A Recap of HPE Discover 2017

Charles Fowler

This past week I attended Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) Discover 2017 in Las Vegas, NV. Discover is HPE’s annual customer and partner conference where HPE showcases new products and services. The conference lasts 3 days and is broken up into focus areas and general sessions. This was my first year attending as a partner rather than a HPE employee. The experience was not much different other than I hosted 4 clients vs the average 12 clients while employed at HPE which made it a bit more relaxing and fewer logistics for sure.

The general session concentrates on HPE’s direction and how they are solving the current needs of a digital world. This year’s general session focused primarily on Hybrid IT, Generation 10 Servers, and Project New Stack. Meg Whitman, HPE’s CEO, is focusing her efforts on 3 key areas: Digital Transformation, Hybrid IT, and the Intelligent Edge. These are all areas where Whitman sees the potential for tremendous growth in a world where everything computes. HPE’s recent acquisition of SimpliVity and Nimble were also mentioned in her keynote but, were not primary topics of conversation. There was a hint that those two technologies may be instrumental in HPE’s composable infrastructure solutions of the future. Whitman stated that HPE has seen a 30% revenue gain in all-flash storage last quarter and they are expecting that number to grow with the acquisition of Nimble. Whitman said while cloud computing is certainly a fit for some companies, HPE can deliver those same services in a hybrid cloud at a fraction of the cost. HPE believes more and more people are moving away from the cloud due to lack of control, security, performance, or cost. Whitman was not recommending that customers pull the plug but rather invest in a hybrid model that has all the benefits of the public cloud without some of the pitfalls. Additional cost savings may be realized using HPE’s Flex Capacity consumption model, which was also discussed in multiple keynotes and breakout sessions during the week. 

The Intelligent Edge was another focus area for Whitman, claiming a 30% increase in Aruba revenue over the last consecutive 7 quarters. As a partner, and former HPE employee, I can attest to that growth as I have seen a huge amount of Cisco customers moving over to Aruba, both on the wired and wireless networks. Aruba has jump charged HPE’s network business with no signs of it slowing down. While Aruba has mostly been present on the network edge, they will be releasing a new core switch that will be available for purchase soon. Whitman’s point about the intelligent edge was that everything will one day be internet connected, placing more importance on the edge that supports those devices. The internet of everything (IOT) is well underway.

Whitman next introduced Clark Golestani, Global CIO and President of Emerging Business at the pharmaceutical behemoth Merck. Golestani was very complimentary of the products and services provided by HPE. He went on to say that he was doing business with HPE based on the quality of their products, capabilities to support his company, ability to respond, and security. Golestani emphasized Merck’s pathway to hybrid cloud stating that Merck could not risk their business or the welfare of their clients on a cloud only model, supporting the hybrid direction Whitman announced during her keynote. 

Next, Whitman introduced Antonio Neri (Exec VP and GM of HPE’s Enterprise Group). Neri focused on the complexity of Hybrid IT. He mentioned HPE’s commitment to simplify hybrid IT by helping customers define the right hybrid mix using Pointnext software, power the right mix utilizing the HPE ecosystem, and optimize the right mix with consumption models. The point being, companies will now have a mix of traditional IT, private cloud, and public cloud. The challenge will be managing all 3 of those efficiently.

Neri introduced Alain Andreoli, SVP and GM of the HPE Data Center Infrastructure Group. Andreoli spoke about the new Generation 10 Proliant servers, touting the inherent security features built in to the silicon of each new Gen10 server. Neri touted HPE as being the first to incorporate this into their servers. He also spoke about active protection and recovery, a technology that constantly monitors the server for malicious behavior through machine learning. Neri mentioned Niara, a recently acquired security company, as being behind some of these security improvements. There was also mention of an end-of-life security feature that would make it impossible to recover data from retired servers.

All in all, it was a great event. It was a good mix of education and entertainment. Getting ahead of what is coming can never be a bad thing. It would have taken me weeks to learn everything I was able to cover in just few days at HPE Discover. The shear amount of equipment and resources they dedicate to this event is amazing. While I find the breakout sessions useful, it is the technology expo and the keynotes I enjoy the most. My purpose for attending is to learn about existing and future technologies, and a general understanding of how these are being applied to make a positive difference in our everyday lives. If you have not attended HPE Discover, I recommend you consider attending in the future. As the Director of Sales at Convergent Technologies Group, it would be my pleasure to host you at the 2018 Discover.

