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Day: January 24, 2025

CI/CD for TIBCO Scribe Migration Using Azure DevOps

Overview

Every client typically maintains multiple environments, such as DEV, UAT, SIT, and PROD. When they need to migrate or move TIBCO Scribe solutions from one environment to another, the process often involves manual work. This manual effort can lead to errors during migration, increasing the risk and time required. To overcome these challenges, we can leverage TIBCO Scribe APIs, PowerShell scripting, and Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines to automate the migration process. This approach ensures a seamless, error-free, and efficient migration across environments.

Problem Statement

Migrating Tibco Scribe solutions between organizations can be a time-consuming and error-prone manual process, especially when dealing with multiple deployments. This blog post outlines a solution using Azure DevOps to implement a CI/CD pipeline that automates the migration process, saving you time and effort.

What is TIBCO Scribe?

TIBCO Scribe is a cloud-based integration platform that simplifies data migration, replication, and integration between applications and data sources. It provides tools for building, deploying, and managing integrations, allowing organizations to automate workflows across their ecosystem effectively.

What is CI/CD in Azure DevOps?

CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment) in Azure DevOps is a development practice that enables teams to build, test, and deploy code changes in an automated and streamlined manner. Azure DevOps provides a suite of tools for creating pipelines, managing repositories, and deploying applications across environments such as Development (Dev), User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and Production (Prod).

Authentication and Authorization

To manage multiple TIBCO Scribe organizations (Dev, UAT, Prod), authentication and authorization are performed using token-based authentication in API requests.

  1. Generate Token: Use secure credentials to generate a token that provides temporary access for API requests. This token is used in place of username and password to enhance security.

  2. Authenticate Requests: All API calls, such as retrieving solutions or migrating them, are authenticated using the token in the headers. This ensures secure and streamlined access to resources across all environments.

Base API Endpoint: https://agent.scribesoft.com/v1/

Scribe APIs for Migration

Below are the key APIs used for the migration process:

  1. Get Organization Details (Org ID): Retrieves the source and destination organization IDs required for migration.

GET /v1/orgs

  1. Get Solution ID: Fetches the unique solution ID from the source organization.

GET /v1/orgs/{orgId}/solutions

  1. Get Destination Agent ID: Retrieves the agent ID for the destination organization to ensure the solution is migrated to the correct environment.

GET /v1/orgs/{orgId}/agents

PowerShell Script for Migration

The following steps outline a PowerShell script to automate the migration process:

1. Authenticate with Scribe

Authenticate using API credentials to access the Scribe API.

2. Check if Solution Exists in the Destination Organization

Ensure the solution does not already exist in the destination environment to prevent duplication.

3. Validate Connections in Destination Organization

Verify that all necessary connections exist in the destination organization before migrating the solution.

4. Migrate the Solution

Perform the migration by exporting the solution from the source organization and importing it into the destination organization.

Conclusion

By leveraging  Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines and PowerShell scripting makes TIBCO Scribe solution migration across multiple organizations straightforward and efficient. Automation ensures that the process is consistent, minimizes manual effort, and speeds up deployment timelines. With secure token-based authentication and API integration, the migration becomes more reliable and error-free.

How iSteer can help you with this solution?

At iSteer, we understand the challenges of migrating TIBCO Scribe solutions. Many of our clients have faced similar hurdles, struggling with complex and time-consuming migrations. There is a direct document available to implement this solution, providing a clear, step-by-step guide to ensure a seamless migration process. To address these challenges, we’ve developed a streamlined, automated CI/CD solution that has successfully helped countless clients move their solutions quickly and efficiently.

Finding the Right Technology Fit for Your Business

Navigating the ever-evolving technology landscape can feel like a daunting task. Buzzwords like microservices, AI/ML, and LLMs are constantly bombarding us, and it’s easy to get swept up in the hype. While the latest advancements offer incredible potential, it’s crucial to remember that no single technology is a magic bullet.
The truth is, many businesses still rely on legacy systems and traditional processes. Perhaps you’re dealing with batch processing, EDI file exchanges, or on-premise applications. Digital transformation is a journey, not a destination, and it’s important to find solutions that align with your unique needs and pace.


At iSteer, we understand that one size does not fit all. With over 15 years of experience, we’ve helped countless clients navigate their technology challenges. We partner with leading software companies and cultivate expertise across a wide range of solutions, allowing us to offer truly customized approaches.
Here’s how we can help:

  • Cloud Solutions: Whether you’re looking to migrate to the cloud, optimize your existing cloud infrastructure, or maintain a hybrid environment, we can guide you through the process. Our expertise spans multiple cloud platforms, ensuring you remain cloud-agnostic and retain flexibility.
  • Application Modernization: We can help you modernize your legacy applications, integrate disparate systems, and automate manual processes, improving efficiency and reducing costs.
  • API Management: Simplify API implementation and unlock new revenue streams with our API management solutions. We can help you design, deploy, and manage APIs effectively.
  • Data Integration: From EDI file exchanges to large-scale data transfers, we have the expertise to ensure seamless data flow across your organization.

