Category Archives: Cloud Storage
When your cloud finops system rats you out to your boss – InfoWorld
Youre the CIO at ABC Inc., a fictional rapidly scaling tech startup. In 2023, you implemented a new cloud finops system to streamline the management of its extensive cloud infrastructures. In 2024, the system unveiled several previously unknown technical debts. Youve been summoned to a meeting with the CEO to address these issues.
The finops system has determined that this technical debt has led to more than $20 million in lost revenue to the business. This includes general inefficiencies, such as overprovisioning public cloud storage systems, as well as more strategic problems, such as the need for the system to provide the agility and scale to support moving into new markets and other innovations.
As the CIO, you were previously praised for cost-effectively sustaining the companys rapid growth. Now youre at the center of criticism based on a report that came from a cloud finops system that you paid for and implemented.
Those who reviewed the AI-enabled finops reports claim that you prioritized short-term gains over long-term efficiency, resulting in underoptimized cloud operations and bloated costs. Criticisms highlight inefficient resource allocation, excessive idle instances, inflated data storage costs, and a lack of automated processes.
The most damning: Several market opportunities and acquisitions were likely missed due to this short-sightedness, which is being put on you, the CIO. The necessary cloud technology to provide the agility and scalability required to access those prospects was not there.
It once was harder to define values, but now the finops system can describe them to the dollar amount. Thanks to the intermixing of large language models (LLMs), you can see the growth patterns of similar companies aligned with their IT solutions and compare them to the cloud solutions you designed and implemented.
Does this scenario sound stressful? I suspect well see similar cases play out in 2024 and 2025. Im not sure that todays finops systems are there yet with AI, nor are they trusted enough to create data that would cause such an issue.
However, were getting close to the point where finops, cloudops, secops, and other x-ops will provide productive information by leveraging AI to not only find issues but also to look for benchmark performance relative to other organizations. For those of you who have been through audits that include this type of analysis, this will be much the same, but instead of coming from an outside consulting firm with humans, a set of AI-driven processes will do it. Imagine being audited daily.
Most businesses can now afford cloud finops, but they may not be prepared for the good and bad aspects of this kind of data being available to any company.
The downside is shown by our fictional case study. There will be situations where the very finops system that a CIO or other IT leader deployed becomes their accuser. You can look at the companys culture as to how they will likely handle this, but the board of directors and other executives have a duty to the shareholders to do something, meaning that this kind of stuff could get you fired.
Of course, much of it will roll downhill and the decision-makers will pass the buck to the line managers in many instances. Thats not entirely unfair, considering that most IT executives rely on recommendations from their reports. However, the final decision is their responsibility.
The upside is that I can stop having silly arguments about the choice and configuration of cloud technology. Finops systems can look at the value of each tech configuration and usage, new or old, checking net-new cloud architecture as well as the past decisions of others. Its much more valuable to see this data ahead of implementation, rather than making a multimillion-dollar mistake and having to fix it later. Thats really what technical debt is.
Even the more strategic values that are now impossible to define can be put on the table, such as the value of growth and agility. Try going down the strategic value of cloud computing rabbit hole when doing cloud architecture. Still, its more important to get strategy correct than the tactical cost-efficiencies everyone seems obsessed with, considering the much larger impact.
First, Im not a fan of being punitive around these types of mistakes. Most people are well-intended and make decisions based on what they think is right. This includes IT executives, consultants, and technology providers.
Of course, biases can cause many of these negative outcomes. Some people will only implement a single public cloud brand, and others avoid the public cloud altogether. Any extreme is almost always wrong and leads to the types of negative outcomes Ive mentioned. This includes those who try to avoid risk by doing nothing at all. Inaction is perhaps the worst thing you can do, and finops systems will uncover that as well.
Although AI will make finops tools much better and useful, they should be considered as sources of information and not be allowed to make decisions. I suspect that many will find this new information disruptive, considering that its judging current and past decisions made by humans.
We must find a productive way to leverage finops to make us better at using cloud computing. Thats the bottom line.
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When your cloud finops system rats you out to your boss - InfoWorld
Will HDD Shortages Slow AI Training And Implementation? – Forbes
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HDDs store the majority of the worlds information, particularly in data centers, but HDDs, like other storage (and memory) technologies have experienced a significant decline in demand during much of 2022 and in 2023 so far. This is largely because large data centers and enterprise customers bought more storage products than they needed at the time during the supply chain crisis in the COVID pandemic. As a consequence, HDD and SSD company stocks have suffered. HDD companies have cut back on production and laid employees off as demand slackened.
Finis Conner was one of the founders of Seagate Technology back in 1979 and he has been a founder of several other digital storage ventures since then. He is one of the pioneers in modern storage technologies. He recently wrote a blog in LinkedIn on a likely disparity between the demand for digital storage and particularly hard disk drives, in order to support data intensive activities such as AI training, and the availability of these storage devices after an extended period of low demand.
AI requires lots of processors to train models but the data used for training will likely live on SSDs as primary storage for data being actively processed but with HDDs as the inexpensive storage that stores the bulk of this data until required for processing. After an extended period of low demand resulting in cutbacks in production and employment, a sudden increase in demand for storage could quickly wipe out any excess in the industry and could lead to shortages that might hobble efforts to ramp up new AI models until storage producers could hire the workers, restart idled production lines and get their factories running at full speed again. This is particularly a problem for hard disk drives.
The article points out that major cloud storage (hyperscale data center) companies such as Google, Microsoft, Meta and AWS are spending billions of dollars building new data centers. Finis points out the likely storage bottleneck in implementing these new AI workflows. On one level, its connected to an HDD supply surplus from the pandemic. On a more concerning level, it brings the potential for an HDD supply crisis that could, temporarily, bring trillion-dollar companies to their knees.
A Fortune Business Insights article projects that the global data storage market is expected to grow from $247.32B in 2023 to $777.98B by 2030. Despite this projected growth HDD company stocks are down considerably from their 2022 highs. Seagate is down by 48%, Western Digital is down by 32% as is Toshiba. These companies have responded by lowing their production capacity and reducing personnel to reduce their costs, but lowering production capacity, immediately before the AI data storage demand tsunami strikes creates a dangerous situation.
