Nasuni – Taking Cloud to the Next Level

I’ve been a cloud speculator since day one. In fact I’ve gone out of my way to introduce doubt into planning sessions where the hype had gone to far. Nasuni is the company which will turn me to the dark side. I’m jumping on the bandwagon. Nasuni bridges the gap between what you would build in your own data center and current public offerings. The key here is that their focus is only on file based storage. Block storage is out due to it’s inherent lack of tolerance for latency in any form. Bellow I’ve outlined my cliff notes of the Nasuni cloud storage offering.

Huge Problem = Disk to Disk or Cloud to Data Center data transfers take a really long time to complete. This becomes an exponentially bigger problem when dealing with multi terabyte much less multi petabyte data sets. RTO objects hinge on the time it takes to transfer data. With object based storage transfer time is removed.

Current Cloud
- Servers & Data Hosted within data center external to company
- Servers & Data Hosted within your data center (no optimization, isolated)
- Object based storage based on object based storage (Put, Get, Update – HTTPS)
- Data Assurance handled within cloud
- Eventual consistency model (object updates propagate, “eventually”)

Nasuni (Coined as “NetApp for the Cloud”)
- Object Based Storage (Cloud)
- Object Commands (Put, Get, Query, Update)
- NFS/CIFS encapsulated in HTTPS packet
- Objects Copied which ensures redundancy
- Any server serves any object through the use of a distributed hash table
- Infinite scalability… just add servers
- Storage as a service

What’s Missing: Standard protocols, access control, latency (delivery of multi-TB environments)

Ideal Scenario: Mirror Legacy Data Center
- Immediate Consistency
- Secure Multi-Site Access
- Complete SLA

Protection Requirements
- Version Control
- Offsite copies
- Application Dependencies (understand data structure)
- Compliance issues (HIPAA etc.)

Storage Controller = deliver consistent performance (no matter what!)
Nasuni Controller = Cloud Storage Controller

Nasuni (Storage As A Service VM or 1U unit)
- Posix File Systems (NFS, CIFS etc.) available in front of Object Storage
- Customer Encrypts Data at Customer Site
- SnapShots Created & Replicated based on Object Model
- Unlimited Storage (Add / Remove Array), Unlimited Bandwidth, Accessible from Anywhere…
- SLA Associated with Cloud Storage (They guarantee the data)
- Able to move data without customer knowing
- Application servers still reside within the data center (extending the cloud)
- Backend storage = Google & Amazon (Object Cloud Services)
- Leverage the biggest data center in the world that also have the most bandwidth
- Control at volume / export layer (allow one site read only vs. read/write
- Buy 1 TeraByte per Year ($8k-$12k) = 3 heads

Edge Nasuni NAS Appliance (Cloud Edge Device)
-Caching (Pre-Fetch Meta Data
-Secure (OpenPGP Encryption & Active Directory Authentication)
-WAN Acceleration (Dedupe, Compression… all performed prior to transfer to cloud)
-Speed over wire critical, ensures quick data recovery
-Charge for usable storage ONLY
-Convert Protocols (CIFS/NFS -> HTTPS)
-15 minute recovery (Download new VM, Tell it what filer to recover, specify pgp key.)
-Unlimited snapshots = No Backup Limit
-Retention Option, By default they keep everything!

Summary

• Works like a NAS
• Never fills up
• Needs no offsite protection
• Needs no backup
• Synchronized globally

Condo Surround Sound System

Recently I set out to find a reasonably priced surround sound system for my small condo (800 sqft.) While searching for a small solution I saw that sound bars might be a good fit. The downside mentioned within reviews was that you’d probably need to buy a subwoofer in addition to the soundbar. This would mean tuning and possibly purchasing a receiver.

My friends suggested I take a look at Bose systems since their speakers take up such a small foot print. I found that the acoustimass 5 system from Bose got great reviews and was now a couple years old. After looking at new systems the price point just wasn’t justifiable so I turned to craigslist. Locally I picked up a system for $180. This is a steal in my mind considering the system still sells for $600. I paired the speakers with a Yamaha receiver and hooked it up to my Apple TV. All said and done I spent roughly $450 for a great sound system that I can stream music to over Wifi and also enjoy while watching television and movies.