Our Approach:
We begin by thoroughly analyzing your requirements and understanding your business objectives. Then, we recommend the most suitable solutions, whether on-premise, cloud-based, or a hybrid approach. Our team of experts will work closely with you to:

  • Provision and configure your environments
  • Develop and implement deployment pipelines
  • Monitor and manage your applications

Ready to embark on your technology transformation journey?
Contact iSteer today. We’re here to help you find the perfect technology fit for your business.

Cost Optimization on Cloud Platforms

Cloud computing has transformed how businesses operate by offering scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for IT infrastructure. At iSteer, we understand that the pay-as-you-go model can sometimes lead to unexpected costs if not managed strategically. Our expertise in cost optimization helps businesses minimize cloud spending while maintaining performance and scalability.

Key Challenges in Cloud Cost Management

  1. Unpredictable Spending Patterns

    • Many businesses face fluctuating costs due to unforeseen resource usage.

  2. Underutilized Resources

    • Idle resources often go unnoticed, leading to unnecessary expenses.

  3. Complex Pricing Models

    • The diverse pricing models across cloud providers can confuse organizations.

Benefits of Effective Cost Optimization

  • Improved ROI: Maximizing resource utilization ensures better returns.

  • Operational Efficiency: Streamlined cloud operations reduce waste.

  • Scalability: Resources are dynamically adjusted to meet demands without overprovisioning.

Key Strategies for Cost Optimization

  1. Right-Sizing Resources

    • Description: Ensure that compute instances, storage, and other resources match actual usage requirements.

    • Actions: Regularly monitor resource utilization and scale resources up or down as needed.

  2. Leveraging Reserved Instances (RIs)

    • Description: Commit to using certain resources for a one- or three-year term to receive significant discounts.

    • Actions: Analyze long-term workloads and purchase RIs for predictable usage.

  3. Utilizing Spot Instances

    • Description: Use spot or preemptible instances for non-critical or flexible workloads.

    • Actions: Leverage these for batch processing, data analysis, or development/testing environments.

  4. Automating Resource Management

    • Description: Implement automation to schedule shutdowns of unused instances and scale resources dynamically.

    • Actions: Use tools like AWS Auto Scaling, Azure Automation, or Google Cloud Operations.

  5. Storage Optimization

    • Description: Identify unused or redundant storage and move infrequently accessed data to lower-cost tiers.

    • Actions: Use lifecycle management policies to transition data between storage classes.

  6. Monitoring and Alerts

    • Description: Continuously monitor usage and set up alerts for unusual spending patterns.

    • Actions: Use native tools like AWS Cost Explorer, Azure Cost Management, or Google Cloud Billing.

  7. Serverless Architectures

    • Description: Adopt serverless computing for workloads with unpredictable traffic.

    • Actions: Implement services like AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, or Google Cloud Functions.

  8. Containerization and Kubernetes

    • Description: Use containers and orchestration tools to improve resource utilization.

    • Actions: Deploy applications with Kubernetes or Docker Swarm for better cost efficiency.

  9. Using Discounts and Credits

    • Description: Take advantage of discounts, free tiers, and promotional credits offered by cloud providers.

    • Actions: Stay updated with provider offerings and negotiate custom discounts if applicable.

  10. Adopting FinOps Practices

    • Description: Foster collaboration between engineering, finance, and management teams to align cloud spending with business objectives.

    • Actions: Establish a centralized team to enforce cost governance policies.

Tools and Services for Cost Optimization

At iSteer, we utilize the following tools to maximize your cloud investment:

  • AWS: AWS Trusted Advisor, AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Savings Plans

  • Azure: Azure Advisor, Azure Cost Management, Azure Reservations

  • Google Cloud: Google Cloud Pricing Calculator, Google Cloud Cost Management, Recommender

Real-World Use Cases

  • Case Study 1: Retail Company

    • Challenge: High storage costs due to unused data.

    • Solution: Implemented lifecycle policies to transition old data to lower-cost storage tiers.

    • Result: Reduced storage costs by 40%.

  • Case Study 2: E-commerce Platform

    • Challenge: Unoptimized compute instances leading to high operational costs.

    • Solution: Right-sized instances and utilized reserved instances for predictable workloads.

    • Result: Achieved 30% savings on compute costs.

Why Choose iSteer for Cloud Cost Optimization?

Our tailored solutions are designed to align with your business objectives. By leveraging industry best practices and advanced tools, iSteer ensures that your cloud infrastructure is optimized for cost efficiency and performance.

