Part 1 - Italy Trip 2010, going with the flow

July 1, 2010 Dave Ohara

Many of my friends and coworkers want to know how my vacation was. Logistics were great, Food and Wine were awesome. Had great time to reflect and think.

It took us 24 hours to get from our home in Seattle to our hotel in Rome. So, it was a trek. We used mileage points, so our choices weren't ideal and we ended up flying SEA - SFO - LHR - FCO. There were some flight delays, but our layovers were long enough that it didn't affect the overall time. Slowing down, going with the flow is something I've learned with travel

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” - Lao-Tzu

No matter how much structure we create in our lives, no matter how many good habits we build, there will always be things that we cannot control — and if we let them, these things can be a huge source of anger, frustration and stress.

The simple solution: learn to go with the flow.

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.”- Thich Nhat Hanh

Air travel can be extremely frustrating if you don't go with the flow.

My trip to Italy was a 50th Bday present and we went to the city of Montefollonico where we attended a cooking/travel destination www.tuscanwomencook.com

Montefollonico is the orange pin marker between Florence and Rome.

Here is town on Bing maps.

Montefollonico is a town of 600 off the the beaten path. The town has escaped the notoriety of towns like Cortona where the author for "Under the Tuscan Sun" lived.

6 days of living at a small country town pace, a 15 room Hotel La Chiusa, a daily routine of 2 hours of cooking, 2 hour lunches, 2 hour of site seeing, then a 3 hour dinner, and less than 15 minutes a day of wifi (thanks to thick stone walls you need to be next to the antenna), it was a nice break.

I had some great business discussions with Bill Sutherland, the owner of Tuscan Women Cook as well. Our discussions fit well to ask why you are doing what you are. Bill picked up from Texas selling his commercial real estate business to live in Tuscany and run a cooking business.

Note all you iPhone users, I did have my iPhone, but I never connected it to the cellphone network. Why?

International data roaming can get expensive quickly.

For example, opening an email with a 5 megapixel picture in it, or downloading a 3-minute video on YouTube, each takes about 2 MB of data. The cost would be almost $40, based on pay-per-use international data rates of $0.0195/KB.

What can you do to minimize your international data charges?

Turn Data Roaming "OFF": By default, the setting for international data roaming will be in the "OFF" position.
To turn data roaming "ON/OFF", tap on Settings>General>Network>Data Roaming

– Turning "OFF" data roaming blocks email, browsing, visual voicemail and downloads, but it will not block text or picture/video messages.

– When abroad, international roaming rates apply when you send text or picture/video messages.

– To access audible voicemail when data roaming is “OFF”, tap on Phone>Voicemail. International roaming voice rates apply.

Utilize Wi-Fi instead of 3G/GPRS/EDGE: Wi-Fi is available in many international airports, hotels and restaurants to browse the Web or check email.

There were plenty of people on the trip who had their phones on and were checking e-mail. We'll see if they are ready for the AT&T bill. Getting a bill of over $1000 is not unheard of.

We used Skype on a PC connected to wifi worked great to talk to our kids. And they had a blast calling from their iPod Touch with a headset. I would use gmail's SMS feature to send a text to our babysitters and they would tell the kids Dad was online and they could call.

I did figure out a bunch of things related to data centers when I was on trip, but here is a little background before I start down the path of things figured out. Just because I was disconnected, relaxing, eating and drinking, doesn't mean my brain stopped thinking. :-)

Taking a Blogging Break until July 1, some top traffic posts

June 17, 2010 Dave Ohara

One time a friend asked me how often I write a blog entry? 2 - 3 times a day. Wow you are a pervasive blogger. Well sometimes I find I write 5 posts a day.

My new goal for the next 11 days, 0 (zero) blog entries. I am going on vacation, and will disconnect to recharge.

Here are some of my top blog entries that some of you may have missed.

Thanks for continuing to visit www.greenm3.com.

