Code Comments

Every digital transformation journey is unique. The goals may be similar, but the requirements, features, and choices made along the lead to new systems unlike any other. That’s all well and good—until you need to merge two systems into one, on a short timetable.Atul Verma of the Bank of Montreal recounts how he and his team found themselves handling the technical side of one of the largest acquisitions in Canadian banking history—with only a few months to get it done.

Randall Núñez, a representative from Experian, dives into the essential role of perpetual improvement in digital transformation. He emphasizes that modernizing IT systems is only the beginning of an ongoing journey. Organizations must overcome technological hurdles and cultural resistance while continuously adapting. Randall shares insights on ensuring code stays updated and the importance of distinguishing staging from production environments to avoid costly missteps. Embracing a culture of adaptability is crucial for lasting success.

Adam Timm from Crunchy Data discusses the importance of clear priorities in decision-making for organizations. Topics include challenges in updating database systems, integrating Postgres with Kubernetes for data persistence, choosing between off-the-shelf systems and in-house solutions, and balancing custom development with off-the-shelf solutions for mission objectives.

Craig Kerstiens from Crunchy Data discusses the importance of database tools in digital transformation, highlighting the delicate balance between reliability and flexibility. Topics include modern database challenges, collaboration for successful management, navigating database choices, and empowering developers with preferred tools.

Rosemary Wang and Steve Almy from HashiCorp discuss the importance of proper secrets management in modern IT systems, highlighting the risks of unorganized secrets and emphasizing the benefits of centralized systems. They explore the challenges of transitioning to a centralized secrets management system like Vault, stressing the need for gradual integration and team education.

Modern IT systems have a lot of components—components people have to use, and components who need to talk to each other. That’s a lot of traffic and exchanging of sensitive information. How do you sort the legitimate users from the potential intruders?Niels Van Bennekom shares how CyberArk helps organizations set up identity management systems that can keep up with expansive, ever-changing IT systems.The guest featured in this episode works for CyberArk, a Red Hat partner.

A journey of 1,000 upgrades starts with a single commit. It’s not always clear how much change digital transformation entails. But it’s likely more than expected.Season 3 of Code Comments travels the well-trodden paths of IT modernization, cloud migration, and the unmentioned necessities to make it all work.

Is there such a thing as too much enthusiasm for automation? Probably not. But it can be difficult to unify an organization with strong opinions. Vincenzo Sposito shares how Discover harnessed its teams’ passions to build a unified automation solution—while preserving debate and experimentation.

The tensions between security and operations and developer teams are the stuff of legend. DevSecOps is trying to change that, and automation is a big part of making it possible. But automation alone can’t overcome entrenched behavior. Joylynn Kirui shares how Microsoft is helping shift security considerations to the left—and alleviating the headaches that process can bring. Because in the long run, everyone is better off with better security.

No single person can automate a whole company’s IT. Even most teams would need some help. But it’s also not likely you can immediately get everyone to automate their own work right away. So how do you get it done? Sudheer Kumar Donthineni explains how Ulta Beauty makes the most of its small team of 3 automation experts. Through the power of collaboration, they’re able to make significant progress with automation—and help their employees grow.