June 2021 Summaries

In June, DigitalOcean released several updates and new products to enhance the app development process. Key updates include the introduction of fully managed MongoDB as a service (DBaaS) offering, support for PostgreSQL 13 in Managed Databases, and new preconfigured 1-Click Apps in the Marketplace. Additionally, updates were made to the DigitalOcean Command Line Interface (CLI) and Terraform Provider. These enhancements aim to simplify app development and improve user experience.

Managed MongoDB is a fully managed database as a service (DBaaS) offering from DigitalOcean, built in partnership with and certified by MongoDB Inc. It simplifies the administration of MongoDB clusters, allowing developers to focus on building their applications. The benefits include easy setup and maintenance, automatic daily backups, automatic updates, high availability with automated failover, scaling capabilities, and secure data encryption. DigitalOcean's Managed Databases supports various engines, including Managed MongoDB, which is currently available in NYC3, FRA1, and AMS3 regions.

The widespread adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions has allowed a new generation of software builders to participate in the digital economy. Despite the opportunities that come with SaaS products, software builders still face challenges such as understanding their target customers, prioritizing features, pricing their product, and acquiring customers. Cloud computing can help take some load off by providing on-demand computing services with usage-based pricing. However, smaller SaaS teams often experience unpredictable costs with cloud providers. DigitalOcean provides a simple, cost effective solution for SaaS builders, focusing on small software development teams and enabling them to build apps that power their business without spending time managing infrastructure.

Contributing to Kubernetes, an open-source container orchestration platform, can be an enriching experience for beginners looking to get involved in the cloud-native community. The process involves various activities such as submitting code, updating documentation, and participating in release management. New contributors are encouraged to start by reviewing the project's CONTRIBUTING.md file and seeking issues labeled as "good first issue" on GitHub. Effective communication and collaboration with the existing community are essential to navigating potential challenges, such as delays in code reviews. Engaging with the Kubernetes release shadow program offers additional opportunities to gain insights and network within the community. Becoming a Kubernetes member provides benefits like influencing project areas and receiving early notifications of security vulnerabilities, which can significantly enhance one's professional development and contribution impact.

DigitalOcean has introduced a referral badge feature that allows users to embed a branded badge onto their website or app, linking it to their personal referral URL. Users can earn $25 free credit for every referral signup with no limit on the amount of credit they can earn via referrals. The benefits include earning credits, increasing referrals, and sharing the DigitalOcean love by showcasing the branded badge on their website or app. This feature was made available based on customer feedback requesting creative assets like a banner or logo for sharing their referral link. Users can access their personal referral badge, link, and statistics in the referral dashboard within their DigitalOcean account.

DigitalOcean Managed Databases now supports PostgreSQL 13, an advanced open-source relational database. Upgrades to version 13 include significant improvements in space savings and performance gains for indexes, faster response times for queries using aggregates or partitions, better query planning with enhanced statistics, parallelized vacuuming, and incremental sorting. DigitalOcean's Managed Databases allow users to offload complex administrative tasks, enabling them to focus on app development rather than database maintenance. The upgrade process is seamless, with no downtime, and supports Droplets with 100% dedicated vCPUs for mission-critical workloads.