Charting The Uncharted - The Role Of DevOps & Platform Engineering In Sovereign DBaaS Sovereign DBaaS Decoded podcast

1:04:56

Renowned cloud strategist and author David Linthicum unpacks the evolution of enterprise cloud strategy—from the rush into public cloud, to today’s growing trend of cloud repatriation and portfolio rebalancing, sharing candid insights on why so many enterprises are hitting the reset button, the hidden costs of herd mentality, and the complex realities of a hybrid, multi-cloud world. Many organizations, he notes, lacked a real business case or cost analysis before migrating, and are now rebalancing their implementations for performance, cost, and control—oftentimes quietly, for fear of reputational risk. Vinay and David’s conversation highlights a maturing perspective on digital infrastructure: while public clouds remain powerful tools for agility and scale, a one-size-fits-all mentality is out. True success means customized, data-driven strategies that balance innovation, efficiency, and sovereignty. To hear more from David Linthicum — and gain actionable advice for your own infrastructure strategy — listen to the full episode. This essential discussion provides clarity for anyone navigating today’s rapidly shifting IT landscape. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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The pendulum swings - the current state and future of cloud repatriation 41:21

17 weeks ago41:21

41:21

The pendulum swings or has it swung? Over 80% of CIOs now plan to repatriate some of their workloads from the cloud back to on-prem environments. In this episode, we sit with industry veteran and COO of US Signal, John White, to discuss what repatriation actually means in today's polyglot world, its drivers, current, state, and what the future will look like for workload placement. In his no-nonsense style, John gives us key insights, including a stunning figure on the estimated percentage cloud spend that is wasted (which side of 50% do you think it is), AI's role, if any, in repatriation and how latency will be the future's currency and key driver for a diversified workload placement strategy. If you're considering moving some workloads back on-prem or to alternative environments, or if you're looking to understand the lay of the current landscape, how it's evolving, and what that'll mean for you, then this episode is for you. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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The cloud of Babel - unifying cloud and on-prem with Kubernetes 1:23:16

19 weeks ago1:23:16

1:23:16

What's in a name? Cloud, private and hybrid cloud, on-prem and other terms are bandied about in an attempt to clarify, but also confuse and separate. We set out to unify these terms once and for all and discuss Kubernetes's role in making that possible with Justin Garrison, Head of Products at Sidero Labs. We'll explore the shifting landscape of cloud adoption, the rise of repatriation, why and how organizations are reasserting control over their infrastructure, and even make the case for a new term, grounded computing. Through the lens of his experiences with Disney and AWS, Justin sheds light on why some enterprises are migrating workloads from public cloud and how K8s can unify operations across infrastructure. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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2025 state of cloud - warp speed ahead for AI, workload consolidation, and repatriation 56:42

22 weeks ago56:42

56:42

Severalnines CEO Vinay Joosery and guest Sanjeev Mohan, former Gartner Research VP and now principal analyst at SanjMo, kickoff Sovereign DBaaS Decoded's 2025 season with their annual discussion on the state of the cloud. In this episode, they have a lively discussion on the current state of data management, cloud adoption, and emerging AI trends. They look back at how 2024 fueled widespread AI investments and debate whether we’ve reached “peak AI hype,” then explore what the rapid rise of cost-efficient open-source models such as DeepSeek mean for the U.S.'s investment strategy and AI adoption. Sanjeev also offers insights on the market's move toward hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, the factors that are driving the apparent ongoing repatriation trend, how Europe's attempts at regulation are unnecessary, misguided and will only stunt growth; and of course, what all of this means for databases and their ops. Whatever your level of responsibility, this episode is jam-packed with valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping 2025—and beyond. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Promethean wager - AI, vector databases, and data sovereignty 50:29