  • Custom Strategies: Tailored solutions for unique business needs.

  • Proven Expertise: Experienced professionals with a track record of success.

  • Continuous Support: Ongoing guidance and monitoring to ensure sustained savings.

Conclusion

Optimizing cloud costs requires continuous monitoring, strategic planning, and expert guidance. At iSteer, we are committed to helping businesses unlock the full potential of their cloud investments. Contact us today to learn how our cost optimization strategies can transform your operations and drive success.

API Management Migration: Ensuring a Seamless Transition

APIs are at the heart of the business digital operations, powering customer experiences, internal processes, and third-party integrations. But what happens when the current API platform can no longer keep up with business demands? Whether scaling for growth, modernizing legacy systems, or consolidating platforms, migrating APIs is a crucial step.

For business stakeholders, API migration is about more than just technology—it’s about ensuring continuity, reducing risks, and enabling future innovation. This guide outlines the key steps to ensure API migration aligns with business goals.

Understand the Scope of Migration

A clear understanding of the migration scope prevents surprises down the line. Here’s what to focus on:

Prioritize Key APIs

  • Critical APIs: Identify APIs central to business operations and prioritize them in the migration plan. These are the APIs customers or partners rely on most.

  • Legacy APIs: Decide the fate of older APIs:

    • Migrate if they’re still valuable.

    • Deprecate if they’re no longer needed.

    • Re-engineer if they need modernization to meet new business needs.

Know What’s Included

The migration involves more than APIs. It also includes:

  • Policies (e.g., security, rate-limiting).

  • Developer Portals (content, user accounts, and subscriptions).

  • Analytics and Reporting (historical data, dashboards).

  • Authentication Systems (OAuth, API keys).

Exclude Non-Essential Items

Streamline the process by excluding:

  • APIs scheduled for deprecation.

  • Outdated analytics data that won’t impact future operations.

This clarity ensures resources are spent wisely, focusing on assets that matter

Assess the Platforms

Before migrating, compare the current platform with the target one. For business stakeholders, the question is simple: What value does the new platform bring to our business?

Key Considerations

  • Enhanced Capabilities: Does the target platform offer features that will improve performance, security, or scalability?

  • Business Continuity: Are there any gaps between the two platforms that could disrupt operations?

  • Customization Needs: Will you need to adapt policies, integrations, or branding to align with the new platform?

Leverage New Opportunities

Look for ways to use the migration as a springboard for innovation. For example:

  • Automate processes to reduce costs.

  • Use advanced analytics to gain deeper business insights.

  • Improve developer onboarding and collaboration with an enhanced portal experience.

Plan the Migration

Migration is as much a business operation as it is a technical one. A well-structured plan ensures minimal disruption and maximum ROI.

Set a Realistic Timeline

  • Start with low-risk APIs to build confidence in the process.

  • Gradually move to business-critical APIs once the migration is validated.

Choose the Right Strategy

  • Lift-and-Shift: Ideal for quick migrations where minimal changes are needed.

  • Rebuild-and-Optimize: Best for long-term benefits, where APIs are redesigned to leverage the new platform’s features.

Automate Where Possible

Automation reduces risks, saves time, and ensures consistency during the migration.

Establish Milestones

Key milestones to track progress include:

  • Completion of API inventory.

  • Proof of concept (POC) to test feasibility.

  • A pilot phase with select APIs.

  • Full migration and rollout.

Test and Validate Before Deployment

Thorough testing ensures that migration delivers the business continuity that stakeholders expect.

Pre-Migration Testing

  • Measure performance to establish a baseline (e.g., response times, error rates).

  • Verify security mechanisms to protect sensitive data.

Post-Migration Testing

  • Confirm functionality parity with the old platform.

  • Ensure that all business-critical integrations work as expected.

Success Criteria

  • APIs meet performance benchmarks.

  • No security vulnerabilities.

  • Full integration with backend systems and external partners.

These criteria ensure the migration doesn’t just work—it works for the business.

Rollout with Minimal Risk

Rollout strategy should prioritize stability and customer satisfaction.

Choose the Right Rollout Approach

  • Phased Rollout: Migrate in batches, starting with less critical APIs.

  • Parallel Run: Keep both platforms running simultaneously until there is confidence in the new platform.

  • Canary Deployment: Direct a small percentage of traffic to the new platform to test performance.

  • Blue-Green Deployment: Maintain both platforms, and switch traffic entirely to the new one after validation.

Prepare Stakeholders

  • Notify internal teams, customers, and partners about the rollout timeline.

  • Provide updated API documentation and user guides.

Backup and Contingency Plans

  • Ensure that a rollback plan is in place to minimize disruptions in case of unforeseen issues.

