The Future Data Center Is…
Many folks want to look in a crystal ball and magically profess what the future looks like. In the land of technology, it’s not that easy. Or is it? Sure, we do have the ability to control our destiny. We are limited by our own boundaries…artificially set or not. This may seem fairly straight forward, but it’s not. Businesses are looking for technology organizations to evolve and change. Even if that means they shift how they use services and applications on their own. Hence shadow IT.
Over the course of my career, I’ve seen many data centers in various countries. Even today, the level of sophistication varies greatly with Switch’s primary Las Vegas data center at one end of the spectrum and a 20-year old data center from a top data center/ cloud provider at the other end. I’ll leave them unnamed to avoid any potential embarrassment. To contrast, I’ve toured newer data centers in their portfolio that are much more innovative.
The advent of cloud computing has flipped the way computing resources are used on it’s head. How data centers are used is changing quickly. And what’s inside is becoming more relevant to those that manage data centers, but less relevant to those who use them. Let me explain.
Operating a data center is complex. It is no longer just four walls with additional power and cooling requirements. To add complexity, the line between facilities and IT has blurred greatly. How does an organization deal with this growing complexity on top of what they’re already dealing with? Furthermore, as the complexity of the applications and services increases, so do the expertise requirements within the organization. How is every company that currently operates a data center expected to meet these growing requirements? In reality, they can’t.
Only those that are able to bring the scale of their applications and services will warrant the continued operation of their facility. General purpose IT services (core applications, custom applications and the like) will move to alternative solutions. Sure, cloud is one option. Co-location is another. There are many clever solutions to this growing challenge. Are there exception cases? Yes. However, it is important to take an unbiased view at the maturing marketplace and how to best leverage the limited resources available internally.
In summary, unless you are 1) operating applications or services at scale or 2) have a specific use-case, possibly due to regulatory or compliance requirements, or 3) do not, realistically, have a viable alternative… then you should consider moving away from operating your own data center. The future data center for many is an empty one.
So Which Is It? Airplane Mode or Turn Devices Completely Off?
I’ve written about the Consumerization of IT (CoIT) in past missives. It seems that today, everyone flying on an airplane has some form of technology gadget. And the range varies from a cell phone to an iPod, to a tablet to a laptop.
Anyone who has been on an airplane in the past couple of decades has heard the warning to turn off their devices during takeoff and landing. “The main cabin door is closing, please turn off any device with an on-off switch. Airplane Mode is not acceptable.” Really? I mean, I understand ‘why’ they are saying to fully turn off and not just to airplane mode. But what happens at altitude? People just turn their devices back on…cellular radios and all! The bottom line is that while folks generally knew how to operate technology, the nuances still escape them.
In fact, on a recent flight from LAX to DFW, I flew on a United CRJ-700. The flight attendant comes on with the normal warning as the door closes. Everyone turns off their devices like they’re told and we’re off! 18,000 feet later, the double-chime alerts the cabin it is ok to turn on “approved” devices. But that’s where things go awry.
On this particular flight I was walking back from the restroom at the back of the plane. Which, I might say, was roomier than most narrow-body jets. But enough about the size of the bathroom. As I walked down the aisle back toward my seat, I always take note of the number and type of devices that people use. On this flight, there were an ample number of iPads in use. Nothing new there. What was a surprise was seeing “No Service” displayed in the upper left hand corner of the screen. And not just on one iPad. But I casually counted at least six of them in this state…and that was just the folks in aisle seats.
I would have expected to see the all to familiar airplane icon that notes the device is in “airplane mode”. Airplane mode, for those not familiar, is where the device turns off the transmitting radios (cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth). Isn’t that what the announcements are intended to address?
This all got me thinking that the announcements really are not doing what they intended. Supposedly (and that’s a big supposedly), electronic devices can interfere with the navigation of an aircraft. Ok. So, which is worse? Finding out that a device onboard interferes with navigational equipment while you’re on the ground? Or finding out when you’re at altitude? Personally, I’d prefer the former.
