Cloud Digest: 35 materials on information security and data center technology development

Today we decided to remember what interesting topics we understood in our blog on Habré and on our website . We not only talk about our own experiences and give advice, but also follow the innovations in the field of cloud computing and data centers, as well as talk about security.

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Cloud provider

How to create a virtual infrastructure provider

The material is devoted to how the 1cloud service was created and what has changed in the original concept. Let's talk about customers: how we saw them at the very beginning and what we learned about them over the years of our work. We also decided to give some tips that we hope can help young IT companies.

How to choose a direction for the development of an IT project

We share our own experience in choosing a direction for further development. The main thing is to find a middle ground and not try to develop at once in too many directions. We tell how it happened with us: how we launched our API-interface, improved our strengths and made it easier to work with the service for non-specialists.

What you need to know about IaaS-provider before starting work

In this article, we answer the most common questions about the activities of a cloud provider, explain the specifics of the work and the benefits of choosing our company. In the article, you can read reviews from our customers, find out why we do not lobby for certain brands of software or hardware, get acquainted with the service management system, and find answers to many other questions.

Cloud Technology Myths. Part 1

In this series of articles, we decided to understand the halo of myths that surround cloud computing. In the first article we will touch on the misconceptions related to the peculiarities of management, security and business benefits. We will use our own experience to prove that real professionals can work in technical support, and managing cloud infrastructure may not be as difficult as it seems.

Cloud Technology Myths. Part 2

In the second part, we talk about whether cloud computing is suitable for business-critical applications. We also find out what the reliability of the provider is and why foreign hosts are not always better than domestic ones. And at the end we deal with the myths about data security in the cloud.

Software, platform and infrastructure as a service

We understand the differences between cloud services with specific examples. And also in what advantages they have in comparison with usual programs or machines. We are talking about the division of responsibilities of the parties. The results of the comparison of services are presented graphically.

Cloud business models: Simple words about IaaS, PaaS and SaaS

Once again we show the difference between the three types of services similar to pizza. Find out how services relate to cloud types (private, public and hybrid). And we talk about the features of different services and the differences that customers see.

The nuances of the agreement on the level of services provided

In the article we talk about what should be the SLA: what indicators should be spelled out in the agreement and what should the provider be responsible for. We also tell why some indicators should not be included in the contract. From the material, you will also learn what the reporting system should be and what standards exist for managing the IT infrastructure.

Personal experience: How we automated work with DNS records in the hosting panel

An article about how we simplified user interaction with the interface, what makes a new service convenient for migrating old DNS records, and who is suitable for managing records using the API. And also about plans for further development of the service. And why we made it completely free.

“The Future of TV Broadcasts”: Cloud TV and beyond

Why is television still flourishing, despite numerous negative predictions? How has the television industry changed in recent years and what role have cloud technologies and providers played in this? Find answers to these and other questions in the article.

Data centers

Cloud Technology Myths. Part 3: Talking About Iron

In the last part of the myths, we decided to touch on the subject of hardware. We tried to find out whether the fashion will pass on cloud computing, whether the equipment of the provider can stand somewhere under the bed and whether it should be available 100% of the time. And also explain what, in addition to the availability of equipment, you need to pay attention when choosing a provider.

“Like an Iceberg in the Ocean”: Data Center Cooling Technologies

The article provides an overview of technologies that are used by corporations and smaller companies in an attempt to make data centers more "green". Increasingly, they use natural cooling, but such methods have their own difficulties. Read more about current trends, their pros and cons, read the material.

Cloud Security Trends

What additional data protection measures are companies resorting to and where are the main vulnerabilities? In the article, we talk more about artificial intelligence, data encryption, infrastructure monitoring and automation. And also at what stage of infrastructure deployment you need to think about security.

Backup & Recovery: in-line and smart deduplication, snapshots and secondary storage

In this article, we decided to introduce readers to companies and startups that currently exist in the backup and recovery market. Let's see what technologies these companies use and what new they can offer compared to competitors: ordinary or smart deduplication, two- or three-level storage, and more.

A bit about security in the "cloud"

Is there in principle such a thing as cloud service security and what should the provider do to ensure it? We share our experience in this area, tell you how a client can be affected by security and how security of data centers is measured.

Neurostream - a new chip for deep learning

This computing architecture was designed to work with deep convolutional neural networks. The main advantage is low power consumption. The system also scales easily and remains energy efficient. The remaining characteristics of the chip can be found in the article.

