Efficient cloud storage pricing is crucial for businesses, enabling cost savings and scalability, and ensuring seamless data management in today's competitive digital landscape.

Cloud computing has become an essential technology for developers. It provides developers with all the necessary tools to build, test, and deploy applications with ease. With all these benefits it has one disadvantage. Cloud computing for developers can become quite expensive if the resources are not managed properly.

The cost of different cloud services including cloud storage pricing and other services can become a financial burden on organizations. That is why developers need to optimize cloud costs. In this article, we'll explore some tips and tricks to optimize cloud costs. Let's dive into the article.

Cloud Cost Optimisation and Cloud Computing for Developers#

Ways you can optimize your Cloud Costs#

(a) Understanding Cloud Costs#

As a cloud software engineer or a developer leveraging the cloud for cloud computing software development. You need to understand cloud pricing models to make informed decisions.

Cloud storage pricing is a very important part of cloud costs. Cloud providers offer different storage options with different pricing. You need to understand your needs and select one that suits you best.

Moreover, with the pricing model, you also need to compare the services of different cloud providers. For instance, let's take Google Cloud and iCloud as examples. Both are prominent names in the industry. Both have different pricing models and services designed for developers.

Google Cloud Pricing is flexible, it provides developers with a wide range of tools and scalability options. While iCloud pricing is designed for both individuals and businesses, it works seamlessly with Apple devices.

As a cloud software engineer or developer, it is your responsibility to find the balance between resource provisioning and cost efficiency. To achieve this balance follow the tips and tricks given in the proceeding sections.

(b) Monitor Resource Usage#

Monitoring resource usage is an essential practice for optimizing cloud costs. Continuous monitoring of cloud resources helps you identify the highs and lows of your resource consumption. You can identify overused and underused resources. If these resources are left unchecked you will be left with a huge bill.

Almost all cloud services provide their users with robust monitoring and analytic tools. You can utilize these tools to closely monitor resource usage. These tools provide real-time information about all the different aspects of the cloud like CPU usage, storage consumption, network traffic, etc. You can utilize this information to make informed decisions.

As a cloud software engineer or a developer, you can use this information to set a threshold for resource consumption and set up alarms, auto-scale to deal with traffic, and set event-driven functions. All of these practices will help you optimize your cloud cost.

(c) Set Up Alerts#

Setting up alerts is another important step in cloud computing for developers for optimizing cloud costs. It alerts you whenever there is a sudden increase in usage so you can investigate and take proactive measures. Alerts help you stay within your budget. Here are some useful practices for setting up alerts to optimize cloud costs.

• Always set a threshold based on your project budget.
• Choose a suitable medium for receiving alerts.
• Select alert triggers like CPU usage, storage consumption, or network traffic.

By following all these practices you can effectively optimize your cloud costs.

(d) Leverage Cost Calculators and Budgeting Tools#

In cloud computing software development cost calculators and budgeting tools are very powerful tools for optimizing cloud costs. These tools provide valuable information related to cloud expenditures. These tools enable you to estimate, track and control your cloud spending.

1. Cost Calculators#

Cost calculators are online tools in cloud computing for developers that help you estimate your cloud spending before deployment. You can make informed decisions about projects using these tools. You can identify projects exceeding your expected budget and take necessary actions to avoid overspending.

Benefits:#

• Cost calculators allow developers to compare pricing options of different services from different providers. For example, they can compare cloud storage pricing to choose the best.
• You can add and compare different configurations and services to choose the most cost-effective solution for your application.

2. Budgeting Tools#

Budgeting tools help you monitor the real-time expenses of your cloud resources. These tools are provided by your cloud providers. With the help of these tools, you can assign budgets to different projects and departments. You also get alerts from these tools whenever the cost of resources exceeds a certain threshold. You can utilize these tools to effectively optimize your cloud costs.

Introducing Nife: A Cost-Effective Cloud Platform#

In recent years developers have faced many problems regarding cloud computing, cost optimization being one of them. While there are many tips and tricks to optimize cloud costs, you need a cloud computing platform that can do it all.