Conner says that it will take a lot of time to start the HDD production engine back up again. While its true that HDD orders are retreating, the wave of AIand its demand for data storageis growing by orders of magnitude, and so is its ravenous hunger for data. It reminds me of a tsunami, and right now the disk drive industry is seeing the waters pull back, and wondering why. My serious question is, will the three HDD makers be ready for it when the tide eventually turns, and the big wave hits?
There are signs that these shortages may be starting to impact industry. The article says that last month Toyota unexpectedly stopped production at 28 assembly lines in 14 Japanese auto plants because an error occurred due to insufficient disk space, causing the system to stop.
To show this demand, Finis referenced a chart from an August 2023 blog by this author, shown below. AI and other big data analysis will drive demand for all storage devices, including HDDs. This will be served by shipping higher capacity HDDs, but that alone is not enough to meet capacity demand and the total number of HDDs shipped for enterprise and data center applications will need to increase.
There are currently three HDD companies, but it is possible that this number could decline to two companies in the coming months as Toshiba is acquired in a $14B deal that will take the company private and perhaps get rid of currently low or non-profitable businesses such as its HDD division. This could further restrain the supply of HDDs.
All these factors led Finis to speculate that HDD companies are undervalued. These mergers and acquisitions in the HDD sector are timely. They show change is already in process. But more than that, consider the roughly $40 billion value of the three HDD manufacturers and compare it to the value of the cloud data storage businesses of Apple, Google, and AWS combined. Thats over $6 trillion. These numbers dont add up to the enabling value HDD suppliers bring to the table. It seems like nobody is paying attention to the importance of these companiesand the overall fragility of the HDD supply chain.
Finis points out that this creates a potential opportunity for HDD companies. If they can equip themselves to ramp up production and make supply chains more resilient, they may be able to help meet this imminent and growing demand for storage. He thinks one way to do this is to bring some production back to the US, similar to current semiconductor reshoring efforts.
My own take is that demand for storage driven by AI and other processing trends will likely use up the excess HDD inventory by the end of 2023 and that we will see significant growth in demand for HDDs in 2024 and future years to support the widespread training and utilization of AI models and other big data processing tasks.
HDD pioneer, Finis Conner, believes that HDD companies may be undervalued and that demand for digital storage to support the training and use of AI models which will transform all aspects of business and work could be hampered by shortages in the near future.
I am the President of Coughlin Associates and a storage analyst and consultant. I have over 40 years in the data storage industry with multiple engineering and management positions. I have many publications and six patents to my credit. I am also the author of Digital Storage in Consumer Electronics: The Essential Guide, the second edition was published by Springer. Coughlin Associates provides market and technology analysis (including reports on several digital storage technologies and applications and a newsletter) as well as Data Storage Technical Consulting services. I publish a Digital Storage in Consumer Electronics Report, a Media and Entertainment Storage Report, and an Emerging Memory Report. I am active with SMPTE, SNIA, the IEEE and other professional organizations. I was the founder and organizer of the Annual Storage Visions Conference (www.storagevisions.com), as well as the Creative Storage Conference (www.creativestorage.org). I was general chair of the Flash Memory Summit for 10 years and am currently the program chair. I am also a Fellow of the IEEE, IEEE President Elect in 2023 and a member of the Consultants Network of Silicon Valley (CNSV). For more information about me and my publications, go to http://www.tomcoughlin.com.
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Will HDD Shortages Slow AI Training And Implementation? - Forbes
How To Download From Google Drive To iPhone – Robots.net
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Downloading files from Google Drive to your iPhone can be a simple and convenient way to access your important documents, photos, and videos on the go. Whether you need to download a presentation for a business meeting or save a family photo album to your device, Google Drive offers a seamless solution.
In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to download files from Google Drive to your iPhone. By following these simple instructions, you will be able to access your files anytime, anywhere, even when you are offline.
Google Drive is a cloud storage platform that allows users to store and share files online. It offers a range of benefits, including ample storage space, easy file organization, and the ability to collaborate with others. With the Google Drive app installed on your iPhone, you can easily access and download your files with just a few taps.
Whether you are a student, a professional, or a casual user, downloading files from Google Drive to your iPhone can be extremely useful. It gives you the flexibility to work on your files even when you are away from your computer and ensures that your important documents are always within reach.
In the following sections, we will guide you step by step on how to download files from Google Drive to your iPhone. Lets get started!
To begin the process of downloading files from Google Drive to your iPhone, you need to have the Google Drive app installed on your device. If you havent already done so, you can download and install the app from the App Store.
Once the Google Drive app is installed, locate the app icon on your iPhones home screen and tap on it to open it. The app icon resembles a triangle in different shades of green with a white background.
Upon opening the Google Drive app, you will be prompted to sign in using your Google account credentials. If you already have a Google account, enter your email address and password to sign in. If you dont have a Google account, you can easily create one by following the on-screen instructions.
Once you are signed in to the Google Drive app, you will have access to all your files stored in Google Drive. The app interface is user-friendly and intuitive, allowing you to navigate and manage your files with ease.
With the Google Drive app open on your iPhone, you are now ready to proceed to the next step and start downloading files from Google Drive.
With the Google Drive app open on your iPhone, you will see a list of your files and folders. Take a moment to browse through your files and locate the one you want to download.
To find the specific file, you can use the search bar at the top of the screen or scroll through the list manually. The files are arranged in chronological order, with the most recently modified files appearing at the top.
Once you have found the file you want to download, simply tap on it to open it. The file will open in a preview mode, allowing you to view its content before downloading it to your device.
Google Drive supports a wide range of file types, including documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images, videos, and more. Whether you are downloading a PDF document, a Word file, or a JPEG image, the process is the same.
If you want to download multiple files at once, you can tap and hold on the first file to select it, and then tap on the other files you want to download. The selected files will be highlighted, and you can proceed to the next step to download them all at once.
Once you have identified and tapped on the file or files you want to download, its time to move on to the next step and initiate the download process.
After selecting the file or files you want to download, you need to access the options menu in order to proceed with the download process. To do this, tap on the vertical ellipsis icon (three dots) located at the top-right corner of the screen.
