Optical storage remains a top choice for compliance
The business requirements for a record archive have evolved very rapidly over the last few years. Major financial scandals and recent incidents involving large-scale data loss have turned the spotlight on the management of digital archives. An increased awareness of the value and liability of archive records has resulted in both industry regulation and internal operational risk management.
The requirement for tighter integration of archive policies within an IT infrastructure is creating a demand for more flexible strategies that can accommodate the new regulatory and risk management burden. This need for flexibility is particularly important in the choice of physical storage media since it will, in large part, determine the success of implemented policies. Currently, the two preferred advanced-technology choices for archiving are UDO (Ultra Density Optical) with "True" WORM (Write Once Read Many) storage and disk-based technology such as WORM storage with a CAS (Content Addressable Storage) interface. Each performs the same end function, but the method, cost and effectiveness are not equal. This can be illustrated by examining common archive objectives that are tightly linked to storage media attributes, including record authenticity, record destruction, and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).
UDO (Ultra Density Optical) offers "True" Write Once technology implemented at the physical media level. The recording surface of True Write Once UDO media allows files to be written, but the media itself cannot be physically erased or modified. This technology is significantly different than magnetic disk and tape emulation since the Write Once properties of UDO are inherent to the recording surface of the media and are not a function of software or firmware controls.
If archiving on a typical RAID system, a simple delete operation does not remove the data from the disk. The only way to physically destroy records is by repeatedly overwriting the targeted sectors with a patterned sequence to ensure no residual trace of the document remains on the media.
The US Department of Defense has an often-quoted specification for data shredding on magnetic disk media. The specification (DoD 5220.22-M), which has been implemented in some specialized CAS interface products in the context of a record retention policy, states that depending on the source of the recommendation, targeted sectors should be overwritten between three and 35 times.
By contrast, UDO offers a Compliant Write Once media format designed specifically for data disposition requirements. Compliant Write Once UDO operates like standard WORM media, but has the ability to physically destroy targeted files through the use of a special "shred" operation. This is a one-pass function that provides full verification and unlike the erase pass on magnetic disks, the shred procedure on UDO media leaves no residual traces of previously written files. Compliant Write Once UDO media enables record level retention management with an extremely high standard for physical record destruction.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Application and desktop virtualization
Application and desktop virtualization
Despite rumors to the contrary, virtualization is not just for the datacenter. From the most complex workstation applications to the simplest DLLs, virtualization is leaving an indelible mark on client computing.
A good example of this is application virtualization, a label applied to products that insulate running programs from the underlying desktop. The idea behind application virtualization is to eliminate many of the support-draining configuration problems that plague conventional desktop implementations. These products virtualize the interaction between a given
program and supporting OS resources, like the file system and, in the case of Windows, the system registry database. All these products isolate applications from the OS image, but the approaches are quite varied.
Application acrobaticsAt one end of the spectrum are products like Altiris Software Virtualization Solution (SVS). Tools like SVS employ what might be called the “brute force” method: A simple filter driver is installed in the Windows file system code stack to intercept and redirect I/O calls from SVS-managed applications. When enabled in their respective “layers,” an SVS-managed application appears to integrate seamlessly with the OS. In reality, every aspect of the application’s OS interaction, from loading a DLL to accessing a registry key, is being redirected on the fly to a local cache file managed by SVS.
The advantage to this approach is that it fully isolates the OS from the application: Any changes made by the application – to the Registry, to its own files, to Windows – are in fact occurring solely within the SVS-managed cache file. Since no real changes are occurring, the underlying OS image remains pristine and the application can be “disabled” by simply clicking a button or by remotely disabling it from a supported management console. The downside to this approach is that it has trouble managing multiple versions of the same application; for example, Microsoft Office can sometimes trip up SVS by invoking the wrong version of a component when multiple versions are installed in parallel layers.
At the other extreme you have solutions like Softricity’s SoftGrid (recently acquired by Microsoft and soon to be integrated with the base Windows Server platform). SoftGrid provides a complete virtualization environment: Applications are streamed to the client from a server share and then executed within a customized “sandbox” that completely isolates the code from the OS. The advantage to this approach is that it avoids many of the multiversion issues that plague SVS. However, the trade-off is a more complicated deployment process that requires administrators to create a custom installation image to optimize the code base for streaming.
