Cloud Computing Tools and Techniques Our Team Can’t Live Without – Insights from Borko Novachevski

13 Sep, 2023 | 7 minutes read

Having the appropriate tools and techniques at your disposal may make all the difference in guaranteeing seamless operations and providing top-notch services to clients and partners in the ever-evolving world of cloud computing. In this article, a seasoned member of our cloud team named Borko Novachevski sits down with us to discuss the top tools and strategies that our team considers essential, how they choose and update these tools, and how they improve the overall experience for our business clients and partners.

What are the top three best cloud computing tools available that are indispensable to our Cloud team, and why do they stand out?

Borko Novachevski: “To make our operations more efficient, our Cloud team significantly relies on a variety of tools and technologies, but the top three that really stand out are:

  • K9s: Our Kubernetes management is made simpler by K9s, an easy-to-use Command-line Interface (CLI) tool. It rapidly gives us crucial details like cluster names, Kubernetes versions, and timestamps. The wonderful thing about K9s is that we can run commands and examine resources without having to switch contexts or clusters. It completely changes how complex Kubernetes environments are monitored and troubleshot.
  • Rancher: This tool offers streamlined Kubernetes management and a large ecosystem of plugins and connectors, which is a crucial tool for our cloud team. Team members can effectively install, scale, and monitor containerized apps across different clusters because of its user-friendly UI, which lowers the learning curve. Rancher’s open-source design encourages community support, ensuring continued development and availability of essential resources.
  • Kubectx&Kubens: Context switching across Kubernetes clusters is streamlined with Kubectx, increasing efficiency, and reducing mistakes. Kubens, however, makes namespace administration inside a cluster simpler, assisting with project planning and resource efficiency. The Kubernetes community holds these tools in high respect, and they give our team useful resources, plugins, and extensions to effectively manage our cloud infrastructure.”

Can you recall a challenging project where a specific tool or technique proved to be a game-changer for our Cloud computing operations?

Borko Novachevski: “Undoubtedly, I can think of a difficult project when K9s were crucial in changing how we functioned. In this project, we had to guarantee the perfect operation of a sophisticated, multi-tier application operating on Kubernetes. Typically, many command-line operations, context switches, and cluster configurations would be required to verify the status and health of different components.

This procedure was incredibly effective with K9s. With only a few clicks, we could examine every aspect of our Kubernetes clusters, read logs, review certificate requests, and even kill stalled pods. K9s saved us time and decreased the likelihood of mistakes by allowing us to remain within the Kubernetes environment without the need for continual context changes. It was a game-changer for completing a job successfully under pressure and on schedule.”

cloud computing

How does our team evaluate and select new type of cloud tools or software for our cloud processes? Are there certain criteria or benchmarks that they must meet?

Borko Novachevski: “We take great care when choosing new software or solutions for our cloud-based procedures. To make sure they satisfy our demands, we concentrate on several benchmarks and criteria:

The tool or software must be compatible with our current infrastructure and technology and must integrate seamlessly with them. It should be scalable as our cloud operations expand without sacrificing performance. Here are the criteria that we pay attention to:

  • Usability: User friendliness is essential. We are seeking tools that don’t need a lot of training and are simple to use.
  • Reliability: To support mission-critical tasks, the tool needs to be dependable and strong.
  • Community Support: To ensure that our tools stay up to date with industry best practices, we choose those that have a thriving user community and regular updates.
  • Security is of utmost importance. Any software or tool must adhere to industry rules and meet our security criteria.
  • Cost-Efficiency: To make sure it fits inside our budget, we evaluate the overall cost of ownership, including license fees and maintenance charges.“

In the fast-evolving cloud landscape, how do you ensure that our tools and techniques remain updated and aligned with industry best practices?

Borko Novachevski: “In the constantly evolving cloud landscape, it’s critical to keep our tools and methods current. We accomplish this by utilizing several tactics, including:

  • Continuous Learning: To stay informed about the most recent business trends and best practices, our team regularly participates in training and certification programs.
  • Tool Evaluation: We periodically evaluate our current tools to see if they continue to satisfy our needs. If not, we consider substitutes that more closely adhere to current industry requirements.
  • Community Engagement: By actively participating in online forums and groups that are linked to our technologies, we may learn about new best practices and efficiently troubleshoot problems.
  • Regular Updates: We make sure that our software and tools are updated on a regular basis to the most recent versions, adding bug fixes and new functions to improve performance and security.”

