Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

February 2023

What is real-time Linux? Part II

Welcome to this three-part mini-series on real-time Linux. In Part I, we set the stage for the remainder of the series by defining a real-time system, and went through common misconceptions. We also covered the broad market applications of a real-time Linux kernel. Several applications across a wide range of use cases and verticals require real-time computing capabilities. Sectors like industrial automation, energy and transportation have strict precision requirements for their systems.

Rethink your Cloud strategy in 2023

Gartner forecasts that worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services will grow 20.7% from $490.3 billion in 2022 to $591.8 billion in 2023. By 2026, the Public Cloud market will double its size today to $1 trillion, also predicted by Gartner. AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud all maintained double-digit growth in Q4 2022, especially Google Cloud grew 32% to $7.32 billion. CDN giant Akamai also unveiled Akamai Connected Cloud and New Cloud Computing Services on Feb 14, 2023.

Out with the Old, In with the New

As Mobile World Congress 2023 approaches, the latest technological advances in the telecom industry will take center stage. At the forefront of these advances are the innovations brought about by open-source technologies. At Canonical, we are leading the way in this space, with groundbreaking developments in OpenRAN automation and distributed compute management that outperform our competition.

What is real-time Linux? Part I

Welcome to this three-part blog series on real-time Linux. Throughout the series, we will assess the key features of a real-time system. We will understand how a real-time capable Linux kernel differs from mainline, and touch upon the performance trade-offs you should consider when choosing real-time versus a low-latency kernel, for instance.

Harnessing the potential of 5G with Kubernetes

5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology which is transforming the way we connect and communicate. With data transfer speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G, 5G technology enables faster download and upload times, lower latency and a higher number of connected devices. Additionally, 5G networks will support a wider range of frequencies, including high and low bands, which will ensure wider coverage and greater reliability.

Canonical Edge Demo - AWS Deployment

Microk8s cluster deployment on AWS via CAPI In this demo, we will be deploying a microk8s cluster on AWS. The cluster consists of 3 control plane and 3 worker nodes. The deployment is performed using Cluster API (CAPI). For the full demo, join us at MWC Barcelona 2023 where you'll be able to see Spectro Cloud's Palette automation engine deploying and managing Canonical's MicroK8s Kubernetes distribution on Ubuntu OS with real-time kernel. Witness the capabilities to create, scale, upgrade, and destroy Kubernetes clusters, with demonstrations on AWS and Edge use cases.

Linux security: your questions, answered

At Canonical, we often get questions about open-source security and of course, Linux security is a common topic. Based on a recent webinar hosted by our security team and an accompanying blog post, we put together the most common questions we receive. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should give you a general idea about Ubuntu’s approach to security vulnerability management, livepatch, IoT, and its compliance and hardening tools.

Elektrobit and Canonical announce EB corbos Linux - built on Ubuntu

ERLANGEN, Germany, and DOUGLAS, Isle of Man, February 21, 2023 – Elektrobit and Canonical today announced EB corbos Linux – built on Ubuntu, an industry first bringing the largest open-source Linux community to automotive software. Available immediately from Elektrobit, the new solution provides OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers with the benefits and flexibility of an open-source operating system for developing electronic control units (ECUs) in software-defined vehicles.

Gopaddle - A Low-Code Internal Developer Platform for Canonical's MicroK8s edge cloud

We are excited to announce the launch of gopaddle, the Low-Code Internal Developer Platform, as a community addon for MicroK8s edge cloud. This addon will help Kubernetes developers accelerate the development of distributed applications at the edge. In today’s fast-paced business landscape, the ability to quickly and efficiently develop new applications is critical to success.

Common misconceptions behind cloud migration failures

Migrating your workloads to the cloud can bring some undeniable benefits to your organisation. For example, you can leverage cloud automation to significantly improve your time to market. You can also benefit from the ever increasing number of cloud regions to place your workloads close to your clients. This improves the response time of your services and, as a result, your customers’ satisfaction.