When you tap on the ellipsis icon, a dropdown menu will appear with various options related to the selected file or files. This menu provides you with several actions you can take, including downloading, sharing, renaming, moving, and more.
In the dropdown menu, locate and tap on the Send a copy option. This option allows you to send a copy of the file to another app or save it to your device for offline access.
By tapping on Send a copy, you are indicating your intent to download the selected file or files from Google Drive to your iPhone.
Its worth mentioning that the specific appearance and location of the vertical ellipsis icon may vary depending on the version of the Google Drive app you have installed on your device. However, it is typically recognizable by its three vertically aligned dots and is commonly found in the top-right corner of the screen.
Now that you have tapped on the vertical ellipsis icon and accessed the options menu, you are ready to proceed to the next step and choose how you want to save the file to your iPhone.
After accessing the options menu by tapping on the vertical ellipsis icon, you will see a dropdown menu with various actions related to the selected file or files. In this step, locate and tap on the Send a copy option.
Tapping on Send a copy will bring up a list of available actions to perform with the selected file or files. These actions may include sharing the file, renaming it, moving it to a different folder, and more.
However, for the purpose of this guide, we are focusing on downloading the file to your iPhone. By selecting Send a copy, you are indicating your intention to save a copy of the file to your device.
Its important to note that the wording and placement of the Send a copy option may vary slightly depending on the version of the Google Drive app you are using. However, it will typically be prominently displayed as one of the primary actions you can take with the selected file.
Now that you have tapped on Send a copy and chosen to save a copy of the file to your device, you can proceed to the next step and select the location where you want to save the file on your iPhone.
Once you have selected the Send a copy option for the file you want to download, a list of available actions will appear. From this list of actions, locate and tap on the Save to Files option.
By choosing Save to Files, you are indicating that you want to save the downloaded file to a specific location within the Files app on your iPhone.
The Files app on your iPhone serves as a central hub for managing and organizing your files. It allows you to create folders, move files, and access files from various cloud storage services, including Google Drive.
After tapping on Save to Files, a screen will appear displaying your available storage locations within the Files app. These locations may include iCloud Drive, On My iPhone (local storage), and other cloud storage services that you have connected to your device.
Navigate through the available storage locations and select the folder or location where you want to save the downloaded file. If you dont have a specific folder in mind, you can choose the On My iPhone option to save the file directly to your devices local storage.
Its important to note that the specific structure and appearance of the Files app may vary depending on your iOS version and device settings. However, the basic functionality and options should remain consistent across different versions.
Now that you have chosen Save to Files and selected the location where you want to save the file on your iPhone, you are ready to move on to the next step and finalize the download process.
After choosing Save to Files in the previous step, the Files app will open, displaying your available storage locations and folders. Now its time to select the destination folder where you want to save the downloaded file.
Browse through your available storage locations and folders to find the desired destination folder. You can tap on any folder to open it and view its contents. If you want to save the file in the root directory of a storage location, you can simply choose that storage location without navigating through any folders.
If you have a specific folder in mind and you cant find it in the current location, you can tap on the Browse button at the bottom of the screen. This will allow you to navigate through different storage locations and folders until you find the desired destination folder.
When you locate the destination folder, tap on it to select it as the location where you want to save the downloaded file. The selected folder will be highlighted, indicating that it is the designated destination for the file.
Its worth noting that if you want to save the file in a new folder that doesnt currently exist, you can create a new folder within the Files app. To create a new folder, tap on the New Folder button (usually represented by a + symbol) and follow the on-screen prompts to name and create the folder.
Once you have selected the destination folder for the downloaded file, you are ready to proceed to the final step and initiate the file download process.
After selecting the destination folder in the previous step, you are now just a few taps away from completing the download process. To initiate the download, locate and tap the Save button, usually located at the top-right or bottom-right corner of the screen within the Files app.
When you tap Save, the downloading process will begin, and you will see a progress indicator indicating the status of the download. The speed of the download will depend on the size of the file and your internet connection speed, so it may take a few moments to complete.
Once the download is complete, you will receive a notification confirming that the file has been successfully saved to the selected folder in the Files app. You can then tap on the notification to open the file directly or navigate to the destination folder within the Files app to access your downloaded file.
Its important to note that the downloaded file will be available for offline access, which means you can open and view it even without an internet connection. This can be particularly useful when youre on the go or in situations where internet connectivity is limited.
With the file successfully downloaded and saved to your desired location, you have completed the process of downloading files from Google Drive to your iPhone. You can now access and utilize the downloaded file at any time, whether youre working on a presentation, showcasing photos, or viewing important documents on the go.
Now that you know how to download files from Google Drive to your iPhone, you can make the most out of this convenient feature and seamlessly access your files wherever you are.
Downloading files from Google Drive to your iPhone has never been easier. With just a few simple steps, you can have your important documents, photos, and videos readily accessible on your device, even when youre offline.
In this guide, we walked you through the process of downloading files from Google Drive to your iPhone. From opening the Google Drive app to selecting the destination folder in the Files app, each step was carefully explained to ensure a seamless downloading experience.
With the Google Drive app installed on your iPhone, you have the power to access, manage, and download your files at your fingertips. Whether youre a student, a professional, or a casual user, the ability to download files from Google Drive to your iPhone offers flexibility and convenience in accessing your important files on the go.
Remember that the Files app on your iPhone serves as a central hub for organizing and managing your downloaded files. You can create folders, move files, and access various cloud storage services, including Google Drive, all from one place.
Whether youre downloading a PDF document for an important meeting, saving a memorable photo album to cherish, or accessing a video for entertainment purposes, the steps outlined in this guide can be applied to any file type in Google Drive.
So, why wait? Start taking advantage of the seamless integration between Google Drive and your iPhone by downloading your files and having them accessible anytime, anywhere.
Now that you have successfully learned how to download files from Google Drive to your iPhone, you can confidently navigate through your files and enjoy the convenience of having your important documents and media readily available right in the palm of your hand.
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How To Download From Google Drive To iPhone - Robots.net
Dell APEX Cloud Platform comes to Azure Stack HCI Blocks and … – Blocks and Files
Dell has launched its APEX Cloud Platform for Azure, first announced at Dell World in May, helping to provide a consistent Azure cloud environment across edge, branch, and central datacenters, as well as the public cloud.