-Dave Ohara

/2009/08/can-apple-change-data-centers-the-way-they-changed-cell-phone-and-media-players-apple-recruits-ebay-data-center-executive-ol.html

Apple Recruits eBay Data Center Executive Olivier Sanche , Can Apple Change Data Centers the way they changed cell phone and media players?

I have been lucky to meet eBay’s Sr. Director, Data Center Services & Strategy, Olivier Sanche at a variety of data center events and discuss many different green data center ideas. Last week, Olivier joined me as a panel member at Data Center Dynamics Seattle to discuss Carbon Reporting: Risk or Opportunity. Olivier took a position different than many that carbon reduction is a must, and should not be compromised.

/2009/07/renewable-energy-conversation-with-sierra-clubs-carl-zichella.html

Renewable Energy Conversation with Sierra Club’s Carl Zichella

At Data Center Dynamics SF, I had a chance to meet Carl Zichella, Director of Western Renewable Program , CA, NV, HI. Carl has been going to DCD for years, and here are a few of his comments in a video from past conferences.

Given Carl’s expertise I asked what resources he would point to research renewable energy. NREL was his first suggestion.

/2009/10/simplicity-and-the-data-center-a-path-to-a-happier-data-center.html

Simplicity and the Data Center, a path to a Happier Data Center?

One area I use to gauge how good a data center designer is whether they talk about simplicity in the data center. I can think of people at Google and Microsoft who regularly use simplicity as a design goal. And, there are many others. Why simplicity is important is articulated well in this post by Matthieu Ricard who discusses simplicity as applied to an approach to life, and for many companies data centers are their life. If data centers suffer, then the company suffers.

/2010/04/social-security-administration-picks-the-wrong-data-center-site-missed-cost-of-power-and-telecommunications-access.html

Social Security Administration picks the wrong data center site, mistakes in power costs, telecommunications access, and cost of construction

This would be funny, if it wasn’t a potential $500 million data center built by the US Gov’t by the Social Security Administration. The Office of Inspector General caught the error.

In particular, when developing the mandatory selection criteria, it does not appear that consideration was given to the serious fiscal impact that exclusions would have in the electrical power cost arena over the life cycle of the data center. Finally, in evaluating the telecommunications criteria concepts, SeBS found only limited information.

/2010/03/sustainable-farming-method-applied-to-sustainable-data-centers-dan-barbers-entertaining-how-i-fell-in-love-with-a-fish-it.html

Sustainable Farming Method applied to Sustainable Data Centers, Dan Barber's entertaining how I fell in love with a fish, it's about relationships

This is a video that has 5 stars. It is entertaining, funny and educational.

Here is Huffington post article about the video.

Dan Barber: How I Fell in Love With a Fish

Chef Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie's honeymoon he's enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain.

/2010/03/bill-gates-has-the-data-for-connection-between-energy-and-climate-sees-opportunities-for-gates-foundation-and-his-own-money.html

Bill Gates has the data for connection between energy and climate, sees opportunities for Gates Foundation and his own money - Terrapower

Bill Gates recently presented at the TED conference.

/2009/10/googles-secret-to-efficient-data-center-design-ability-to-predict-performance.html

Google’s Secret to efficient Data Center design – ability to predict performance

DataCenterKnowledge has a post on Google’s (Public, NASDAQ:GOOG) future envisioning 10 million servers.

Google Envisions 10 Million Servers
October 20th, 2009 : Rich Miller
Google never says how many servers are running in its data centers. But a recent presentation by a Google engineer shows that the company is preparing to manage as many as 10 million servers in the future.

Google’s Jeff Dean was one of the keynote speakers at an ACM workshop on large-scale computing systems, and discussed some of the technical details of the company’s mighty infrastructure, which is spread across dozens of data centers around the world.

Competing for Top Data Center Talent - energy efficient vs. Green/Sustainable

June 16, 2010 Dave Ohara

Green Data Center is a topic that gets discounted by many. But, talking to a good friend who is passionate about green data centers, he made the point how often being environmentally responsible comes up in his hiring.