New Small Condo Sound System
$180.00: Bose Acoustimass 5 – 4 speakers + Subwoofer + Bose Speaker Stands
$175.00: Yamaha RX-V367 – B Stock
$100.00: Apple TV (Version 2)

Decisions decisions…

So while not a technical post, I thought it was time to delve into my other passion… CARS.  At this point I’ve had around 3 years to sit idle without a car and debate all of the fine examples out there that warrant my interest.  I’ve gradually broken down the list of possible choices and weeded out those which fall way outside of my price range or those which do but don’t meet my key criteria.  So onto the criteria…

The must have’s:
1. Manual transmission

2. High performance potential and track superiority (ie. it must handle really well not just in a straight line)

3. Exclusivity, just because it meets the first two items doesn’t mean it’s in a league of its own.

So, the contenders which I’ve considered are as follows:
1. Lexus IS-F

2. Audi RS4

3. BMW M3

4. Porsche Carrera S/4S

5. Some kind of build, ie. purchase a Lexus GS300 and perform an LS1 engine swap + full cage conversion then drift the hell out of it.

Out of the cars listed above it’s taken quite a while to whittle down what really fits my requirements.  There are simply to many combinations in terms of potential builds and after market options.  This last piece is key since I am at heart a modding enthusiast.  So let’s boil down each car and find out which two are left for contemplation.

First up the Lexus IS-F

So, for starters I really like the subtle style of the car.  The combination of the HP increase, the brake package, as well as the background regarding how and why the car was built really make it a contender.  After keeping it in my top three for over a year it got dropped due to my first condition.  And that would be the transmission.  I don’t care if Ferrari is converting all of their cars to flappy paddle auto/manuals.  True manuals are built for true driving enthusiasts and this is the final nail in the coffin for this car.  Granted the 8 speed automatic is no slouch and would also help with MPG’s in my commute but it’s still a compromise.  So on to the next car…

Audi RS4

I’ll admit, I’ve been a die-hard Audi fan since my first car which was an Audi 1989 5000S.  The RS4 is and has been one of my dream cars for quite some time.  Since I’m from New England the combination of Quattro AWD + 400+ HP is music to my ears.  This car is also a serious engineering achievement with a red line which almost tops 9k rpm.  This is unheard of with a V8.  There are of course some issues which have cropped up since its introduction in 2007.  The V8′s use of direct injection has proven to be a sore spot in what seems a winning combination.  A simple google search will yield results which prove that Audi has a serious issue with Carbon Buildup which is directly associated with the newly introduced injection technology.  Over the years enthusiast just like me have documented how to deal with this issue and the frequency of cleanings required.  Did you catch that last piece?  Yeah… cleanings per year or per years plural.  This cramps the RS4′s style in a big way.  But I guess in the end the phrase “You have to pay to play” comes to mind.  The car as a whole even with this key issue still fits into my list of possible must have’s.  So… on to the next one.

BMW M3

It’s the pinnacle of BMW performance.  The car that is not to big (M5/M6), and not to small (M1 shortly coming out).  It caters to the driver much like the RS4 and the IS-F.  But is more pure in its pursuit of perfection (personal opinion).  I’ll admit I’m slightly biased since I’ve attended a BMW driving event and have experienced what the brand has to offer.  The car out of the box whether in Sedan or Coupe format conform to my list of requirements.  Manual transmission (Check), high performance & track oriented (Check), Exclusive? sort of, I see at least 5-10 a week so they aren’t exactly rare.  You can see that the M3 gets compared pretty harshly out of the gate and I guess it’s because for some reason I’m not drawn to it.  It is pure in its pursuit of driving perfection, but it still has its flaws.  Lets start with the engine.  Its a V8 much like the RS4 but it can be out performed by its little brother the 335.  This makes the 335 suddenly a contender when it shouldn’t be.  I think BMW is about to correct this mistake shortly with the M3 which will come out in the next year or two.

Porsche Carrera (2006+) S/4S

Porsche really wasn’t considered in my original list until a friend picked up a Carrera S.  After the first ride in it I knew that I had found something special.  Whether in its base form or in its tweaked S or 4S variants Porsche represents an unmatched competitor when looking at driver experience.  So with that being said the car/s are not without their faults.  Lets address the obvious, it’s a coupe, there is no 4 door option at least not without a $100k+ price tag.  The cars are known for being quite reliable, but with one caveat.  Even the latest revision of the Carrera/S engine they still suffer from inter mediate shaft bearing (IMS) failure. This causes catastrophic engine failure, kind of a downer considering it will cost you about $18k to replace it.  Besides that small issue the cars are known for being bullet proof and have a solid heritage which encourages track days, daily driving, and year round flogging of what is a sick enthusiast car.