1 year ago50:29

50:29

In the frontier of AI, vector databases have emerged as a pivotal technology, sitting at the intersection of everyday ops concerns, AI application frameworks, and data compliance. Join our CEO Vinay and Stephen Batifol, a seasoned Developer Advocate at Zilliz as they explore the fundamental differences between vector and traditional databases, their symbiotic relationship with AI, and the implications of the large-scale adoption of Large Language Models (LLMs) driving AI’s current evolution, including the data sovereignty/AI dilemma. They also shed light on the strategic and practical implications of vector databases in today's tech environments, envision their future trajectory, and much more. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Cloud reinterpreted - from destination to philosophy and OpenStack 1:24:33

1 year ago1:24:33

1:24:33

In this episode, we explore the shifting paradigms of cloud with Todd Robinson, President and Co-founder at OpenMetal, an award-winning open-source cloud. He joins Vinay to unpack how traditional views of the cloud as a destination/location are evolving and as a result, has lit a fire under businesses to adapt and rethink their cloud strategy. They discuss cloud as a philosophy, the ongoing open-source debate, recent market developments that have motivated organizations to reconsider their strategies, how OpenStack has matured and how that has and will continue to improve accessibility and much, much more. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Mad world - creating a new stateful world with Kubernetes 56:19

1 year ago56:19

56:19

In this episode, Vinay dives into the world of Kubernetes and stateful systems with Eddie Wassef, VP and Chief Architect at Vonage. Together, they discuss compare the Kubernetes of yesterday to today and how its stateful systems use case has matured and how it has become a viable option for enterprises who are looking for multi-environment automation of their database ops. For example, Eddie believes that K8s is a great equalizer because it provides a standard implementation layer across environments. But, he also cautions that it is not for every use case and that, like any technology, it needs to be justified against a higher need. They address the if / when question, both acknowledging that Kubernetes is not for the faint of heart and requires a base level of expertise due to its quirks and the downstream effects that can result from seemingly innocuous changes. But, for those who have a use case it makes sense for, they help frame the decisional process, exploring the workload, environmental, organizational, and operational considerations that you'll encounter when making decisions. They then focus on daily ops considerations like multi-environment conformance and the database workhorse, Operators, how they compare to StatefulSets, using them out-of-the-box vs forking them to better fit your needs, etc. And finally, they look into the future and try to divine where Kubernetes is going more generally and in terms of stateful systems use cases and what is needed to get there. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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2024 state of cloud - emerging into a brave new world 47:22

1 year ago47:22

47:22

In this episode to kick off 2024, our CEO Vinay Joosery and SanjMo principal analyst Sanjeev Mojhan get together once again to look back at 2023 and ahead to 2024. They discuss the events and trends that made the greatest impact to 2023, from inflation, rate increases, data sovereignty washing, security breaches and market exits to generative AI's buoying of an otherwise uncertain, lackluster economic year. They then pivot to 2024, considering the hybrid operating model's second act through the lenses of a shift from cloud first to cloud smart thinking and how bringing AI to your data is superior to the alternative. They also discuss whether committed spend is really OpEx instead of the worst of CapEx, i.e. you're locked into spend but don't own an asset, as well as the need to return to an innovation mindset to gain an edge. But these are just the highlights, 2024's inaugural episode promises to give you plenty of insights and thought provoking material to help you make the most of 2024! Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Holistic sovereignty - the sovereignty landscape, open-source, and data stack 46:59

