As a new engineer, understanding the concept of cloud-native governance is important for several reasons.
First, it is a key component of cloud native application development. It uses governance tools and technologies that are native to the cloud and designed to work seamlessly with cloud-native applications. This allows for better deployment and management of cloud-native applications.
Second, cloud-native governance ensures compliance and security. It ensures that the application and infrastructure meet compliance requirements and are protected from threats.
Third, it promotes better collaboration and DevOps culture. Different teams and developers can work together on the same application, and the organization’s policies and standards are followed.
Fourth, it allows for better cost management. Resources can be monitored and controlled, and the organization is not overspending on the cloud.
In summary, understanding the concept of cloud-native governance is important for any engineer working in the field today. It is a powerful tool for building and deploying applications in a cloud environment.
Learning Materials
Here’s a list to get you started learning about cloud-native governance. Note that some of these links may not be free and may require a subscription or payment. I receive no affiliate payments for these links.
Beginner:
- “Cloud governance guides” by Microsoft: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/govern/guides/
- “Cloud Governance” by imperva: https://www.imperva.com/learn/data-security/cloud-governance/
- “An Introduction to Cloud Governance” by vmware: https://blogs.vmware.com/cloudhealth/cloud-governance-101/
Intermediate:
- “Cloud-Native Governance with AWS” by AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/apn/governance-in-the-aws-cloud-the-right-balance-between-agility-and-safety/
- “Cloud-Native Governance with Azure” by Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/governance/
Advanced:
- “Kubernetes Governance, What You Should Know” by kublr: https://kublr.com/blog/kubernetes-governance/
- “Establishing Kubernetes Governance Strategy” by DZone: https://dzone.com/articles/establishing-kubernetes-governance-strategy
A Possible Learning Path
Hands-on experience: Start by setting up a simple Kubernetes cluster and experimenting with different governance tools such as Open Policy Agent (OPA), Kubernetes Policy Controller, and Kube-bench. This can be done by following tutorials and guides, and deploying these tools on a cloud platform like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
Theoretical learning: Once you have a basic understanding of governance, you can begin to explore the underlying concepts and technologies such as Kubernetes role-based access control (RBAC), Namespaces, and NetworkPolicies. This can be done through online resources such as tutorials, courses, and documentation provided by Kubernetes, as well as books and blogs on the topic.
Understanding the principles and best practices: Governance is an important aspect of a microservices architecture, so it’s important to understand the key principles and best practices of governance such as security, compliance, and auditing.
Joining a community: Joining a community of Kubernetes enthusiasts will help you connect with other people who are learning and working with governance for Kubernetes. This can be done through online forums, meetups, and social media groups.
Practice, practice, practice: As with any new technology, the best way to learn is by doing. The more you practice deploying and using governance tools in a Kubernetes cluster, the more comfortable and proficient you will become with the technology.
A Note from the Architect
Ok, let’s talk about cloud native governance. So, why do we need to practice it? Well, as we all know, the cloud is a constantly evolving landscape and it can be pretty overwhelming to keep up with all the new technologies and best practices. That’s where governance comes in – it’s all about making sure we’re using the cloud in a consistent and efficient way across our organization.
So what exactly is cloud native governance? It’s all about using policies and tools to manage the resources in our cloud environment. This includes things like setting up guidelines for how our teams use the cloud, automating tasks to keep our environment in check, and monitoring for any potential issues.
Now, you might be wondering why cloud native governance was created. Well, as organizations started moving more and more of their workloads to the cloud, they realized they needed a way to keep everything in check. Without governance in place, it can be easy for teams to create resources in an ad-hoc way, which can lead to wasted resources, security vulnerabilities, and inconsistencies in how the cloud is being used.
Now, let’s talk about the major tools on Kubernetes that help with cloud native governance. One of the most popular is Kubernetes itself, which provides a way to manage and scale containerized applications. Another popular tool is Helm, which helps with managing and deploying Kubernetes resources. There’s also Kustomize, which helps with creating and managing customized resources. And finally, there’s Open Policy Agent (OPA) which allows to define and enforce policies on k8s resources.
It’s important to note that governance is similar to security, and it requires a continuous practice. Governance policies and tools need to be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they are still effective and aligned with the organization’s goals and requirements. It’s all about making sure we’re using the cloud in the best way possible.
Be sure to reach out on LinkedIn if you have any questions.