Build it myself…

The last option while out of left field is to find a generic car and turn it into a dedicated track car.  This option is a trade-off since when you go down this route the vehicle becomes a nuisance as a daily driver.  This means that overall the amount of time spent in it enjoying it is less than the previous choices.  Granted compromises can be made and the car of choice can be tweaked and tuned to the level which I’m comfortable with.  The cost associated with the build is also a consideration since starting out with this scenario means shelling out a small amount followed by pouring money into something which is worth less than the parts I’ll end up installing when said and done.  The caveat is that it will be a true build starting from scratch with performance and handling gains being measured from the car being in its stock vanilla form.  This follows the “built, not bought” thought complex which I know and respect.

So now that everything has been put into perspective lets remove the outliers.  The IS-F while a contender is off the list due to its transmission.  The M3 is next on the axe list.  It’s no slouch and offers all of the performance points but less of the exclusivity.  This of course makes it more desirable in some ways due to the high level of after market support.  My friends I’m sure will read this and have an opinion which may sway me but for now I’ll continue down to the last two.  The last option while tempting would consume far too much time due to build time and wait time for the fun factor to be achieved.  The second piece of this puzzle is reliability.  When starting with a car that has either sat for to long (low mileage) or been driven for years there are many key components which will need to be replaced as the build progresses.  This while understandable is more an annoyance then a selling point.  I know the nay sayers would argue that with the amount of end build cost we’re talking about I could easily put together a car in no time at all and come out with a considerably lower build cost.  No matter it’s still on the list and will be considered as an option until I make my final purchase.

This leaves the last two unlikely contenders.  The Audi RS4 and the Porsche Carrera.  They are entirely different cars but I believe they both evoke the same end state… driving bliss.  Time will tell as to which I end up with.  A follow-up post will tell the end state of my debate.

iPhone 4g Case Review – IvySkin

While I normally hate iPhone cases the IvySkin case I ordered actually exceeded my expectations on all fronts.  In general I hate phone cases.  Mostly because they add bulk to something that is designed to be as small as possible.  Plus they remove the feel of the phone and in some cases add weight.

I purchased the ivyskin iphone 4g clear case.  The features that stand out in my mind are the feel of the case, the included protection covers for both the front and back of the phone and the overall quality of the case.

Feel: The case is smooth like butter.  It truly mimics the smooth feel of the uncovered iphone.  This is a huge plus since I hate the feeling of cheep plastic.

Build Quality: The case is super thin (0.6mm to be exact) and made out of a single piece of plastic.  Installing the case is quick and easy as is removal.  Additional thought was made to include 2 screen protection covers. One for the back of the iPhone and one for the front.  Most companies do the obvious and include a front screen protector, almost never is the back of the iphone considered.  The back protector is designed to ensure that grit or dust trapped between the phone and the case does not scratch the glass or plastic on the edge of the iphone.

Value: For $14.99 with FREE shipping you get the case + two screen protectors and installation gear.  If I went down to my local Apple store I’d be hard pressed to buy the same items for less.  Plus what I’d end up with wouldn’t be as nice.

What’s Included

• Crystal clear case, super thin, smooth like butter…
• Two (count them!) two iphone screen protection covers.
• Installation aids/gear 1 squeegee, one micro clothe

Overall I’m really impressed with the IvySkin case and am surprised that Apple stores don’t carry them.  This case is leaps and bounds better than the equivalent competitor cases.

Calibrate iPhone GPS

So… technically you can’t calibrate your iPhones GPS.  What you can do is force it to rethink how it figures out where you are.  I created this post because I recently ran into this exact issue.  The issue being that my iPhone for no apparent reason was extremely inaccurate when showing my current location through google maps.  When looking at Google maps my current location was off by roughly 4 miles.  Yes MILES!!!

So on to the fix.  I was able to get my gps position refreshed to within 500-1000 feet of what it should have been by doing all of the following in no specific order.

1. Switch the network from 3G to Edge or vise versa (Settings -> General -> Network -> 3G ON/OFF)
2. Open google maps and click the “location” option found within the lower left corner of the screen.
3. Wait for your location to shift… then close Google Maps.
4. Disable data services (Settings -> General -> Network -> Cellular Data ON/OFF)
5. Perform Step 2 again… and wait, then close Google Maps.
6. At this point you may have to perform step 1 and 2 again if your position has not corrected itself.

Verizon DSL Firewall Ports

While home for the holidays I found out that my parents DSL router needed some updates. Specifically to allow some common applications which my siblings needed to use both a schools VPN and also some common iPhone ports.