Monitor and Optimize

The work doesn’t end after the rollout. Post-migration monitoring ensures long-term success.

Post-Rollout Monitoring

  • Use real-time analytics to track API performance and customer behavior.

  • Schedule regular reviews to ensure compliance with SLAs.

Optimize for Future Needs

  • Fine-tune API configurations to improve performance.

  • Leverage the new platform’s features for greater scalability and efficiency.

Decommission the Old Platform

Once the new platform is fully operational:

  • Gradually redirect all traffic.

  • Shut down legacy systems to save costs.

Why API Migration Matters for Your Business

API migration isn’t just a technical exercise—it’s an opportunity to future-proof the digital ecosystem, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer experiences. By approaching migration strategically, ensure a seamless transition that supports business’s goals for growth and innovation.

Migration Automation - BW5 to BW6/Cloud Edition (CE) 

Migrating from BW5 to BW6/Cloud Edition (CE) is a complex but essential process for businesses moving to cloud-based environments. While migration tools have significantly improved over time, some manual activities are still necessary to ensure that the code is stable and meets product standards. This process, although increasingly automated, requires ongoing effort to achieve a smooth and reliable transition to the cloud. In this context, understanding the balance between automation and manual intervention is key to successful migration.

Migration Process Evolution
Migration from BW5 to BW6/Cloud Edition (CE) has come a long way, with the migration tool evolving over time to become more stable with each version release. However, despite these advancements, there are still manual activities required to ensure that the code reaches a stable state for cloud products.

Early Challenges and Manual Intervention
In the early stages, migration tools could only handle a portion of the workload, leaving a significant amount of manual intervention necessary to complete the process. Over time, with continuous improvements and updates, the tools have become more reliable and efficient, addressing a wide range of tasks.

Ongoing Challenges and Manual Activities
Despite automation, some challenges still remain. Although much of the process is automated, certain activities, such as aligning the code as per product standards and ensuring stability, still require manual intervention. The process is not a direct lift & shift approach and needs careful handling. These tasks are critical to ensure the migrated system operates efficiently and reliably in the cloud-based environment.

Proactive Steps Towards Automation

Streamlining the Process
Recognizing the importance of streamlining these processes, we’ve taken proactive steps to automate additional tasks. By doing so, we not only reduce the time spent on migration activities but also improve the overall quality of the work. Automation eliminates repetitive, error-prone steps, ensuring a more consistent outcome, leading to faster and more reliable migrations.

Benefits of Automation

Value to Customers
These improvements bring significant value to customers. By reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency, businesses can achieve smoother transitions to the cloud with minimal downtime. Automation also frees up resources for more strategic activities, further enhancing the migration experience and the value delivered to clients.

Key Highlights:

  • Evolving Migration Tools: Tools have become more stable and efficient with updates.

  • Manual Activities: Certain tasks still require manual intervention for proper code alignment and stability.

  • Automation Steps: Proactive efforts to automate repetitive tasks improve quality and reduce downtime.

  • Customer Value: Reduced manual effort and improved efficiency lead to smoother transitions and more strategic use of resources.

Why iSteer is Best Suited for Implementing Migration Automation

iSteer is well-equipped to lead the migration from BW5 to BW6/Cloud Edition (CE) with its extensive expertise in cloud migrations and automation. Their team combines advanced tools and proven methodologies to efficiently handle both automated and manual tasks, ensuring stability, compliance, and a seamless transition. iSteer’s proactive approach to automation reduces migration time and resources, delivering faster and more reliable results for businesses moving to the cloud.

Masking Sensitive PII Data using TIBCO integration and Java-based custom...

In today’s data-driven world, protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is a critical requirement for organizations. Ensuring sensitive data is properly masked before storage, processing, or transmission is a key compliance measure to safeguard privacy. This article delves into a robust approach for automating PII data masking using TIBCO integration and Java-based custom logic.

Overview of the Process

The scenario involves automating the PII masking process by leveraging input files to define masking rules, fetching raw data from TIBCO systems, and applying the masking logic through Java activity in a business process workflow. Below is a detailed explanation of the workflow and key components.

Key Components of the Workflow

  1. Input File Configuration The process starts with an input file containing field-specific masking instructions. This file typically includes:

    • Field Name: Identifies the data attribute to be masked.

    • Start Index: The position in the string where masking begins.

    • End Index: The position in the string where masking ends.

  2. This flexible configuration allows for easy adaptation to different data schemas or requirements.

  1. Data Retrieval from TIBCO TIBCO serves as the integration platform, responsible for fetching raw data from various upstream systems or databases. The data could include sensitive information such as names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and more.
    TIBCO retrieves the raw data and sends it downstream to a Java activity, ensuring seamless integration across systems. This step ensures that the masking logic operates on the most current data.

