WebSocket is effectively a persistent and fat pipe that is compatible with a standard web infrastructure; a “TCP for the Web.” If you think of WebSocket in this light, there are other more hugely interesting applications of WebSocket than just simply sending data to a browser.
In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Frank Greco, Director of Technology for Kaazing Corporation, will compare other modern web connectivity methods such as HTTP/2, HTTP Streaming, Server-Sent Events and new W3C event APIs with WebSocket.
He will also look at how WebSocket provides innovative enhancements for dynamic hybrid cloud computing connectivity. By providing proprietary TCP-based IoT with a common connectable substrate (Web of Things), we can obtain advantages for connected devices such as global reach, ease of deployment, economies of scale, and ease of development.
Monthly Archives: February 2016
The top five in-demand cloud skills for 2016
(c)iStock.com/sommail
Now acting as the technological cornerstone for businesses across the globe, the growth of cloud computing continues at a phenomenal rate – and as a result, the employer demand for cloud professionals has exploded.
In 2015, there were an estimated 18 million cloud computing jobs globally, according to WANTED Analytics, and it’s a number that is only set to increase with LinkedIn reporting ‘cloud and distributed computing’ as the number one hottest skillset to get you hired in 2016.
With that in mind, it’s worth breaking down this skillset into the five most popular skills required of the modern cloud professional – and how you can go about developing those skills.
Migration
Despite the widespread adoption of cloud, millions of businesses are still contemplating, or in the process of, migrating their on-premise infrastructure. This continues to create significant demand for professionals with the skills to facilitate this migration.
Cloud professionals overseeing migration projects will need a sound knowledge of the different cloud deployment models available to businesses. They’ll also need to understand the existing infrastructure of an organisation, whilst having the knowledge to map applications and workloads running on existing servers and relocate them to the cloud equivalent.
For individuals considering Microsoft’s public and private cloud technologies, it’s worth taking a look at the MCSE: Private Cloud and Specialist: Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions certification courses. These courses focus on developing the skills to manage and implement the Azure and System Center cloud computing technologies. You should also consider the MCSA: Windows Server 2012 course, which can be deployed across both public and private cloud offerings.
Security
Security is always a major concern for businesses when it comes to technology, and cloud is no exception; a 2015 study from BT claims business leaders rate security as ‘the number one concern for cloud computing’. It’s a concern which is unlikely to disappear with organisations continuing to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons following high profile breaches.
Cloud security skills are critical for any business adopting the technology, especially since the UK average cost of a single data breach is reported to be a terrifying £2.37 million. IT pros who can demonstrate these skills will be hot property in 2016.
If you’re looking to develop cloud security skills, then (ISC)2’s Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) credential should be your number one target. A collaborative effort between (ISC)2 and the Cloud Security Alliance, the credential builds skills incorporating data security, platform and infrastructure security and compliance, amongst others.
Database
In an interconnected world, we now create 2.5 quintillion (30 zeroes) bytes of data every day. Companies are desperate draw insights from this invaluable information, fuelling demand for professionals with the skills to store, manage and access this data. With these databases increasingly hosted on cloud platforms, now is the time to invest in learning a database querying language and an associated database platform.
SQL is the de-facto standard language to learn. Then, if you’re considering developing skills around a database platform, it’s worth looking at Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database or an open-source platform like MySQL, Hadoop or Mongo DB.
If you go searching for SQL querying courses, they’re a dime a dozen. As for the platforms, there exist established certification tracks for Oracle and Microsoft. For the world of open-source there’s the MongoDB university, while Oracle cover MySQL training and Hadoop courses are available from Cloudera.
Programming language
Cloud adds a new dimension to the world of development. Developers can now build, deploy and manage applications quickly that can scale to unlock the full capabilities of cloud. These type of developers are hugely valuable to businesses.
In recent years, we have seen new programming languages like Python, Perl and Ruby rise to prominence in the cloud application development ecosystem. While traditional languages like .NET, Java and PHP continue to be popular.
If you’re starting out, choosing a programming language like Python or Perl is a good starting point. They are high level languages, making them easier to learn. Codecademy is an excellent resource with free courses including Ruby, Python and Java. For those looking to stand out, learning a second language will increase your employability, especially if it’s a mainstream language.