If you are hiring someone who is in their 20s. (Note: I am turning 50, so I am twice as old as the people you are hiring) If all things are equal between companies are they going to pick your company because you are passionate about energy efficiency or passionate about the environment?

Here is an Google post were efficiency is discussed.

Google is looking for highly motivated individuals to provide leadership and oversight of our state-of-the-art datacenter facilities. Our datacenters are industry-leading examples of innovative capital- and energy-efficient designs in action.

Mike Manos posts on his Uptime Symposium presentation on CO2K.

This year my talk was about the coming energy regulation and its impact on data centers, and more specifically what data center managers and mission critical facilities professionals could and should be doing to get their companies ready for what I call CO2K. I know I will get a lot of pushback on the CO2K title, but I think my analogy makes sense. First companies are generally not aware of the impact that their data centers and energy consumption have, Second most companies are dramatically unprepared and do not have the appropriate tools in place to collect the information, which will of course lead to the third item, lots of reactionary spending to get this technology and software in place. While Y2K was generally a flop and a lot of noise, if legislation is passed (and lets be clear about the very direct statements the Obama administration has made on this topic) this work will lead to a significant change in reporting and management responsibilities for our industry.

Think we are ready for this legislation?

If you are young and idealistic, realizing the past ignorance of environmental impact is making the world worse, who would you pick? Working for Google or Mike Manos?

It is hard to find passionate intelligent data center staff who want to do the right thing. But, it is much easier if you make a Green Data Center part of your recruiting.

Some have stumbled on the green data center recruiting benefits, and they feel good.

Do you?

Data Center Technical Targeting Analyst

June 15, 2010 Dave Ohara

Data Centers are complex systems, but there are many more complex systems that have had a bunch of smart people thinking about how to solve tough problems.

I've been going down the path of what others do and found this job post for a CIA Technical/Targeting Analyst.

Technical/Targeting Analyst

Work Schedule:
Full Time

Salary:
$42,209 – $136,771

Location:
Washington, DC metropolitan area

Do you have an aptitude for solving challenging puzzles? Are you able to focus on technical details while maintaining a “big picture” perspective? Do you enjoy writing and briefing on the important results of your work? The Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Science and Technology is seeking candidates to serve as Technical Analysts and be part of a dynamic team that unites three disciplines—analysis, development and operations—to maximize our collection advantage.

As a Technical Analyst you will be a pivotal member of a mission that pioneers solutions that enable the DST to collect intelligence against our nation's highest priority threats in a global environment that is often hostile, fast-paced, and technologically savvy. We are looking for high-energy, intellectually curious individuals who thrive on tackling the most difficult all-source analytic efforts in support of cutting-edge operations using specialized, state-of-the-art tools and technologies. This work is increasingly complex and highly dynamic, affording the successful candidate considerable opportunity to address high-profile intelligence issues and apply the full-range of analytic tradecraft to sophisticated, challenging DST mission covering many regional areas including: the Middle East, East Asia, South Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as developing substantive expertise on terrorism, proliferation, cyber threats, narcotics trafficking and money laundering.

Couldn't you take the first paragraph and apply it to data centers?

Do you have an aptitude for solving challenging puzzles? Are you able to focus on technical details while maintaining a “big picture” perspective? Do you enjoy writing and briefing on the important results of your work? The ~~Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Science and Technology~~ Data Center Agency (DCA) is seeking candidates to serve as Technical Analysts and be part of a dynamic team that unites three disciplines—analysis, development and operations—to maximize our ~~collection~~ Data Center advantage.

Hiring a CIA spook could be an interesting way to gain insight.

Data Centers are ready for change and the analyst role could be a key tool to figure out a better way.

Less is More Gains Momentum, including data centers

June 13, 2010 Dave Ohara

The Economist discusses the popularity of less is better in technology, and how it is growing in spite of technologies typical more is better.

