DevOps

From time to time, I see folks confusing the products of GitHub and Azure DevOps with the version control of Git and the practices of DevOps. In this post, I will break down terms like Git, GitHub, Azure DevOps, and DevOps to help clarify what each one does, their relationship with one another, and how they contribute to the software development lifecycle.

1. Git: Version Control System (VCS)

Git is a distributed version control system created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 and actually it turns 20 this month. It helps developers track changes in their codebase, collaborate with team members, and manage different versions of a project efficiently.

If you’re a developer, DevOps Engineer, Operations Engineer, SRE, or anyone passionate about improving collaboration in tech, then DevOpsDays Chicago 2025 is the conference you don’t want to miss. Having attended DevOpsDays in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 and even speaking in 2022 I can confidently say that this event is one of the best opportunities to grow your skills, connect with peers, and stay ahead of industry trends.

The DevOpsDays Experience DevOpsDays is not your typical tech conference. It blends expert-led talks with interactive Open Spaces that encourage deep discussions and real-world problem-solving. Unlike conferences that feel like one-way information dumps, DevOpsDays fosters a genuine community atmosphere where everyone’s voice matters. It’s a mix of structured learning, networking, and freeform discussions that you won’t find at many other industry events.

This blog post was written for future Richard and anyone else who might be looking for documentation on where to start with enabling GitHub Copilot within an organization. The process is pretty simple but might be diffcult to find where to start.

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered autocomplete tool that acts as a peer programmer, assisting in writing code. if you want to dive deeper into Copilot you can find more information about GitHub Copilot on the github resource site.

Simple design of realtime streaming from Application Insights to PowerBI

I recently dived into the exciting world of Azure Stream Analytics If you’re scratching your head and wondering what the heck that is, don’t worry - I’ve got you covered.

Simply put, Azure Stream Analytics is a cloud-based service that lets you analyze data in real-time as it’s being streamed in from various sources. Think of it as your personal data magician that can extract insights from your data as soon as it hits the cloud. With Stream Analytics, you can analyze everything from IoT device data to social media posts and beyond.

Being a DevOps and SRE minded person professionally has a big benefit when it comes to home automation. Im constantly looking for ways to make my home automation more efficient and easier to manage. One of the important things to consider in your home automation is observability this usually comes via a some sort of Dashboard usually this is an application or two you use to interact with your smart devices. But as your ecosystem grows and more devices are brought online you need a way to see the full landscape at once. To achieve this I use a combination of Docker Containers running Grafana and InfluxDB.

As a seasoned DevOps professional, I’m often asked to recommend resources for newcomers to understand the core principles and best practices of this field. Over the years, I’ve read many excellent books on DevOps, but these five stand out as essential reads for anyone looking to gain a solid, comprehensive understanding of DevOps.

The first I recommend is Accelerate by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, and Gene Kim. This is a must-read for anyone interested in software development and delivery. The book is based on extensive research about what drives high-performing teams and how to optimize software delivery practices. It offers practical advice and real-world examples to help organizations improve capabilities such as continuous delivery, monitoring, and experimentation. The authors provide a valuable roadmap for building a culture of continuous improvement.
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