NonStop
has always done a good job when it comes to product roadmap presentations and at
ETBC, Scotland we are all looking forward to hearing the next presentation
It was many years ago that a group of Tandem developers
took a side excursion to Grand Canyon. There had been an industry conference on
networking, but in between the conclusion of the event and the scheduled flight
home, we all elected to take in the sites of this natural wonder. As we walked
from one viewing area to the next there was always an opportunity to look over
the edge and of course, I have to admit, this old grainy photograph is of me taking
a look!
Wanting to know more about what is just out of sight is always of interest to us all and even as there may be risks involved, it’s always a lot better to know what is just beyond the horizon or, in this case, on the other side of the edge. When it comes to IT there is always a premium paid for information describing what will likely happen next and it is on this basis alone that so many of us plan on attending vendor events whenever we are informed that there will be business and product roadmap presentations. Of course, this has become of paramount importance of late as we watch the transformation of IT as it polarizes around the core and the edge as the implication that more changes lie ahead is inescapable.
But what is the core? And just as importantly, what is the edge? For many the core is quickly becoming associated with cloud computing and where enterprise data is stored and where the enterprise crunches numbers as it continuously analyzes data to gain better business insights about the customers ever-changing behavior. However, as for the edge, the lines blur considerably as there are as many definitions of the edge as there are deployments. It may have started out implying a thin client, but of late the definition has expanded to include everything that isn’t part of the data center. If it’s not the core, then it’s the edge, right?
Wanting to know more about what is just out of sight is always of interest to us all and even as there may be risks involved, it’s always a lot better to know what is just beyond the horizon or, in this case, on the other side of the edge. When it comes to IT there is always a premium paid for information describing what will likely happen next and it is on this basis alone that so many of us plan on attending vendor events whenever we are informed that there will be business and product roadmap presentations. Of course, this has become of paramount importance of late as we watch the transformation of IT as it polarizes around the core and the edge as the implication that more changes lie ahead is inescapable.
But what is the core? And just as importantly, what is the edge? For many the core is quickly becoming associated with cloud computing and where enterprise data is stored and where the enterprise crunches numbers as it continuously analyzes data to gain better business insights about the customers ever-changing behavior. However, as for the edge, the lines blur considerably as there are as many definitions of the edge as there are deployments. It may have started out implying a thin client, but of late the definition has expanded to include everything that isn’t part of the data center. If it’s not the core, then it’s the edge, right?
It was only a few weeks ago that Karen Copeland, HPE
NonStop’s Worldwide Product Manager, provided attendees at the SunTUG event
with an update of the NonStop product roadmap. With the news about the strong
uptake of NonStop X systems together with new customers – manufacturers in
former eastern bloc countries – this latest roadmap presentation set the stage
for a lot more good news of interest to all in the NonStop community. Whereas
the vision for the “New IT” focused on the transformation under way inside of
HPE where NonStop was making its presence felt, the strategic areas for NonStop
saw a move beyond simply embracing industry standards and away from anything
proprietary. What is new for NonStop is flexibility together with a new style
of compute. Topping the list of what’s new for NonStop was NonStop as a
collection of VMs together with customer-supplied hardware.
Who would have thought? Yes you can buy “converged systems” from HPE that meets your NonStop needs but increasingly, it’s all about “virtualized systems.” However, while NonStop makes a strong case for participation in the core (being cloud ready with support of virtualization), what about the edge? Surely, if it’s the domain of the core to provide resources to handle data and the subsequent analytics and other post processing, isn’t the edge going to be where transactions take place? If there wasn’t any thought being given to processing at the edge, why then are we considering the intelligent edge playing a role in IT?
Recently I wrote in my weekend weekly Buckle’d Edge email update about the mining industry revolution that is taking place in Australia. First, it was autonomous (yes, driverless) trains taking iron ore from the mines to the port. Now we have autonomous trucks picking up the iron ore and taking to the rail head. Shortly, we will have autonomous water trucks wondering around the mine spraying water on the extraction of iron ore to minimize the creation of dust. Yes, the fully automated open cut iron ore mines of Western Australia (WA) will be completely automated with nary a human in sight.
And thank goodness – do you know how hostile the environment is at these mines? The heat and the close proximity to heavy equipment is a deadly cocktail mine operators have been working hard to correct. While possibly not quite as hostile as the mines depicted in the film Avatar proved to be, nevertheless, the more that can be automated the better for all involved in the Pilbara region of WA. “There's the area’s remoteness - at 502,000 square kilometers it is more than seven times bigger than Tasmania - which can sometimes make recruiting staff a challenge and the risks when humans interact with large machinery.”
There is a lot more happening here in that this isn’t remote operations from some center far removed from the mines where workers tweak joysticks to manipulate the machines. “The truck knows where to go because of information about routes that are programmed by staff in a far-away operations center. The truck, which has a range of sensors that help it navigate, then drives itself to its destination.” Furthermore, "While we are creating technologically-advanced operations, where more repetitive tasks or those that pose a threat to safety are automated, the human element to how we operate remains, just in different forms," (Steve McIntosh, Rio Tinto group executive, growth and innovation said).