But now there are signs that technologists are waking up to the benefits of minimalism, thanks to two things: feature fatigue among consumers who simply want things to work, and strong demand from less affluent consumers in the developing world. It is telling that the market value of Apple, the company most closely associated with simple, elegant high-tech products, recently overtook that of Microsoft, the company with the most notorious case of new-featuritis. True, Apple’s products contain lots of features under the hood, but the company has a knack for concealing such complexity using elegant design. Other companies have also prospered by providing easy-to-use products: think of the Nintendo Wii video-games console or the Flip video camera. Gadgets are no longer just for geeks, and if technology is to appeal to a broad audience, simplicity trumps fancy specifications.

One of the classic differences between Windows and Mac is you ask how to do something on the Mac, and there is one way. You ask the same question on Windows and there will many times be three or more. Which way do you think is better the one way or give people multiple ways. When you have the market share with the diversity of users then you collect the user data, develop the alternatives and test the usability. If you are Apple you figure out the one way to do it, hope Steve Jobs doesn't think your way is ridiculed, and the feature ships.

With the growth of Apple's iPod, iPhone, and iPad, figuring out the simple user interface is being accepted more.

Frugality is the mother of invention

And then there is the phenomenon of “frugal” innovation—the new ideas that emerge when trying to reduce the cost of something in order to make it affordable to consumers in places like China, India and Brazil. The resulting products often turn out to have huge appeal in the rich world too, especially in an era of belt-tightening. The netbook, or low-cost laptop, was inspired by a scheme to produce cheap laptops for children in poor countries, but has since proved popular with consumers around the world. Tata devised the Nano, the world’s cheapest car, with India’s emerging middle classes in mind; it is now planning to launch it in Europe, too, where there is growing demand for cheap, simple vehicles.

Apple and Google are fighting for the Mobile space, and as they point out, the fight can be about control.

The mobile space also offers something that Jobs craves: control. Unlike being able to buy pretty much any software program you want for the personal computer, with the iPad you’re locked in. There’s only one place to buy apps: Apple’s online App Store. And Jobs keeps a 30 percent cut of the revenue. As for ads, Jobs will sell those, too, and he’ll keep 40 percent. Of course, Jobs also sells music, movies, and books via his iTunes Store, keeping 30 percent. So instead of a one-time sale of a Mac, each iPhone and iPad becomes an ongoing revenue stream. No wonder Jobs is going all-in for mobile.

KC Mares discusses another thing that is better if less, Vibration.

The Data Center Vibration Penalty to Storage Performance

Every now and then a really great way to reduce energy use comes along that is so simple we all whack our head wondering, “why didn’t I think of that!” My principles of achieving ultra-efficient data centers (PUEs between 1.03-1.08; I call anything less than 1.10 ultra-efficient) are based upon simplicity and a holistic approach while meeting the need not the want or convention. Generally the simpler the better, as simple is always lower cost up front and ongoing, as well as easier to maintain, more reliable and more efficient.

As KC mentions, think about all the equipment causing vibration.

If the vibration from yelling into a rack causes performance degradation, think about the vibration affects from HVAC systems, thousands of server fans, and even walking thru your data center.

Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to yell in data centers as vibration and noise was reduced. Kind of make sense that the less noise there is the less energy is expended. If you aren't listening to the noise your hard disks aren't hard of hearing the bits and they have to try again and again.

There are actually many reasons that less is better as I have listed a bunch of ideas above.

But, the common approach in technology is more is better.

Can you shift your thinking to less is better?

It is kind of a Zen thing. Your life is not happier with more, but in understanding what you have in your life and why it is important. Meditating, reflecting, questioning.

Maybe people need to spend more time in Data Center Meditation, but it is almost impossible with all the noise and vibration.

We finally have some sunny weather here, and as you can see we have very high water as the docks are under water on June 13, 2010. It is very cool though to walk on the dock in 6 inches of water and think.

I am going to change one of my M's for memetics to meditation. So, now Monitoring, Modeling, and Meditating the green data center.