Recommended practices – Part-1: Storage of unstructured data

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This is a part one of a multi-part series on recommended practices for organizations and their end-users. Additional parts will be in upcoming newsletters.

Organizations create and consume data constantly, but not all have formal policies or practices that define the value of this data and restrict its amount and location.

Quality is difficult to define and even tougher to enforce; some departments and users save items solely for convenience, even though its value is minimal, while others consider everything they have ever said or done, even 20 years ago, to be worthy of permanent storage. Basically, there is no point to storing unstructured data (MS Office documents, PDFs, etc.) unless it has value to the organization; however, if you must store it, choose a method that allows some type of classification (like SharePoint with its searchable repository of metadata).1

Rather than try to enforce quality standards, many organizations impose limitations on the amount of data stored (since this can be controlled and monitored)2: Even though disk space is relatively inexpensive, backup, data-management, and data-security costs increase as data grows. Quotas also impose discipline; setting a quota allows the organization to get a picture of storage needs by individuals and by departments or functional groups. Quotas can also be adjusted as needed.

There are tools that manage unstructured data via audit/access controls and monitor via usage patterns; these are targeted (and priced) for enterprise-class organizations, but are moving downstream within the reach of more organizations. There are less-expensive tools (and policies included within Active Directory) that limit storage-space usage; limits are usually set by user or by department.

Finally, organizations traditionally assume, and try to enforce, that end-users save and store company data only at designated locations of on-premise equipment (drives mapped to servers, storage arrays, Network Attached Storage, etc.) or at authorized, Cloud-based storage locations; the idea is to save and secure company data where it will receive proper backup, security, and vetting. Saving company data onto personal computers, tablets, and mobile phones, where it might not receive regular backups and is more vulnerable to loss or theft, is discouraged.

The best place to start is to create a clear, unambiguous policy on the storage of company data with these guidelines:

Define what data should be kept and for how long
Define storage-amount limitations and enforcement
Define acceptable storage locations
Define responsibilities for retention
Once defined, processes can be created and tools can be acquired to manage and monitor this policy.

Our recommendations for storage locations:

Remove all data from end-user devices (laptops, mobile devices, etc.).
Map a Home folder for each end-user and restrict its rights to that user.
Move the end-user My documents folder to their respective Home folder.
Deploy a document-collaboration utility (like SharePoint or Google Docs) or create a Shared folder with appropriate subfolders to manage your shared, unstructured data.
Restrict shared access by department or functional group.
Our recommendations for storage management:

Define policies within Active Directory to limit storage space (as needed).
Archive older, infrequently-used data to less-expensive storage.
Monitor usage on a regular basis.
1. Visit “My ongoing rant about unstructured end user data storage”.

2. See Alan Radding’s excellent and relevant article “Keep end-user storage under control” at TechTarget and originally from Storage magazine in November 2006.

Bryley exhibits at the Central Mass Business Expo

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Bryley Systems exhibited in the Technology Pavilion at the Central Mass Business Expo on September 8th, which was held at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA.

Pictured in our booth is Anna ; Account Executive at Bryley Systems.

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Anna D. achieves VMware Sales Professional certification

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Congratulations to Anna who completed the significant training and testing to become certified as a VMware Sales Professional.

VMware is the global leader in virtualization and a key partner of Bryley Systems. A certified VMware Sales Professional has general knowledge in VMware products and business practices.

Anna has been with Bryley since 2010. She moved to the Sales team in 2012.

vmWareSalesProf

Summer Fun!

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The weather cooperated as Bryley’s summer outing on Sunset Lake in Ashburnham was sunny, warm, and dry. The menu included standard-issue, summer-cookout fare with hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, salads, and desserts; plenty of desserts. Bryley also hosted SwiftecIT and other friends; daylight fishing and pontoon-boat rides (pictured) gave way to roasting marshmallows around the evening campfire.

Boating at the Bryley Summer Outing

We Have A Winner!

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Congratulations to Geary at USI!  You’ve won the drawing for “Roy’s Almost 20th!”

