• DigitalOcean
• Kubernetes
• GitHub Actions CI/CD
• Bash scripting

My very own tech blog with the motto "Complex things simply explained".

The goal of this blog is to share my knowledge in an understandable and entertaining way. In addition, I wanted to leave the constant consumption of content behind me and create something of my own. In retrospect, this has also worked and makes me happy when readers send me feedback like this:

"Very very cool writing style! Both simply written and sympathetically presented and also first knowledge conveyed! Keep it up!" ~ A reader

"[...] really great posts. I like it very much and it is also very clear and understandable... [...]" ~ A reader

Ghost is the Content Management System (CMS) of the blog. The blog is being operated together with some other projects in my own Kubernetes cluster running at DigitalOcean.

I have changed Ghost's behavior of storing images to keep the load of the cluster as low as possible. Images will be uploaded automatically to my CDN which delivers them to the visitors. So at the end of the day, they are delivered by an object storage service and not my small cluster.

• Gridscale & AWS
• Kubernetes
• GitHub Actions CI/CD
• JavaScript
• React Native
• PostgreSQL & MongoDB
• Bash scripting
• Linux server

Corona has been (is?) a challenge. The German government hosted the "WirVsVirus" hackathon from March 20-22, 2020 - the largest of its kind. Ideas/projects/possibilities were sought on how to counter the virus.

I have registered as a mentor to support some projects with my knowledge and IT resources. I joined the team of "Karmakurier" which was awarded at the end of the hackathon as one of the 150 best projects out of 1,500 and received further funding beyond the hackathon.

As a cloud architect, I worked on building a highly scalable cloud infrastructure based on Gridscale & AWS. I also created CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions.

Some of my key activities during the project:

• Set up a prototype using Docker compose on an Azure VM
• Initiated setup of CloudFlare caching to be prepared for a high load scenario during the public presentation of the project
• Led discussions with Google, Microsoft & Amazon personnel to find partners to run the staging environment
• Acted as point of contact for cloud & infrastructure issues for the team and external parties
• Conducted well-architected session with AWS Cloud Solutions Architect to gather feedback on the projects architecture

The two working days of the hackathon were accompanied by a serious lack of sleep, but the experience was great. I made many new contacts and was able to contribute my knowledge. In addition, I was able to gain new knowledge because of our project setup in the areas of AWS, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions and Bash scripting. Since the project is close to my heart, I support it beyond the end of the hackathon.

• JavaScript
• Twilio API
• Docker
• Git

The Grandma Bot allows you to send randomly selected messages as a SMS via the Twilio API.

Some time ago, my grandmother had reminded me once again that I should contact her from time to time with a short message. She wanted to know if I was doing well. I appreciate her very much, but in the past I had always forgotten to contact her.

Because of this, the Grandma Bot was created as a weekend project. I wanted to automate the process of sending a regular "everything is okay here" message. From a list of predefined text messages, a random message is selected and sent as a SMS. Super simple.

Here is a brief overview of the features:

• Bot sends a message and exits if done
• Mode for checking all messages provided in a txt file can be activated
• Messages created by the user are checked for validity/suitability so that they can be sent as a SMS
• Using the Twilio SMS API while handling errors that could arise
• Well comprehensible procedure due to understandable outputs on the console
• Operating options: native, Docker/k8s, serverless
• Regular execution (e.g. weekly) with CRON or timed cloud functions can be implemented easily

The tool works without any problems. However, my ethical principles ultimately prevented me from actually using it. When I introduced my grandmother to the Grandma Bot, she was amazed to see what can be done with a computer these days. At the same time, she pointed out that a bouquet of flowers could not have been big enough as an excuse (if I would have really used the bot).

In the end, I have build up my knowledge of JavaScript through this project. I was able to cause a smile or two among my family and friends while introducing them to what I have built.

• DigitalOcean
• Kubernetes
• React
• NodeJS API
• MariaDB
• Bash scripting

The Colloquium Selector Robot is a tool for scheduling and coordinating presentations with a large number of participants.

The project is tailored to a specific use case of my division at Deutsche Telekom. On one day of a month, a so-called colloquium took place. Employees and working students came together to give presentations on various topics or to attend those of others.

The Colloquium Selector Robot will coordinate a date with all participants to host a colloquium. Users can enter their attendance and the topic of their presentation via a web interface. They can also enter the details of upcoming talks like the name of the presenter and the type/length of the talk. Queries to schedule the next session are automatically sent by mail.

The project consists of a React-based webapp, a NodeJS API, and a MariaDB database.

Some of my key activities during the project:

• Project management activities and lead a fellow student as a software developer
• Requirements management and planning of (further) development tasks using a Kanban board
• Created Kubernetes manifests for running the tool in my own Kubernetes cluster

The project was my entrance into the world of Kubernetes. I was responsible for ensuring a safe operation of the tool. Therefore, I already made sure that my fellow student and I follow best practices during the development phase.