Speaker

Randy Pagels

Randy Pagels

DevOps Architect and Trainer at Xebia USA | Microsoft Services

Detroit, Michigan, United States

As a DevOps Architect and Trainer at Xebia USA, I lead and educate customers in designing and implementing solutions that adhere to industry standards and DevOps best practices. My expertise encompasses a wide array of GitHub technologies, including Advanced Security, Copilot, and Actions. I maintain a strong focus on DevOps principles, Infrastructure as Code automation, and CI/CD pipeline management. In addition to architecting solutions, I serve as a trainer, empowering clients with the knowledge and skills needed to enhance their application development practices on Azure.

Area of Expertise

  • Information & Communications Technology

Topics

  • Azure
  • DevOps
  • Application Development
  • Testing Automation
  • Testing
  • Azure Automation
  • DevOps & Automation
  • DevOpsDays
  • .NET

The AI Revolution Begins Here!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way. And one of its latest creations is ChatGPT, an AI text generator trained by OpenAI. Are you ready to dive into the world of AI and discover the magic of OpenAI? In this exciting session, you'll get to experience the cutting-edge technology of OpenAI first hand! From hearing about AI models to exploring the latest advancements in the field, you'll leave this session with a better understanding of how OpenAI is shaping the future. AI has never been more accessible or useful, and with OpenAI leading the charge, it’s an exciting time to be a part of this revolution. If that’s not enough, get ready to explore the world of AI-powered voice assistants and discover how OpenAI is revolutionizing the way we interact with technology. From creating your own voice-controlled AI models to learning about the latest advancements in voice recognition, this session is guaranteed to be a blast! So sit back, grab a coffee, grab your thinking cap, bring your sense of adventure, and let's have some fun!"

Session Agenda:
• Introduction to AI and OpenAI.
• Overview of ChatGPT, an AI text generator.
• Exploring the latest advancements in the field of AI.
• Understanding the potential and applications of AI in various industries.
• Introduction to AI-powered voice assistants.
• Overview of OpenAI's work in voice recognition and voice-controlled AI models.
• Discussion on the benefits and challenges of AI in the future.

Empowering DevOps with Azure Application Insights: Unleashing App Visibility

Experience the power of Application Insights, an intelligent Application Performance Monitoring service, as your ultimate tool for seamless app development and continuous deployments. Gain real-time analytics, deep insights, and unmatched diagnostic capabilities for your application logs and telemetry. Proactively detect and resolve issues, interactively diagnose problems, and integrate effortlessly with your existing DevOps workflows. Join us for an immersive journey and live demo to explore the latest capabilities of Application Insights, revolutionizing your DevOps practices and elevating your application performance.

Key Takeaways:
• Harness the power of Application Insights for intelligent Application Performance Monitoring.
• Real-time analytics, deep insights, and diagnostic capabilities for enhanced app development.
• Seamless integration with DevOps workflows to proactively detect, diagnose, and elevate application performance.

Mastering Application Testing: Scaling and Continuous UI Testing with Playwright

In the world of cloud-based software development, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) has become the norm, but what about automated testing? Embracing automated testing is crucial for achieving technical resilience in modern applications. Join us in this engaging and interactive session as we introduce you to the world of web UI testing using Playwright and explore its significance in continuous testing for application functionality. We will dive into Playwright, a powerful tool that effortlessly automates web tasks, equipping you with the skills and knowledge needed to become a web automation wizard.

Discover how Playwright can ensure the quality and reliability of your cloud applications through testing at scale. With Playwright, you can join the DevOps revolution and unlock the potential to supercharge your web testing efforts. Learn how to seamlessly integrate Playwright into your CI/CD pipeline and harness its capabilities to perform continuous UI testing that ensures your application's functionality remains robust and reliable.

Key Takeaways:
• Importance of automated testing in cloud-based software development.
• Introduction to Playwright for effortless web UI testing.
• Integration of Playwright into CI/CD for robust, continuous UI testing.

IoT on Azure Data Services Overview

Come think like a geek and join us and learn about the power of IoT devices combined with Azure. IoT devices can be pretty powerful but sometimes it’s hard to determine what IoT can do for your company and what business solutions you can solve. You probably already have capabilities to grab data through sensors, but what do you do with the data? How do you manipulate the data? How do you get actionable insights? And creating these applications takes a long time and a lot of code, right? Not necessarily.

Together, in this session, you will learn how to build out a real-life IoT scenario by capturing IoT data and ingesting it into the Cloud. We’ll explore the amazing visualizations and insights we can draw from that data by applying Azure services like Azure Functions, Logic Apps, CosmosDB, Azure Maps, and more. You will see how you can create an end-to-end IoT application in a day, you’ll see how easy it is to leverage Azure tools to innovate with IoT, and hopefully come away with some great ideas of your own.

Key Takeaways:
• Synergy of IoT devices and Azure for data power.
• Azure tools drive actionable insights from IoT data.
• Swift IoT app creation through Azure, sparking innovation.

The Power of DevOps in the Real World

In the realm of software development, the year is 2024, where good DevOps practices have transformed from mere aspirations to absolute necessities. Continuous value delivery to our end users has become paramount, yet mastering this art is no small feat. Join this epic session on Real World DevOps, where we delve into the "why's" and "how's" of DevOps. Uncover its importance and our unwavering commitment to excellence. Witness a real-world marvel as we forge a complex, modern application from pure source code—no infrastructure exists—ultimately deploying it flawlessly to the cloud, including continuous testing. Explore web front ends, APIs, mobile apps, and beyond, harmonizing all modern technologies. But this is no mere showmanship. Prepare to immerse yourself in advanced DevOps techniques and best practices, prioritizing developer security, infrastructure as code, and fostering collaboration. Experience the transformative power of GitHub Actions as we push the boundaries of the DevOps workflow. Through cutting-edge tooling, we'll unveil a breathtaking demonstration, defying limits and propelling you into an unforgettable journey through the future of software development.

