Get email notifications from serverless Azure functions using SendGrid

A technical discussion and demo on how to utilize a SaaS service in Azure called SendGrid to send email notifications from a PowerShell based Azure Function App. Giving the ability to send email notifications to relevant stakeholders from within Azure Functions.

Terraform with GitHub Copilot Chat

In this session we will look at GitHub Copilot Chat integrated into VSCode and how we can write Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using terraform along with the help of Copilot Chat

Terraform - Keep dependencies up to date with Dependabot (Azure DevOps version)

In this post we will look at how you can automate and maintain your terraform module versioning using a dependency management tool originally ported from the GitHub Security Toolset called Dependabot but used in Azure DevOps instead.

Securing Your Code with GitHub

In this guide, we will walk you through the varied features, from security alerts for vulnerable dependencies to secret scanning, to help you fortify your code using the GitHub Security Toolset

GitHub Pro Tips - GitHub Repository Best Practices

As a DevOps engineer, managing GitHub repositories is as crucial as the code they contain. A well-maintained GitHub repo sets the stage for effective collaboration, code quality, and streamlined workflows. In this session we'll discuss and look at my top 10 tips for best practices in managing GitHub repositories effectively.

Reusable GitHub workflows to automate tokens

This talk is on how to create reusable GitHub Action workflows that can be called as separate jobs in other workflows. By carving up large workflows and referencing reusable workflows we can cut down on duplication and also make our workflows much more dynamic.

Also included is a demo of using reusable GitHub Action workflows to automate Azure Service Bus SAS tokens to generate short lived usable tokens with a validity period of 10 minutes and securely store the newly generated SAS tokens inside of an Azure Key Vault ready for consumption.

A written version of this talk is published on my blog here: https://dev.to/pwd9000/automate-azure-service-bus-sas-tokens-with-github-37ok

Session duration: 45-60min

Automated dependency tests and release for Terraform using GitHub

In this session we look at how we can automate terraform tests when terraform dependencies versions change, for example when dependabot in GitHub detects a new provider version it will open a new pull request and automatically trigger a terraform test to see if the dependency change will work, and if all is good close the pull request and automatically release a new version of the terraform module using the latest dependencies.

Azure Verified Modules

In this session we take a closer look at (AVM) Azure Verified Modules. With AVM the aim is to provide a trusted platform for organisations to find and deploy solutions that can be easily integrate with their Azure-based services and infrastructure. They can span a wide range of solutions, using popular infrastructure as code (IaC) tools such as Bicep and Terraform.

Multi environment AZURE deployments with Terraform and GitHub

This talk goes into detail on how to build out multi environment AZURE deployments with Terraform and GitHub. What you'll get out of this talk are:

- Learn about GitHub Actions and how to use them.
- Learn how to integrate terraform deployments with CI/CD using GitHub.
- Learn how to deploy resources in AZURE at scale using GitHub.
- Learn about multi-stage deployments and approvals using GitHub Environments.
- Learn how to build Terraform modules using a non-monolithic approach.

Protect secrets in Azure Functions using Key Vault

This talk covers Azure key vault integration with Azure function apps to show and demonstrate how key vault can be used to protect secrets in application settings and also not having any secrets in source code simply by integration and referencing secrets from the key vault.

Automate Azure Role Based Access Control (RBAC) using Azure DevOps

a technical discussion on how to maintain and administer custom role definitions (RBAC/IAM) in Azure using source control and Azure DevOps

A written version of this talk is published on my blog here: https://dev.to/pwd9000/automate-azure-role-based-access-control-rbac-with-devops-2ehf

Session duration: 30-45min

Automate Azure Role Based Access Control (RBAC) using GitHub

A technical discussion and tutorial on how to automate, version and maintain custom role definitions (RBAC/IAM) with GitHub.

By utilizing CI/CD workflows in GitHub with GitHub Actions we can easily maintain our Azure (RBAC) custom role definitions from a GitHub repository through source control and automatically publish and deploy Custom RBAC into Azure without much effort.

A written version of this talk is published on my blog here: https://dev.to/pwd9000/automate-azure-role-based-access-control-rbac-using-github-2349

Session duration: 30-45min
Level: 200-300

Automate Azure Resource Decommissions (with tracking)

A look at a common use case around resource management in Azure, how to manage resource decommissions more effectively using a serverless Azure Function app, and even having the ability for users/consumers to self serve resource decommissions by simply using an Azure tag, and also be able to track decommissions or failed decommissions using a tracker table (Azure table storage).

A written version of this talk is published on my blog here: https://dev.to/pwd9000/automate-azure-resource-decommissions-with-tracking-aok

Session duration: 30-45min

Automate password rotation with Github and Azure

Technical discussion on how to automate password rotation for Azure VMs using Azure Key Vault and GitHub actions.

