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I am currently employed to develop an entire data analytics system because a government department can't get their firewall rules right. None of the members of

I am currently employed to develop an entire data analytics system because a government department can't get their firewall rules right. None of the members of this government department want a bespoke system, they want to use tools they are familiar with but due to the firewall rules this isn't possible.

whitehouse3 6y ago
What stack are you using? I did the same thing not long ago with Flask and Plotly.
- denkmoon 6y ago
  We are required to use some internal assets, so I am using a combination of Flask, our "workflow execution platform", and some Amazon EC2, S3 and Glacier on the backend. Angular and a few data viz libraries for frontend. It's very rigid and slow :(
sukilot 6y ago
Why don't you build gateway to th standard tools?
- denkmoon 6y ago
  To put it bluntly, because that's not what the contract (that I had no part in) specifies. The proper solution is just to fix their firewall. The interim hack is what you've identified, do some sort of gateway. Unfortunately my bosses are non-technical and think we can simply copy google data studio with 1.5 guys and 12 months. Understandably I am seeking new employment.
fancyfish 6y ago
It truly is fascinating, the world of tools and ecosystems built up to sidestep inane security rules in organizations. Spoken from experience, this includes things like Anaconda in orgs where devs can’t use just any Python packages, or scripts from the internet copied and pasted into files because the firewall blocks git cloning. One could even consider AWS as a platform for devs to get around InfoSec red tape and have some semblance of control. The goal as a dev here is to fight the fewest fights to make tools available, by getting access to the biggest “bundles” of tooling they can. In such organizations, there is either no concept of cost/benefit of overly restrictive firewall rules, etc, or the culture is such that the security team has become entrenched and unquestionable.
- Aeolun 6y ago
  Can confirm. I’m able to spin up multiple sets of m5.24xlarge without anybody blinking twice, but I’m not trusted to spend money to buy a ballpoint, for which I’ll have to go through the whole PO process. The disconnect here is unreal. When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything by necessity becomes a nail.

whitehouse3 6y ago

What stack are you using? I did the same thing not long ago with Flask and Plotly.

denkmoon 6y ago
We are required to use some internal assets, so I am using a combination of Flask, our "workflow execution platform", and some Amazon EC2, S3 and Glacier on the backend. Angular and a few data viz libraries for frontend. It's very rigid and slow :(

sukilot 6y ago

Why don't you build gateway to th standard tools?

denkmoon 6y ago
To put it bluntly, because that's not what the contract (that I had no part in) specifies. The proper solution is just to fix their firewall. The interim hack is what you've identified, do some sort of gateway. Unfortunately my bosses are non-technical and think we can simply copy google data studio with 1.5 guys and 12 months. Understandably I am seeking new employment.

fancyfish 6y ago

It truly is fascinating, the world of tools and ecosystems built up to sidestep inane security rules in organizations. Spoken from experience, this includes things like Anaconda in orgs where devs can’t use just any Python packages, or scripts from the internet copied and pasted into files because the firewall blocks git cloning. One could even consider AWS as a platform for devs to get around InfoSec red tape and have some semblance of control. The goal as a dev here is to fight the fewest fights to make tools available, by getting access to the biggest “bundles” of tooling they can. In such organizations, there is either no concept of cost/benefit of overly restrictive firewall rules, etc, or the culture is such that the security team has become entrenched and unquestionable.

Aeolun 6y ago
Can confirm. I’m able to spin up multiple sets of m5.24xlarge without anybody blinking twice, but I’m not trusted to spend money to buy a ballpoint, for which I’ll have to go through the whole PO process. The disconnect here is unreal. When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything by necessity becomes a nail.