February 03, 2015

TOGAF – A New Year Message
Of course, as well as all the commercial aspects of feasting, drinking, visiting and present giving, there is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. This dichotomy – between the spiritual and the commercial – got me thinking about the connection between TOGAF and EA. You’re probably thinking that I must be crazy, and that there can’t be any connection between Christmas and TOGAF… and there isn’t a direct link. So what’s my point? Well, TOGAF has become a de-facto “standard” approach to EA. This is partly because there are few international organizations with the infrastructure to establish a new discipline, such as enterprise architecture.


Radware CEO on Identifying Intruders
Often, security software relies on digital signatures to identify unauthorized access into systems, matching the signature against those used by known hackers. But in an Executive Sessions interview with Information Security Media Group, Zisapel explains that the quick-acting digital assailant often relies on a signature that has yet to be added to the libraries of known exploited signatures. "[That's] simply because it's new, it was not seen before," Zisapel says. Instead, he says, Radware is incorporating behavioral analytics and similar techniques into its products to identify intruders.


Defining Metrics for the Service Desk
Every organization is different and the examples in a book or a blog are just there to help you think about possibilities, not to be used unchanged. You also need to keep reviewing your KPIs, as the things you care about will change over time and KPIs that worked well for you in the past may no longer be relevant. Remember the “K” in KPI stands for key, so you should focus on key things that are important to you; you should not measure and report every number you can. You also need a clear understanding of your objectives, and the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that are needed to achieve those objectives. Every KPI should support one or more of these objectives or CSFs.


Microsoft's Windows 10 for IoT: What to expect
The Windows 10 mobile SKU will run on both Intel- and ARM-based tablets and phones, according to that same slide. (I believe is the coming version of Windows 10 for Windows Phones and small tabletsthat is due to go to preview in February.) The Compact/Athens SKUs, which also run on both Intel- and ARM-based devices, is for resource-constrained devices that need to run Universal Apps. The next version of the .Net Micro Framework, designed for wearables, small sensors and equipment like vending machines. The Windows 10 IoT operating system versions are expected to be built on the new common core (OneCore), share the common Windows 10 Runtime and be available via the coming, unified Windows Store.


Startup Eero wants to wipe out weak Wi-Fi
"Instead of one powerful device blasting a signal everywhere, you need to break it up into smaller pieces and distribute it throughout the home," Weaver said. To succeed, Eero will have to convince people that they need an upgrade to their current networks. With even premium routers costing less than $200, some persuading will be necessary. The sales pitch will likely appeal to folks who are envisioning range extenders that use Wi-Fi or home powerline networks to reach better throughout a home -- in short, the people who already think their Wi-Fi isn't up to scratch. Eero also can take heart that customers are showing some willingness to buy premium electronic gadgets like Philips Hue remote-controlled light bulbs, Drobo storage systems and Nest Learning Thermostats.


MongoDB Eyes Bigger, Faster NoSQL Deployments
MongoDB 3.0's new pluggable architecture addresses write-intensive applications, but that's just a start. The 3.0 release includes two new storage engine options. The first is WiredTiger, which was acquired (for an undisclosed sum) along with the company of the same name. WiredTiger supports write-intensive use-cases common in mobile, Internet-of-Things, smart-grid, log-file-analysis, and other modern applications. "It has become incredibly inexpensive to create data with smart phones, messaging, smart grids, log files, and so on, and it's only natural that companies are trying to turn that information into money," said Kelly Stirman, MongoDB's director of products.


Can We Actually Confront Data Quality With Business Intelligence?
The first thing we have to understand and unconditionally accept is that it’s next to impossible to have perfect data quality. The bigger the organization, the more likely there will be issues with its data. The more complex the organization is in terms of divisions, sub divisions, data collection methods, etc., the more likely it will have data quality issues. From my experience in the BI industry, the bigger something is—or the more moving parts something has—the less likely everything will run smoothly. Data quality is no exception – period. This is the reality and unless you have unlimited time with an unlimited budget, it’s foolish to expend great energy for 100% perfect data.


Recycle that old Android device into a web-based security camera
There are so many reasons why you might need a security camera. There are also a lot of reasons why purchasing an actual security system might not be cost effective. So, if you're looking for a simple way to get a single camera security system up and running, and you happen to have a spare Android device lying around, there's an app that you need to look into called IP Webcam. The IP Webcam app uses your device's built-in camera, adds a lightweight web server, and allows you to connect to the camera through that server. It's simple and effective.


Scala in Large Scale Systems
We've used the actor model when a problem can be decomposed into a set of sub-systems each with its own state and where scalability is a consideration. Designing to be distributed by default means you can take advantage of location transparency to scale both vertically and horizontally. However, the loss of formal interfaces is unsettling since we lose those compiler checks. A compromise is formal protocols, keeping actors simple and making these explicit in our design and tests. Writing clear and concise tests can be tricky, and debugging is challenging in any concurrent system.


Cybersecurity spending: How to know when enough is enough
The requirements for each strategy will vary between sector and organisation. Working Links CIO Omid Shiraji says that, while security represents the number one reason for existing for some companies, he would rather channel his firm's IT budget towards the areas that are going to add real value. "The cyber-threat and security in general can be blown out of proportion -- if someone wants to compromise your organisation, they will," he says. "Breaches will occur. For me, great security is all about recovery. What you must make sure as a CIO is that you have the best possible recovery procedures, business continuity processes, and crisis management approaches."



Quote for the day:

"You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions." -- Naguib Mahfouz

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