For those who may have missed the news, Roy Pacitto, our Director of Sales, has been an employee at Bryley Systems for nearly 20 years!  Since we tend to get excited about this sort of thing, we decided to have a little celebration in honor of his many years of service, only to realize that Roy hadn’t actually finished his 20th year yet.  By this point, however, the drinks were already open, the cake was already out, and we were already assembled, so we decided to go ahead and celebrate Roy’s (almost) 20th anyway.

It was about this time that we made another realization.  Over the past (almost) 20 years, Roy has come to know a lot of people, and we wanted to get all of you in on the celebration as well.  As a result, we put together a little contest in which we hid an image of Roy’s (almost) 20th cake somewhere on our website, and those who found it were entered in a chance to win a $35.00 gift card.

To make a long story short, the contest is over and Geary is our lucky winner!  We hope that you will all join us in congratulating Geary and Roy in their respective achievements.

Bryley Basics: Encrypt your iPhone

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iPhones, versions 3GS and later, offer hardware encryption; it is activated through the data-protection feature by enabling a passcode:

  • Tap Settings > General > Passcode.
  • Follow the prompts to create a passcode.
  • After the passcode is set, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and verify that “Data protection is enabled” is visible.

Note: Your encryption protection is only as good as the passcode; try to make this difficult to guess and keep it hidden.

You should also encrypt your backup for added security.  Check the “encrypt local backup” in iTunes if you back up to your computer.  If you back up to iCloud it is automatically encrypted, but be sure you have a really good iCloud passcode.

Google’s ChromeBook – A realistic alternative to a Windows Ultrabook?

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Google introduced its Chromebook in 2009; sales have increased and it can be considered a low-cost alternative to the pricier, Microsoft Windows-based Ultrabook, but Chromebooks have significant limitations.  Some also say that a Chromebook can replace a tablet, but comparison1 suggests otherwise.

Chromebooks run Chrome OS, Google’s Linux-based operating system integrated with Google’s Chrome web browser.  (Chrome was recently ranked the number one Internet browser used in the US with 31.8% of sampled traffic, followed closely by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer at 30.9%; reported by ADI, a marketing research branch of Adobe Systems.2)  As such, they are designed to be used primarily when connected to the Internet and are closely linked to Google’s Cloud-based services like Google Drive, Google Apps, etc.

Reasons to buy3 include:

  • User interface – Intuitive; easy to use and simple to navigate
  • Offline – Works best online, but supports some offline activity
  • Platform agnostic – Can access all Cloud-based data
  • Fast boot-up – Access the Internet within 8 seconds
  • Security – Google Rewards for bug notification
  • Apps – Growing application options
  • Price – Starts at just under $200

Primary disadvantages of a Chromebook:

  • Thin client that gets its best features only via an Internet connection
  • Offline mode requires setup and has severely reduced functionality
  • Fewer compatible apps and games than Windows-based devices
  • Limited connections to printers, scanners, and mobile devices
  • Low-end processor not built for intensive use

My take:  A Chromebook is a good, low-cost option under these circumstances:

  • You do not use processor-intensive applications (i.e.: games),
  • You use Google Apps for content creation and review,
  • Your data is completely based in the Cloud,
  • You do not connect to other devices, and
  • You always have access to the Internet.

Note:  Google dominates the search industry and makes its money through Google AdWords and other advertising programs.  The core emphasis of all of their efforts is to drive consumers to their advertisers.

Visit http://www.eweek.com/pc-hardware/slideshows/chrome-os-features-to-look-for-in-current-chromebook-crop.html?kc=EWKNLEDP06112014A&dni=132495452&rni=25374491 for an informative overview by Don Reisinger of eWeek.  And, visit Microsoft’s take on Chromebooks at http://www.scroogled.com.

REFERENCES

1Please see http://blog.laptopmag.com/chromebook-vs-tablet for the article “Chromebook vs. Tablet:  Which should you buy?” by Cherlynn Low of LAPTOP.

2Visit http://redmondmag.com/articles/2014/06/06/chrome-surpasses-ie.aspx for details on browser rankings from Kurt Mackie of Redmond Magazine.

