Extreme-ly Interesting Times In Networking

If you’re a fan of Extreme Networks, the last few months have been pretty exciting for you. Just yesterday, it was announced that Extreme is buying the data center networking business of Brocade for $55 million once the Broadcom acquisition happens. Combined with the $100 million acquisition of Avaya’s campus networking portfolio on March 7th and the purchase of Zebra Wireless (nee Motorola) last September, Extreme is pushing itself into the market as a major player. How is that going to impact the landscape?

Building A Better Business

Extreme has been a player in the wireless space for a while. Their acquisition of Enterasys helped vault them into the mix with other big wireless players. Now, the rounding out of the portfolio helps them complete across the board. They aren’t just limited to playing with stadium wifi and campus technologies now. The campus networking story that was brought in through Avaya was a must to help them compete with Aruba, A Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company. Aruba owns the assets of HPE’s campus networking business and has been leveraging them effectively.

The data center play was an interesting one to say the least. I’ve mused recently that Brocade’s data center business Continue reading

Worth Reading: Is Adobe plotting the end of web designers?

Adobe is one of the most well-known software companies whose tools are used by numerous web designers. Many reading this article likely use or have used Adobe at some point in their careers. That’s why it’s not without irony that Adobe is now dabbling in a hush-hush project that seeks to automate many of the tasks that designers regularly do as part of their jobs. —Web Designer Depot

The post Worth Reading: Is Adobe plotting the end of web designers? appeared first on 'net work.

Millions of websites affected by unpatched flaw in Microsoft IIS 6 web server

A proof-of-concept exploit has been published for an unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0, a version of the web server that's no longer supported but still widely used.The exploit allows attackers to execute malicious code on Windows servers running IIS 6.0 with the privileges of the user running the application. Extended support for this version of IIS ended in July 2015 along with support for its parent product, Windows Server 2003.Even so, independent web server surveys suggest that IIS 6.0 still powers millions of public websites. In addition, many companies might still run web applications on Windows Server 2003 and IIS 6.0 inside their corporate networks, so this vulnerability could help attackers perform lateral movement if they access such networks through other means.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Millions of websites affected by unpatched flaw in Microsoft IIS 6 web server

A proof-of-concept exploit has been published for an unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0, a version of the web server that's no longer supported but still widely used.The exploit allows attackers to execute malicious code on Windows servers running IIS 6.0 with the privileges of the user running the application. Extended support for this version of IIS ended in July 2015 along with support for its parent product, Windows Server 2003.Even so, independent web server surveys suggest that IIS 6.0 still powers millions of public websites. In addition, many companies might still run web applications on Windows Server 2003 and IIS 6.0 inside their corporate networks, so this vulnerability could help attackers perform lateral movement if they access such networks through other means.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Network Device Authentication with Ansible 2.3

Ansible 2.3 Networking Update

In a recent post, Coming Soon: Networking Features in Ansible 2.3, one of the key features to be introduced is a new connection framework. This new connection framework supports persistent SSH connections for modules that communicate with network devices via two methods:

1) the tried and true CLI method
2) the newly included NETCONF method

With the new connection framework, the network modules are currently undergoing a transformation with regards to how credentials are supplied. In Ansible versions 2.0 to 2.2, network modules support providing connection credentials as top-level arguments in the module.

If you want to build a task using the ios_command Ansible module the credentials used to authenticate to the device could be provided as top level arguments. The following example demonstrates the simplest form of passing credentials to modules in order to authenticate to the remote device:


ios_command:
  commands: show version
  host: “{{ inventory_hostname }}”
  username: cisco
  password: cisco

In some cases, such as with configuration modules, additional authentication details are required. In order to enter configuration mode, the Playbook tasks must first enter “enable” mode and, in some cases, supply an enable-mode password. Notice the additional two arguments (authorize and auth_pass) added to Continue reading

50 weirdest things left behind in Ubers (including rubber mallets and Harry Potter glasses)

