BrainWavez Episode 32 - Meet Suresh Vasudevan - Nimble Storage CEO

Hi Friends,

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted anything.  I was at VMworld 2015, then vacation.  I know, excuses, excuses.  ;-)

Well this one is definitely worth the wait!  In this episode of BrainWavez, Marion and and I interview Suresh Vasudevan the CEO of Nimble Storage.  How freaking cool is that?!?!

In a million years if you told me that I'd be interviewing a CEO I would have told you that you were seriously delusional!

Just goes to show you how down to earth the executives are at Nimble.  First I interviewed the founders, Umesh and Varun, and now Suresh, the CEO.  I've got a bunch of episodes in the queue and I can't wait to share them with all of you!

Suresh was a super cool guest, very friendly, honest and open.  We discussed his background, how he came to Nimble Storage, where he sees the storage market going (converged, hyper-converged, cloud) and the Nimble Storage culture we're always talking so much about.

Definitely worth the download friends!  As always, you can download it in MP3 and from iTunes.

For iTunes users: [iTunes]
For everyone else: [mp3]

Huge thanks to Suresh for being our guest!

BrainWavez Episode 31 - SmartStack - What's it All About?

Hi Friends,

Got a great podcast for you today.  We talk about SmartStack, what it is and how the validated architectures can help you!  Thanks to my guests, Tony, Bill and Steve.  And thanks to my trusty side-kick Sean!!

For iTunes users: [iTunes]
For everyone else: [mp3]

This episode is not only incredibly informative, it's super funny!  Be sure to check out, "And now a word from our sponsors."

And Now a Fireside Chat With Bill Roth on Data Encryption

Hi Friends,

Recently Nimble Storage came out with it's Nimble OS 2.3 which has a TON of new features!  If you'd like to hear about the new features in a recent BrainWavez show follow the link here:
BrainWavez #29: The NEW Nimble Storage OS 2.3!

One of the new features in Nimble OS 2.3 is Data Encryption at Rest, also known as SmartSecure.  Bill Roth has written a fantastic paper about this new feature which is available here:

http://www.nimblestorage.com/resources/technical-papers/

For those that don't know Bill, he is a brilliant Technical Marketing Engineer that focuses on backup, archiving, Exchange, SQL and now encryption.

I recently had a chance to sit down with Bill to ask him a bit about the new SmartSecure feature.

======================================================================

Neil says, “Bill, do you view this feature, SmartSecure, as raising the bar?

Bill says, “No, it doesn’t raise the bar, I see it as setting the bar.” “One thing I like about it is that it doesn’t attempt to boil the ocean.”

Neil says, “In what respect?”

Bill says, “Well you can selectively decide to have a mix of encrypted and non-encrypted volumes.” “It’s not an all or none deployment, unless you want it to be.”

Neil says, “Do you consider this game changing technology?”

Bill says, “Not at all, users understand the importance of data security and this feature allows them to create a secure data at rest infrastructure.”

Neil says, “In what way does this feature redefine the landscape?”

Bill says, “I don’t think it’s about redefining, I think it’s about giving users the technology they require – plain and simple, easy to use, no tricks or gimmicks”

Neil says, “At the end of the day what does this feature bring to the table?”

Bill says, “Encryption of data at rest is more of a 24x7 entity, not something you only care about at the end of the day.” “But it may be easier to sit at the table during dinner knowing your data is secure.”

Neil says, “Well you don’t seem to be a big fan of industry buzzwords.” “Do you have anything else to say?”

Bill says, “Yes, users interested in learning more about the feature, and how to deploy it, can download the new white paper at:  http://www.nimblestorage.com/resources/technical-papers/”

Neil says, “Do you have any advice for users that lose their encryption passphrase?”

Bill says, “Yes, the advice is DON’T lose your passphrase!”

BrainWavez #30 - InfoSight - New and Improved!

Hi Friends,

I've got a great BrainWavez show for you this week!  Gim and Sean explain what Nimble InfoSight is, how it can help, and all the cool new features that have recently been added to the tool!