Just last month, the NY Times learned that the FAA is going to take a “fresh look” at electronic devices on flights.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/disruptions-time-to-review-f-a-a-policy-on-gadgets/
I’m not going to hold my breath. It will probably take quite a long time before we see a list of approved devices …let alone a broader context of what is approved. What makes this all bizarre is that the FAA has already approved the use of iPads in the cockpit to replace the bulky flight manuals.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/f-a-a-approves-ipads-in-cockpits-but-not-for-passengers/
If we assume that folks other than the ones I observed are equally confused by the difference between airplane mode and turning off the device, then what are we really fighting against? Bureaucracy? I would bet good money that more devices are turned on and transmitting at altitude. As for when the FAA might lift the ban on using devices on landing and takeoff? My bet is that it’s right behind lifting the ban on liquids in carry on luggage. Again, I’m not holding my breath.
Regardless of the FAA regulations, my recommendation is to enable airplane mode while in-flight. Why? It saves on the battery life of the device. Plus, it just won’t connect to a cell tower.
The average cell tower covers an area of approximately 10 square miles (or a radius of approximately five miles). Five miles translates to 26,400 feet. And most commercial aircraft fly from 30,000 to 40,000 feet. That translates back to between 5.68 and 7.58 miles…well outside of the distance needed to connect. And because cell radios in devices are smart, they vary the power needed to connect to a cell tower. In flight, this means the cell radio is using full-power to attempt the connection…therefore draining precious battery power.
So, the next time you’re in the air, save yourself some headaches…and battery power. Just switch your device to airplane mode and then turn it off for takeoff and landing. When you’re back on the ground, switch it back to regular mode.
And let’s hope that the FAA does heed the sheer magnitude of growing user base that are using these devices by changing their rules.
Cloud Computing Turns InfoSec Upside Down
I had the opportunity to write a post for SecureWorld Post’s site. You can view it at:
http://secureworldpost.secureworldexpo.com/crawford-cloud-computing-turns-infosec-upside-down/
A Workload is Not a Workload, is Not a Workload
Over the past year, I’ve observed a concerning trend about workloads. It seems that with the advent of cloud computing, the idea of a workload has been confused a bit. The fundamental concern is a misguided view that all workloads are the same or similar. Specifically, I’ve heard general IT professionals making decisions around cloud computing by following those of Netflix, Zynga, Facebook and Google. This makes some very large and flawed assumptions that are fundamentally based in a misunderstanding of the business drivers and workload requirements.
What is a Workload?
First, let’s start with what a workload is. A workload is a characterization of the work that applications perform. This includes the applications, systems, storage and network infrastructure. It’s a holistic view of the type of “work” being performed with the entire system. The nature of the work is the load being placed on the infrastructure systems. The work being performed is governed by the application, systems, configurations and specific use of the applications or services. At a macro level, this is fairly unique to each company. There are exceptions, which I will discuss in a minute…read on.
Workload Modeling
For well over 20 years, organizations have modeled their workloads to better understand performance characteristics of systems. Others may refer to it as Web Testing, Software Testing, Load Testing and the like. When I was at InfoWorld in the early 90’s, I participated with BAPCO to model performance of systems based on the 10 most popular applications at the time. At the time, we used scripts to perform functions in each app similar to popular actions taken by typical users. It was very cool for the time. The idea was to create a “typical” load by characterizing typical application use on systems, storage and networking devices. Today, the level of sophistication of workload modeling has increased significantly. And many tools like TPC target a specific application or service. I’ve listed a number of more popular ones in the references section.
Two Fundamental Types of Workloads
At a high level, when you consider the different types of workloads, there are two fundamental categories. One is the monolithic application/ service while the other is more generalized. These are very different.
Monolithic Applications
The monolithic application is often a single-purpose custom-built application (or application suite) and runs at scale. In addition, it’s commonly a dedicated application separate from general business IT functions. Examples would be Zynga’s gaming platform or Google’s search platform. Both Zynga and Google’s environments also run at an extreme scale. Because of the scale, it’s even more important to understand nuances around workload characterization that are less critical (and harder to pin down) with mixed workloads. For example, Google can fine-tune the different aspects of their search platform to decrease the time to present results. In addition, they can create custom infrastructure components, architectures and configurations. Why? Because they clearly understand the myriad of possible tweaks to the application and their impact. In addition, applications at scale bring a whole host of unique challenges on their own. This is a very different environment from their internal core business applications that run their business. It is also very uncommon for most businesses to have this type of workload with the exception being the aforementioned or possibly a Line of Business (LOB) application. Arguably, one might consider Google, Facebook, Netflix or Zynga’s apps the company’s LOB application.
