EC2 Virtualization Options and the Move from PV to HVM

aws icon ec2aws icon ec2aws ec2 cloud[Guest Post by Uri Wolloch, Co-Founder and CTO at N2Ws]

This article discusses the recent change that has taken place with AWS EC2 virtualization options. We will look into AWS’ virtualization backend and what it means for AWS users in general and N2WS, in particular. For a bit of background, up until recently, the AWS cloud supported a virtualization type called Hardware Virtual Machine (HVM) for Windows instances as well as ParaVirtualization (PV) for Linux instances. While these are both Xen technologies, they are slightly different. PV requires an added layer of software (i.e. kernel) between the designated hardware and virtual machines, and HVM runs directly on hardware and can make use of special hardware extensions.

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What Cloud 2015 Holds: My Predictions and Hopes for Enterprises

2014: A Reflection

t_F091CD55-1AEA-52CA-98B9-FC2558B77CF72014 has been a pivotal year in the enterprise tech world. Enterprise IT has begun to fully understand the cloud, and the development of a mutual understanding has grown. The cloud is, in turn, adjusting more and more to the features and traditional needs of enterprise  IT.

My perspective on next year is guided mostly by experiences I had this year (2014) at the AWS re:Invent conference. This huge cloud festival was the platform from which AWS publicly introduced the cloud as a means for creating today’s enterprise data center. Whether for native cloud web-scale applications or for enterprises of all shapes and sizes, the cloud is considered to be today’s best way to increase efficiency as well as flexibility in any IT environment. It is important to note that market saturation is still not here, however it’s just a matter of time until the cloud is used by everyone, covering a significant portion of the world of IT.

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Happy Holidays!

2014 is coming to a close, and we’re proud of how IamOnDemand (IOD) has flourished after being born only a year ago. Together with a hungry and passionate group of…

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Interview with Michael Bolton: The Software Tester & the Unexpected

Michael Bolton is a thought leader in the world of software testing, with over two decades of experience in the computer industry testing, developing, managing, and writing about software. As an international consultant and testing trainer, Michael gives workshops and conference presentations about testing methodologies and perceptions that specialize in Rapid and Exploratory Software Testing. Learn more

We invited the reputable cloud blogger, Ofir Nachmani to interview Michael Bolton. See what unfolded below:

Ofir Nachmani: “My interview with Bolton was really unique. We started with a shallow discussion about the cloud, that quickly moved to a very interesting discussion about software testing. Michael provided enlightening insights into the role of an individual software tester, the outlook a tester should have when using load testing tools, and the relationship between a product owner and a tester. He also covered basic fundamentals, such as how to test “the unexpected”. Even if you’re not a developer or tester, the information below will most likely shed light on an industry that directly affects us all.”

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Software Load Testing: A Perfect Match for the Cloud

Typhoon.jpgThe cloud has allowed modern, web-scale IT companies, like Airbnb and Netflix, to grow and flourish into booming enterprises all over the web. With its flexibility and efficiency, it supports the demand of an organization’s growth from zero to millions of users, allowing them to prepare for this potential growth, as well. Before the cloud, simulating millions of concurrent users and running scalability, stress, or stability tests was very hard to implement, if not impossible. Cloud technology has brought software testing, especially performance testing, to a whole new playing field.

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Geek Health: How-to De-Stress Your Workplace

computer-nerd.jpgHere at IOD (I am OnDemand), we spend a hefty amount of time sitting in front of the computer learning about the latest and greatest updates in the world of cloud computing and turning that knowledge into valuable content. It goes without saying that, along with the rest of the world of IT, we spend most of our days sitting for prolonged periods of time in postures that threaten our health and well being. Personally, as a registered yoga instructor (RYT 200), I find it extremely difficult to sit for long periods of time and always make sure to keep my blood pumping, joints happy and stress levels low, one way or another, when working on the computer. In respect to the wealth of knowledge out there regarding the dangers associated with prolonged sitting and the specific ailments linked to countless hours on the computer, I thought I’d share a few tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle as a computer geek.

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