Yep you are correct, Episode 14 covered InfoSight, but you can never have enough of a good thing AND Gim explains all of the new features that have gone into InfoSight!

So what are you waiting for, go get the episode!  :-)

For iTunes users: [iTunes]
For everyone else: [mp3]

Product Demo: Nimble Storage OS 2.3 Searching, Sorting, and Filtering

Hi Friends,

The goodness of Nimble Storage OS 2.3 just keeps on giving!  When you've got a few volumes it's easy to keep track of who, what, where and why, but what happens when you have 100's of volumes? 

What if I want to find all of the volumes that are chowing up space but aren't even connected to an initiator?  Come on storage administrators, I know you've been in this situation before!

Want to see how easy it is to search, sort and filter your volumes?

Dr. Brain has got you covered and nothing says cool like a product demo!

Enjoy the demo and feel free to post a comment if you have any questions.
 

YouTube Link - VDI Webinar - Thursday June 25th - Featuring Dr. Brain!

Hi Friends,

Did you miss my VDI Webinar because more important things came up?  For example:

1. Trip to the dentist
2. Tax audit
3. Needed to take out the trash
4. Wash dishes
5. Dog needed grooming
6. Your hair needed washing

You get my point.  :-)

Never fear friends, YouTube is here!  Catch all the VDI goodness you missed and if you have questions, you can ask them here!

BrainWavez #29: The NEW Nimble Storage OS 2.3!

Hi Friends,

I've got two surprises for you!  There's a new BrainWavez show and Nimble OS 2.3 is available!  If you haven't heard about 2.3 you've gotta take a look.

In this episode, guests Matt and Sean explain all of the cool new features in 2.3!  Here's just a few things available in the release:

Volume Pinning
Audit Logging
Search - Sort - Filtering
Encryption at Rest
REST API
VVOL Tech Preview
ODX

You might also notice the new theme song, a huge thanks to Level of Exit for the new song!  Guest starring with the band is me and Mrs. Brain!

For iTunes users: [iTunes]
For everyone else: [mp3]

This Desktop Currently Has No Desktop Sources Available. Please Try Connecting to This Desktop Again Later, or Contact Your System Administrator

Hi Friends,

Got a frustrating one for you.  I've been running some Login VSI performance tests on Horizon View 6.x and I've been getting an error, but not on all of the desktops...  Inconsistent errors suck because something is working but other things aren't and it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

As the desktops are launching and users are logging in on SOME, not all of the desktops I get this error:

"This desktop currently has no desktop sources available.  Please try connecting to this desktop again later, or contact your system administrator."

Contact my system administrator?!?!  I **AM** the system administrator!

Here's the error message from a screen shot.

Okay, don't panic, what would Dr. Brain do in a situation like this?  I know, ask my good buddy Google!

I found a discussion on the VMware Communities board that showed other administrators getting the same message, but their errors seemed to be an all or nothing...  Hmmmmmm.....

Well, keep reading Dr. Brain...  Some AD problems, some DNS problems...  Yep, yep, makes sense, but I've got like a bazillion Login VSI users to use and it's only on SOME of the desktops.

One person responded to the discussion that they unregistered the users from the desktops and it worked.  Hmmm, worth giving that a try.

So I unregistered the users and then clicked on the Try Again thingy and it worked!

So what was the problem?  I'm guessing because I'm adding, deleting, adding deleting (you get the idea) desktops like crazy, I think View thinks those users are tied to other desktops and say, "You Shall Not Pass!"  Or something like that...

So if you're running into this error, and your AD and DNS are looking good, maybe you've got some weirdness going on with your users and the desktop that was assigned to them.

Until Next Time
-Brain

VDI Webinar - Thursday June 25th - Featuring Dr. Brain!

