Welcome to the first edition of my newsletter! I will be sharing my thoughts and findings on cloud computing (with a focus on Microsoft Azure), DevOps, development, and (cloud) security.

Many people know me as someone who reads and researches a lot. I also like to share what I find useful with my friends. Now, I decided to start this newsletter to share my insights and discoveries on these topics with a wider audience.

In the beginning, I will publish this newsletter every two weeks on this blog. Some people say, “Done is better than perfect,” so I decided to start with this simple and easy form. After some time, I will probably set up a mailing list and use it to share future editions.

As this is my first time writing a newsletter, I would love to hear any feedback about my work. Let’s make it a win-win scenario. You will help me write a better newsletter, and I will provide you with more and more value by creating better content. But this can only happen if we build a relationship. So, do not hesitate to contact me. You can find my details at the end of this issue.

I hope you find the content of this newsletter useful and informative. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let’s explore the exciting world of cloud computing together!

Virtual Tour of the Azure Data Center

Virtual Tour of the Azure Data Center
Virtual Tour of the Azure Data Center

#1. Are you curious about what an Azure data center looks like on the inside? Take a virtual tour of the Azure data center by visiting this page: https://infrastructuremap.microsoft.com/explore/datacenter.

KQL

Kusto Detective Agency
Kusto Detective Agency

#2. The Kusto Query Language (KQL) is a powerful tool for querying data in Microsoft Azure. It is useful to become familiar with KQL because it is widely used in the Azure platform for querying data, resources, and monitoring. I have found a collection of materials that can help you learn the basics of KQL at this link: https://github.com/rod-trent/MustLearnKQL.

#3. Once you have a grasp on the basics, you can test your knowledge with the challenges from the “Kusto Detective Agency”: https://detective.kusto.io.

MACH Architecture

MACH Architecutre
MACH Architecutre.
Source - machalliance.org/mach-technology

#4. MACH is an acronym for Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native, and Headless. It is a set of architectural principles for building modern software using the power of cloud computing.

At the MongoDB World 2022 conference, John Williams, the CTO of Amplience, discussed their journey with implementing the MACH architecture. He spoke about the challenges they faced and how they were able to overcome them thanks to the MACH architecture. He also discussed the importance of headless architecture (how it is not just having the API) and shared some tips on how to get started with MACH.

If you’re seeking technical content, this presentation may not be the best, but it still has value. For me, it was the first time I came across this acronym and I plan to share more information on this topic in the future.

The presentation can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiYAsEDBhpE, and more information on MACH can be found on the MACH Alliance website - https://machalliance.org.

Microsoft Graph

Microsoft Graph Developer Proxy in action
Microsoft Graph Developer Proxy in action

#5. I really like using Python, and I try to use it whenever I can. I also frequently use Microsoft Graph. That’s why I’m happy that Microsoft has released an official Python SDK for Microsoft Graph. - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/educator-developer-blog/microsoft-graph-python-sdk-public-preview/ba-p/3686110

#6. If you’re creating apps or scripts that use Microsoft Graph, the Microsoft Graph Developer Proxy can be a useful tool. It acts as a proxy on your local computer and can simulate different errors returned by the API. This can help you ensure that your app is properly handling Microsoft Graph errors.

You can find more about this tool here - https://devblogs.microsoft.com/microsoft365dev/introducing-the-microsoft-graph-developer-proxy-community-preview/

Are you interested in staying up-to-date with the latest developments in #Azure, #CloudComputing, #DevOps, and #AI?

Follow me on LinkedIn for regular updates and insights on these topics. I bring a unique perspective and in-depth knowledge to the table. Don't miss out on the valuable content I share – give me a follow today!

Security

Zero Trust architecture
Zero Trust architecture.
Source - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/zero-trust

#7. Free e-book from Microsoft and Sogeti on securing your DevOps environments and implementing necessary culture changes. It provides guidance on establishing a secure and regulatory-compliant DevOps environment.