Of course, no market segment is complete without an interloper to shake things up. Thinstall combines the simplicity of SVS with the fully padded box approach of SoftGrid. By embedding both the virtualized environment and the application image into a single executable file, Thinstall eliminates the need for supporting infrastructure: Just copy or stream the file to the client and execute. No agent is required and the image can be deployed using virtually any traditional management suite, including Active Directory and Microsoft Systems Management Server. The downside is the need to customize the application using Thinstall’s Virtualization Suite toolset.
Classic virtual machinesIn some client situations, a more comprehensive virtualization solution is required, such as hosting a legacy application on a new operating system. In that case, it may be best to isolate an application within a complete, virtualized OS environment — the classic “virtual machine” approach. This enables you to run an application within the OS image of your choice while still supporting migration to, and integration with, newer or otherwise incompatible OS platforms.
VMware and Microsoft dominate the classic VM market, with VMware the more visible of the two. Efforts like the VDI (Virtual Desktop Initiative), a consortium of vendors promoting virtualization as a desktop and application management solution, are being driven primarily by VMware.
VMware has also been quick to embrace new CPU and hardware technologies, such as 64-bit processing and expanded memory for next-generation applications. VMware exclusives, such as the ability to take snapshots of a VM’s running state and “roll back” to a saved image have earned affection from the developer community. But in the end, VMware’s willingness to expose its underlying virtualization technology to the masses may pay the biggest dividends.
Despite rumors to the contrary, virtualization is not just for the datacenter. From the most complex workstation applications to the simplest DLLs, virtualization is leaving an indelible mark on client computing.
A good example of this is application virtualization, a label applied to products that insulate running programs from the underlying desktop. The idea behind application virtualization is to eliminate many of the support-draining configuration problems that plague conventional desktop implementations. These products virtualize the interaction between a given
program and supporting OS resources, like the file system and, in the case of Windows, the system registry database. All these products isolate applications from the OS image, but the approaches are quite varied. Application acrobaticsAt one end of the spectrum are products like Altiris Software Virtualization Solution (SVS). Tools like SVS employ what might be called the “brute force” method: A simple filter driver is installed in the Windows file system code stack to intercept and redirect I/O calls from SVS-managed applications. When enabled in their respective “layers,” an SVS-managed application appears to integrate seamlessly with the OS. In reality, every aspect of the application’s OS interaction, from loading a DLL to accessing a registry key, is being redirected on the fly to a local cache file managed by SVS.
The advantage to this approach is that it fully isolates the OS from the application: Any changes made by the application – to the Registry, to its own files, to Windows – are in fact occurring solely within the SVS-managed cache file. Since no real changes are occurring, the underlying OS image remains pristine and the application can be “disabled” by simply clicking a button or by remotely disabling it from a supported management console. The downside to this approach is that it has trouble managing multiple versions of the same application; for example, Microsoft Office can sometimes trip up SVS by invoking the wrong version of a component when multiple versions are installed in parallel layers.
At the other extreme you have solutions like Softricity’s SoftGrid (recently acquired by Microsoft and soon to be integrated with the base Windows Server platform). SoftGrid provides a complete virtualization environment: Applications are streamed to the client from a server share and then executed within a customized “sandbox” that completely isolates the code from the OS. The advantage to this approach is that it avoids many of the multiversion issues that plague SVS. However, the trade-off is a more complicated deployment process that requires administrators to create a custom installation image to optimize the code base for streaming.
Of course, no market segment is complete without an interloper to shake things up. Thinstall combines the simplicity of SVS with the fully padded box approach of SoftGrid. By embedding both the virtualized environment and the application image into a single executable file, Thinstall eliminates the need for supporting infrastructure: Just copy or stream the file to the client and execute. No agent is required and the image can be deployed using virtually any traditional management suite, including Active Directory and Microsoft Systems Management Server. The downside is the need to customize the application using Thinstall’s Virtualization Suite toolset.
