Tuesday Reflections – My First Day of Unemployment

It’s Tuesday, and it feels strange to say that today is my first day of being between jobs. There’s something unsettling about it. I’ve got four days off between my old position and my new one, and I’m trying to figure out how to make the most of it. The last time I switched jobs, I wrapped up on a Friday and started the new role the following Monday, which left me feeling completely drained. This time, I’ve learned from that mistake and decided to give myself a bit of breathing room (though with two little ones running around, it’s nearly impossible to do absolutely nothing—but I’m going to try!).

I recently picked up an intriguing book called Crucial Conversations, which caught my eye while I was researching the Five Whys technique. Maybe I’ll take refuge in a coffee shop, enjoy endless chai lattes, and dive into it. Who knows ...  I’ll figure it out tomorrow.

On a different note, I reconnected with an old friend today—someone I haven’t spoken to in a while but used to have the most amazing conversations with. He’s the kind of person who tells stories in such an engaging way that they stick with you for years. I still remember a sci-fi story he told me over two decades ago! Our chat today was exactly what I needed—it recharged me in a way I didn’t realize I missed.

September 30th – My Last Day at Three UK (H3G)

Today marked my final day at Three UK. It was a short and reflective day. I didn’t plan a formal farewell – after all, it would have been my second one, and I preferred to keep it simple. My vision for the day was to spend some time with each team member and, of course, enjoy as many chai lattes as possible!  ;-)

However, as life goes, several colleagues were on leave, and others were dealing with family matters. So, only a few of the people I work closely with were around. That said, I received a call on Sunday from one of the team, inviting me to lunch, which was a nice surprise. It ended up being a much better day than I had anticipated – a good note to end on.

It's time for a change

Over the years, I had the privilege of working with some incredible individuals. Having a team that inspires you and pushes you to grow makes all the difference in the world. There were days when I’d go to work thinking, “I can’t believe they’re paying me to do something I would happily do for free!” It was a remarkable feeling. Being part of a team where I could ask, “What do you think about X, Y, or Z?” and receive insights I’d never considered before was invaluable. My colleagues offered perspectives that challenged my thinking and broadened my horizons. Their support and camaraderie turned work into a place of continuous learning and collaboration.

However, circumstances have changed. The supportive environment that once made my job so fulfilling is no longer the same. The dynamics have shifted, and that sense of inspiration and mutual growth has faded. It’s this change that has led me to the difficult decision to seek new opportunities. While I’ll always cherish the experiences and growth I’ve had, I realize it’s time to find a new environment where I can continue to learn, be challenged, and feel inspired.

Packetpushers - Big Rock or Best-in-Breed (heavy strategy)

I recently listened to a conversation on Packet Pushers that really got me thinking. In the past, I’ve seen a similar pattern in large transformations where organizations adopt the “Big Rock” approach—going all in on a single, massive solution to address their needs. Each time, it didn’t deliver the expected results. So why does this approach keep getting chosen? Is it driven by cost-saving measures, the desire for streamlined management, or is there something else at play?

Of course, the best-of-breed approach has its own set of challenges—like managing multiple vendors or integrating different systems—but doesn’t it offer a safer path for better business continuity and outcomes? It allows for flexibility and adaptability, which are crucial in today’s fast-changing landscape. While it’s not without its headaches, it seems like a more reliable bet in the long run.

Link to the talk. 

In love with Golang

I’ve always been the type of person who enjoys a good challenge—whether it’s figuring out a new skill or diving into something I have no idea about. Recently, my latest obsession has been cloud-native programming. I got involved in a project that’s all about acquiring cloud-native applications for telecoms, and it felt like the perfect excuse to push my limits.

Now, let’s be clear—I don’t code every day. I don’t even get the chance to write code as often as I’d like. And when I do, it takes me a minute to remember how things work. 

Here’s the thing—I know I’ll never be a “proper” programmer and I’m not trying to be. But that doesn’t stop me from pushing myself. My goal is simple: keep learning, keep getting better, and see how far I can take it.

One thing I’ve discovered along the way is how much I love Golang. I’ve dabbled in Python, but Golang just clicks for me. It’s that sweet spot where things make sense and don’t feel as clunky. It even helped me have some solid technical conversations with potential suppliers for my project—which, for me, was a big win.
So while I may not code every day or have everything down perfectly, I’m excited about where this journey is taking me. Learning cloud-native programming has been an adventure, and I’m here for it—one chapter at a time.

IPv6 Council London - 2022 (Meta)

I truly enjoyed the last IPv6 Council meeting in London. It's always interesting to hear about the other people experience with a technology, in this case.. IPv6.  There were quite a few people giving a presentation and how they IPv6 deployment is going, so that was interesting!  

I personally have been pushing the IPv6 agenda and I consider myself as an IPv6 advocate, because I understand the business need for it, and most of the people I have deployed carrier-grade NAT (large scale), and I also remember when I took the last IPv4 range from RIPE. 

I guess, I will finish this post with - if anyone is interested in IPv6, the IPv6 Council London is free, and it's quite interesting!

Link: https://www.ipv6.org.uk/

DC with Arista Networks

I got this fantastic opportunity to deploy new clouds based on Arista Networks VXLAN fabric. The solution included Arista CloudVision (known as CVP), AVD and of course, the Arista switches. The first thing I was impressed with was the simplicity that Cloud Vision brings on the table for both deployment of new configurations and visibility. 

We were waiting for the hardware to arrive, and all we got was the CVP installed and ready, so we did a bit of work e.g. getting the configlets ready and when the hardware arrived we plugged all the optics and connected the fibres. In that moment one of my colleagues who didn't have experience with Arista decided to go around and check for any obvious errors, so he did not find anything than just couple of links require fibre change, not a big deal. On the next day, we start exploring what can be observed via CVP, and we found it actually start reporting packet drops/ and errors via the telemetry that is supported via Terminattr telemetry agent created by Arista. 

The second thing that I personally liked was the familiar CLI interface. When you login to the device - it simply looks familiar, e.g. it looks like Cisco. I work in environment with multiple vendors and to be honest, I struggle some times with some of them, like, Nokia. I find the CLI being a bit tricky. (To admit, I don't work with Nokia CLI that much) but eOS is powerful and easy to use. 

The third thing its worth mentioning is my experience with the TAC. After just couple of interactions with them, I hate them!lol. Now I will expect the same experience with every other company I work with :) these guys set the bar a bit too high. (I have story I would like to tell, but I don't think it's a good idea to write it in a blog). 

One more thing I wanted to mention. I had great time reading the "Arista Warrior" book. I don't think I ever laughed at tech book before, but this one made my late evenings after work when the kids were asleep.