The paradigm of computing resource configurations have changed several times of the last 40 years. From mainframes to mini computers, through desktops and file servers to server farms, software as a service and the cloud. Any company that uses server farms or...
Engineering Operations
DIACAP and Gold Disk: What about Windows 7?
This post is in response to David’s excellent post about Gold Disk. I recently performed some DIACAP Compliance testing using Gold Disk on one of our products, which was built on Windows XP Embedded. That process is fairly straightforward, even though Gold Disk is...
4 Reasons to Use Static Analysis on Your Codebase
All of us who work in software development want the products that we release to be high quality, and also low cost to maintain in the field. This is no big revelation; it’s common knowledge, and it’s common sense. It’s not clear that there is any silver bullet in...
FlexPOD for Infrastructure as a Service
The other day, I went to a presentation of FlexPOD and was impressed. FlexPOD is a collaboration of efforts from Cisco, VMWare, and NetApp. What it offers is a highly flexible framework to grow IT datacenters they are calling Infrastructure as a service (IIAS). If...
How to Restore Data Using Bacula
Imagine (if you dare) the worst case scenario with your company's data. Double disk drive failure, all data lost. You need to recover that data as fast as possible due to deadlines. You've been diligent about your backups using Bacula, but now they are going to be put...
Top 5 IT Infrastructure Posts of 2011 from SPK’s Blog
Today, we're bringing you a rewind of the most popular IT Infrastructure posts of 2011. Enjoy these favorites from our blog as this year winds down. Number 5 - Solve 100 Problems with a Bootable USB Flash Drive What everyday device can be used for troubleshooting 100...
Server Room Cooling Plan
With today's computers, cooling is critical. When moving to a new site, it's necessary to ensure the new server room will meet your needs prior to move-in. Using some quick estimation techniques, there's ways to ensure the needed power for your servers. Here's a...
Two Ways IT Outsourcing Can Unleash Innovation
One of the most frequently cited windfalls of IT outsourcing is the level of autonomy that’s created for internal IT staff who are able to devote more time and energy to pursuits aimed at benefiting the business. This includes innovative approaches to applying...
Redhat vs. Ubuntu in a Corporate Environment
Picking a linux distribution can be an extremely daunting task. Wikipedia lists at least several hundred of them, although many of them are targeted for very specific hardware architectures or embedded devices. In the PC world, there are still a ton to...
3 Advantages of Purchasing a VMware Solution
Has your organization started integrating virtual infrastructure into your overall IT services plan? If not, a quote from Star Trek may be in order, "Resistance is futile." In today’s IT world, the likelihood that your organization is running some sort of...
In the Trenches: How IT Outsourcing Makes Life Easier for R&D Engineers
Earlier this month we posted the second blog in a series on how IT outsourcing can deliver multiple benefits to organizations. This post will delve into the benefits to R&D Engineers. Engineers fear disruption to the organization, potential loss of jobs (including...
Why Product Lifecycle Management is Critical for Success (Updated 2024)
Learning from history is vital, yet product management often overlooks the lessons from past mistakes. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) has evolved significantly since its inception alongside the development of computer-aided design and manufacturing. Today, PLM...