Key Takeaways:
• Understanding the importance of DevOps in modern software development.
• Learning practical application of DevOps techniques through a real-world demonstration.
• Exploring innovation and cutting-edge tooling in the DevOps workflow, with a focus on GitHub Actions.

Shift Left on Security with GitHub and Azure DevOps

Applications are under attack and developers become the first line of defense by protecting the code and ensuring that we are applying security best practices.

There are several methods to attack your code, from directly inserting malicious code into your repo, to taking over an account or compromising a signing key to distribute software that isn’t officially part of a component, and many other ways.

It's simple to talk about shifting left on security, but how exactly are you supposed to do that? What tools should you be using and how do you apply them in a way that helps you release with confidence? We will cover the concept of application security, talk about tools available to you and ways that you can help ensure that tools don't get in the way of development.

Key Takeaways:
• Highlight challenges of finding and fixing vulnerabilities in software using GitHub Advanced Security.
• GHAS & GHAzDO Features
• Understand what is meant by shifting left on security.
• Disrupt the landscape of application security through unique position of being Developer First.
• Unify the DevSecOps experience by integrating a wide variety of application security.

Mastering GitHub: Your Path to Collaboration and Version Control

Join this session for your gateway to understanding GitHub's core features, fostering effective collaboration, and gaining version control expertise. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned user, this session equips you with the skills needed to excel in software development. Join us for a comprehensive journey that will elevate your GitHub proficiency.

Takeaways:
- An in-depth understanding of GitHub, suitable for all skill levels.
- Insights into effective collaboration, boosting team productivity and project success.
- Proficiency in version control, enhancing project organization and development efficiency.

Soar to New Heights Devs! Master Coding with GitHub Copilot and Chat.

Welcome aboard our journey into the future of coding with GitHub Copilot, where we channel the Wright Brothers' spirit of innovation. Today, we soar beyond routine coding exercises, charting new territories in automated coding with Copilot as our guide.

This session is a transformative leap, akin to the first flight at Kitty Hawk. With GitHub Copilot, you're not just coding; you're pioneering in the digital era. We're here to elevate your coding skills, empowering you to explore new horizons.

As we conclude, remember that you are the Pilot ready to take-off with GitHub Copilot by your side. After the session you are ready to navigate uncharted coding landscapes and unlock your full potential.

Key Takeaways:
- First, a Flight Demonstration teaches effortless workflow integration, where GitHub Copilot elevates coding efficiency by seamlessly generating code, communications, and ensure stylistic consistency.

- Then, Navigating the Code Clouds distills prompt engineering to master GitHub Copilot's advanced features for code enhancement and refactoring.

- Next, Auto-Pilot Mode explores leveraging AI for software development stages, automating health checks, CI/CD pipelines for Azure, and discovering Copilot's diverse capabilities.

- Finally, Air Crash Investigation offers dynamic demonstrations of GitHub Copilot's troubleshooting prowess in coding emergencies and bug resolution.

You Me and IoT, A Fun-Filled Journey into IoT Data Adventures!

Come think like a geek and join us and learn about the power of a Raspberry Pi device combined with Azure. IoT devices can be pretty powerful but sometimes it’s hard to determine what IoT can do for your company and what business solutions you can solve. You probably already have capabilities to grab data through sensors, but what do you do with the data? How do you manipulate the data? How do you get actionable insights? And creating these applications takes a long time and a lot of code, right? Not necessarily.

Together, in this session, you will learn how to build out a real-life IoT scenario by capturing IoT data and ingesting it into the Cloud. We’ll explore the amazing visualizations and insights we can draw from that data by applying Azure services like Azure Functions, Logic Apps, CosmosDB, Azure Maps, and more. You will see how you can create an end-to-end IoT application in a day, you’ll see how easy it is to leverage Azure tools to innovate with IoT, and hopefully come away with some great ideas of your own.

Key Takeaways:
• Synergy of IoT devices and Azure for data power.
• Azure tools drive actionable insights from IoT data.
• Swift IoT app creation through Azure, sparking innovation.

STAREAST 2024 Upcoming

April 2024 Orlando, Florida, United States

DevOps Midwest 2024 Upcoming

April 2024 St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Michigan Technology Conference 2024 Sessionize Event

March 2024 Pontiac, Michigan, United States

VS Live 2024 - Las Vegas

March 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Orlando Code Camp 2024 Sessionize Event

February 2024 Sanford, Florida, United States

THAT Conference Texas

January 2024 Round Rock, Texas, United States

Devopsdays Chattanooga

November 2023 Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States

Heartland Developers Conference 2023

October 2023 Omaha, Nebraska, United States

DevopsDays Detroit 2023 Sessionize Event

October 2023 Detroit, Michigan, United States

DevOps Days Tampa Bay 2023 Sessionize Event

September 2023 Tampa, Florida, United States

Atlanta Developers' Conference 2023 Sessionize Event

September 2023 Marietta, Georgia, United States

dev up 2023 Sessionize Event

August 2023 St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Stir Trek 2022 Sessionize Event

May 2022 Columbus, Ohio, United States

Randy Pagels

DevOps Architect and Trainer at Xebia USA | Microsoft Services

Detroit, Michigan, United States