REVA Academy for Corporate Excellence (RACE), REVA University organized a webinar titled “Navigating the Organizational Cloud and DevOps Journey: Harnessing Azure, AWS, and Beyond,” on May 23rd, 2024. The event attracted over 100 industry experts and professionals keen on enriching their knowledge of cloud technologies and DevOps strategies.

Prof. Papa Rao, an industry veteran and expert on Cloud technologies and a mentor at RACE programs led the webinar. Prof. Papa Rao’s deep understanding of cloud technologies makes him an invaluable resource for organizations looking to enhance their capabilities in cloud computing, DevSecOps, and enterprise solutions.

Key Highlights of the Webinar

Cloud Computing and Strategies: Prof. Rao kicked off the session with an in-depth discussion on the basics of cloud computing covering essential concepts such as scalability, elasticity, and the various types of cloud environments, providing a solid foundation for all participants. Various cloud service delivery models are discussed, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

SaaS First Approach: One critical aspect covered was managing the Return on Investment (ROI) of cloud adoption. While initial investments and provisioning might be hazy on the cloud compared to physical infrastructure, in the long run, infra and cost optimization is possible due to the dynamic elasticity or auto-scaling feature. Payment models like pay-as-you-go bring huge price optimization opportunities.

Prof. Rao discussed some of the best practices for cloud migration, moving applications and data to the cloud, addressing common challenges and offering solutions to ensure smooth transitions. Prof. Rao advised that always adopt a ‘Software as a Service First” while migrating the applications. But do note that SaaS migrations might also be the costliest. Many organisations are also going with multi-cloud or hybrid strategies rather than sticking to one vendor. The selection of the cloud vendor must be based on the requirements of the applications, than going for the most popular vendor. Eg: One may migrate a .Net application to Azure and Oracle Database to AWS, depending on the features offered by the vendor and the cost-benefit analysis. However, he warned that many of the legacy systems might not be suitable to move to the cloud.

DevOps and AIOps: He also discussed the core principles of DevOps, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between development and operations teams to streamline workflows and accelerate product delivery. Looking ahead, Prof. Rao highlighted emerging trends in DevOps including, ML and AIOps. He discussed the increasing adoption of AI and Machine Learning in DevOps processes and the growing importance of automation and continuous delivery pipelines. The integration of DevOps with cloud technologies was another interesting topic. Prof. Rao shared insights on how cloud platforms like Azure and AWS facilitate DevOps practices, enabling more efficient and scalable operations.

Interactive Q&A Session: The webinar concluded with an engaging Q&A session, where participants had the opportunity to pose their questions to our distinguished mentor, Prof. Rao, along with the host Dr. Shinu Abhi. Their expert responses addressed various aspects of cloud computing and DevOps, providing deeper insights into specific challenges and solutions.

You can access the full session, including all presentations and the Q&A, via the following links:  Webinar Recording sessions.

Looking Forward: The success of this cloud webinar reinforces our commitment to providing high-quality educational content that meets the evolving needs of our community. We look forward to your continued engagement in our upcoming events. Do write to us with your feedback.