About

Some people have a notebook. I have a blog. This is where I put the things I can’t stop thinking about — cloud architecture, what’s on the stove, and the occasional existential detour.

Who I am

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I’m Chrisando Wagner — a father, Cloud Architect, Platform Engineer, and what colleagues politely call a Kubernetes Evangelist.

My first contact with computers was an IBM machine running DOS in high school — Word Perfect, a monochrome screen, and the absolute certainty that computational devices were the future. That conviction never left. I went on to study Computer Science formally, and have spent the 25+ years since working my way from technical support at Absa Bank and Cisco networking at MWeb Business, through managed service infrastructure at Syrex, to designing cloud platforms for one of South Africa’s largest banking groups.

In my world, Kubernetes isn’t just a tool — it’s the cornerstone of modern infrastructure strategy. I combine deep technical mastery with a practical mindset, helping organisations navigate their cloud journey from initial design to full-scale, automated deployment.

When I’m not debating the merits of different Gateway API controllers, I’m automating something in my homelab, practising DevSecOps, or experimenting in the kitchen.

What I do

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Cloud Architecture & Platform Engineering

Designing cloud-native and hybrid platforms end-to-end: from bare-metal hypervisors (VMware ESXi, Proxmox), OpenStack private clouds, and complex Microsoft Server environments to production Kubernetes clusters with GitOps-driven deployments, observability stacks, and zero-trust networking. Experienced in fully open-source infrastructure design — no vendor lock-in.

Kubernetes & Container Orchestration

Deep expertise across distributions — k3s, k0s, RKE2, OpenShift, OKD, Vanila — with a focus on CNI networking (Cilium + eBGP), Gateway API, multi-cluster strategies, and operator development.

DevSecOps & Automation

Building CI/CD pipelines with Argo Workflows, Argo Events, and ArgoCD. Shift-left security, infrastructure-as-code, and policy-as-code with tools like OPA/Gatekeeper.

Homelab & Learning

My homelab runs a four-node Proxmox cluster with HCI, multiple k3s or RKE2 clusters, dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 networking via Cilium BGP, and Kairos immutable OS nodes. It’s where I test everything before it goes anywhere near production.

Amateur Chef

The kitchen is my other lab. I approach cooking the same way I approach infrastructure — understand the fundamentals, then improvise. Fermentation, open-fire cooking, and anything that requires patience and a good thermometer.

Stack

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Connect

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