Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

October 2022

Confidential computing in public clouds: isolation and remote attestation explained

In the first part of this blog series, we discussed the run-time (in)security challenge, which can leave your code and data vulnerable to attacks by both the privileged system software of the public cloud infrastructure, as well as its administrators. We also introduced the concept of trusted execution environments and confidential computing, (CC), as a paradigm to address this challenge.

Accelerate IT/OT convergence in Industry 4.0 [Part II]

Welcome to Part II of this three-part mini-series on bridging the gap between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) in Industry 4.0. In Part I, we set the stage for the remainder of the series and gave an overview of IT and OT, the two technological layers of modern industrial factories. In this blog, we expand on that knowledge by confronting the two domains and discussing the automation pyramid concept.

Understanding AWS pricing

You launch a startup or a new project in your organisation. You decide to use Amazon Web Services (AWS) as your primary cloud platform. You estimate costs based on listed prices, and rest assured that your startup/project will meet its budget. And then, suddenly, at the end of the month, you receive an invoice from AWS for an amount two times higher than you originally expected.

Elektrobit partners with Canonical to pave the way to a new era of software-defined vehicles

ERLANGEN, Germany, October 27, 2022 – Elektrobit and Canonical today announced a partnership to bring the benefits of Canonical’s Ubuntu operating system to automotive software. As the industry transitions towards software-defined vehicles, the new partnership will make it easier than ever before for car makers, suppliers, and developers to create the next generation of vehicle applications, while meeting stringent automotive standards.

VMware alternatives: discover open source

Think open source – the world’s leading software portfolio. Open-source software enables you to build fully functional virtualisation and cloud infrastructure while ensuring total cost of ownership (TCO) reduction and business continuity. In this blog, we will walk you through the open source ecosystem. We will help you understand how it differs from other VMware alternatives by answering five common questions.

Kubeflow just applied to join CNCF - what does it mean for you?

Google just announced that they have submitted an application for Kubeflow to become an incubating project in the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). It is an initiative supported by the Kubeflow Project Steering group. The request is visible to everyone and it represents a game changer for the rhythm which Kubeflow will develop. It makes community growth a strategic objective and puts Kubeflow on a development fast track.

Accelerate IT/OT convergence in Industry 4.0 [Part I]

Welcome to this three-part mini-series on bridging the gap between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) in Industry 4.0. Throughout this series, we will discuss the key challenges industrial manufacturers face when trying to accelerate their digital transformation. We will understand why legacy update approaches and lack of security in OT do not suit the Industry 4.0 world and assess how adopting open source software can help bridge the gap.

What's new in Ubuntu Desktop 22.10, Kinetic Kudu

Ubuntu Desktop 22.10, codenamed Kinetic Kudu, is here! This is the first release after Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, which means that there are a number of changes in both the underlying technology and the user experience, as well as some previews of what might be on the horizon in future releases. Excited? Let’s jump straight into our highlights.

How desktop and GPU virtualisation power up automotive innovation

Autonomous vehicles are all over the media these days. But what of the technologies that make them possible? In a previous blog post, we covered the many fascinating use cases for digital twins and their applications for the development of self-driving cars. But with the race towards autonomy becoming fiercer, the costs to use these new enabling technologies are rising exponentially. Moreover, the need for talent and experts across the world is forcing companies to shift to remote work.

Canonical works with NVIDIA and BT to unlock infrastructure scalability for data scientists, technical and creative professionals

Ubuntu KVM — an industry-leading hypervisor — extends its reach to AI/ML applications and graphics-intensive applications with native support for NVIDIA virtual GPU (vGPU) software products, including NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server (vCS) and NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (vWS). Canonical has been working closely with NVIDIA to ensure frictionless integration and a best-in-class user experience.

What is confidential computing? A high-level explanation for CISOs

Privacy enhancing technologies and confidential computing are two of my favorite topics to talk about! So much so that I am writing this blog post on a sunny Saturday afternoon. But wait, what’s that I hear you murmuring? “What is confidential computing? And how does it affect me?” Those are two very good questions.

IoT Project Lifecycle: Key considerations for OTA updates at scale [Part IV]

From entertainment to security, automation is now pervasive. Intelligent devices are transforming our homes while enriching our lives, making them more efficient, productive and environmentally friendly. Most embedded devices run Linux, and their number is poised to keep growing.

How to build an EKS kubernetes cluster with Ubuntu 20.04 on FIPS mode

Many clients have specific requirements for running their EKS Kubernetes clusters with Ubuntu: OS alignment across platforms, sysadmin knowledge or specific kernel features such Real Time Kernel or FIPS mode. If your workloads need to run on FIPS mode for compliance, you will not only need to create your containers on FIPS mode (in other words, with FIPS certified crypto libraries) but also, since containers share kernel with host/worker nodes, you need to have also the worker node's kernel running on FIPS mode.

Canonical launches free personal Ubuntu Pro subscriptions for up to five machines

Ubuntu Pro, the expanded security maintenance and compliance subscription, is now offered in public beta for data centres and workstations. Canonical will provide a free tier for personal and small-scale commercial use in line with the company’s community commitment and mission to make open source more easily consumable by everyone.

Kubeflow 1.6 on Kubernetes 1.23 and beyond

Kubeflow is an open-source MLOps platform that runs on top of Kubernetes. Kubeflow 1.6 was released September 7 2022 with Canonical’s official distribution, Charmed Kubeflow, following shortly after. It came with support for Kubernetes 1.22. However, the MLOps landscape evolves quickly and so does Charmed Kubeflow. As of today, Canonical supports the deployment of Charmed Kubeflow 1.6 on Charmed Kubernetes 1.23 and 1.24.

IoT project lifecycle - long-term support for IoT devices [Part III]

How long will you support your device? Long-term support for IoT is a simple but difficult question for many device manufacturers. If you are developing a smart home device, a mobile robot for hospitality, or the next iron man jetpack, you need to consider how long you will support the device on the market. This will have implications on your operational expenses, team resources and customer satisfaction. Simply put, the longer you support your device, the happier your user will be.