Are there any techniques or best practices that our team has developed internally that differentiate our cloud solutions from competitors?

Borko Novachevski: ” Yes, our team has created several internal methods and best practices that distinguish us from rivals:

  • Custom Monitoring and Alerting: We have put in place a monitoring and notification system that is specifically tailored to our cloud environment. As a result, we can proactively identify and resolve problems before they influence our clients.
  • Container Optimization: We’ve refined our containerization tactics to make the best use of resources and to be as effective as possible, which has led to cost savings and enhanced performance.
  • Automated scaling: By using automated scaling approaches, we make sure that our cloud solutions can adjust to different workloads and keep performance stable even during traffic peaks.
  • Security Framework: We’ve created a strong security framework that combines best practices from the industry with unique security measures made specifically for our clients’ requirements. This guarantees excellent security and compliance with our cloud solutions.

These methods and best practices provide us the ability to provide cloud solutions that not only meet but also surpass our clients’ expectations, differentiating us in the crowded cloud industry.”

How do these tools and techniques enhance the experience or outcomes for our business clients and partners?

Borko Novachevski: “The tools and methods we’ve covered improve our business clients’ and partners’ experiences and results in a number of ways. Faster problem solving K9s, one of our effective monitoring and troubleshooting solutions, helps us locate problems quickly, minimize downtime, and provide our clients with flawless experience. By utilizing internal best practices and strategies, we make sure that our cloud solutions are incredibly dependable, lowering the possibility of service interruptions and delivering dependable performance.

  • Cost reductions: We can offer our clients competitive pricing because of the cost reductions through optimized containerization and automatic scaling solutions.
  • Security Assurance: Our strong security architecture gives our clients and partners peace of mind by ensuring that their data and applications are safe from dangers.
  • Scalability: Using our methods and technologies, we can adjust resource levels as needed to accommodate the expansion of our clients’ enterprises without sacrificing performance.

Overall, these methods and technologies provide us the ability to provide top-notch cloud services that satisfy the requirements and expectations of our customers and partners while building trust and enduring partnerships.”

Conclusion

Success in the dynamic world of cloud computing depends on using the proper tools and methods. The insights provided by Borko Novachevski shed light on the essential elements that maintain our Cloud team at the forefront of the sector and guarantee that we provide our clients with top-notch services. Success in the dynamic world of cloud computing depends on using the proper tools and methods. Join our client community, and let’s shape the future of cloud computing together!

FAQ

What are the other types of cloud computing tools that are crucial for our team?

There are numerous types of cloud computing tools available in the market that play a crucial role for our team, including cloud monitoring tools like AWS CloudWatch, database management tools like Amazon RDS, software development tools like AWS CodeStar, analytics tools like Google Cloud’s BigQuery, and cloud security tools like AWS Shield. We also use Platform as a Service (PaaS) like Heroku and cloud storage services like Amazon S3.

How does cloud monitoring improve cloud usage?

Cloud monitoring tools provide us with insights into cloud computing usage, enabling us to optimize cloud resources and manage cloud cost effectively. They provide real-time data on system performance, resource usage, and security threats, helping us ensure the smooth running of our applications and services.

Why is analytics important in cloud platform usage?

Analytics plays a crucial role in our cloud platform usage. It aids us in understanding the patterns and trends in our data, helping us make informed decisions. Analytics tools like Google’s BigQuery and AWS’s QuickSight provide us with advanced capabilities like machine learning and business intelligence, which are extremely valuable in deciphering our data.

What does a typical workflow for deploying an application in the cloud look like?

The typical workflow for deploying an application in the cloud involves several steps. It begins with setting up the cloud environment, followed by developing the application using cloud-based toolsets, testing the application in the development environment, and then deploying it using cloud services. We use management tools and multiple tools provided by our cloud service providers to streamline this process.