Google continues building a World Class Network

Too many times the data center issues are separate from networking issues.  Many times there have been so-called innovative data centers that are promoted, and when you dig behind the scenes the network is not up to the same quality as the data center.  Google is one of those who accounts for the relationship of the network with its data centers at all kinds of levels, and they invest long term to have best of breed network.

The latest announcement has Google’s Urs Hoelzle posting on a new Japan-USA 60 Tbps connection.

At Google we want our products to be fast and reliable, and that requires a great network infrastructure, whether it's for the more than a billion Android users or developers building products on Google Cloud Platform. And sometimes the fastest path requires going through an ocean. That’s why we’re investing in FASTER, a new undersea cable that will connect major West Coast cities in the US to two coastal locations in Japan with a design capacity of 60 Tbps (that's about ten million times faster than your cable modem). Along with our previous investments - UNITY in 2008 and SJC (South-East Asia Japan Cable) in 2011, FASTER will make the internet, well, faster and more reliable for our users in Asia. 

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The 6 partners represent Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and USA (Google).

I think we can look forward to more consortiums networking the world.  Does your data center group have connections with the leading network thought leaders?

One of the interesting things to see is how Urs’s post is shared.  Not the upper right where there is an independent share of the fiber network project in Korea.

Some data on the Mobile Battle - iOS, Android, and distance last Microsoft

Here is a post by GigaOm’s Kevin Tofel on market share #’s for mobile.

Apple loses 5% of mobile enterprise share to Android, but it’s Microsoft that should worry

by Kevin C. Tofel

2 HOURS AGO

6 Comments

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photo: Microsoft

SUMMARY:

Android made gains in the workplace this last quarter according to Good Technologies but I doubt Apple is too concerned: It still leads by quite a bit and has a new IBM enterprise deal. Microsoft, however, is blip on the radar.

Here is the data to get your attention.

Much to the chagrin of companies such as Microsoft, BlackBerry and Google, Apple iOS devices are still dominating mobility in the enterprise. Apple’s hold over the workplace is diminishing, however, according to research from Good Technologies. The company, which tracks device activations in enterprises, published a mid-year report (PDF) suggesting Android is making gains over iOS.

How Good is the Cloud? Hiring of Netflix VP for CIO job will change Yahoo's DC Strategy

Yahoo has announced it has hired a new CIO, Mike Kail.  Mike was VP of IT Operations at Netflix, the company who helped to create the momentum that the cloud is better than owning data centers.  ZDNet posts on Netflix being the biggest cloud app.

The biggest cloud app of all: Netflix

Summary: The largest pure-cloud play service of all is based on Netflix's open-source stack running on Amazon Web Services.

By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols for Networking |April 21, 2013 -- 19:02 GMT (12:02 PDT)

 

 

 

Netflix, the popular video-streaming service that takes up a third of all internet traffic during peak traffic hours isn't just the single largest internet traffic service. Netflix, without doubt, is also the largest pure cloud service.

It would seem like Mike Kail would be a person who would push the use of the Cloud at Yahoo.  Here is the press release on the new CIO.

 (YHOO) announced that Mike Kail has joined the company as CIO and SVP, Infrastructure. In this role, Mike will lead Yahoo’s IT and data center operations, reporting to CEO Marissa Mayer.

“The strength of our technical infrastructure is critical as we aim to deliver the best possible user and advertiser experiences. It also ensures that Yahoos have the tools and technology necessary to execute. After an intensive search for the right leader, I am excited to announce that today Mike Kail is joining Yahoo as our new CIO and SVP, Infrastructure,” said Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. “Mike has the perfect combination of experience and vision to lead our IT and infrastructure to even greater global reach and scale.”

"I’m extremely excited to be joining Yahoo and to contribute to their focus on building great sites and services," said Yahoo SVP, Infrastructure and CIO. "I'm looking forward to leading Yahoo’s world-class infrastructure teams, which will continue to provide the web scale architecture that enables the many outstanding products of the company."

Mike has 10 slideshare presentations over the past 11 months with none before that.  It would seem Mike has been getting his name out there as part of leaving Netflix.  Many times a sudden increase in executives giving presentation is related to them looking for a new job.

I was looking at the media’s coverage of Mike Kail’s move and didn’t find anything insightful.  Looking through Mike’s presentations provided more information on what he might do.