Nife is a cloud computing platform that provides developers with all the necessary tools for cost optimization while maintaining the reliability and high performance of cloud applications. Its pricing is flexible as compared to google cloud pricing or iCloud pricing.

Nife, the global edge application platform, offers developers a cost-effective solution for optimizing cloud expenses. Traditional infrastructure and practices often lead to complex deployments, excessive manpower requirements, and slow system configurations, resulting in higher costs.

However, Nife Labs simplifies cloud computing, 5G, and edge computing, making application deployment and scaling easier and more affordable.

With Nife, developers can deploy their applications rapidly on any infrastructure without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. The platform allows for easy application monitoring, generating reports and alerts based on specific needs. So why not give Nife a try and see how it optimizes cloud costs? and Visit Nife to leverage Cost Efficient Cloud Platform

Conclusion#

In conclusion, optimizing cloud costs is essential for developers working with cloud computing. By following the tips and tricks discussed in this article, developers can effectively monitor resource usage, set up alerts, and utilize cost calculators and budgeting tools.

However, there is a cloud platform that provides developers with all the means to optimize cloud costs, Nife, a cloud computing platform, provides a cost-effective solution for developers by simplifying cloud computing, reducing infrastructure costs, automating key tasks, and enabling rapid application deployment. Nife optimizes cloud expenses and delivers significant cost savings for businesses and enterprises.

Securing cloud applications is paramount in today's digital landscape. It is important to protect sensitive data, mitigate cyber threats, and ensure compliance by implementing robust security measures for your cloud-based solutions.

As more and more organizations are adopting cloud applications, the security of cloud applications has become a major concern. Businesses of all sizes are leveraging cloud applications for efficiency, flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. However, with all these benefits come threats of data security in the cloud that need to be addressed.

Cloud Applications Security: Best Practices for Developers#

Cloud applications store sensitive data which in the wrong hands can cause financial and reputational damage. That is why developers need to implement best practices for cloud security. These practices can mitigate risk and save the cloud from cyber-attacks and data breaches.

In this article, we will explore some of the key practices for cloud security. We will cover topics like identity and access control, encryption, and security monitoring. We will also explore the features of Nife, a cloud platform that provides reliable and efficient cloud application hosting for developers. Let's dive into the article.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)#

Identity and Access Management is an important part of cloud security. It involves the management of access control, passwords, and cloud resources. Here are the best practices for IAM in cloud applications.

Password Management is the first step in IAM. Passwords are the primary method of accessing information. The best practice for creating strong passwords is to use a mixture of lower and upper case letters, numbers, and special characters. Users should be encouraged to change passwords regularly.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MAF) provides an extra layer of security. It involves requesting a one-time password from users, generated by an app or using a fingerprint each time a person logs in to the cloud.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is also a useful practice in cloud computing for developers. It helps organizations distribute and monitor cloud resources effectively. It involves distributing access to resources among users according to their assigned roles. This practice helps ensure the security of sensitive areas of the cloud.

Monitor Access: User access and activities should be monitored to identify potential threats. This includes tracking authentication, failed login attempts, and location tags for unusual activities. It helps mitigate risk and take necessary action.

There are several IAM services and tools in cloud computing for developers such as Google Cloud Identity, AWS IAM, and Azure Active Directory.

Encryption:#

Encryption is another important practice for data security in cloud. It is the process of converting data into code using algorithms. It helps protect data from hackers. Here are the best practices of encryption for cloud computing security.

Encrypting Data at Rest and In Transit:#

Data on the cloud should be encrypted whether it is at rest(on the cloud) or in transit. Data encryption on the cloud secures it in case of data breaches and cyber-attacks. While in transit encryption keeps it secure in case someone interferes between the cloud and the end user. Various cloud platforms provide encryption leverage which developers can leverage for their use.

Usage of key Management Algorithms:#

Another important practice for data security in cloud is the use of key management tools. Often encryption keys are distributed in different places within a cloud infrastructure which makes the cloud applications vulnerable. Developers should use key management tools to keep all the encryption keys secure in one place.

Security Monitoring#

Security monitoring is also an important aspect of data security in cloud. It involves continuous monitoring of cloud resources to identify and respond to potential threats and attacks. It provides live accurate insights on cloud security, allowing you to take action. Here are the best practices of security monitoring for cloud computing security.

