Category: Upcoming work

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Upcoming articles: third party cloud storage and VMWare backup alternatives

I am writing the articles below for Computer Weekly, to appear early in January.Article 1: third party cloud storage options

This piece will cover:

  • The third party – storage vendor – products and services that are available in the big three clouds
  • The use cases for these third party offerings

We will then look in turn at the offerings from GCP, Azure and AWS identifying each of the above, as well as performance / tier options and links, if any, to on-site storage infrastructure.

Article 2: VMware alternatives and backup

This article will explore changes in the backup market, following changes to VMWare licensing, and what options enterprises have if they are moving away from VMWare.

We will cover:

  • What has happened to VMware licencing and why are organisations seeking alternatives?
  • How the backup market has responded?
  • What customers should look for in terms of backup solutions when migrating to a VMware alternative?
  • Brief details on backup providers offering virtualisation environments / VMware alternatives.

For both articles, due to the holidays and our publication dates, I am looking for leads by 1700hrs on Tuesday 17th December and any submissions or interviews to be completed by Thursday, end of business London time.

Please email with details in the first instance.

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Upcoming article: AIOps and storage management

In this Computer Weekly article we will look at AI ops tools, and what they do.

The piece will focus on the main storage vendors (Dell, HPE, Hitachi, Huawei, IBM, NetApp, and Pure). It is largely a follow on to this piece from a while back.

For each vendor we will be covering:

  • What the vendor’s AI ops tools are called
  • What they work with the vendor’s storage product range
  • How they work and the functionality they offer

This is a short article, and I am looking for written contributions, or specific links to vendor material, no later than 1700hrs GMT on Friday 22 November.

To contribute to this piece, please contact me by email.

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Additional Sept 2024 article: Data centre cooling

For this Computer Weekly feature, we are looking into the state of the art for data centre cooling.

What ticks the boxes for effectiveness, efficiency, cost and energy use? Which solutions are easiest to fit into current data centres, and which improvements bring the greatest benefits?

The rise of new workloads like AI means that datacentre operators need to consider how to get more power in, to support large GPU clusters, and the cooling requirements of these chips.

So how will operators tackle those new power and cooling requirements?

The focus will be on the technologies currently on the market, and which can be applied to existing data centres. We can touch on emerging technologies and those that work with new-build locations, but the focus of the feature is on practical options CIOs and data centre managers can buy now.

I am keen to hear from data centre owners/operators — including CIOs — industry consultants and analysts. Due to the nature of the feature, we are unlikely to quote equipment vendors directly, but happy to receive information on their solutions.

To contribute to this piece, please contact me by email in the first instance. The deadline is Friday 23rd August.

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Upcoming articles: September 2024

I am writing the following pieces, to appear in Computer Weekly in September.

Please note the earlier than usual deadlines, due to the Bank Holiday weekend.

How to succeed at cloud repatriation 

Deadline for input: 1700hrs, Friday 16th August

In this feature, we will look at how to make cloud repatriation work. This will include:

  • Which data are best suited to cloud repatriation?
  • Which workloads (and applications) benefit most from moving back on premises?
  • How should you prepare your private infrastructure tfircloud repatriation? What are the potential pitfalls? What could you overlook?
  • How do you make your data / infrastructure future-proofed if you repatriate from the cloud? How do you ensure you will remain cloud-native
  • How do you ensure you can reverse the decision and smoothly transition to the cloud, if the need arises, or use it for burst use cases?

I am looking for CIOs, analysts or consultants’ views for this piece.

What you need to know about Kubernetes DR 

Deadline for input: 1700hrs, Wednesday 21st August

With Kubernetes becoming more widely used in enterprises, the question of how to ensure it can survive an outage or systems failure is ever more critical. We’ll look at the points below; note this is different to K8 backup, which we have covered before.

  • Why do we need DR for Kubernetes?
  • What are the challenges to doing DR for Kubernetes clusters? 
  • What are the infrastructure requirements of DR for Kubernetes?
  • What are the risks to Kubernetes environments that need to be mitigated by DR; how do these differ from other environments)?
  • What key points would a DR plan for a Kubernetes environment contain?
  • What kind of products can help with Kubernetes DR? 

Again the preference is for analyst and consultant views, not vendors.

Data centre cooling

For this feature, we are looking into the state of the art for data centre cooling. What ticks the boxes for effectiveness, efficiency, cost and energy use? Which solutions are easiest to fit into current data centres, and which improvements bring the greatest benefits?

The rise of new workloads like AI means that datacentre operators need to consider how to get more power in, to support large GPU clusters, and the cooling requirements of these chips.

So how will operators tackle those new power and cooling requirements?

The focus will be on the technologies currently on the market, and which can be applied to existing data centres. We can touch on emerging technologies and those that work with new-build locations, but the focus of the feature is on practical options CIOs and data centre managers can buy now.

I am keen to hear from data centre owners/operators — including CIOs — industry consultants and analysts. Due to the nature of the feature, we are unlikely to quote equipment vendors directly, but happy to receive information on their solutions.

To contribute to any of these pieces, please contact me by email in the first instance.

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New commissions: Computer Weekly, July 2024

For the storage section of Computer Weekly, I am writing a feature on hybrid multicloud storage.

