Ceph is an open source distributed object store, network block device, and file system designed for reliability, performance, and scalability. With an advanced placement algorithm, active storage nodes, and peer-to-peer gossip protocols, Ceph scales from terabytes to exabytes with no single point of failure. Through native integrations with OpenStack and Apache CloudStack, Ceph provides a complete object and block storage solution for cloud data. Instead of using scale-up storage appliances, Ceph is a software solution that works on commodity hardware.

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Delegate registrations for OpenStack Fundamentals Summit is FREE but seating is limited, so we will honor registrations on a first-come, first-served basis. Your confirmed registration will give you FREE access to «full networking opportunities» at Cloud Expo Silicon Valley [November 4-7], exhibit floor access and conference keynotes.

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Delegate registrations for OpenStack Fundamentals Summit is FREE but seating is limited, so we will honor registrations on a first-come, first-served basis. Your confirmed registration will give you FREE access to «full networking opportunities» at Cloud Expo Silicon Valley [November 4-7], exhibit floor access and conference keynotes.

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For cloud providers, offering predictable storage performance backed by firm SLAs will become a competitive differentiator that drives greater customer affinity and a better application experience. Many providers feel that a Software Defined Storage (SDS) frameworks hold the key to delivering guaranteed performance, yet this «software abstraction layer» is only half of the solution. SDS frameworks are dependent on the virtualized resources presented to it, and without the granular abstraction of physical storage resources, these frameworks will remain limited.

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Enterprise applications are increasing in complexity, with multi-tier and distributed applications being the new standards for dealing with high-volume, high-scale requirements. In many development environments, the ideal scenario is to enable DevOps teams to manage dev/test environments in public clouds, with on-demand, usage based billing model – and to ultimately deploy these complex applications in on-premises clouds. Achieving application portability between heterogeneous cloud environments is critical to achieve the productivity goals of DevOps – yet often requires time-consuming workarounds. This article will present examples of approaches employed today, including newer options for model-driven cloud management platforms with their emphasis on automating application portability and approach to eliminating cloud lock-in.

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Is your IT organization being pushed to increase the tempo of your software release cycles? Do you currently automate application builds and the creation of staging environments? Do you always test thoroughly before pushing code out to production? Does your hair catch on fire every time you put out a new release? IT organizations large and small are turning to the set of processes, technologies, and organizational practices called DevOps as a way to deal with the need to release software more often and with less trouble by changing the way the Development and Operations teams cooperate.

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Strong InfoSec strategies must answer the key questions of who is logging in, what is accessed, when was it changed and how is the IT landscape affected.
Enterprise security can be a labyrinthine, complex beast with many moving parts, dozen upon dozen of requirements, needs, implications, options and alternatives.
But when we get down to the nitty gritty (the brass tacks if you will), cloud security can be simplified by six simple questions.

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SYS-CON Events announced today that Aria Systems, powering recurring revenue for the enterprise, will exhibit at SYS-CON’s 13th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 4–7, 2013, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Aria Systems powers recurring revenue for the enterprise enabling market expansion, improving customer relationships, and providing more revenue predictability. The Aria Cloud Billing platform is used by brand name companies such as Pitney Bowes, AAA NCNU, Experian, Red Hat, Ingersoll Rand, EMC, VMware, and HootSuite to evolve their recurring businesses while delivering outstanding customer experiences.

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Check your misconceptions about Social Media at the door. Forget about «buzz» and «awareness»: Social Media can be – and should be – a huge revenue channel for your organization.
In his session at the 13th International Cloud Expo®, Hollis Tibbetts, Director for Global Marketing Operations for Dell Software Group, will review the strategies, techniques, tools, «dos & don’ts» that will help you – whether you’re an entrepreneur or a multi-national corporation – create practical and actionable plans for turning Social Media into a reliable and measurable revenue machine.
This session is based on the presenter’s real-life experiences and «lesson’s learned» from the practical applications of Social Media as both an entrepreneur and as part of a Fortune 100 corporation.
Hollis Tibbetts is currently Director for Global Marketing Operations for Dell Software Group. He has established himself as a successful software marketing and technology expert. His various strategy, marketing and technology articles are read nearly 50,000 times a month.
Hollis has developed substantial expertise in middleware, SaaS, Cloud, data management and distributed application technologies, with over 20 years experience in marketing, technical, product management, product marketing and business development roles at leading companies in such as Pervasive, Aruna (acquired by Progress Software), Sybase (now SAP), webMethods (now Software AG), M7 Corporation (acquired by BEA/Oracle), OnDisplay (acquired by Vignette) and KIVA Software (acquired by Netscape). He has established himself as an industry expert, having authored a large number of technology white papers, as well as published media articles and book contributions.

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That’s one big check for Big Blue.
IBM won a federal cloud-computing contract with a maximum value of $1 billion, its largest such agreement with the U.S. government, according to an article on Bloomberg.com.
The Interior Department awarded similar, 10-year pacts to nine other suppliers, including Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), which also described the agreement as its largest federal cloud contract.
The deals might reach a combined $10 billion, allowing the agency to speed its efforts to move information to the cloud, a Web-based pool of shared resources such as data storage and software. Other U.S. departments may eventually tap the program.
The agreement shows that “IBM’s ability to help governments transform with new technologies, like cloud, continue to grow,” Michael Rowinski, a spokesman for the Armonk, New York-based company, said in an e-mail yesterday.

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