Update. Product storage options clarified and table updated. 27 Sep 2023.
Azure Stack is a hyperconverged hardware and software stack needed to provide Azure cloud services on-premises with several OEMs, such as Dell and HPE, supporting it. The Azure Stack HCI includes the Hyper-V virtualization technology along with Storage Spaces Direct. With the APEX CLoud Platform Dell provides the compute, storage, and networking resources in a hyperconverged environment to run the AzureStack HCI v22H2 operating system. The APEX Cloud Platform will also support Red Hat OpenShift and VMware. This Azure version of Dells APEX Cloud Platform runs Storage Sopaces Direct with PowerFlex software-defined storage as. a future option. Dell, via APEX, is the first member of a new Microsoft Premier Solution category of Azure Stack HCI offerings.
Douglas Phillips, Corporate VP for Azure Edge + Platform at Microsoft, said: More of our customers are asking us to bring the power of Azure wherever they need it out in the real world, whether that is in their factories, retail stores, quick service restaurants, or distributed locations. Through our partnership with Dell, we can project just enough Microsoft Azure to those locations at the edge.
Thats just enough as in not replacing the Azure cloud, not over-burdening the edge sites, and in using familiar Azure cloud management services. For example, users can have consistent security and compliance policies across their Azure environment through integration with centralized Azure management and governance services.
This Dell service is based on hyperconverged MC-760 and MC-660 nodes in 2RU chassis. There can be a single node at edge sites and clusters of up to 16 in datacenters with automated cluster expansion. A table summarizes their features:
The MC-760 can have all-flash, hybrid NVMe SSDs and HDDs, and hybrid SAS SSD and HDD configurations, while the smaller MC-660 is only available in all-flash setups, 10 x SAS SSDs or 10 x NVMe SSDs, which are faster than SAS drives. Both node types support up to 2x Nvidia Ampere GPUs.
The node details get complicated and a Dell datasheet has lists the options. Weve summarized a few salient node server and storage differences from it here:
Download the full datasheet here.
Dell says it will add a third, more specialized node type, based on its PowerEdge XR4000 edge-optimized server. It will also add the ability to scale storage separately from compute.
It claims that compared to its existing Integrated System for Azure Stack HCI, customers will see an 88 percent reduction in deployment steps due to a new deployment wizard. Dell is now so integrated with Microsofts support services that updates, patches, and new releases will be available to customers within 4 hours of a Microsoft release.
Download a solution brief document here.
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Dell APEX Cloud Platform comes to Azure Stack HCI Blocks and ... - Blocks and Files
Unlock the Power of Cloud Services: How to Choose the Right … – Telemedia Online
Cloud computing offers an increasingly powerful set of tools to businesses that want to streamline processes, maximise efficiency and speed up operations. Cloud computing services enable businesses to access server storage, software applications and other IT resources from any computer with a secure internet connection. Data from any number of users and devices can be stored, shared or accessed in the cloud.
The term cloud computing is a broad umbrella that encompasses several key services: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS). IaaS provides basic resources such as computing power and storage. PaaS is suited for development, testing and deployment of business applications. SaaS provides software applications that are available over the internet and can be accessed from any location or device with a secure internet connection.
Choosing the right cloud strategy for your business depends on multiple factors, including the size of your organisation, the type of applications you use, your budget and your security requirements.
IaaS is the most basic type of cloud computing. It provides computer resources such as storage, CPU and memory over the internet. IaaS enables businesses to eliminate the need for physical on-site servers and save money by only paying for what they use.
If your organisation requires a large amount of computing power, IaaS provides scalability and flexibility. It allows you to access additional storage and computing resources quickly and easily, without significant upfront investments in hardware or software.
PaaS enables businesses to develop, test and deploy applications without investing in hardware or software. PaaS eliminates the need for an in-house IT team by providing resources like databases, development tools and operating systems.
PaaS is ideal for businesses with a large number of applications or those that require frequent updates. It provides scalability, allowing you to quickly access additional resources as needed.
The most popular type of cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), provides software applications over the internet. Businesses can access these applications from anywhere at any time.
From customer relationship management systems to workflow automation tools, SaaS helps businesses scale operations quickly and efficiently. With SaaS, businesses no longer need to worry about hardware or software installations, updates or maintenance.
When it comes to choosing the right cloud strategy for your business, there are a few key considerations. First, consider your current IT needs and requirements. Are you looking for basic storage solutions or do you require more complex applications?
Next, consider your budget. How much can you afford to spend on cloud services? Dont forget to factor in the cost of data security and compliance with any applicable laws or regulations.
Finally, dont forget to choose a provider that can meet your organisations needs. Nordcloud is a reliable provider of cloud services with over 20 years of experience. With its full range of IaaS, PaaS and SaaS solutions, NordCloud provides the scalability and flexibility businesses need to succeed in todays competitive market.
Cloud computing can offer numerous advantages for businesses of all sizes. By taking the time to choose the right cloud strategy for your business, you can unlock the power of the cloud and reap the many benefits it has to offer.
Choosing the right cloud strategy is crucial for the success of your business. However, there are several common mistakes that businesses often make in this process.
One of the major pitfalls is failing to properly evaluate the needs of the business. Each cloud service type (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) offers different benefits and is suited to different kinds of businesses. It is essential to understand the specific needs of your business before making a choice.
Another common mistake is overlooking the importance of data security. While cloud services can offer enhanced security features, its crucial to ensure that the provider you choose has robust security measures in place and complies with data protection regulations.
Ignoring the costs associated with migration is another common error. Moving to the cloud can involve significant upfront costs, including data migration, staff training, and potential downtime. These costs should be factored into your budget.
Lastly, many businesses fail to consider the long-term scalability of their chosen cloud service. As your business grows, your IT needs are likely to change. Therefore, its important to choose a cloud service that can adapt and scale with your business.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can choose a cloud strategy that truly meets your businesss needs and helps drive your success. NordCloud, with its extensive experience and comprehensive range of services, can be an excellent partner in this journey.
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Unlock the Power of Cloud Services: How to Choose the Right ... - Telemedia Online
The 15 Biggest Microsoft Teams Updates In October 2023 – CRN
Cloud News Wade Tyler Millward September 27, 2023, 02:00 PM EDT
Major Microsoft Teams updates that start rolling out in October include collaborative notes and controlled-content meeting templates.