Mixed Workloads
The second type of workload is a mixed workload that combines a variety of core business applications. Internal core business applications are great examples of a mixed workload (email, ERP, HR, Financials, custom applications, etc). Each company will have a different combination of applications. They may also be a combination of off the shelf and custom applications. And each application does not typically run at a very large scale. These are classic IT workloads and found in just about every organization. The amount of effort to characterize and tweak this workload at a granular level vs. the value gained is often hard to justify.
Comparing Apples and Oranges
It’s important to clearly understand the type of workload you are comparing. Comparing what Zynga does with your own decisions is not the wisest of choices. Meaning, the demands and specifics of a monolithic workload are very different from a mixed workload. In addition, this does not taken into account the business factors that each type of workload brings to the forefront. All of these should be considered in the decision making process.
Following, Learning and Thinking
So, simply following Zynga, Google or Facebook’s decisions with cloud computing should not be happening without further consideration. Unfortunately, it is. Yet even Netflix and Zynga have taken very different paths for their applications/ services. Can we all learn from these industry leaders in the cloud computing space? Absolutely! But we need to consider what factors and aspects compare with our own needs. Getting to the answer is more complex than simply saying “Facebook went right, we should go right too!”. It means we need to think more and understand our own needs.
And as if understanding your own workload is not complex enough, comparing workloads across companies is very challenging. There are so many variables to consider that the value may not be worth the effort. For most it will still be an apples to oranges comparison. The best advice is to understand the factors that go into your decision-making process and compare common attributes across workloads. That way, you can learn from others while making good decisions about understanding your own workload.
Leveraging the appropriate tools can also assist in the decision making process.
References:
TPC Benchmarks: Transaction Processing Performance Council (http://www.tpc.org/)
SYSmark/ MobileMark/ WebMark Benchmarks: BAPCO (http://www.bapco.com/)
Cloud Testing: SOASTA (http://www.soasta.com/)
HP LoadRunner (http://www8.hp.com/us/en/software/software-product.html?compURI=tcm:245-935779)
My Top 5 Most Used Business Apps for iPad
As a frequent flyer that booked over 150,000 actual flown miles last year, I like to travel light. In that vein, I prefer to travel with only an iPad and no laptop. Sure, I do have a MacBook Air that I could bring. These days, I find that flying with the iPad solo fits the bill.
As a diehard iPad user, I’m often asked about the applications I use and why. That brings me to this list. There are many different applications that I (and others) have used and find useful. However, I find that I come back to these applications more than others. As a bonus, I’ve added a few honorable mentions to the end.
Top 5 Most Used Business Apps
1. Pages/ Keynote: Pages is Apple’s version of a word processing application. It lacks more complex features like reviewing found in Microsoft’s Word. But it is great to for taking notes and creating documents. And you’re able to export to PDF and Word formats. Keynote is Apple’s version of a presentation application. I do find creating presentations in Keynote cumbersome. So, I create the presentations in PowerPoint on my laptop then transfer them into Keynote. Using the iPad video adapter, I am able to present right off the iPad. One tip: make sure to test your presentations after conversation to Keynote. Some of the more complex features don’t translate cleanly. But with trial and error, I have found what works and doesn’t work.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/keynote/id361285480?mt=8
2. iThoughtsHD: A stellar mindmapping tool which is a great way to collect thoughts, move them around and organize them. Using the iPad Video Adapter, your mindmap is displayed on a projector which is a great way to collaborate with others. And there are plenty of ways to export your mindmap…or just email it to folks.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ithoughtshd-mindmapping/id369020033?mt=8
3. Penultimate: The toolset would not be complete without a freehand drawing tool. It is a great tool for drawing charts and pictures of your thoughts. While you can use your finger to draw, I find a stylus more functional and precise. And again, like iThoughtsHD, you can display to an external projector using the iPad Video Adapter. In addition, you can export or email diagrams around too.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/penultimate/id354098826?mt=8
4. Box: I’ve used iDisk, DropBox, Box and iCloud. iCloud is great for sharing between Apple applications and devices. However, I found that Box provided better usability between platforms and applications. In addition, Box gives you the ability to select “favorites” of files or folders to access offline. That’s great for use on an airplane. In addition, a increasing number of apps support the WebDAV standard allowing files to be saved directly to Box. Conversely, files can be opened by specific applications instead of simply using the Box file viewer.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/box-for-iphone-and-ipad/id290853822?mt=8