  1. Java Activity for Custom PII Masking The core logic for masking resides in a Java activity within the workflow. This activity:

    • Parses the input file to understand the masking rules.

    • Applies masking to the raw data based on the start and end indices defined in the file.

    • Returns the masked data for further processing or storage.

  2. The Java activity offers high customization and flexibility, allowing organizations to implement domain-specific masking logic that aligns with compliance requirements.

Benefits of the Approach

  1. Dynamic and Configurable The use of an input file for masking rules allows the workflow to adapt to evolving business needs without requiring changes to the codebase. Adding or modifying fields to be masked can be achieved by simply updating the input file.

  2. Seamless Integration Leveraging TIBCO ensures smooth connectivity with diverse systems, enabling real-time data retrieval and processing.

  3. Enhanced Security By masking sensitive fields at the earliest stage of data processing, the risk of unauthorized access or data leaks is significantly reduced.

  4. Compliance Readiness This approach supports adherence to regulatory requirements like GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA by ensuring that sensitive information is appropriately protected throughout the data lifecycle.

Use Cases and Applications

  • Financial Services: Masking account numbers, transaction details, or customer information before processing or storage.

  • Healthcare: Anonymizing patient data such as medical records and personal identifiers.

  • Retail: Obscuring customer contact information or payment details in analytics workflows.

Best Practices for Implementation

  1. Validation of Input File Ensure the input file is validated for correct syntax and logical consistency. This includes checking for overlapping or invalid index ranges.

  2. Error Handling Implement robust error-handling mechanisms to manage scenarios like missing fields, invalid indices, or unexpected data formats.

  3. Performance Optimization Optimize the Java activity for high-performance masking, particularly when processing large volumes of data.

  4. Audit Trails Maintain logs of masking activities for traceability and compliance verification.

  5. Secure Storage Store the input file and raw data securely to prevent unauthorized access.

Why iSteer?

iSteer is the ideal partner for implementing an efficient and secure PII masking solution due to its deep expertise in data privacy and integration technologies. Our extensive experience with TIBCO and custom Java logic enables us to design and implement a seamless data masking solution tailored to your specific business requirements. At iSteer, we prioritize security, compliance, and performance optimization, ensuring that your data is protected in every stage of its lifecycle. With our proven track record and commitment to delivering scalable and efficient solutions, businesses can trust iSteer to help them navigate the complexities of data privacy and regulatory compliance.

Conclusion

The combination of TIBCO’s integration capabilities and Java’s processing power offers a scalable and efficient solution for automating PII data masking. This approach not only ensures the protection of sensitive information but also helps organizations meet regulatory and compliance requirements with ease. By adopting best practices and leveraging dynamic configurations, businesses can build a reliable framework for safeguarding their data assets.

For organizations seeking to enhance data privacy, this workflow serves as a foundational step toward robust PII management and secure data handling practices.



Managed Services by iSteer

Managed services offer a range of benefits for companies, particularly in today’s increasingly complex and technology-driven business environment. Some of the benefits of a company opting for Managed Services:

  • 24/7 Proactive Monitoring : A dedicated team constantly monitors the applications and the environment looking out for any signs of failure or performance degradation.

  • Proactive Maintenance: Managed service providers proactively monitor and maintain IT systems, preventing potential issues before they cause disruptions.

  • Faster Response Times: Issues are typically resolved more quickly due to the dedicated support teams and remote access capabilities of managed service providers.

  • Increased Employee Productivity: With a stable and reliable IT infrastructure, employees can focus on their core tasks without worrying about technology-related problems.

  • Specialized Skills: Managed service providers have access to a pool of highly skilled IT professionals with expertise in various areas, such as network security, cloud computing, and data management.

  • Latest Technologies: They stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices, ensuring that companies have access to the most advanced solutions.

Some of the Customers whom we serve

A Manufacturing Company: iSteer manages the applications of a major manufacturer providing them 24/7 support. We have implemented monitoring solutions that do not require the Support team to be constantly monitoring the servers. In case of any failure, we get immediate notification about the issue. This helps us to inform the Customer of any potential issues that occur in their environment much before it can start affecting their business.

 

A Semiconductor manufacturer: iSteer took over the Managed Services for another services Company and has been helping the Customer to close open issues that had been pending for a long time. We have made enhancements to existing applications and also identified and fixed open issues. We recently migrated the Customer to the latest version of the platform on which their applications run, all thanks to our meticulous planning and successful implementation by our experienced team. 

Why Choose iSteer for Managed Services?

At iSteer we have been helping Customers for last 15 years in different domains like Manufacturing, Retail, Shipping, Healthcare, Financial Services, Telecom etc. During this time, we have spent countless hours in developing applications and enhancing and supporting them. We realize the importance of your business and how important it is to resolve any issues in the shortest possible time. This is the reason we have clearly defined support processes and SLAs to make them time bound. Please get in touch with us if you would like us to manage your applications.

