Vault Conference - Day 2

[I am attending the Linux Foundation Vault Linux Storage and Filesystem Conference in Boston this week. It is the first year and it follows a more regular 2 day invite only developer conference/workshop. I have already posted my thoughts on Day 1.]

Day 2 - early thoughts:

Brrrr. It is colder this morning and the wind is biting as it whips between the city buildings. A bit slower start to the attendance this morning - very typical for a technical conference.  The venue again has a nice spread for morning snacks and I am fueled up on fresh fruit. Time to learn more about file systems and storage.

Morning breakout sessions.

The first session was a tough choice. There was not a standout that drew me in - most sound interesting but not immediately relevant to what I work with at the moment. The 100% FOSS Storage Array would probably be closest but it may or may. It may or may not have that much new information for me and is a Red Hat presenter which means I have other avenues to obtain the information. So I opted to attend the talk on optimizing FUSE for Cloud Storage.  Diversify my experience.  It was given by a representative from Parallals where they are using FUSE to interact with stored images. While mostly over my head with API information, it was still interesting to see another use of FUSE from a user and contributor.


Next up was a pair of talks on GlusterFS: Overview and Future Direction followed by Data Compliance Infrastructure.

The overview was a useful list of features recently released, in the next release, and planned for future releases. Seeing that SSL connections and encryption at rest is in the current release just means I have some work to do when I get home.  I saw the options the last time I was working with RHS class materials but it is not listed in the glusterfs volume set help output or in the RHS public documentation so I thought it was still a preview option.

Another reminder from the Q&A of the overview session was: 
*Ceph started as an object store and added RADOS for file access.
*GlusterFS started as a file store and extended for object store access.
Each perform different/better with different uses and each has advantages for its particular use case. It would be nice to see some documentation on which use cases benefit best with each product.

Data Compliance discussion it was pointed out that the current journaling mechanisms for GlusterFS were designed for replication (local and remote) and is not being enhanced for such topics as: crash consistent,  richer on disk format, callback based, multi consumer model (lightweight, thread safe, ordering), data classification, LFU, object versions, and out of band notification.  

The final push:

After a long walk around Boston over lunch, I returned for a Ceph session on erasure and tiering advances. Maybe it was the time of day, but my brain was full and the absorption rates are declining exponentially each session.  I did stay for the final breakout session and attended the history and future of XFS. This was an entertaining presentation from one of the lead commiters.  I am glad I stayed.

The final keynotes also looked interesting and I had enjoyed other presentation from at least one of them, but I was cold and tired and decided to beat the rush hour out of town.  Maybe next year. I think it is in my home stomping ground of Raleigh.

Early submitted presentation slides are available at: http://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/vault/program/slides

-SML

Legal Seafood wins again.

I have enjoyed Legal Seafood for as long as I can remember.  I have been thrilled with what they have done with gluten free options over the past several years.  They were the first restaurant I went to with gluten free rolls. They are the only place I know to get gluten free fried clams or fish and chips - they have a gluten free batter and use a dedicated GF frier.

Today was the first time I have been since I figured out I also have a dairy allergy. Avoiding both gluten and dairy is hard.  Legal Seafood has changed the menu again as well. They used to have separate menus for the allergies.  Now that pretty much everything on the main menu has a GF option, they have symbols on the main menu for "can be made gluten free".  Like most places, they do still need better markings for the dairy free. At least asking questions is still a comfortable option.

I used to love the fried GF options but I also knew that the only way that breading stuck was with the help of butter or milk. I learned that the fried stuff uses buttermilk to hold the breading, gluten free or otherwise.

The lite clam chowder is ok. Not that this should ever be called chowda. It is a tasty clam and potato soup but it is not chowda.

I also had some lobster. The gluten free version of the lobster roll is substituting lettuce for the roll. This worked well for me, complete with the fries and coleslaw.  So far so good on how I feel a few hours later.

Thanks again to Legal Seafood for a safe place to eat out.

-SML

Vault Conference - Day 1

I am attending the Linux Foundation Vault Linux Storage and Filesystem Conference in Boston this week. It is the first year and it follows a more regular 2 day invite only developer conference/workshop.  There appears to be great international attendance. It is small - only 4 breakout rooms though they are good sized rooms and have been full.

Day 1 - keynotes and amenities.

The first keynote was interesting. It was a summary of the two day invitation developer workshop. It was nicely done, especially knowing it was a short notice report. It was much more technical than other conferences I have attended and I quickly knew that I was a noob in this crowd.  In a sense it was a technical road map rather than a marketing road map.