3Visit http://blog.laptopmag.com/chromebook-buying-advice to review the article “Should I buy a Chromebook?” by Dann Berg of LAPTOP.

Roy Pacitto works almost 20 years at Bryley Systems

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Bryley employees were recently celebrating Roy’s 20th anniversary when someone pointed out that it was a year early.  Since we already had a 20th-year cake, we ate it anyway.

Roy, a key member of the management team, started as service manager in 1995. He moved to the sales team in 1997; in the mid-2000s he became Director of Sales.  For his biography, visit http://www.Bryley.com/about/management-team/.

Now that the cake is gone, we will continue the celebration by having a random drawing with a chance to win a $30 VISA gift-card.  To be entered into the drawing:

  • Find Roy with his 20th-year cake at Bryley.com.
  • Click on the photo and fill-out the drawing-submission form completely.

On August 12th, 2014, we will randomly select one winner from all of the entrants that complete and submit the form and will send that person a $30 VISA gift-card.

Note:  Bryley employees and their relations are excluded from this drawing.

 

What is the business case for Windows-Server virtualization?

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Windows-Server virtualization, the deployment of a virtual version of a Windows-Server operating environment, is used to reduce hardware costs, gain efficiencies, and improve the availability of computing resources.  It refers to installing a virtual environment onto one or more “virtualized” hardware servers (termed Physical Hosts) and deploying multiple virtual Windows-Server operating systems (termed Virtual Guests) onto this virtual environment.

In small to medium-sized businesses, we typically see three levels of Windows-Server virtualization with these increasing benefits:

  • Single Physical Host – Cost savings (energy and hardware) with some flexibility
  • Multiple hosts with Storage Area Network (SAN) – Highly available environment with minimal downtime
  • Multiple hosts with Site-to-Site Failover – Disaster recovery to separate location

We review each of these levels below.

Single Physical Host

This virtualization level has these components:

  • Single hardware server with onboard storage – This hardware server is the platform for the Physical Host; it could be a HP ML350/ML370 tower server or equivalent with multiple disk drives.
  • Virtualizing software – The operating environment for virtualization; typically the free versions of either VMware’s VSphere or Microsoft’s Hyper-V.  (These products are available as free downloads from the manufacturer.)  Installing the virtualizing software onto the hardware server creates the Physical Host.
  • Multiple Virtual Guests – The virtual operating systems installed onto the Physical Host; usually one or more instances of Microsoft’s Windows Server.  (These instances must each be licensed copies of Windows Server and any associated, server-based applications.)

This environment consolidates several Windows Server instances onto a single hardware server with sufficient processing capability, Random Access Memory (RAM), and on-board disk storage.  It introduces cost savings in hardware, energy, and support and provides some flexibility in the transfer of a virtualized instance to a new hardware platform (although this transfer is manual and requires a second hardware server).

Some caveats:

  • The hardware server (and its components) is the primary point of failure; if it is down, all of the installed Virtual Guests are unavailable.
  • Ports on the Physical Host are handled differently in a virtual environment; attached backup devices and UPS equipment might need special setup.

Primary business benefits:

  • Less up-front acquisition cost (capital expenditure or CapEx) since a single hardware server can be used rather than two or more hardware servers.  Plus, the virtualizing software at this level is basically free.
  • Less energy required to power a single hardware server than multiple hardware servers; leads to reduced operating expenses (OpEx).
  • Fewer components to support; could lead to lower support costs.
  • Increased flexibility and scalability when migrating to a new hardware server.

This virtualizing environment works well in a business with a couple of Windows Servers that is looking to capital and operating reduce costs.

Multiple Physical Hosts with a Storage Area Network

At this level, we separate the storage (disk-drives) from the Physical Host and move them to a separate Storage Area Network (SAN)1.  We also add sophisticated virtualizing software capable of automatically managing the location of Virtual Guests.

A major benefit of this approach is termed: “High availability”.

High availability refers to “A system design approach and associated service implementation that ensures a prearranged level of operational performance will be met…” (from WikiPedia under “High availability”).  Basically, if designed properly, this level provides complete redundancy of all critical components within the equipment stack such that any single component can fail without compromising system reliability.

