Looking Through the Windows at HPC OS Trends

High performance computing (HPC) is traditionally considered the domain of large, purpose built machines running some *nix operating system (predominantly Linux in recent years). Windows is given little, if any, consideration. Indeed, it has never accounted for even a full percent of the Top500 list. Some of this may be due to technical considerations: Linux can be custom built for optimum performance, including recompiling the kernel. It is also historically more amenable to headless administration, which is a critical factor when maintaining thousands of nodes.

But at some point does the “Windows isn’t for high-performance computing” narrative become self-fulfilling? …

Looking Through the Windows at HPC OS Trends was written by Nicole Hemsoth at The Next Platform.

Worth Reading: The CCDE Mindset

Preparing for the CCDE from a technology standpoint is relatively easy compared to getting into the right mindset and getting enough exposure to network designs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a technically difficult exam but the number of candidates taking the exam that have the right knowledge level of technology are far higher than the number of people actually passing the exam. I have seen this time and time again. Because we have this bias we immediately base our feeling and design based on our feelings or previous experience without taking the business requirements and technical constraints into consideration. —Daniel’s Networking Blog

The post Worth Reading: The CCDE Mindset appeared first on 'net work.

Part 1 of Thinking Serverless — How New Approaches Address Modern Data Processing Needs 

This is a guest repost by Ken Fromm, a 3x tech co-founder — Vivid Studios, Loomia, and Iron.io.

First I should mention that of course there are servers involved. I’m just using the term that popularly describes an approach and a set of technologies that abstracts job processing and scheduling from having to manage servers. In a post written for ReadWrite back in 2012 on the future of software and applications, I described “serverless” as the following.

The phrase “serverless” doesn’t mean servers are no longer involved. It simply means that developers no longer have to think that much about them. Computing resources get used as services without having to manage around physical capacities or limits. Service providers increasingly take on the responsibility of managing servers, data stores and other infrastructure resources…Going serverless lets developers shift their focus from the server level to the task level. Serverless solutions let developers focus on what their application or system needs to do by taking away the complexity of the backend infrastructure.

At the time of that post, the term “serverless” was not all that well received, as evidenced by the comments on Hacker News. With the introduction of a number Continue reading

Ransomware disrupts Washington DC’s CCTV system

About 70 percent of the cameras hooked up to the police's closed-circuit TV (CCTV) system in Washington, D.C., were reportedly unable to record footage for several days before President Trump's inauguration due to a ransomware attack.The attack affected 123 of the 187 network video recorders that form the city's CCTV system, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Each of these devices is used to store video footage captured by up to four cameras installed in public spaces.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ransomware disrupts Washington DC’s CCTV system

About 70 percent of the cameras hooked up to the police's closed-circuit TV (CCTV) system in Washington, D.C., were reportedly unable to record footage for several days before President Trump's inauguration due to a ransomware attack.The attack affected 123 of the 187 network video recorders that form the city's CCTV system, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Each of these devices is used to store video footage captured by up to four cameras installed in public spaces.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Network Slicing Unleashes 5G Opportunities

Network slicing lets service providers create the ideal virtual network.

Accessing vCPE Processing Power Is Key to Reliability

Service providers must accurately estimate vCPE processing power if they want to avoid ripping and replacing equipment down the road.

The Harsh Reality Of Audience Supported Podcasting

Every now and then, podcast listeners tell me that they’d gladly donate a few dollars each month, if only the ads would go away. I get that. It’s a nice thought that listeners would support the content they find valuable and subscribe. It’s also a nice thought that the sum total of subscription revenue would pay the bills.

Sadly, neither of those things are true.

In my experience, less than 1% of listeners will financially support a podcast in any way. That might be through affiliate programs such as Amazon’s. That might be through Patreon patronage. That might be through Paypal donations. That might be through a regular subscription. Whatever the way is, it just doesn’t matter. Almost no one that listens to your show is likely to become a direct source of revenue.

How much money needs to come in for your show to do away with advertisements? That depends on your goals, and I’ll assume you’ve got one of two.

Goal 1. The podcast paying for itself.