SK Telecom begins work on quantum cryptosystems

The prototype of a quantum cryptosystem should be the impetus for working on next-generation secure networks. The article tells about the principles of the technology and the first steps in this direction. And why the main obstacle in the spread of technology remains a geographical obstacle.

"Neuromorphic chips": a different look at machine learning

How is the new architecture similar to the human brain and can it overtake modern computers in terms of learning? A small excursion into the history of technology and an attempt to look into the future. We will also find out exactly what difficulties stand today in the development of this technology.

Flash to the head: IBM announced a line of storage arrays for the cloud

All-flash versions of data storage arrays are suitable for working with cognitive systems, natural language processing systems and video content and predictive analysis. The article describes in more detail about the characteristics of the memory arrays. And about what problems they are designed to solve in addition to poor performance and high power consumption.

Terminal server

What is terminal access? We talk about how a terminal-server software installation can help save money and what types of licenses you can choose with this type of installation. And also about what has changed with the advent of computer clouds.

Big Data: great opportunity or big deception

What is really big data, where does it come from and do they really solve all the problems? How to determine when to use big data, and when you can do without them? What are the dangers of big data analysis?

“Faster, higher, stronger”: New data-cent technologies

Let's talk about how data centers become more efficient. For example, how long distance communication increases the efficiency of existing geographically distributed data centers, and remote direct memory access solves the problem of data transfer between computers. And tell you about the new system of storage and data transmission, which significantly improves the performance of computers.

Security

SSL certificate chains

From the material you will learn how encrypted connections are displayed in different browsers, how to view information about an SSL certificate, who acts as a guarantor and founder, and how long the chain of identities can be. And also about why you need a root certificate and how it becomes root.

Why buy an SSL certificate

We talk about SSL-certificate. For example, about whether you can create it yourself and how to get a certificate. And also about who confirms the certificates and where they can be purchased.

Cyrillic Domains and SSL Certificates

How do you support non-Latin based top level domains? When did the very idea of ​​such domains appear? Do all SSL certificates support them? Read more in the article.

How to find out what an SSL certificate consists of?

We understand what is included in the SSL-certificate and how you can find out its characteristics. Let us consider what these or other characteristics mean, why certificate extensions are needed, and what the certification chain can tell you. From the article you will also find out what information about certificates is the most important.

"Green lock" in different browsers

How is connection security information transmitted to users in different browsers? What types of SSL certificates are used in the HTTPS protocol and how are they displayed? What errors can occur with a secure connection and what are their causes? For clarity, all the examples are accompanied by pictures.

Ok google! Why switch to HTTPS in 2017?

Learn more about Google’s HTTPS Everywhere offer: what it is and why you need it. How it will help protect users and why now the browser will notify only about unsafe connections, and not vice versa. And also give Google tips on how best to switch to HTTPS.

SSL SSL is different: which certificate to choose?

In this article, you can learn more about the types of SSL certificates in which two groups are distinguished: by verification method and by certified domains. We will understand what is a financial guarantee. And also we will provide information on the practical side of the question: which certificate authority to choose and how.

How to secure a Linux system: 10 tips

We talk about security on Linux: about the pre-boot environment settings and automatic security updates, restricting access to external systems and setting access rights for users. We also give several other useful tips, for example, how to additionally protect servers from intruders.

A bit about VPN: A brief overview of software implementations

In this article, we carry out a brief comparative analysis of the most common today software solutions for creating virtual private networks. These are implementations of PPTP, IPSec, L2TP and L2TP + IPSec, OpenVPN and SSTP. And also we will talk about the solution of what tasks need a VPN and how you can implement a VPN in your infrastructure.

Friday format

Where to grow technicians

We think about where career growth can lead. How to refuse to improve if you do not want to be a manager. And are there any alternative options for vertical career growth.

Salary matters, or what employers are willing to pay

We are trying to find out in which field programmers are paid more. What qualities do you need to earn above average? And is it possible to select the highest paid languages?

Myths about the perfect workplace

We all know that a sedentary lifestyle is bad for health. We find out how programmers can save it and whether it is necessary to follow the standards and GOSTs. And also destroy other myths that are associated with the organization of a comfortable workplace at home.

Is there life after the meeting

In the article we understand what is so bad about meetings. What techniques should be followed and why someone advises to reduce their number to a minimum, and someone - to spend them every day. As well as a few tips on how to build the meeting itself.