Improved performance is also likely since the virtualizing software can automatically balance available resources against Virtual Guest needs.

This virtualization level has these primary hardware components:

  • Storage Area Network (SAN), preferably with redundant disk chassis and network switching2
  • Two or more Physical Hosts, preferably with N+1 redundancy3
  • Two or more VLAN-capable Ethernet switches4

Each item is a critical of the overall design:

  • All data and Virtual Guests reside on the SAN
  • Virtual Guests are balanced among the Physical Hosts
  • Ethernet switches route all the traffic between the SAN and the Physical Hosts

If any item fails, the system fails.  So, each item must be redundant (to increase reliability) and must be properly maintained.

Notes:

1 Technically, the Storage Area Network consists of disk arrays and the interconnecting fabric, which is TCP/IP over Ethernet over UDP in the case of an iSCSI SAN.

2 The SAN is the data storage; it should have redundant components capable of automatic failover.  A single-chassis SAN (like the HP P2000 series) has redundant controllers and power supplies, but fails if its disk backplane fails; a redundant-chassis SAN (like the HP P4000 series) consists of two or more separate storage arrays.  The chance of a failure in a redundant-chassis SAN affecting all arrays at once is extremely small.

3 Physical Host N+1 redundancy refers to adding one more Physical Host than required to meet performance standards.  The additional Physical Host permits performance standards to be retained, even if a Physical Host fails.

4 In addition to providing the SAN connectivity, the Ethernet switches provide redundant network links between the Physical Hosts and the remainder of the network.

Multiple Hosts with Site-to-Site Failover

Our highest level of Windows Server virtualization, Multiple Hosts with Site-to-Site Failover, addresses the issue of a single-site failure; how long does it take to recover to a new location if your primary site fails (as in a building catastrophe such as long-term power outage, flooding, fire, theft, etc.).

Like most data-center-uptime strategies, redundancy is the core concept; in this case, a second site is equipped with comparable equipment and the data is synchronized between the primary and secondary site.  Done properly, the secondary site can be brought up either automatically or, when budget is a constraint, within a short interval of an hour or less.

Configuring for automatic failover can be considerably more expensive than allowing a short interval of an hour or less to recover since you essentially need to duplicate the primary site at the remote location, have sufficient bandwidth between the locations to permit real-time replication, and deploy some additional equipment and software to manage the automatic failover.

While automatic failover is feasible, we structure the failover interval (automatic or short) to meet the client’s requirements and budget.

When configuring for a short delay, we use HP Proliant servers with VMware’s vSphere virtualization platform.  Storage is provided through an HP P4500-series SAN (Storage Area Network), which offers complete redundancy within the SAN (redundant-chassis, dual power supplies per chassis, redundant array controllers, and a Network-RAID array to spread the data across the P4500) as well as block-by-block transfer of data to a storage device at one or more remote locations.  (This replication is not real-time; it is based on snapshots taken and copied to the remote location.  These snapshots can be taken no more frequently than every 15 minutes, but this time period often needs to be lengthened to accommodate bandwidth constraints.)

The P4500 is setup at the primary site with a lower-cost HP P2000 deployed at the secondary site(s).  The P4500 is configured to provide synchronization aligned with the circuit bandwidth between sites, allowing the P2000 to retain the same data and configuration without compromising performance.

The secondary site(s) would also have HP Proliant servers and two (or more) VLAN-capable Ethernet switches.  The Proliant servers run the VMware virtualizing software, but are basically dormant until needed.

When configuring for automatic failover, several items must be adjusted:

  • P4500 SANs must be deployed at the primary and remote site(s) and must be configured in a multi-site cluster
  • VMware vSphere Enterprise or better is required and must be licensed for both the primary and remote (recovery) site(s)
  • Windows Server licensing at the primary site must be duplicated for the recovery site(s)
  • Sufficient bandwidth must exist for real-time disk-writes since this configuration cannot fall behind and catch-up during slack periods
  • Additional VMware utilities and enhanced licensing for applications may be required to enable true automatic failover

For more information, see the Bryley Systems case study on the virtualization of RTA Transit Services, Inc.; the company operating the Worcester Regional Transit Authority at https://www.bryley.com/documents/2012/Bryley%20–%20WRTA%20Case%20Study%20–%202012.pdf.

