The medical needs of developing countries are staggering and come in many shapes and sizes. The trouble is the real issues can only be understood once an individual or organization gets involved. About 10 years ago, our organization was routinely shipping medical supplies to hard-to-reach places. But what we found was that in many cases there were no hospitals to receive the supplies. We overcame this challenge by adapting the shipping containers used to move goods internationally into portable clinics outfitted with supplies and laptops. Once we were “on the ground” and learned more about the healthcare systems in countries such as Kenya, we found that even where there was an existing brick-and-mortar hospital, the medical software in place wasn’t really compatible with local needs. This was for two reasons: either it was too complex or it was not designed to tolerate the frequent Internet service gaps or disruptions that are common in developing regions.
Monthly Archives: December 2013
Storage: You Once Were the Weakest Link
One key element that is often missing in the avid discussions on what’s keeping more enterprises out of the cloud is a common recognition that storage in the cloud is simply not what it should be. It may surprise you, but to a large degree the solution to some of the cloud’s biggest concerns – such as security, compliance, control and complexity – has to do with storage.
So what’s wrong with storage in the cloud?
Unlike compute or networking in the cloud, storage in the cloud is very different from the storage enterprises use in their own data centers. If we look at cloud compute, the VMs are exactly the same as those you would provision in your own data center; networking is very similar: Internet Protocol (IP) and Virtual LANs let you connect machines to each other with reasonable performance and low latency. But storage in the cloud is not the same as that in an on-premise data center.
NAS Cloud Backup: How It’s Done
Having Network Attached Storage (NAS) can be a lot simpler than backing up a large number of individual user machines, however, the rules for NAS cloud backup may be different then you’re used to. Each NAS vendor has its own particular steps to follow. Here is how to back up NetApp devices with Zetta DataProtect. If you need to back up another type of NAS, contact Zetta.net.
Zetta’s NetApp backup works by reading a user generated configuration file which defines the data sources to back up and the appropriate login credentials to gain access to these data sources.
When the config file is read by Zetta, network mounts will be created to the defined data sources and the ZettaMirror agent triggers a snapshot on the NetApp appliance which is used to capture a consistent state of the NetApp file system and replicate the targeted data to the Zetta cloud. The ZettaMirror agent walks the directory tree, finds files that have changed and transmits the delta to Zetta. Once the transfer of data is complete, Zetta creates a snapshot of the file system on the Zetta storage end, deletes the NetApp snapshot and disconnects.
Agile Development Drives Enterprise DevOps & Public Cloud Adoption
In the past decade, many companies have moved towards the agile method of development rather than the traditional waterfall methodology. Even companies that do not strictly adhere to agile development will usually use a blend of both agile and waterfall techniques. Agile development has many characteristics that make it more suited to modern technology than the waterfall method. Today, agile development is very closely related to DevOps and the cloud.
Agile development allows companies an adaptability and flexibility that is simply not possible through traditional waterfall methodology. In a world that moves as fast as the modern tech industry, the ability to turn on a dime during the development process is invaluable to any company. The waterfall method requires a linear project schedule that advances from one stage to another while the agile method is modular and fluid. It is this same fluidity that ties agile development into enterprise DevOps and the public cloud.
Cloud Computing Takes Not-for-Profits to New Heights
Not-for-profits and cloud computing seem to be made for one another.
The cloud IT delivery model is well suited to not-for-profits (NFPs) for a number of reasons, according to an article on CMO.com. There are little to no upfront costs with cloud services and consumption is usually billed on a monthly subscription basis, allowing for predictable budgeting.
There are also fewer IT staff requirements; this is ideal for NFPs who might not have the resources to hire skilled technical staff. In the specific case of server hardware, no servers need to be purchased, maintained, or recycled with a cloud service.
Other tangible benefits of the cloud for NFPs include rapid deployment of services, and the convenience of being able to use the service from any location – ideal for staff and volunteers.
Six Daily Tips for DevOps
At its core DevOps is all about collaboration. The lines of communication must be opened and it takes some effort to ensure that they stay that way. It’s easy to pay lip service to trends and talk about implementing new methodologies, but without action, real benefits cannot be realized. Success requires planning, advocates empowered to effect change, and, of course, the right tooling.
To bring about a cultural shift it’s important to share challenges. In simple terms, ensuring that everyone knows what everyone else is doing can create a real team spirit and social cohesion that will drive DevOps forward. Here are six tips that can be implemented to help you get there.
Enterprise Mobility 2014 Is Going to the Cloud
Do you like opinions? I have asked my UK based colleague and opinionated enterprise mobility expert, Peter Rogers, to share some of his personal views and predictions for enterprise mobility in 2014 in this guest post. Do you disagree or agree with Peter? We would love your comments. Enjoy!
First, the days of the million pound MADP (mobile application development platform) are over. Customers want to see solutions with flexible cost models starting at a 250K entry point in Europe (probably double that in the US). They don’t want a black box take-it-or-leave-it approach for a million pounds.
Second, the virtues of MADPs have been greatly overstated. Customers now realise they can develop their own hybrid mobile applications using powerful yet inexpensive development tools, and they can manage the development themselves or with trusted SI partners.
The MADP business case is dead. However the original MCAP premise of putting the power into the developers’ hands for cross-platform apps and combining this with a Mobile Cloud Platform for life cycle management is alive and well today.
Cloud Storage: The Truth About Your Security
In light of the recent NSA snooping scandal via their PRISM program regarding private cloud computing security, many people are left wondering if their sensitive data is actually secure. In fact, the statistics points to this startling fact: businesses and individuals alike have been scrambling to remove their data from the cloud and away from any potential threats. Industry analysts have recently stated that the cloud arena is slated to lose roughly $35 BILLION (with a ‘B’) because of this debacle alone.
Red Hat Pathway to IT Modernization
Over time, every IT portfolio gets bogged down in the chaos of servers, platforms, and software that make up the current IT landscape. Legacy systems, disparate architectures, and aging technologies slowly eat away at returns, reduce your ability to respond to shifting demands, and limit how quickly you can scale to meet new market opportunities. IT modernization lets you reboot your portfolio for greater agility, reduced cost, and operational excellence. This frees up your time and money to focus on innovation, not implementation.
Selecting Cloud Security Brokers: ‘All-in-One’ or ‘Best-of-Breed’?
When we set out to build the PerspecSys Cloud Data Control Gateway, we faced an important design decision: would the market prefer an “All-in-One” or a “Best-of-Breed” Cloud Security Broker?
In the “All-in-One” camp, IT professionals have come to learn that the bundled modules from a single vendor have significant gaps in features that frequently lead to critical capability holes with implications ranging from operational scalability to compliance and security. Failing to address these shortcomings can be devastating for companies, potentially leading to financial loss and brand damage. This is because ”All-in-One” products tempt enterprises by offering multiple solutions, many of which the customer was not even considering using. Most of these complimentary modules do not make any of the industry-validated lists (e.g., Gartner Magic Quadrants) for capability or quality, and as a result are frequently not even mentioned in research or analyst rankings.