The Rise of Agentic AI: Transforming DevOps and Testing with Bridges Smith
In this episode, host Joe Colantonio dives deep into the future of AI in DevOps with Bridges Smith, the VP of Product Management for AI at SmartBear. With over 25 years of experience leading innovations in product development, machine learning, and AI, Bridges brings a wealth of firsthand insights on how AI is rapidly evolving and shaping how developers and testers work. Together, Joe and Bridges explore the shift from basic generative AI to the rise of agentic AI. These AI systems can make decisions and automate more complex tasks within DevOps and testing pipelines. They discuss the importance of keeping humans in the loop, how AI is tackling mundane and repetitive tasks to free up creativity, practical strategies for successfully integrating AI tools, and what metrics you should track to measure real gains. You’ll also hear about SmartBear’s unique approach to embedding AI directly into workflows—accelerating testing, documentation, and observability—plus real-world use cases where these advancements are already making a difference. Whether you’re optimistic or skeptical about AI’s impact on the software industry, this episode is packed with actionable insights on future-proof your skills and embrace what’s next in DevOps and AI. Tune in, learn what’s hype and what’s real, and get ready to take your DevOps toolchain to the next level! Visit their AI hub to see how AI is shaping the future of software testing: https://testguild.me/aihubs
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31:02
AI in Testing: Innovation or Just Noise? with Fitz Nowlan
Today, special guest Fitz Nowlan, VP of AI and Architecture at SmartBear, dives deep into the ever-evolving world of AI in software testing. Get resource: What is OpenTelemetry Guide: https://testguild.me/TelemetryGuide This episode is packed with insights from Fitz, who shares his front-row perspective on what’s genuinely innovative versus what’s just hype in today’s AI-powered DevOps landscape. Fitz also tackles hot topics like MCP servers, agentic AI, and the game-changing impact of AI-driven self-healing in test automation. He explores how leading tools like Playwright and Selenium integrate MCP servers, discusses the challenge of identifying meaningful AI features, and highlights practical strategies for evaluating new tech without getting lost in industry buzzwords. Fitz also offers a behind-the-scenes look at SmartBear’s approach to customer-driven innovation, the evolution of visual and intent-based testing, and how agentic AI might soon revolutionize the role of QA teams. Whether you’re curious about the pitfalls of flaky tests, the future of test data generation, or simply how to keep up with today’s breakneck pace of change, this episode promises actionable insights you won’t want to miss.
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35:36
Making Performance Testing Accessible for All with k6 Studio with Mark Meier and Tom Miseur
In this awesome installment, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Mark Meier and Tom Miseur from Grafana Labs to dive deep into the world of performance testing and how their brand new open source Grafana k6 Studio is making these powerful practices accessible for everyone on your team—from developers to QA and SREs. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required. Listen in as they discuss the evolution of k6 from a developer-first tool to one built for seamless collaboration across teams, the challenges of performance testing in modern DevOps pipelines, and practical advice for avoiding common pitfalls like the dreaded million virtual user myth. You’ll also get an insider’s look at how k6 Studio simplifies recording, scripting, and correlating test scenarios and how it compares to longtime industry players like JMeter. Discover the team’s vision for the future, including enhanced browser testing features, integration with Grafana Cloud, and thoughts on leveraging AI to accelerate performance testing efforts. If you’re ready to learn actionable strategies for making performance testing a team sport (not just a developer or QA silo) and want to hear tips on integrating load testing into your CI/CD pipelines, this episode is a must-listen! Check Out Grafana k6 Studio: https://grafana.com/docs/k6/latest/k6-studio/ Watch k6 Studio demo: https://testguild.me/dzebxa
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29:50
Scaling ML Infrastructure Like a Pro with Elliott Clark
In this episode, we delve into scalable machine-learning infrastructure with our special guest, Elliott Clark. Elliott is a seasoned DevOps expert and the founder of Batteries Included. Having played a pivotal role in building one of the largest online transaction processing systems and leading the ad infrastructure team at Meta, Elliott is perfectly poised to share his immense knowledge on scaling infrastructure and the intricacies of machine learning systems. Join us as we discuss the critical aspects of performance testing, leveraging production traffic for testing environments, and the cultural elements pivotal to scaling teams efficiently. We'll also explore how Elliott's company, Batteries Included, strives to bring enterprise-level infrastructure to mid and small-sized companies by automating the essential yet often mundane DevOps tasks. Whether you're in the early stages of building infrastructure or looking to enhance your machine learning systems, this episode offers actionable insights and future-forward thinking to help your efforts become more successful. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required.
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32:23
Automation - First DevOps Focus with Kedar Kulkarni
Welcome to another exciting episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, where we delve into the dynamic world of DevOps, automation, and cloud infrastructure. Today, we're thrilled to have Kedar Kulkarni, a DevOps and cloud infrastructure expert, join us. Kedar has a wealth of experience in CICD, Kubernetes, and what he calls 'automation first' DevOps. He co-authored a popular IT automation ebook and created the AT-CasC framework, an integral part of Red Hat's automation stack. In this episode, we explore his unique approach to infrastructure test automation and the impact of his work in shaping how teams think about testing infrastructure as code. We'll dive deep into GitOps and explore open-source tools, learning what it really takes to build DevOps frameworks that matter. Along the way, Kedar shares insights on the significance of infrastructure as code, how to build a successful opensource project, and his thoughts on the future of DevOps practices. Whether you're a DevOps professional or just dipping your toes into the field, you won't want to miss this conversation. Tune in as we journey through the essentials of building efficient, scalable, and user-friendly DevOps frameworks that help you stay ahead in the game. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required.
Welcome to The DevOps Toolchain Show – your go-to podcast for mastering the evolving world of DevOps! Previously known as The TestGuild Performance and SRE Podcast, we dive deep into the latest trends, must-know tools, and cutting-edge techniques shaping modern software delivery.
Join industry experts, engineers, and thought leaders as we uncover insights on automation, performance testing, security, CI/CD, AI in DevOps, and everything in between. Whether you're a DevOps practitioner, SRE, or testing professional, this show equips you with actionable knowledge to optimize your workflow and stay ahead in an ever-changing tech world. We got you covered!
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