The Fat Pipe - All Packet Pushers Pods

Will the new QUIC protocol cause the Internet to collapse? Today's Heavy Networking episode tackles this question with guest Christian Huitema. QUIC is an emerging transport protocol that promises advances over TCP and the ability to innovate quickly, but could--possibly--set off an arms race as developers try to game congestion algorithms to their own benefit.

Today’s Heavy Networking dives into QUIC, a transport protocol originally developed by Google and now an IETF project.

QUIC promises advances over TCP and the opportunity for faster innovation, but it also poses a potential problem; developers may try to tune congestion control algorithms such as BBR in their favor, gobbling up available throughput while other connections limp along.

If competitors respond with their own tweaks, this could, as our guest writes “trigger a race to the bottom, and potentially break the Internet, unless network providers start deploying adequate Active Queue Management algorithms.”

That guest is Christian Huitema, an author and contributor to IETF standards with more than 40 years’ experience with software and Internet protocols. A former Microsoft engineer, he’s founder of the consulting firm Private Octopus, Inc.

We discuss how QUICK and BBR function, how they work around traditional gatekeepers and the pros and cons of those workarounds, and how QUIC differs from TCP.

We also examine the potential problems that QUIC could unleash, and explore congestion control and Adaptive Queue Management (AQM) algorithms as possible solutions.

Show Links:

Will Transport Innovation Collapse The Internet? – Christian Huitema

Christian Huitema’s Blog

Christian Huitema on LinkedIn

QUIC

BBR

Private Octopus, Inc.

QUIC, a multiplexed stream transport over UDP – The Chromium Projects

Network scheduler – Wikipedia

RFC 7567 – IETF Recommendations Regarding Active Queue Management – IETF

BBR, the new kid on the TCP block – APNIC Blog

TCP and BBR (2018) – Geoff Huston (PDF)

Today's Network Break discusses new Facebook switches released through the Open Compute Project, examines two significant acquisitions--F5 buying NGINX and NVIDIA ponying up for Mellanox--and reviews more tech and IT news.

Take a Network Break! Facebook announces new switches under the Open Compute Project banner, including support for Cumulus and a model from Arista.

F5 buys NGINX for $670 million, NVIDIA buys Mellanox for $6.9 billion, and Citrix investigates a possible breach of its corporate network.

Big Switch demonstrates a network OS that combines Open Network Linux and Sonic, Facebook suffers an outage across multiple platforms, and the city of Tel Aviv tests new crosswalk lights designed to catch the attention of people whose faces are glued to their smartphones.

Sponsor: ExtraHop

ExtraHop is the enterprise cyber analytics company delivering performance and security from the inside out. ExtraHop offer complete visibility with machine learning to help you make quick, confident decisions about your IT environment.

Explore the ExtraHop Performance Platform at extrahop.com/packetpushers.

Show Links:

Reinventing our data center network with F16, Minipack – Facebook Code

Arista 7368X4 Series – Arista

NGINX to Join F5: Proud to Finish One Chapter and Excited to Start the Next – NGINX

F5 Networks –4.9% as analysts eyeball Nginx purchase deal – F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) – Seeking Alpha

A Letter to F5 Employees from CEO François Locoh-Donou Announcing NGINX Acquisition – F5

NVIDIA to Acquire Mellanox for $6.9 Billion – NVIDIA Newsroom

Nvidia to make largest acquisition in its history with $6.9 billion deal for Mellanox – MarketWatch

Iranian-backed hackers ransacked Citrix, swiped 6TB+ of emails, docs, secrets, claims cyber-biz – The Register

Citrix investigating unauthorized access to internal network – Citrix Blogs

Big Switch to Demo SONiC with Open Network Linux at OCP Global Summit – Big Switch

It’s alive! Big Switch stitches together an open-source Network Operating System – The Register

Tel Aviv tries out new crosswalk lights for cellular addicts – Reuters

On today’s sponsored Heavy Networking episode we explore how AppNeta wraps user metadata around Netflow records, deep packet inspection, and discovery of networks to help engineers get a continuous view of end user performance and the telemetry to find and fix problems.

On today’s sponsored Heavy Networking episode we speak with AppNeta. AppNeta wraps user metadata around Netflow records, deep packet inspection, and discovery of networks to provide a complete picture of application performance. You can find out more at AppNeta.com/packetpushers.

With AppNeta, engineers get a continuous view of end user performance and the telemetry to find and fix problems.

Delivered as a cloud service, AppNeta supports virtual and physical monitoring points, so customers can choose the configuration that fits their needs. Physical appliances range from 100% solid-state devices that are half the size of home cable boxes, to data center-class rackmount options with redundant power supplies and support for up to 100Gbps.