Verizion DSL/Wifi Router
model327W/B99-327W15

#iphone gmail port
pass to port 993 >> done

#forti vpn client port
pass to port 10443 >> done

# iphone facetime ports
pass protocol udp, to port >= 3478, to port > done
pass protocol udp, to port >= 16384, to port > done
pass protocol udp, to port >= 16393, to port > done
pass to port 5223 >> done

Windows – Confirm System Uptime

When running windows system check scripts it’s nice to know when your server was last rebooted.  The command shown bellow generates this information.

net stats srv | findstr "since"

Technical Interviews – Observations, tips, and negotiation strategies

I’ve recently done quite a lot of interviewing.  Last time I added up the total number I realized I’ve done over 15+ in the past month alone.  Each interview and company has been different in many ways.  In this post I will review some of my observations and preparation techniques I’ve used.  To be clear I will not be revealing specific interview questions posed by any companies but will present some broad examples which are not directly correlated to a single entity.

Interviews

Pre

When talking to a recruiter make sure they outline the roles and responsibilities of the position. Key pieces to focus on are the level of the position (Senior / Non-Senior / Architect etc.), Travel expectations, and most important what the format will be for the first interview.  As part of the format question you should ask if there is any specific topic they would like you to be able to speak about.

With this in midn do your homework! I was surprised that only one out of 10 companies I interviewed with actually followed up on this question with legitimate “home work” for my interview.  In my opinion more companies should give potential candidates home work for their interview.  This ensures that the candidate knows what is expected of them and also helps the candidate get a head start on researching products which he/she is either not familiar with or has not recently worked on.

A case in point.  I know EMC DMX arrays really well.  I’ve worked in large and small environments which utilize pretty much every replication option they have.  I have however not touched a DMX in a while.  So… going into an interview where DMX hardware is in use I review my DMX notes and login to EMCs support site and read the latest news.  This goes beyond the marketing fluff… I dig into how the latest micro code impacts provisioning requirements and also what the latest technology shift & value added proposition is.  The point I make is be ready to talk… because that’s all an interview is talking and more talking.

This brings up an additional point.  Bring examples of your work.  I can’t stress this enough, talking about your work and showing your work are two entirely different things.  Demonstrate what you hope to accomplish and show them how you’ve accomplished similar tasks in the past.  I print out example documents I’ve written which bolster my value added approach in an interview.  Dropping a 25+ page document on the table keeps me from having to explain every minute detail regarding ECC discovery issues, shut down & start up procedures etc.  It also dictates that I can backup my pitch.

During

It’s crunch time… the interview makes or breaks all the work you’ve done leading up this moment.  Saying it that way adds more stress then is actually warranted.  The interview should accomplish one thing and one thing only.  The one thing is determining whether you are a good fit for the company and also more importantly if the company is a good fit for you. I realize this sounds like two things but it’s really one thing finding the answer to the “is this a good fit question”.

With this in mind technical interviews are not your average meet and greet session.  Bellow I’ve outlined how I approach technical interviews.

Review technical fundamentals & current best practices associated with your profession.

Relax

Keep it simple

Stop & Think

Ask questions before answering an ambiguous question

If you don’t know say so, but more importantly state that you know where/how to find the answer

Post

Follow up with a simple thank you note.  This will ensure the people you interviewed with know that you are interested in the position and will also foster further communication.  A question which is commonly asked is “should I follow up with everyone I interviewed with?”.  This is a tough one since sometimes I’ve interviewed with as many as 9 people at a time.  It all comes down to a judgement call.  In some cases it may only be necessary to follow up with the key decision makers.  In any case you get points for doing your due diligence and thanking all parties for both their time and the presented opportunity.

Salary Negotiation

Determine salary range of position

Ask for what you want!

Be ready to back up your claim by showing them the value you present.

It’s quite simple… research your specific industry.  Find the rough median salary and also the range of salaries being offered.  This last bit is crucial. One of the key questions you’ll be asked during the interview process is “What is your salary requirements?”.  This is a leading question and should be responded to with an equally important question; “What is the salary range for the position?”.  The companies response will dictate whether or not they can accommodate your requested salary. It will also dictate the level of the position and the potential for growth.  One rule which I stick to is to never take a position where I am maxing out the “band” salary range. This will never look good in a promotion review.  Under achievers and lifers max out their salary band range.  Bold employees who hit the ground running receive a high salary which is in the median range of the total salary range.

Offer Letters

Be very careful when reviewing offer letters.  A key piece to check is the conditions of the offer.  These can be in the form of signing bonuses which have retention periods or certain requirements you’ll need to meet to either qualify for the position or to retain a signing bonus.  Another loop hole may be conditions written into the offer letter which dictate how your salary will be calculated and the possible impact of moving from a high profile contract to a lesser contract. This last piece is the most crucial out of the above pointers… an offer is not real until you receive a written/physical copy.  It is also important to note that verbal agreements are just that… verbal.  Until you sign an official offer letter (no contingencies) you are not obligated to work for the company.

