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Azure DevOps is a comprehensive DevOps toolchain

Azure DevOps is a comprehensive DevOps toolchain that provides services for planning, developing, testing, deploying, and monitoring applications. It integrates seamlessly with Azure services but can also be used with other cloud platforms like AWS.

Key Features

  1. Azure Boards: Agile planning tools for backlog management, sprint planning, and task tracking.

  2. Azure Repos: Git-based version control for source code management.

  3. Azure Pipelines: CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment) pipelines for building, testing, and deploying applications to multiple environments (Azure, AWS, on-premises, etc.).

  4. Azure Test Plans: Tools for manual and automated testing.

  5. Azure Artifacts: Package management for sharing code artifacts like NuGet, npm, and Maven packages.

Use Cases

  • CI/CD Pipelines: Automate builds, tests, and deployments to Azure, AWS, or hybrid environments.

  • Agile Development: Manage sprints, backlogs, and team collaboration using Azure Boards.

  • Multi-Cloud Deployments: Use Azure Pipelines to deploy applications to AWS, Azure, or other platforms.

  • Monitoring and Feedback: Integrate with Azure Monitor or AWS CloudWatch for monitoring and feedback loops.

Azure Services

Azure is a cloud computing platform by Microsoft that provides a wide range of services for building, deploying, and managing applications.

Key Services

  1. Azure App Services: For hosting web applications and APIs with automatic scaling and patching.

  2. Azure SQL Database: A fully managed relational database service.

  3. Azure Virtual Machines (VMs): Scalable compute resources for hosting applications or running custom workloads.

  4. Azure Storage: Blob storage, file storage, and disk storage for data and backups.

  5. Azure Monitor: Comprehensive monitoring and analytics for applications and infrastructure.

  6. Azure Active Directory (AD): Identity and access management for secure authentication and authorization.

  7. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Managed Kubernetes for containerized applications.

  8. Azure Functions: Serverless computing for event-driven applications.

Use Cases

  • Web Application Hosting: Use Azure App Services or Azure VMs to host web applications.

  • Data Storage and Management: Leverage Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, or Blob Storage for structured and unstructured data.

  • DevOps Integration: Use Azure DevOps for CI/CD pipelines to deploy to Azure services.

  • Hybrid Cloud: Integrate on-premises infrastructure with Azure using Azure Arc.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

AWS is a cloud computing platform by Amazon that provides a broad set of services for building, deploying, and managing applications.

Key Services

  1. EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud): Scalable virtual machines for hosting applications.

  2. RDS (Relational Database Service): Managed relational databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server.

  3. S3 (Simple Storage Service): Object storage for backups, static assets, and data lakes.

  4. Lambda: Serverless computing for event-driven applications.

  5. CloudWatch: Monitoring and logging for AWS resources and applications.

  6. IAM (Identity and Access Management): Secure access control for AWS resources.

  7. Elastic Load Balancer (ELB): Distributes traffic across multiple EC2 instances for high availability.

Use Cases

  • Scalable Web Applications: Use EC2, RDS, and S3 to host and scale web applications.

  • Serverless Architectures: Build event-driven applications using AWS Lambda.

  • Big Data and Analytics: Use services like Redshift, EMR, and Athena for data processing and analytics.

  • Multi-Region Deployments: Use AWS Global Infrastructure for high availability and low-latency applications.

  • DevOps Integration: Use AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy for CI/CD workflows.

Azure DevOps with Azure Services

Azure DevOps integrates natively with Azure services, providing a seamless experience for building, deploying, and managing applications on Azure.

Integration Scenarios

  1. CI/CD Pipelines: Use Azure Pipelines to deploy applications to Azure App Services, Azure VMs, or AKS.

  2. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Use Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates or Terraform with Azure DevOps to provision and manage Azure resources.

  3. Monitoring and Feedback: Integrate Azure Monitor with Azure DevOps to track application performance and trigger alerts.

  4. Security and Compliance: Use Azure Policy and Azure Security Center to enforce governance and compliance across Azure resources.

