3. AI is Smarter Than Your Average Network Engineer

Modern applications are widely deployed in the cloud, but they're coming at the edge as well. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Alastair Cooke and Paul Nashawaty from The Futurum Group, Erik Nordmark from ZEDEDA, and host Stephen Foskett discussing the intersection of application modernization and edge computing. As enterprises look to deploy more applications at the edge they are leveraging technologies like Kubernetes and containers to enable portability, scalability, resilience, and high availability. In many cases customers are moving existing web applications to the edge to improve performance and security, but not all webscale technologies are appropriate on the limited hardware, environmentals, and connectivity found at the edge. The question is whether to improve the edge compute platform or build resiliency into the application itself. But there are limits to this approach, since edge locations don't have the elasticity of the cloud and many of the features of Kubernetes were not designed for limited resources. It comes down to developer expectations, since they are now accustomed to the experience of modern webscale platforms and expect this environment everywhere. In the future, we expect WASM, LLMs, and more to be used regardless of location. Host: Stephen Foskett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Panalists: Alastair Cooke, CTO Advisor at The Futurum Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alastaircooke/ Paul Nashawaty, Practice Lead, Application Development Modernization at The Futurum Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulnashawaty/ Erik Nordmark, CTO and Co-founder, ZEDEDA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-nordmark-77124310/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TFDPodcast, #EdgeComputing, #Kubernetes, @ZEDEDAEdge, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPodcast, @TheFuturumGroup, @DemitasseNZ, @SFoskett, @PNashawaty,

Security audits are painful and often required for compliance but they aren’t adversarial unless you have a bad auditor or bad policy compliance. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth sits down with Teren Bryson, Skye Fugate, and Ben Story to discuss the nuances of audits. The panel discusses the discovery of technical debt, external versus internal auditing, the need for flexibility in procedures. and how good auditors can make for a more positive outcomes. Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Panel: Ben Story: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstory/ Skye Fugate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skye-f/ Teren Bryson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teren/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod

Recent advances in AI for IT have shown the huge potential for changing the way that we do work. However, AI can’t replace everyone in the workforce. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Rita Younger, Josh Warcop, and Rob Coote as they look at how the hype surrounding AI must inevitably be reconciled with the reality of real people doing work. They discuss the way that AI is judged for its mistakes versus a human as well as how marketing is pushing software as the solution to all our staffing ills. Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Panelists: Josh Warcop: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warcop/ Rita Younger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritayounger/ Rob Coote: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robcoote/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #NFD34 #Networking #TFDPodcast @TechFieldDay @TechFieldDayPod

Cyber Resiliency is a term that encompasses much more than simply protecting data. This episode features Tom Hollingsworth joined by Krista Macomber and Max Mortillaro discussing the additional features in a cyber resiliency solution and the need to understand how data needs to be safeguarded from destruction or exploitation. The episode highlights the shift from reactive to proactive measures as well as the additional integrations that are needed between development, deployment, and operations teams to ensure success. Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Panelists: Krista Macomber, Research Director, The Futurum Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-macomber/ Max Mortillaro, Consultant and Co-Owner of TECHUnplugged: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmortillaro/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TFDPodcast, #XFD11, #CyberResiliency, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPod, @NetworkingNerd, @MaxMortillaro, @KLMacomber, @TheFuturumGroup,

There is a hazardous amount of AI-generated and SEO-oriented content being generated, and the solution is real stories from real communities. In the first episode of Tech Field Podcast, recorded on-site at AI Field Day, Stephen Foskett chats with Frederic Van Haren, Gina Rosenthal and Colleen Coll about confronting inauthentic content. The internet is inundated with low-quality, AI-generated, and SEO-driven content, and the antidote is the cultivation of real, credible voices within the tech community. The discussion focuses on the importance of community-driven content and the credibility of individual voices in an era dominated by content optimized for algorithms rather than human engagement. The rise of generative AI in content creation and consumption is accelerating, and we must all find a balance between technological advancements and human insight. This is the essence of the Tech Field Day experience, which fosters meaningful dialogue among tech professionals and companies in the industry. For fifteen years Tech Field Day has highlighted the critical role of human connection and credible voices in navigating the digital information landscape, and this re-launched podcast is part of that continuing effort. Host: Stephen Foskett, Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Panelists: Frederic Van Haren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericvharen/ Gina Rosenthal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gminks/ Colleen Coll: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-coll-b971505/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TechFieldDayPodcast, #AIFD4, #AI, #TechFieldDay, @SFoskett, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPod, @FredericVHaren, @GMinks, @ColleenColl,