Continuous Monitoring:#

Cloud Applications are highly complicated. It is important to continuously monitor activities across all the resources for cloud computing security. That's where intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) come in. This system tirelessly looks for vulnerabilities, potential threats, and unusual activities. Once any vulnerabilities or threats are found it neutralizes it and keeps your applications safe and sound.

Logging and Log Analysis:#

In cloud computing for developers logging and log analysis mechanisms are very important. It helps identify unusual activities and find security gaps. Logging data also helps trace back intruders and compromised systems. With logging data valuable you can get valuable insights that can be used for cloud computing security.

Alerting and Response:#

It is important to have a proper alerting and incident response mechanism in cloud computing for developers for data security in cloud. In case of a security incident, it is crucial to have an alerting mechanism and incident plan set up. This will help minimize the effect of any loss. Incident plans must clearly define responsibilities and every step of the way to secure the cloud applications.

Nife's Solutions for Securing Cloud Applications#

Nife is a cloud platform that provides robust security solutions and offers cloud application hosting for developers. Nife understands the current security needs and provides a multi-layered approach. It provides a robust RBAC(Roll Based Access Control) feature to keep your resources in check and minimizes the risk of unauthorized breaches.

With Nife, developers can save user-specific data as secrets in transit with industry-standard encryption algorithms and seamless key management.

Nife also has built-in continuous monitoring and alerting mechanisms to scan all cloud resources periodically for vulnerabilities. What sets Nife apart is cloud application hosting for developers.

Nife understands developers want a streamlined hosting experience. That is why it allows them to only work on development without worrying about underlying infrastructure and security issues.

Nife is helping businesses secure their cloud applications with robust security features.

Visit Nife to get started on your secure cloud journey

Conclusion:#

Securing cloud applications is crucial in this modern age. To cope with evolving threats developers need to adopt best security practices to protect sensitive data.

Throughout this article, we have explored best practices for securing cloud applications, which include Identity and Access Management (IAM), the Use of encryption, and security monitoring. In the end, we discussed Nife, a cloud platform that provides robust security for cloud applications.

Setup a DevOps pipeline using popular tools like Jenkins, GitHub#

Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery, or CI/CD for short, is a comprehensive DevOps method that focuses on the creation of a mix that is compatible with the process of software development and the process of software operation. Improving ROI may be accomplished via the use of automated updates and the automation of procedures. Developing a CI/CD pipeline is the linchpin of the DevOps paradigm. This implementation makes the process of bringing a product to market far more efficient than it was previously possible.

How to Use GitHub Actions to Construct a CI/CD Pipeline#

Before we dive in, here are a few quick notes:

It is important to clearly understand what a CI/CD pipeline is and what it should perform. This is only a quick remark, but it's essential. When your code is modified, a continuous integration pipeline will run to ensure that all of your changes are compatible with the rest of the code before it is merged. In addition to this, it should build your code, perform tests, and validate that it works properly. The produced code is then sent into production via a CD pipeline, which takes the process one step further.

GitHub Actions take a choose-your-own-adventure-style approach to continuous integration and continuous delivery. You will be presented with this message when you launch GitHub Actions for the first time in a repository. You have access to a plethora of guided alternatives that come with pre-built CI processes that you may exploit following the specifications of your technology. On the other hand, if you want to, you may construct your CI process from the ground up.

Key advantages of using GitHub Actions for CI/CD pipelines#

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But before we get into that, let's take a moment to review a few of the advantages of using GitHub Actions; after all, quite a few different solutions are now available. Permit me to break out the following four major advantages that I've found:

CI/CD pipeline setup is simple:#

Because developers built GitHub Actions specifically for developers, you won't need specialized resources to establish and manage your pipeline. There is no need to set up CI/CD since it is unnecessary manually. You won't need to install webhooks, acquire hardware, reserve certain instances elsewhere, keep them updated, apply security updates, or spool down idle machines. You need to add one file to your repository for it to be functional.

