Archive for November 6, 2024

Other World Computing Announces Plug-and-Play 10G Ethernet Adapter & Thunderbolt Pro Dock 

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 6, 2024 by itnerd

Other World Computing today announced it is making it easier than ever for Mac users to maximize their devices’ performance with the OWC 10G Ethernet Adapter, delivering lightning-fast 10G Ethernet connectivity to any Mac with Thunderbolt (USB-C), including the latest M4 series. The plug-and-play adapter offers a high-performance, reliable solution for Mac models without built-in 10G Ethernet – allowing users to connect at 10G speeds and leverage faster local networks and network-attached storage (NAS).

To complement this upgrade, Other World Computing offers its OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock, which transforms any workspace with versatile port expansion and 10G Ethernet capabilities. The Thunderbolt Pro Dock – with the ability to power a Mac laptop and add essential ports through a single Thunderbolt cable – is the ideal accessory for users needing high-speed network connectivity and streamlined connectivity for multiple devices.

Product highlights: 

OWC Thunderbolt 10G Ethernet Adapter – The Portable Ethernet Supercharger

  • Blazing-fast – Over 900MB/s real-world tested transfer speed for large file transfers, video editing, and live-streaming gaming sessions
  • Compatible – Use with any Thunderbolt-equipped Mac or Windows computer
  • Capable – Up to 100-meter cable distance with Cat6a for 10G, Cat6 for 5G, and Cat5e for 2.5G
  • Smart – Supports auto-negotiation for 10Gb/s, 5Gb/s, 2.5Gb/s, 1Gb/s and 100Mb/s Base-T Ethernet standards
  • Accessible – Wake-on-LAN ready for remote access of home or work computer
  • AVB ready – Perfect for use in pro audio and video applications where synchronization of data streams is critical
  • Securable – Features Kensington-compatible lock slot for anti-theft cabling

OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock – The Best Networking, Media, and Docking Solution for Pro Creatives

  • Fast & diverse – Transfer files in a blink, daisy chain up to five Thunderbolt devices, use USB-C accessories, and add an HDMI display with two Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports
  • Full throttle bandwidth – Share and stream up to 90% faster with a 10Gb/s Ethernet port
  • AVB ready – Perfect for use in pro audio and video applications where synchronization of data streams is critical
  • Ingest content – Easily handle multiple video and photo card uploads at up to 1630MB/s with CFexpress and SD card readers
  • Full-speed connectivity – Use your devices and accessories at their max speed with one USB-C and three USB Type-A 10Gb/s ports
  • Add more viewspace – Connect two 4K displays or up to a single 8K display via Displayport 1.4
  • Powerful – Keep your notebook mobile use ready with 85W charging power
  • Silent and secure – Fanless cooling mode and locking power connection for on-set use
  • Certified – Thunderbolt certified for Mac and Windows
  • Dante compatible – Easy Plug and Play – no software needed – into networks designed for bit-perfect audio with super low latency and sample-accurate synchronization

The OWC Thunderbolt 10G Ethernet Adapter is available now for $199.99 – learn more and purchase here: https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TB3ADP10GBE/.

The OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock is available now for $349.99 – learn more and purchase here: https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-thunderbolt-pro-dock. 

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Arcitecta to Showcase New Data Management Solutions and Collaborative Presentations at SC24

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 6, 2024 by itnerd

Arcitecta, a creative and innovative data management software company, will host a visually-immersive booth at the SC24 show in Atlanta, Georgia, November 17-22, 2024. The company will showcase and demonstrate breakthroughs in data management for high-performance computing, research data and supercomputing environments. 

Arcitecta Co-LAB: Future Thinking

Arcitecta Co-LAB is an exciting joint endeavor with the company’s customers, partners and friends. The lab offers a unique opportunity to engage with HPC thought leaders, including Cerabyte, Princeton University, the University of Melbourne and many others, who will ‘take over’ the Arcitecta booth. They will delve into forward-thinking ideas, share insights and experiences, present groundbreaking research, and discuss topics ranging from the future of big data to strategies for resilience against loss. 


Date & Time: November 19-21, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Arcitecta Booth #2851

Customer Spotlight – User Group Meeting

Arcitecta’s User Group meeting will feature presentations from Princeton University and the University of Melbourne highlighting Mediaflux’s adaptable capabilities in HPC environments for any system. This event will also include an open discussion on a variety of topics and provides an opportunity to connect with fellow Mediaflux users, share insights and experiences, and explore innovative approaches to common challenges. 

Date & Time: Monday, November 18, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: W Hotel, Studio 5, 45 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA

Product Spotlight – Mediaflux Bundles

Arcitecta will provide demonstrations at SC24 of Mediaflux Multi-Site, Mediaflux Edge and Mediaflux Burst, bundled with Dell PowerScale and ECS/ObjectScale tooptimize data workflows and foster collaboration in geographically distributed workforces. Mediaflux is built for any environment to handle data anytime, at any scale, and in any location, enabling organizations to leverage additional resources, boost computational power, access data instantly, optimize storage for cost-effectiveness, and ensure resilience against data loss. 

