Tech Field Day Coverage

Our delegate panel includes independent writers and thought leaders, and we collect their coverage of the event, Tech Field Day presentations, and sponsoring companies here.

CTERA’s Proactive Solution to Ransomware

W. Curtis Preston evaluates CTERA’s proactive solution to malware, as presented at the last Storage Field Day. CTERA uses a hybrid storage system which monitors anomalies in user behavior as an early detection method while providing an immutable data copy stored in the cloud as a second layer of protection. If unusual behavior is detected, the system isolates the user and can recover any altered files swiftly from the ‘golden copy’ of the data.

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CTERA’s Proactive Solution to Ransomware

Cloud Field Day 18 – After Action Report

This “after-action report” is a YouTube video featuring a group of Cloud Field Day delegates discussing the presentations and content from our recent event. Organized by Nathan Bennett, these videos give an immediate and unvarnished look at the presentations.

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Cloud Field Day 18 - After Action Report

BackBox- Network Vulnerability Manager

Girard Kavelines delves into the technical advantages of BackBox’s Network Vulnerability Manager, a system designed to proactively combat cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. The Network Vulnerability Manager can identify and prioritize vulnerabilities as they appear, automating patches and upgrades across network devices for efficient remediation. The tool also enables multi-step upgrades in a seamless process, cutting down on intervention and enhancing the overall security of networks.

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BackBox- Network Vulnerability Manager

Prosimo: A Game-Changer in Cloud Networking CFD18

Chris Hildebrandt presents an in-depth review of Prosimo, a modern cloud network delivery and security platform designed to optimize application performance, security, and reliability. Chris highlights Prosimo’s key features, such as application performance optimization, strong security through Zero Trust Network Access principles, multi-cloud integration scope, scalability, and simplified management. He lauds Prosimo as a game-changer for enterprises seeking to enhance user experience, increase security, reduce network infrastructure costs, and future-proof their set-up.

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Prosimo: A Game-Changer in Cloud Networking CFD18

Do Processors Matter in the Cloud?

Keith Townsend delves into the relevance of hardware selection, specifically processors, in cloud services in this LinkedIn article. Noting that although AWS has commoditized the cloud underlay, Townsend argues that processor choice still plays a crucial role, particularly when aiming to optimize cost, performance, and application portability. However, for those firmly invested in a specific Cloud Service Provider or prioritizing avoiding optimization costs at the infrastructure level, the cloud provider’s processor may be the more convenient choice.

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Do Processors Matter in the Cloud?

VMware Is at CloudField Day. Will They Be Back Under Broadcom?

Ken Nalbone’s LinkedIn article recaps VMware’s appearance at Cloud Field Day 18. He discusses the company’s ambitious approach to modernizing applications and consistent infrastructure and its innovations like Tanzu Transformer, Tanzu Hub, Tanzu Guardrails, and Tanzu Insights. Nalbone also comments on potential changes under the impending Broadcom acquisition, highlighting the importance of executing VMware’s vision for multi-cloud environments.

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VMware Is at CloudField Day. Will They Be Back Under Broadcom?

Juniper Networks at Cloud Field Day 18

At Cloud Field Day this week, Juniper Networks demonstrated their innovative approach towards data center and cloud networking, with an emphasis on their 2020 acquisition of Apstra. The technology presents automation solutions that reduce risk of misconfiguration and speed up the work process for network operators, using features such as intent-based networking, AI-driven insights, and application awareness. According to Eric Wright, the presentations underscored the significance of automation and data-driven optimization in achieving reliable, consistent, and resilient network management, especially in the dynamically evolving landscape of AI and ML.

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Juniper Networks at Cloud Field Day 18

WEKA Da Hecka?

Nathan Bennett shares a deep dive into the functionality and benefits of the WEKA Data Platform, designed for high-performance workloads and AI/ML applications. He notes WEKA’s multi-cloud capability, lauding its performant hybrid management across four major cloud marketplaces including AWS, Azure, GCP, and Oracle Cloud. What sets WEKA apart is its cost-effectiveness and its cluster scaling features, enabling it to fit seamlessly into existing business ecosystems and budgets while intelligently managing data workloads.

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WEKA Da Hecka?

Network Field Day 33 – Day 0

Jordan Villarreal shares his excitement about Network Field Day 33 in this YouTube video. With leading names such as Cisco, Nokia, Fortinet, and Intel as well as new faces like Graphiant and RG Nets, the event provides significant insights into the ever-evolving networking domain. The topics range from versatile network solutions to edge gateways and from switching platforms to the anticipated wildcard entry of Intel.

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Network Field Day 33 - Day 0

StorPool Tightens Data Protection in StorPool V21

In a recent post on Gestalt IT, Sulagna Saha covers StorPool’s latest software update, StorPool v21. The update focuses on data protection enhancements, including tailored enhancements like “magic scale-out Erasure Coding” and cross-node data protection. Saha also spotlights StorPool’s efforts to maintain a holistic, managed service, providing a unified solution for companies navigating mixed-stack storage systems.

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StorPool Tightens Data Protection in StorPool V21

Navigating Multiple Observability Tools: Mezmo’s Goal of Simplifying the Journey

In this article, Keith Townsend of The CTO Advisor discusses how Mezmo is aiming to simplify the journey of navigating multiple observability tools. With the increase in complexity of software applications in the cloud, using diverse tools for different layers of the stack can be challenging. Mezmo strives to provide a unified observability experience across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments, helping businesses consolidate metrics, traces, and logs from a multitude of sources in an attempt to simplify IT operations.

