7x24 Fall 2014 Phoenix is open for Registration, Google Execs present 2X

7x24 2014 Fall Phoenix is open for registration.

Going through the program what caught my eye is two presentations by Google.

Keynote: Google - Beyond the PUE Plateau

In a white paper released earlier this year, Google presented a revised operations model for maximizing data center performance while minimizing energy use across the data center fleet. "Machine Learning Applications for Data Center Optimization" describes Google's progress with moving beyond the PUE plateau. During this session Joe Kava will briefly introduce the adoption of Predictive PUE across Google's Data Centers and provide an update on how the sites are reaching this goal.

Joe Kava

Vice President

Google Data Centers

Google- Renewable Energy: Keeping Pace with Data Center Growth

Increasingly, customers are expecting their data center service providers to share their sustainability goals, including ensuring that the energy supply serving those data centers consists of as much renewable energy as possible.  This will likely become increasingly important as major corporations move more of their IT needs onto third party infrastructure. As a carbon neutral company, Google has been a pioneer in this area. This session will focus on innovative ways that Google has used to source renewable energy for operations; trends in sourcing renewables; why this is important to Google; principal challenges moving forward; and Google’s plans for the future.

Gary Demasi

Director of Operations, Global Infrastructure

Google Inc.

Apple couldn't have planned a better execution of the Watch, years of iPhone use kill legacy watches

So Apple has announced the Apple Watch.

Apple Unveils Apple Watch—Apple’s Most Personal Device Ever

CUPERTINO, California—September 9, 2014—Apple® today unveiled Apple Watch™—its most personal device ever—featuring revolutionary new technologies and a pioneering user interface with a beautiful design that honors the rich tradition of precision watchmaking.

Years of iPhone and other smartphones have created millions of users that no longer wear watches.

With the release of the Apple Watch, Apple is positioned to recreate what a watch does.

“Apple introduced the world to several category-defining products, the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “And once again Apple is poised to captivate the world with a revolutionary product that can enrich people’s lives. It’s the most personal product we’ve ever made.”

“With Apple Watch, we’ve developed multiple technologies and an entirely new user interface specifically for a device that’s designed to be worn. It blurs the boundary between physical object and user interface,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Design. “We’ve created an entire range of products that enable unparalleled personalization.”

BFFs, having fun and enjoying life

Kids regularly use the term BFF.

"Best friends forever" or "BFF" is a phrase that describes a close friendship typical of teenage girls and young women.^[1][2] Such friendships are characterized by intimacy, trust and a sense of permanence.^[3] The contacts between the close friends tend to be frequent and be based upon shared experiences such as attendance at the same school.^[3]

My daughter had fun with her BFF after school last week “Dad we want to go skurfing. “  It’s hard to say no.  OK, let me finish my video call with a client.  Luckily I was about 30 seconds from finishing the call.

Water Skurfing is a form of water skiing that uses a surfboard or similar board instead of skis. The skurfer is towed behind a motorboat at planing speed with a tow rope similar to that of Knee Boarding andwakeboarding. It shares an advantage with kneeboarding in that the motorboat does not require as much speed as it does for water skiing.

What does it mean to have a BFF.  Well one interesting test is the two friends figuring out how to both get up on surfboard.  How do we start and get up?  i am front. No you.  Ready? Yes. No. OK.  Watching the two of them stay up for at least a minute demonstrated their friendship.

Another Intel Developer Forum, 2nd day keynote "Data Centers"

I have been lucky to attend Intel Developer Forum as a blogger and this year I return.

The 2nd day Keynote is on data centers.  It has been interesting to watch how data centers have become more prominent in Intel’s presentations.  I think you can track it to the growth of Google and its purchasing power of server processors.

 

Mega Session: The Data Center Opportunity

Wednesday, September 10
9:30 a.m.  – 10:30 a.m.
Keynote/Mega Session Hall, Level 3

Please join Diane Bryant, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Data Center Group, as she discusses the global shift to digital services and how this creates the need for a re-architecture of data center solutions. Developers will be key in delivering these solutions which will require new workload-optimized approaches to platform design, cloud-enabled applications driven by advanced analytics, and automated, efficient software-defined infrastructure. Learn more about Intel’s future technologies as well as tools and support communities to help developers capitalize on the opportunities in the data center.

 

 

I see People in the Data Center, do you?

8 years ago I left Microsoft after 14 years and didn’t know what I would do next.  One of the people I connected with in 2007 OSI’s Founder and CEO Pat Kennedy.  He asked the question on how to save power in the data center running applications.  After two weeks of noodling on this I figured out how to solve the problem, but then there were all kinds of other problems on how to execute a change in the system to use less energy.

Attending OSIsoft’s User Conference, I met at the time Microsoft’s data center executive Mike Manos and we started a business relationship and friendship that jump started my work in data centers.  One of the next executives I connected with was Olivier Sanche who at the time worked at eBay and again we started a business relationship and friendship that lasted until he tragically passed away.

One of the common traits of Mike and Olivier is they are/were great with people.  They cared deeply for their team and what they could do to support their team.  Hanging around Mike and Olivier I was able to observe first hand the people issues in running data centers.

So many times people when they tour data centers, they focus on the technology in the data center.  I have learned to focus on the people in the data center.  Even when things become automated, there are people behind the automation, design decisions, and maintenance choices.

When you tour a data center, do you see the people or the technology?

You can learn so much more from focusing on the people and talking to them, then analyzing the electrical, mechanical, and IT systems.  And, people can be your friends.