One goal is for your podcast to simply pay for itself. You’d like the audience to pay for a mic upgrade, hosting services, a mobile recording rig, your move into vlogging, and maybe some coffee now Continue reading

40% off iPazzPort Backlit Wireless Mini Keyboard and Touchpad for PC, Android TV Box, Raspberry Pi 3 – Deal Alert

Wireless long distance control of your PC, Android TV box, or Raspberry Pi 3. The iPazzPort features a 92 key wireless QWERTY keyboard with touchpad supporting multi-touch function, mouse left and right buttons, and easy copy/paste. Backlight can be turned on & off, and its Li-ion battery provides long play and stand-by times in between charges. Its typical list price of $30 has been reduced 40% to just $18. See it on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

German consumer groups sue WhatsApp over privacy policy changes

WhatsApp's privacy policy change allowing Facebook to target advertising at its users has landed the company in a German court.The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBZ) has filed suit against WhatsApp in the Berlin regional court, alleging that the company collects and stores data illegally and passes it on to Facebook, the federation said Monday.Facebook acquired WhatsApp in October 2014, but it wasn't until August 2016 that WhatsApp said it would modify its privacy policy to allow it to share lists of users' contacts with Facebook. The move made it possible to match WhatsApp accounts with Facebook ones where users had registered a phone number, giving the parent company more data with which to make new friend suggestions and another way to target advertising.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

German consumer groups sue WhatsApp over privacy policy changes

WhatsApp's privacy policy change allowing Facebook to target advertising at its users has landed the company in a German court.The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBZ) has filed suit against WhatsApp in the Berlin regional court, alleging that the company collects and stores data illegally and passes it on to Facebook, the federation said Monday.Facebook acquired WhatsApp in October 2014, but it wasn't until August 2016 that WhatsApp said it would modify its privacy policy to allow it to share lists of users' contacts with Facebook. The move made it possible to match WhatsApp accounts with Facebook ones where users had registered a phone number, giving the parent company more data with which to make new friend suggestions and another way to target advertising.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cops use pacemaker data to charge homeowner with arson, insurance fraud

If you are dependent upon an embedded medical device, should the device that helps keep you alive also be allowed to incriminate you in a crime? After all, the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects a person from being forced to incriminate themselves.Nonetheless, that’s what happened after a house fire in Middletown, Ohio.WCPO Cincinnati caught video of the actual fire, as well delivered news that the owner’s cat died in the fire. As a pet owner, it would be hard to believe that a person would set a fire and leave their pet to die in that fire. The fire in question occurred back in September 2016; the fire department was just starting an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cops use pacemaker data to charge homeowner with arson, insurance fraud

If you are dependent upon an embedded medical device, should the device that helps keep you alive also be allowed to incriminate you in a crime? After all, the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects a person from being forced to incriminate themselves.Nonetheless, that’s what happened after a house fire in Middletown, Ohio.WCPO Cincinnati caught video of the actual fire, as well delivered news that the owner’s cat died in the fire. As a pet owner, it would be hard to believe that a person would set a fire and leave their pet to die in that fire. The fire in question occurred back in September 2016; the fire department was just starting an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: HPE acquisitions bring hyperconvergence, hybrid IT into the mainstream

A little over a week ago, HPE announced its agreement to purchase SimpliVity for $650 million in cash. Predictably, tech industry followers erupted into an uproar of opinion about stock price implications and how it would impact support for SimpliVity customers.Less than a week later, HPE announced another purchase: Cloud Cruiser, a 7-year-old startup that provides consumption-based infrastructure analytics. Interestingly, this transaction received much less attention.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: HPE acquisitions bring hyperconvergence, hybrid IT into the mainstream

A little over a week ago, HPE announced its agreement to purchase SimpliVity for $650 million in cash. Predictably, tech industry followers erupted into an uproar of opinion about stock price implications and how it would impact support for SimpliVity customers.Less than a week later, HPE announced another purchase: Cloud Cruiser, a 7-year-old startup that provides consumption-based infrastructure analytics. Interestingly, this transaction received much less attention.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

50% off Fallout 4 – Deal Alert

Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, welcome you to the world of Fallout 4 – their most ambitious game ever, and the next generation of open-world gaming.  As the sole survivor of Vault 111, you enter a world destroyed by nuclear war. Every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours. Only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland.  Currently Amazon has the PC and XBOX ONE versions discounted by 50% and the PS4 is 43% off.  Check out these deals on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

PeeringDB & Internet Exchange peering Part 3: generating router configurations

The post PeeringDB & Internet Exchange peering Part 3: generating router configurations appeared first on Noction.

Questions to ask your recovery vendor before you buy

At ShmooCon 2017, CSO's Steve Ragan chats with Marc Langer, president of Recovery Point, about the questions that many companies often miss when choosing a data recovery system or process.

Managing risk by understanding attack surfaces

At ShmooCon 2017, CSO's Steve Ragan sits down with Gabe Bassett, senior information security data Scientist at Verizon Enterprise Solutions. The two discuss how attack surfaces work within the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) and how companies can use those to assess their risk profiles.

How most hackers get into systems

In part two of CSO's interview with Gabe Bassett from Verizon Enterprise Solutions at ShmooCon 2017, Steve Ragan and Bassett discuss why vulnerabilities are not the major vectors that hackers use to get into a company's infrastructure.