Learn About Most Common Cloud Pitfalls

Consider this book your guide on the mistakes commonly made in the cloud, as well as how to avoid them. Its purpose is to accelerate your cloud journey and provide support in overcoming potential challenges you may encounter along the way.

Demystifying the
Cloud

This book help in simplifying the intricacies of cloud computing by breaking down the various layers essential for cloud transformation.

Navigating Risk and Challenges

This book will help you identifying potential roadblocks and vulnerabilities that may arise in the public cloud.

Unleash problem-solving skills

This book equips you to recognize cloud-related challenges, while providing advice to effectively tackle them.

About the book

During my years working with the cloud I was looking for such a guide, describing common mistakes and how they can be prevented. It would definitely mitigate some mistakes I made and alleviate them as well as boost the pace of gathering the cloud knowledge. However, I did not find such a book back then. The idea of writing this particular piece came from consulting projects I was doing, where I was approached by teams to share more about perils in the public cloud and how they can be prevented. The teams were looking for kind of a cheat sheet to simplify their way into the cloud. After doing another research, I decided to start collecting my notes and experiences.

The book is written in cloud-agnostic way, but it covers references to public cloud provides like AWS, Azure and GCP. „MIND THE GAP” consists of my stories and stories from other companies. It will lead you through most common mistakes that can be encountered during cloud migrations, adoptions and operations. Each chapter is summarized with my recommendations, in form of handful tips. You can just jump to the tips and in case something catches your eye, you can then read the subchapter about it. You also do not need to read all at once, you can read what you need and later go back and explore other chapters. But remember, the book as a whole provides a comprehensive overview of cloud mistakes within different layers.

What is inside the Book?

These book is a collection of common cloud mistakes. It is composed of two parts, and eleven chapters in total

Part I – Introduction to the Cloud covers cloud’s fundamental concepts and benefits.
Chapter 1 – Unveiling Cloud Computing
Chapter 2 – Unleashing the Benefits of the Cloud

Part II – Areas of Common Cloud Mistakes focuses on cloud mistakes happening in various cloud layers.
Chapter 3 – Navigating Cloud Cautiously
Chapter 4 – Decoding Naming Convention Mistakes
Chapter 5 – Unraveling Tagging Mistakes
Chapter 6 – Counting the Costs: Managing Your Finances
Chapter 7 – Safeguarding Your Cloud: Security Mistakes
Chapter 8 – Network Mistakes: Navigating the Cloud’s Connectivity
Chapter 9 – Cloud Monitoring Gone Wrong: Avoiding missteps
Chapter 10 – Unmasking the Perils of Cloud Identity Management
Chapter 11 – Beyond the Mistakes: Exploring Wider Horizons

Book Statistics

  • 11 Chapters
  • 90+ Handful Tips
  • 14 My cloud stories
  • 18+ Cloud stories from other companies

Where to buy the Book

Testimonials

„I found the book to be an enjoyable read, despite my initial reservations. I would caution readers not to be misled by first impressions.

Magda does an excellent job of addressing the myriad challenges that one may encounter when working with any cloud provider. Interestingly, many of these challenges pertain to processes and people rather than technology, although the latter can certainly present its own difficulties. Magda’s insights and observations are astute, and she deftly navigates the reader through potential pitfalls.

Magda guides the reader through the entire adoption process, which can vary greatly from one individual to another. She provides numerous practical examples, which I found to be particularly valuable. By sharing real-world use cases from specific industries, Magda effectively illustrates the complexity of the subject matter and I believe that technical leaders will relate to that immediately. I found myself relating to many of the challenges that Magda describes. However, there is an added layer of complexity when delving into the technical details which can be an idea for another book, especially in the area of security or cost management. Those are the topics of its own. 

The book remains relevant despite the rapid evolution of technology in the field of cloud computing. The effort, analysis, and investigation that went into its creation are evident, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.”

Michal Furmankiewicz (FURMAN)
Principal Program Manager @Microsoft

“A valuable resource for anyone navigating the cloud!

I found Mind the Gap to be an informative and practical guide to common engineering mistakes while navigating the complicated world of cloud computing. The author’s expertise in cloud architecture shines in the clear explanations and actionable advice.

The book covers a wide range of topics, from cloud fundamentals to security and cost management. I particularly appreciated the business and engineering view of the topics, so this book is both useful for engineers and project managers planning their journey into the cloud. It helped me to re-evaluate my view into how we adopt cloud solutions and tackle various problems while working with our clients.

Mind the Gap offers valuable insights and practical guidance to help you avoid common mistakes and ensure a successful cloud journey.”

Marius Guobys
DevOps Practice Lead @Cognizant

„What are the most common mistakes you make while migrating your workloads to Cloud?
Magdalena Wojnarowska-Pietrzak has covered them all in her book – Mind the gap: Most common Cloud mistakes.

What I liked about the book is that it doesn’t just point out the problems – it also gives suggestions on how to avoid them. It highlights simple but important things that we often overlook at first when migrating, like tagging strategies, setting up monitoring, and network layouts. Paying attention to these from the start can really help make the move to the cloud smoother.

Thank you, Magdalena Wojnarowska-Pietrzak, for penning this invaluable resource and sharing your expertise with the community.”

Prasad Rao
Principal Solutions Architect @AWS

Mind The Gap!