Linux
Demand for cloud professionals with Linux skills is huge right now. More than 25% of servers powering Azure are Linux based, a percentage that’s only set to grow as Microsoft continues to embrace the open-source market. Businesses are increasingly on the hunt for professionals with the skills to design, architect, build, administer and maintain Linux servers in a cloud environment.
For those wishing to seek out Linux skills, the Linux Foundation Certified Systems Administrator will develop the skills to administer a Linux Server. While Microsoft’s MCSA: Linux on Azure develops the skills to create cloud-enabled Linux solutions that leverage the full capability of the Azure platform.
Conclusion
These are in our opinion the top five cloud skills to get you hired in 2016 and beyond. Whichever area you choose, you’ll be opening the door to new and exciting opportunities. It could be a new project, a coveted raise or even a whole new career direction. What are you waiting for?
DevOps and App Supportability | @DevOpsSummit #DevOps #Microservices
On a recent road trip I was reminded about the importance of DevOps feedback loops and application supportability.
I enjoy driving into the Australian outback. This probably explains why I prefer to take the back roads. On my last trip I did just that; forgoing the fast highway for a more sedate but picturesque route. Deciding to fill up at a small country town gas station on my way home I hit a snag. The marvelous electronic park brake system wouldn’t disengage. It was late and I was stuck up that proverbial creak without a paddle – 200+ miles from home.
ColumnIT to Exhibit at @DevOpsSummit | @ColumnIT #DevOps #Microservices
SYS-CON Events announced today that Column Technologies will exhibit at SYS-CON’s @DevOpsSummit at Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Established in 1998, Column Technologies is a global technology solutions provider with over 400 employees, headquartered in the United States with offices in Canada, India, and the United Kingdom.
Column Technologies provides “Best of Breed” technology solutions that automate the key DevOps principals and help our customers meet today’s DevOps and Digital Transformation challenges.
Adobe moves to stop Creative Cloud from deleting user data
Adobe Systems has been forced to take action after Creative Cloud graphics service started deleting delete important user data from its Mac users, for no apparent reason.
The deletions took place without warning or permission and seem to have been triggered after users of the Mac version of Creative Cloud had logged in after a new update to the service had been installed.
The problem was reported by data backup service Backblaze which posted a warning to users on its web site, outlining the root of the problem. On signing in to the Creative Cloud, Mac users of the cloud services were somehow activating a script that deletes the contents of the first folder in the Mac’s root directory, which is prioritised by alphabetical order. This was a particularly bad problem for Backblaze users, because the first folder liable for deletion on their service would be a hidden root folder called .bzvol which contains critical information. The hierarchical naming scheme used to identify this folder happened to coincide with the priorities of the rogue deletion script, so the Mac user’s most important files were deleted first.
Backblaze technical support has issued a Youtube video to explain the phenomenon to puzzled users after social media outlets such as Twitter began to register large numbers of complaints about unauthorized data deletions. The problem could be even worse for other users, who don’t use Backblaze, since the first folder in line for deletion in their Mac root drive would be DocumentRevisions-V100. This is a folder that stores data required for the Mac autosave and Version History functions to work properly. The loss of these contents could leave creative users with severe version control problems and the loss of work which they would have assumed would be automatically saved.
In other circumstances the bug will delete any folders with spaces in the name, which would automatically appear at the top of the listing.
Adobe said it is stopping the distribution of the update until the issue has been resolved. The version causing the deletions is 3.5.0.206. Adobe has warned Creative Cloud users to delay any updates for the time being.
Verizon announces its plans to pull out of public cloud
Verizon Communications has served notice to its customers that it is to pull the plug on its public cloud offering.
The news emerged as security researcher Kenn White used Twitter to publish a copy of a customer communication sent from Verizon Communications, which warned client that Verizon will ‘discontinue its Public Cloud, Reserve Performance and Marketplace services on April the 12th. As an alternative, Verizon said it will offer Virtual Private Cloud which, it says, provides the cost effectiveness of a multi tenant public cloud but includes added levels of configuration, control and support. It claims this will improve isolation and control for more advanced businesses.
When Verizon shuts down the virtual servers currently running Public Cloud and Reserved Performance, no data or content will be retained, it told customers, warning that without prior transfer to the discontinuation their data would be permanently deleted.