Classic virtual machinesIn some client situations, a more comprehensive virtualization solution is required, such as hosting a legacy application on a new operating system. In that case, it may be best to isolate an application within a complete, virtualized OS environment — the classic “virtual machine” approach. This enables you to run an application within the OS image of your choice while still supporting migration to, and integration with, newer or otherwise incompatible OS platforms.
VMware and Microsoft dominate the classic VM market, with VMware the more visible of the two. Efforts like the VDI (Virtual Desktop Initiative), a consortium of vendors promoting virtualization as a desktop and application management solution, are being driven primarily by VMware.
VMware has also been quick to embrace new CPU and hardware technologies, such as 64-bit processing and expanded memory for next-generation applications. VMware exclusives, such as the ability to take snapshots of a VM’s running state and “roll back” to a saved image have earned affection from the developer community. But in the end, VMware’s willingness to expose its underlying virtualization technology to the masses may pay the biggest dividends.
Skype petitions FCC for open cellular access
Skype petitions FCC for open cellular access
Skype petitioned the Federal Communications Commission earlier this week to force U.S. mobile operators to loosen controls on what kinds of hardware and software can be connected to their networks.
In a document dated February 20, Skype asked the FCC to apply to the wireless industry what is known as the "Carterfone" rules, which would allow consumers to use devices and software of their choice on cell phone networks.
Skype's motivations are clear. The company has created software that allows people to make free phone calls across the Internet. And now it wants users who access the Internet via a mobile device to be able to use their software and services, too.
"We want to allow our users to use the Skype software where ever they are," said Christopher Libertelli, senior director of government and regulatory affairs for Skype. "And we want to make sure the policy is set in the right direction so that when Skype users want to use it on mobile devices, they'll be able to."
The "Carterfone" rules, which were enacted in 1968 during the old AT&T's monopoly of the phone industry, allow consumers to hook any device up to the phone network, so long as it did not harm the network. Prior to these rules, AT&T provided all telephones and devices connected to the telephone network, and it routinely sued companies that sold unauthorized products that could attach to the network.
The rules helped spur new innovations, such as the fax machine and Internet modem. In more recent times, the principle has been extended to other communication networks, such as cable modem and DSL. This has paved the way for companies such as Linksys to sell wireless routers.
But the principle has not been applied to cellular networks. As a result, the market has evolved into one that is heavily controlled by carriers. They dictate which phones are used on their networks, what content users can access, and which applications can run on phones. Some have even included specific terms in their service contracts that prevent customers from downloading and using software from Skype on their networks.
Tim Wu, a law professor at Columbia University, published a report earlier this month also arguing the "Carterfone" rules should apply to the cellular industry, because otherwise carriers exert too much influence on the design of the devices and the applications that run on them.
"They have used (their) power to force equipment developers to omit or cripple many consumer-friendly features," he writes. "Carriers have also forced manufacturers to include technologies, like 'walled garden' Internet access, that neither equipment developers nor consumers want. Finally, through under-disclosed 'phone-locking', the U.S. carriers disable the ability of phones to work on more than one network."
Not surprisingly, the cell phone industry's trade organization, CTIA, doesn't agree with Skype or Wu that regulations are needed.
"Skype's self-interested filing contains glaring legal flaws and a complete disregard for the vast consumer benefits provided by the competitive marketplace," Steve Largent, chief executive of the CTIA, said in a statement. "The call for imposing monopoly era Carterfone rules to today's vibrant market is unmistakably the wrong number."
"At the end of the day, bits are bits in the Internet," said Dave Passmore, a research director at the Burton Group. "So Verizon or anyone else who wants to tell someone they can't download a VoIP client onto their phone from the Internet is going to have a very hard time enforcing it."
Skype petitioned the Federal Communications Commission earlier this week to force U.S. mobile operators to loosen controls on what kinds of hardware and software can be connected to their networks.
In a document dated February 20, Skype asked the FCC to apply to the wireless industry what is known as the "Carterfone" rules, which would allow consumers to use devices and software of their choice on cell phone networks.
Skype's motivations are clear. The company has created software that allows people to make free phone calls across the Internet. And now it wants users who access the Internet via a mobile device to be able to use their software and services, too.