Can be downloaded here - https://azure.microsoft.com/pl-pl/resources/securing-enterprise-devops-environments/

#8. Cloud Security Framework - a small diagram that shows what you should consider when you are thinking about cloud security - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrey-savchuk-3b3a4a_cloud-security-framework-activity-6973888321336836096-c7F-/

#9. Based on CISA - Zero trust provides a collection of concepts and ideas designed to minimize uncertainty in enforcing accurate, least privilege per-request access decisions in information systems and services in the face of a network viewed as compromised. (https://www.cisa.gov/zero-trust-maturity-model)

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Azure podcast, Jussi and Tobias are discussing some lessons learned about Zero Trust in the past years:

  1. A lot of guiadiance about Zero Trust covers only identity and M365 - how about the other aspects?
  2. Zero Trust is a bit like a DevOps was in a back days. Custers were saying: “I want a DevOps solution”. Now we the same with Zero Trust. But it is not a product deployment project. It is cultural and mindset thing.
  3. Quite common question about Zero Trust - how long will this take us. Short answer: at least 6 months, but in reality forever. You can also start with RaMP - Zero Trust Rapid Modernization Plan (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/zero-trust/zero-trust-ramp-overview)

You can listen the episode here - https://ctrlaltazure.com/episodes/162-lessons-learned-on-zero-trust-in-the-past-year

DevOps vs Platform Engineering?

DevOps vs Platform Engineering
DevOps vs Platform Engineering

#10. DevOps, SRE, and Platform Engineering are all popular terms in the world of software development and operations. While they may sound similar, there are some reasons why we are using these three separate terms.

If you’re interested in learning more about how they differ, check out this post - https://medium.com/@marco-schwarz/the-difference-between-devops-sre-and-platform-engineering-47a23e17fee5

P.R.O. (aka Pull Request Oriented) Programming

P.R.O. Programming
P.R.O. Programming.
Source - https://dev.to/devsatasurion

#11. Pull requests are quite an important part of development. In this article, the author shows how to use Pull Request like a PRO.

On a PRO team, each developer has the following 3 priorities:

  1. Top Priority: “Deliver Excellent PRs”
  2. Second Priority: “Unblock teammate PRs”
  3. Third Priority: “Protect the high-quality codebase”

To learn more, check out the full story at - https://dev.to/devsatasurion/make-prs-the-best-part-of-programming-1l95

Video & Presentations

Cloudyna 2022
Cloudyna 2022

#12. Adam Stuart has a YouTube channel about cloud networking, with a focus on Azure. The channel features recordings about using private endpoints, configuring ExpressRoute, Azure Virtual WAN, or DNS. I highly recommend following the channel if you work with Microsoft Azure - https://www.youtube.com/@AdamStuart1

#13. Cloudyna is a conference about multi-cloud computing that was held in September of 2022. The organizers recently posted recordings from the conference on their YouTube channel. You can check out the sessions here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1DEicmdr2U&list=PLitOP9que5gama7Sud6w3L2DDG6CzH8qy

Chrome plugin

30 seconds of knowledge
30 seconds of knowledge

#14.30 seconds of knowledge is a useful Google Chrome plugin that helps you learn something new every time you open a new tab. This plugin provides short code snippets for popular programming languages like C++, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ramda, React, and Ruby.

You can choose the topics that you are interested in and start learning right away.

For more information, please visit https://30secondsofknowledge.com

Final words

That is all for today, thank you for reading my first newsletter(!!). I hope you found it useful and informative. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at newsletter@lukeintheclouds.com (you can contact me in English or in Polish). I would love to hear from you.

If you would like to stay up-to-date on the latest cloud computing news and trends, you can follow me on Twitter (@lukeintheclouds) or subscribe to the RSS feed of this blog. That way, you’ll be notified whenever a new newsletter is published.

Have fun!

#15. Finally, open the MS Edge browser, type edge://surf in the URL bar … and have some fun :)

Again, thank you for reading and I look forward to sharing more interesting content with you in the future.

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