Respond to any webhook on GitHub:#

You can use any webhook as an event trigger for an automation or CI/CD pipeline since GitHub Actions is completely linked. This covers things like pull requests, bugs, and comments. Still, it also includes webhooks from any application that you have linked to your GitHub repository. Let's imagine you've decided to run a portion of your development pipeline using any of the numerous tools now available on the market. With GitHub Actions, you can initiate CI/CD processes and pipelines of webhooks from these applications (even something as basic as a chat app message, provided, of course, that you have connected your chat app to your GitHub repository).

Community-powered, reusable workflows:#

You can make your workflows public and accessible to the larger GitHub community, or you may browse the GitHub Marketplace for pre-built CI/CD workflows (there are more than 11,000 actions available!). Did I mention that every action is reusable? All you have to do is reference its name. That is correct as well.

Support for any platform, language, and cloud:#

Actions on GitHub are compatible with any platform, language, or cloud environment without restriction. That indicates that you can utilize it with any technology you choose.

Steps to setup DevOps Pipeline#

In this article, we'll walk through the steps to set up a DevOps pipeline using popular tools like Jenkins and GitHub.

Step 1: Set up a version control system#

Installing and configuring a version control system (VCS) to store and administer the application's source code is the first stage in establishing a DevOps pipeline. GitHub is one of the most widely used version control systems (VCS) solutions. It allows users to save and share code in a repository that is hosted in the cloud. Create an account on GitHub and follow the on-screen directions to set up a new repository. This may be done by clicking here.

Step 2: Set up a build tool#

Next, you must configure a build tool to compile, test, and package your code automatically. This will take you to the next phase. Jenkins is an open-source automation server with hundreds of plugins to automate different phases of the software development lifecycle. It is one of the most common build tools and one of the most used tools overall. Download Jenkins, then install it on a server or cloud instance. Once that's done, follow the on-screen directions to configure it after setting it up.

Step 3: Configure your pipeline#

After installing and configuring your build tool and version control system, the following step is to set up and configure your pipeline. Your application's construction, testing, and deployment may all be automated via a pipeline consisting of a sequence of phases. A Jenkinsfile is a text file that explains the steps of your pipeline. You may use Jenkins to establish a pipeline; the file you use to do so is called a Jenkins file. Your application's construction, testing, packaging, and deployment may be stages. You can use plugins to automate the process.

Step 4: Add testing and quality checks#

It is essential to include testing and quality checks into your pipeline if you want to guarantee the satisfactory performance of your application. Automating unit, integration, and end-to-end tests may be accomplished with a wide range of testing frameworks and tools. In addition, you may check for problems with the code's quality and security by using tools that analyze static code. You may incorporate third-party tools into your pipeline or use one of the numerous plugins included with Jenkins for testing and quality checks.

Step 5: Deploy your application#

Deploying your application to a production environment should be the last step in your DevOps pipeline. To automate the deployment process and guarantee consistency in various contexts, you may use applications such as Ansible, Docker, and Kubernetes. You may also track the performance of your application by using monitoring tools, which will allow you to spot any problems that may emerge.

Conclusion#

In conclusion, establishing a DevOps pipeline via the use of well-known technologies such as Jenkins and GitHub may assist in the process of software development life cycle streamlining, hence enhancing both the rate at which software is delivered and its overall quality. You may improve the quality of your application's development as well as the productivity of your development team by automating the processes of developing, testing, and deploying your application.

Development and operations are critical aspects of every software company. Your company's success depends on effectively coordinating these roles to increase software delivery speed and quality. DevOps as a service is also crucial to delivering software more quickly and efficiently.

Development and operations teams often operate in isolation, but DevOps acts as a bridge to enhance cooperation and efficiency.

Why Does DevOps Matter in Modern Business?#

Implementing DevOps methods successfully in your firm can substantially influence efficiency, security, and corporate cooperation. According to the 2017 State of DevOps Report, firms that use DevOps principles spend 21% less time on unplanned work and rework and 44% more time on additional work, resulting in improved efficiency (Díaz et al., 2021).