Azure DevOps with AWS

Azure DevOps can also be used to manage applications deployed on AWS, enabling a multi-cloud DevOps strategy.

Integration Scenarios

  1. CI/CD Pipelines: Use Azure Pipelines to deploy applications to AWS services like EC2, ECS, or Lambda.

  2. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Use Terraform or AWS CloudFormation with Azure DevOps to provision and manage AWS resources.

  3. Monitoring and Feedback: Integrate AWS CloudWatch with Azure DevOps for monitoring and alerting.

  4. Hybrid Cloud: Use Azure DevOps to manage workloads across Azure and AWS, leveraging the strengths of both platforms.

When to Use Azure DevOps, Azure Services, or AWS

  • Azure DevOps:

    • Use for end-to-end DevOps workflows, regardless of the cloud platform.

    • Ideal for teams already using Microsoft tools (e.g., Visual Studio, GitHub).

    • Great for multi-cloud or hybrid cloud scenarios.

  • Azure Services:

    • Use for native integration with Microsoft products (e.g., Office 365, Windows Server).

    • Ideal for enterprises with existing Microsoft investments.

    • Strong support for hybrid cloud and on-premises integration.

  • AWS:

    • Use for a broad range of cloud services with global reach.

    • Ideal for startups, enterprises, and developers looking for flexibility and scalability.

    • Strong support for open-source technologies and serverless architectures.

Conclusion

  • Azure DevOps is a powerful DevOps toolchain that works seamlessly with Azure Services and can also integrate with AWS for multi-cloud strategies.

  • Azure Services are ideal for organizations deeply invested in the Microsoft ecosystem or those requiring hybrid cloud capabilities.

  • AWS is a versatile cloud platform with a wide range of services, suitable for organizations looking for flexibility, scalability, and global reach.

By leveraging the strengths of these tools and platforms, organizations can build, deploy, and manage applications efficiently, whether they are using a single cloud provider or adopting a multi-cloud approach.

 

iSteer StackWatch AI Agent – Cut Through the Noise, Get to the Root, Resolve Faster

iSteer StackWatch AI Agent – Cut Through the Noise, Get to the Root, Resolve Faster

In IT operations today, many hours are lost not in fixing problems—but in simply trying to understand what the problem actually is. Critical incidents often set off a chain reaction: conference calls begin, support groups light up on Teams, someone logs into TIBCO Administrator, another checks EMS queues, another sifts through Splunk logs. Yet after 15 minutes, three people, and five different systems, the answer is often still elusive: “Is the app even running?”

This is the heart of the challenge. Too much time gets lost in chasing information before resolution even begins. Every minute spent hunting for logs, dashboards, or process health is a minute that business systems remain down and customers are impacted.  

This is exactly the problem that the iSteer StackWatch AI Agent is designed to solve.  

At iSteer, we’ve spent years helping enterprises modernize their integration and support landscapes. StackWatch AI Agent is the next step in that journey — born from real-world problems in TIBCO ecosystems, designed hand-in-hand with support teams, and powered by AI to scale with your evolving needs.

Our vision is to turn every support desk into a smart desk — one where AI augments human expertise, so critical incidents are resolved faster, risks are detected earlier, and teams can operate with confidence.

The Challenge: Too Many Systems, Too Much Delay

Imagine this scenario:
A P1 ticket lands — a critical application is failing to transform messages to the CRM system. Within minutes, chat groups go live and multiple teams scramble to investigate.

  • Someone logs into TIBCO Administrator to check deployments.

  • Another digs into EMS queues using GEMS or CLI.

  • A different engineer fires up Splunk and runs raw log queries.

  • Meanwhile, messages fly across Teams channels: “Any update? Is the app even running?”

By the time an answer takes shape, it has consumed 15 minutes, 3 people, and 5 different systems. Multiply this across dozens of incidents, and the operational drag becomes enormous.

The question is simple: What if these answers were available instantly through a single conversational interface?

Meet StackWatch AI Agent: The Future of IT Ops Assistance

StackWatch AI Agent turns natural queries into instant, actionable insights. Instead of hunting across tools, your teams can simply ask:

  • “How many pending messages are in queue sample?”