This last piece may raise flags with recruiters and companies.  The fact of the matter is that they are not committed to employing you until all paper work has been officially approved and signed off on.  My pessimistic approach to dealing with offer letters and companies in general usually yields better results.  I want them to push just as hard as I’m pushing to find and follow through on a good offer being made.

Bellow is a list of key points I focus on when reviewing offer letters

Retention periods: Maximum 12 months.  If you are presented with a 2 year or 18 month contract negotiate down to 12 months.  They may also present a sliding scale in terms of retention period and the amount of money you’ll need to pay back.

Base Salary Guaranteed: By this I mean no matter what contract they end up putting you on they must pay you the base salary stipulated in the offer letter.

Conditional Offers: Companies can present conditional offers as stated above which require either that the company win a contract or that you full a specific requirement.  When presented with an offer of this kind DO NOT stop researching and pursuing other opportunites.  This last piece is key, since there are no guarantees with a conditional offer.

Performance based incentives: Always note the percent of salary they offer on yearly performance based incentives. Also ask what the average incentive was last year for someone in a position equivalent to the one you are applying for.

Brain dump in progress…

Fabric Migrations – Thoughts & Considerations

As time passes hardware life cycles come to an end.  With the purchase of new equipment customers, contractors, and the companies supplying replacement hardware are faced with the task of making physical changes to production environments. Physical changes made are in the form of replacement of storage arrays, fabric switches, and in some situations a parallel server consolidation effort.  This post will discuss the planning considerations for making a physical cut over from an old SAN fabric to a new fabric.

Premise: New director switches have been purchased and all production servers need to migrated from the old to the new fabric.
Assumption: A storage migration plan has been established and has been kicked off.

Note: depending on the storage vendor and tools available cut over to the new fabric may occur before, during, or after the storage migration.

Before: New storage arrays are added in line on new fabric and data migration is performed array to array.
During: Hosts are migrated to new fabric once a back end data migration has been completed (array to array).
After: Data migration completed prior to cutting over hosts to new fabric.

Key questions need to be addressed and documented before approaching a fabric migration

- What OS’s are present within the SAN environment?

- Do all hosts have redundant paths to disk?

- Are all clusters identified and accounted for?

- Are any hosts using disk from multiple storage arrays?

- Have all host connections been audited/confirmed in terms of alias to host HBA WWN association?

- Determine physical location of ALL hosts which will need to be migrated.

- Are all host os versions and patch levels supported by the new hardware (hba, server os, etc.)

- Audit zone sets, confirm all host alias values, delete all bad/old zone sets.

Special attention should be paid to HP-UX hosts.  If HP-UX hosts do exist the new and old SAN fabric will need to have identical switch domain ID’s. This is due to the fact that HP-UX hosts include the connected switches domain ID in the recognized path to disk.  Bottom line, if you have HP-UX hosts identify which switches they are on and ensure that you have identical domain ID’s on switches the hosts will be migrated to/from.  This will remove a lot of headaches when performing the fabric migration for HP-UX hosts.

Fabric Merge (migrate Zones & aliases)

Zoning Impact:  Hard Zoning Vs. Soft Zoning

With Hard Zoning all zones will need to be recreated based on the new ports which will be used by hosts.

With Soft Zones the prospect of merging a fabric and simply moving the hosts drop becomes and option.  Provided  zone sets and host aliases migrate successfully.

“Cold” cutover: shut down everything and migrate fabric drops

“Hot” cutover: Merge fabrics by connecting new and old fabric switches via ISL (Not compatible in installations where HP-UX is in use).  Switches new and old must be compatible.

Brain dump in progress…

TPC 4.1 – Component Differences & Limitations

TPC 4.1 comes in two key flavors basic and standard edition.  TPC basic edition only includes disk and fabric management capabilities.  It is also important to note that it does not include performance analysis capabilities.  TPC standard edition expands upon the basic edition capabilities with multiple components designed to allow complete management of a storage environment.

TPC 4.1 Basic Edition

Disk & Fabric Management included

TPC 4.1 Standard Edition*

Disk Component: Discover and manage storage arrays and tape libraries.

Fabric Component: Discover and manage multiple fabrics from the standard TPC interface.

Data Component: Discover and manage hosts attached to storage arrays discovered by TPC.

Replication Component: Connect and monitor multiple TPC sites enhancing disaster recovery fail over capabilities.

*Licensing controls whether a component is visible within the TPC GUI interface.