Outdated Infrastructure and the Cloud Illusion
A healthcare client risks IT failure by ignoring outdated infrastructure in favor of an impractical cloud migration plan.
IT Notes (it-notes.dragas.net)
#ITNotes #Cloud #IT #SysAdmin #CloudComputing #Virtualization #NoteHUB #OwnYourData
I've just found this article, I wasn't aware of it
Stefano Marinelli Offers a Guide to Building Your Own NetBSD-Powered Read-Only Gadgets
You might have seen it done with Linux, or even FreeBSD — now roll your own read-only filesystem in NetBSD.
Hackster.io (www.hackster.io)
Some years ago, a client of mine asked me to create a VPS for a website they were going to host.
As per their request, I set up an Ubuntu VPS with Nginx, PHP, MySQL, Redis, etc. Its job was to support a low-traffic, local website built with Laravel.
I've since lost touch with the client, but the website is still up and running (the VPS is up to date, though Laravel might be slightly behind - I'm not managing it).
This morning, my client (a good person with solid tech skills) told me that their client will be migrating the website to another provider, so they asked for the server specifications. I replied with the details, explaining that it's a simple and stable setup, and that the requirements are low since they only get around 50 visits per day. Easy peasy.
A few hours later, the client came back saying they had been asked for more details, as everything is required for the new setup - even though it's just a basic migration.
Here's what they sent me (copy-pasting the request):
Project Documentation & Codebase
• Source Code Repository Access (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)
• Code Documentation (README files, API documentation, deployment guides)
• Dependency Management (package lists like package.json, requirements.txt, or equivalent)
Project Accounts & Credentials
• Server/Hosting Login (AWS, Azure, DigitalOcean, etc.)
• Database Access (connection strings, admin credentials)
• CI/CD Tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, CircleCI)
• Third-party APIs (API keys, access tokens)
• Domain & DNS Management (Cloudflare, GoDaddy)
Development Environment Setup
• Development Environment Configuration Files (.env files or config scripts)
• Instructions for Local Setup (required tools, frameworks, or virtual environments)
• System Architecture Diagrams
When we explained that we didn’t use most of those things (CI/CD tools - they're not needed here, and "system architecture diagrams" don’t really make sense), they couldn't believe it.
I'm at a loss for words.
Why are we overcomplicating things like this?
It’s just a simple Laravel website. Install Nginx, MySQL, PHP, Redis, and you're good to go.
Do we really need all of this for a low-traffic, small website?
We're unnecessarily overcomplicating things. Sure, this stuff makes sense for more complex setups - but not this one.
By overcomplicating the setup with unnecessary tools and processes, we're not only adding complexity but also consuming more resources - more servers, more power, more energy. Keeping things simple isn’t just practical, it's also more sustainable.
It's sad news for all of us who started with a BBS
Christensen kick-started online culture by inspiring thousands of hobbyist communities.
Ars Technica (arstechnica.com)
Just updated for Mastodon 4.3: Installing Mastodon Inside a FreeBSD Jail: A Comprehensive Guide
A comprehensive guide to installing Mastodon on a FreeBSD jail using BastilleBSD
IT Notes (it-notes.dragas.net)
#Mastodon #FreeBSD #Fediverse #OwnYourData #ITNotes #NoteHUB #SocialNetworks
In my opinion, every government, public entity, association, foundation, etc., that needs to communicate with the public should have its own communication channel, with full control over its data and the messages it delivers. When I read “my Discord server,” I feel like responding “there’s nothing ‘yours’ about it - tomorrow morning they could shut everything down, and you would have lost EVERYTHING.”. Own your data!
Sometimes, I read that instances are not opened because of “costs not balanced by the number of users.” But even public television channels are often economically unprofitable, yet they are considered an essential service for public communication. Open, decentralized technologies that ensure control over one’s data should be treated the same way.
Okay, after reading this email, I can shut down my computer and change jobs:
'Dear colleague, the fact that our software does not function after 24 hours is perfectly expected. It depends on many dependencies, and we do not have complete control over all of them. For this reason, we suggest, as a standard practice, a service restart every 12 hours. This will ensure everything functions correctly.
And as a general recommendation, we always suggest restarting all services (if you are using Docker) or the entire server (if you are using a traditional setup) every 3 days, as systems tend to get bogged down over time and need to be optimized.'
When bureaucracy reaches new heights, and I have to send a certified email to myself as the admin of my own company to approve my own tax regime choice.
@grunfink thank you!