Collaborative notes. Controlled-content meeting templates. And leveraging Microsoft Graph for Teams transcripts.
These are some of the biggest updates with rollouts that start in October for Microsofts Teams collaboration application.
The rollout dates come courtesy of the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giants online roadmap for Teams and other applications within the Microsoft 365 suite.
[RELATED: Microsoft Reveals Copilot, AI Features Across Windows, Bing, Edge; New Surface Devices Launched]
Some features will work across multiple cloud instances, including Microsoft 365 Government Community Cloud (GCC), GCC High (GCC-H) and Microsofts cloud for the United States Department of Defense (DoD).
While some of the features will work across a variety of platforms and cloud instances and become generally available in October, others will have a more limited reach.
Some of these upcoming Teams features are meant for the premium version of the app, which Microsoft released earlier this year.
Teams Premium costs $7 a person a month, with other packages available for businesses and personal Teams use.
A free version of Teams is still available with group calling for up to 60 minutes and 100 participants and 5 gigabytes (GB) of cloud storage, according to Microsoft.
Other updates included on this list include:
*Unique links for external presenters
*Text notifications for appointments
*Changes for watermarked meetings
Heres a look at some of the most important Teams updates that start to roll out in October.
Wade Tyler Millward is an associate editor covering cloud computing and the channel partner programs of Microsoft, IBM, Red Hat, Oracle, Salesforce, Citrix and other cloud vendors.He can be reached at wmillward@thechannelcompany.com.
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The 15 Biggest Microsoft Teams Updates In October 2023 - CRN
How To Download From iCloud To Android – Robots.net
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Welcome to the world of technology, where we have the luxury of accessing our files and data across different platforms and devices. One such scenario is when you want to download files from iCloud to an Android device. While iCloud is primarily designed for Apple users, there are ways to access and download files from iCloud to Android.
Downloading files from iCloud to an Android device can be a bit tricky since Apple and Android operate on different operating systems. However, there are a couple of methods you can explore to make this transfer possible. In this article, we will explore two options: using the iCloud for Windows app and using the iCloud website.
By leveraging the power of the iCloud for Windows app, you can seamlessly transfer files from iCloud to your Windows PC, and then from there, you can easily transfer them to your Android device. This option requires you to have a Windows PC and the iCloud for Windows app installed.
If you dont have a Windows PC, dont worry! Using the iCloud website is another viable option. With this method, you can directly access your iCloud files through the web browser on your Android device and download them to your computer. Once the files are on your computer, you can proceed to transfer them to your Android device.
Now that you have a brief overview of what we will cover, lets dive into each method in detail. By following the step-by-step instructions provided, you will be able to download your files from iCloud to your Android device with ease.
If you have a Windows PC, using the iCloud for Windows app is a convenient way to download files from iCloud to your Android device. Follow the steps below to get started:
The first step is to download and install the iCloud for Windows app on your PC. You can download it directly from Apples official website. Once the download is complete, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install the app on your computer.
After installing the app, launch it and sign in with your Apple ID and password. Make sure to check the box next to iCloud Drive and any other services you want to sync with your Windows PC. Then, click on the Apply button to save your settings.
Once the iCloud for Windows app is set up on your PC, it will automatically start syncing your iCloud files to your computer. To download specific files or folders, open File Explorer and navigate to the iCloud Drive folder. Here, you can browse through your files and choose the ones you want to download.
Simply right-click on the file or folder, select Download, and choose a location on your PC to save the file. The selected files will be downloaded from iCloud to your Windows PC.
Now that your files are downloaded to your Windows PC, you can transfer them to your Android device. There are several ways to do this, including using a USB cable, cloud storage services, or email.
If you prefer a direct transfer, connect your Android device to your PC using a USB cable. Once connected, navigate to the folder where you saved the downloaded files, select them, and copy them to your Android devices internal storage or SD card.
Alternatively, you can also upload the downloaded files to a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox and then access them on your Android device using the respective app. Another option is to email the files to yourself and download them on your Android device.
With these steps, you can successfully download files from iCloud to your Android device using the iCloud for Windows app. Now, lets explore another option for downloading files from iCloud to Android.
If you dont have a Windows PC, or if you prefer a more direct approach, you can use the iCloud website to download files from iCloud to your Android device. Follow the steps below to proceed:
On your Android device, open a web browser and navigate to the iCloud website. You can access it by entering http://www.icloud.com in the address bar.
Once you are on the iCloud website, sign in using your Apple ID and password. Make sure to use the same account that you use for iCloud on your Apple devices.
After signing in, you will be presented with various iCloud services. Click on the iCloud Drive icon to access your files stored in iCloud.
In the iCloud Drive interface, navigate through the folders to find the specific files you want to download. You can use the folder hierarchy or the search bar to locate your files quickly.
Once you have found the files you want to download, select them by clicking on the checkbox next to each file. If you want to select all files in a folder, click on the checkbox in the header row to select all.
After selecting the files, click on the download button (represented by a cloud with an arrow pointing downwards) to initiate the download process. The selected files will be downloaded to your computers default download location.
Now that the files are downloaded to your computer, you can proceed to transfer them to your Android device. Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable.
Once connected, you can either navigate to the location where the downloaded files are saved and manually copy them to your Android devices internal storage or SD card, or you can use software like Android File Transfer to make the transfer process more seamless.
With these steps, you can easily download files from iCloud to your Android device using the iCloud website. The process may require an extra step of transferring the files from your computer to your Android device, but it provides a reliable and direct method for accessing your iCloud files.
In order to download files from iCloud to your Windows PC and subsequently transfer them to your Android device, you will need to download and install the iCloud for Windows app. Follow the steps below to get started:
1. Open your preferred web browser and go to the official Apple website.
2. Search for iCloud for Windows or directly visit the iCloud for Windows download page.
3. Once on the download page, click on the Download button to initiate the download process.
4. Depending on your browser settings, you may be asked to choose a destination folder to save the installation file. Select an appropriate location on your computer and click Save.
