Personal experience: a selection of materials about the virtual infrastructure, information security and trends in the IaaS market

In this compilation, we have collected articles of various levels of complexity: from basic recommendations for those who are just starting to get acquainted with the virtual infrastructure, to thematic guides and theoretical articles.

Here we used mainly the materials that were prepared by our employees. They are published both in our blog on Habré, and in the corporate feed on the site 1cloud. In addition, we took into account the English-language articles on selected topics.


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Introducing Virtual Infrastructure and IaaS

• What is a hybrid cloud, and why it is so called - Often, a combination of public and private clouds is called a hybrid cloud. At the same time, the entire infrastructure actually "belongs" to one enterprise. Therefore, it is more correct to speak here about a hybrid information system. In the article we will help to understand the terminology and understand what is related to what.

• How to quickly “move to the cloud”: basic examples, terms and utilities . Here we provide an introductory material on how to transfer an already working server to the cloud with the help of a minimum number of manipulations. We say in simple words how exactly to carry out such a “transfer”, what the virtual machine will help in this case, and what formats of virtual disks you need to be familiar with. In addition to this - we are talking about utilities for creating virtual disks in Windows and Linux.

• Why trust is the main growth driver of the virtual infrastructure market . The main idea of ​​the English-language material is that more and more companies use the virtual infrastructure in their work. A critical factor is the growth of confidence in the security level of solutions offered by IaaS providers. This trend is confirmed by a study of Google Cloud and MIT. About him - read the article.

• How IaaS helps 1C franchisee: 1cloud experience . According to RBC data for 2016, 1C heads the top 50 most popular franchises in Russia. However, in 2013, the franchise holder tightened the requirements for franchisees, which is why small organizations were forced to terminate their partnership with 1C. In this material, we talk about what such companies have to face: from competitors with a dubious reputation to outright dumping. As a case - we share the opinion of the company Unitek24. Her representative talks about three principles that have allowed the organization to win and maintain the reputation of a bona fide 1C franchisee through the active use of the infrastructure of an IaaS provider.

• “Houston, we have problems”: what difficulties of web studios will help the hosting provider to understand . According to CMS Magazine, the size of the web studio market is reduced by a million rubles a year. In this article we will examine a number of problems faced by companies in this industry: from requests for non-core services to the lack of "availability" of resources. As possible solutions, we will consider those that can be implemented in partnership with an IaaS provider.

• How IaaS and SaaS technologies change the field of education . Entrepreneur declares that traditional education does not prepare children for "future professions". How much truth is in this statement, and what are the alternatives to the classical approach to learning? We are talking about how IaaS helps launch and support new products in this area. For example, MOOC and School in the Cloud. Also, using real examples, we find out what practical results “education in the cloud” helps to achieve.

• Why do we need a virtual infrastructure for classrooms . In continuation of the educational topic in this material we will discuss why creating a “virtual classroom”. We define the advantages of working with the cloud and compare the classic approach with the new one according to the following criteria: operational efficiency, maintenance costs and licensed software. In addition, we will talk about additional features of the virtual class: disk snapshots, creating templates, automating routine actions (for example, creating / deleting servers) and automatically shutting down computers.

Load Planning and Resource Allocation

• What is the cause of extra spending in the cloud, and how to reduce them . This material will focus on the efficient use of resources. According to analytical data, the size of direct losses from payment for unused cloud resources varies from 30 to 45%, and the cause of indirect losses can be, for example, fluctuations in the load on the infrastructure. The article will explain how to reduce and optimize costs, and what tools offer IaaS providers for this.

• Virtual and physical server: cost comparison . Here we have calculated how much you have to pay for the equipment, software, taxes, maintenance and placement of the "iron" server. Then compared the result with the cost of the virtual server in the cloud 1cloud.

• Load balancing for beginners: methods and problems . When predicting system performance, a number of difficulties arise: for example, the load may for some reason increase or decrease dramatically (and lead to unnecessary downtime of equipment). Balancing will help minimize these difficulties. In the article we will explain with concrete examples what the difference is between different load distribution options: static, dynamic and pseudo-dynamic.