Create Clear and ACTIONABLE Alerts

This is one of the essential tips for system monitoring mentioned in the Mind The Gap book by Cloud Architect Magdalena Wojnarowska-Pietrzak, which covers the common cloud mistakes in the industry today.

Most organizations nowadays are inundated by too many system notifications that are not actionable by the operations team. These alerts must have an intended audience and be essentially worth the recipient’s time, attention, and effort.

Just as Magdalena said:

„Focus on relevancy and impact, providing valuable information that is meaningful in their day-to-day operations”

As Cloud Architects, the onus is on us to ensure that our cloud infrastructure is in tip-top shape, and this can be sustained by having proper monitoring and notification systems in place. Automation also plays a key role in this, as it is dependent on the alerts and notifications configured in your system.

This also relates to the concept of Observability, which is the ability of a system to provide meaningful and actionable insights from the system metrics.

The profound insights can turn the nonchalant faces of the operations team (who are oblivious to what to do with that notification) to a countenance of confidence as they have become cognizant of their next steps to improve your cloud architecture.

Don’t stop trying out new things and experiment with various technologies to further improve your cloud solutions. Mistakes will eventually happen but it’s better to preempt them earlier in the development/testing phase rather than having it in live production.

 Like what the the immortal sentiment of Albert Einstein says:

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new”

Grab your copy of Mind the Gap book now!
I am confident that you’ll learn a lot from Magdalena’s extensive experience in cloud architecture and more.”

Jon Bonso
Co-founder
@Tutorials Dojo

„It does not matter if you decided to start your journey with cloud or you are already a master. This book is a trove for everybody! Author walks us through every aspect of cloud’s matter. Within book you can find step by step explanations for every doubt and questions that come to your mind during the cloud’s exploratory.”

Joanna Siry
Operational Leader @Kyndryl

„As someone deeply involved in IT solution design and architecture, I found Magda’s book to be a great journey through common mistakes and challenges in the IT cloud transitioning world.

Seamlessly woven together, the narrative structure makes it feel like a captivating story, while underneath lies a wealth of planning and design knowledge, complete with real-world examples to guide you through the complexities of cloud architecture with ease.

Whether you’re just starting, in the middle or rethinking your current setup, this book is excellent. Say goodbye to cookie-cutter marketing solutions—Magda’s insights empower you to create strong, efficient planning of the IT cloud transition. Dive in and emerge with a deeper understanding of the pitfalls and gaps in your journey.

Looking for a book that’s both engaging and enlightening about cloud technology planning and architecture? Magda’s work is just that!”

Paweł Kos
Cloud Security Consultant @Rackspace

„”Mind The Gap: Most Common Cloud Mistakes” offers a specific perspective in the realm of cloud computing books. Unlike many technical manuals inundated with intricate details, this book takes a different approach, focusing on the broader landscape of cloud infrastructure setup and maintenance. It serves as an invaluable guide for both newcomers and seasoned professionals.

The book’s primary strength lies in its succinct yet comprehensive coverage of common pitfalls encountered when setting up cloud infrastructure. Rather than delving into the nitty-gritty technical aspects, it presents a pragmatic list of errors that cloud practitioners frequently encounter. By doing so, it provides a practical framework for readers to assess and improve their own cloud deployments.

Each mistake is described, with the author offering invaluable insights into the crucial details that can make or break a cloud environment. Whether it’s misconfiguring security groups, overlooking data redundancy, or underestimating scalability requirements, the book leaves no stone unturned in its exploration of potential pitfalls. Through clear explanations and real-world examples, readers gain a deeper understanding of why these mistakes occur and how to avoid them.

„Mind The Gap: Most Common Cloud Mistakes” is a must-read for anyone involved in cloud computing. Its pragmatic approach, comprehensive coverage of common errors, cloud-agnostic perspective, and accessibility to readers of varying expertise make it a valuable addition to the library of any IT professional. Whether you’re just starting your journey in the cloud or seeking to enhance your existing practices, this book offers invaluable guidance that is sure to benefit readers across the board.”

Rimantas Benetis
Chief Enterprise Architect @Cognizant

„This book stands out as a comprehensive guide to cloud computing, with a special focus on common issues and pitfalls. It’s unique in its approach, offering valuable insights into the challenges, people may face when working with the cloud solutions. The advice and strategies provided are cloud provider agnostic, meaning they can be applied universally, regardless of the platform you’re using. This makes it an incredibly versatile resource for anyone navigating the cloud. From understanding the basics, managing costs, to ensuring security, it provides a roadmap to avoid common mistakes and make the most of your cloud experience. It’s an essential read for anyone looking to harness the power of the cloud while avoiding common traps.

This book goes beyond being a simple guide, it serves as a trusted ally in your journey through cloud computing.”

Michał Pierściński
Senior Software Engineer @Cognizant

About the Author

In addition to being the author of „Mind the Gap: Most Common Cloud Mistakes,” Magdalena Wojnarowska-Pietrzak is a cloud architect. She holds certifications in Azure, AWS, TOGAF, ITIL, Prince2, and AgilePM. Actively involved in cloud projects since 2014, her focus areas include cloud infrastructure, cloud security, identity and access management, and governance. Magdalena enjoys tackling complex problems and is committed to continuous learning.

Magdalena holds two master’s degrees, one in Computer Science and another in Financial Engineering. When not architecting cloud solutions, she enjoys reading books, going skiing, or practicing yoga.