Flux7 Blog

As demand grows for cloud services, Alibaba announced its plans to invest 200 billion yuan ($28.26 billion) in cloud technologies. Over the next three years, the cloud computing division will invest in infrastructure, and technologies related to operating systems, servers, chips and networks in a bid to raise the competitive bar against Amazon, Microsoft, and Google Cloud. This DevOps news comes as cloud providers see a spike in demand due to Coronavirus inspired need for greater availability and scalability.

DevOps News

• GitLab releases version 12.10 and provides users with tools for requirements management. The new GitLab category will help teams define, track, and manage business requirements. It also allows users to flag when a project must comply with a specific compliance framework. Also new is autoscaling on AWS Fargate. It features auto-scale runners for pipelines to scale to meet demand.
• GitHub announces that Scheduled Reminders graduates from beta. Teams can expedite code reviews with a daily reminder of pull requests waiting for review.
• HashiCorp announces the preview release of Terraform Foundational Policies Library. Available for Terraform Cloud and Enterprise, it provides 40+ controls to secure the most often used cloud services. Based on cloud CIS benchmarks, the controls address networking, databases, storage, and compute.
• HashiCorp introduces Cloud Engineering Certifications for Infrastructure Automation and Security Automation. A certification for Network Automation is forthcoming.
• Red Hat OpenShift unveils the availability of OpenShift 4.3. The newest version features automated recovery, full admin access with built-in protection, autoscaling masters, managed security, and automated worker management and provisioning to ensure users match workloads with the right resources.
• Pulumi 2.0 takes the stage as the newest offering from Pulumi. The open-source platform updates include an expanded list of supported cloud resource providers, more CI/CD integrations, a new policy as code framework, and more.

AWS News 

• Amazon makes AWS Cost Categories generally available. With it, users can map cost and use data to their specific needs — from teams to geography, applications, cost centers, and more. With the new tool, users can define categories, and write rules for them for tracking and optimization. 
  
• In other cost news, AWS brings EC2 right-sizing recommendations to users with AWS Cost Explorer. Powered by AWS Compute Optimizer, users receive rightsizing suggestions across EC2 instance families. Additionally, cost information for M, C, R, T, and X instance types will be available in AWS Compute Optimizer.
• AWS announces TorchServe, a PyTorch model serving library. Part of the PyTorch open source project, it allows deep learning teams to deploy trained PyTorch models without custom code. According to a blog announcement, TorchServe includes multi-model serving, model versioning for A/B testing, monitoring metrics, and RESTful endpoints for application integration. It supports any machine learning environment, including Amazon SageMaker, container services, and Amazon EC2.
• AWS streamlines threat detection as Amazon GuardDuty adds support for AWS Organizations across accounts. It is available today in all GuardDuty supported AWS regions.
• AWS unveils Amazon AppFlow which automates the flow of data between AWS services and SaaS apps (and vice-versa). The new service cuts the need to wait in queue for IT to integrate SaaS apps with AWS.  
• AWS now makes it easier to track configuration changes to secrets. With a new AWS Config integration, users can now track changes to secrets stored in AWS Secrets Manager. In addition, operators can use two managed AWS Config rules to assess if a secret’s configuration is in compliance with security or other requirements. 
  
• AWS launches a curated set of security controls called AWS Foundational Security Best Practices. The release includes 31 automated security controls in 12 Regions. The AWS GovCloud (West) Region will include 27 controls. Covering the most popular AWS services, controls alert users when a resource does not align with security best practices.
  
• Operators can extend cost management to Amazon Redshift Spectrum and Concurrency Scaling. Create daily, weekly, and monthly use limits and rules for automatic action when exceeded.
  
• Amazon announces the general availability of Amazon Augmented AI (Amazon A2I). A2I helps developers review ML predictions by removing the need to build a human review system. 

Flux7 News

• Our very own HPC SA, Derek Magill, was featured in TheNewStack this week. Check out his article, Map Your Journey to Monolith Modernization.
  
• With growing pressure to drive product and service innovation, enterprises look to modernize legacy applications. Read our Pragmatic Strategy For Legacy Application Modernization.
• Maintaining high-security standards for web applications is no easy task. This is especially true for our customer that serves up sensitive business data via its web interface. With a need to ensure the security of its web application — and customer data — read how the company’s security team migrated to AWS WAF. BI Firm Navigates SQL Injections with AWS WAF Rules.

Written by Flux7 Labs

Flux7, an NTT DATA Company, is the only Sherpa on the DevOps journey that assesses, designs, and teaches while implementing a holistic solution for its enterprise customers, thus giving its clients the skills needed to manage and expand on the technology moving forward. Not a reseller or an MSP, Flux7 recommendations are 100% focused on customer requirements and creating the most efficient infrastructure possible that automates operations, streamlines and enhances development, and supports specific business goals.