5. Once the download is complete, locate the installation file on your computer. It is usually saved in the default downloads folder or the folder you selected earlier.
6. Double-click on the installation file to start the installation process.
7. Follow the prompts and on-screen instructions provided by the installer to proceed with the installation.
8. Read and accept the terms and conditions, and choose the destination folder where the iCloud for Windows app will be installed. You can use the default folder or select a different one as per your preference.
9. Click on the Install button to begin the installation process. Wait for the installation to complete, as it may take a few moments.
10. Once the installation is finished, you will be prompted to restart your computer. It is recommended to save any unsaved work and close any open applications before proceeding with the restart.
11. After your computer has rebooted, the iCloud for Windows app will be installed and ready to use.
With the iCloud for Windows app successfully installed on your computer, you are now ready to set it up and start downloading files from iCloud to your Windows PC. This is the first step towards accessing your iCloud files on your Android device. Lets move on to the next step to proceed further.
Now that you have successfully downloaded and installed the iCloud for Windows app on your computer, its time to set it up so you can access your iCloud files. Follow these steps to get started:
1. Open the iCloud for Windows app by either clicking on its desktop shortcut or searching for it in the Windows start menu.
2. Once the app is launched, you will be prompted to sign in with your Apple ID and password. Enter the required credentials and click on the Sign In button.
3. After signing in, you will see a list of iCloud services available for synchronization. Make sure to check the box next to iCloud Drive so that your files can be accessed and downloaded to your Windows PC.
4. Optionally, you can also select other iCloud services you want to sync with your computer, such as Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Photos. Check the boxes next to the desired services to enable synchronization.
5. Next, you have the option to choose the location on your computer where you want to save the iCloud Drive files. By default, it automatically sets the iCloud Drive folder in your user directory. If you want to change the location, click on the Change button and select a different folder.
6. Beneath the iCloud Drive settings, you will see an option called Options. Click on it to adjust additional settings, such as enabling automatic downloads of new photos or videos, syncing bookmarks with browsers, and managing iCloud storage.
7. After customizing the settings, click on the Apply button to save your changes and apply them to the iCloud for Windows app.
8. The app will now begin syncing your iCloud Drive files to your Windows PC. Depending on the size and number of files, this process may take some time.
9. Once the syncing process is complete, you will have access to your iCloud files on your Windows PC, and you can proceed to download and transfer them to your Android device.
By following these steps, you have successfully set up the iCloud for Windows app and synchronized your iCloud Drive files with your Windows PC. The next step involves downloading the files from iCloud to your PC, which we will cover in the next section. Lets move on to the following step to proceed further.
Now that you have set up the iCloud for Windows app on your computer, you can proceed to download specific files or folders from iCloud to your Windows PC. Follow these steps to download files from iCloud:
1. Open the File Explorer on your Windows PC by either clicking on the folder icon on the taskbar or pressing the Windows key + E shortcut.
2. On the left-hand side of the File Explorer window, you will see a list of Quick Access folders. Scroll down and click on the iCloud Drive folder.
3. In the iCloud Drive folder, you will find all the files and folders that are stored in your iCloud Drive. Browse through the folders to find the specific file or folder you want to download.
4. Once you locate the desired file or folder, right-click on it and select Download from the context menu. If you want to download multiple files or folders, you can select them by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking on each item.
5. After selecting the file(s) or folder(s) you want to download, choose a location on your Windows PC where you want to save them. You can either select an existing folder or create a new one by clicking on the New Folder option.
6. Click on the Save button to start the download process. The selected file(s) or folder(s) will be downloaded from iCloud to your specified location on your Windows PC.
7. Depending on the size and number of files, the download process may take some time. You can monitor the progress in the Downloads section of your web browser or by checking the File Explorer window.
8. Once the download is complete, you can access the downloaded files from the location you designated earlier. They are now stored on your Windows PC and ready to be transferred to your Android device.
By following these steps, you have successfully downloaded specific files or folders from iCloud to your Windows PC. In the next step, we will discuss how to transfer these downloaded files from your Windows PC to your Android device. Lets move on to the next step to proceed further.
Now that you have successfully downloaded the files from iCloud to your Windows PC, its time to transfer them to your Android device. There are several methods you can use to achieve this. Here are some popular options:
One of the simplest ways to transfer files from your Windows PC to your Android device is by using a USB cable:
Another convenient method is to upload the downloaded files to a cloud storage service and then access them on your Android device. Heres how:
If the files you downloaded are relatively small, you can also send them to yourself via email:
Regardless of the method you choose, once the files are transferred to your Android device, you can access them using the appropriate file manager app or the app associated with the file type.
By following these steps, you have successfully transferred the downloaded files from your Windows PC to your Android device. You can now enjoy your iCloud files on your Android device. In the next section, we will explore an alternative option for downloading files from iCloud to Android. Lets continue to the next section.
If you dont have access to a Windows PC or prefer a more direct approach, you can download files from iCloud to your Android device by using the iCloud website. Follow these steps to get started:
1. On your Android device, open a web browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
2. In the address bar, type in http://www.icloud.com and press Enter. This will take you to the iCloud website.
3. Once the iCloud website loads, you will be greeted with the iCloud sign-in page.
4. If you have previously signed in to iCloud on your device, you may be automatically logged in. If not, enter your Apple ID and password in the respective fields and tap on the Sign In button.
5. If you have enabled two-factor authentication, you might be prompted to verify your identity through a code sent to your trusted device or phone number. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the verification process.
6. After successfully signing in, you will be taken to the iCloud dashboard. This is where you can access your iCloud files and data.
Please note that while you can access the iCloud website on your Android device, not all features and functionalities may be available or optimized for mobile browsing. This may vary depending on the web browser you are using and the specific capabilities of your Android device.
However, the iCloud website provides a convenient way to access and download your iCloud files on your Android device without the need for any additional software or applications.
With the iCloud website open and your iCloud account signed in, you are now ready to access your iCloud files and proceed to download them to your Android device. In the next step, we will explore how to sign in to your iCloud account and access your files. Lets move on to the next step to proceed further.
