theCronJob

Omer and Mark discuss the implications of AI in software development, particularly focusing on Kubernetes and cost efficiency. They explore the challenges of 'vibe-coded' applications, the limitations of AI in providing optimal solutions, and the importance of asking the right questions to ensure effective use of technology. 

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the psychological factors that influence cloud spending decisions. They explore how these fears can lead to over-provisioning and inefficiencies in cloud resource management. The conversation emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, accountability, and the need to question established practices to optimize cloud costs effectively. 

In this episode, Omer and Mark delve into the complexities of scaling applications in Kubernetes. They discuss the nuances of when and how to scale, emphasizing the importance of understanding application behavior, the right metrics, and the potential pitfalls of scaling too quickly or without proper consideration. The conversation covers vertical vs horizontal scaling, the impact of cold starts,...

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the implications of AI on infrastructure management, the evolving landscape of engineering jobs, and the increasing abstraction in technology. They explore the potential risks of AI in generating and managing cloud infrastructure, the necessity for engineers to adapt and learn continuously, and the future of cloud services as more alternatives emerge.  U.S. S...

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the evolving landscape of SaaS, the impact of AI on DevOps, and the challenges of building in-house solutions versus relying on existing SaaS products. They explore the complexities of Kubernetes, the benefits/cost implications of developing custom solutions, and the importance of trust and reliability in technology. 

The retirement of NGINX Ingress might sound like just another Kubernetes update, but it reveals a much bigger shift. As teams start asking what replaces it, deeper questions come up about how traffic should be managed, who owns it, and what “modern” infrastructure actually looks like. Omer and Mark cover the rise of NGINX, why it became the default for so long, and what changed. They explore the g...

In this episode, Omer and Mark reflect on AWS re:Invent and what it reveals about the current state of cloud infrastructure, with AI and agentic systems clearly dominating the narrative. They discuss how these trends intersect with DevOps, cost management, and operational complexity, and share reactions to a few standout announcements.

In a special episode, Omer and Mark look back on the themes that defined their year - from the growing influence of AI to the ongoing challenges of cloud infrastructure. The conversation covers shifts in AWS commitments and pricing models, including the move from ARISE to savings plans, and what these changes mean for engineering teams. The discussion also explores emerging image-streaming technol...

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the recent outages affecting major internet services like Cloudflare and AWS, exploring the implications of AI on infrastructure reliability, the centralization of internet services, and the risks associated with automation in DevOps. They also delve into the challenges of DNS management and the future of AI in operational roles, concluding with reflections o...

In this episode, our host Omer and special guest Tzachi Tzafrir discuss the complexities of testing in Kubernetes, exploring various strategies for effective quality assurance. Tzachi shares insights on balancing fast testing environments with realistic production-like scenarios, the significance of chaos engineering, and the processes involved in testing new features. They also delve into the rol...

In this episode of The Crown Job, Omer and Mark delve into the spooky side of technology, sharing horror stories from their experiences in the tech industry. They discuss the recent AWS outage and its bizarre effects on smart mattresses, a ghostly incident in a production environment, a certificate authority crisis, and the challenges of managing cloud infrastructure. 

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the importance of integrating security into the DevOps culture, specifically focusing on DevSecOps. They explore the responsibilities of developers in ensuring application security, the significance of understanding the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, and the need for actionable security practices. The conversation also touches on the unique challenges of Kuber...

In this episode of the Cron Job podcast, hosts Omer and Mark delve into the intricacies of Kubernetes, focusing on common mistakes in resource allocation and container management. They discuss the importance of right-sizing resources, monitoring, and the potential pitfalls of over-provisioning. The conversation also touches on the philosophical aspects of infrastructure management and the role of...

In this episode, Omer and Mark delve into the intricacies of using Spot Instances versus On-Demand Instances in cloud computing. They discuss the mechanics behind Spot Instances, the importance of building applications that can adapt to the volatility of these instances, and the various strategies for effectively integrating them into production environments. The conversation also touches on innov...

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the complexities and considerations surrounding multi-cloud environments, particularly in light of recent AWS outages. They explore the implications of cloud strategies, disaster recovery, and the economics of maintaining infrastructure across multiple cloud providers. The conversation emphasizes the challenges of data management and the potential pitfalls of...

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the future of Kubernetes, exploring various upcoming features and enhancements. They delve into the significance of streaming list responses, the management of pod lifecycles, dynamic resource allocation, and improvements to the horizontal pod autoscaler. The conversation also touches on the balance between stability and complexity in Kubernetes, as well as i...

In this episode, the hosts and their guest Ido Slonimsky delve into the ongoing debate about the best programming language for Kubernetes. They explore various languages, including Go and Rust, discussing their advantages and disadvantages in the context of Kubernetes development. The conversation highlights the importance of familiarity with tools, the impact of language choice on maintainability...

In this episode, Omer and Mark share their personal horror stories from the world of engineering, focusing on challenges faced in Kubernetes, DNS issues, security breaches, and the costs associated with cloud infrastructure. They discuss the importance of proper DNS configuration, the risks of exposing sensitive information in front-end code, and the unexpected costs of zombie EC2 instances. The c...

In this episode of theCronJob podcast, hosts Omer and Mark engage in a lively discussion about various hot takes in the tech industry, focusing on Kubernetes, DevOps, AI, and multi-cloud strategies. They explore the effectiveness of horizontal pod autoscaling, the risks associated with VPNs, the evolution of DevOps culture, and the implications of AI in infrastructure management. 

In this episode of The Cron Job, Omer and Mark delve into the complexities of right sizing in Kubernetes, discussing the differences between horizontal and vertical scaling, the challenges of automating resource management, and the potential conflicts between Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) and Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA). They explore alternative scaling solutions and emphasize the importance o...

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the challenges of deploying applications on Kubernetes, using a movie aggregator application as a case study. They explore the importance of understanding Kubernetes components, scaling, monitoring, and the benefits of using managed services to streamline deployment and reduce maintenance overhead. The twelve - factor app   mentioned in this episode: https://...

In this episode of The Cron Job, Omer and Mark delve into the topic of bad architecture in software development, sharing real-world examples and discussing the implications of poor design choices. They explore the evolution of architectures, the importance of security, and the challenges posed by regulations. The conversation also highlights common pitfalls in cloud storage management, particularl...

In this episode, Omer and Mark discuss the complexities of trusting open source software, particularly in the context of Kubernetes and other popular projects. They explore the evaluation process for open source projects, the risks associated with licensing changes, and the security concerns that arise from supply chain attacks. The conversation highlights Kubernetes as a gold standard for open so...

You're not alone! In this candid episode of theCronJob , hosts Omer Hamerman and Mark Serdze dive into the messy side of infrastructure engineering by sharing real-world DevOps mishaps. From small misconfigurations to entire systems going sideways, they unpack how even seasoned pros can make mistakes—and more importantly, how to learn from them. Expect honest stories, practical lessons on pre...

This episode delves into the essential decision facing DevOps engineers and infrastructure architects: choosing between  EKS and ECS . The hosts explore real-world tradeoffs between the two, EKS’s flexibility and portability as a Kubernetes-based solution versus ECS’s simplicity, tight AWS integration, and lower management overhead. They unpack when each service makes sense, balancing complexity,...