Cheers

Attack of the Killer IoTs?

By Jeff Joyner

Well, maybe they weren’t killers but it was definitely an attack.  

A couple of weeks ago, on Oct. 21, a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack was executed against a DNS provider named Dyn. This attack affected the Internet traffic for prominent web sites such as Twitter, Pandora, Netflix, Pinterest, Spotify, PayPal and PlayStation Network. In some cases, access was shut down completely.

Domain Name Service (DNS) is like a phone book for the Internet. DNS translates human readable text (such as your website name, like www.ctgva.com) into Internet addresses (which are numeric, such as 72.10.49.31) that devices connected to the Internet can understand. In a nutshell, DNS providers deliver this translation service. 

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is an attempt to prevent legitimate users from accessing information or services. The primary method is to flood a particular website’s Internet connection, exhausting the resources of a router, firewall or server, thereby shutting off access to anyone else. With a DDoS attack, you find it more difficult to defend yourself and your business. Instead of the attack coming from a single device, a DDoS attack enlists an army of network devices to do the same thing. Tens of thousands or more devices, all working together to cut off a company’s resources. Even the largest companies find it difficult to defend against.

So, who owns the network devices used in these attacks? In this particular example, large numbers of webcams were used. Why would webcams launch an attack on a DNS provider? What did Dyn do to the webcams?

This is where it gets interesting.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a phrase used to describe all of the various Internet-connected devices we have today, which includes video game systems, home thermostats, security cameras, smart phones, and much more. In many cases, these devices come with passwords that are never changed and/or weak protocols enabled for active use. Sitting behind a firewall doesn’t necessarily mean that the device can’t be reached.

A protocol that runs on most home routers/firewalls is Universal Plug’n’Play (UPnP).  When enabled – and it is by default – UPnP allows devices on the inside or protected part of your network to request ports be opened and forwarded to them without any user intervention. Why have this protocol? Because it’s easier on people who might not be as technically minded. Your best security practice is to disable UPnP on home routers/firewalls. After disabling, test all internal device that rely on the Internet to ensure disabling UPnP didn’t disrupt any connections. Leaving UPnP enabled makes things easier but compromises home network security.

Meanwhile, what can be done to make these devices less vulnerable to being turned into “zombies” and used in attacks against unsuspecting victims? Vendors need to tighten up the security on IoT devices during manufacturing, long before these devices hit the retail shelves. Additionally, manufacturers must make ready updates to correct security holes in the products already in service. Consumers should create strong passwords (16 characters or more with mixed case, numbers, symbols) to replace the widely documented default passwords all too often left on devices connected to the Internet.

We know cyber security is seemingly daunting, so let us help. Contact Convergent Technologies Group through our website to have all the right resources to defend against cyber attacks. 

Jeff Joyner is a senior network engineer at Convergent Technologies Group.

Executive Retreat at The Greenbrier to Focus on Continuity, Transformation

By Elizabeth Foster

“Continuity” and the willingness to “step and think outside of the box” are words that describe The Greenbrier, Convergent Technologies Group and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

In June, The Greenbrier – a historical legacy as one of America’s best resorts – and its community was tested as it faced massive flooding, the result of unprecedented levels of torrential rain. The national news showed images of homes, cars and other debris swept away in seemingly unstopping waves of water and mud. While the devastation destroyed much of the community, it didn’t stop the heart and resiliency of the community, which was buoyed by the reaction and support of The Greenbrier.

Even though this majestic, historical property was assessing severe damage across its property, the resort’s leaders opened its heart and its rooms to those who had lost everything. Two months later, many are still in the early stages of rebuilding their homes – and their lives.

Recognizing its role as a beacon in the community and a major employer in the region, The Greenbrier worked diligently to re-open its doors. In two months, Convergent Technologies Group will return again to The Greenbrier to host its annual Executive Retreat, partnering with HPE to discuss that latest in technology today – including resiliency when the unexpected might occur.

The background for the Oct. 21-23 is fitting. HPE is known for plowing through challenges, and today is recognized as a juggernaut for innovation and tried-and-tested technology. As a Platinum Partner, CTG shares those same values, refusing to settle for the status quo and pushing for next-generation solutions. At the same time, both companies have a history of empowering their people to be nimble, to be intuitive, to strive for excellence on a daily basis and to never settle for less than perfection.