Beowulf Bash Event 

Arcitecta is proud to sponsor the fabulous Beowulf Bash event again this year. Join the Arcitecta team for food and beverages and a great time. For more details, visit: https://beowulfbash.com/

Date & Time: Monday, November 18, 2024, from 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Location: World of Coca-Cola, 121 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, GA
 

Active Archive Alliance Cocktail Reception

The Active Archive Alliance will host a cocktail reception on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Stop by the Arcitecta Booth #2851 for details and an invitation.

Immersive Booth Experience

Once again, the Arcitecta booth will provide an immersive space for connection and inquiry. Sit back and immerse yourself in the ideas circulating on its state-of-the-art LED screens. Enter an environment where a diverse team of in-house artists respond to new ideas in creative computing, exploring the transformative relationship between technology and art. 

To schedule a meeting with the Arcitecta team at SC24, visit: https://www.arcitecta.com/events/2024/sc/chat/

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Review: TP-Link Deco X50 AX3000 WiFi Router/Access Point

Posted in Products with tags on November 6, 2024 by itnerd

When I signed up for Distributel, one of the things that I was offered was what they described to me as a “WiFi pod”. I only took one as I had zero intention of using the gear that an ISP provides as that’s a form of lock in by said ISP. But what I got was a pre-configured TP-Link Deco X50 WiFi router/Access point as opposed to something unique and custom made for the ISP. That piqued my interest.

The Deco X50 is a WiFi 6 dual band router that when you have two or more of these can also deliver mesh WiFi. Let’s have a look at it:

From the front, it’s rather unremarkable. Which is good as it will fit into any decor.

From the back you get three gigabit ethernet ports. Any port can be used to connect to your ISP. But because they are all gigabit, you’re limited to gigabit speeds. Which makes the X50 not the correct choice if you have faster than gigabit service.

Now each X50 unit has only two radios. A 2.4GHz one and a 5GHz transmitter that handles both client connections and backhaul traffic. Having a third radio for backhaul traffic would be better for a lot of people who have a lot of devices in a mesh setup as that will create some amount of congestion between each unit if the traffic between the two is high enough. But only having two radios keeps the price down which I suspect was the priority here.

Power users will be disappointed with the fact that there’s no web page with advanced configuration options as everything is done through the Deco app, although there is a web based status page. To be fair you can configure a number of things via the app form the initial setup, which by the way is easy enough for the average person to do, to some more complex tasks as turning on QoS or using their parental controls subscription service. In terms of the parental controls service, the fact that parental controls are a subscription service that you have to pay for is a bit of #fail as competitors ASUS offer that for free.

Now in my testing, performance was actually decent. Let’s start with the performance from the Optical Networking Terminal that Distributel supplied to the X50:

Now I had to test this via plugging in an Ethernet cable to my MacBook Pro because I couldn’t find a speed test built into the router or the Deco app. But this result is better, especially on the upload end of things than my ASUS Zen WiFi XT8 which isn’t that good when it comes to upload in PPPoE scenarios. Further validating that I need to dump the ASUS gear for something better as I am clearly leaving some speed on the table by using the ASUS hardware.

From a WiFi perspective, the performance was also decent. This result was from about 5 feet from the X50:

That’s competitive with the XT8 which also supports WiFi 6. So from a performance perspective, it doesn’t suck. Though I do wonder how it would perform with multiple units and a lot of traffic given that there’s no dedicated backhaul.

So would I recommend the X50? It depends on the type of user your are. If your needs are modest. As in you need WiFi 6 in your home and you’re not doing anything crazy, this might be an option for you. If you’re a power user or you have faster than gigabit internet, you should likely look elsewhere. At least the price is better than decent as I found a pair of these for $179 CAD on Amazon. Thus if you fit the use case for this WiFi router/access point, it’s worth looking at in my opinion.

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Fortra Discovers A Nearly 200% Spike in Abuse of Cloudflare’s Trusted Platforms

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 6, 2024 by itnerd

Fortra, has uncovered a significant surge in cybercriminal abuse of Cloudflare Pages (198% increase) and Workers (104%) over the past year. The data also reveals that monthly incidents on Cloudflare Pages alone could surpass 1,600 by year’s end—a 257% year-over-year increase.

What’s surprising?

While it’s primarily used legitimately, Cloudflare Pages can be exploited for malicious purposes due to its reputation, free hosting, ease of use, and global Content Delivery Network (CDN). Threat actors can create convincing malicious sites, using custom domains and secure HTTPS connections to deceive victims. Similarly, while designed to help developers to deploy and run JavaScript code directly at the edge of Cloudflare’s CDN, Cloudflare Workers can be exploited to bypass security controls or automate various attacks like brute-force login attempts. In short, they’re using Cloudflare’s strengths to lure victims into a false sense of security.

