Why not Backup-as-a-Service?

The first thing that web hosting companies provided is the ability to host a software, typically a web application. With software applications being controlled/managed by browser UI, it helped not just web applications but also system software applications moved to hosted servers. Thus, emerged reign of Software-as-a-Service (Saas), also known as hosted software.

The hosted software solutions had their good share of time and market in the internet business. However, these software solutions are mostly less demanding in terms of resources such as CPU, I/O speeds, storage size or high availability. And also their usage and traffic is limited and hosted softwares are not mission critical.

But as the cloud technology emerged, we started seeing each hosting company come up with their own machine farm, with their own control panel and be able to launch any software or application and including OS customized of their choice. The hosting companies also started providing higher CPU capabilities, greater I/O speeds and high availability(HA). That also lead to the idea of moving complex software solutions that demand high machine power and be highly available for hosting; which we all called cloud.

Cloud seemed like a promising platform for many great things in last half a decade. Every giant company had their own perception of cloud adaptability to masses. Some took seriously, some stayed back, some started their race rather late. But the internet is adapted in commercial, technical, social, education, health care and ubiquitous to sum up, the cloud showed the new business way forward.

With continuous engineering by various big companies and start-ups to make cloud available in every way close to local server, it even made possible to take on premise data-center to the cloud (almost there).

But how easy or difficult it is for both cloud service providers and cloud customers to adapt cloud for their business? Cloud business was not a easy choice for both. There then emerged cloud business in form of services. After Saas, it was PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service). PaaS helped providers and customers make their ways in to business. The hardware and software companies made new business with service contracts than their usual bulky sales or licensing business. And customers were just happy to cruise through the world economic downturn as they kept their IT costs low with hardware and software coming from PaaS at fraction of the cost.

The cloud technology didn't just stop transforming. How are cloud service providers provisioning infrastructure required for their PaaS? How to meet growing customer requirements for PaaS needing more servers, more compute power, more storage, manage patches and upgrades with no compromise on downtime? It's then time for IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service).

Now that you have seen how cloud emerged with various services, the PaaS gave the business model for the cloud service providers.  PaaS offerings included Database-as-a-Service, Java-as-a-Service from Oracle, Office-as-a-Service from Microsoft, Media-as-a-Service from Akamai and list goes on.

Now here's my question, why not Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS)? It is so crucial for business continuity but less seen as a business opportunity. The data protection in the cloud kept limited to employing technologies like replication or data redundancy. Also, it should not be a simple web UI control panel with some backup software lurking in. It should rather be sitting with usual control panel along with other PaaS options. Remember, backup service still need servers, I/O on demand, storage (disk or tape type) and very importantly 'highly available'.

BaaS is the way to ensure customers given a choice for data protection to come up with their own SLA for backup strategy that suits their own business policies.

I leave this as a thought. Good night!

Holding the thought

Thoughts and ideas are usually one’s intentions generated due to one or more multiple related and unrelated events of past and present (and future too).

But most often, a thought generated would really remain a thought before it is put in to action; that’s holding the thought. While there are good and bad examples of holding a thought, a good thought about bringing best of yourself or to the society is very very hard to put in to action. I am really don’t understand the reason being the thought got conceived in your mind only at the moment you undergone related event or situation. The other reasons may be just lack of will or lack of time or laziness or only good enough to talk and propose in chit-chats. And funny thing would be if someone else comes forward with same thought, puts in to good execution leaving you to your utter disbelief. Would you regard executing your thought next time as it strikes, may be after a diligent homework? Nah, I guess not. You only scream that - son of a ***** stole my idea. :-D

I had held many of my thoughts since my schooling to give back something to the society or to the community where I reside. There are instances where I even tried a few but died out immediately either because I did not receive helping hands or I just tried as beginner, not a finisher. Reasons could be many but results of inaction had been same: simply holding the thought.

However, I thought of writing about ‘holding the thought’ without the above effects. I guess, it’s the kinda start I needed.

Loneliness is beautiful (again)

Loneliness is beautiful (again)

In contrast to the blog heading, I love to live with loads of people around me, precisely with those who really don’t care about me or give a damn of what I am really inside. That makes you really be what you are inside and outside with all such people around you.

But when it comes to family or someone you really care or bother about then there it goes out of the window, "what you really are". With them, you can only be what you are liked for and be what they know you of. And there will be times with growing differences that make you feel smothered by the way you lead life like living-a-lie.

You then try to break out of it and only to realize that there is no way out as you cannot replace everyone around you, there is no way out coz of the promises you made to them, there is no way out coz you don’t want people get hurt. But then you see, it is only a matter of time. The frustration all around your heart stirs more and more unintentional hurting reactions or show your wrath of being unable to help yourself. It feels like you are holding thorns while it is a pillow. It feels like magnum while it is a cappuccino. It feels like graveyard while it is your favorite coffee shop.

You then experiment the ultimate - being alone.
- You'll realize how beautiful it is to please yourself with fried corn in the cold evening than try pleasing someone rest of your life.
- You'll realize there is world of time at your feet than you used to crave for an extra five minutes for your sleep, for your work, for your love of listening to music, for your dinner watching TV.
- You'll realize you are the owner of your thoughts
- You'll realize what you really want to be…..

ALONE.

Loneliness is a beautiful thing to happen to anyone either by force or by choice.