OpenShift Observe: Understanding the Operators

OpenShift Observe is a comprehensive monitoring and troubleshooting solution designed for applications running within the OpenShift platform. It provides a suite of tools for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing application and infrastructure metrics, enabling proactive identification and resolution of issues. A key aspect of OpenShift Observe is its extensive use of Operators.

What is an Operator?

In the context of Kubernetes, an Operator is a specialized software extension that automates the management of complex applications.

  • Core Functionality: Operators act as controllers, continuously monitoring the state of an application and taking actions to ensure it remains in the desired configuration. This includes tasks like deployment, scaling, upgrades, and troubleshooting.

  • Application-Specific: Operators are designed to manage specific applications or services, such as databases, messaging systems, or monitoring tools.

  • Key Characteristics:

    • Automation: They automate many of the manual tasks involved in managing applications, reducing operational overhead.

    • Declarative: Operators define the desired state of the application, and the operator automatically reconciles any deviations.

    • Extensibility: Operators extend Kubernetes functionality by introducing custom resource definitions (CRDs) to manage application-specific configurations.

Benefits of Using Operators:

  • Improved Reliability: Operators help ensure the continuous availability and stability of applications by automatically handling failures and performing necessary maintenance tasks.

  • Enhanced Scalability: Operators can dynamically adjust the resources allocated to applications based on demand, ensuring optimal performance and resource utilization.

  • Simplified Management: Operators provide a centralized and automated way to manage complex applications, reducing the need for manual intervention.

  • Increased Efficiency: By automating routine tasks, operators free up administrators to focus on higher-level tasks, such as application development and optimization.

 

Key Operators in OpenShift Observe

  • Cluster Monitoring Operator (CMO): This is the central operator for the entire monitoring stack. It manages:

    • Prometheus: Collects metrics from applications and infrastructure components.

    • Alertmanager: Routes and silences alerts based on defined rules.

    • Other components: May include Grafana, exporters for specific services, and more.

  • Prometheus Operator: Specifically manages Prometheus deployments and configurations, including:

    • Service Discovery: Automatically discovers and configures targets for Prometheus to scrape metrics from.

    • Alerting Rules: Manages and configures alerting rules within Prometheus.

  • Alertmanager Operator: This operator manages Alertmanager instances, responsible for:

    • Alert Routing: Configures how alerts are routed to different receivers (e.g., email, Slack, PagerDuty).

    • Silencing Rules: Defines rules to silence specific alerts under certain conditions.

  • Grafana Operator (Optional): Manages Grafana deployments and configurations, including:

    • Dashboards: Provisions and manages custom dashboards for visualizing metrics.

    • Data sources: Configures data sources for Grafana to connect to (e.g., Prometheus, databases).

    • User management: Manages user access and permissions within Grafana.

Benefits of Using Operators in OpenShift Observe

  • Improved Reliability: Operators ensure the monitoring infrastructure remains healthy and operational by automatically handling failures and performing necessary maintenance tasks.

  • Enhanced Scalability: Operators can dynamically adjust the resources allocated to monitoring components based on demand, ensuring the system can handle increased workloads.

  • Simplified Management: Operators provide a single point of control for managing the entire monitoring stack, reducing operational overhead and simplifying maintenance.

  • Increased Efficiency: Automation of routine tasks frees up administrators to focus on higher-level tasks, such as analyzing data and optimizing application performance.

  • Improved Observability: Operators can provide deeper insights into the health and performance of the monitoring infrastructure itself, allowing for proactive identification and resolution of issues.

In Summary

OpenShift Observe, powered by Operators, provides a robust and efficient solution for monitoring and troubleshooting applications within the OpenShift platform. By leveraging the capabilities of operators, organizations can gain deeper insights into their applications, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the overall reliability of their OpenShift deployments

Why iSteer?

Isteer specializes in helping organizations leverage the power of OpenShift and its ecosystem. With our expertise in OpenShift Observe and Operator development, we can assist you in:

  • Designing and implementing a comprehensive monitoring strategy tailored to your specific needs and requirements.

  • Developing and deploying custom Operators to manage your unique applications and services.

  • Optimizing your existing OpenShift Observe deployments for improved performance, scalability, and reliability.

  • Providing ongoing support and maintenance for your OpenShift Observe environment.

 

Who can benefit from OpenShift Observe?

OpenShift Observe is suitable for a wide range of organizations and industries, including:

  • Any organization that relies on critical applications running on the OpenShift platform

By partnering with iSteer, you can unlock the full potential of OpenShift Observe and gain valuable insights into your applications and infrastructure.

