This article first appeared on Information Week, and was written by George Crump.

In our last entry we discussed different ways that you can move data into the cloud, something I call onramps. In theory the ability now exists to put all your data types on a cloud storage platform, but is that the right choice for your business? How do you determine which data you should put in the cloud?

The answer, like almost everything else in I.T., is it depends. It depends on what your key internal storage challenges are and what the internal resistance to using an external service might be. Notice that not included in that discussion is what is the size of your company, the amount of IT resources you have nor the amount of data that you have. While I find that it is often assumed that cloud storage is for small business owners only, there are cloud storage solutions for businesses of all sizes including large enterprises.

The first area to examine is how much data is being accessed on a moment by moment basis. As you may have noticed from the discussion in our last entry there is an onramp or cloud gateway for almost every data type now, ranging from backups to primary block storage. The moment by moment change rate plus the data type will determine how large the local gateway cache will need to be and how often data will need to be recalled from the cloud. The total size of the data set is for the most part irrelevant, other than the GB cost to store it but that cost should be relatively static. The movement of data from your local cache from the cloud will be what delays an application. The more often that data can be served from local cache either through smart caching algorithms or large cache space the better. Also several cloud storage providers charge extra for the transfer out of the cloud back to local storage, so it can lead to a surprise on your bill. Since most onramps or gateways give you a choice of provider it makes sense to know what the hidden extras are from each provider.

The impact of restoring data back from the cloud and its potential extra costs is one of the reasons that backup and archive data have been so popular. The transfer is almost always one way; upload. Also most big recoveries can happen from the local cache and don't need the data stored on the cloud. The backup copy in the cloud mostly serves as a long term retention area. As you move into using cloud storage for primary data the transfer issues become a bit more thorny. The easiest data set use case to deal with is the file share use case. Most files on a file server are only active for a few days and then become dormant. This is an ideal use case for cloud storage, let the older files migrate to the cloud. Even if they do need to be recalled from cloud storage later only a single user is typically impacted by the delay in access, and a single file access is relatively fast.

Databases become a bit more tricky. Here look for applications that have a small portion of the application that is accessed on a regular basis. Microsoft SharePoint is a good example of a "ready for cloud now" data set and potentially some mail systems that store attachments and messages as discrete files. In the near future don't rule out busy transaction oriented databases. As the developers of these platforms embrace the availability of cloud storage they can build in ways to auto-segment off tier sections of data so that it can be stored on different storage types automatically and the cloud could be one of those types.

Comment (0)

This article first appeared on BrightHub.com, and was written by Bruce Tyson.

Thin client notebooks are powerful alternatives to traditional computers that can improve the effectiveness of a mobile workforce, enhance corporate security, and improve the utilization of IT dollars as part of a thin computing infrastructure.

What is a Thin Client?

In ways resembling dumb terminals from decades gone by, thin clients have no inherent processing power: they primarily receive inputs and display outputs from applications running on server computers. They are sometimes referred to as PC over IP technology since the traditional computer functions are performed remotely. The client display presents the operating system and application interface and its keyboard and mouse send inputs to the system.

A simple way to characterize a thin client is by their lack of physical storage. They are stateless "dumb" devices that rely on host servers for administration, configuration, storage, and infrastructure. Thin client computers uses Remote Desktop Protocols (RDP) to access network services and configuration information so their capabilities are determined by user credentials.

Thin Computing

Modern thin clients can be used to perform routine computing operations with speeds that make them difficult to distinguish from "fat" clients. Thin clients engage host servers through client software such as VMware View, Microsoft Windows Terminal Server, Citrix XenApp and XenServer, and Unix/Linux and run applications on the host using inputs transmitted from the client.

Thin computing can fill virtually any role as traditional computing, provided network access is available. Call centers, accounting roles, CRM, and CAD are just a few roles that thin computing can support.

Thin Client Laptops

Thin client laptops take advantage of the thin computing model, only in a portable configuration. With high speed wireless LANs in place and high speed 3G and 4G wireless data connections through cellular networks, a thin client laptop is something that only in recent years has become feasible.

Most commonly available thin client laptops come equipped with a ROM-based embedded operating system such as Windows Embedded. This operating system provides essential services to the thin client, enabling it to set up connections to a server host. Once connected, the capabilities of the thin client reflect those configured for it on the host.

An example of a thin client notebook computer is the Dell E5400X Safebook. Like most thin client laptops, this model comes with an embedded operating system and is equipped with end point security and built in wireless networking.

Applications for Thin Client Laptops

Because thin client notebooks are very lightweight and have very long battery life, they are ideal for mobile employees working inside and outside the corporate environment. Since applications and data are hosted on the corporate host, problems such as insufficient disk space are eliminated. When mobile employees need access to a new software package installed, the installation is performed at the corporate office rather than mailing CDs to a remote location. Centralized control of software resources also facilitates corporate compliance with licensing requirements.

