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Containers certainly transformed the transportation industry and even today, are being re-purposed  in interesting ways. But for mission critical solutions running on NonStop, virtualization beats containerization every time! Moving house and resorting to temporary storage facilities made this past year a time where total disruption prevailed. While there was some anticipation over what was about to become our new home there was still many anxious moments in the lead up to that eventful day. However, the move itself was rather painless and when the van finally showed up, inside were three or four fiberboard containers holding all of our much-treasured belongings. Turned out, as the movers held onto our belongings over the summer it was easier for all parties to simply package everything up into a container to better facilitate the multiple transfers that took place. You may recall seeing this picture before. That is, the one at the top of the page that features two 40’...

When we look closely at NonStop are we indeed treading on a slippery slope when it comes to assigning a role for NonStop? Can the new NonStop satisfy multiple business requirements? Since my return to Windsor, Colorado, it has been nothing but sunny days. Sure, there was one overnight instance where snow fell, but for Coloradans it was more like icing sugar than real snow. Just a dusting that, by mid-morning, had mostly vanished leaving behind just a few dark damp spots and not much else! It is becoming hard to believe it is winter with Christmas just around the corner and yes, there are still golfers out on the course right next to our home. As our local weather station reported, it’s difficult to tell the seasons apart these days even as we continue to spend afternoon’s outdoors, grilling steaks and drinking beer! Having spent almost the entire month of November at one vendor event after another, one of the overriding takeaways has been the blurred lines that are beginning t...

HPE is better articulating its message even as it is backing it up with product; NonStop community should be pleased to see the elevated position NonStop now occupies … As the last days of the month come around I create a folder that I simply name for the coming month together with the current year. So, yes it was only a few days ago that I went to December 2017. Inside the folder I create another folder, Submissions. Yes, each and every month I follow the same process and all because of the desire to create a digital magazine, NonStop Insider. Others have pursued similar goals for a lot longer than I have while others have been more casual with their publication dates. But for Margo and me, it’s always been about pulling the magazine together during the first week so those we work with have a week to upload the content and to add all the necessary heading, links, etc. I only dwell on this as this month, it has been a very difficult month and for a while I was hypnotized by ...

And it is all about to happen - only hours away from the official kick off of this years HPE Discover Madrid event and already, following a brief visit to the venue all I can say with all the chaos going on - it's huge! This is just an opening paragraph or two as I settle into Madrid after Sunday’s flight – don’t plan on passing through Newark of an afternoon and expect to make connections. Expect delays and book your entry into Newark a flight or two before the one any airline suggests – yes, the eastern corridor from Philly to Boston is a mess as airport traffic controllers back up flight departures all the way to the west coast. Yes, then need a NonStop or two – and isn’t there a couple buried deep inside the FAA? Seem to recall signs posted on the old Tandem campus directing FAA folks to training sessions but I digress. I made it and have been involved in the pre-event in formalities even as I call it a day. Been busy on social media channels already – seen the tweets,...

Bags packed! Heading for the car in the morning! The trip to Madrid for the year-ending HPE Discover event is about to start and I will be providing commentaries and posts every opportunity I get … stay tuned for more news to follow! It’s only been a week since we drove back from the NonStop Technical Boot Camp and even as I finished up a number of posts and commentaries and finalized submissions to a couple of publications,  I have just had to return to the wardrobe to repack for another week away from home. The photo above was taken just as the first keynote session was about to begin and as you can see, the event pulled quite a crowd. I don’t do anywhere near as much travelling as I once did when it wasn’t unusual for me to make it to Europe for an ITUG event in May only to see that I had already passed 100,000 miles. And yet, it’s hard not to have many of the emotions from that past life resurface and they don’t help; a time to relax in business class? Not quite! For me,...

A solid foundation is important for any structure erected on a site and when it comes to NonStop, the NonStop Technical Boot Camp keynote presentations highlighted just how strong a foundation NonStop systems have today … Planning for travel across the western states of the U.S. can be a gamble at times – will it snow or will we be blessed with sunshine? Over the years we have encountered almost every conceivable weather condition on the route that takes us north into Wyoming before turning west to that beautiful city by the bay. This year, the NonStop Technical Boot Camp (TBC) was held by the airport so our drive to San Francisco would mean tackling not only multiple mountain summits, but also some of the worst traffic in all the country. Naturally enough, we have left behind more sporting modes of transport in preference for the much sturdier Jeep.  The picture above was taken just as we were about to leave for TBC. As you will note, work has now begun on the new home of...

In 48 hours’ time we will be back out on the highways mixing it up with all the big rigs, trucks and SUVs and even though it takes us three days, there is no way we would miss the NonStop Technical Boot Camp, 2017, in San Francisco. Will we be seeing you there? If by now you haven’t heard about the biggest event of the year for the NonStop community, then listen up! This is a big occasion and already the number of attendees is crossing the line and approaching a really good figure – not sure exactly what the final count will look like but I do know there are a lot of people really looking forward to this event kicking off in just a few days’ time. The move to San Francisco may be one factor, or simply because it’s a chance to head to sunny California where the real appeal lies. No matter, the chance to hear the NonStop team outline the next milestones for NonStop and to hear firsthand about recent successes in the marketplace by HPE along with the vendors providing solutions on No...

At times of change you can be helped by the advice from a mentor. As we’re headed to Boot Camp, let’s take stock of what more we might like to do with NonStop! This summer we have used our company command center – our home away from home – to attend many of the NonStop user events not to mention to host the many impromptu meetings with colleagues – the RV though was not the only vehicle that needed tender loving care. Our SUV had to get new tires all round and now, the CHECK ENGINE light appeared on our around-town Mini, together with the BRAKE light so yes, new tires have been put on the SUV and rear rotors and brake pads have just been ordered for the Mini. Things just wear out and only this morning, barely three months since we moved into our new home, the handle on the door leading to the master bedroom simply fell off. These days I find myself worrying a little too much about what next will disrupt our routine. From the picture above, however, taken last year and with a pil...

A week spent interacting with folks far-removed from NonStop and yet well-informed on all things IT; as time wound down, there was little to argue about – NonStop continues to reward those who step back to look at the big picture! If you have been following Margo and me on Facebook you will know that we have spent the past ten days on the road. This time, the plans we put in place earlier this year didn’t take into account the dates for NonStop regional user group events so no, our travels didn’t include participating in events back on the east coast. Instead, we were off to the southwest where our destination was Albuquerque, New Mexico. We had wanted to catch up with some ex-Tandem folks we knew as well as find time for talks with other professionals and with prospective new clients. Always a fun thing to do for Margo and me! While I am focused very much on all things NonStop, from time to time it is good to get the perspective of others not quite as close to HPE and NonStop...