2 years ago46:59

46:59

Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Guest: Frank Karlitschek 💡 What he does: Founder / CEO 💡Company: Nextcloud 💡Noteworthy: Open-source advocate with 25 years in software innovation. 💡Where to find Frank: LinkedIn What we explore in this episode: In this episode , Vinay Joosery and Frank Karlitschek, CEO of Nextcloud, dive into the essence of digital sovereignty and the impact of cloud computing on data control. Frank shares insights from his extensive experience in open-source projects. The conversation addresses the complexities of data sovereignty, touching on the legal tug-of-war between EU data protection laws and US jurisdiction. Frank provides a nuanced view on recent legal developments, including the invalidation of the Privacy Shield and the implications of new executive orders from the US government. Vinay and Frank discuss the broader implications of digital sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of control over data and infrastructure. They explore the evolution of open-source from a niche concept to a cornerstone of digital autonomy, underscoring the need for true sovereignty in the era of cloud computing. Key episode insights: The Realities of Multi-Cloud Strategies Multi-cloud approaches are a double-edged sword. Frank discusses that, while aiming to blend the benefits of various cloud services, users may inadvertently multiply their risks instead. This insight challenges the common perception that more providers equal better security and efficiency. Frank suggests a need for a nuanced understanding of cloud services, where the goal should be to optimize benefits while minimizing potential vulnerabilities. Sovereignty in the Cloud Era Vinay and Frank dive into the concept of digital sovereignty, particularly in the context of cloud computing. Frank emphasizes the importance of control over data and infrastructure. He reflects on the shift from local computing to cloud-based services, which has complicated the open-source model by placing user data in remote servers controlled by third parties. This shift has sparked a debate on true digital autonomy and the ability of individuals and organizations to maintain control in a cloud-dominated landscape. The Evolution of Open-Source and its Role in Sovereignty Frank traces the evolution of open-source from a niche interest to a critical element of digital sovereignty. He notes that while open-source was once a hard sell to politicians due to its nebulous definition, it has now become synonymous with control and autonomy in the digital space. The discussion highlights how open-source has become a key player in the fight for digital sovereignty, offering an alternative to proprietary software and enabling users to retain control over their digital environments. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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The holy trinity - data sovereignty, Sovereign Cloud, and Sovereign DBaaS 34:49

2 years ago34:49

34:49

Guest-at-a-Glance: 💡 Guest: Antoine Coetsier 💡What he does: Co-founder / COO @ exoscale 💡Noteworthy: Cloud expert with extensive experience in secure infrastructure solutions. 💡Where to find Antoine: LinkedIn What we explore in this episode: In this episode, we explore the critical concept of data sovereignty with guest Antoine Coetsier, Co-founder and COO of Exoscale. The conversation dives into the significance of data sovereignty, especially in an era where digital infrastructure is increasingly considered critical to society, democracy, and the economy. Antoine and Vinay discuss how regulations are evolving, prompting organizations to reconsider their data strategies. Antoine highlights the need for enterprises to prioritize data control, ensuring they can maintain ownership and accessibility across diverse cloud platforms. As data sovereignty gains importance, businesses must navigate the complexities of data management, architecture, and compliance to ensure they are well-prepared for the evolving regulatory landscape. In summary, this episode provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of data sovereignty and the critical role it plays in ensuring data autonomy and security, while keeping in mind the importance of technology and contractual decisions to safeguard an organization's valuable assets in an increasingly digital world. Key episode insights: The rising importance of data sovereignty Data sovereignty is a significant and evolving concept in the tech industry. As data becomes increasingly critical to society, democracy, and the economy, there is growing awareness and discussion surrounding the need for businesses to take control of their data. Regulatory frameworks, like the NIS2 directive and emerging legislation, are pushing organizations to reevaluate their data strategies. Ensuring data control and ownership has become a central focus, prompting companies to seek data portability and protection across various cloud platforms. Avoid vendor lock-in for data portability To navigate the complexities of data sovereignty, businesses must make strategic choices that allow for data portability and protection. An essential piece of advice is to avoid vendor lock-in, meaning organizations should select technology and service providers offering the flexibility to run applications and store data on-premises or across diverse cloud platforms. This approach helps to mitigate risks associated with dependence on a single provider and provides greater control over the fate of an organization's data. Contractual Rights and Data Reversibility In an environment where data ownership and control are paramount, it's essential for businesses to have contractual rights and data reversibility safeguards in place. These rights ensure that data remains accessible, regardless of changes in circumstances or contractual disputes with service providers. Having the legal means to retrieve data, even in adverse situations, provides a layer of protection for organizations. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Charting the uncharted - the role of DevOps & Platform Engineering in Sovereign DBaaS 55:16