For the Executive Retreat, technology leaders from Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and North Carolina will be coming together with HPE’s Chief Business Strategist & Innovation Officer (aka Chief Creatologist) Joe Batista and CTG executives for open and frank discussions about today’s challenges. From digital transformation and the Internet of Things, from mobility issues to the need for hyper converged systems to handle virtual and storage environments, HPE and CTG together bring a new way of thinking and doing business. Collaboration is key but not the main factor for spurring on changes in technology. Executives are forced to do more with less with shrinking budgets and manpower, while still delivering business processes and continuity.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Batista’s keynote address will explore “The Pivoting Industry: What’s Your Next Move?”

Our CTG co-founders, John Monahan and Jeff Garell, have a united vision and focus for supporting their clients. They believe that executives who attend The Greenbrier Executive Retreat this year will expand their knowledge by learning key business best practices and how to maximize hyper converged environments to lower cost and down time – not to mention finite details on how to shrink and lower the cost of data footprint in the data center. And that’s just a few highlights.

We’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks about this Executive Retreat, which will featured rich discussions about technology and innovative thinking against the backdrop of historical elegance at The Greenbrier. Have you talked with us about saving a seat for you at this once-in-your-business-lifetime experience?

Elizabeth Foster is an inside sales representative at Convergent Technologies Group.

Takeaways from Discover 2016: IT Solutions that Work for You

by John Monahan and Jeff Garell

Ask any of our team members and guests for our top three takeaways from Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Discover 2016 last week in Las Vegas, and you’ll probably not get the same answers from everyone. With so much information to gather and technology to observe and experience and top experts to hear, we often branched out to make the most of the agenda.

Without question, however, the centerpiece of Discover was our interaction with CEO Meg Whitman and all the HPE leadership. Once a year, Convergent Technologies Group hosts clients in a venue where they hear directly from the top minds in the industry. As an HPE Platinum Partner, we have rare access to connect our customers with those who are bringing cutting-edge products to the market.  These general sessions, demo labs and innovation break-outs help us deliver a level of expertise that differentiates the relationships that CTG offers. As a partner in our clients’ success, we connect you with the right people and solutions so you can do what you do best – and accelerate your growth.

Of course, the annual Discover showcase is when HPE unveils new products and solutions upgrades. Let us share a few favorites that we’re excited to be offering:

•  HPE Synergy: This is composable infrastructure, which brings a new architecture that allows you to construct your resources to your exact application needs, coupled with software-defined intelligence and a unified API. Two of our CTG engineers were among the first 100 individuals worldwide to earn certification in this new platform.

• CloudSystem 10: Do you work with hybrid IT? Then this is the comprehensive cloud solution you need. You can stand it up as a private cloud or integrate it with your existing cloud, virtualized and traditional resources.

• HPE Edgeline IoT Systems:  Before too long, more than 20 billion devices will be connected to the “edge” of traditional networks – this is what the Internet of Things is all about. HPE has unveiled Edgeline, a platform that helps you make the most of information on the fly. This might be from crews in the field, sales reps on the retail floor – basically anywhere that you are creating data that can drive your business. Breaking new ground, Edgeline will help you quickly gain insights from that data at the edge.

•  Hyperconverged380: With our unique capabilities in hyperconverged systems, you know this got our attention.  Designed specifically to help mid-sized businesses deploy virtual machines in minutes, it also is a foundational step for those organizations to move to a hybrid infrastructure. This will allow you to spend more time innovating, while increasing your productivity and flexibility.

• Docker Shipping with Servers: HPE will be shipping Docker, our go-to application container platform, with all its servers. Why does this matter? This automatically incorporates what you need for your modern data center when you install your server, with cross-platform performance, appropriate security and integrated support.

• Cloud transition: Dropbox has transitioned from the Amazon Web Services public cloud and onto an all-HPE cloud solution. The result is “industrial-strength, enterprise-grade security and manageability.” This is easing the transition to the cloud for CIOs everywhere.

• Better IT management: With OneView 3.0, you can simplify day-to-day operations, deploy applications faster and enable your IT to take advantage of new tools.

We’re already meeting and talking with clients about how they might benefit from these new solutions. Each enterprise has different needs, but we have definitely brought back new ideas and strategies that we can tailor to all of our customers.

What solution can we bring to you to advance you to the next level?

John Monahan and Jeff Garell are co-founders of CTG.