For example, here is Mike’s presentation on The future of IT infrastructure, a CIO perspective from May 2014.

The Future of IT InfrastructurePresentation Transcript

• The Future of IT Infrastructure The CIO Perspective mike d. kail VP of IT Ops :: Netflix @mdkail
• IT :: Evolution IT Must Enable the Business Embrace Change
• IT :: Revolution ● Cloud Adoption by CIOs
• Financial Shift :: CapEx → OpEx ● Spending Efficiency ○ Over/Under Provisioning ● Cash Flow “smoothing” ● Business Agility ● Legacy → Innovative ● No More Write-Downs
• IT Trends :: Moonshot Thinking ● IaaS / PaaS / SaaS ● Mobile Everything ● API Ubiquity ● Rebirth of SQL / ETL 2.0 ● Data Security ● Cloud Identity ○ AuthN + AuthZ + MFA ● Rich Applications ○ UI/UX ● Big Data Analytics
• IT :: Roadmap ● Talent -- A+ Players ● Planning -- 10x goal ● Custom Applications Dev ● Data/Metrics Driven Decisions ● Consumerization Effect ● Security, Security, Security

Slide 4 from above gives you tips Mike like to embrace the cloud.

On Mar 2014, Mike preaches more on the benefit of the cloud.

Who is reading GreenM3 Aug 2014 - amazon.com #1

I have taken a long break from looking at Google Analytics for GreenM3.  In fact I haven’t written on this since 2011.

One of the most interesting is the % from various OS.

Here is a list of some of the companies visiting GreenM3

• Amazon.com & amazon technologies
• Google
• Microsoft
• Cummins Engine
• EMC
• HP
• 3M
• Cisco
• abovenet communications
• Samsung
• DPR Construction
• Fidelity Investments
• Kindle Wireless
• Juniper Networks
• NTT
• Rackspace
• Schneider
• Tata
• Centurylink
• Dean Witter
• Dell
• Emerson
• IBM
• Boeing
• ABB
• Apple
• Arista Networks
• AT&T
• Bechtel
• Cap Gemini 

Solar is Hot in Britain? Combination of subsidies, public support, and creative finance

Saw this WSJ article that Solar Energy is Hot in Britain.

Britain Is Solar-Energy Hot Spot

Subsidies, Public Support and Creative Finance Benefit Solar

Argus Hardy walks among the fields of his farm in Great Glemham, Suffolk, recently turned into a solar power field by Allianz. Alex Masi for The Wall Street Journal

SUFFOLK, England—Alongside the old airfield here, ripening barley shifts in the breeze. Across the way, a more static crop stretches into the distance: 80,000 solar panels, their silvery surfaces facing south.

We are used to hearing about solar projects in Spain which have crashed due to the end of subsidies.  Other parts of Europe have been known for Solar and you wouldn’t think Britain would due to clouds and rain.

Britain, a land of cloudy skies and reliable rain, is fast becoming the hottest spot in Europe for many investors in solar energy. Germany is overcrowded with panels. A sudden end to subsidies killed Spanish solar. A sluggish economy is dragging on Italy.

Britain has grown substantially.

In 2010, there were under 100 megawatts of solar capacity in the U.K.—barely enough to power the homes of a modest town. Now, there is between 3.2 and 4 gigawatts. This year, market-research firm Solarbuzz projects that the U.K. will overtake Germany as Europe's largest installer of solar panels, putting in 6% of the world's new solar.

The part that got my attention is the focus on the creative financing to make solar projects work.

"The U.K. solar sector is probably at the forefront of capital innovation in the global renewables sector," said Ben Warren, head of environmental finance at EY. "It's one of the very few areas where institutional investors are looking at making direct investments."

Several developers have also issued "solar bonds" to fund building, with private individuals investing through companies such as Abundance Generation, which adopts acrowdfunding model to connect investors with small projects—among them a plan to put panels on the roofs of schoolhouses.

Exchange-listed funds that offer exposure to solar have also sprung up in the U.K., among them Foursight Solar, Bluefield Solar Income Fund, BSIF.LN -0.24%NextEnergy Solar Fund and investment company The Renewables Infrastructure Group, TRIG.LN -0.17% which have all listed on the London Stock ExchangeLSE.LN -0.26% in the past two years. Bluefield raised £130 million at its initial public offering and has since raised more money for acquisitions.