Virtual Private Cloud is the service that Verizon intends to carry on offering to the enterprise market and Verizon said it is making significant investments in the enterprise cloud platform in 2016.
In January BCN reported that Verizon was examining its options for selling its global estate of 48 data centres. Verizon would reportedly expect to raise over $2.5 billion and streamline its business. Currently its colocation portfolio generates $275 million a year. Other telcos such as AT&T, CenturyLink and Windstream have also divested themselves of their data centres businesses in recent years.
According to channel publication CRN Verizon could work with Google to cater for the increasing demand for hybrid cloud systems among enterprise customers, with a Verizon-branded hybrid service running on Google’s public cloud a possibility. This would obviate the need for Verizon having its own public cloud offering. Neither party has confirmed or denied the speculation about their alleged partnership.
VMware’s new launches target hybrid cloud and software defined data centres
Virtualisation giant VMware has announced two new updates which promise to strengthen its management of the hybrid cloud and of hyperconverged software.
The new version of VMware vRealize Suite is purpose-built for the Hybrid Cloud claims the vendor. Meanwhile, in another release, the new Virtual SAN 6.2 could cater for all-flash hyper-converged systems to turbo-drive cloud computing, creating new options for data deduplication, data compression and erasure coding for as little as one dollar per usable gigabyte.
The new VMware vRealize Business for Cloud 7 promises to address intelligent operations, infrastructure modernisation and DevOps challenges. VMWare claims the vRealize Suite manages all the computing, storage, network and application services across hybrid cloud environments. The DevOps-ready IT, for example, lets IT teams build a cloud for development teams that has a complete application stack and can support developer choice in the form of both API and GUI access to resources. The possibilities are widened by continuous delivery of Code Stream, a feature which speeds up application delivery.
Meanwhile, in the engine room of the cloud, VMware vRealize Operations 6.2 creates the capacity for intelligent workload placement and tight integration with VMware’s vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler.
Meanwhile, it has carried out new engineering improvements on the high performance infrastructure for the software-defined data centre (SDDC). The key to this improvement is the VMware Virtual SAN technology which has been sold to 3,000 enterprise data centre customers in the 21 months since its initial release.
The new hyper-converged software created by a blend of VMware vSphere, Virtual SAN and vCenter Server converts Intel based x86 servers and direct-attached storage into unified, simple and ‘robust’ units of high performance computing infrastructure, VMWare claims. This slashes the hard and software costs and the management complexity while boosting performance, VMWare claims.
“VMware’s hyper-converged software is gaining customer traction due to its simple, cost-effective and high-performance architecture,” said Yanbing Li, general manager of Storage and Availability Business Unit at VMware. Virtual SAN 6.2 delivers up to ten times the efficiency, he claimed.
Big Data Sponsorhip Opportunities at @CloudExpo | #IoT #M2M #API #BigData
Cloud computing is being adopted in one form or another by 94% of enterprises today. Tens of billions of new devices are being connected to The Internet of Things.
And Big Data is driving this bus. An exponential increase is expected in the amount of information being processed, managed, analyzed, and acted upon by enterprise IT. This amazing is not part of some distant future – it is happening today. One report shows a 650% increase in enterprise data by 2020. Other estimates are even higher.
Big Data at Cloud Expo New york is the place where you can see the technologies and use cases that are delivering Big Data to enterprise IT.
Beacon Control with Daniel Gillard | @ThingsExpo #IoT #M2M #InternetOfThings
“At Sensorberg we are providing a cloud-based beacon management platform and this allows you to control the various beacons that you have in your fleet as well as design various campaigns and triggers which the beacons will initiate,” explained Daniel Gillard, Business Development Manager at Sensorberg GmbH, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Continuous Development By @TylerJewell | @DevOpsSummit #DevOps #Microservices
In 2013, Codenvy was releasing its SaaS and on-premise products twice a month. This created fear and loathing between teams.
In his session at @DevOpsSummit at 18th Cloud Expo, Tyler Jewell, founder and CEO of Codenvy, will discuss how the journey to continuous development transformed the way they created software with 30 releases a month. Join Tyler as he shares their journey and shows how they improved.