I don’t want any more fly-overs

If Airbus A380-800 can carry 853 passengers in its double-deck built, whose parts are sourced from various European countries via Air using Belugas aircrafts, via Sea using custom build barges and ships and specially reconstructed roads to allow the road transport of huge engines, wings, tail and nose parts and belly parts. Despite the complexity of an aircraft manufacturing, its assembly, testing and various international certifications, an A380-800 can be built in just about 2months. It comprises of 15,000 sqft inside area and fly non-stop between East to West 15,000KMs at a 0.85Mach (900KMph).

Yeah, that’s awesome when you watch Extreme Engineering on Discovery channel. And immediately, your attention then shifts to your day-to-day Indian governance issues. Why in the hell, we cannot construct a fly-over in under a month.

1. Are we technically so impotent?
2. Are we so crunched on budget but have world of time?
3. Do we (citizens) comfort ourselves and dream about the future of the road once the fly-over gets ready?
4. Aren’t there any NGOs to help these causes and spread awareness?

I just could not stop wondering the purpose of the elevated fly-over from Bommanhalli to Electronic City. About a 2 or 3 under-passes would have saved crores of Rupees and served equally for both Electronic City commuters and general public. The only advantage I see of the elevated fly-over is that the general public using 2-wheelers can get good shade during the rain and be able ride along and under that fly-over.

If such huge projects cannot be completed in short time, the unpredictable future economy and the bandicoot politicians could change the face and entire shape of the city in couple of years. This results in either under-use of the fly-over or might cause fly-over a bottleneck in the traffic. The silk-board fly-over is a good example of this. There is hardly any traffic above the fly-over. This fly-over is one among the longest and widest fly-overs of Bangalore. It was designed to take heavy lorry and trucks traffic until the Outer-Ring road was formed. Today, I do not spot even a single truck using silk board fly-over. How shame?

The fly-over and road expansion projects only meet the traffic conditions of 3years in the past. And by the time, the construction work completes, it could hardly support the present traffic conditions.

I feel exhausted of making such noise in wrong places. I hope someday, some one, somewhere hears this noise and makes it a perfect chore. Till then I mutter: “I don’t want any more fly-overs”

Happy Snailing India!!!!

Bangalore Carlton Inferno

Bangalore Carlton Inferno (Feb 23, 2010 3.30pm): It is high time that state governments employ 'Security Officers' for each city (at least tier 1 cities) to review and control the security aspects of buildings and other constructions and who can work with police, fire department and hospitals for paramedical and other relief activities. The security officer should review emergency rescue measures of commercial and public facilities and be justly to cancel operations of such places if they aren't deemed fit for life safety. This is only personal thought and step towards right measures for public safety.

I hated when BSY mentioned compensation to the deceased and injured, medical expenditure for the hospitalized and an inquiry of this mishap. I found that's a serious sh***.

Can't politicians think better than an average citizen like me?

What do you do when you get bored?

My friend asked me what do I do when I feel bored. It really took me way a long time to think an answer. After thinking a lot, I thought over again to find an answer. But I could only think but could not give him an answer and my friend didn't mind for an answer to his question. May be he got bored waiting for my answer. :-D

That question took enough brain bash and got stuck somewhere waiting for a resource to fulfill its task. So, one night after lying down on bed, this waiting task got some resource and here's my elaborated answer to you my friend:

- Boring is only a state of mind when you really do not like/think of doing anything. It is not that you performed all your jobs and didn't pend anything for you to feel bored. You could do many things like grooming your house/closet, try you fallen-out hobby(ies), take a walk, read something, browse internet for music or jokes, talk to your old-timers (friends) and many more. You can do a thousand other things than say (or complain) that I am bored. If someone complains that I am bored, I would rather regard it as "I AM SO LAZY TO MOVE MY A**".

So, my friend, I do not know what is boring and really could not have given thought about lest you questioned it.

I prefer LEISURE than being BORED.

I wanna become

I Wanna Become...

This blog comes from the inspiration derived from the blogs of winnedepoohi (the twitter) and is dedicated to her.

Everyone must have felt one or more times to become someone or something when they grow up or when they finish college or when they get a job or whatever. You know what that’s just I am gonna write it about and ain’t just that but why wanna become so….

Here’s goes the top 5 list:

1. At about the age of 10yrs, when I loved cricket. I wanted to become a cricketer. Not because India won the world cup a few years back then nor because the entire nation sees and hears my cricketing talent. It’s just because, I get privileged access to unlimited cool-drinks. Remember that there weren’t so many ads in TV. We get to see cricketers having drinks break….

2. I wanted to become a soldier. Not that I wanna die for the country, well, rather I didn’t mind dying for the country as a soldier. The only wish was to get access to artillery. Do you remember those movies Commando, Rambo, Predator? I was told that only a soldier or a police are allowed to have the gun.

3. I wanted to become a movie hero. You may say, “c’mon, look at yourself” J But yes, it was one of those big wishes of my life. Not because, I get to dance with gorgeous heroines nor for the money. Just because, I could travel and see all those beautiful places around the world.

4. I wanted to become a painter. A Painter? Yeah, painter. I dunno what kinda painter I wanna be – a caricature artist or a cartoonist or just a white wash painter. I felt that so because I was marked best in drawing in my science books. Funny right?

5. I wanted to become a scientist and invent something. So that the generations to come would read about me just like we read about Robert Rutherford, Einstein, Graham Bell, Archimedes, Arya Bhatta so on… That’s silly!

But one wish that I would surely realize some time in my life: To become an Entrepreneur.