I quickly realized that many other sessions would also be more technical than other conferences I have attended recently. I am here to be a sponge. I just want to absorb some additional knowledge in the storage realm. I'll continue to be a user of enterprise ready solutions. Teaching HDFS and Glusterfs administration means that I need to be aware of what is coming with those products and also with related products.

Next was the obligatory sponsor keynote. Pretty average on its industry trend vs company bias. At least it was short.

The venue is the Revere Hotel.  There is a large theater in the back that was used for the keynotes.  The vendor booths (the few present as sponsors of the conference) was in another large area on the 6th floor. The breakout session were split between the Mezzanine Floor and the 6th Floor, 2 rooms each.  This was the most frustrating. I have attended events with multiple buildings and multiple floors, but in all cases there was a reasonable option for walking between areas. A single floor difference, not 5 flights.  The elevators were a bottleneck.

The food spreads were pretty to look at. There was a lot of fresh fruit I could eat.  Allergies kept me away from the fancy (gluten) donuts and the afternoon cookies.  I also survived on tea instead of coffee since I am not a fan of black coffee and did not bring any alternative (coconut or almond) milk. The evening event booth crawl had a nice spread. At least it looked nice. A beautiful cheese spread that I was jealous of and some tasty looking pizzas.  I had salad. At least it was more than lettuce . It included tomato, cucumber, and avocado.

I was a bit surprised that there was not a sponsored bag,even a small tote bag or something to collect the pens, fliers, and media from the vendor booths. I guess it has been a while since I have been to a first year or startup conference.

Day 1 - breakout sessions

Btrfs future plans. Chris Mason is from Facebook but did a great job of sharing what other company contributions are happening. He also had a long Q&A period and did an excellent presentation. He had no problem remembering to repeat the question so all could hear and he answered the questions with ease, confidence, and I am assuming (based on followup or lack of followup) correctly.

In the second slot, I attended the Ceph Road Map presentation and after lunch I listened to a discussion on librados. In these talks I jotted down a lot of new vocabulary words. Ceph is really coming along and the examples of librados use cases for moving compute to the data were great.

The next session was a bit of a dud. Besides being distracted by the controversy I had created with a Twitter post, the presenters could only share limited information of their solution and admitted that they use the upstream product but do not contribute back to it. Perfectly fine, but I expect presenters at a conference like this to have committers on staff as well.

I couldn't decide on the last slot and opted to go find a power outlet for my phone. I was going to need it if I wanted a ride form the T station home later in the evening.

Time to recharge for another round tomorrow.

-SML

So few Women

It was bound to happen. I would have to post about me, women in tech, and conferences.

The scene:

I am attending a technical conference on open source storage. I was interested in this conference from when it was first announced. I did not feel I had the depth of knowledge In the field to submit anything for the CFP. Now that I am attending, I am sure this is not just an impostor syndrome reaction. I am learning good stuff and collecting vocabulary for much more research and learning.

I knew from the beginning that I would one of few women attending. As it got closer to the dates and speakers and attendees were listed on the web site, that feeling was confirmed. In person, I think I can count the numbers on my fingers (I might need a few toes). I really do not know the numbers, actual or percentage.

The controversy:

The small number of women was also noted by the photographer on site. I am photogenic even though I really prefer to be hidden from the camera and we kept running into each other. She made a comment to me, perhaps noting my dodging of the camera, to watch out. She had been instructed to look for diversity in her shots. The way the conversation went, I took no offense but my tweet on the subject garnered responses that some thought I either was offended or should have been offended. In my post, I was just trying to show an example of a known issue: the more technical - lower in the stack as well as programming knowledge in this case - the open source topic, the less women are visibly involved.

The reality:

I don't get offended easily. I assume the best in people and comments. I assume they mean to be sympathetic to a cause and not taunting of a situation. I assume they do not realize how a statement may be interpreted or that their childhood was just filled with bad examples. If it is blatant, I am not shy to speak up and I have always been lucky enough to have my comment taken with a sheepish "you are right, I was not thinking" type of response. I am an instructor, my instinct is to explain and teach. I do surround myself with supportive people (men, women, employers, colleagues, friends, etc).

I do get frustrated and I do get disappointed.

I get frustrated at how slow change occurs. I get disappointed when people repeat mistakes. I get frustrated and disappointed when I hear stories from other women who have had worse experiences then I have - and more recently. I get excited when I hear role models talk of success. I get pleasantly surprised when I attend a meeting or conference or class where there is better than average diversity.

Though not obvious from the website #elasticon had more than the avg no of woman speakers giving tech talks not titled "women in technology"
— Andrew C. Oliver (@acoliver) March 11, 2015

I get frustrated when I see a student walk into my class and look concerned when they realize I am the instructor. I get disappointed that I assume this is because I am female rather than just "not someone they know". On the other hand, I taught a class last month where a student walked in and announced he had been very excited for the class when he saw I was listed as the instructor. I wish it was not such a novelty but I was and am appreciative of the complement. Very appreciative.

