Paessler’s PRTG Even Monitors The Weather

Scott McDermott got to hear from Paessler at Tech Field Day Extra at Cisco Live US this year. He had evaluated their PRTG monitoring solution before, but got a new appreciation of it from their presentation. PRTG supports a vast array of sensor, with up to 5,000 per VM supported. These can be typical metrics, but also support unusual metrics, like fan speed and even weather conditions. Scott was definitely impressed by the versatility.


Cisco’s SD-Access: All The Pieces

Drew Conry-Murray gives his thoughts on Cisco’s SD-Access. SD-Access is designed to automate common networking tasks in a campus network and is an ambitious project, but Drew is optimistic. Here, he discusses the supported hardware, the new dashboard DNA Center, as well as three additional pieces: APIC-EM, the Identity Services Engine (ISE), and the Network Data Platform.


Quick take: A conversation with Opengear at Cisco Live US in Las Vegas

Robert Novak shares his thoughts on Cisco Live US and Opengear. He discusses Opengear’s story, the evolution of console server/terminal server technology, and some more general technology perspectives. And he makes a reference to Tech Field Day at Cisco Live way back in 2013!


Cisco SDA – Moving Software Defined to the Access Layer

Brandon Carroll attended Cisco Live US and Tech Field Day Extra where he saw a presentation on Cisco’s “The Network Intuitive.” Here, he describes what Software-Defined Access is and how it works as well as what he thinks of Cisco’s plan. He writes, “Complex network functions could be simplified if Cisco truly delivers SD-Access in they way they’ve described it… this could be a turning point for Cisco where they have a serious opportunity to be leaders in software defined network.”


Cisco Live 2017, engineering awesomeness

Amy Arnold reflects on her experience at Tech Field Day and Cisco Live US, reviewing OpenGear’s new API, Paessler’s new monitoring solution, and NetApp’s FlexPod SF.


Off The Cuff – Conferences And Social Media For Engineers

The Network Collective Podcast panel at Cisco Live US discusses the career changing value of conferences and social media for network engineers.


Not The Cisco of John Chambers Anymore

Based on his experience at Cisco Live US, Tom Hollingsworth discusses signs of a very different Cisco under new CEO Chuck Robins. Robins’ focus on software over hardware and a more hands on leadership style will lead to big changes within this iconic company.


The Dawn of a New Networking Era

Jon Hildebrand was at Tech Field Day Extra at Cisco Live US. From what he saw of the presentation from Cisco at the event, they all fit into what Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins talked about in his keynote: Scale, Simplification, Security. John sees these points at play in the develops Cisco has made with ASICs, specifically in their new Catalyst 9000 line. By providing programmable ASICs that can easily add new features over time, a policy driven Digital Network Architecture Center management dashboard, and offering threat analysis on encrypted traffic, Cisco certain seems to have aligned their products around those three principals.


TFDx at Cisco Live 2017 – Part 1 (Preview)

Dustin Beare went to Tech Field Day Extra at Cisco Live US this past week. In this post, he gives a quick look at what he saw from Cisco at the event. This includes how the company is approaching ASIC design, the redesigned IOS-XE, which is now more container based for easier feature expansion, and a wide range of updates from the Cisco Digital Network Architecture platforms.


What I’m Looking Forward to at Cisco Live 2017

Scott McDermott is in Vegas and ready to take on Cisco Live. In this post, he shares what he’s looking forward to at the event. This includes a trio of Tech Field Day Extra presentations from Paessler, OpenGear, and NetApp.


NEW: The Podcast Domain and Other Fun Stuff at CLUS

We’ll be hosting a Tech Field Day Extra event from Cisco Live US next week in Las Vegas. Make sure to check out Cisco’s dedicated podcast space, the Podcast Domain! Sign up, and you can record your own content. Of course, if you can’t make it, make sure to follow along on our live stream!


Announcement: Tech Field Day Master Classes Live Online June 27

Tech Field Day Extra presentations are a great way to get focused technical discussion in the often hectic world of larger conferences and events. This year, Tech Field Day Extra at Cisco Live US, things are getting even more interesting. Cisco will be feating Distinguished Speakers at the presentations, so make sure to check back for the live stream to catch every one.


Update: June 2017

Dustin Beare is deep in the throws of preparing for his CCIE exam in September. That’s not stopping him from getting excited for Tech Field Day Extra at Cisco Live US. He’ll be getting a full firehouse of presentations from Cisco throughout the day, so make sure to check back with Dustin for updates. And here’s wishing him luck in September!