The piece will cover the following points:

  • What is hybrid/multi-cloud storage? 
  • What are the benefits of hybrid/multi-cloud storage?
  • What pitfalls does hybrid/multi-cloud storage bring? 
  • What workloads can most benefit from hybrid/multi-cloud storage?
  • What customers / workloads are a no-no for hybrid multi-cloud storage? 
  • What technical solutions can help make best use of hybrid/multi-cloud storage?

I am happy to receive technical briefs on this topic from vendors, as well as input from analysts or consultants. Any real-world examples of hybrid multicloud storage in use are also welcome.

The deadline for submissions is 1700hrs Tuesday 9th July.

To contribute, please contact me by email in the first instance.

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Computer Weekly: how to create the best hybrid cloud storage strategy

This feature will set out the key points IT directors need to consider when developing a hybrid cloud data storage strategy.

Key points we will consider are:

  • Key strengths of cloud storage
  • Key strengths of on-site data storage
  • How to decides which data goes where?
  • What does an optimal cloud storage strategy look like?
  • Some examples, including those that are primarily cloud based and primarily on-premises
  • Use cases that drive the decisions

I am keen to have real world examples and commentary from analysts or other experts.

Please note, the focus is on storage deployments, not compute.

The deadline for submissions is 1700hrs Thursday 23 May (due to the UK bank holiday weekend).

To contribute to either piece, please contact me by email in the first instance.

Note: if possible please don’t change the email subject line (or by all means append the source’s name to it, eg CW May 2024 – Our Client). It just helps ensure I can find all submissions.

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Upcoming articles: Computer Weekly, April 2024

I am working on two storage-related features for Computer Weekly, with April deadlines.

When is cloud data storage the answer?

Has there been a cooling off in enterprise enthusiasm for cloud storage?

In this piece we will look at some reasons firms should move their data storage to cloud infrastructure.

The piece will follow up on this from earlier in the year: Cloud is not always the answer: Five reasons why

We aim to cover

  • When does on site storage fall short and how cloud can be better?
  • Performance / availability / operations:
  • IT management:
  • Costs
  • Agility and responsiveness
  • Data protection and compliance

The deadline for leads is 1700, Thursday 28 March.

How does AI affect data storage

The second looks at the impact of AI workloads on storage. This includes how data are used in training models, how AI analytics are used, where data are sourced and where they are stored. The piece will also cover compliance, which is a growing concern for anyone using AI.

The piece will not be limited to LLMs or generative AI, but all the different forms of AI being used by enterprises.

On the technology side, we’ll cover IO, the types of storage being used, where the data processing bottlenecks sit, how to feed GPUs and where to store the outputs from AI systems. But that’s not the whole picture.

I’m looking for analysts and consultants with direct experience of AI projects.

Deadline for leads: Wednesday 10th April, 1700hrs.

To contribute to either piece, please contact me by email in the first instance.

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Computer Weekly: restoring data from backups

In this piece, we will look at a key step in the business continuity, DR and backup and recovery process: can you restore data from your backups?

Too often, enterprises invest heavily in backup and recovery, but fail to test that their systems actually work.

The piece will cover:

  • The key elements of reliable restores from backup
  • Auditing backup processes
  • The 3-2-1 backup rule
  • How do you test the integrity of a backup?
  • The importance of testing backups and restoration
  • What are the objectives of backup testing?
  • How often should you test restores from backups?

I am looking for analyst comments and best practice guidance. Best practice can come from anywhere in the industry, but I am unable to quote vendors directly.

To contribute to the piece, please contact me by email no later than 1700hrs GMT on Friday March 1st.

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Computer Weekly: data analytics and enterprise applications coverage, and a piece on cloud ERP

I am writing some additional pieces for Computer Weekly, in the areas of data analytics and BI, and in enterprise applications.

A couple are already in the editorial pipeline, so do keep an eye open for them.

Meanwhile I am looking for input for a piece on what organisations should consider, when moving core ERP to the cloud. This is less a pros and cons piece than a breakdown of the process. Some points we will cover are:

  • Why move ERP to the cloud?
  • How to do it (lift and shift, vendor-managed cloud, cloud native ERP perhaps?)
  • What functionality or other improvements will they see?
  • What’s the value to the business?
  • What are the risks?

I’m interested in the process firms go through when making this decision, and understanding best practice for a migration. I am keen to speak to analysts, consultants and CIOs who have made the journey.

I would prefer not to receive pre-written comment in the first instance, but a brief paragraph on who you are putting forward, and why. I’m also happy to receive white papers and other research.

The deadline for leads is Monday 5th February, with a view of completing all interviews that week or early the week after.

Please email your submissions in the first instance.

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Computer Weekly features: January 2024 publication

I am writing two features for publication in January 2024. Note that due to early filing dates, the research needs to be completed by December 23rd, 2023.

Feature 1: Cloud to Cloud backup

This piece will look at the shortcomings of native cloud data protection, and their impact on both operations and compliance. It will look at cloud to cloud backup as an alternative, examining:

  • how it works
  • the workloads it is suited to (and any performance impacts)
  • who provides cloud to cloud backup services

Feature 2: Reasons not to use the cloud

Covering data storage, primarily, the piece will explore reasons why an organisation might choose not to use the cloud. This cloud include, but is not limited to:

  • operational needs and performance
  • IT management difficulties
  • costs
  • data protection and compliance
  • issues making cloud fit the business needs

For both pieces, happy to look at white papers and analyst research as well as consultants’ and CIOs’ views. As ever, it’s best to email pitches or input in the first instance.