Digital sovereignty doesn't end with tool selection or architecture. It only reaches its full potential when operations are efficient, secure, and scalable. In this final part of our blog series, we show how we at ayedo have made our infrastructure automated and self-serviceable—without vendor overhead.
Why Automation is Essential
Many IT teams still work as they did ten years ago:
- Manual configuration,
- Maintenance through tickets,
- Changes without versioning.
In complex, dynamic infrastructures, this is not only inefficient but also risky. Our approach: Automation as default—not as an afterthought.
Infrastructure as Code: The Foundation of Our Operations Strategy
We manage our entire infrastructure with Infrastructure as Code (IaC). This means:
- All resources—from Kubernetes clusters to firewall rules—are versioned.
- Configuration changes are handled via GitLab Merge Requests.
- Rollbacks are possible at any time.
Our Key Tools
| Area | Tool(s) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Provisioning | Ansible | Initial setup, updates, patch management |
| IaC Management | GitLab + GitOps Pipelines | Versioning & automation |
| Self-Service Automation | Polycrate, GitLab Runners | On-demand processes for Dev & Ops |
| Backup Automation | Velero, Restic | Daily, versioned backups |
Self-Service IT: More Speed, Less Dependency
One of the biggest game-changers for us was introducing self-service features for our internal development and operations team—with Polycrate as the central tool:
- New project repositories? → One click, everything's there.
- Set up a test environment? → Start a Polycrate job.
- Check or restore backups? → Run a script, done.
This not only reduces the workload for the IT team—it also creates genuine ownership across the organization.
Security in Automation
Automation should never be blind. That's why we rely on:
- Policy-as-Code: Certain infrastructure parameters are enforced (e.g., firewall policies).
- Auditing & Logging: All automations are traceable and documented.
- Secrets Handling: Sensitive data is centrally managed via Vault & Infisical—no more hardcoded passwords.
Our Lessons Learned
| What Worked Well | Where We Needed Adjustments |
|---|---|
| GitOps for infrastructure changes | Initial training & mindset shift needed |
| Self-service with Polycrate & GitLab | Complement governance with role models |
| Backup recovery processes with Velero | Test with staging environment beforehand |
| Role-based access via Keycloak & Authentic | Cross-tool role synchronization |
Conclusion: From Control to Excellence
In recent months, we haven't just swapped tools or modernized systems. We've rethought our digital operations—from tool to workflow.
Digital sovereignty today means:
- Deciding independently which technology we use.
- Knowing transparently how it works.
- Being capable of operating it ourselves—securely, efficiently, and scalably.
Thanks for Reading—and for the Dialogue
This post concludes our four-part blog series on the path to greater digital independence at ayedo. We hope we have inspired, motivated—and perhaps sparked some thought processes.
What's Next?
We continue—and delve deeper into what makes us particularly proud:
👉 In the next blog post, we'll show you our tool Polycrate in detail.
How it works, how it simplifies our automation—and why we believe that self-service IT is finally becoming a reality.
Stay tuned.