Gina Rosenthal is delivering real-time insights on each AI Field Day presentation, starting with her take on VMware’s advancements in AI. In their presentation, VMware highlighted the ease of deploying AI applications on existing infrastructure with a focus on robust security and privacy, leveraging their Private AI and partnerships with industry leaders like NVIDIA. VMware’s session delved into how their solutions, geared towards the generative AI market, are enabling customers to significantly improve operational tasks such as documentation search, boasting a 500% effectiveness increase.
Intel Day Kicks Off at AI Field Day 4
As AI Field Day 4 continues into day two, Gina Rosenthal turns her attention to the capabilities of Intel Xeon CPUs in AI, particularly in inference workflows, as presented by Ro Shah, AI Product Director at Intel. Shah delineated the growing trend towards generative AI with large models, while recognizing that enterprises are more inclined to adopt smaller language models, positioning Xeon as a suitable solution for these scenarios. Intel’s commitment to serving the AI market extends beyond hardware, showcasing their strategy of enabling AI across the board through developer support, tool extensions, and a strong partnership ecosystem.
Doubling Down on Network Observability With IP Fabric and NetBox Labs
At Tech Field Day Extra at Cisco Live EMEA 2024, IP Fabric revealed a collaboration with NetBox Labs, emphasizing a strengthened focus on Network Observability through their Automated Network Assurance Platform and a versatile NetBox plugin. This strategic alliance addresses the complexities of visualizing and managing multifaceted network environments by merging extensive visibility with dynamic topology modeling. IP Fabric’s innovative approach promises improved data accuracy and operability across network architectures, aligning observed network states with intent-based configurations to support efficient and reliable network operations.
Why Storage Matters for AI – Solidigm
During AI Field Day 4, Solidigm, alongside partner Supermicro, spotlighted the pivotal role of storage in AI, as discussed by Gina Rosenthal. Ace Stryker of Solidigm emphasized the need to shift from HDDs to solid-state drives, aligning with the trends of chip spending growth and the demand for higher storage in AI servers. Supermicro’s Wendell Wenjen and Paul McLeod further discussed the integration with WEKA and the importance of storage in AIOps, indicating that a substantial portion of Supermicro’s revenue is derived from AI-related ventures.
Cisco Live EMEA and Tech Field Day Extra Embodies “Better Together”
Attending Cisco Live EMEA and Tech Field Day Extra as a single mother on maternity leave, Zoe Rose highlighted the significance of community in shaping careers while juggling the demands of parenthood. Her experience underscores not only the flexibility and inclusion of these industry events but also the support structures that make participation feasible for parents. Rose’s story is an inspiring testament to the power of community and organizational support in fostering professional growth, even amidst the complexities of personal life transitions.
Dell Makes Storage Multi-Cloud by Design With APEX Block Storage for Public Cloud
Dell Technologies presented their APEX Block Storage for Public Cloud at Cloud Field Day, offering a unique software-defined storage solution that bridges on-premises infrastructure and public cloud services. By advocating for reduced total cost of ownership and high performance, this solution aims to seamlessly integrate the operational experience of local storage with the flexibility and resilience of cloud storage. Proclaiming an “up to 87% cost-savings and 100 times better performance” compared to native public cloud offerings, Dell APEX Block Storage emerges as a strategic option for enterprises looking to balance cost, complexity, and performance across their hybrid multi-cloud environments.
The Imposter Syndrome Podcast: Daren Fulwell
In the latest episode of the Imposter Syndrome Podcast, hosted by Chris Grundemann, guest Darren Fulwell, Chief Evangelist at IP Fabric, shares his 25+ years of networking expertise. Darren discusses the evolution of networking technology, the importance of understanding fundamentals, and how certifications have served as a pathway for learning and career development. The conversation highlights Darren’s passion for mentoring, his insights into network automation, and the impact of community on professional growth.
