Kubernetes on a Diet: From Cloud-native to Cost-native

As Kubernetes adoption grows, so does the complexity of managing costs in cloud-native environments. In this session, we’ll take you behind the scenes of a real-world transformation - how we turned an overprovisioned, high-spend Kubernetes cluster into a lean, cost-efficient powerhouse. With practical insights and lessons learned, we’ll show you how to uncover hidden inefficiencies, reduce waste, and achieve significant cost savings without compromising performance.

This isn’t just about saving money - it’s about creating a cost-aware Kubernetes environment that drives innovation without breaking the bank. Attendees will walk away with actionable insights, including best practices for building cost dashboards, identifying waste, and achieving alignment between performance and budget. If you’re ready to make Kubernetes cost-native, this session is for you!

Responsible AI in Cloud-Native

A panel of AI practitioners, cloud engineers, and ethicists discuss the implications of deploying AI at scale, with a focus on bias detection, data lineage, observability, and explainability in Kubernetes-based systems.

Backpacking Through the CNCF Landscape

The CNCF landscape can feel like an overwhelming world map with hundreds of projects, countless logos, and no clear starting point for beginners. This talk approaches the CNCF ecosystem like a backpacking journey: you don’t carry everything, you carry what matters.We’ll discuss how to choose the right starting points, avoid common beginner mistakes, and create a focused learning path based on curiosity and career goals. The talk also touches on how you can move from exploration to hands-on experimentation and open-source participation.

https://community.cncf.io/events/details/cncf-cloud-native-lucknow-presents-starting-the-year-with-open-source/

The GitOps First Deployment: ArgoCD and Beyond

In today's Kubernetes-native world, GitOps has become the standard for deploying applications onto clusters. ArgoCD stands out as a premier tool, bridging the gap between Git repositories and the actual state of Kubernetes clusters. But, is ArgoCD, with its GitOps magic, enough to orchestrate your entire continuous deployment (CD) pipeline? While it shines at keeping your Kubernetes deployments in lockstep with Git, it does have limitations as a standalone CD tool. We'll talk about areas where ArgoCD might leave you wanting, like built-in security checks, flawless automated rollouts with rollbacks, and support for advanced branching strategies for blue-green deployments. We’ll dive into potential shortcomings, discussing the notion of ArgoCD as a silver bullet, and explore whether it's a core component within a more comprehensive GitOps CD strategy.

The Future of DevPortals

A panel of experts discusses the future of developer portals, including how Backstage is evolving to support GitOps workflows, ArgoCD integrations, cloud-native IDPs, and community-driven innovations.

Policy Re-invented: The A, B, C of CEL in Kubernetes

Struggling with complex admission webhooks, outdated PSPs, or bloated policy engines? Enter CEL, Common Expression Language, now built into Kubernetes and quickly becoming the native choice for writing fast, secure, and maintainable policies. In this session, you'll learn the A, B, C of CEL: Authoring expressive rules, binding them to resources with validations and audits, and Controlling workloads through native enforcement, all without third-party controllers. With real-world examples and performance insights, this talk will help platform engineers and cluster admins simplify policy management and embrace the future of Kubernetes-native governance.

Harnessing AWS Graviton and Spot Instances for Cost-Optimized EKS Deployments

As cloud infrastructure becomes more complex and costly, organizations are constantly seeking innovative ways to optimize their deployments on AWS Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS). This session aims to explore the strategic combination of AWS Graviton instances and Spot Instances to achieve cost optimization without sacrificing performance or reliability.

In this session, the speakers will dive deep into the potential cost savings and performance benefits of leveraging AWS Graviton instances, powered by ARM-based processors. The speakers will also show how Graviton instances, with their efficient resource utilization and attractive price-to-performance ratios, can drastically reduce infrastructure costs for EKS deployments.

The speakers will also explore the utilization of Spot Instances in EKS clusters and their impact on overall cost optimization. Gain insights into best practices for integrating Spot Instances effectively into your EKS cluster, including techniques to handle interruptions and maintain workload availability by leveraging Spot Instances to achieve substantial cost reductions in your EKS deployments.

Whether you are a cloud practitioner, DevOps engineer, or infrastructure architect, this session offers valuable insights and solutions for optimizing your EKS deployments on AWS. Come join us and discover new approaches to harnessing AWS Graviton and Spot Instances for cost-optimized EKS deployments.

Bridging the OpenSource Gap: From Newbies to CNCF Ambassadors

Join us for an inspiring session that chronicles our journey from being newcomers in the cloud-native space to becoming CNCF Ambassadors,
In this session,
- We'll provide valuable insights, actionable steps, and personal anecdotes to guide aspiring community leaders.
- Learn how to navigate the CNCF Ambassador program, overcome challenges, and contribute effectively to open-source projects.
- Discover the transformative power of community engagement and embark on your own path towards becoming a CNCF Ambassador.

This presentation is a treasure trove of insights, challenges, and triumphs we encountered. We'll dive into the steps, resources, and strategies that propelled us to success in the CNCF Ambassador program. Whether you're an aspiring community leader or a seasoned contributor, this session offers valuable guidance for taking your cloud-native involvement to the next level.