Hi Friends,

I wanted to let you know I'll be presenting a VDI webinar next week!  I'll be talking about how to setup your VDI environment, avoiding common pitfalls that can derail your implementation and how I test reference architectures including the use of Login VSI.  In typical Brain style I've included my unique sense of humor, so no boring blah blah blah.  :-)  Sign up and tune into Dr. Brain's "Building the Right VDI Solution - Testing Insights from the Trenches".  And if listening to me babble for an hour wasn't incentive enough, you can win an Amazon Gift Card!!

Hope to see you next Thursday!!
-Dr. Brain

Brain and Wendel Episode 28 - iTunes Links Now Working

Hi Friends,

Just a quick update.  The iTunes links are working again!!  If you're an iTunes user, go get those episodes.  :-)

Brain and Wendel Episode 28 - Storage Protocol-o-Rama! iSCSI / FCP / CIFS

Hi Friends,

Brain and Wendel are here to make Monday suck less!  This weeks episode we talk about all the different protocol goodness that Nimble Storage supports.  With special guest stars Jonathan and Steve!!  So if you're interested in iSCSI, Fibre Channel and CIFS be sure to tune in!  Sorry the iTunes link is missing, I'm having some issues with it.  You can still get the mp3 version of the episode.  Hopefully it'll be fixed soon!!

For iTunes users: [iTunes]
For everyone else: [mp3]

Look Mom I'm on the Nimble Storage Front Page!

Yep, that's right Mom, I'm the one in the jar!

I'm never beneath self promotion, so here goes...  :-)

<Blatant Self Promotion>
Brain and Wendel are on the front page of the Nimble Storage website!!!

</Blatant Self Promotion>

Until Next Time
-Brain

Hey, What Happened to Brain and Wendel?!?!

Hi Friends,

Brain here!  You might have noticed some changes to the Brain and Wendel site.  I'm very sad to inform everyone that that my friend Wen Yu will no longer be on the podcast.

Yeah, I know, I'll miss him too!  I wish him the very best and I know he'll do great at whatever he does!!

Without Wen, there is no Brain and Wendel so I've changed the name of the show to BrainWavez.

I'm very excited to announce that Sean Roth has joined the show!  Sean is a veteran of the show and he's already started helping co-host.
 
Never fear, the great content will continue to flow and hopefully some other cool stuff!

Be on the lookout for:
The new BrainWavez theme song - Special thanks to Level of Exit!
Wheel of SWAG! (Where guests get to spin for prizes!)
And now a word from our sponsor
Nerd Trivia

Make sure to update your links and if you're an iTunes user, the graphic and show name will change shortly, so search for "brainwavez" instead of brain and wendel.  I apologize to anyone that subscribed to the podcast, but I'm hoping you'll enjoy the new show!

All The Best,
Brain
http://www.brainwavezshow.com

Brain and Wendel Episode 27 - Meet The Founders of Nimble Storage!!

Hi Friends,

I have a very special treat for you today!  Yep, you read it right, Brain and Wendel interview Varun Mehta and Umesh Maheshwari, the founders of Nimble Storage!!  They discuss how they met, the early days of Nimble Storage, where they see the tech industry going and tons of other great topics!  Don't miss this very special Brain and Wendel show.

For iTunes users: [Link]
For everyone else: [mp3]

File Sharing with Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB) and Nimble Storage

Hi Friends,

Are you looking to set up a file sharing server on Microsoft Windows 2012R2?  Want to see how Nimble Storage can make it fly like a rocket ship and protect your data like a super hero?

You do?!  I knew I liked you!

Well look no further friends, Dr. Brain has you covered.  My mild mannered alternate identity, Neil, created a new paper to show you how to set up your file share, how to protect it and AND... test it with Vdbench for performance!

Head on over to the Nimble Storage website and grab your copy today!

This calls for some happy pictures!

Until Next Time!
-Brain

Brain & Wendel #26: Meet Nimble's Microsoft Team

Hi Friends,

You know what's better than a 3 day weekend?  A NEW episode of Brain & Wendel!!  That's right friends, this week I talk to our Microsoft development team and find out about all the cool stuff that Nimble Storage has released and even some cool stuff on it's way.  You don't want to miss this episode!

