Welcome to this week's edition! I'm currently immersed in an AWS project, so diving into Azure's offerings feels like a refreshing twist.

My involvement with GitHub pipelines is deep—we rely on them for a myriad of automations. It's exciting to see updates there, though I'm still waiting for AWS to introduce something akin to private networking in combination with GH-hosted runners.

Let's explore these updates and more together.

GitHub Digest

Supercharging GitHub Actions with Enterprise-Level Security

GitHub has significantly upgraded its hosted runners by integrating Azure private networking, meeting the intricate networking and security demands of enterprise customers.

This enhancement allows for secure access to private resources, enforcement of network security policies, and isolation of build traffic, providing both individual developers and DevOps administrators more time to innovate by reducing infrastructure management overhead.

These changes, including the addition of new runner SKUs and the introduction of GPU runners in public beta, mark a significant step toward enterprise-grade readiness for GitHub Actions​

Elevating DevOps Security: Secret Scanning in GitHub Wikis

GitHub's latest update introduces secret scanning capabilities to GitHub wikis, an essential step in "shifting left" DevOps practices.

This feature enables teams to detect and mitigate leaked credentials early in the development cycle, including those inadvertently placed in wikis.

By extending secret scanning to this often-overlooked area, GitHub provides a more comprehensive safeguard against security vulnerabilities, ensuring that every aspect of your project, down to the documentation, is secure​.

Sharpening Security Posture with GitHub's Advanced Dashboard Filters

GitHub's Security Overview Dashboard now features advanced filtering capabilities, a tool that might not capture everyone's regular attention but is crucial for those dedicated to maintaining a robust security posture.

This enhancement allows for deeper insights into security trends and vulnerabilities, enabling teams to proactively address potential threats. It's an invaluable resource for tracking and improving your project's security over time, ensuring that you stay ahead in the constantly evolving landscape of cybersecurity.

Coding Corner

Revolutionizing Cache Storage with Garnet

Microsoft Research introduces Garnet, a high-performance cache store designed for scalability and efficiency.

Leveraging a thread-scalable storage layer and supporting a wide range of data structures, Garnet offers compatibility with Redis clients and focuses on high throughput and low latency.

It's built on modern .NET C# and is optimized for both Windows and Linux, promising significant cost reductions and enhanced security features, making it an appealing choice for large-scale services seeking robust cache solutions.

Tackling Duplicate API Requests in Distributed Systems

A common challenge in distributed systems is handling duplicate API requests, which can significantly impact performance and reliability.

This blog post delves into the issue and presents a practical solution to mitigate it, ensuring more efficient and reliable system operations. It's a must-read for developers navigating the complexities of distributed computing environments.

Azure Updates & Insights

Azure API Management Unveils v2 Pricing Tiers

Azure API Management introduces Basic v2 and Standard v2 pricing tiers, responding to customer feedback for enhanced service quality and accessibility for all business sizes.

These new options complement existing tiers, ensuring both innovation and continuity for users embarking or scaling their API journeys. This evolution emphasizes Microsoft's dedication to empowering organizations in the digital age.

Transition to Azure Monitor Dashboards in Azure API Management

Azure API Management announces the retirement of built-in analytics dashboards by March 15, 2027, urging users to switch to the new Azure Monitor-based dashboards.

These new dashboards offer efficient implementation without impacting API Management capacity, leveraging Azure Monitor's advanced visualization and analytics.

Users are encouraged to transition early to benefit from these enhancements and ensure continuous access to dashboard functionalities.

The new v2 tiers already do not support the built-in analytics anymore.

.NET Nook

Jared Parsons: Reflecting on 20 Years with C# at Microsoft

Jared Parsons, the lead on the C# compiler at Microsoft, shares his journey through 20 years of work, highlighting his role in open-sourcing C# and adapting to faster release cycles.

From annual updates to more frequent Visual Studio releases, Parsons discusses the evolution of development processes, the challenges and triumphs of moving to open-source, and the significant impact of community feedback on refining C#.

This reflection offers a unique insight into the growth of a programming language and its ecosystem.

Closing Thoughts

Thank you for joining me in this edition! Your engagement and insights are what make this journey so rewarding.

Feel free to share your thoughts, spread the word, and if you haven't already, consider subscribing for more updates. Let's keep the conversation going!