Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

August 2023

Get familiar with "Rusty" kernel programming in Ubuntu Lunar Lobster

The Linux kernel has recently introduced the Rust programming language as an alternative to C for creating kernel modules. Rust is a strongly, statically typed programming language with a focus on memory safety features which produces extremely compact executable code. These properties, paired with its good tooling, make Rust a natural choice for creating many types of kernel modules, including device drivers, network protocols and filesystems.

LLMs explained: how to build your own private ChatGPT

Large language models (LLMs) are the topic of the year. They are as complex as they are exciting, and everyone can agree they put artificial intelligence in the spotlight. Once LLms were released to the public, the hype around them grew and so did their potential use cases – LLM-based chatbots being one of them. While large language models have been available for some time, there are still a lot of challenges when it comes to building your own project.

How New Mexico State University accelerates compliant federal research with Ubuntu

When the stakes are high and national security is on the line, every decision matters. Just ask the team at New Mexico State University’s Physical Science Laboratory (PSL). Founded back in 1946 to support the United States’ space and rocket programs, PSL has been on the leading edge of defence-oriented applied science for over seven decades. But when the Department of Defense (DoD) rolled out new cybersecurity guidelines, PSL found itself at a crossroads.

Closing the Gap: Ubuntu Pro in the AWS Shared Responsibility Model

Deploying your application on a public cloud offers numerous benefits, including improved time to market, elastic capacity, and improved baseline security compared to on-premises solutions. However, this does not guarantee better security coverage for your application and data. For this reason, the major cloud providers provide a Shared Responsibility Model, which outlines the distribution of security responsibilities between the cloud service provider and its customers.

Telecom security: How to safeguard your open source telco infrastructure

From pure voice to data, and now with the connectivity provided to devices and machines, telco systems make it possible to deliver digital services to society. Thanks to telecom systems, we can keep in touch with each other and reach the information sources we need at any time and anywhere. As we have become increasingly reliant on these systems, we also need to be vigilant about telecom security.

Ubuntu Desktop: charting a course for the future

It has been a little while since we shared our vision for Ubuntu Desktop, and explained how our current roadmap fits into our long term strategic thinking. Recently, we embarked on an internal exercise to consolidate and bring structure to our values and goals for how we plan to evolve the desktop experience over the next few years. This post is designed to share the output of those discussions and give insight into the direction we’re going.

AI and Big Data Solutions

Big data and artificial intelligence (AI) go hand in hand. Used for tasks like trend prediction, process automation and research, these two technologies can help organisations solve some of the toughest problems. However, the growing volume of data and increasing diversity of data sources make it difficult to use data and AI effectively and at scale.

Machine learning in finance: history, technologies and outlook

In its analysis of over 1,400 use cases from “Eye on Innovation” in Financial Services Awards, Gartner found that machine learning (ML) is the top technology used to empower innovations at financial services firms, with operational efficiency and cost optimisation as key intended business outcomes. ML is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that involves the development of algorithms and models capable of automatically learning and improving from data.

What is a hypervisor? A beginner's guide

In the realm of virtualisation and cloud computing, the hypervisor is a critical component that enables the seamless operation of multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a single host. While virtualisation is a technology, the hypervisor is its actual implementation. In this beginner’s guide, we will explore the fundamentals of hypervisors, their types, and how they differ from container runtimes. We will also review some of the leading hypervisors available today.

How to secure your database

Cybersecurity threats are increasing in volume, complexity and impact. Yet, organisations struggle to counter these growing threats. Cyber attacks often intend to steal, damage, hijack or alter value-generating data. In this article around database security, we use the NIST framework to lay out the common controls that you can implement to secure your databases. Let’s start by discussing the potential impact of unsecured databases.

Canonical Kubernetes 1.28 is now generally available

Following the release of upstream Kubernetes on 15th of August, Canonical Kubernetes 1.28 is generally available in the form of MicroK8s, with Charmed Kubernetes expected to follow shortly. We consistently follow the upstream release cadence to provide our users and customers with the latest improvements and fixes, together with security maintenance and enterprise support for Kubernetes on Ubuntu.