"We want to allow our users to use the Skype software where ever they are," said Christopher Libertelli, senior director of government and regulatory affairs for Skype. "And we want to make sure the policy is set in the right direction so that when Skype users want to use it on mobile devices, they'll be able to."
The "Carterfone" rules, which were enacted in 1968 during the old AT&T's monopoly of the phone industry, allow consumers to hook any device up to the phone network, so long as it did not harm the network. Prior to these rules, AT&T provided all telephones and devices connected to the telephone network, and it routinely sued companies that sold unauthorized products that could attach to the network.
The rules helped spur new innovations, such as the fax machine and Internet modem. In more recent times, the principle has been extended to other communication networks, such as cable modem and DSL. This has paved the way for companies such as Linksys to sell wireless routers.
But the principle has not been applied to cellular networks. As a result, the market has evolved into one that is heavily controlled by carriers. They dictate which phones are used on their networks, what content users can access, and which applications can run on phones. Some have even included specific terms in their service contracts that prevent customers from downloading and using software from Skype on their networks.
Tim Wu, a law professor at Columbia University, published a report earlier this month also arguing the "Carterfone" rules should apply to the cellular industry, because otherwise carriers exert too much influence on the design of the devices and the applications that run on them.
"They have used (their) power to force equipment developers to omit or cripple many consumer-friendly features," he writes. "Carriers have also forced manufacturers to include technologies, like 'walled garden' Internet access, that neither equipment developers nor consumers want. Finally, through under-disclosed 'phone-locking', the U.S. carriers disable the ability of phones to work on more than one network."
Not surprisingly, the cell phone industry's trade organization, CTIA, doesn't agree with Skype or Wu that regulations are needed.
"Skype's self-interested filing contains glaring legal flaws and a complete disregard for the vast consumer benefits provided by the competitive marketplace," Steve Largent, chief executive of the CTIA, said in a statement. "The call for imposing monopoly era Carterfone rules to today's vibrant market is unmistakably the wrong number."
"At the end of the day, bits are bits in the Internet," said Dave Passmore, a research director at the Burton Group. "So Verizon or anyone else who wants to tell someone they can't download a VoIP client onto their phone from the Internet is going to have a very hard time enforcing it."
Thursday, February 22, 2007
AQUA: An Amphibious Autonomous Robot
AQUA: An Amphibious Autonomous Robot
AQUA, an amphibious robot that swims via the motion of its legs rather than using thrusters and control surfaces for propulsion, can walk along the shore, swim along the surface in open water, or walk on the bottom of the ocean. The vehicle uses a variety of sensors to estimate its position with respect to local visual features and provide a global frame of reference.
The aquatic environment is almost ideal for autonomous robot development. First, it provides a range of real tasks for autonomous systems to perform, including ongoing inspection of reef damage and renewal, tasks in the oil and gas industry, and aquaculture. Second, operating in the water requires robust solutions to mobility, sensing, navigation, and communication.
A common theme of many industrial aquatic tasks is site acquisition and scene reinspection (SASR). Figure 1 shows AQUA performing a typical SASR task, in which it walks out into the water under operator control and is directed to a particular location where it will make sensor measurements. Once near the site, the robot achieves an appropriate pose from which to undertake extensive sensor readings. After making the measurements, the robot returns home autonomously. Later, the robot autonomously returns to the site to collect additional data.
AQUA, an amphibious robot that swims via the motion of its legs rather than using thrusters and control surfaces for propulsion, can walk along the shore, swim along the surface in open water, or walk on the bottom of the ocean. The vehicle uses a variety of sensors to estimate its position with respect to local visual features and provide a global frame of reference.
The aquatic environment is almost ideal for autonomous robot development. First, it provides a range of real tasks for autonomous systems to perform, including ongoing inspection of reef damage and renewal, tasks in the oil and gas industry, and aquaculture. Second, operating in the water requires robust solutions to mobility, sensing, navigation, and communication.