 

Transform Your Monitoring Strategy with iSteer

Whether you’re planning to migrate to microservices, optimize your OpenShift environment, or build a custom monitoring solution, iSteer is here to guide you every step of the way.

Let’s Build Something Great Together!
Share your experiences or connect with us to learn more about how we can help.

📧 Write to us at sales@isteer.com
📞 Schedule a consultation today!

 

iSteer: Pioneering Open Source and Enterprise Application Security

In today’s interconnected world, applications drive everything we do, from shopping online to managing complex business operations. With this dependency on technology comes the critical need for robust security. iSteer, a leader in innovative technology solutions, has emerged as a pioneer in ensuring applications—whether open source or enterprise-grade—remain secure against ever-evolving threats.

Let’s explore how iSteer is shaping the future of Open Source and Enterprise Application Security.

What is Open Source Security?

Open source software is akin to a shared recipe—developers around the globe contribute to and benefit from it. This collaborative nature accelerates innovation but also introduces vulnerabilities. iSteer recognizes that these vulnerabilities can pose significant risks, particularly for organizations relying on open-source libraries in their critical applications.

Challenges in Open Source Security

  1. Outdated Dependencies: Many organizations unknowingly use older libraries with known vulnerabilities.
  2. Supply Chain Risks: Malicious actors can infiltrate open-source ecosystems by injecting harmful code into widely-used libraries.
  3. Patch Delays: Fixes in open-source code often rely on community contributions, which may not always be timely.

iSteer’s Approach

iSteer offers solutions that secure open-source ecosystems by:

  • Automated Vulnerability Detection: Tools integrated into CI/CD pipelines that scan for risks in real-time.
  • Proactive Monitoring: iSteer tracks open-source dependencies to ensure they’re up-to-date and safe to use.
  • Governance: By establishing clear policies on open-source usage, iSteer helps businesses minimize risks while maximizing benefits.

What is Enterprise Application Security?

Enterprise applications are the backbone of modern businesses, handling sensitive tasks like customer data, payroll, and supply chain management. Recognizing their critical nature, iSteer has developed cutting-edge solutions to address the unique security needs of enterprises.

Challenges in Enterprise Security

  1. Complex Ecosystems: Enterprises often operate a mix of legacy systems, cloud-based platforms, and microservices.
  2. Regulatory Compliance: iSteer ensures enterprises comply with strict global standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
  3. Insider Threats: Employees, intentionally or accidentally, can compromise application security.

iSteer’s Expertise

  1. Zero Trust Architecture: iSteer implements robust frameworks where no one—internal or external—gets access without verification.
  2. Comprehensive Testing: Through tools like Static and Dynamic Application Security Testing (SAST and DAST), iSteer identifies vulnerabilities during development.
  3. Cloud Security: iSteer ensures enterprise data remains secure across multi-cloud environments, offering encryption, monitoring, and incident response capabilities.

Why Choose iSteer for Application Security?

Open Source Security

iSteer goes beyond standard practices by leveraging advanced tools like Snyk and OWASP Dependency-Check to identify and mitigate risks in open-source libraries. Their unique approach integrates seamlessly with development workflows, ensuring security without compromising agility.

Enterprise Application Security

With a deep understanding of enterprise needs, iSteer delivers solutions tailored to complex environments. Their expertise in Zero Trust, continuous monitoring, and compliance automation sets them apart as a trusted partner for businesses.

iSteer’s Edge

  • Cost-Effective Solutions: Open-source or enterprise, iSteer ensures security without unnecessary overhead.
  • Real-Time Updates: Continuous monitoring ensures vulnerabilities are addressed before they become threats.
  • Global Compliance Expertise: iSteer helps businesses meet regulatory requirements across industries and geographies.

A Safer Digital World with iSteer

At iSteer, security isn’t an afterthought—it’s embedded in everything we do. By staying ahead of threats and adopting innovative technologies, iSteer empowers businesses to focus on growth while staying secure.

Whether you’re leveraging open-source software or managing complex enterprise systems, iSteer’s solutions provide peace of mind in an increasingly unpredictable digital landscape.

Ready to Secure Your Applications?

Partner with iSteer to ensure your applications—open source or enterprise—are built on a foundation of trust and security.

To Explore more write to us at sales@isteer.com​

Quality Assurance Services at iSteer

At iSteer, we provide comprehensive Quality Assurance (QA) services that guarantee our clients receive high-quality products, optimized for both usability and functionality. Our QA approach ensures that each feature meets the highest standards, delivering an exceptional user experience and robust performance.

Our QA Process: Comprehensive Test Planning and Execution

Our testing methodology is built on a structured, end-to-end process that ensures every aspect of your product is rigorously tested. We follow a series of steps to validate that the product meets your expectations and industry standards.