 

For more information, please email Info@Bryley.com or call us at 978.562.6077.

Deploying software systems to manage a growing organization

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Most organizations use software to manage at least these items:

  • Accounting – Perform vital bookkeeping and accounting functions
  • Contacts – Organize and manage clients, prospects, vendors, etc.
  • Operations – Match assets to organization’s need on a daily basis

In organizations with funding limitations, deployment of a software-based system to manage specific functions often starts as a cost-based decision, which can lead to several miscues along the way since cost is only one of the factors that should guide the decision.

I’d categorize deployment options in this manner:

  • Build your own using all-purpose, brand-name, productivity software
  • Purchase stand-alone applications and manually integrate them
  • Deploy an integrated, all-inclusive system
  • Outsource this mess to someone else

I’ll address the first three options now and provide some feedback on deployment.   Outsource is a large topic that will be covered separately.

Build your own

Organizations with a do-it-yourself perspective often turn to the build your own approach; you basically use the functionality of productivity software (like Microsoft Office) to create a custom-built solution.  Generally, this works OK to start, but can be difficult to manage and maintain with growth.

Popular productivity-software options include:

  • Microsoft’s Office suite (currently Microsoft Office 2013), which includes:
    • Outlook to manage contacts, calendar, email, and tasks
    • Excel to create proposals and track financial information
    • Access to build and manage contact and production databases
  • Microsoft Office 365, a Cloud-based alternative to the Microsoft Office suite
  • Google Apps for Business, which is a direct competitor to Microsoft Office 365

When Bryley Systems first started in the mid-1980s, we used Lotus 123 (a then-popular spreadsheet application) as our primary tool for everything financial; it quickly became unwieldy, so we purchased an accounting-software package.

Stand-alone applications

Stand-alone applications target a specific function and provide work-flows and best-practices to address this function through use of the software application.

Stand-alone applications are often categorized by function (as described above):

  • Accounting
  • Contacts
  • Operations

Below is a brief summary of these categories.

Accounting

The accounting system is very important; it automates the various accounting and bookkeeping functions (Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Inventory Control, Payroll, etc.) and provides a shared foundation for other capabilities.

Intuit’s Quicken is easy to use as a checkbook replacement, but QuickBooks is a full-function accounting system that leads this market.  Peachtree is another popular accounting package, but with only a fraction of the market share.  Intaact is making headway in mid-sized businesses.

FindAccountingSoftware.com provides an easy-to-use, online guide at http://findaccountingsoftware.com/software-search/.

Contacts

Contact-management applications permit the input and retrieval of contact information with tracking and communications activities, including scheduling.  (You can manage your contacts within your accounting system, but this becomes less practical as your account base grows.)

ACT was one of the original contact managers and claims to be the market leader.  It is now owned by Sage Software (which also owns Peachtree and other accounting packages) and can be purchased or leased online.

Other popular options include:

  • Salesforce
  • OnContact
  • Prophet

We started with ACT in the early years, but shifted to Prophet in the early 2000s since it integrated with some of our other systems.

For a recent ranking and review, please visit http://contact-management-software-review.toptenreviews.com/.

Operations (both manufacturing and service-delivery)

In a manufacturing environment, a production-management system enhances control over materials flow (from raw materials coming into the organization to finished goods flowing out), production resources (tooling, equipment, and employees), and scheduling.  It is the glue that binds these items together, permitting the company to manage its flow of work.

We often see these packages at our manufacturing clients:

  • Exact Macola
  • Exact JobBOSS
  • GlobalShop Solutions
  • IQMS  Enterprise IQ

Capterra lists many of these options at http://www.capterra.com/production-scheduling-software.

Service-delivery management is a bit more diverse; what works for one type of service operation might not be appropriate for another type.  Typically, these are industry-specific solutions.