Yes, you can save quite a bit of money taking an Uber instead of a cab in most cases, but not if you leave your smartphone, purse, guitar or engagement ring behind. Kind of gives a new meaning to the term "Sharing Economy".Uber, which does have a good system for helping you recover forgotten items, has just published a list of the most commonly forgotten items left in its cars as well as a list of the "most unique" items left behind. It also reports that Los Angeles is the most forgetful city in North AmericaMORE: Blame the cellphone — Injuries pile up, from cat bites to shocks to broken bonesTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Here’s how Microsoft is helping companies build IoT hardware

One of the biggest challenges with building connected hardware is getting from proof-of-concept (PoC) prototypes to devices that are ready for large-scale production rollout. Microsoft is aiming to help through labs that allow companies to come in and work with experts on building internet-connected hardware.Companies come into one of three Microsoft Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence (IoT/AI) Insider Labs with the hardware they’ve built so far and a plan for an intense two or three weeks of work. Visitors are paired with mentors who are experts in different areas and given access to machinery that can help them quickly work through different hardware designs.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Free cloud storage buyer beware

There are three things that are certain in life: Death, taxes and volatility in the free cloud storage market. Yes, it turns out free cloud storage comes with a price: putting up with a fickle market. Network World has a running list of the best places in the cloud to find free storage. Many vendors offer their services on a freemium basis, meaning an introductory cloud storage offering, typically of 5 GB is free, with additional storage costing a variety of prices. But businesses don’t typically like to give away their services for free. So, these offers change frequently.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

This company is turning FAQs into Alexa skills

People looking for an easier path to integrating with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant have good news on the horizon. NoHold, a company that builds services for making bots, unveiled a project that seeks to turn a document into an Alexa skill.It’s designed for situations like Airbnb hosts who want to give guests a virtual assistant that can answer questions about the home they’re renting, or companies that want a talking employee handbook. Bot-builders upload a document to NoHold’s Sicura QuickStart service, which then parses the text and turns it into a virtual conversation partner that can answer questions based on the file’s contents. Right now, building Alexa skills is a fairly manual process that requires programming prowess and time to figure out Amazon’s software development tools for its virtual assistant. People who want to change the way that a bot behaves have to go in and tweak code parameters.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Americans value online privacy but voters do not care when it counts

The rush by Republicans in Congress to kill still-pending Obama-era rules that would put curbs on the ability of ISPs to collect and sell our personal Internet usage data has been met with howls of protest from privacy advocates and citizens.And the outrage is no wonder, as the idea of our browsing habits and histories being hawked to the highest bidder is an affront to any understanding of personal privacy rights.It’s also an affront to public opinion, as a Pew Research Center Survey last year shows: 93% of adults say that being in control of who can get information about them is important; 74% feel this is “very important,” while 19% say it is “somewhat important.” 90% say that controlling what information is collected about them is important—65% think it is “very important” and 25% say it is “somewhat important.” Despite such overwhelming public sentiment, Republican majorities in both the House and Senate have voted in recent days to scuttle the privacy protections authorized last October by the Federal Communications Commission, protections that were scheduled to take effect later this year. That FCC measure passed on a 3-2 party-line vote, with then-Chairman Tom Wheeler and two Continue reading

Americans value online privacy but voters do not care when it counts

The rush by Republicans in Congress to kill still-pending Obama-era rules that would put curbs on the ability of ISPs to collect and sell our personal Internet usage data has been met with howls of protest from privacy advocates and citizens.And the outrage is no wonder, as the idea of our browsing habits and histories being hawked to the highest bidder is an affront to any understanding of personal privacy rights.It’s also an affront to public opinion, as a Pew Research Center Survey last year shows: 93% of adults say that being in control of who can get information about them is important; 74% feel this is “very important,” while 19% say it is “somewhat important.” 90% say that controlling what information is collected about them is important—65% think it is “very important” and 25% say it is “somewhat important.” Despite such overwhelming public sentiment, Republican majorities in both the House and Senate have voted in recent days to scuttle the privacy protections authorized last October by the Federal Communications Commission, protections that were scheduled to take effect later this year. That FCC measure passed on a 3-2 party-line vote, with then-Chairman Tom Wheeler and two Continue reading

IDG Contributor Network: How digital can help create experiences that are truly personal