The hope:

In an interesting coincidence of timing, I saw a great article about being the token women speaker at events:
http://www.catehuston.com/blog/2015/03/11/the-woman-speaker-slot/

A deep dive into open source storage means including Linux kernel developers - a small group in itself. I do not expect a token women speaker at such a conference. Correct that: I don't expect such a token at any conference. I want the best presentations available from the submitted talks. I want selection based on a balance between expert knowledge and presentation skills. Diversity measurements do not come into play here. The resulting diversity should reflect the industry.

The fact that the industry can benefit from more diversity is a related but separate issue, as is recruiting submissions from some of the quietest but most competent members of any industry and for any speaking engagement. All other things equal, sure, look at diversity. First, allow the selection committee to chose the best from the best. People, not tokens. Grow the diversity in the trenches, not just on the public stage.

Just my thoughts.

-SML

What is in a name?

Today, during lunch break, I took a walk around a marina.  I could see the names on a few of the sailboats. Names like "Swell Dancer" and "Knot to Worry". The ones that are puns are fun but I am not sure what to make of "Straightjacket".  All this got me thinking about names. I am always amazed at how people come up with names.

Apparently, a part of choosing my first name came from asking the teenager across the street "do you like your name?"  My middle name has a family connection and the result gives me the same initials as my Mother.  I have no complaints.

I am usually a real bore when it comes to naming computers at home.  laptop1 and server2 are not the most creative things.  I once used a series of names from the DragonRiders of Pern book series. Back when a server farm was small, I saw a lot of Disney or WB or Star Wars or Star Trek themes.  I do not know that these are still considered as "professional" choices.  Couple that "professionalism" with the size of datacenters and temporary condition of virtual servers, a rack location or numbered purpose is much more common.

Pets are hard for me.  There is a desire to include some personality trait.  My first cat acquired her name from an activity I was involved in at the time that she found me. My current cats are litter mates and their names have a relationship to each other.  Some days I really wish I had swapped their names.  I had a friend who got a Dutch Shepard pup.  Those breeders have a tradition that all the pups in the first litter have names that start with "A", the second litter of pups get names starting with "B", etc.  This would make it easier for me.

When I got involved with Fedora the method of naming releases involved choosing a name that has some relationship to the previous version's code name. While I never came up with any names to submit, I did have some fun trying to come up with some ideas.

Luckily my biggest naming challenges these days involve giving meaningful but catchy titles to conference abstract submissions.

-SML

GHC14 - Technical Talks

A few notes (as much for myself) on a couple of the technical talks that I attended.

There were three technical tracks (beside the Open Source Day) that I had some interest in: Security/Privacy, Data Science, and IoT/Wearables. Between conflicts in scheduling, making the most of "hallway sessions", seeking [allergy free] food, and pure exhaustion leading to afternoon naps, I only made it to a few of these sessions. Here are reviews of two:

Bio-metrics - Cool or Creepy?

This panel was all industry professionals. There appeared to be a higher priority on customer experience than security. They did acknowledge that there is a difference between personalization identity and authentication identity. It bugged me that they referred to these as "identity" and "authentication" instead of two types of identity. They also made a distinction between local implementation (on a phone or tablet) and cloud or remote identity and pointed out (though maybe not forcefully enough to be heard) that authentication needs multiple factors and a higher level of confidence match.

Fingers, eyes, ear shape, etc were mentioned briefly but without as much technical information on where the industry is for my tastes. There was some discussion of active vs passive enrollments for bio-metric devices. Most of that discussion focused around voice and how it does take into account twins or having a cold or other day to day changes. Basically (and not new to me),any bio-metric technology has a level of confidence match. A low confidence match is sufficient for an recognizing identity for a device used by multi persons such as then providing a custom screen on the family Ipad. One way they want to extend this is with customer service call centers. Instead of having to go through a proof of identity each time to you call in - especially with followup calls - have the computer system recognize the voice. This then extends into the Matrix versions of in store identity and personalized experience. I still vote creepy. I prefer being an anonymous shopper.

Designing secure and privacy-aware IoT and wearable technologies for healthcare.

I was disappointed with this talk based on the title and description. The content was interesting but not what I expected. There were four panelists - two from industry and two from academic research. 

