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Cloudflare BlazeHack Workshop: From Automation to AI at the Edge​

BlazeHack is a meticulously designed technical workshop series that empowers your team to leverage the Cloudflare Developer Platform for operational automation, workflow orchestration, and building intelligent, secure, and cost-efficient applications at the edge.

Workshop Goal: To empower your team to leverage the Cloudflare Developer Platform for operational automation, workflow orchestration, and building intelligent, secure, and cost-efficient applications at the edge.

The workshop is strategically crafted to provide participants with a hands-on, immersive journey through cutting-edge serverless technologies. Unlike traditional training programs, BlazeHack focuses on real-world application, enabling developers to transition from manual processes to automated, self-service solutions through direct, practical experience.

Core Themes​

The workshop is built around five foundational themes that transform how teams approach edge computing and automation:

Ops Automation​

Transitioning from manual tasks to self-service portals. Learn to automate repetitive operational work by building intelligent Workers that interact with APIs and services.

Workflow Orchestration​

Building modular, event-driven automation pipelines. Create sophisticated workflows that respond to triggers and process data at scale across the edge network.

Self-Service Interfaces​

Creating secure internal tools with Workers, Pages, and Access. Build user-friendly web interfaces that enable teams to manage operations without technical barriers.

Signal Processing & Enforcement​

Moving decision logic to the edge. Implement real-time processing and enforcement mechanisms that operate at the speed of your users' requests.

Developer Enablement​

Rapid prototyping and development without infrastructure overhead. Enable teams to build and deploy solutions quickly using Cloudflare's serverless platform.

Learning Objectives​

Participants will master the complete journey from manual operations to intelligent, automated systems at the edge:

Key Learning Outcomes​

  • Automate Operations: Replace manual tasks with intelligent Workers that integrate with existing systems
  • Build Self-Service Portals: Create secure, user-friendly interfaces for non-technical team members
  • Orchestrate Workflows: Design event-driven pipelines that scale automatically across the edge
  • Implement Edge Intelligence: Deploy AI-powered decision making close to users
  • Secure Everything: Apply Zero Trust principles and access controls throughout your applications
  • Scale Effortlessly: Leverage edge computing for global performance and reliability

Workshop Sessions Overview​

The workshop follows a progressive learning path across three comprehensive sessions:

Session 1: Automation at the Edge (Hands-On with Workers)​

Objective: Automate common operational tasks using Cloudflare Workers to interact with the Cloudflare API. This session focuses on replacing manual processes with code.

What You'll Build:​

  • Progressive API Development: Build a production-ready Worker API through 4 connected labs
  • Intelligence Collectors: Automated systems that gather security data from multiple sources
  • Enforcement Engines: Real-time security response systems that act on threats
  • Operational Workflows: Event-driven automation for common IT tasks

Learning Path:​

  1. Fundamentals: Setup, authentication, and "Hello World" Worker
  2. Ops Automation: Intelligence collectors and enforcement engines
  3. Workflow Automation: Threat intelligence pipelines and dynamic access control
  4. Identity Dynamic: Block page with enriched Access Deny reasoning
  5. Hands-On Exercises: Real-world automation scenarios

Session 2: Building Self-Service UIs with Pages & Access​

Objective: Build a user-friendly web interface for the automations created in Session 1, secured with Cloudflare Access.

What You'll Build:​

  • Self-Service Portals: User-friendly interfaces for non-technical team members
  • Secure Access Controls: Zero Trust authentication and authorization
  • Operational Dashboards: Real-time visibility into automation status
  • Integration Workflows: Connect your automation APIs with intuitive UIs

Session 3: Exploring AI and Advanced Architectures​

Objective: Explore the future of edge computing with Workers AI, building intelligent applications and performant data pipelines.

What You'll Build:​

  • AI-Powered Automation: Intelligent decision-making at the edge
  • Advanced Data Pipelines: High-performance data processing workflows
  • Edge Intelligence: Real-time AI inference close to users
  • Future-Ready Architectures: Scalable patterns for next-generation applications

Technology Stack:​

  • Runtime: Cloudflare Workers (serverless JavaScript/TypeScript)
  • Frontend: Cloudflare Pages with modern web frameworks
  • Storage: Cloudflare R2, D1 Database, KV
  • Queues: Cloudflare Queues for event-driven workflows
  • Security: Cloudflare Access, Zero Trust integration
  • AI: Workers AI for edge intelligence
  • Monitoring: Real-time analytics and logging
  • Deployment: Global edge network with instant scaling

Prerequisites​

Hardware Requirements​

  • Laptop with a reliable internet connection
  • Operating System: Windows 10/11, macOS, or Linux
  • RAM: Minimum 8GB recommended for optimal development experience
  • Storage: At least 5GB free space for tools and project files

Essential Software Setup​

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For detailed installation instructions and troubleshooting, see our comprehensive Prerequisites & Tools Installation Guide.

Development Environment​

  • Code Editor: Visual Studio Code or Zed
  • Terminal: Command line interface (built-in Terminal/PowerShell/Zsh)

Core Development Tools​

  1. Node.js & npm (Latest LTS version)

  2. Git (Version control)

  3. Wrangler (Cloudflare's CLI tool)

    • Install globally: npm install -g wrangler
    • Verify installation: wrangler --version

Cloudflare Account Setup​

  1. Cloudflare Account: Create a free account at Cloudflare
  2. API Token: Generate a Cloudflare API token for Worker deployments
  3. Wrangler Authentication: Run wrangler login to authenticate with your account

Platform-Specific Requirements​

Windows Users​

  • WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is strongly recommended
  • Follow the setup guide: Install WSL on Windows
  • This ensures compatibility with Unix-based development tools

All Users​

  • GitHub Account: Create a free account at GitHub
  • Browser: Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)

Pre-Workshop Checklist​

Before attending the workshop, please ensure:

  • All software is installed and functional
  • Cloudflare account is created and accessible
  • Wrangler is authenticated with your Cloudflare account
  • GitHub account is created and accessible
  • Command line tools respond correctly to version checks
  • Code editor is set up with basic extensions (if using VS Code)
  • Stable internet connection for cloud deployments

Complete Workshop Journey​

By the end of all three sessions, you'll have built a comprehensive automation and AI platform:

End-to-End Capabilities:​

  • Automated Operations: Replace manual processes with intelligent Workers
  • Self-Service Portals: Secure, user-friendly interfaces for team operations
  • AI-Enhanced Decision Making: Intelligent automation powered by edge AI
  • Zero Trust Security: Comprehensive access controls and authentication
  • Global Edge Deployment: Applications running at 300+ locations worldwide
  • Event-Driven Architecture: Scalable workflows that respond to real-time events

Real-World Applications:​

  • Security Automation: Threat detection, response, and remediation
  • User Management: Automated onboarding, access control, and compliance
  • Operational Efficiency: Self-service tools that reduce manual overhead
  • Data Processing: Real-time analytics and reporting at the edge
  • Developer Productivity: Rapid prototyping and deployment workflows

Need Help?​

If you encounter any issues during setup, don't worry! Our team will provide assistance during the workshop's setup session.