Digest #160: Heroku to AWS, GPU Twists, AMI Attacks, FinOps Tools and Solving Crimes with SQL

Simple, hands-on guides for cloud migration, secure AI, Terraform tips, Azure Kubernetes, BigQuery insights, SQL tweaks, and FinOps hacks to cut cloud costs.

Welcome to this week’s edition of the DevOps Bulletin!

We start with a big move—from Heroku to AWS—and even a surprising twist about GPUs. There’s also news on a new attack that uses AWS AMI names, ideas on keeping AI safe, and a fun debate about trailing commas in SQL.

Next, our featured podcast shows how finance and engineering work hand in hand to manage cloud costs, using tools like AWS CUR and CloudWatch.

If you’re looking for hands-on advice, our tutorials are packed with clear guides—from Terraform production tips and using BigQuery to easy guides for Azure Kubernetes, understanding unit economics, and more.

We also highlight open-source devtools like a tool to spot Nginx issues, a fun game that uses SQL to solve mysteries, a smart tool for managing config files, and even a Rust-based ping tool that tracks network speed.

All this and more in this week’s DevOps Bulletin—don’t miss out!

Newsworthy Stories

• How we migrated Checkly from Heroku to AWS

• We were wrong about GPUs

• New “whoami” attack exploits AWS AMI name

• Analyzing secure AI architectures

• How about trailing commas in SQL?

• Open source drives innovation, but business is important too!

Podcast of the week

This podcast explores how finance and engineering teams collaborate in FinOps to manage cloud costs. Success comes from aligning goals, sharing insights, and using AWS CUR and CloudWatch.

Tutorials of the week

• 10 Terraform config root setups

• Working with BigQuery pipe query

• Azure Kubernetes Service: A friendly guide for Startups

• A simple guide to unit economics

• Terragrunt & OpenTofu are better together

• How to run Firecracker without KVM on cloud VMs

• Compliance as Code with Checkov

• Wield Terraform like a boss

Projects of the week

• Gixy is a tool that analyzes Nginx configuration to prevent security misconfiguration and automate flaw detection.

• SQL Noir is a game where you solve crimes with SQL queries and uncover evidence through data.

• Remco is a lightweight configuration management tool that updates local config files using key/value stores like etcd or Consul.

• FinOps-Guardian provides automated cost optimization for AWS and GCP. It includes a GCP Organization Recommender for cost-saving insights and an AWS Resource Cleanup tool to remove unused resources.

• Nping is a Rust-based Ping tool using the ICMP protocol, offering real-time latency tracking, visual charts, and concurrent pinging of multiple addresses.

Meme of the week

That one merge conflict:

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