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Navigating Multiple Observability Tools: Mezmo’s Goal of Simplifying the Journey

VMware at Cloud Field Day 18

Eric Wright provides an extensive recap of VMware’s appearance at Cloud Field Day 18. The presentation focused on application centricity, with VMware showcasing its Tanzu Intelligence tools designed to optimize processes like cloud migration, application and infrastructure observability, and cost management. Eric praises VMware’s efforts to consolidate functions and create a unified user experience in addressing modern application infrastructure.

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VMware at Cloud Field Day 18

Addressing Common Multi-Cloud Networking Challenges With Prosimo

Ken Nalbone discusses Prosimo’s attempt to simplify multi-cloud networking during its presentation at Cloud Field Day 18. With a focus on consistency and cost control, Prosimo’s ‘full stack cloud networking’ solution serves as an abstraction layer for networking operations across all of a customer’s environments. Using the journey of a global healthcare customer as a case study, Prosimo demonstrated how its solution can address common challenges such as account sprawl, lack of governance, and complex network requirements.

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Addressing Common Multi-Cloud Networking Challenges With Prosimo

Juniper Apstra at Cloud Field Day 18

Ken Nalbone reflects on Juniper Apstra’s presentation at Cloud Field Day 18, where they aimed to make the data center as easy as the cloud. He debates the premise of treating data centers and clouds as distinct entities, suggesting that a well-architected and automated infrastructure effectively qualifies as a cloud. He concludes that the use of AI capabilities, supported by integrations such as VMware, Kubernetes, and Terraform, can help meet the adaptive, user-friendly expectations of the modern enterprise.

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Juniper Apstra at Cloud Field Day 18

WEKA at Cloud Field Day 18

Eric Wright explores the benefits and functionalities of the WEKA Data Platform, a system born in 2017 that is performance-oriented and cost-optimized for major cloud providers including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud. The platform stands out for being user-friendly, highly resilient, and providing a hybrid model for both private and cloud hosting. Furthermore, it’s designed to efficiently handle AI and ML workloads, offers attractive features for data enthusiasts such as snapshot capabilities, and provides remarkable storage over standard protocols to multiple clouds.

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WEKA at Cloud Field Day 18

VMware Cross-Cloud: Is It a Viable Path Post Broadcom?

Keith Townsend examines the prospects for VMware’s cross-cloud path in the wake of the upcoming Broadcom acquisition. The article discusses the potential challenges and opportunities with VMware’s shift towards application-centric infrastructure and cloud-native technologies. Despite the uncertainty, Keith suggests that VMware’s multi-cloud strategy could provide significant value if executed effectively.

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VMware Cross-Cloud: Is It a Viable Path Post Broadcom?

The Truth Behind SaaS Data Recovery With W Curtis Preston

In this Gestalt IT Tech Talk, W. Curtis Preston and Stephen Foskett discuss the challenges of data backup in SaaS applications and the misconceptions about built-in data protection. Preston underlines that a provider’s backup capabilities often aren’t sufficient to meet necessary security standards, cautioning against confusing in-application rollback and other features with actual backup. The talk advocates for substantial investment in backup tools for important data, transforming this part of IT into a less cumbersome process and urging data control to be in user’s hands.

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The Truth Behind SaaS Data Recovery With W Curtis Preston

Cloud Field Day Report: Juniper Networks Delivers Automation for the AI Era

Allyson Klein discusses the Juniper Networks presentation from Cloud Field Day, where they shared their vision for AI-era data center networking, with a focus on operations, openness, and solutions. The talk highlighted the recent acquisition of Apstra, a network automation software designed to simplify and scale network management for IT operators. With demonstrations of a cloud-native management interface and deep dives into AI cluster design and network analytics, Juniper Networks outlined its approach towards streamlining network oversight and responding to new network requirements.

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Cloud Field Day Report: Juniper Networks Delivers Automation for the AI Era

Addressing Common Multi-Cloud Networking Challenges With Prosimo

In this LinkedIn article, Ken Nalbone discusses the common challenges experienced in networking across multiple clouds. These challenges include dealing with varied network limitations in different cloud environments, inconsistencies across cloud’s networking construct, limited visibility and control, and managing costs. Prosimo’s AXI platform is highlighted as a potential solution, providing a unified layer across all cloud environments to streamline network connectivity, enhance security, reduce latency, and manage costs effectively.

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Addressing Common Multi-Cloud Networking Challenges With Prosimo

AMD With #CFD18 – What’s a Chip Manufacturer Doing in a Cloud Conference?

Nathan Bennett gives an overview of AMD’s presentation on cloud native solutions at Cloud Field Day. AMD discussed the increasing trend towards running solutions within a DPU (Data Processing Unit) in cloud environments. Bennett challenges AMD’s focus, suggesting that the real impact of chipset makers comes from how the tech is tailored and used by individual hyperscalers, stressing the need for customers to pay attention to the broader context of what chip manufacturers are doing.

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AMD With #CFD18 – What’s a Chip Manufacturer Doing in a Cloud Conference?