5. Kayak: This is a new entry to my list. I used to be a TripIt Pro user. However, I have found that Kayak now provides updates to trip (flight changes, gate changes, etc)…but without the subscription feel that TripIt Pro requires. Don’t get me wrong. TripIt Pro is a great application. The only reason I dropped them for Kayak was the fee. And I was already using Kayak for other purposes too.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kayak-mobile/id305204535?mt=8
Honorable Mentions:
1. Twitter: Call me a purist, but I fancy the classic application. There are others that work well too.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitter/id333903271?mt=8
2. Skype: Calls from overseas can be pricey. So, I tend to rely more on Skype. I also use Skype if I’m in a location with spotty cell coverage…but good Wi-Fi. Convention centers and hotels come to mind.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skype-for-ipad/id442012681?mt=8
3. United Airlines: The new(er) United app is really an app for iPhone. Aside from the graphics, it works well on the iPad for looking up details about your trip and alternative flights.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/united-airlines/id449945214?mt=8
4. WordPress: It’s a decent way to make posts to your blog, change pages and check stats.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wordpress/id335703880?mt=8
5. LinkedIn: Similar to the United app, this one is designed for the iPhone too. But I still find it more useful than pulling up a browser to search, make connections and send notes.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/linkedin/id288429040?mt=8
Necessary Hardware:
1. Apple VGA Adapter: This is one of the most used cables in the bag. It connects between the iPad’s 30-pin connector and a VGA port. Sure, there is an HDMI version. But I have yet to find a place that has a projector or display with HDMI over VGA.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC552ZM/B?fnode=MTc0MjU4NjE
2. Apple Wireless Keyboard: Over time, I’ve become very proficient with the iPad’s on-screen keyboard. But there are times when the external Bluetooth keyboard is called for. And it’s a very light addition to the bag.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/B?fnode=MTc0MjU4OTY
3. Incase Origami Workstation: This is a great case for the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. Before getting it, I kept having trouble with the keyboard constantly turning on when I threw it in my bag. Then it would drain the batteries in the keyboard and the iPad. The Origami case provides enough protection for the power button on the side. In addition, it serves as a great stand for your iPad making it into a pseudo laptop.
http://goincase.com/products/detail/origami-workstation-cl57934
4. iPad 10w Power Adapter: The power adapter that comes with the iPad is great. But you never know when you will need a bit more extension to the cable. Or run into a plug that won’t fit the iPad’s power brick. That’s where this cable comes in handy. And it works for your iPhone too.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC359LL/A?fnode=MTc0MjU4NjA
I hope you find this list useful. Enjoy!
The New Data Center Park Trend
Building data centers in specific areas is nothing new. Data centers are large consumers of power. That’s not news either. Typically, data centers are located near sources of low-cost (and hopefully renewable) energy. Energy is a large portion of the overall data center operational costs.
But power isn’t everything. Two other major considerations are connectivity to a variety of major backbone providers and people. Yes, people. How many skilled workers are willing to take the risk and relocate to a rural area? If the job doesn’t work out, where do they go? There is a premium to relocate people, which factors against the power savings.
Two ways to address the people issue are 1) locate the data center in close proximity to other data centers and 2) architect for a truly lights-out operation to limit staffing requirements. It seems that both are not only possible today, but also being encouraged.
Major companies such as VMware, Intuit, Microsoft, Yahoo, Dell along with commercial providers have build data centers in the Wenatchee/ Quincy area of Central Washington State. The combined data centers comprise more than two million square feet of data center space. That’s quite a large footprint for such a rural area. More recently, Facebook located and Apple is locating a data center in the Prineville, Oregon area.
If your company does not have the scale for large data centers, there are still options. Commercial data center providers are locating data centers in the Wenatchee/ Quincy area. There is also a growing trend in the creation of data center “parks”. These are locations that are specifically built to take advantage of power, cooling, tax implications and connectivity options. In addition, they’re close enough to metro areas to attract the talent required for operations.
