Stuff The Internet Says On Scalability For February 3rd, 2017

Hey, it's HighScalability time:

 

• 100 billion: words needed to train large networks; 73,653: hard drives at Backblaze; 300 GB hour: raw 4k footage; 1993: server running without rebooting; 64%: of money bet is on the Patriots; 950,000: insect species; 374,000: people employed by solar energy; 10: SpaceX launched Iridium Next satellites; $1 billion: Pokémon Go revenue; 1.2 Billion: daily active Facebook users; $7.17 billion: Apple service revenue; 45%: invest in private cloud this year; 


• Quoteable Quotes:
  • @kevinmarks: #msvsummit @varungyan: Google's scale is about 10^10 RPCs per second in our microservices
  • language: "Order and chaos are not a properties of things, but relations of an observer to something observed - the ability for an observer to distinguish or specify pattern."
  • general_ai: Doing anything large on a machine without CUDA is a fool's errand these days. Get a GTX1080 or if you're not budget constrained, get a Pascal-based Titan. I work in this field, and I would not be able to do Continue reading

Worth Reading: Sorting through SD-WAN

I’ve written a lot about SDN and SD-WAN. SD-WAN is the best example of how SDN should be marketed to people. Instead of talking about features like APIs, orchestration, and programmability, you need to focus on the right hook. Do you see a food processor by talking about how many attachments it has? Or do you sell a Swiss Army knife by talking about all the crazy screwdrivers it holds? Or do you simply boil it down to “This thing makes your life easier”? —Networking Nerd

The post Worth Reading: Sorting through SD-WAN appeared first on 'net work.

Zero-day Windows file-sharing flaw can crash systems, maybe worse

The implementation of the SMB network file sharing protocol in Windows has a serious vulnerability that could allow hackers to, at the very least, remotely crash systems. The unpatched vulnerability was publicly disclosed Thursday by an independent security researcher named Laurent Gaffié, who claims that Microsoft has delayed releasing a patch for the flaw for the past three months. Gaffié, who is known on Twitter as PythonResponder, published a proof-of-concept exploit for the vulnerability on GitHub, triggering an advisory from the CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) at Carnegie Mellon University.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Zero-day Windows file-sharing flaw can crash systems, maybe worse

The implementation of the SMB network file sharing protocol in Windows has a serious vulnerability that could allow hackers to, at the very least, remotely crash systems. The unpatched vulnerability was publicly disclosed Thursday by an independent security researcher named Laurent Gaffié, who claims that Microsoft has delayed releasing a patch for the flaw for the past three months. Gaffié, who is known on Twitter as PythonResponder, published a proof-of-concept exploit for the vulnerability on GitHub, triggering an advisory from the CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) at Carnegie Mellon University.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

47% off HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset for PC, Xbox One, PS4 (White) – Deal Alert

Let your opponents take the blows while you game without pain. HyperX Cloud cradles your head in a super-soft padded headband, memory foam ear cushions and leatherette-padded cups so even your late game will be comfortable. It's affordable, so there's no pain in the price either.  Pro-gaming optimized, HyperX Cloud is HiFi capable and delivers intense audio with crystal-clear low, mid and high tones plus enhanced bass-reproduction so you can lose yourself while you win. Plus you'll look sharp while playing, thanks to the unique HyperX design.The headset averages 4.3 out of 5 stars from over 3,400 reviewers on Amazon (see reviews), where their typical list price of $149.99 has been reduced to $79.99. See the deal now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Thinking of cutting out your database administrator? Think again

Once upon a time, there was a role known as the database administrator. Back when all data was stored locally, these employees were the keepers of the company database, responsible for making sure all information was accessible and tracking things such as financial information and customer details.Typically, these employees would hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science or similar subjects, while being well-versed in the major database management products (SQL, SAP and Oracle-based database management software).+ Also on Network World: If the cloud is so great, why are so many businesses unsatisfied? + In 2017, however, the trend of enterprises moving data into the cloud continues to reduce the role of the database administrator (DBA) in big and small businesses alike around the world.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Thinking of cutting out your database administrator? Think again

