organizations should weigh as they evaluate BootC for their infrastructure.

This episode explores the challenges of processing events and logs in technical operations. The discussion covers the importance of understanding the intent and purpose of building systems downstream from eventing and logging systems. Key topics include the trade-offs between real-time and delayed event processing, the principle of least privilege, and strategies for handling event buffering and dropping. The conversation also touches on security concerns related to event and log data. The episode concludes with plans for future discussions on adding events and logging to scripts to make them more useful.

We dive deep into logging, tracing, metrics, observability, with a specific filter for automation and systems and infrastructure. There's a real challenge here of how you capture information from a running system in a way that provides the right information at the right time. That fundamentally is the question that we are working to answer throughout this really fascinating discussion about logging. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/msNO2gn1b0FP2lK7rSfplQrCrPQ?utm_source=copy_url

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble-bed_reactor Do nuclear power and a potential renaissance in nuclear power, driven by the voracious power demands for data centers, have the potential of becoming accepted, local and an economic boom for communities? If you're scratching your head thinking, no way, maybe this conversation will change your mind. Enjoy! Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/yUJapxBhVAhGnPUKgJDMqEJNt8I?utm_source=copy_url

This TechOps episode explores the challenges of processing events and logs in technical operations. The discussion covers the importance of understanding the intent and purpose of building systems downstream from eventing and logging systems. Key topics include the trade-offs between real-time and delayed event processing, the principle of least privilege, and strategies for handling event buffering and dropping. The conversation also touches on security concerns related to event and log data. The episode concludes with plans for future discussions on adding events and logging to scripts to make them more useful.

In this episode, we dive deep into the emerging world of building and training small language models. We'll discuss the benefits, risks, and challenges companies face as they work to create more targeted and efficient AI models. From managing hardware and power requirements to ensuring data privacy and governance, we'll cover the key considerations for enterprises looking to leverage the power of small language models. Join us as we unpack this fascinating topic and consider the implications for the future of AI and infrastructure operations. Transcript https://otter.ai/u/xJ5T-x70WUFQ55ZAsRQr57q6zwE Reference: https://www.composabl.com/

This podcast episode explores the challenges of process improvement in IT operations, using examples from data centers, automotive, and cybersecurity. The discussion covers the slow evolution of secure boot, the difficulties cloud providers face in translating their processes to the broader market, and the emergence of vehicle-to-anything ecosystems. The group delves into the need for standardization and security in vehicle ecosystems, as well as the policy management and automation challenges enterprises face. The conversation also examines the balance of trust in technology versus human expertise, particularly around the use of AI and the risks of generative AI. The CrowdStrike incident is analyzed, with debate around the responsibility of CrowdStrike, Microsoft, and Delta's operational controls. The impact on cyber insurance and the need for broader risk management approaches are also discussed, highlighting the interconnectedness of process improvement and risk management, and the call for greater industry collaboration to address these challenges. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/93JhNjmekqf0ttX21gsupz4OeBY?utm_source=copy_url

In this episode, we continue our TechOps series, diving deep into the topic of container management. As containers become increasingly mainstream, the need to effectively manage and orchestrate these lightweight, purpose-built environments is crucial. We'll explore the distinctions between container management and orchestration, discussing the different tools, techniques and trade-offs involved. We'll also hear insights from the RackN team on how they've approached container lifecycle management within their own infrastructure management platform, Digital Rebar. This is a rich discussion that touches on everything from Kubernetes to system design trade-offs. So let's jump in and learn how to wrangle those containers!

In this episode, we dive deep into a recent and highly sophisticated SSH intrusion attack that was discovered in the Linux kernel. We'll discuss how the attackers were able to inject a backdoor into a critical compression library, leveraging social engineering tactics to become a trusted maintainer over several years. The attack was designed to bypass security checks and evade detection, even from advanced techniques like eBPF monitoring. We'll explore the technical details of how the backdoor was triggered, the potential impact on various Linux distributions, and the broader implications for software supply chain security. This incident highlights the challenges of maintaining trust in open-source projects and the need for robust security measures to protect critical infrastructure. Join us as we unpack this fascinating case and consider the lessons it holds for the future of secure software development.

A software bill of materials is the idea that we can define and document exactly what goes into a system. We look at governance today and SBOMs as we put it together, both from a software and an operation side. From an operations perspective, it truly is a big challenge. This conversation is a little bit more theoretical than some of the TechOps discussions have been. Enjoy! Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/VXWwg-ltdlwYBFYI_jNCOUmJz6M?utm_source=copy_url

SSH and Secure Shell is one of those topics that people take for granted because it is a ubiquitous way to log in and access systems. True to form for the TechOps series, though, we break that down into much more detailed and granular components. We talk about how to secure it and what best practices are. We also discuss how to use it for tunneling, or, more specifically, not use it for tunneling, and why all of this matters to your operations environment. Listen to what new things we're doing that avoid having to have network access at all. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/XSRBfnifZOF0-nlNU5Vo_hyoSVU?utm_source=copy_url

Is high availability always a good thing? Today our discussion takes an operations perspective. We look at places where you were over or under committing high availability, where you were confusing disaster recovery for high availability, and perhaps even securing the wrong service or looking at it the wrong way. We cover all of these scenarios with practical, hands-on examples that I know you will get a lot out of. This is good prep for talking about HA clusters, because the idea of coordinating and monitoring systems is core to HA and HA clusters. In our journey with RackN, a lot of customers who thought they needed very aggressive HA systems, once they are confronted with the overhead of maintaining an HA system, have to ask if you really need it. We started with an active/passive HA implementation using third party monitoring to monitor for when the system failed and spin up the second system, creating a live streaming back up to the failover system. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/vOVZadHvRTFCZGqcI2DC3nQzDgY?utm_source=copy_url

We dive into AI, manufacturing and how to improve manufacturing outcomes by better analyzing data. If you are interested in manufacturing or advanced applications of AI and digital twins - which is where we create accurate representations of physical items - this episode will hit all of your favorite topics! Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/xNB0GZQXB4hQMly991Wk1MwFhjw?utm_source=copy_url

We explore the UEFI certificate issue in which secure boot is potentially compromised. Certificates that are included in most UEFI BIOSes have been compromised in ways that could easily be used as an attack vector, a very significant flaw and something that should be on your purview and radar to fix and patch. We're going to talk about what the issue is, why it's important, how secure boot works, and what you can do to mitigate this problem in your own infrastructure. An important episode for anybody running or managing desktops, data centers or any infrastructure of any type. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/H15Z2NZDom8Hta8gHJn2mQwziFM?utm_source=copy_url

We discuss the impact AI and data sovereignty data protection will have on platforms, consolidated management of your data like in Office by Microsoft or Google, on premises, and systems. This includes a whole bunch of data that you will want to use to train AI models to improve your day to day operations, but you probably don't want a lot of vendors pulling that data apart and transiting it. We have a fascinating discussion about how the market is impacting these forces. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/gpyotjoYz5ev-1Q2yvokQi--ipg?utm_source=copy_url