Reno, Nevada
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2010/11/15/large-reno-project-to-generate-its-own-power/
Colorado
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2012/03/09/energy-park-proposed-at-nexus-of-fiber-power/
I would expect to see an increase in data centers popping up in these data center parks and away from metropolitan areas where rent and power is expensive. In addition, cloud computing will only increase the movement of data center functions away from traditional approaches to commercial offerings in remote areas.
The Difference Between CoIT and BYOD: And the Impact for IT
There is quite a bit of confusion between CoIT (Consumerization of IT) and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). While these two subjects are related, they are not the same. To make things more confusing, the two terms are often interchanged. Yet, they have very different contexts and definitions. And the impact for IT organizations is significant. Read on…
Consumerization of IT (CoIT)
The consumerization of IT refers to a fundamental change in ‘how’ people use technology. It does not specifically refer to the devices they use, but rather how they work.
As people become more familiar with technology, they tend to use it in everyday life. The reciprocal is true too. Two common examples CoIT are Mobile and Social. In the mobile space, just about everyone has a mobile device. It could be a cell phone, tablet or laptop. Over the past 10 years alone, the number of mobile devices has increased astronomically. Today, there are over 5 billion mobile phones in the world and more than 80% of the world’s population has a mobile phone. Two factors contribute to this change: 1) The cost of the device has reached a point where many more people can afford to own them. 2) Devices are much easier to use. In the past, an IT person would need to configure the device and perform training for the user. No longer is that the case. Even a 4-year-old can operate a device today. In the social space, everyone is using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Users do not need an instruction manual to reach the site or operate the service. In fact, Facebook has over 800 million users today. It would take a large army of IT professionals to train 800 million users using the traditional model.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
On the other hand, BYOD is all about the device. Everyday users are more likely to use these devices (smartphone, tablet, laptop) today. The combination of price drops and ease of use contribute to the change. Due to the familiarity with these devices, users prefer to use them in their everyday work environment. The trend to use personal devices in a corporate environment started several years ago with the mobile phone. People preferred to use their own mobile phone rather than carry one for personal and one for work. With the advent of smartphones that evolved to checking email, surfing the web and the plethora of other applications available today. Tablets and laptops followed in the wake of smartphones.
Today, some corporate entities have fully embraced the concept by providing employees a stipend for their device(s) rather than issue a company-owned device. In other cases, companies pay the bill for the smartphone voice and data plans. The expectation is that the user is checking the device more frequently than they would a company issued device.
From the CIO perspective, I wrote about BYOD in: What the CIO Needs to Know About BYOD
http://timcrawford.org/2012/01/10/what-the-cio-needs-to-know-about-byod/
Changes in How We Work
There is another factor that directly affects this evolutionary change. The organizations and people that belong to them are changing. There are two fundamental drivers: 1) The new workforce and 2) Changes in the technology solutions. By new workforce, I mean the employees that are entering the workplace today. Employees entering the workplace in the past couple of years are the first ones that grew up with a computer from birth to adult. Prior generations picked up computing somewhere along their upbringing or career. That single change provides a workforce that is far more comfortable with computers and electronic devices. They are much more adept at technology change and evolutionary shifts than prior generations too. This milestone is not one to underestimate.
Changes to the IT Paradigm
The general user base is not the only group that is changing. With the changes to CoIT and BYOD, the IT Paradigm needs a significant overhaul. The days of ‘command and control’ are over. The technology paradigm has reached a point where it can no longer be ‘controlled’. But it can be managed! That is where the paradigm changes. Today’s technology world is about setting boundaries, guidelines and frameworks. It is less important to create walls and fortresses. This applies to both the culture we set within the organization and the technology solutions we put in place. One example might be how to protect data rather than the device itself. If you can’t control the device, what are you going to do? You can’t just throw your hands up and give up. There are solutions.
Interestingly, this fundamental change to the way IT operates has significant ramifications beyond just CoIT and BYOD. Yes, making the shift is hard. We have spent 30 years building the methodologies and paradigms we work within today. Change is hard and takes time. But the opportunities for those that make the change are significant.
Bottom Line: CoIT and BYOD are different, but related. Both require changes to the fundamental operations of the IT organization. Those changes, while challenging, can provide significant value moving forward.