Now that you have opened the iCloud website on your Android device, its time to sign in to your iCloud account. Follow these steps to access your iCloud files:
1. On the iCloud websites sign-in page, enter your Apple ID and password in the provided fields.
2. Make sure to use the same Apple ID and password that you use on your Apple devices to access your iCloud data.
3. If you have enabled two-factor authentication, you may receive a verification code on your trusted device or phone number. Enter the code in the appropriate field when prompted.
4. Once you have entered the required information and completed any additional security steps, tap on the Sign In button.
5. If all the provided login credentials are correct, you will be successfully signed in to your iCloud account.
6. After signing in, you will be taken to the iCloud dashboard, where you can access your iCloud files, emails, calendar, contacts, and other iCloud services.
Its important to note that signing in to your iCloud account on the iCloud website does not create or link an iCloud account to your Android device. It simply allows you to access your iCloud files stored in the cloud.
Make sure to safeguard your Apple ID and password and be cautious while signing in to your account on a public or shared device.
With successful sign-in to your iCloud account on the iCloud website, you can now access your iCloud files and proceed to download them to your Android device. In the next step, we will explore how to access and download your iCloud files. Lets move on to the next step to proceed further.
Now that you have signed in to your iCloud account on the iCloud website, you can easily access your iCloud files. Follow these steps to locate and access your files:
1. After signing in, you will be directed to the iCloud dashboard. Here, you will find various icons representing different iCloud services like Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, and iCloud Drive.
2. To access your iCloud files, click on the iCloud Drive icon. This will take you to the iCloud Drive interface, which displays all the files and folders stored in your iCloud Drive.
3. In the iCloud Drive interface, you will see a familiar file explorer-like layout, with folders and file icons representing your documents, photos, and other files.
4. You can navigate through the folders by clicking on them to access subfolders, or you can use the breadcrumbs at the top of the page to quickly jump to a specific folder.
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How To Download From iCloud To Android - Robots.net
Billions of passwords and email addresses have been leaked online … – TechRadar
Billions of user records, combinations of usernames and passwords compromised in earlier data breaches, were left unprotected in an online database, available to anyone who knew where to look.
This is according to a new report from Cybernews, citing CEO of SecurityDiscovery, Bob Diachenko. Apparently, a digital risk protection firm called DarkBeam was collecting credentials stolen in both reported and non-reported data breaches, to notify the affected individuals. But the database was easy to find, it seems, with a little help from Elasticsearch and Kibana (a database system and a specialized search engine).
Diachenko found a database containing more than 3.8 billion records. Soon afterward, he contacted DarkBeam who managed to quickly lock the doors and protect the database. Theres no word if any threat actors found the database before the researchers, though.
The database contained, among other things, 16 collections named email 0-9 and email A-F, each holding almost 240 million records. It seems to have been well organized, and if any hackers had obtained it, they would have gotten a treasure trove of sensitive data, perfect for phishing, identity theft, wire fraud, and other cybercriminal activity.
Exposed databases mostly happen due to human error, but theyre also one of the most common instances of data leaks. Throughout the years there have been countless such events including, most recently, an unlocked Microsoft Azure cloud storage database that hosted sensitive information on hundreds of people. That database, which belonged to Microsofts researchers working on Artificial Intelligence, held private keys and passwords. The good news is that the database was locked before any hackers could get to it.
The database was discovered by cybersecurity researchers from Wiz, who said they found a Microsoft GitHub repository with open-source code for AI models, to be used for image recognition. The models were hosted on an Azure Storage URL, but due to obvious human error, the storage also held data that no one should have access to.
A 2021 IBM report found that 19% of data breaches happen because IT teams fail to properly protect the assets found within their cloud infrastructure.
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Billions of passwords and email addresses have been leaked online ... - TechRadar
Lazarus Group Impersonates Recruiter from Meta to Target Spanish … – The Hacker News
Sep 29, 2023THNCyber Espionage / Malware
The North Korea-linked Lazarus Group has been linked to a cyber espionage attack targeting an unnamed aerospace company in Spain in which employees of the firm were approached by the threat actor posing as a recruiter for Meta.
"Employees of the targeted company were contacted by a fake recruiter via LinkedIn and tricked into opening a malicious executable file presenting itself as a coding challenge or quiz," ESET security researcher Peter Klnai said in a technical report shared with The Hacker News.
The attack is part of a long-standing spear-phishing campaign called Operation Dream Job that's orchestrated by the hacking crew in an attempt to lure employees working at prospective targets that are of strategic interest, enticed them with lucrative job opportunities to activate the infection chain.
Earlier this March, the Slovak cybersecurity company detailed an attack wave aimed at Linux users that involved the use of bogus HSBC job offers to launch a backdoor named SimplexTea.
The ultimate objective of the latest intrusion, which is designed for Windows systems, is the deployment of an implant codenamed LightlessCan.
"The most worrying aspect of the attack is the new type of payload, LightlessCan, a complex and possibly evolving tool that exhibits a high level of sophistication in its design and operation, and represents a significant advancement in malicious capabilities compared to its predecessor, BLINDINGCAN," Klnai said.
BLINDINGCAN, also known by the name AIRDRY or ZetaNile, is a feature-rich malware capable of harvesting sensitive information from infiltrated hosts.
It all commenced with the target receiving a message on LinkedIn from a fake recruiter working for Meta Platforms, who then sent two coding challenges as part of the supposed hiring process and convinced the victim to execute the test files (named Quiz1.iso and Quiz2.iso) hosted on a third-party cloud storage platform.
ESET said the ISO files, which contained malicious binaries Quiz1.exe and Quiz2.exe, were downloaded and executed on a company-provided device, effectively resulting in the self-compromise of the system and the breach of the corporate network.
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The attack paves the way for an HTTP(S) downloader referred to as NickelLoader, which allows the attackers to deploy any desired program into the memory of the victim's computer, including the LightlessCan remote access trojan and a variant of BLINDINGCAN referred to as miniBlindingCan (aka AIRDRY.V2).
LightlessCan comes fitted with support for as many as 68 distinct commands, although in its current version, only 43 of those commands are implemented with some functionality. tminiBlindingCan's main responsibility is to transmit system information and download files retrieved from a remote server, among others.
A noteworthy trait of the campaign is the use of execution guardrails to prevent the payloads from being decrypted and run on any other machine other than that of the intended victim's.