Thin Client Notebooks and Security

Proprietary information and access to corporate networks is routinely compromised by the mobile workforce. Laptops left in taxi cabs, airports, buses, hotel rooms, and rental cars often fall into the hands of people looking for information to sell, not to mention the laptop computers that are stolen for their resale value alone. Thin client laptops can solve the majority of the security problems associated with hardware, network, and data vulnerability.

Since the thin client laptop relies on network storage, important product, customer, and vendor information is not lost when the computer is lost or stolen. Without appropriate credentials, the thin client notebook cannot access any information within the enterprise, nor can it be used to access corporate network services. Basically, when a thin client falls out of the control of the corporation, corporate information remains secure.

Corporate espionage involves more than stealing resources from a competing company: it means that people within the organization can retrieve corporate information for personal or competing use. Thin clients help keep corporate information secure because there is no convenient way to transfer corporate data to a storage device. Since all data transactions are managed through centralized servers, an audit trail exists that can detect unauthorized data access and transmission, giving management the opportunity to react quickly to internal abuses.

Finally, with computing processes hosted by the corporate network, security policies for all thin clients can be implemented at the host. This means that antivirus, malware, and other threats encountered online will always be met by appropriate response. In other words, companies implementing thin client notebooks don't have to worry about a user disabling virus scanners or allowing virus signatures to expire.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Thin computing is a green technology because of its low energy demand. By powering only essential hardware, the savings in electrical costs for a company with one hundred computers can exceed $6,000 annually. Thin client laptops have the additional benefit of extended battery life that can power devices for an entire work day on a single charge.

A study published by IDC revealed that switching to thin computing can reduce hardware and software costs by as much as 40%. Additionally, overall IT operating costs can be reduced by nearly a third. The study also found that outlays for computer hardware and support can also be reduced by significant margins by implementing thin computing.

Thin computing brings with it increased productivity that helps make it even more profitable to business. Studies have shown that fewer support, maintenance, and repair issues help make IT staffers more than 50% more productive than those in traditionally equipped departments. Meanwhile, the increased uptime and reduced support issues combine to make mobile users more productive with thin client laptops, adding even more to the corporate bottom line.

Thin clients have a lower acquisition cost, a lower maintenance cost, and a lower incidental cost. Because the devices have fewer parts, there is less to break. Also, thin clients save money by combating obsolescence. Since the processing power is hosted on remote servers, whenever those servers are updated with new software, every thin client is automatically up to date. This saves hardware costs because thin clients won't have to be replaced with every advent of new technology. No more tossing laptops every year or two only to replace them with new ones that too will become obsolete. Direct and indirect cost savings resulting from the use of thin client notebooks make the technology a "must" for consideration.

Comment (0)

A few months back we had a client’s network compromised by a former employee, stealing information for a competitor.  This network had a high end firewall, an encrypted wireless network, and security measures in place to prevent something like this from happening, yet it still happened. 

It happened because people don’t like to remember a lot of passwords.  I can’t say I blame them, I think we’re all guilty of using the same password all over the place sometimes for years.  Unbeknownst to me, everyone in this company new the boss’ password.  It’s the same password he used on everything, which forced him to let others know what it was so they could do things like configure the security system, login to web sites, setup the phones, etc.  This ex-employee used that password to login to their system after he was released, and downloaded critical data he used to better his position where he was working for a competitor.

I showed him how to change his password after this employee was let go, which he did.  However, putting a “1” at the end of the existing password in my mind doesn’t constitute a password change. 

I can’t stress enough the importance of complex passwords.  Sometimes we will setup a new server for a client who has never had passwords before, and they complain like crazy that I’m forcing them to have a password to sign in, especially complex ones.  To them I say, “wah.”  A complex password must include 3 out of 4 character types: uppercase, lowercase, numbers or symbols.  If you are using a password that doesn’t meet these requirements, I suggest you change it.  Hackers can perform what are called dictionary attacks, where a program will automatically try every word in the dictionary with your username, attempting to get to your data.  Complex passwords aren’t in the dictionary, and are harder to crack with other types of attacks as well. 

If you have a server in your office, changing your password can be easy.  Simply press ctrl-alt-del all at once.  If you see a change password button, click it and follow the instructions.  For machines without a server, the password can be changed in the control panel, under the users section.  It is especially critical for server based networks, as one password could protect access to your machine locally or remotely, as well as access to email or other data. 

Don’t put it on a sticky note underneath your keyboard either. 

Its not difficult to make an existing password meet complexity requirements, just change a lowercase letter to uppercase, through a symbol at the end, and your password becomes complex, and hopefully you can still remember it.  Changing it at least every 6 months or so is not a bad idea either.  Even if you don’t think you’re data is worth protecting, think of the damage it could do in the wrong hands.

Top 7 password mistakes:

Comment (0)