Project Sputnik retrospective: 10 years of developer laptops with Dell

10 years ago, Dell and Canonical launched Project Sputnik, an initiative to deliver high-end Dell systems with Ubuntu preinstalled to meet the needs of application developers. Whereas Dell had previously offered lower-end Linux-enabled laptops, this was the first time that customers had access to powerful systems designed specifically for developers. And just like many of the best projects in the developer space, Sputnik was community-focused from the start.

Adopt open source securely from bare metal to cloud

It’s no secret that developers prefer to use open-source software in their projects. However, the Log4Shell attack or the more recent PyPl crypto miner packages have taught us that there are questions around how it should be managed. At Canonical we have been dealing with open-source security issues since the very first release of Ubuntu and way before the topic became number 1 on every CISO priority list. In this video, our team discusses how your company can manage these challenges and lay the software foundation of a successful cybersecurity program.

Top CIO Challenges in 2023

Almost a decade ago, public clouds offered CIOs the possibility to explore OpEx based infrastructure to optimise their costs. A few years later, many came to the conclusion that the public cloud is not a one-size-fits-all solution to every infrastructure and operations challenge, and cloud repatriation projects gained popularity. CIOs began moving back some of their workloads to private and hybrid/multi-cloud environments to get the best of both worlds.

Cloud repatriation drivers

With the looming macroeconomic uncertainties that are affecting growth, companies are trying to control their costs by downsizing their staff and reducing their infrastructure costs. One way to reduce infrastructure costs is repatriating workloads from public clouds, which we refer to by “cloud repatriation”. According to a 2021 survey by 451 Research, 48% of respondents repatriated some of their workloads from cloud providers.

Open source security: best practices for early detection & risk mitigation

What knowledge, tools, and processes do you need to keep your open-source software free from vulnerabilities and threats? Many open-source projects are well-maintained by software vendors or individuals. Yet, studies show that 80% of codebases used by enterprises contain vulnerabilities (half of which are high-risk vulnerabilities that can be exploited). Hackers scan for outdated systems that contain vulnerabilities, which they then exploit by deploying targeted malware. In this webinar, we will discuss best practices for keeping your systems up to date.

3 ways to apply security patches in Linux

When shopping for something where all the choices look similar, the feeling of choice paralysis creeps over you. This can happen when shopping for electronics, computer parts, or a pair of shoes. Choice paralysis occurs when a person finds it very difficult and stressful to make a decision with the available information. Applying security patches in Linux is a relaxing and rewarding experience when you have confidence in your process.

Is open-source as secure as proprietary software?

We’re surrounded by news of data breaches and companies being compromised, and the existential threat of ransomware hangs over just about every organisation that uses computers. One of the consequences is that we are hassled by an ever-increasing number of software updates, from phones and computers to vacuum cleaners and cars; download this, restart that, install the updates.

Secure open source MLOps for AI/ML applications in financial services

The adoption of AI/ML in financial services is increasing as companies seek to drive more robust, data-driven decision processes as part of their digital transformation journey. For global banking, McKinsey estimates that AI technologies could potentially deliver up to $1 trillion of additional value each year. But productionising machine learning at scale is challenging.

Canonical Experiences Continued Channel Business Growth and Momentum, Regis Paquette Named 2023 CRN Channel Chief

6 February 2023 – Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, announced today that it doubled revenue for its Channel/Reseller Program in 2022, grew its active reseller base by more than 50%, and grew the overall channel business by 70%. Canonical is an industry leader in open source private clouds, the reference platform for all major public clouds. The Ubuntu operating system is the most widely used Linux distribution that runs on the desktop, workstations, and all internet connected things.

From model-centric to data-centric MLOps

MLOps (short for machine learning operations) is slowly evolving into an independent approach to the machine learning lifecycle that includes all steps – from data gathering to governance and monitoring. It will become a standard as artificial intelligence is moving towards becoming part of everyday business, rather than an innovative activity.

Multipass 1.11 brings enhanced performance for Linux on Mac and Windows

This release has some particularly interesting features that we’ve been wanting to ship for a while now. We’re excited to share them with you! For those who aren’t familiar with Multipass, it’s software that streamlines every aspect of managing and working with virtual machines. We’ve found that development, particularly for cloud applications, can often involve a huge amount of tedious work setting up development and testing environments.