Once upon a time, there was a role known as the database administrator. Back when all data was stored locally, these employees were the keepers of the company database, responsible for making sure all information was accessible and tracking things such as financial information and customer details.Typically, these employees would hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science or similar subjects, while being well-versed in the major database management products (SQL, SAP and Oracle-based database management software).+ Also on Network World: If the cloud is so great, why are so many businesses unsatisfied? + In 2017, however, the trend of enterprises moving data into the cloud continues to reduce the role of the database administrator (DBA) in big and small businesses alike around the world.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Thinking of cutting out your database administrator? Think again

Once upon a time, there was a role known as the database administrator. Back when all data was stored locally, these employees were the keepers of the company database, responsible for making sure all information was accessible and tracking things such as financial information and customer details.Typically, these employees would hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science or similar subjects, while being well-versed in the major database management products (SQL, SAP and Oracle-based database management software).+ Also on Network World: If the cloud is so great, why are so many businesses unsatisfied? + In 2017, however, the trend of enterprises moving data into the cloud continues to reduce the role of the database administrator (DBA) in big and small businesses alike around the world.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

When Will AWS Move Up The Stack To Real Applications?

Imagine how little fun online retailer Amazon would be having on its quarterly calls if it had not launched its Amazon Web Services cloud almost eleven years ago. The very premise of Amazon was to eliminate brick and mortar retailing, cutting out capital expenses as much as possible, to deliver books and then myriad other things to our doorsteps.

How ironic is it that Amazon pivoted to one of the most capital intensive businesses on earth – running datacenters – and has been able to extract predictable and sizable profits from it to prop up its other businesses and strengthen …

When Will AWS Move Up The Stack To Real Applications? was written by Timothy Prickett Morgan at The Next Platform.

Show 325 – Next-gen Load Balancing with Avi Networks (Sponsored)

Sponsor Avi Networks joins the Packet Pushers to discuss load balancing in the modern world. The post Show 325 – Next-gen Load Balancing with Avi Networks (Sponsored) appeared first on Packet Pushers.

IDG Contributor Network: Is SD-WAN as stupid a term as the cloud?

Terms and technologies come and go. Some seem to stick around a bit longer than we’d like. I thought that it was time to retire hybrid WAN and give SD-WAN its due. Not everyone seems to agree.I received a great email from Scott Pickett, who argued in the most compelling, polite way possible that he thought I was smoking too much of that substance Massachusetts just legalized (not exactly, but grant me the literary license here). He argued that SD-WANs should be relegated to that same place as the next least-favorite term of ours—the cloud.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Is SD-WAN as stupid a term as the cloud?

Terms and technologies come and go. Some seem to stick around a bit longer than we’d like. I thought that it was time to retire hybrid WAN and give SD-WAN its due. Not everyone seems to agree.I received a great email from Scott Pickett, who argued in the most compelling, polite way possible that he thought I was smoking too much of that substance Massachusetts just legalized (not exactly, but grant me the literary license here). He argued that SD-WANs should be relegated to that same place as the next least-favorite term of ours—the cloud.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Python – Argparse Part II

In my previous post on Argparse I had some issues with validating values and printing help output for values that are out of range. I got some great suggestions from my smart colleagues Mikkel Troest and Patrick Ogenstad who are far more advanced in their Python knowledge.

We started out with the following code in the last post:

#!/usr/bin/env python
# import Argparse
import argparse
# import sys
import sys
# create main function
def main():
    # create ArgumentParser object
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Daniel's ping script v0.1")
    # add arguments
    parser.add_argument("-version", "--version", action="version", version="%(prog)s 0.1")
    parser.add_argument("-c", "--c" , help="Number of packets", action="store", type=int, choices=xrange(1, 1000), metavar=("(1-1000)"))
    parser.add_argument("-s", "--s" , help="packetsize in bytes", action="store", type=int, choices=xrange(56, 1500), metavar=("(56-1500)"))
    parser.add_argument("-t", "--t" , help="ttl for icmp packets", action="store", type=int, choices=xrange(1, 255), metavar=("(1-255)"))
    parser.add_argument("-w", "--w" , help="timeout in seconds", action="store", type=int, choices=xrange(1, 10), metavar=("(1-10)"))
    parser.add_argument("-ip", "--ip", help="ip address", action="store", required=True)
    # parse command-line arguments
    parser.parse_args()

if __name__ == "__main__" and len(sys.argv) < 2:
    print "use the -h flag for help on this script"
else:
    main()