  • “Show me last 10 errors for App X.”

  • “When was the last deployment for this app?”

The Agent securely connects to TIBCO EMS, TIBCO Administrator, Splunk, and Confluence, interprets the query using NLP, executes the right commands in real time, and responds back directly within familiar collaboration channels like Microsoft Teams.

StackWatch replaces complexity with clarity.

 Key Capabilities of StackWatch AI Agent

1. TIBCO EMS Integration
From queue health checks to listener monitoring, StackWatch leverages NLP to instantly surface EMS insights. No need for CLI commands or GUI logins — your teams can:

  • Monitor pending message counts for queues and topics.

  • Retrieve queue listener counts.

  • Identify consuming applications.

  • Run real-time health checks by simply asking in plain English.

2. TIBCO Administrator Integration
Application availability directly impacts business outcomes. StackWatch transforms how ops teams track deployments and application health:

  • Get the deployment status of any app on demand.

  • Retrieve last deployment timestamps.

  • List active, swapped, or aborted processes.

  • Monitor overall app health and availability continuously.

3. Splunk & Log Analysis
Searching logs shouldn’t require coding expertise. With StackWatch, teams can type natural queries like:

  • “Show last 10 errors for App X.”

  • “Fetch errors in the last hour for service Y.”

The Agent automatically translates the request into a valid Splunk query, executes it, and returns results in real time. It even builds sample queries when needed, turning complex syntax into simple human understanding.

4. Confluence Knowledge Access
Support doesn’t stop with systems — knowledge and documentation are just as critical. StackWatch integrates with Confluence to:

  • Fetch application overviews and architecture diagrams.

  • Provide direct links to runbooks.

  • Identify owners and points of contact (POCs).

  • Streamline onboarding by surfacing dependencies and guides instantly.

 StackWatch AI Agent Architecture  

The diagram shows how Microsoft Teams connects through Azure Bot Services to power natural queries, which are interpreted by AI (LLM) and passed to backend systems like Tibco EMS, Tibco Administrator, Confluence, and Splunk. The seamless flow illustrates how StackWatch serves as a bridge between human queries and complex enterprise systems.

 Capabilities in Action  

  1. Real-Time EMS Visibility  

Support can instantly:  

– Check pending message counts.  

– Monitor queues and topics.  

– Identify which apps are consuming queues.  

  1. Application Health Checks  

Teams no longer guess about deployments or app status. They can:  

– Retrieve health and availability instantly.  

– Track lists of active, swapped, or aborted processes.  

– Confirm when the last deployment occurred.  

  1. Automated Log Retrieval  

Without learning Splunk syntax, users can type:  

– “Errors from the last 30 minutes for BillingApp.”  

– The agent automatically builds the query, executes it, and returns results.  

  1. Knowledge at Your Fingertips  

Onboarding or escalation made easy with:  

– Links to runbooks.  

– Owner/POC information.  

– Architecture overviews that normally take time to dig out of Confluence.  

 Business Benefits  

Faster Incident Resolution: Eliminate delays caused by tool-hopping and cross-team dependencies. Teams get instant answers, reducing Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR).

Improved Productivity: Free support staff from repetitive queries. Let AI handle the basics so humans focus on complex troubleshooting.

Reduced Errors: Manual queries and lookups are prone to mistakes. StackWatch ensures precision every time with consistent, automated retrieval.

Knowledge Access Anywhere: New joiners and seasoned engineers alike can access documentation and process runs without sifting through multiple Confluence spaces.

Better Collaboration: Direct integration with Teams means everyone stays aligned, updated, and informed — without toggling screens.

 Why iSteer StackWatch AI Agent

At iSteer, we design solutions with one guiding principle: make technology work for people, not the other way around.

With StackWatch:

  • AI reduces incident chaos to simple clarity.

  • IT and support teams get time back.

  • Organizations shorten MTTR, save costs, and improve customer satisfaction.

StackWatch is not just another monitoring interface — it’s an intelligent agent that always knows where to look and how to answer.

StackWatch AI Agent — Faster insight. Smarter support. Better business.  

 
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