"LightlessCan mimics the functionalities of a wide range of native Windows commands, enabling discreet execution within the RAT itself instead of noisy console executions," Klnai said. "This strategic shift enhances stealthiness, making detecting and analyzing the attacker's activities more challenging."
The Lazarus Group and other threat clusters originating from North Korea have been prolific in recent months, having staged attacks spanning manufacturing and real estate sectors in India, telecoms companies in Pakistan and Bulgaria, and government, research, and defense contractors in Europe, Japan, and the U.S., according to Kaspersky.
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Lazarus Group Impersonates Recruiter from Meta to Target Spanish ... - The Hacker News
Optimizing Resilience When Migrating Legacy Apps to the Cloud – ITPro Today
One of the principal advantages of platforms like SAP resides in their integrity, reliability, and resilience. These attributes garner considerable appeal for hosting mission-critical data and workloads within enterprise environments. Conversely, the cloud is lauded for its exceptional flexibility and scalability, with its cost-effectiveness rendering it a desirable alternative to traditional hosting platforms.
Consequently, enterprises find themselves confronted with a pertinent question: How can they amalgamate the resilience inherent in legacy application platforms with the multitude of benefits offered by cloud?
Related: What Is Cloud Storage? Definition, Types, and Benefits
This answer lies in meticulously migrating legacy workloads to the cloud, ensuring resilience is prioritized at every point of the process. As this article explains, integrating resilience into the migration process is not inherently organic. By implementing astute measures before, during, and after the cloud migration, enterprises can attain a balance of resilience and flexibility. Such a desirable equilibrium enables organizations much more opportunities for leveraging advantages from the cloud, whilst preserving the resilience of legacy platforms.
Before delving into best practices for building resilience during the migration of legacy applications, it is important to understand what is meant by resilience.
Related: Comparing Cloud Giants: 5 Key Differences Between AWS and Azure
At its core, resilience is the ability of workloads to remain available and perform regularly and successfully during strenuous operations, even when confronted with unexpected disruptions, like server failures or application crashes.
Legacy platforms are endowed with a myriad of intrinsic resilience features. These include the capacity to integrate redundancy into the infrastructure, thereby preventing the failure of one component from slowing the workload, and the aptitude to isolate applications to reduce the risk of a problem of one application's issues affecting others. Such features are integral to why enterprises have historically gravitated toward legacy application platforms for managing critical workloads.
On balance, modern public clouds possess resilience capabilities, too, like the option of mirroring workloads across multiple availability zones to augment their reliability. However, resilience features in the public cloud are usually not enabled by default, and many come with added costs and trade-offs.
Therefore, when you migrate legacy apps to the cloud, it is essential to undertake calculated measures to ensure resilience. Simply moving to the cloud and choosing the default configurations is no guarantee that your apps will prove resilient against various disruptions, such as VM (virtual machine) crashes or insufficient resource allocations during times of peak demand.
Building resilience into legacy applications when they're migrated to cloud requires action during each of the three stages of migration: during planning, during migration, and after the migration is complete.
In many ways, the pre-migration stage is paramount for purposes of resilience, given that the decisions made regarding the migration of the application to cloud and how to operate it once it is there bear significant implications for its resilience.
Start the planning process by assessing your application's current needs, inclusive of those related to resilience. For example, what extent of downtime can you tolerate from the app? Which types of processing power, storage, and other resources are requisite to operate it reliably? To what degree does the app load vary, and is this acceptable to your migration strategy?
Contingent on the responses to the queries mentioned above, choose an appropriate cloud architecture for hosting the app. Is the strategy to lift-and-shift the application into a VM instance on a public cloud service like Amazon EC2? Or will you refactor it to take advantage of microservices architectures and container-based cloud hosting services, such as Amazon EKS? Will you leverage options like deploying the app across multiple availability zones, acknowledging that while this enhances resilience, it typically incurs added costs?
Finally, upon determining how you'll run your app in the cloud and understanding the requirements for the migration, identify the necessary tools and processes that will enable the migration process. All major public cloud providers offer tools for lifting-and-shifting on-prem apps into their cloud environments. However, should there be plans to refactor your app or make major changes to its architecture, it may be necessary for a more direct approach.
Throughout the actual migration, your goal should be the assurance of resilience by monitoring the migration process continuously and maintaining preparedness to address any arising issues. If data that you transfer to the cloud fails to upload, for example, immediate notification will be imperative so that a restart of the transfer or a shift to alternative migration strategies will minimize unnecessary downtime (such as converting the data to a different format to work around transmission errors).
Likewise, be sure to have playbooks in place to facilitate quick responses in the event of complications. Successful migrations also need experienced staff who understand both legacy applications and cloud environments who can predict and minimize any unexpected issues that arise during migration.
Successful migration to cloud doesn't mean the resilience mission has been successfully completed. On the contrary, even if the cloud architecture you chose is inherently resilient, there are opportunities to enhance resilience further after the migration.
This is where practices such as ongoing workload monitoring and auditing become pivotal. These processes provide data that can be scrutinized to identify anticipated resilient levels. For example, monitoring might reveal a higher incidence of errors during peak loads than initially anticipated. Taking steps to mitigate those errors would likely improve application resiliency. Similarly, an audit might surface insecure configuration settings, potentially exposing the application to compromising attacks.
Equally important is ongoing application management and maintenance. Be sure that the application and the hosting cloud infrastructure are regularly patched, using tools such as AWS (Amazon Web Services) Systems Manager, Azure Update Management, and Google Cloud OS Config.
Finally, be sure to monitor cloud hosting costs to verify that the investment in resilience capabilities such as redundant VM instances is aligned with budgetary expectations.
Shifting applications to cloud doesn't automatically guarantee strong levels of resilience. The opposite can happen if you migrate an app from a legacy platform to a cloud without factoring in resilience requirements.
By putting resilience at the forefront during each phase of cloud migration before, during, and after you can achieve an app that maintains its robustness, all while reaping the benefits of the cloud's flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency. This balance is precisely what successful application modernization aims to accomplish.
About the author: Kausik Chaudhuri is Chief Innovation Officer at Lemongrass.
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Optimizing Resilience When Migrating Legacy Apps to the Cloud - ITPro Today