For example, we started with BridgeTrak, which is a service-ticketing application with scheduling and limited contact management.  It served well for a number of years, but we found it difficult to integrate with our accounting package (Peachtree at the time) and with other applications.

Stand-alone applications can be deployed internally, but many companies exist to assist with this process. Multi-user versions should have a dedicated, Windows-based server or be Cloud-based.

The lines are blurring between stand-alone applications and integrated, all-inclusive systems, but the primary issues with stand-alone systems:

  • They can become separate islands of information
  • They do not readily integrate with one another

Integrated, all-inclusive system

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and PSA (Professional Services Automation) systems integrate all company functions and departments; it provides one repository for all organization data, which is available to all employees.  A related option, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), software is similar, but has less functionality and is often a component of an ERP or a PSA system.

High-end, all-inclusive systems from SAP, Oracle, Epicor, etc. cost hundreds of thousands or even millions to procure and deploy, but integrate every aspect of the organization.  Most large organizations work with one of these vendors and use their software nearly exclusively for all functions.

For mid-sized and smaller companies, there are many accounting-based systems that can be expanded through modules and customization to provide ERP and PSA-class alternatives.  Three of the more-popular options:

  • Microsoft Dynamics/GP (formerly Great Plains)
  • Sage 100 (formerly MAS 90)
  • NetSuite

There are also many software-development firms that focus on a specific, vertical market and provide a complete, market-specific solution.  In the mid-2000s, we chose this direction and purchased a PSA system from ConnectWise which is custom-tailored to our industry.

ConnectWise handles all facets of our business and integrates with our accounting system and with our sales-quoting tool.  All employees are required to enter every scrap of data into ConnectWise; our adopted slogan is “If it is not in ConnectWise, it did not happen”.

We also use QuickBooks, but primarily because it integrates with ConnectWise in a downstream direction.  We create our proposals through QuoteWerks, which integrates with both QuickBooks and with ConnectWise.

The initial investment is significant, but the time spent deploying an integrated, all-inclusive system solution within the organization and training employees can far surpass the cost of the software licensing. It is a demanding process, but it pays big dividends in uniting all functions and groups.

The primary benefits:

  • All functions integrate together
  • The system can usually integrate with other applications
  • All employees use the same interface and share the exact-same information

Deployment

To deploy these packages on-premise (rather than in the Cloud), you would need:

  • Infrastructure hardware – Physical server with reliability items (UPS, RAID, redundant power supplies, backup solution, etc.).  We recommend HP servers, but also support Dell.
  • Infrastructure software – Most business software are compatible with Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server.  Microsoft Exchange Server may be needed for email integration.
  • Infrastructure deployment – Setup the Infrastructure hardware and software (listed above), configure the end-user devices (PCs and mobile), etc.
  • Business software – Usually sold in a series of modules with add-ons and licensed to match your user count.
  • Business-software deployment – Usually sold as a project, which includes all of the setup stages needed to get the business software operational and assist in the transition.  A fair amount of process customization is needed; report customization is also part of this stage.  (Most folk select an internal “champion” or a “deployment team” to evangelize, build enthusiasm, watch-over the process, and keep things on-track.)
  • Training – We recommend several, time-spaced sessions followed by occasional tune-ups to allow acclimation and to provide hand-holding for those that will have the most challenges.

Cloud-based deployments eliminate the Infrastructure stages (except setup of client devices) and price the business software in per-user increments; however, customization and training are still needed.  The major incentives to Cloud-based deployments include:

  • Reduce capital expenditures (Infrastructure equipment and software)
  • Shift to operating expenses on a per-user basis
  • Speed-up time to deploy

Cloud-based deployments requires great trust in the business partner providing these services, but they can free-up cash (by eliminating the need to purchase Infrastructure) and get you setup quicker.

Summary

Many cash-strapped organizations start with build-your-own and later morph to one or a combination of the other three options as they grow.  However, deploying an integrated, all-inclusive system provides significant benefits and is now easier to budget and deploy with Cloud-based alternatives that spread costs over time.

 

For more information, please email Info@Bryley.com or call us at 978.562.6077.