In this special episode of Abnormal DevOps Iterations, we dive deep into the evolving world of Puppet discussing the recent events and the consequential fork. Our panel includes: Tim Meusel (Vox Pupuli PMC) – Longtime contributor and leader in the Puppet open-source ecosystem. David Sandilands (Perforce/Puppet) – Community and Developer Relations Lead at Puppet. Ben Ford (Vox Pupuli Contributor) – Former Puppet employee and open-source advocate, now helping drive the new OpenVox fork. They discuss Puppet’s recent shift after the Perforce acquisition, what the new Puppet Core and Enterprise offerings mean for users, and why the community decided to create the OpenVox fork. If you’ve ever used or contributed to Puppet, this conversation is essential listening.

Welcome to this in-depth chat with James Shubin, creator of MGMT, as we explore next-generation DevOps and infrastructure automation. Discover how MGMT stands out from traditional configuration management tools like Puppet, Ansible, or Terraform, thanks to its unique reactive automation approach. James explains how modeling time, scaling, and responding to instant infrastructure changes can future-proof your environment—whether you’re running distributed systems on-premises or in the cloud. In this conversation, we also dive into the complexities of open source software, discussing sustainability, funding challenges, and the evolving role of community support. James shares his honest thoughts on how large corporations shape technology trends, why Kubernetes may not always be the ultimate answer, and how MGMT aims to offer a simpler, more efficient path to continuous configuration. We wrap up by tackling the buzz around AI, touching on how machine learning models and big tech influence the DevOps landscape. Whether you’re a DevOps engineer, system administrator, or simply curious about the future of IT infrastructure, this episode is packed with insights. Tune in to learn more about James’s mission to democratize automation, reduce complexity, and build next-level tooling for the industry. Stay until the end for conference highlights, community updates, and a glimpse into how you can get involved.

Welcome to Episode 15 of the Abnormal DevOps Iteration Podcast. In this conversation, host Alessandro reconnects with longtime friend and DevOps expert Riaan Nolan—author of HashiQube and current DevOps techie in Australia. They dive into the ever-evolving DevOps landscape: from HashiCorp licensing changes and the Terraform/OpenTofu fork to the role of Vault, Nomad, and Kubernetes in modern infrastructure. Riaan also highlights HashiQube, his flexible lab environment for hands-on learning with a wide range of DevOps tooling. Together, they touch on the future of open source, how AI is reshaping our industry, and why it’s a thrilling time

In this episode, Andrew, a DevOps pioneer, shares his journey from the early days of “agile infrastructures” to the present landscape of cloud computing and organizational change. e reflects on the slow but ongoing progress in DevOps, the value of socio-technical insights, and how many of today’s “new” ideas can be traced back to older system thinking practices. Andrew also discusses his personal and professional endeavors: from consulting on DevOps transformations to balancing family life and even owning a restaurant. A significant portion of the conversation revolves around AI—its current hype, its practical benefits for everyday tasks, and the real risks of over-relying on AI-generated solutions. Andrew highlights the critical need to maintain human oversight and break problems down into smaller tasks that AI can help with, rather than expecting an automated “silver bullet.” He also offers perspectives on the future of infrastructure management, underscoring that the core challenges of configuring and operating systems never truly disappear, even as new tools arise. If you’re interested in DevOps, organizational learning, AI’s evolving role in tech and business, or how to maintain authenticity in a world of rapid automation, this interview delivers thoughtful insights on all these topics—and more.

Manuel Pais discusses the background and evolution of Team Topologies, emphasizing that the book focuses on achieving a fast flow of value to customers by thoughtfully organizing “teams of teams.” This approach goes beyond simply speeding up individual teams, highlighting that true DevOps success hinges on continuous feedback loops and the sustainability of teams’ workloads. A major theme is cognitive load—the mental effort required of teams to handle their responsibilities. Manuel introduces “Temperature,” a new product designed to measure and manage cognitive load. By identifying specific drivers behind overload (e.g., too many stakeholders or unwieldy infrastructure concerns), organizations can reshape team responsibilities and invest in platform teams that reduce complexity for product (stream-aligned) teams. Manuel reviews the four core team types from Team Topologies: Stream-aligned teams focused on end-to-end value delivery for a particular product or service. Platform teams providing internal services to reduce cognitive load. Enabling teams bridging skill gaps and mentoring other teams. Complicated subsystem teams dedicated to specialized, complex parts of a system. He underscores that success with Team Topologies often involves incremental organizational evolution rather than large-scale, one-time reorgs. Leaders must understand value streams, use flow metrics and DORA metrics appropriately, and ensure continuous learning. Discussion also touches on AI’s potential—while it may automate some tasks or reduce team size, it likely won’t eliminate the need for skilled human teams aligned to business goals. Finally, Manuel stresses the importance of culture and human factors—restructuring teams requires managing change and encouraging collaboration. He also suggests exploring complementary frameworks such as Wardley Mapping and Domain-Driven Design, as well as practices like Dynamic Reteaming, to help organizations thrive in continuously evolving environments.

In Episode 12 of Abnormal DevOps Iterations, we sit down with Adam Jacob, the founder of Chef and System Initiative, to discuss the future of Infrastructures automation. Adam shares insights into System Initiative, a groundbreaking approach to managing infrastructure complexity using a hypergraph-based model for automation. Key topics include:

• The evolution of DevOps from its early days to today’s challenges.
• How System Initiative rethinks automation by replacing traditional pipelines with dynamic, collaborative, and data-first models.
• The role of AI in simplifying infrastructure management and modeling.
• Adam’s reflections on past lessons from building Chef and competing in the DevOps space.
• Predictions on how the IT world will evolve over the next five years and why infrastructure automation needs a paradigm shift.

This conversation is full of industry insights, hard-learned lessons, and bold visions for the future of IT infrastructures management, enlightened by the brilliant mind and words of Adam Jacob.

In this episode of Abnormal DevOps Iterations, we sit down with Bernd Erk, CEO of NETWAYS and co-creator of Icinga. We discuss the evolution of IT monitoring from Nagios to Icinga, the challenges of adapting to cloud-native and Kubernetes environments, and the balance between traditional monitoring and dynamic observability. Bernd shares insights on open-source business models, the impact of AI on tech and society, and his thoughts on the future of IT infrastructure automation. From technical discussions about monitoring tools to a broader conversation about AI, open source, and the human element in tech, this episode is packed with fascinating insights and ideas.

n this episode of Abnormal DevOps Iterations, we sit down with Raphaël Pinson, Technical Marketing Engineer at Isovalent, to explore the cutting-edge innovations shaping the DevOps and Kubernetes landscapes. Topics include: - The role of Cilium as a de facto Kubernetes networking standard - The revolutionary power of eBPF in transforming Linux kernel functionality - When tools like Puppet remain relevant in modern infrastructure - Insights into balancing Kubernetes, virtual machines, and physical servers in hybrid environments - Best practices for managing databases outside of containers Whether you're a seasoned DevOps engineer or a curious learner, this episode offers unique perspectives on managing infrastructure, leveraging advanced kernel technologies, and embracing the human side of IT systems.