Each of us has access to more than 10 million products from anywhere at any given time via smartphones and other devices. And companies don’t miss any opportunities to tell us what we personally are supposed to need and use.Typically, this boils down to this: “Many people who are your age or have similar shopping habits were interested in these products or services.” Sometimes, this approach to personalization is helpful, but most of the time, it falls short because it doesn’t get to the bottom of why something is truly relevant to the individual customer.+ Also on Network World: The big picture of digital transformation + In today’s digital world, companies no longer need to rely on this segment-centric and wisdom-of-the-crowd approach. With the technologies at hand, we have the ability to instead look at how individual customers interact with specific products and services and what features they prefer.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

An Opaque Alternative to Oblivious Cloud Analytics

Data security has always been a key concern as organizations look to leverage the operational and cost efficiencies that come with cloud computing. Huge volumes of critical and sensitive data often are in transit and distributed among multiple systems, and increasingly are being collected and analyzed in cloud-based big data platforms, putting them at higher risk of being hacked and compromised.

Even as encryption methods and security procedures have improved, the data is still at risk of being attacked through such vulnerabilities as access pattern leakage through memory or the network. It’s the threat of an attack via access pattern …

An Opaque Alternative to Oblivious Cloud Analytics was written by Nicole Hemsoth at The Next Platform.

The granular control over Layer 2 in today’s smart switches might surprise net veterans

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.

In the gap between plug and play unmanaged Ethernet switches and fully managed enterprise switches, vendors added the so called “smart switch,” which offer light management features to unmanaged gigabit Ethernet devices. Today, smart switches targeted at small-to-medium-size business run the gamut in terms of manageability and feature sets. 

The appeal of basic network management features for a small business stems from the need for performance and security. Plug and play and start right away—that’s what every start up wants—then later on, they need basic configurations and features to accommodate growth as needed.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The granular control over Layer 2 in today’s smart switches might surprise net veterans

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.In the gap between plug and play unmanaged Ethernet switches and fully managed enterprise switches, vendors added the so called “smart switch,” which offer light management features to unmanaged gigabit Ethernet devices. Today, smart switches targeted at small-to-medium-size business run the gamut in terms of manageability and feature sets. The appeal of basic network management features for a small business stems from the need for performance and security. Plug and play and start right away—that’s what every start up wants—then later on, they need basic configurations and features to accommodate growth as needed.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The granular control over Layer 2 in today’s smart switches might surprise net veterans

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.In the gap between plug and play unmanaged Ethernet switches and fully managed enterprise switches, vendors added the so called “smart switch,” which offer light management features to unmanaged gigabit Ethernet devices. Today, smart switches targeted at small-to-medium-size business run the gamut in terms of manageability and feature sets. The appeal of basic network management features for a small business stems from the need for performance and security. Plug and play and start right away—that’s what every start up wants—then later on, they need basic configurations and features to accommodate growth as needed.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What makes IT pros happy? One thing ranks higher than pay

Coworkers can make or break a good job. For IT pros, it’s all about their peers, managers, and end users.“I tossed out money as a contributor to happiness a long time ago,” said IT pro Michael Studte. “Although my salary, work hours, and vacation time are important to the equation, I’ve been the happiest in companies where management will listen and take my recommendations seriously, and where I’m able to build a good rapport with my users.”Spiceworks shared Studte’s comments along with results of its latest survey, which polled IT pros from the U.S. and U.K. on the topic of job satisfaction. (Related: 10 reasons to look for a new job)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ed Meyercord’s plan for Extreme Networks proves to be ‘better than most’

Any fan of the PGA Tour will never forget the “better than most” call by NBC’s Gary Koch. On March 24, 2001, Tiger Woods stepped up to execute one of the most difficult putts of his career. Halfway to the hole, Koch uttered the words “better than most” as it looked like his putt was going to be a good one. It wound up going in, and that become yet another notable moment in Tiger’s illustrious career where great execution was becoming the norm. In the highly tumultuous networking market, Extreme Networks’ CEO, Ed Meyercord, continues to make moves that are “better than most,” putting his company in a position to be a long-term share gainer in a market that badly needs more strong vendors. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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