Docker on Mac - a lightweight option with Multipass

For those looking for a streamlined, lightweight command line interface for Docker on Mac, look no further. Multipass is a flexible tool that makes it easy to create and run Ubuntu VMs on any platform, and it comes with built-in tools that make running applications like Docker feel native on platforms such as macOS.

How to ensure business continuity with IT infrastructure support

Picture this: you’re on a dream vacation with your family on a serene tropical island. The weather is perfect, the sea is mesmerising, and you’re ready to enjoy a relaxing day at the beach. Just as you’re about to unwind, your phone rings: it’s your manager calling to inform you that your IT infrastructure is down, and you need to fix it immediately. If this scenario sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone.

Maximizing Coding Productivity with Large Language Models

Learn how to maximize developer productivity by leveraging large language models for rapid code refactoring. Large language models like ChatGPT have tremendous potential to automate repetitive coding tasks and boost team effectiveness. In this MAAS Show And Tell, Peter Makowski, Senior Web Engineer at Canonical, shares insights and a real-world example of using LLM for a successful large-scale migration of hundreds of tests from enzyme to @testing-library/react.

What is virtualization? A beginners' guide.

While information technology continues to evolve rapidly, virtualization remains a cornerstone of modern computing, enabling businesses to maximise resource utilisation, enhance flexibility, and reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO). It is a key building block of the cloud computing paradigm, and millions of organisations use it daily worldwide. All existing cloud platforms, such as AWS, Azure, Google or OpenStack, use virtualization underneath.

What is a MicroCloud?

A MicroCloud is a new lightweight, featureful, and straightforward cloud for on-demand computing at the edge. MicroClouds differ from IoT which uses thousands of single machines or sensors to gather data, yet does not perform computing tasks. Instead, MicroClouds reuse proven cloud primitives with unattended, autonomous, and clustering features that resolve typical edge computing challenges.

Announcing In-Place Upgrade from Ubuntu Server to Ubuntu Pro on Azure

We are pleased to share that Azure is now offering an in-place upgrade from Ubuntu Server to Ubuntu Pro. This functionality, made possible through our strategic partnership with Azure, provides a straightforward way to leverage the advanced features and extended security maintenance of Ubuntu Pro, all without redeploying your Virtual Machine (VM) or scheduling a maintenance window.

Making a move: How migrating to Ubuntu saved a life insurance company 60% in costs

Balancing high performance operations against the need to reduce total operating costs is a classical dilemma faced by both large and small organisations. This dilemma becomes particularly important when you choose the foundation of your IT infrastructure: the operating system. A recent case study by Tech Mahindra, the multinational IT services and consulting firm, details how their partnership with Canonical enabled them to shift the balance for a major Fortune 500 life insurance company.

Enhanced Ubuntu Experience on Azure: Introducing Ubuntu Pro Updates Awareness

In collaboration with Microsoft, Canonical introduces Ubuntu Pro update notifications into the Azure Update Management Center. This feature enables users to identify Ubuntu instances that aren't receiving all available security updates, including those delivered via Ubuntu Pro. Ubuntu Pro, a subscription by Canonical, provides enhanced security, maintenance, and compliance tools for organizations using Ubuntu on Azure.

Reducing latency in industrial systems with real-time Ubuntu on Intel SoCs

Delivering a comprehensive real-time solution for industrial systems requires careful work at every layer of the stack. Since standalone hardware or software components are not sufficient, Canonical and Intel have joined forces to deliver an out-of-the-box real-time solution. This solution is now generally available on Intel Core processors.

Enhancing the Ubuntu Experience on Azure: Introducing Ubuntu Pro Updates Awareness

Canonical works closely with Microsoft to ensure that running Ubuntu on Azure is a great experience. One of the key aspects of this collaboration is ensuring the longevity and security of Ubuntu releases, such as Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, even beyond their Standard Security Maintenance period. We are excited to announce the integration of Ubuntu Pro update awareness into Azure through the Azure Guest Patching Service (AzGPS) and Update Management Center (UMC).