8 Reasons Why DevOps is Essential for Modern Businesses#

1. Reduced Development Cycles#

Companies thrive by innovating more quickly than their competition. The primary goals of DevOps are automation, continuous delivery, and a short feedback loop, similar to Microsoft Azure DevOps. Immediate and constant feedback allows for speedier releases. In Cloud DevOps, merging development and operations activities results in the rapid creation and distribution of applications to the market [(Khan et al., 2022)]. The overall advantage is a shorter cycle time to fully realize an idea, with superior quality and precise alignment.

2. Reduced Failure Rates of Implementation#

DevOps automation encourages regular code versions, leading to easier and quicker identification of coding errors. Teams can use agile programming techniques to reduce the number of implementation failures (Maroukian and Gulliver, 2020). Recovery from mistakes is faster when development and operations teams collaborate, addressing issues collectively.

3. Continuous Improvement and Software Delivery#

Implementing DevOps principles enhances software quality while releasing new features and enables rapid changes. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) involves making incremental changes and swiftly merging them into the source code, as seen in Azure DevOps. This approach allows software to reach the market faster while addressing consumer complaints promptly. [DevOps as a service] fosters higher quality and efficiency in continuous release and deployment.

4. Improved Inter-Team Communication#

DevOps automation enhances business agility by promoting a culture of cooperation, effective communication, and integration among all global teams within an IT company. The DevOps culture values performance over individual ambitions, making procedures more transparent and allowing employees to learn quickly and impact the business significantly.

5. Increased Value Delivery Scope#

Using DevOps as a service fosters a continuous delivery environment, focusing on innovations and better value generation through digital transformation (Wiedemann et al., 2019). This approach ensures that work is adequately integrated and managed in a conducive environment.

6. Reduced Deployment Time#

DevOps methods improve the effectiveness of building new systems by incorporating feedback from developers, stakeholders, and colleagues (Plant, van Hillegersberg, and Aldea, 2021). This approach results in consistent execution and faster deployment compared to competitors.

7. Faster Response#

One of the primary benefits of Cloud DevOps' continuous deployment cycle is the ability for firms to iterate rapidly based on consumer feedback and evaluations. This enhances the ability to manage uncertainty and speeds up procedures.

8. Reduces Waste#

Enterprises that adopt lean practices and iterate quickly use resources more effectively and minimize waste. DevOps as a service helps firms reduce operational inefficiencies by shifting various responsibilities to the development team.

Can an AI-based edge computing platform drive businesses or is that a myth? We explore this topic here._

Introduction#

For a long time, artificial intelligence has been a hot issue. We've all heard successful tales of forward-thinking corporations creating one brilliant technique or another to use Artificial Intelligence technology or organizations that promise to put AI-first or be truly "AI-driven." For a few years now, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been impacting sectors all around the world. Businesses that surpass their rivals are certainly employing AI to assist in guiding their marketing decisions, even if it isn't always visible to the human eye (Davenport et al., 2019). Machine learning methods enable AI to be characterized as machines or processes with human-like intelligence. One of the most appealing features of AI is that it may be used in any sector. By evaluating and exploiting excellent data, AI can solve problems and boost business efficiency regardless of the size of a company (Eitel-Porter, 2020). Companies are no longer demanding to be at the forefront or even second in their sectors; instead, businesses are approaching this transition as if it were a natural progression.

Artificial Intelligence's (AI-driven) Business Benefits#

Businesses had to depend on analytics researchers in the past to evaluate their data and spot patterns. It was practically difficult for them to notice each pattern or useful bit of data due to the huge volume of data accessible and the brief period in their shift. Data may now be evaluated and processed in real-time thanks to artificial intelligence. As a result, businesses can speed up the optimization process when it comes to business decisions, resulting in better results in less time. These effects can range from little improvements in internal corporate procedures to major improvements in traffic efficiency in large cities (Abduljabbar et al., 2019). The list of AI's additional advantages is nearly endless. Let's have a look at how businesses can benefit:

• A More Positive Customer Experience: Among the most significant advantages of AI is the improved customer experience it provides. Artificial intelligence helps businesses to improve their current products by analyzing customer behavior systematically and continuously. AI can also help engage customers by providing more appropriate advertisements and product suggestions (Palaiogeorgou et al., 2021).

