2013 VMware vExperts Announced

Posted on 29 May 2013 by GeekFluent

VMware vExpert 2013Yesterday, VMware announced the vExpert 2013 awardees.  The vExpert program is one that recognizes those members of the VMware community who “have demonstrated significant contributions to the community and a willingness to share their expertise with others.”  One of the things I like about this program is that the designation is good only for a year, and inclusion on the list in one year is no guarantee of inclusion the next year.

I am simultaneously proud and humbled to have been included in this year’s list.

You can find the full list of 2013 vExpert awardees here.  I’m sure you’ll see many familiar names — all folks whose future contributions I look forward to seeing.  Congratulations to all the 2013 awardees!

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EMC Announces Upcoming Updates to Isilon OneFS

Posted on 7 May 2013 by GeekFluent

Today EMC announced upcoming updates to OneFS, the operating system for the Isilon scale-out storage platform.  The new version of the software will offer new capabilities including:

  • Support for Hadoop’s HDFS 2.0
  • Object Storage
  • Extended RESTful APIs with support for EMC Atmos, Amazon S3, and OpenStack’s Swift
  • Support for EMC’s newly-announced software-defined storage platform, ViPR
  • Online Block-Level Data Deduplication
  • New Audit Security features

I’ll break down each of the new features below. Continue reading →

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My Schedule for EMC World 2013

Posted on 3 May 2013 by GeekFluent

EMC World is almost here, and I’ve been spending a bit of effort figuring out how my time there would be best spent, and think I’ve got my schedule more or less worked out (there are only a couple double-bookings (and one triple-booking) remaining).

Working out my schedule details was originally an exercise purely intended for my own benefit.  Having everything in my calendar app will keep me on track once I’m embroiled in the full-on organized chaos that tech conferences tend to be.  However, a conversation with Matt Brender (@mjbrender) convinced me that others might be interested as well (and that I might want people to be able to find me), so following his example, I’ve decided to share mine here. Continue reading →

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EMC Enhances RecoverPoint (and takes it virtual!)

Posted on 30 April 2013 by GeekFluent

Today, EMC announced version 4.0 of RecoverPoint.  The new version brings many exciting new features, my personal favorite being the availability of a virtual version of the RecoverPoint Appliance (RPA).

RecoverPoint is a SAN-based data protection/replication solution.  It works through the use of a specialized RecoverPoint Appliance (RPA) installed on the SAN.  The solution uses “splitters” to take a copy of all data writes and send them to the RPA.  The splitters can be one of three types: array-based (on supported arrays), network-based (on supported switches), or host-based (as device drivers for HBAs in environments not using RecoverPoint-supported arrays or switches).

Depending on the configuration, the RPA can use this duplicate data stream to provide one of three modes of protection: Continue reading →

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EMC Announces VPLEX Metro Express Edition (plus VAAI support)

Posted on 30 April 2013 by GeekFluent

[UPDATE: I've edited the post to remove one of the new features that had been mentioned in early pre-announcement briefings.  The features listed now match what's actually been released.]

Today, EMC announced updates to their VPLEX family of storage virtualization devices, including a new way to purchase it — the VPLEX Metro Express Edition.

What’s a VPLEX?

If you’re not familiar with it, the EMC VPLEX creates a layer of abstraction between physical hosts and storage arrays — it virtualizes the storage.  Doing this provides datacenters with all kinds of flexible options they wouldn’t otherwise have: Continue reading →

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Evolution of Virtualization – The Whiteboard Video

Posted on 24 April 2013 by GeekFluent

I posted before about having fun with whiteboards at VMware PEX, and I posted the draft outline for the “Evolution of Virtualization” whiteboard I did with Gabriel Chapman (@Bacon_Is_King).

Today, Amy Lewis (@CommsNinja) has posted the final version of the video we recorded.  I have to say, the editing makes it look very professional.

For me, improving efficiency and gaining flexibility have always been the driving forces behind virtualization. Continue reading →

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The Evolution of Virtualization — Draft Outline

Posted on 17 April 2013 by GeekFluent

I’ve already written about the Magic Balloon episode of Engineers Unplugged I recorded at VMware PEX, but that wasn’t the topic I was originally invited to record.

The topic I was originally asked to speak to was “The Evolution of Virtualization”.  I was paired with Gabriel Chapman (@Bacon_Is_King), who I’d only known online up until that point.  As I understand it, that episode will be published next week.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share our thought process — what went into preparation for the episode. Continue reading →

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Magic Balloon: A Whiteboarding Creativity Game/Exercise

Posted on 3 April 2013 by GeekFluent

Anybody who knows me knows how much I love whiteboards.  When I run into a fellow whiteboard enthusiast, at some point I end up asking if they know Magic Balloon.

Magic Balloon is a brainstorming-style creativity exercise in the form of a game played on a whiteboard.  I originally learned about Magic Balloon in college when my friend Nat taught it to me.  It’s a fun game to play with your kids or with your crazy friends.  It’s also a great exercise for helping folks who think they aren’t creative or who find themselves unsure what to do with the big empty space of a freshly-erased whiteboard. Continue reading →

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EMC Announces VMAX Cloud Edition

Posted on 26 February 2013 by GeekFluent

Today, EMC announced the Cloud Edition of their signature Symmetrix VMAX storage platform.  Timed to coincide with the VMware Partner exchange conference, there have been rumors about this announcement for a while, but now we’ve got some details.

Release of a product of this nature is another indicator of an overall change that’s been occurring at EMC.  Back in the day, if you wanted to add a new volume to your Symmetrix array, you called EMC Support and they sent an engineer on-site to edit your bin file…  Those days are gone.  EMC’s focus has shifted to user-friendly, easy-to-use management interfaces that no longer require advanced degrees in storage in order to run.  For example, RAID levels — a former staple of EMC conversations — are rarely even mentioned any more.

So, what is it that makes the Cloud Edition different than a regular VMAX?  Here’s what I know: Continue reading →

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Off to VMware Partner Exchange…

Posted on 21 February 2013 by GeekFluent

Next week, I’ll be in Las Vegas for VMware Partner Exchange (PEX) 2013.  This is a conference where VMware focuses on their partners.  It’ll be a great chance for me to hear VMware’s plans for the next year first-hand, and meet with a lot of VMware’s and my partners.

This will be my third Partner Exchange, but my first as an actual attendee.  In 2011 and 2012, I was working at the conference.  In 2011, I presented in the EMC Partner boot camp session and then worked in the EMC booth in the Solutions Exchange giving demos on the then-new EMC VNXe.  In 2012, I was responsible for running EMC’s booth in the Solutions Exchange.

This year, however, Continue reading →

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