Meraki Switching 17 – Encapsulating ‘Better Together’ by Providing Context
Meraki’s upcoming MS17 features, highlighted at Cisco Live EMEA by Brennan Martin and Alex Burger, are tailored to reduce burdens on IT teams through efficient data aggregation, contextualized insights, and trend visualization. As Zoe Rose discusses, the update is set to streamline operations by introducing dynamic profiles for switchports, enhanced packet capture analysis, and comprehensive device health dashboards, with an API to further customize thresholds and alerts. While a ‘single pane of glass’ for network management remains a complex goal, these changes reflect a product evolution responsive to customer feedback and aimed at alleviating workload, underscoring Cisco’s commitment to user-centric innovation.
The Year of AI at AI Field Day 4
AI Field Day returns on February 21st-23rd, giving a broad perspective on AI’s foundational technologies in a year touted to be pivotal for artificial intelligence. Attendees can expect in-depth sessions with industry giant Intel as well as key players VMware by Broadcom, Qlik, Hammerspace, Solidigm, VAST Data, and many more. This event explores revolutionary AI applications and their infrastructure demands, and will be broadcast live for a global audience. Watch live on LinkedIn and the Tech Field Day website and catch the recordings on YouTube!
Accelerating Big Data Analytics With NeuroBlade SPU
In a data-driven world where every second counts, NeuroBlade’s SQL Processing Unit (SPU) is revolutionizing big data analytics with its ability to accelerate high-throughput workloads, as Sulagna Saha writes, covering their Cloud Field Day presentation. With organizations in a race to transform data into actionable insights, the NeuroBlade SPU offers a competitive edge with its 10-fold speed increase over GPUs and seamless integration into current tech ecosystems. This breakthrough addresses the pressing demand for faster time-to-insight, ensuring businesses can harness real-time intelligence at sustainable costs, thereby marking a significant leap in analytics processing power.
Cisco Live TFDx 2024 – Meraki and Catalyst Wireless, Better Together!
Attending Tech Field Day at Cisco Live EMEA 2024 allowed Dan Jones to witness the impressive integration of the 9800 WLC into Meraki for simplified monitoring – a boon for helpdesk engineers. The ease of setup, requiring just Meraki Cloud service activation and a claim code, makes advanced network management accessible without extra costs, leveraging existing DNA licensing. This innovation is particularly advantageous for companies lacking the resources to implement a fully-fledged DNA-C appliance, streamlining operations with the tools they already possess. Read more in this article!
Cloud Field Day – Infrastructure Matters on the Road
During Cloud Field Day 19, Infrastructure Matters hosts Steven Dickens and Camberley Bates, alongside industry experts Stephen Foskett and Keith Townsend, explored the use case for presenters NeuroBlade, SoftIron, and Platform9. Each contributes a unique on-premises and cloud solutions aimed at optimizing infrastructure performance and management. The discussions, rooted in technical expertise, provide a comprehensive look into the role of these companies’ technologies in shaping the future of IT infrastructure. Listen to the entire webcast from The Futurum Group for more!
Extending the Benefits of Public Cloud Into the Enterprise With SoftIron’s HyperCloud V2.0
At the intersection of cloud convenience and data privacy, SoftIron’s HyperCloud v2.0 emerges as a compelling on-prem infrastructure solution, adapting public cloud ease to private datacenters, as dissected in Sulagna Saha’s latest article based on their Cloud Field Day presentation. As the cloud industry burgeons towards a projected $1 trillion valuation, HyperCloud’s integration of complex cloud-native features simplifies the return to private datacenters without sacrificing agility or scalability. For enterprises hesitant to commit to full public cloud services due to data control and cost, this blend of minimal infrastructure burden and accelerated outcomes offers a secure and adaptable alternative. Read the full article for an in-depth understanding of SoftIron’s innovation in private cloud technology.
Runaway K8 Clusters, Meet Your Match: Platform9’s Elastic Machine Pool (EMP)
Although Jim Czuprynski prefers monolithic architectures like Oracle’s Exadata, as an experienced Oracle DBA he recognizes the common issue of memory over-allocation in containerized environments, driven by the containerization trend. Platform9’s EMP toolset was presented as a solution which introduces an alternative virtualization layer, streamlining resource usage and potentially curbing the over-provisioning habits of Kubernetes engineers. With a focus on enhanced performance and cost efficiency, EMP’s potential to optimize Kubernetes configurations was highlighted at Cloud Field Day, a novel approach eagerly eyed by those in cloud resource management.