2 years ago55:16

55:16

Guest-at-a-Glance: 💡 Name: Josef Pullicino 💡 What he does: Core DevOps Manager at MeDirect 💡 Noteworthy: Prior to joining MeDirect, Josef worked at a leading telecom company in Malta, focusing on applications and databases. Over a decade-long career, he has gravitated toward technical and management roles. 💡 Where to find Josef: LinkedIn What we explore in this episode: Business experts emphasize the importance of cross-departmental collaboration and advise leaders to encourage their teams to leave their silos and work together as that's the only way to meet customers at every step of their journey. But what happens when one team ''threatens'' to take over the other team's job? We'll try to answer this question in this episode of Sovereign DBaaS Decoded. Our guest is Josef Pullicino, the core DevOps at MeDirect. Through the conversation, Josef shares his take on whether DevOps will take over the DBA role, the effects of such an event, the importance of automation in database management, and how DevOps can support Sovereign DBaaS initiatives. Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Reducing environment risk — how local CSPs can supplement and replace hyperscalers 54:07

2 years ago54:07

54:07

In this episode of Sovereign DBaaS Decoded, host Vinay Joosery dives deep into the intricacies of the Swedish cloud space with a distinguished panel: Fredric Wallsten from Safespring, Johan Christenson of Cleura, and Henrik Grankvist from Elastx. The trio brings a wealth of knowledge, discussing the pressing need for enterprises to reduce their environmental risks. The conversation shifts to the advantages of local cloud service providers. Fredric, Johan, and Henrik highlight how these providers can effectively supplement or even replace the dominant hyperscalers in the market. They emphasize the unique value propositions local providers bring, from tailored solutions to enhanced data security. Concluding the discussion, the panelists share insights on the evolving landscape of cloud services in Sweden. They underscore the importance of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability in driving the future of cloud computing in the region. Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name: Fredric Wallsten / Johan Christenson / Henrik Grankvist 💡 What they do: Managing Director / Founder and VP Innovation / COO 💡 Company: Safespring / Cleura / Elastx 💡 Noteworthy: Fredric Wallsten: Founder of Safespring, focused on compliance, open standards, and security since 2014. / Henrik Grankvist: Swedish cloud provider passionate about cloud technologies with over 15 years in the space. / Johan Christenson: Founder of Cleura, dedicated to modern infrastructure, automation, and navigating complex laws for a decade. 💡 Where to find them: Fredric: LinkedIn / Johan: LinkedIn / Henrik: LinkedIn Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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The journey home — a healthcare app’s journey emigrating from a US hyperscaler to a local cloud 1:02:16

2 years ago1:02:16

1:02:16

For a SaaS company founded in the past decade, a US-based hyperscaler offering services for hosting infrastructure would have been the natural place to start. However, the legal landscape has changed a lot and deciding where to host your infrastructure is now more than just a technical exercise. In this episode of Sovereign DBaaS Decoded, we are joined by Jens Alm, the founder & CEO of Prorenata, a SaaS company that helps schools document medical records. Jens and our host Vinay Joosery discuss the laws and regulations healthcare service providers must adhere to. They also discuss the pros and cons of hosting your infrastructure on AWS. Since Jens has moved his infrastructure to a smaller local platform, we asked him to share why he made this move, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he’s learned. He also emphasizes that working with smaller service providers allows for meaningful long-term partnerships beyond customer-vendor relationships. Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name: Jens Alm 💡 What he does: Jens is the founder & CEO of Prorenata, a SaaS company that helps schools document medical records. 💡 Website: Prorenata 💡 Noteworthy: Jens is a doctor and, as he says, ‘half a software engineer’ in the SaaS healthcare space. 💡 Where to find Jens: LinkedIn Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Notes from a CIO: Security & compliance in today’s dynamic regulatory environment 47:53