“What automation and the digitisation of the industry is doing is creating a need for different jobs such as data scientists and engineers in mechatronics, automation and artificial intelligence. It’s why our reskilling and retraining programs for our people are so important," McIntosh says. This led me to propose to my clients that perhaps they should think of these giants as being part of the new edge. Sensors and control mechanisms with each giant being home to a self-sufficient and self-reliant “data center”.
Thin clients? After a fashion yes, these giants are really big thin client aggregators. And between these giants and where the data will be stored there will be transaction processors – the world of mechatronics, automation and artificial intelligence will still benefit from interacting with servers handling transactions 24 x 7 and are just further examples of where edge meets core to find NonStop making it happen! Far-fetched? While it may not immediately lead to a leap in thinking to consider NonStop systems in every machine, it does beg the question though – why not?
Think of cars as data centers or more, precisely, think of what one Israel’s company is doing with respect to ambulances. MDGo, is leveraging deep learning together with biomechanical modelling with the understanding that turning cars into triage doctors will save lives. After all, “use information gathered by a vehicles multiaxis accelerometers and other sensors during an accident in order to predict the injuries inflicted on the occupants and then share the data with first responders so they’re prepared to provide precisely the care needed.” Again, where is the core and where is the edge in this example as well? Is the vehicle now the data center capable of independent processing feeding off literally hundreds of sensors?
In many ways, it was the advent of the IoT era that led to discussions (and proposals) concerning the edge – something had to be done out there, on the perimeter of IT or the core would be simply overwhelmed. However, as we explore what’s needed at the edge – the intelligent edge if you prefer – the more it needs support by processing systems capable of “autonomous, 24 x 7 operations!” Not quite the stretch you may have initially imagined, right?
Returning to the NonStop product roadmaps that NonStop’s Copeland presented just a few weeks ago, when you revisit the new strategy that depicts NonStop as a collection of VMs on customer-provided hardware then the future for NonStop is only as small as our lack of imagination. That’s right – it should be as big as the biggest iron ore mines imaginable. More to the point perhaps is that NonStop is now software. The transition is complete and while there are still a number of hardware pre-reqs (x86, Ethernet, etc.) these pre-reqs aren’t onerous by any means. There is one more revelation in the NonStop product roadmaps too that warrants further consideration – NonStop Dynamic Capacity (NSDC).
In case you missed it, business leaders want to consume IT as they do any other utility be it water, electricity or gas, or even networking bandwidth. Point is, as the NonStop team presents insights developed by IDC in the report FutureScape: Worldwide Datacenter 2018 Predictions, “By 2020, consumption-based procurement in datacenters will account for as much as 40% of enterprises' IT infrastructure spending.” But what if it isn’t so much a case of the needs of the core but the needs of the edge as well? Surely a giant ore-carrying machine operating autonomously with as much compute power as a former data center, will be spending much of its time idling as it waits for its next load. And surely too, cars aren’t crashing every minute of the day?
By now you have probably thought of your own examples and they may have little to do with cars, trucks and trains. However, what they may have to do is with “systems” that have become much more than thin clients and a way to filter sensor information. Aggregation, applying models, etc. – undertaking transaction processing but of a different type and with different outcomes – it’s just one aspect of what NonStop can do and according to the NonStop product roadmaps, may become a big part of the future for NonStop. Why limit NonStop to just the core? Why not the edge as well? Why put a fence around where NonStop should live when it will be capable of living everywhere? SHouldn't NonStop be the first processor to interact with what's out there, beyond the edge?
Ever the optimist I am now looking forward to the European NonStop Technical Boot Camp (ETBC) that will be held in Edinburgh, May 14 – 15. There will be further updates to the NonStop product roadmap and it’s clear to me that as of right now, HPE hasn’t revealed everything it’s doing with NonStop. Yes, there will be surprises and yes, conversations among the NonStop community will kick-off anew. And isn’t this all good news for the NonStop community? Investments continue to be made in NonStop; new partners are being added; new customers are being found and yes, we are still all here talking and writing about NonStop. Who would have thought?
Who would have thought? Yes you can buy “converged systems” from HPE that meets your NonStop needs but increasingly, it’s all about “virtualized systems.” However, while NonStop makes a strong case for participation in the core (being cloud ready with support of virtualization), what about the edge? Surely, if it’s the domain of the core to provide resources to handle data and the subsequent analytics and other post processing, isn’t the edge going to be where transactions take place? If there wasn’t any thought being given to processing at the edge, why then are we considering the intelligent edge playing a role in IT?
Recently I wrote in my weekend weekly Buckle’d Edge email update about the mining industry revolution that is taking place in Australia. First, it was autonomous (yes, driverless) trains taking iron ore from the mines to the port. Now we have autonomous trucks picking up the iron ore and taking to the rail head. Shortly, we will have autonomous water trucks wondering around the mine spraying water on the extraction of iron ore to minimize the creation of dust. Yes, the fully automated open cut iron ore mines of Western Australia (WA) will be completely automated with nary a human in sight.