Test Planning

The foundation of our QA process begins with clear, detailed test planning. Our team works closely with stakeholders to understand the project requirements and expectations. This collaboration enables us to create test scenarios and cases tailored to the specific needs of your project.

Test Scenarios & Test Case Writing

Our experienced QA engineers design comprehensive test scenarios and write test cases based on business requirements, functional specifications, and user stories. These are crafted to cover a broad range of conditions, ensuring that both functional and non-functional aspects of the product are thoroughly tested. Test cases are created with precision to ensure accuracy and traceability.

Manual Testing Execution

We perform detailed manual testing across various environments to identify issues, verify functionalities, and ensure the product behaves as expected. Our meticulous approach allows us to detect critical defects, bugs, and inconsistencies that could affect the user experience or system performance.

Defect Identification & Reporting

Throughout manual testing, we identify and document defects based on severity (critical, major, and minor). These defects are logged in a tracking system, assigned to the relevant teams for resolution, and monitored until closure. Clear and consistent communication ensures that all issues are addressed promptly.

Timely QA Reporting

To keep our clients informed, we provide regular, detailed QA reports that include the status of test executions, defects found, and potential risks. These reports are actionable, transparent, and shared promptly to keep all stakeholders updated on progress.

Bug Lifecycle & Continuous Improvement

We treat defect management as an essential part of the QA process. Once bugs are identified, we follow a structured defect lifecycle that includes the following stages:

  1. Defect Logging: Detailed bug reports are logged, including issue descriptions, steps to reproduce, and severity levels.

  2. Defect Assignment: Bugs are assigned to the appropriate teams for resolution.

  3. Retesting & Verification: After the fixes are applied, we retest the solution to ensure no new issues arise.

  4. Closure & Reporting: Once defects are resolved and verified, they are closed, and the QA report is updated.

This process ensures continuous improvement and a high-quality end product.

Automation Testing Process

In addition to our manual testing, iSteer leverages advanced automation frameworks to increase efficiency and speed. Automation is ideal for repetitive tasks, regression testing, and larger-scale testing, delivering quicker feedback and more reliable results.

Framework Development

We develop robust automation frameworks using leading industry tools such as Selenium, BDD-Cucumber, and Cypress. These frameworks are scalable, flexible, and maintainable, allowing scripts to be reused across different projects and platforms.

Script Development & Reusability

Our automation scripts are modular and reusable, designed to cover functional, UI, and performance testing. By focusing on reusability, we reduce testing time and effort while ensuring comprehensive coverage.

Continuous Integration & Testing

We integrate automation into the development pipeline to ensure continuous testing with each new code release. This provides faster feedback, helping teams resolve issues early and reduce time to market.

Test Maintenance & Optimization

We continuously maintain and optimize our automation scripts to keep them aligned with new features, UI changes, and evolving business requirements. This ensures that tests remain effective and efficient, providing high-quality results every time.

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Performance Testing

At iSteer, we recognize that performance is a critical aspect of product quality. To ensure your application can handle varying loads and deliver a seamless user experience, we incorporate performance testing into our QA process. Using tools like Apache JMeter and Grafana for advanced performance monitoring—we conduct load, stress, and scalability testing to simulate real-world traffic conditions. This helps us identify potential bottlenecks and performance issues before the product goes live. We monitor key performance metrics such as response time, throughput, and resource utilization, ensuring that your product can handle high traffic volumes and deliver optimal performance even under stress. Through this rigorous testing, we ensure that your product performs efficiently, maintains stability, and delivers an exceptional user experience across different scenarios.

Testing Frameworks and Tools

We use the latest testing frameworks and tools to ensure quality and precision. Our preferred tools include:

  • Selenium WebDriver: Widely used for automating web browsers with support for multiple programming languages.

  • Cypress: A fast, end-to-end testing framework for JavaScript-based applications.

  • JUnit/TestNG: Popular testing frameworks for Java used in unit, integration, and automated functional testing.

  • BDD-Cucumber: A behavior-driven framework that uses Gherkin syntax, often integrated with Selenium.

  • Mocha, Chai, Jest: Testing libraries for JavaScript, ideal for unit and integration testing.

  • Postman: A robust API testing tool for manual and automated testing of RESTful APIs.

  • Extent Reports: Provides user-friendly, detailed reports for test automation.

  • JMeter: A powerful tool for performance and load testing, widely used to simulate heavy traffic on web applications and APIs.

  • Grafana: A visualization tool that integrates with monitoring systems to create real-time dashboards for tracking the performance of applications and infrastructure.

At iSteer, we are committed to delivering top-quality products through thorough testing, automation, and continuous improvement. Our comprehensive approach ensures that your project is not only functional but also optimized for performance, usability, and user satisfaction.