2 years ago47:53

47:53

Digitization has resulted in a lot of good things. It has facilitated better processes, brought greater transparency, and accelerated the exchange of information. Further, social networks not only enable us to connect with other people and advertise but also to find a job. However, people put their lives on social media platforms, and companies use all that data, which begs the question, “Who is responsible?” Is it the individual who is sharing the data, the company that uses it, or perhaps the government because of a lack of regulation? According to Dragoljub Nesic, the CIO of Freja eID, a significant amount of responsibility lies on the individual, but companies and the government also bear part of it. "Unless data privacy is the company's business like it is in the case of Freja, there will always exist a tension between profitability and everything else, including temptations to use and to abuse end-user data," he says and adds that the concept of a national government is ill-matched considering the global nature of the internet from the cultural perspective of the Western world. In this episode of Sovereign DBaaS Decoded, Dragoljub explains how much control an individual has over their data, what happens to it, and how Freja can protect data privacy. Dragoljub and our host Vinay Joosery discuss individual data sovereignty, how our data is used, who is responsible for the data, and how the regulatory landscape has evolved to address data sovereignty concerns. Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name : Dragoljub Nesic 💡 What he does : Dragoljub is the CIO of Freja eID. 💡 Company: Freja eID 💡 Noteworthy : Dragoljub is a business leader with 30 years of experience in product management and software development. He has not only worked with technical solutions at an architectural level but also with bits and bytes, and he is one of the founders of Freja eID. As the CIO of Freja, Dragoljub is responsible for development operations and compliance of the Freja platform. As a result, he spends a lot of time on questions relating to data privacy. 💡 Where to find Dragoljub: Linkedin l Website Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Booking.com Pt 2 - How Booking.com built their own Sovereign DBaaS at scale 1:18:03

2 years ago1:18:03

1:18:03

Automation is a necessity and a prerequisite for growth, but building your own automation is a time-consuming and costly process. Therefore, before going down this path, it would be useful to establish your resource limits, whether in money, tools, or expertise. Kristian Köhntopp, the principal systems engineer at Booking.com , joined us again on this episode of Sovereign DBaaS Decoded. Kristian explains why every enterprise should automate its database operations and how long it takes to put into effect. However, he also explains that automation is a journey, not a destination. It's a never-ending game, and each enterprise must stay up to date with regulatory, compliance, or tooling changes, and business needs, to ensure their databases always meet business objectives. Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name: Kristian Köhntopp 💡 What he does: Kristian is the principal system engineer at Booking.com. 💡 Website: Booking.com 💡 Noteworthy: Kristian is an architect with years of experience in databases, Linux/Unix, data center planning and design, and security management systems in enterprise and startup environments. In his current role, Kristan focuses on database automation, provisioning a few thousand databases and a few hundred application hierarchies, and cloud migration. 💡 Where to find Kristian: LinkedIn Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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Booking.com Pt 1 - Running data infrastructure at an Enterprise scale 1:21:55

3 years ago1:21:55

1:21:55

Running and scaling a robust database is a complex and time-consuming process. But, if managed properly, it sets the business up for long-term success. Therefore, as a manager, you must first ask yourself what you want from a database and whether you have the resources and people to create and own it. In this episode of Sovereign DBaaS Decoded, we discuss the database methodology at Booking.com. Our guest is Kristian Köhntopp, the company's principal system engineer. He and our host Vinay Joosery discuss the complexity of managing and scaling database operations in the cloud, what played into their decision-making, and the importance of having the right tools, processes, and people who understand their purpose and effect. Kristian also shares his thoughts on cloud migration and reveals the pros and cons of using cloud database services. Finally, he explains why ‘managing’ is not the best word for the database department's responsibilities and suggests ‘automation’ in its stead. Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name: Kristian Köhntopp 💡 What he does: Kristian is the principal system engineer at Booking.com. 💡 Website: Booking.com 💡 Noteworthy: Kristian is an architect with years of experience in databases, Linux/Unix, data center planning and design, and security management systems in enterprise and startup environments. In his current role, Kristan focuses on database automation, provisioning a few thousand databases and a few hundred application hierarchies, and cloud migration. 💡 Where to find Kristian: LinkedIn Find out more about Sovereign DBaaS at https://severalnines.com/sovereign-dbaas…

Sovereign DBaaS Decoded

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The State of Cloud - Exploring challenges, risks & opportunities with Sanjeev Mohan 53:54

3 years ago53:54