Chuck's Blog

Building The Information Utility -- Closing Thoughts

If you've made it this far, we've on an interesting journey together -- exploring concepts around an internal "information utility" for our organizations.

Yes, some pre-reading is required: an initial discussion here, concepts of efficiency here, building control models here, and -- of course -- how we might think about choice.

In this post, we come full circle, and talk about how organizations might get from here to there.

Building Choice Into Our Information Utility -- Part 4

You're deep into a series of posts where I attempt to lay the foundations of an idealized "information utility" for most enterprises.

The idea is simple: the vast majority of enterprise information isn't particularly mission critical, and we should start thinking in terms of an internal "information utility" that's modeled after phones, power, etc.

Before you dive into this one, I'd recommend that you spend a moment reading this post, this post and this post.

Ready?

Control and The Information Utility -- Part 3

You're midway through a series of posts exploring the concept of an idealized "information utility" for enterprises -- something that can do a better job of handling the 97% of all corporate data that isn't mission critical.

By way of prerequisite, I'd encourage you to read this introduction, and the subsequent post on efficiency.

Ready to dig into "control" concepts?

Here we go.

Making The Information Utility Efficient -- Part 2

You're midway through a sequence of posts describing the concept of building an "information utility" for the non-mission-critical information that's drowning every enterprise.

I did my best to lay out an initial conceptual framework here.  Much of what I say here will make far more sense if you have the chance to read this first.

In this post, I want to drill down on the enabling technologies and automated operational models that have the potential of dramatically transforming the efficiency of how we store, protect, manage and leverage our enterprise information.

In the next two posts, I want to explore related concepts: "control", and "choice".

Building The Information Utility -- Part 1

The headline? 

Storage -- as a technology and a discipline -- is ripe for a complete re-thinking in 2010.  Many of the necessary ingredients are already in the market, more are coming.  

For those of us who've been way too close to this storage stuff for way too long, it's nothing more than a complete re-learning of everything we've ever known.

As we start 2010, I'm doing my best to lay out what I believe will be the "big ideas" in storage going forward.   Since I work for a vendor, you know the rules -- I can't pre-announce new products or technologies.

But what I *can* do is lay out the thinking behind the roadmap -- and that's what I'm doing here.

EMC To Acquire Archer

It's 2010, and we're off to the races already ...

Today's acquisition announcement of Archer Technologies is likely a harbinger of what we'll see from EMC during 2010 -- swift execution around strategic themes that we've already discussed.

The first order of business -- a hearty "welcome aboard" to Jon Darbyshire and his world-class team.  We're proud and excited to have you as the latest member of the RSA and EMC family!

And, for the everyone else, I'd like to share a bit of the story behind the story ...

From Virtualization To Federation

For those of you who took some well-deserved time off at the end of the year -- welcome back!

In the spirit of 2010 predictions, I'd like to offer up the prediction that a very specific term will become important during 2010: federation.

It's inevitable, as many of us will have to begin thinking about how pools of resources -- frequently separated by distance -- will communicate and cooperate to act as one thing, rather than a disparate pool of uncoordinated resources.

Data Protection Advisor -- Another Hidden EMC Gem

So many cool products, so little time.

One of the most successful -- and perhaps least widely known -- products in EMC's sprawling portfolio is EMC Data Protection Advisor.

Based on our acquisition of WysDM, we've continually enhanced and extended the product's capabilities where -- today -- most people are seriously surprised as to what it can do, and how well it does what it does. 

Frankly speaking, I think it's under-marketed.

And, if your job involves protecting lots of different forms of information with a wide variety of tools, you might be interested in this post.

RSA SecurBook For VMware View

This just in.

One of our premises is that -- as we virtualize -- certain disciplines can be made *far better* than they were in the physical world.  Security is a prime example.

Nowhere does this play out as much as with virtual desktops.  In the security landscape, they're the endpoint that causes everyone to lose sleep.

If that sort of thing is on your mind, I invite you to take a look at this rather beefy "how to" document from EMC's RSA division. 

Remember, it's not about making it "as good as" ... it's about making it far better ...

This Friday Is "Hug Your Security Professional" Day

OK, I admit it. 

Until EMC acquired RSA, I attempted to stay far away from security-related discussions.  Usually, these involved very hard questions with very few good answers.  Or so I thought.

Now that I've been orbiting around RSA and their world of security professionals for several years, my perspective has changed dramatically.

It's an increasingly important topic to both us as IT professionals, and us as consumers.

The questions are getting harder, but the answers are getting much better.

And, most often, the people who focus on security are perhaps the most under-appreciated group within the technology realm.

I mean, really, how many of us welcome a visit from our security people?  My impression is that it's right up there with visit from HR, legal or the finance auditors.

And that needs to change ...