Virtualization Is (Still) King

Forget the high-stress fire drills and chaotic, late-night maintenance shifts. Not only does automation provide identical, predictable environments—it acts as a structured foundation for security and compliance, turning daunting, multi-step manual processes into reliable push-button tasks. But what happens when we combine automation and AI? Global automation strategist Chad Ferman joins the show to demystify how automation and artificial intelligence can work together, rather than competing.

Virtual machines are not just the power behind legacy infrastructure. They are becoming a vital pillar for GPUs, which are integral to large language models. Maria Bracho, CTO for industries at Red Hat, explains how virtualization, far from being replaced, has adapted to leverage the robust and powerful computing behind artificial intelligence.

It’s tempting to treat compliance as a simple checklist. But treating it as an afterthought can be dangerous, and can damage customer trust. Prioritizing both compliance and security in your infrastructure lifecycle from the start is essential—especially as threats become more sophisticated. Rhiannon Holley, cybersecurity department chair at Fayetteville Technical Community College, joins the show to emphasize why human critical thinking remains irreplaceable.

All the containers and pods you're spinning up need wrangling. An orchestrator is going to help you manage them: starting up new ones when the demand calls for it, and shutting them down when they're no longer needed. But those are only the most basic functions an orchestrator provides. Paolo Santos, Assistant Vice President of Architecture and Quality Engineering at Globe Telecom, shares how they set up their orchestration platform—and how it's helped them take full advantage of cloud-native infrastructure.

As it turns out, breaking up your application into a bunch of tiny pieces can be way more efficient than running it as a monolith. Thanks to containers, organizations can fine-tune their IT resources to match demand. But setting up and managing a containerized infrastructure is no small task. Cedric Clyburn, Red Hat Open Source Engineer and Developer Advocate, talks us through why containers now dominate cloud computing—and shares some advice on how to keep track of them all.

At home, connecting your devices to the internet is a pretty simple process. But setting up and running an enterprise network is an exercise in extreme organization and constant vigilance. Elle Universal, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Red Hat, outlines all the considerations that come with large-scale networks that keep thousands of devices online—but also keep them protected from intrusion.

Edge computing has existed far longer than many realize. However, the proliferation of 5G networks and the mass adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices have made it a cornerstone of modern infrastructure. John Harris, who manages technology strategy at Panasonic Connect, explains how edge computing devices are quietly running the world around us, from retail stores to space exploration.

The operating system is the foundation of IT infrastructure. It affects everything built on top of it. Take good care of it, and you're on your way to a smooth platform for your application. Neglect to maintain it? Well, you might run into some problems. Scott McBrien, Technical Product Marketing Manager at Red Hat, recalls his experiences managing the operating system over the years. He covers the consequences of forgetting to keep the OS up to date, why standardization across your hardware is key, why upgrades go wrong—and how to deal with all of the above.

What does it really take to build, maintain, and secure the invisible backbone of modern technology? In this season of Compiler, we are breaking down the reality of IT infrastructure, and examine how AI is changing the game. Host Emily Bock is joined by Jennifer Scalf as she explores the critical elements of the stack, with some help from expert voices from across the industry. Whether someone is setting up an environment for the first time, or trying to understand how the pieces fit together, simplifying today’s complexity is vital for managing the environments of tomorrow. The new season premieres June 4.

How do security professionals work together to manage the known and the unknown? The Compiler team wraps up their exploration of product security by focusing on how teams across companies and projects work together effectively. Jeremy West returns to the show to share how transparency, standards, and accountability drive better outcomes when things go wrong.