• Boost Your Company's Efficiency: The capacity to automate corporate procedures is another advantage of artificial intelligence. Instead of wasting labor hours by having a person execute repeated activities, you may utilize an AI-based solution to complete those duties instantly. Furthermore, by utilizing machine learning technologies, the program can instantly suggest enhancements for both on-premise and cloud-based business processes (Daugherty, 2018). This leads to time and financial savings due to increased productivity and, in many cases, more accurate work.

• Boost Data Security: The fraud and threat security capabilities that AI can provide to businesses are a major bonus. AI displays usage patterns that can help to recognize cyber security risks, both externally and internally. An AI-based security solution could analyze when specific employees log into a cloud solution, which device they used, and from where they accessed cloud data regularly.

Speaking with AI Pioneers and Newcomers#

Surprisingly, by reaching out on a larger scale, researchers were able to identify a variety of firms at various stages of AI maturity. Researchers split everyone into three groups: AI leaders, AI followers, and AI beginners (Brock and von Wangenheim, 2019). The AI leaders have completely adopted AI and data analysis tools in their company, whilst the AI beginners are just getting started. The road to becoming AI-powered is paved with obstacles that might impede any development. In sum, 99% of the survey respondents have encountered difficulties with AI implementation. And it appears that the more we work at it, the more difficult it becomes. 75% or more of individuals who launched their projects 4-5 years ago faced troubles. Even the AI leaders, who had more effort than the other two groups and began 4-5 years earlier, had over 60% of their projects encounter difficulties. When it comes to AI and advanced analytics, it appears that many companies are having trouble getting their employees on board. The staff was resistant to embracing new methods of working or were afraid of losing their employment. Considering this, it should be unsurprising that the most important tactics for overcoming obstacles include culture and traditions (Campbell et al., 2019). Overall, it's evident that the transition to AI-driven operations is a cultural one!

The Long-Term Strategic Incentive to Invest#

Most firms that begin on an organizational improvement foresee moving from one stable condition to a new stable one after a period of controlled turbulence (ideally). When developers look at how these AI-adopting companies envision the future, however, this does not appear to be the case. Developers should concentrate their efforts on the AI leaders to better grasp what it will be like to be entirely AI-driven since these are the individuals who've already progressed the most and may have a better understanding of where they're headed. It's reasonable to anticipate AI leaders to continue to outpace rival firms in the future (Daugherty, 2018). Maybe it's because they have a different perspective on the current, solid reality that is forming. The vision that AI leaders envisage is not one of consistency and "doneness" in terms of process. Consider a forthcoming business wherein new programs are always being developed, with the ability to increase efficiency, modify job processing tasks, impact judgment, and offer novel issue resolution. It appears that the steady state developers are looking for will be one of constant evolution. An organization in which AI implementation will never be finished. And it is for this reason that we must start preparing for AI Edge Computing Platform to pave the way for the future.

References#

• Abduljabbar, R., Dia, H., Liyanage, S., & Bagloee, S.A. (2019). Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Transport: An Overview. Sustainability, 11(1), p.189. Available at: link.
• Brock, J.K.-U., & von Wangenheim, F. (2019). Demystifying AI: What Digital Transformation Leaders Can Teach You about Realistic Artificial Intelligence. California Management Review, 61(4), pp.110–134.
• Campbell, C., Sands, S., Ferraro, C., Tsao, H.-Y. (Jody), & Mavrommatis, A. (2019). From Data to Action: How Marketers Can Leverage AI. Business Horizons.
• Daugherty, P.R. (2018). Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Davenport, T., Guha, A., Grewal, D., & Bressgott, T. (2019). How Artificial Intelligence Will Change the Future of Marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), pp.24–42. Available at: link.
• Eitel-Porter, R. (2020). Beyond the Promise: Implementing Ethical AI. AI and Ethics.
• Palaiogeorgou, P., Gizelis, C.A., Misargopoulos, A., Nikolopoulos-Gkamatsis, F., Kefalogiannis, M., & Christonasis, A.M. (2021). AI: Opportunities and Challenges - The Optimal Exploitation of (Telecom) Corporate Data. Responsible AI and Analytics for an Ethical and Inclusive Digitized Society, pp.47–59.