• Resource Central: load balancing on virtual infrastructure . The authors of this study state that it is unique because it describes for the first time the characteristics of the workloads of the virtual machines of large cloud providers. The focus of the research is on the Resource Central system, which collects telemetry data and analyzes the results. The study is a living example of work on load balancing with elements of machine learning.

Data storage

• What you need object storage files in the cloud . In this article we will talk about the types of cloud storage and their scope. Separately, we will focus on the structure, properties and features of object storage. We list the most popular storage interfaces, and explain how to work with the storage using command queries on a practical example.

• Why RAID arrays of virtual machines . We are talking about the history of the issue with a focus on the efficiency of using storage systems and reducing the amount of existing shortcomings. Let's tell about the levels of RAID-arrays and how to combine them. Let us give an example of using RAID-arrays in the cloud and answer the question: does a virtual machine need a separate RAID-array?

• How to improve the performance of data storage systems in the data center . Business Vision believes that the growth in the volume of data processed more than other factors contributes to the growth of the cloud storage market. At the same time, the infrastructure of the data center must be constantly adapted to changing tasks. This article provides an overview of areas for optimizing storage performance and explains the subtleties and complexities of this process.

• How data warehouses are arranged: a review for beginners . In this material, we use clear examples to examine the differences in the structure and features of the three types of storages: block, file, and object. Based on the review, we are talking about for what purposes it is better to use one or another type.

• How to use DNA for data storage: Microsoft is responsible . The article will tell about the advantages of DNA storage and the difficulties of the project, which will need to work here and now: for example, the low speed of writing and reading data. This material allows you to think about whether DNA-based storage systems will become a truly mass product.

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Information Security

• Meltdown and Specter vulnerabilities: how to protect . The article briefly reveals the essence of Meltdown and Specter, and how attackers with their help got access to user data and kimpany. We will show you how to determine the presence of vulnerabilities, and what to do to protect against them. Additionally, we will look at the situation with Meltdown and Specter in a cloud environment and recommend guidelines for fixing vulnerabilities of virtual machines running Windows, Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat / CentOS.

• Where the data flow: the consequences of the grand Equifax . The article will tell you what happened with personal data after a leak on the example of the Equifax credit bureau. In addition, we will see what measures are being taken in the United States and Russia to protect information: from judicial reprimands from “guilty” companies to the plans of the Russian authorities for compulsory insurance of information against “discharges” for all operators.

• Equifax is under attack again: last year’s data breach was much more serious . We continue the topic of Equifax-leaks: this time we will discuss the public reaction to the new details of the investigation. You will find out what has changed in Equifax after the incident, and how company representatives and US senators comment on the incident. In addition, find out the condition of the investigation.

• How to protect your IT infrastructure: 7 basic tips . According to Gartner, in 2018 global spending on information security will reach $ 96 billion, which is 8% higher than in 2017. Despite this forecast, it is possible to build a protected infrastructure without huge expenses. The article describes how to reduce the risk of hacking using 7 simple rules on the example of Linux-based systems.

• Found the largest database of stolen passwords: what you should know . Here we will focus on the detected database of 1.4 billion accounts. We will tell you about the features of the “find”: what information does the database contain, and why its format allows attackers to easily find the necessary information and use it at their discretion. In addition, let us recall the most sensational “plums” of 2012–2017, and we will tell you what actions should be taken to protect your data.

• How IaaS-provider works with information security: threats and protection . In this article, we analyze the cloud insecurity myth, consider the most popular attack methods and explain what providers use tools to protect: from encryption and two-factor authentication to regular checks and methods of protection at the physical level.

Cloud Trends

• Cloud trends in 2017 ( Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 ) . Here we will introduce you to the main theses and statistics of the State of the Cloud report. Let us analyze the main trends: the growing popularity of hybrid infrastructure, the decline in the interest of companies in private clouds and the reduction in the number of difficulties associated with the use of cloud technologies. In addition, we will tell about DevOps and about what tools are leading in this segment.

Our other digests on Habré:

• Cloud Digest: about technologies, SSL certificates and IaaS provider operation
• DNS digest: 45 materials from Habr and other resources
• VPN Digest: Introductory articles on Habré and not only