We are once again returning to the Tech Field Day name for our weekly podcast. In this episode, Stephen Foskett and Tom Hollingsworth delve into the history of the podcast, how it came to prominence and what sets it apart from other technical podcasts. We also discuss why each episode has a premise and why the name has been the On-Premise IT Podcast for so long. Hosts: Stephen Foskett, Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Tom Hollingsworth, Tech Field Day Event Lead: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TechFieldDayPodcast, #TechFieldDay, #EnterpriseIT, @SFoskett, @NetworkingNerd, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPod,

Hammerspace unveiled a new storage architecture called Hyperscale NAS that addresses the needs of AI and GPU computing. This episode of the On-Premise IT podcast, sponsored by Hammerspace, is focused on the extreme requirements of high-performance multi-node computing. Eric Bassier of Hammerspace joins Chris Grundemann, Frederic Van Haren, and Stephen Foskett to consider the characteristics that define this new storage architecture. Hammerspace leverages parallel NFS and flexible file layout (FlexFiles) within the NFS protocol to deliver unprecedented scalability and performance. AI training requires scalability, performance, and low latency but also flexible and robust data management, which makes Hyperscale NAS extremely attractive. Now that the Linux kernel includes NFS v4.2, the Hammerspace Hyperscale NAS system works out of the box with standards-based clients rather than requiring a proprietary client. Hammerspace is currently deployed in massive hyperscale datacenters and is used in some of the largest AI training scenarios. Host: Stephen Foskett, Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Panel: Frederic Van Haren, CTO and Founder of HighFens, Inc.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericvharen/ Chris Grundemann, Managing Director at Grundemann Solutions: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgrundemann/ Hammerspace Representative: Eric Bassier, Senior Director, Solution Marketing at Hammerspace: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-bassier/ Follow Gestalt IT Website: https://www.GestaltIT.com/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/GestaltIT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Gestalt-IT

The job market is more competitive than ever but the desire to fill network engineering roles is lower than before. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Ryan Lambert, Dakota Snow, and David Varnum for an examination of why network design and implementation isn’t a hot career path. They look at the rise of cloud as a discipline as well as the reduction of complexity in modern roles with help from software an automation shifts. They also discuss how entry level professionals can adjust their thinking to take advantage of open roles on the market. Podcast Information: Tom Hollingsworth is a Networking and Security Specialist at Gestalt IT and Event Lead for Tech Field Day. You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Find out more on his blog or on the Tech Field Day website. Ryan Lambert is an Enterprise Network Architect and first time Field Day Delegate. You can connect with Ryan on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter. Dakota Snow is a Director of Network Operations and Host of The Bearded IT Dad on YouTube. You can connect with Dakota on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter and check out his YouTube channel. David Varnum is a Network and Data Center engineer, consultant, and blogger. You can connect with David on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter and learn more by visiting his website. Gestalt IT and Tech Field Day are now part of The Futurum Group.

Most people envision AI as a cool and orderly datacenter activity, but this technology will soon be everywhere. This episode of the On-Premise IT podcast contrasts the AI-based greenhouses of Nature Fresh Farms, as presented by guest Keith Bradley at AI Field Day, with the massive GPU-bound infrastructure many people imagine. Allyson Klein, Frederic Van Haren, and Stephen Foskett attended AI Field Day and were intrigued by the ways AI can process data from cameras and other sensors in a greenhouse environment.

The development of AI networking is moving forward and Ethernet is taking a prime role in how workloads will communicate. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Drew Conry-Murray and Jordan Martin as well as J Metz, the chair of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, to discuss the progress being made by the UEC to develop Ethernet to meet the needs of AI. They discuss the roadmap for adoption of technologies as well as the drivers for the additions to the protocol and how people can get involved. Podcast Information: * Tom Hollingsworth is a Networking and Security Specialist at Gestalt IT and Event Lead for Tech Field Day. You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Find out more on his blog or on the Tech Field Day website. * J Metz is the Chair of both the Ultra Ethernet Consortium and SNIA, as well as a Technical Director at AMD. You can connect with J on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter. Learn more about The Ultra Ethernet Consortium on their website. Learn more about SNIA on their website. Learn more about AMD&#8217;s AI efforts here. * Jordan Martin is the Principal Solutions Architect at World Wide Technologies. You can connect with Jordan on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter. * Drew Conry-Murray is the Content Director over at Packet Pushers. You can connect with Drew on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter and find more on what Drew is doing over at Packet Pushers. Gestalt IT and&nbsp;Tech Field Day&nbsp;are now part of&nbsp;The Futurum Group. Follow us on&nbsp;Twitter! AND&nbsp;<a href="https://gestaltit.com/category/gestalt-news" target="_blank" rel="noreferr...