Monday, January 29, 2007

Run your Linux from a USB drive

How do I keep all those Linux configurations running and keep track of all these distributions and configurations. I kept my VMware images on a USB hard drive. Because I needed to run them or test them at different locations.
I also have some Knoppix live CDs remastered over and over to encompass changes or to add modules that were developed for projects.
But now I have a bunch of USB keys, ranging from 256MB to 4GB. I Stated all this by first getting my Knoppix 5.1 on an USB drive. With the help from Pen Drive Linux article which I have provided the link below.
Get all your Linux on a USB drive, I have a Knoppix DVD image on a usb Drive. So I can do all my work even if I am totally disconnected from the net.
I also have a bootable SD drive on my notebook, I will try to get my knoppix on it!
Links;
Knoppix 5.1 Release notes on PenDriveLinux
Pendrive Linux's Knoppix ready for USB Drive

Sunday, January 07, 2007

OpenVZ, another player in virtualization space

I was searching for a better server based virtualization software after playing with many a industry players. All worked well, I thought, until I used OpenVZ. I was blown away and my trusty notebook too. We have to test many a grid based technology before we deploy them out. Testing on a Grid is hard to do because, Others use it, part of it is in production, and various other reasons.
Now I can replicate the services I need on our grid, to my notebook, (It a Dual core with 2GB memory and 160GB mirrored raid note book!) and test all core based testing before I even present them to the team.
How do I do them? Virtual Private Servers, kindly provided by OpenVZ. Without going any further telling how I see OpenVZ, here is what OpenVZ.org has to say;

What is OpenVZ?
OpenVZ is an Operating System-level server virtualization solution, built on Linux. OpenVZ creates isolated, secure virtual environments — VEs (otherwise known as virtual private servers, or VPSs) on a single physical server enabling better server utilization and ensuring that applications do not conflict. Each VE performs and executes exactly like a stand-alone server; VEs can be rebooted independently and have root access, users, IP addresses, memory, processes, files, applications, system libraries and configuration files. See Documentation » Technology for more information.

If you want to read about it more you can follow the wikipedia link given below. You also can read in other languages like, German, French, Russian, and Spanish.

OpenVZ is the basis of the Virtuozzo™ — a commercial virtualization solution offered by SWsoft.
So if you need commercial support and backing, it is there through Virtuozzo. I have provided links below.

Links;
OpenVZ.Org web Portal
Virtuozzo
Wikipedia link (For other languages, add appropriate prefix, de, fr etc)

Thursday, January 04, 2007

3Tera gives Grid Provisioning for Service Providers and more

Press Release
3Tera, Inc., the innovator of grid and utility computing solutions for online services and Layered Technologies, Inc., a leading hosting provider of self-managed, dedicated server platforms and services, today announced Layered Technologies will leverage 3Tera's AppLogic grid operating system to offer grid-based private servers and Web hosting services to its customers. The grid-based solution will provide Layered Technologies' customers with a new level of services such as quick and easy resource provisioning, instant high availability and on-demand scalability, and for the first time, they won't have to worry about how many, and what kinds of, servers they're running.

"Layered Technologies can now offer, in addition to the dedicated server model, the new easy-to-manage grid infrastructure to provide affordable Web hosting plans while achieving the ultimate in flexibility for hosting solutions," said Vlad Miloushev, president & CEO, 3Tera, Inc. "AppLogic eliminates the barrier between grid computing and Web applications so hosting providers like Layered Technologies can offer their customers an easy and cost-effective way to manage their own applications without ever having to worry about the infrastructure."



"Deploying Web applications on AppLogic-based private servers provides instant scalability and high availability to our customers," said Jeremy Suo-Anttila, CTO, Layered Technologies, Inc. "For example, grid disk failures become a non-issue as all the data volumes are constantly mirrored on multiple servers so the running application is never interrupted. Even the failure of a server becomes painless, as AppLogic will automatically provision replacement resources on the grid."



About the AppLogic Grid Operating System

AppLogic is the first and only grid operating system designed to run and scale existing transactional Web applications. The system is based on scalable grid architecture, advanced virtualization technologies and 3Tera's ground-breaking disposable infrastructure. AppLogic converts existing commodity servers into scalable shared grids that are easy to manage. Disposable infrastructure packages applications and the infrastructure required to run them into self-contained and portable entities. As a result, AppLogic enables users to easily deploy existing Web applications on a grid, instantiate and scale them without modification, and without requiring a SAN or other shared storage. By completely separating software from the hardware infrastructure traditionally needed to run it, AppLogic is enabling the first true utility services to be offered.

Links;
3Tera Grid OS

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Enterprise Architecture Practitioners Conference 2007 San Diego

January 29 - 31, 2007
Marriott San Diego Mission Valley, San Diego, USA
(in parallel with The Open Group Member Meetings, January 29 - Febraury 2)

The Open Group Enterprise Architecture Practitioners Conference in San Diego will comprise a plenary meeting with a focus on SOA, followed by parallel streams addressing SOA and other aspects of enterprise architecture.
According to a recent report by Forrester, nearly 70% of SOA users say that they will increase their use. SOA is here to stay.

What does this mean for enterprise architects?

Many of the guiding principles of SOA are not new. Re-use, interoperability and compliance to standards (both common and industry-specific) have been championed by the experts and member companies of The Open Group Architecture Forum for more than 11 years. But it is becoming increasingly clear that, while the fundamental principles remain valid, SOA does require new ideas and new skills.

And service-orientation has even deeper implications. It can lead to new business models and organizational structures. It helps the architect to think in terms of an enterprise architecture that includes IT, rather than an IT architecture that supports the enterprise.

Which means that architects must not just master the new technology. They must understand business and technology together, in order to deliver true enterprise architecture.
So don't be left out. Conference information and registration is in the links below.

Links;
Enterprise Architecture Practitioners Conference
Registration for the SOA conference


Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Grid Technology in mainstream media.

It is good to start new year with reading news published by a leading news paper and being picked up by other news papers. Although a few may know what grid technology is the most will think of grid as it relates to the power, electricity. If you do a google search for grid, now you get a first page all related to grid technology and grid computing.
World Community Grid, SETI are gaining acceptance by general population due to the fact that they use idling computer power to do social work. The publications like Chicago Tribune, Sun Sentinel accepting to publish Grid related article like the ones I have provided links below will further educate the general population about Grid Technology.

Have a happy new grid year.

Links
Chicago tribune, Grid Computing..
Sun Sentinel, Grid Computing...