Da Nang Cloud Talk #2: Continuing the Journey of Connecting the Cloud & DevOps Engineering Community in Central Vietnam

On August 15, 2026, the second edition of Da Nang Cloud Talk officially returned, continuing its journey of connecting the Cloud & DevOps community in Da Nang and across Central Vietnam.

Under the theme “DevOps – Improve Efficiency, Reduce Costs Through Real-World Operations Challenges”, the event dedicated an entire morning to some of the most familiar challenges faced by engineering teams: how to operate systems more efficiently, maintain security, and keep costs under control as scale and traffic continue to grow.

From real-world cases involving infrastructure architecture, AI applications, and security to Amazon CloudFront optimization, Da Nang Cloud Talk #2 went beyond technical presentations by giving participants opportunities to practice hands-on, ask questions, and connect with others working in the same field.

Let’s take a look back at the key topics and activities from Da Nang Cloud Talk #2.

Knowledge and experience from real-world operational challenges

The three technical sessions at Da Nang Cloud Talk #2 explored different system operations scenarios, but they all shared one common message: a technical solution is only truly effective when engineers clearly understand what needs to be achieved in each specific context.

Understanding the problem before choosing the solution

Tran Phuoc Tuan – Infrastructure Engineer at SupremeTech presented a topic centered on subnets, NAT, and Cross-AZ costs on AWS.

One of the key questions raised during the session was whether an architecture considered a best practice is always the most suitable option for every system. Through a real-world case in the streaming industry, Tuan explained how server placement, data flows across availability zones, and the characteristics of different workloads can directly affect performance, security, and cost.

The session highlighted an important mindset in Cloud operations: rather than applying a fixed formula, engineering teams need to understand the system and accurately “read” the problem before deciding on the most appropriate approach for each situation. In this particular case, the optimized solution helped the business reduce its monthly operating costs by more than 50%.

Optimizing operations in the age of Agentic AI

As AI becomes an increasingly familiar part of an engineer’s daily work, the question is no longer simply, “What can AI do?” but rather, how can AI be applied effectively to system operations?

This question was explored in the session “Agentic AI in System Operations and Optimization”, presented by Ngo Manh Ha – CEO of TechX Corp. & Xbrain.

While AI is becoming increasingly capable of supporting problem investigation, data analysis, task execution, and operational optimization, people still play a critical role at every stage, especially when it comes to making decisions and ensuring the quality of the final outcome.

Optimizing operational costs with real traffic data

One of the greatest advantages of the cloud is its ability to handle large workloads and scale flexibly according to actual traffic. However, without careful measurement and optimization, this can also become one of the biggest sources of unnecessary spending.

Sharing a real-world case that had already demonstrated measurable results, Pham Thuc Phuoc – Infrastructure Manager at SupremeTech presented “Cut CloudFront Costs: Object Stats & Smart Caching”, focusing on how to make effective use of AWS CloudFront(*) without allowing costs to grow beyond expectations.

By analyzing content and traffic data, Phuoc selected an appropriate caching strategy and configured CloudFront behavior rules based on how the system was actually being used. The objective was not simply to reduce costs, but to find the right balance between content delivery speed, user experience, and operational efficiency.

Once again, the discussion returned to the central idea running throughout Cloud Talk #2: every technical decision needs to be considered within the real context of the system.

A lively panel discussion with diverse perspectives from industry experts

In addition to the technical sessions, Da Nang Cloud Talk #2 featured a panel discussion focused on three key areas: performance, traffic, and security.

The panel brought together:

• Nguyen Van Dao – CTO, SupremeTech
• Pham Thuc Phuoc – Infrastructure Manager, SupremeTech
• Nguyen Gia Hung – Head of Solutions Architect for Viet Nam and Cambodia, Amazon Web Services
• Nguyen Dinh Trong – CEO/Founder, pTrackly
• Huynh Van Bach – DevOps Leader, Monstarlab Vietnam

Beyond technical discussions, participants saw the session as a valuable opportunity to learn practical working skills and insights from professionals with extensive industry experience.

Technical knowledge is essential for young engineers looking to establish themselves in the industry, but soft skills and persistence are equally important in determining how far they can progress. A strong engineer needs to continuously sharpen both technical expertise and communication skills.

It is through face-to-face gatherings like this that the distance between experienced professionals and younger engineers can gradually be reduced. A strong community is one in which individuals not only become better versions of themselves, but also help others grow along the way.

That is also why the Organizing Committee intentionally dedicates a significant part of the program to discussions, Q&A, and hands-on activities: experiences that are difficult to gain from books alone.

Catch the Beacon: Hands-on security investigation in a simulated Cloud environment

One of the highlights of Da Nang Cloud Talk #2 was Catch the Beacon: Suspicious Domain Forensic, a hands-on challenge designed for Cloud engineers during the event.

Instead of simply watching a presentation about security, participants stepped directly into an AWS Lab environment, observed suspicious signals, and followed available data to investigate what was happening inside the system.

The challenge was built around a security scenario inspired by real-world operations, allowing participants to experience a step-by-step incident investigation process: gathering information, analyzing indicators, and identifying the root cause.

Building a meeting point for the Cloud & DevOps community in Central Vietnam

From the beginning, Da Nang Cloud Talk has been developed with the goal of creating an additional space for the Cloud & DevOps community in Da Nang and Central Vietnam to connect.

It is a place where engineers can share the problems they actually encounter in their work, hear how others approach similar challenges, and broaden their perspectives through direct conversations. Beyond the technical sessions, discussions during breaks, networking activities, and conversations after each presentation are also an important part of the event.

From Da Nang Cloud Talk #1 to #2, the Organizing Committee was delighted to welcome back familiar faces while also meeting many new members joining the community.

→ Read more in the official Da Nang Cloud Talk #2 press release to learn more about the event and its long-term community development vision.

Thank you to everyone who made Da Nang Cloud Talk #2 possible

The Organizing Committee would like to sincerely thank our speakers and guests Nguyen Gia Hung, Ngo Manh Ha, Nguyen Dinh Trong, Huynh Van Bach, Nguyen Van Dao, Pham Thuc Phuoc, and Tran Phuoc Tuan for taking the time to join the event and share their real-world experience with the community.

Thank you to Amazon Web Services (AWS), TechX Corp. & Xbrain, pTrackly, Monstarlab, and SupremeTech for participating in and supporting Da Nang Cloud Talk #2.

A special thank you goes to Swinburne University Vietnam – Da Nang Campus for supporting the event venue; TechX Corp. & Xbrain for sponsoring the tea break; and pTrackly for providing prizes for the community.

And finally, thank you to everyone who spent their weekend morning with us at Da Nang Cloud Talk #2, whether by asking questions, taking part in the challenge, or joining the many conversations and connections that happened beyond the stage.

It is the participation of the community that gives Da Nang Cloud Talk its true meaning.

See you at the next Da Nang Cloud Talk

The Da Nang Cloud Talk journey will not stop at #2.

In future editions, we hope to welcome even more engineers who are willing to bring their own challenges, accumulated experience, and proven solutions to share with the community.

Because knowledge does not come only from the people standing on stage. A community truly grows when every member can be both a learner and a contributor.

See you at the next Da Nang Cloud Talk! ☁️

(*) Amazon CloudFront is a high-speed Content Delivery Network (CDN) service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It helps deliver data, video, applications, and APIs to users around the world with low latency and high transfer speeds by caching copies of content at edge locations closer to end users.