Featured talk at:
- Festive Tech calendar 2021 (3 Dec 2021): https://youtu.be/nSSQtOvwVzA
- DevCon6 (9 Jan 2022)

A written version of this talk is published on my blog here: https://dev.to/pwd9000/automate-password-rotation-with-github-and-azure-412a

Session duration: 30-45min

Autoscaling self hosted GitHub runner containers with Azure Container Apps (ACA)

A look at how we can use Azure Container Apps (ACA) to run self hosted GitHub runner images from an Azure Container Registry, and also demonstrate how we can automatically scale our self hosted GitHub runners from "no runners" or "0" up and down based on load/demand, using Kubernetes Event-driven Autoscaling (KEDA).

Saving on costs and only provisioning self hosted GitHub runners only when needed.

This is a level 200 talk and there is also a blog version that has been published here: https://dev.to/pwd9000/run-docker-based-github-runner-containers-on-azure-container-apps-aca-1n13

GitHub Terraform and Dependabot - A real world example

This talk focusses on using GitHub Dependabot on managing and maintaining Terraform module versions and dependencies and includes terraform module testing and release processes to the public Terraform registry.

This is a deep technical discussion with a main focus on GitHub Dependabot. Includes a real world demo on how to manage IaC dependencies and automatically test and release new versions of terraform modules by using GitHub Dependabot and CI/CD GitHub workflows and Actions in combination to test and release new versions of a module when dependency version releases are detected by Dependabot.

This is a level 300 talk and a written blog version can be seen here:
https://dev.to/pwd9000/automated-terraform-tests-for-azure-using-github-actions-4349

Introduction to GitHub Codespaces - Building your first Dev Container

In this talk l we will look at how easy it is to create a basic GitHub Codespace to get started and also take a deeper look into how to customise the codespace and building your very first Dev Container and what the benefits are to Codespaces.

This session / talk is roughly 45mins and there is also a written blog version of the talk that can be seen here: https://dev.to/pwd9000/introduction-to-github-codespaces-building-your-first-dev-container-69l

Passwordless authentication between GitHub and Azure using federated credentials

Hey folks, ever wondered how you can authenticate GitHub Actions with Azure? In this talk we look at GitHub Actions authentication methods for Azure, two ways that you can accomplish this and why you’d want to switch the passwordless method using Open ID Connect (OIDC) instead.

A written version of this talk is published on my blog here: https://dev.to/pwd9000/bk-1iij

Session duration: 30-45min

Run self-hosted GitHub runners on GitHub Codespaces

In this talk I share how you can use your GitHub Codespace not only as a "development environment" for working with your code, but also utilising the Codespace compute power, by running a Self Hosted GitHub runner inside of the Codespace at the same time.

Video of this talk: https://dev.to/pwd9000/run-self-hosted-github-runners-on-github-codespaces-video-tutorial-1ggh

Target Audience: DevOps
Session duration: 30min

Best Practices for Using GitHub Secrets

In today's fast-paced development environment, automation and DevOps is key. However, this often requires the handling of sensitive information such as API keys, credentials, and other secrets. Managing these securely is crucial to avoid unauthorised access and data breaches.

In this talk we explore the best practices for managing sensitive information in GitHub automation workflows by using GitHub Secrets starting from basic usage in the GitHub Website UI and giving a general overview and feel for GitHub Secrets and why you would want to use them.

Then move on to a more advanced integration where we look at how we can store Secrets securely in Azure Key Vault and how to integrate GitHub automation Workflows with Azure for retrieving Secrets from Key Vault to use in workflows, giving another flexible way of using secrets in code and offers a more centralised management of Secrets.

The target audience are aimed towards DevOps and Developers using GitHub and with a focus on how to use secrets in CI/CD processes and automation with GitHub Actions. Session duration: 30mins

Top Tips, Tricks, and Use Cases for Coders using GitHub Copilot

In this talk, we delve into top tips, tricks, and use cases for coders to explore how GitHub Copilot can significantly boost coding efficiency. Learn practical strategies, discover best practices, and see real-world examples through a series of short demos. We’ll show you how to enhance development workflows using GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat. From generating code snippets to debugging and optimizing your projects, this session will provide valuable insights into leveraging AI to streamline your coding process and improve productivity. Join us to unlock the full potential of GitHub Copilot and transform your development experience.

The target audience are aimed towards DevOps and Developers using GitHub and with a focus on GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat. Session duration: 30mins

Transforming DevOps with AI: Insights from Azure AI Studio

This talk explores how Azure AI can enhance DevOps, DevSecOps, & Infrastructure as Code (IaC) workflows by integrating bespoke documentation, security guidelines, and processes.

The demo, set in the fictional company "Contoso," showcases custom code and documentation using their tailored Terraform IaC, bespoke GitHub Actions, and governance practices. It demonstrates how Large Language Models (LLMs) with private, customised data can accelerate DevOps workflows. While specific tools are highlighted, the techniques are applicable to many other use cases and DevOps practices.

You'll learn how to build an AI assistant for DevOps with an organisation’s unique naming conventions, security guidelines, and guardrails. This assistant can help developers and engineers interpret documentation, ask relevant questions, and generate code examples suited to their Azure environment. This approach streamlines IaC processes, ensuring consistency and improving productivity across DevOps, Platform, and SRE teams.

The target audience are aimed towards AI, DevOps, Platform, SRE and Development teams. Session duration: 30-50mins