SoftIron’s Breakthrough in Private Cloud Technology Was on Display at Cloud Field Day 19
The Chaos Lever podcast takes on Cloud Field Day 19, with a focus on SoftIron, offering custom hardware and software integrations to construct resilient private cloud environments, providing an alternative perspective on the historical progression of IT infrastructure. Their commitment to private clouds is reflected in meticulously developed solutions, tailored for demanding scalability and flexibility, encompassing networking, compute, and storage. Listen in as delegate Ned Bellavance and Chris Hayner consider this product and the rest of the Cloud Field Day news!
The Game-Changer in Cloud Networking: My Take on Broadcom’s Trident5-X12 Chip
Returning to her roots at Cloud Field Day 19, Shala Warner was intrigued by Broadcom’s Trident5-X12 chip, which appeals to her passion for networking with the expansive possibilities of the cloud. This powerhouse chip not only promises to push the boundaries for AI/ML data processing but hints at a security-first future, setting the stage for a new era where Cloud Operators and CDNs unite to fortify against DDoS threats. As a DevOps advocate, Shala envisions this kind of innovation driving a unified approach in both hardware and software realms, fostering collaborative and resilient cloud ecosystems. Read more in this DEV Community article!
Winning the Private (Cloud) War: SoftIron’s Hyperscaled Solutions
Jim Czuprynski reacts to SoftIron’s presentation at Cloud Field Day. They presented a private cloud vision that readily adapts to the challenges of interconnectivity, scalability, and disaster resilience, necessities underscored by recent calamitous events. SoftIron’s tailored solutions, capable of delivering up to 16PB clusters, show their commitment to meeting the elastic computing needs of diverse, growth-oriented IT infrastructures. Read more in this LinkedIn Pulse article!
Achieving Operational Excellence in Hybrid Multi-Cloud With the Dell APEX Cloud Platform Family
In this article, Sulagna Saha reviews the Dell APEX Cloud Platforms, a solution engineered to expand and improve the multi-cloud experience. The APEX Cloud Platform family provides a complete set of solutions to help operate effortlessly in the dispersed world of hybrid multi-cloud. The platform aims to unify cloud and on-premise environments, ensuring operational consistency and efficiency, co-engineered in collaboration with trusted partners like Microsoft, Red Hat, and VMware. The platform promises to streamline the adoption of multi-cloud operations, integrating storage, computing, and familiar management tools within a scalable architecture, bolstered by Dell’s commitment to continuous innovation and security. To delve deeper into the operational excellence enabled by Dell’s APEX Cloud Platform family, read this review by Sulagna Saha or watch their videos from Cloud Field Day!
Cloud to Ground Deployment Magic
Dell Technologies introduced the concept of “Cloud to ground” at Cloud Field Day 19, reflecting the growing interest in cloud repatriation and the desire to bring cloud-like operations to on-premises datacenters. Their APEX Cloud Platform aims to simplify this transition, providing a management solution that integrates with existing tools like Azure console and OpenShift Advanced Cluster Management to automate and manage Cloud OS deployments on Dell hardware. While this innovation aids in the automation and management of on-prem hardware, Ned Bellavance notes that it’s not a full public cloud experience nor a private or multicloud management plane, but rather a significant step towards simplifying hybrid cloud environments for Dell users.
Hardware Vendors Are Providing Better Network Monitoring Than Most Software Vendors
As Thomas LaRock wrote about earlier, 70% of enterprises use private clouds, including those with public-facing websites, pointing out the implicit challenge these companies face in securing their networks against DDoS attacks. Broadcom is innovating in this space with their Trident5-X12 chip featuring the NetGNT engine, which offers real-time traffic analysis and anomaly detection to bolster network security measures. However, despite the advancement in hardware-based security solutions, the onus remains on customers to develop and train the neural network models needed to identify and categorize threats—a task that requires specialized skills.