And thank goodness – do you know how hostile the environment is at these mines? The heat and the close proximity to heavy equipment is a deadly cocktail mine operators have been working hard to correct. While possibly not quite as hostile as the mines depicted in the film Avatar proved to be, nevertheless, the more that can be automated the better for all involved in the Pilbara region of WA. “There's the area’s remoteness - at 502,000 square kilometers it is more than seven times bigger than Tasmania - which can sometimes make recruiting staff a challenge and the risks when humans interact with large machinery.”
There is a lot more happening here in that this isn’t remote operations from some center far removed from the mines where workers tweak joysticks to manipulate the machines. “The truck knows where to go because of information about routes that are programmed by staff in a far-away operations center. The truck, which has a range of sensors that help it navigate, then drives itself to its destination.” Furthermore, "While we are creating technologically-advanced operations, where more repetitive tasks or those that pose a threat to safety are automated, the human element to how we operate remains, just in different forms," (Steve McIntosh, Rio Tinto group executive, growth and innovation said).
“What automation and the digitisation of the industry is doing is creating a need for different jobs such as data scientists and engineers in mechatronics, automation and artificial intelligence. It’s why our reskilling and retraining programs for our people are so important," McIntosh says. This led me to propose to my clients that perhaps they should think of these giants as being part of the new edge. Sensors and control mechanisms with each giant being home to a self-sufficient and self-reliant “data center”.
Thin clients? After a fashion yes, these giants are really big thin client aggregators. And between these giants and where the data will be stored there will be transaction processors – the world of mechatronics, automation and artificial intelligence will still benefit from interacting with servers handling transactions 24 x 7 and are just further examples of where edge meets core to find NonStop making it happen! Far-fetched? While it may not immediately lead to a leap in thinking to consider NonStop systems in every machine, it does beg the question though – why not?
Think of cars as data centers or more, precisely, think of what one Israel’s company is doing with respect to ambulances. MDGo, is leveraging deep learning together with biomechanical modelling with the understanding that turning cars into triage doctors will save lives. After all, “use information gathered by a vehicles multiaxis accelerometers and other sensors during an accident in order to predict the injuries inflicted on the occupants and then share the data with first responders so they’re prepared to provide precisely the care needed.” Again, where is the core and where is the edge in this example as well? Is the vehicle now the data center capable of independent processing feeding off literally hundreds of sensors?
In many ways, it was the advent of the IoT era that led to discussions (and proposals) concerning the edge – something had to be done out there, on the perimeter of IT or the core would be simply overwhelmed. However, as we explore what’s needed at the edge – the intelligent edge if you prefer – the more it needs support by processing systems capable of “autonomous, 24 x 7 operations!” Not quite the stretch you may have initially imagined, right?
Returning to the NonStop product roadmaps that NonStop’s Copeland presented just a few weeks ago, when you revisit the new strategy that depicts NonStop as a collection of VMs on customer-provided hardware then the future for NonStop is only as small as our lack of imagination. That’s right – it should be as big as the biggest iron ore mines imaginable. More to the point perhaps is that NonStop is now software. The transition is complete and while there are still a number of hardware pre-reqs (x86, Ethernet, etc.) these pre-reqs aren’t onerous by any means. There is one more revelation in the NonStop product roadmaps too that warrants further consideration – NonStop Dynamic Capacity (NSDC).
In case you missed it, business leaders want to consume IT as they do any other utility be it water, electricity or gas, or even networking bandwidth. Point is, as the NonStop team presents insights developed by IDC in the report FutureScape: Worldwide Datacenter 2018 Predictions, “By 2020, consumption-based procurement in datacenters will account for as much as 40% of enterprises' IT infrastructure spending.” But what if it isn’t so much a case of the needs of the core but the needs of the edge as well? Surely a giant ore-carrying machine operating autonomously with as much compute power as a former data center, will be spending much of its time idling as it waits for its next load. And surely too, cars aren’t crashing every minute of the day?
By now you have probably thought of your own examples and they may have little to do with cars, trucks and trains. However, what they may have to do is with “systems” that have become much more than thin clients and a way to filter sensor information. Aggregation, applying models, etc. – undertaking transaction processing but of a different type and with different outcomes – it’s just one aspect of what NonStop can do and according to the NonStop product roadmaps, may become a big part of the future for NonStop. Why limit NonStop to just the core? Why not the edge as well? Why put a fence around where NonStop should live when it will be capable of living everywhere? SHouldn't NonStop be the first processor to interact with what's out there, beyond the edge?
Ever the optimist I am now looking forward to the European NonStop Technical Boot Camp (ETBC) that will be held in Edinburgh, May 14 – 15. There will be further updates to the NonStop product roadmap and it’s clear to me that as of right now, HPE hasn’t revealed everything it’s doing with NonStop. Yes, there will be surprises and yes, conversations among the NonStop community will kick-off anew. And isn’t this all good news for the NonStop community? Investments continue to be made in NonStop; new partners are being added; new customers are being found and yes, we are still all here talking and writing about NonStop. Who would have thought?
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