First let’s clean up this a bit since the length of the lines are more than 80 characters Continue reading

33% off CanaKit 5V 2.5A Raspberry Pi 3 Power Supply / Adapter / Charger – Deal Alert

2.5A is now a requirement for the Raspberry Pi 3. The CanaKit 2.5A Raspberry Pi power supply / adapter has been specially designed and tested for the new Raspberry Pi 3 and incorporates an inline noise filter for highest stability and reliable operation. This power supply differs from typical standard 5V USB power supplies in the market in that it can deliver a full 2.5A and still output a voltage well within the USB minimum voltage specifications. Standard 5V USB power supplies in the market have a high voltage drop when the full current is drawn from them which may cause the Raspberry Pi to reboot unexpectedly. With this power supply, you can power the Raspberry Pi 3 at full load as well as up to 1.2A across the four USB ports. This item averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 760 people on Amazon (read reviews). With the current 33% off deal, the CanaKit power supply is listed for just $9.99. See it on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Bits and pieces: Quick-hit review time!

With all of my recent testing in the wireless home Wi-Fi mesh space, I’ve still had some time to try out some smaller items. This post/review highlights a bunch of them. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why I’m bundling them together, other than this is the “clean up your desk” column!  mJoose Front and back views of the mJoose smartphone case.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How IBM plans to expand MobileFirst for iOS program

Apple and IBM’s program for iOS mobile app development in the enterprise is broadening its reach this year as more businesses pursue apps that can transform how their employees work, according to IBM. “We are engaged with more than 1,000 clients across the world,” says Mahmoud Naghshineh, IBM’s general manager in charge of the MobileFirst for iOS partnership with Apple.IBM also plans to integrate Watson analytics and cognitive differentiation to its growing portfolio of iOS apps in 2017, according to Naghshineh. Once a new app is deployed and it becomes valuable for the business, the next step is to make it smarter, he says.Hundreds of businesses have deployed apps to date and more are in development or at least in the sales cycle that leads to design and testing of new apps, according to Naghshineh. Changing the way people work, which was the original goal of Apple and IBM’s partnership, is also resulting in rapid digital transformation for many businesses, he says.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Welcome to the next generation of wearables

Innovative apparelImage by Keoni Cabral / FlickrTime was, you could slap a couple of sensors and a battery into a plastic wristband, layer some software around it, tell the world you were in the wearables business, and watch the money roll in. Those days are long gone (although there are still the inevitable bottom feeders fighting for scraps). Now, wearables are actually doing useful and interesting things, with lots of innovation on display.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How to secure Active Directory

Under attackImage by ThinkstockA report recently released by Microsoft shows the antivirus suite included in Windows 10 detected a 400 percent increase in the number of ransomware encounters from December 2015 to July 2016. These vulnerabilities create opportunities for hackers to access one of the most important applications to an organization, Microsoft Active Directory. If breached its blast radius can be devastating.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How AI is stopping criminal hacking in real time

Almost every day, there’s news about a massive data leak -- a breach at Yahoo that reveals millions of user accounts, a compromise involving Gmail phishing scams. Security professionals are constantly moving the chess pieces around, but it can be a losing battle.Yet, there is one ally that has emerged in recent years. Artificial intelligence can stay vigilant at all times, looking for patterns in behavior and alerting you to a new threat.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How AI is stopping criminal hacking in real time

Almost every day, there’s news about a massive data leak -- a breach at Yahoo that reveals millions of user accounts, a compromise involving Gmail phishing scams. Security professionals are constantly moving the chess pieces around, but it can be a losing battle.Yet, there is one ally that has emerged in recent years. Artificial intelligence can stay vigilant at all times, looking for patterns in behavior and alerting you to a new threat.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here