The first two presenters - from FitBit and UC Berkeley - talked mostly about the research they are doing to enhance the user experience. All the ideas are about collecting more data and automating the sharing of the data. Nothing was mentioned about securing the data. I have a fitbit and I already knew that the data is transferred clear text and stored in the cloud. Also that even with my privacy settings set to "me only" for a particular field, that data is still transferred to other organizations who are allowed to sync my data. I think the "allow this company to sync" should be seen at a "friend" level of privacy not a "me" level of see everything. Nothing was mentioned about privacy settings, authentication to get data, or securing the transport of the data. The UC Berkeley professor discussed the challenges of developing wearable technologies for the elderly. Again, interesting research but nothing about privacy or security was mentioned.

The third and fourth presentations got a bit more on topic.
The professor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign commented on a review of Android apps: 63.6% of mHealth apps are sending data over the internet in plaintext and 81.8% are using 3rd party storage and hosting such as AWS. I almost tuned the whole thing out when she started with "BOYD is coming". News flash: its been an issue for years now! As solutions, she did offer some examples:
"consider auditing" - mAuditor

"consider secure storage" - datalocker

"consider authentication" - lighttouch

"consider secure data collection and transmission" - selinda

The representative from Epic discussed a few issues using EHRs to store and access data:

Problem: Transfer of data: each EHR is separate database. There is a need for more standards concerning sharing the data. Some are: HL7, HealthIT.gov, and FHIR. FHIR is new, uses REST API.

Problem: Proving identity. Some possible starting points are perapp, OpenID, oauth, healthkit

Problem: The firehose of data. How do we make it pretty with quick access for the 7 minutes Dr visit.

Problem: Who cares? A Dr needs data from the less healthy not the healthy tech runner with a fitbit. How do we get information from the right person(s)?

Problem: Legal issues. Current laws require holding all data that is collected. This can be expensive on the storage side unless there is enough value from the data and/or a change in rules that allow for disposing of certain data sets - such as historic fitbit raw data on a healthy individual.

-SML

GHC14 - Day 3 keynotes and wrapup

Day three opened with references to handling mistakes, some direct, some more subtle. Making sure we are all listening, learning, improving, and moving forward.Its been a while since I heard the term "active listening".
The conference was marked by controversy over men at a women's conference telling women the same old things that really have not worked. From how the Wed evening panel was handled (by both the organizers and the participants) to the comments made by the CEO of Microsoft. Both situations resulted in the men LISTENing to the criticism, apologizing for not do better, and publicly trying to lead the change toward doing better. It is still to be seen how the words and efforts will play out in the long run.

Here are a few (paraphrased) sentences I heard:

• We need to have the tough conversation.
• We all make mistakes.
• We cannot push an ally away with persecution for a single mistake.
• We all need to listen to the criticism and learn from the mistakes.
• We need to thank those that enter the minefield and show up to have the hard conversations.

Outside of the conference, I loved the quote by Diane Sawyer after talking about The Nobel Peace Prize given to Malala and straight out of Malala's goals: "It is amazing what can happen when we educate girls".

The keynote speaker for the final day was Dr. Arati Prabhaker from DARPA. She was scheduled for last year but the government shutdown forced a last minute substitution. A few of the technical research efforts that her team is working on are:

• Space - launching small satellites from military planes from any runway. These are 100 pound satellites placed into low orbit with the costs down to 1 million dollars and 24 hours notice instead of 10's of million and in 24 months of planning.
• Biology - Research into moving injured military from rehab to recovery with better prothetics and direct brain control. Human trials are already started and a 60 minutes video shows a women (in attendance at the conference) using thought to manipulate a robot arm.
• Biology - Infectious diseases are in the news. Right now a flu shot needs weeks to get the body to create antibodies. DARPA research is looking for quicker diagnosis to reduce the spread as well as create targeted cures and prevention. They are looking for a flu shot that triggers antibodies within hours instead of weeks.
• Information Technology - Today we really do have only the option of "patch and pray".  What can we do in the future to reset this? DARPA research is working on a Capture the Flag for AI machines only. They plan to place it next to the Capture the Flag at the next DefCon.  They are also working on accuracy and speed in pattern matching and other data analysis technologies.  Recently a pattern matching exercise resulted in a list of phone numbers which were matched to a local law enforcement database which narrowed the list to known criminals and eventually  to about 30 numbers from (or near) North Korea that eventually led to reducing human trafficking. 

The last day is also a day to get the final set of swag from the career fair and attend the final party. Do not forget a bag for the swag at the party and be early to get in on the raffle from the sponsors. 

On the swag: I love the puzzles. I can use the portable chargers and cables (though I now have many more cables than I need). I have once again replenished my office supply of pens (a few more PostIt notes would have been helpful) and my work from home wardrobe of T-shirts (more colors than at most tech conferences but still a lot of my least favorite black and grey). Some of the tote bags are useful, specifically the ones that can handle groceries (flat bottoms with strong handles).

-SML