Cybersecurity teams may need to change their approach

While Cloudflare does implement threat detection and phishing prevention mechanisms, Fortra’s report suggests a growing trend of abuse on reputable platforms, highlighting the need for more vigilant monitoring, even in environments perceived as secure. Security teams should be aware of these increased attacks and proactively monitor for suspicious activity, as the platform can often be misused before detection of these attacks occur.

Tips for cybersecurity teams:

Cloudflare has several security measures in place to combat abuse, including threat detection systems, phishing detection, and user reporting mechanisms to take down malicious content. Despite these efforts, cybercriminals can still exploit the platform before malicious content is detected. The risk is in how cybercriminals are misusing the service, and not in the technology itself.

Users can protect themselves from phishing by following several best practices. First, they should be cautious when interacting with unfamiliar websites, especially those requesting personal or sensitive information. Verifying the legitimacy of URLs and ensuring that the domain matches the expected source can help identify phishing attempts. Additionally, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for accounts adds an extra layer of security.Developers using Cloudflare Pages should implement strong security measures such as regularly updating their site’s dependencies, using HTTPS for secure connections, and monitoring for suspicious activity. It’s also important to report any phishing attempts or malicious activity to Cloudflare for further investigation and takedown, helping to prevent wider abuse.

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StorageMAP 7.1 launch adds more solutions to solve unstructured data challenges

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 6, 2024 by itnerd

Today, Datadobi is launching the latest version of their powerful heterogeneous unstructured data management platform. When they announced StorageMAP 7.0 in June, they talked about offering enterprises insights to drive better control, portability, optimization, and management of their unstructured data. StorageMAP 7.1 takes it a step further and solves some focused challenges facing their customers globally, including offering an innovative HDI Archive Appliance Bypass feature, example dashboards, and the most important one, improvements to scalability and performance. Here’s a closer look:

Solving for: Scalability and performance 

StorageMAP is constantly evolving and improving. With the release of version 7.1, this trend continues with many behind-the-scenes improvements in scalability and performance.

For example, the Unstructured Data Mobility Engine (uDME) at the core of StorageMAP has been updated with new enhancements to address ever-growing scalability and performance challenges present in modern, unstructured data environments.

Why this matters

Scale is one of the most critical factors in dealing with unstructured data management in today’s large and complex environments. The challenge has two dimensions: 1) the capacity being managed and 2) the number of items (i.e., files and objects) being managed. Capacity and item count combine to create a challenge only StorageMAP can address. In contrast, trying to manage a large environment with a solution that cannot handle scale will result in disappointment, failed projects, and a sunk cost in software that doesn’t deliver the desired value. With its industry-best ability to handle scale, StorageMAP solves the problem altogether.

Solving for: Migration inefficiencies and performance bottlenecks

StorageMAP 7.1 employs an HDI Archive Appliance Bypass feature to drastically increase migration performance for archived data using the Hitachi Data Ingestor (HDI).

The “bypass” involves using multiple StorageMAP connections to the storage systems – one connection to the primary storage system and a second connection to the archive storage system. These connections effectively bypass the middleware HDI archiving appliance, which is responsible for both relocating data to the archive storage system and retrieving it when a client application requests archived data.

Why this matters

The problem with the middleware archiving appliance is its significant performance limitations that make migrating all active and archived data an extremely slow process typically riddled with errors. Additionally, the migration workload on the archiving appliance hinders continued archival and retrieval operations. In bypassing the middleware and reading data directly from the primary and archive storage systems, StorageMAP greatly accelerates and enhances the accuracy of an otherwise problematic migration.

Solving for: Onboarding and usability

StorageMAP 7.1 offers sample dashboards to help customers get started with the creation of custom dashboards.

While StorageMAP version 7.0 introduced the ability to create a library of custom dashboards, version 7.1 provides example dashboards to seed the library for a new installation. These can be used out-of-the-box with a new installation of StorageMAP so customers can realize value even before they create their own custom dashboards.

Why this matters

With the 7.1 release, Datadobi is providing example dashboards that a customer can refer to for both ideas to include in their own custom dashboards. Customers can also refer to the definition of the widgets included in the example dashboards as a training aid that will help them derive value from StorageMAP quickly.

The bottom line

Datadobi continues to raise the bar on what it means to deliver the world’s most powerful, comprehensive, and real-world proven unstructured data management platform – not to mention the only true vendor-neutral option on the market today. Whether you’re dealing with complex migrations, working to lower risk and/or cost, or looking for a seamless way to gain greater value and insights from your data, StorageMAP 7.1 is the answer.

Ready to experience the difference? Reach out today — https://datadobi.com/contact/ — to schedule a demo and to learn more about how StorageMAP can transform your cloud data file management strategy.

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