Chuck's Blog

From Lightning To Thunder

We all know that thunder closely follows a big lightning strike, and with today's unveiling of Project Lightning (now VFCache), there's thunder as well, as in Project Thunder.

To get a real appreciation for what this is all about, I'd strongly encourage you to read this background post first, and then my overview of VFCache.

Now, with all of that out of the way, let's dive into this interesting technology preview.

VFCache Means Very Fast Cache Indeed

Big news today for IT infrastructure professionals. 

EMC has taken the wraps off of the much-talked-about Project Lightning, and there's much more there than most people expected :)

In my previous post, I did my best to set context as to what was going on, why this was important, and so on.  Unless you're a storage technologist, you really should start with that post.

In this one, we're going to get into the details: what it is, what it does and how it's different than what's come before.

And in my next post, I'm going to preview its sibling -- Project Thunder -- which, as you'll see, is a natural extension of what Project Lightning accomplishes.

The Next Generation Of Enterprise Flash Storage

Big news today for IT infrastructure architects -- and the businesses that depend on them.

Today's "Lightning Strikes" announcement from EMC represents a new milestone in giving our customers a new-found ability to deploy advanced infrastructure that's more efficient, more optimized -- and a helluva lot faster :)

It's a big deal.  There's a lot to cover, so I'm breaking this into three posts.

In this post, I'm going to set context -- what the problem is, what server-side flash brings to the party, what challenges exist with existing approaches, and so on.

In the next post, I'm going to dive into the details of VFCache (formerly known as Project Lightning): what it does, how it's different, what's there now, what's down the road, etc.

And, in my final post, I'm going to introduce you to Project Thunder -- which *hasn't* been as widely talked about -- but, as you'll see, is a natural extension of what Project Lightning (now VFCache) is targeting -- only at scale :)

If you're into IT infrastructure at any level, go get a cup of coffee, and let's dig in together.  Yes, there's a lot to digest, but you'll probably end up just as impressed as we all have been internally for a while now.

HDFS: Coming Soon To An Array Near You

As enterprises around the globe are beginning to exploit the value in their unstructured data, Hadoop is starting to find its way into more enterprise settings.

Enterprise IT buyers are justifiably a demanding lot, which creates plenty of opportunity for IT vendors such as EMC to create products that meet their newer needs.

Such is the case with the new native HDFS (Hadoop Distributed File System) capabilities from EMC's Isilon group.  

As you'll see, it makes exploiting the power of Hadoop and large unstructured data sets incredibly more efficient and powerful.

And before too long, I suspect other storage vendors will scramble to offer something very similar :)

My Continuing Infatuation With Storage

During my many decades as a technology guy, I've been exposed to all sorts of interesting things: compilers, AI, networks, security, processors, databases, virtualization, apps, mobile, etc. etc.  

But no technology has held my interest over the many years as storage.  I do have my flings with other disciplines from time to time, but I keep coming back.  

Good thing I work for EMC, eh?

I occasionally get asked about this fascination with the topic: polite inquiries as to what is it about storage that endlessly fascinates me -- almost as if they were inquiring into a dark association with Dungeons and Dragons, or maybe I'm into retro computing?

So, rather than have to answer the question repeatedly, I thought I'd share my personal reasons as to why storage continues to enchant me as a technology, and show no sign of slowing down.

Maybe it will end up seducing you, too -- if it hasn't already :)

Change Is In The Air: CIO Magazine Poll Results

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know I've been writing extensively on IT transformation - where IT decides it needs to compete for internal IT business, and organizes appropriately.

Why?  It's a really big deal.  As a result, I've exhaustively gone through what I felt were the motivations and the challenges for IT changing the way it does business. 

But now, you don't have to listen to me and my endless exhortations.  You can now see how others in the IT profession feel about the topic.

While the poll results might be surprising to you, the only "surprise" I found was perhaps  the degree that the responses tended to correspond to my own personal views.  But that's not really a surprise, since many of my views are nothing more than aggregations of conversations that I frequently have with this audience.

Take a moment, and see for yourself …

Analytically Enabling The Enterprise via BI As A Service

Many amazing things being done in our EMC IT group these days.

The original premise was that -- once we had made enough progress on transitioning to an ITaaS model -- the value-added strategic IT initiatives would start to come hard and fast.  Well, they are.

Why?  

Almost everything IT does now is based on variable, re-usable (and competitive!) services: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS etc.   IT friction is dramatically reduced as a result.

Business users are now marketed to, and not simply told what they can and can't have.  

A financial governance model based on price signals and an internal marketplace is now starting to optimize IT decisions.  

It's a very different IT game here at EMC than just a few short quarters ago.  Perceptions have changed; enthusiasm is everywhere.  And I get the privilege to share it with all of you ...

In a previous post (The Journey To Big Data Analytics), I outlined the process by which most companies we thought would likely acquire and leverage new analytical capabilities.  At a high level, we now feel prepared to start our own internal journey in earnest, much like we're simultaneously tackling the challenge of mobilizing our extended enterprise.

In this post, I'd like to begin to share with you how we're organizing for success around this particular topic.  Yes, we're using plenty of EMC technology (naturally!), but the real key to anything transformative is the organizational approach.

Creating Actionable Intelligence: The Brave New World Of Information Security

If you've been paying attention in the security world, you'll probably sense that a sea-change is well underway. The forces behind the "perfect storm" are assembled and quickly gathering strength.

More information in more places. Higher-value information targets.  And an increasingly sophisticated and well-funded set of opponents using APT techniques to secure their prize. 

Most people chartered with responding are very much aware of the new challenges -- but what to do?   

While there are no simplistic answers, there is a clear consensus emerging that this is no mere matter of better technology; it requires a deep and thoughtful organizational response -- a new way of doing things in the new world. 

The latest evidence comes from the SBIC -- the Security for Business Innovation Council --  in their new report "Getting Ahead Of Advanced Threats: Achieving Intelligence-Driven Information Security". The SBIC is a subset of very bright and passionate security leaders in Fortune 1000 settings that regularly gather to make strategic recommendations for the community at large.  

Sponsored by RSA, we've seen a number of useful reports on relevant and topical corporate information security subjects. This one is worth reading -- simply because it sketches out a roadmap of how security leaders will need to go about building their new organizational response in this new world. 

Like anything else, the challenge essentially boils down to organizing for success around a few new principles.

The Six Key Attributes Of Great Leaders

We're all still sort of buzzing from the EMC 2012 Leadership meeting, which I guess is a good thing.

I wanted to circle back and share with you one of the best thoughts from Joe Tucci's presentation to the assembled leadership team.  Many of us found very strong resonance with what he had to say.  

For the things we were already doing, it was nice to get some confirmation.

And, in a few cases, maybe there are a few things we could be doing better :)

The Journey To Big Data Analytics

Our story so far ...

Many now realize that big data analytics is the next big thing in creating value from information. 

As such, more than a few people are wondering how they might think about their journey: how they get from where they are today to where they want to be in a sequence of logical, digestible and justifiable steps.

We spent a great deal of time in 2011 learning from organizations who had visibly achieved this proficiency.  What kinds of skills were required.  How they were organized.  And, more importantly, how they got to where they are today.

We've boiled down our learning into a relatively simple three-phase model that describes that pathway that many organizations seem to follow.

And, if you're wondering how to get started on your own journey, perhaps you'll find this useful.