A common theme of many industrial aquatic tasks is site acquisition and scene reinspection (SASR). Figure 1 shows AQUA performing a typical SASR task, in which it walks out into the water under operator control and is directed to a particular location where it will make sensor measurements. Once near the site, the robot achieves an appropriate pose from which to undertake extensive sensor readings. After making the measurements, the robot returns home autonomously. Later, the robot autonomously returns to the site to collect additional data.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Algorithm helps computers beat humans at Go
Algorithm helps computers beat humans at Go
Computers can beat some of the world's top chess players, but the most powerful machines have failed at the popular Asian board game Go, in which human intuition has so far proven key. Two Hungarian scientists have come up with an algorithm that helps computers pick the right move in Go, played by millions around the world, in which players must capture spaces by placing black-and-white marbles on a board in turn.
"We are not far from reaching the level of a professional Go player," Levente Kocsis of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences computing lab Sztaki said.
The 19x19 grid board that top players use is still hard for a machine to use, but the new algorithm is promising because it makes better use of the growing power of computers than did earlier Go software.
"Programs using this method immediately improve if you use two processors instead of one, say, which was not typical for earlier programs," Kocsis said.
Whereas a chess program can evaluate a scenario by assigning numerical values to pieces--9 to the queen and 1 to a pawn, for example--and to the tactical worth of their position, that technique is not valid for Go.
In Go, all marbles have an identical value, and scenarios are more complex, so the computer has to think about all potential moves through the end of the game and emulate the outcome of each alternative move.
Even the most powerful computers have failed at that task, but Kocsis and colleague Csaba Szepesvari have found a way to help computers focus on the most promising moves, using an analogy with slot machines in a casino.
Punters will find that certain one-armed bandits in a casino appear to pay more on average than others, but an intelligent player should also try machines that have so far paid less, in case they are hiding a jackpot, Kocsis said.
The key is to find the balance between the two sorts of machine.
Go software using a similar method, called UCT (Upper Confidence bounds applied to Trees), does not have to scan all possible outcomes of a game and can quickly find the best mix of scenarios to check.
Computers can beat some of the world's top chess players, but the most powerful machines have failed at the popular Asian board game Go, in which human intuition has so far proven key. Two Hungarian scientists have come up with an algorithm that helps computers pick the right move in Go, played by millions around the world, in which players must capture spaces by placing black-and-white marbles on a board in turn.
"We are not far from reaching the level of a professional Go player," Levente Kocsis of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences computing lab Sztaki said.
The 19x19 grid board that top players use is still hard for a machine to use, but the new algorithm is promising because it makes better use of the growing power of computers than did earlier Go software.
"Programs using this method immediately improve if you use two processors instead of one, say, which was not typical for earlier programs," Kocsis said.
Whereas a chess program can evaluate a scenario by assigning numerical values to pieces--9 to the queen and 1 to a pawn, for example--and to the tactical worth of their position, that technique is not valid for Go.
In Go, all marbles have an identical value, and scenarios are more complex, so the computer has to think about all potential moves through the end of the game and emulate the outcome of each alternative move.
Even the most powerful computers have failed at that task, but Kocsis and colleague Csaba Szepesvari have found a way to help computers focus on the most promising moves, using an analogy with slot machines in a casino.
Punters will find that certain one-armed bandits in a casino appear to pay more on average than others, but an intelligent player should also try machines that have so far paid less, in case they are hiding a jackpot, Kocsis said.
The key is to find the balance between the two sorts of machine.
Go software using a similar method, called UCT (Upper Confidence bounds applied to Trees), does not have to scan all possible outcomes of a game and can quickly find the best mix of scenarios to check.
"This bandit algorithm has proven advantages," Kocsis said.
The possible outcomes of a game are like branches of a tree, and earlier Go programs, unable to scan all branches, picked some at random and tried to find the best move from that sample.
The UCT method (PDF) helps a computer decide which routes are most worth investigating. Programs based on it have consistently won games against most other machines, according to Kocsis.
The possible outcomes of a game are like branches of a tree, and earlier Go programs, unable to scan all branches, picked some at random and tried to find the best move from that sample.
The UCT method (PDF) helps a computer decide which routes are most worth investigating. Programs based on it have consistently won games against most other machines, according to Kocsis.
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