For iTunes users: [Link]
For everyone else: [mp3]

Back from Citrix Synergy 2015

Hi Friends,

I'm back from Citrix Synergy 2015.  It was a fun show, got to see lots of friends and took a bunch of photos I'd like to share.

The plane flight over was pretty cool, the guy sitting next to me brought his dog along to Florida and she was very well behaved!

When I got to the convention center they had a really cool Synergy sign with these balls suspended from the ceiling that changed colors and stuff.  The balls didn't really turn out well, but they were cool.

I got to see my sister Rachel! (Notice the family resemblance!)

Pim from Login VSI dropped by to give us our Validated by Login VSI sign!  Here it is hanging in the Nimble Storage booth.  You can see one of my demo's running.  I'll be posting them up on YouTube soon.  Not to pat myself on the back...  (Okay I'm patting myself on the back) I think they were pretty good!

Here's Roger and I and I'm holding the sign.  Pim took this shot and posted it on Twitter.

And here's me and Pim being goofy.

I also got to see my friends Rob and Sachin!

After the show floor was closed one day I was out walking around and saw this.  It was pretty cool, they had sky bridges going from the hotels to the convention center.

Here's a picture of our booth.  We had two demo stations and were showcasing our SmartStack pre-validated reference architectures.

Here's a picture of the Nimble Storage booth staff.  Sorry I missed you Adam!  He was setting one of the demo stations up when I took this photo.

They had a Tesla there!!  What a cool car!

As the days went on, my mind quickly deteriorated.  What I needed was something to make me smart!

And as the show began to come to an end I was brain fried and here's the result...

It was a fun show, got to see some cool technology and friends.  I hope you enjoyed the photos!

Until Next Time

-Brain

Citrix PVS Configuration Error - Invalid Server - Error: 26

Hi Friends,

I'm a ding dong, but a consistent ding dong!  I'm setting up the new version of Citrix PVS and I'm running the Provisioning Services Configuration Wizard and I get to the part where I need to connect to my SQL database.

It asks for the Server name and Instance name.  Hmmm, well, server is the SQL server...  And Instance must be ummm, well, urrrrr, the name of the database!!!

Right?!

Ah crap...  How many times have I set up PVS?!

So I'm checking to make sure named pipes is enabled, the database user has appropriate privileges, I set up an ODBC connection, check DNS, IP addresses...  Same error...

But wait...  This seems oddly familiar all of a sudden...

Stupid Neil, you've done this before!!!

The Instance isn't the database name, you nitwit!

It's okay, it's okay, just remove the Instance name and..........................................

PRESTO!!!

So may this be a lesson friends.  Write things down so when you forget how you set up an application for the gazillion time you can refer back to your notes!  :-)

Until Next Time
-Brain

Meet The Brain at Citrix Synergy! And... Be On Brain & Wendel!

Hi Friends,

Are you going to be at Citrix Synergy this year?  Want to meet The Brain?  Want to be on The Brain & Wendel Show?!?!

Come over to the Nimble Storage booth and say hi!  I'll also be doing interviews for a very special Synergy 2015 Brain & Wendel show and you could be one of my special guests!!

Plus we're going to have some awesome demos and some cool swag.

Just come on by and ask for me!

Until Next Time!
-Brain

Brain & Wendel - Episode 25: Update on Cisco VDI Solutions

Hi Friends,

Are you looking into VMware Horizon View or Citrix XenDesktop, but don't know where to begin?  Want to learn about the new exciting Cisco and Nimble VDI reference architectures?  You're in luck!!  On this week's show Mike Brennan from Cisco returns and dragged along his View and XenDesktop experts, Ramesh Guduru, and Frank Anderson!

For iTunes users: [Link]
For everyone else: [mp3]

Huge thanks to Mike, Ramesh and Frank for being our guests!