Our guests from AppNeta are Adam Edwards, Chief Customer Officer; and Sean Armstrong, VP of Products.

We discuss the kinds of data that AppNeta collects and analyzes, explore common use cases, and dive into the value of user experience for performance and troubleshooting.

Show Links:

AppNeta.com/packetpushers

AppNeta Blog

AppNeta on Twitter

AppNeta on LinkedIn

Do you know where your towel is?

Today’s Datanauts episode offers travel advice for IT pros who spend a lot of time on the road. Our three guests have logged millions of miles parachuting in to remote sites, driving to data centers, and flying all over the world to make customers happy.

They share their experiences on how to stay connected, how to maximize space in luggage and equipment cases, and how to get from point A to point B as smoothly as possible.

Our guests also discuss how to get work done when on the road, and how they manage time and tasks when they don’t know where they’ll be next week.

Last but not least, they share tips on maximizing travel programs, and recommend their favorite travel gear, clothing, and cherished accoutrements.

In this three-part show we interview travel veterans Ron Fuller, an NSX specialist with VMware; Tony Bourke, an IT instructor; and Greg Shipley, who works at InQTel.

Show Notes:

Bonus Tips From Greg Shipley:

PACKING: GEAR

I started off with bags that have a lot of compartments, but I could never remember which compartment I put things in. I eventually moved to having one big open bag (with few compartments) and then using smaller organizers to keep things separate. This accomplishes two things:

* I stopped needing to unzip and open a gazillion pockets to find something

* I can keep the smaller things near the object they store. Example: small (computer) cable bag stays near my laptop on the hotel desk, toiletry bag stays in the bathroom, etc.  So when it’s time to go, everything goes into the (nearby) little bags, little bags go into the big bag. I can usually clear out of my hotel room in 5 minutes or less now.

Northface basecamp duffel bag – small

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/base-camp-duffel-s-nf0a3eto

* Practically indestructible – mine has been in dozens of countries and logged 100s of thousands of miles

* Does not scream “luggage” / is low profile

* Fits in overhead

* In a pinch, fits UNDER many airplane seats, too

* Toss it on your back or throw it over your shoulder and go

Clothing cubes

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-4-Piece-Packing-Cube-Set/dp/B014VBHNDU/ref=asc_df_B014VBHNDU/

Toiletry bag

https://www.workbygravel.com/products/the-explorer-slim-the-best-toiletry-bag-for-traveling

* Was originally a kickstarter.

* A little pricey, but so worth it; you will never again be plagued by a toothpaste explosion

Laptop sleeve

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ICV5E28/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

* Protects the laptop while it is packed

* Doubles as a light-weight item to carry your laptop on days you don’t need all of your gear. (shoulder strap included)

Baubax jacket

https://www.baubax.com/

* I like having my passport physically on my person, but without advertising it

* I’d recommend the sweatshirt or vest; soft-shell might be too much for a flight

(Computer) Cable bag

* Apple’s approach to international power adapters is superior to everything else I’ve seen

Do you know where your towel is?

Today’s Datanauts episode offers travel advice for IT pros who spend a lot of time on the road. Our three guests have logged millions of miles parachuting in to remote sites, driving to data centers, and flying all over the world to make customers happy.

They share their experiences on how to stay connected, how to maximize space in luggage and equipment cases, and how to get from point A to point B as smoothly as possible.

Our guests also discuss how to get work done when on the road, and how they manage time and tasks when they don’t know where they’ll be next week.

Last but not least, they share tips on maximizing travel programs, and recommend their favorite travel gear, clothing, and cherished accoutrements.

In this three-part show we interview travel veterans Ron Fuller, an NSX specialist with VMware; Tony Bourke, an IT instructor; and Greg Shipley, who works at InQTel.

Show Notes:

Bonus Tips From Greg Shipley:

PACKING: GEAR

I started off with bags that have a lot of compartments, but I could never remember which compartment I put things in. I eventually moved to having one big open bag (with few compartments) and then using smaller organizers to keep things separate. This accomplishes two things:

* I stopped needing to unzip and open a gazillion pockets to find something

* I can keep the smaller things near the object they store. Example: small (computer) cable bag stays near my laptop on the hotel desk, toiletry bag stays in the bathroom, etc.  So when it’s time to go, everything goes into the (nearby) little bags, little bags go into the big bag. I can usually clear out of my hotel room in 5 minutes or less now.

Northface basecamp duffel bag – small

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/base-camp-duffel-s-nf0a3eto

* Practically indestructible – mine has been in dozens of countries and logged 100s of thousands of miles

* Does not scream “luggage” / is low profile

* Fits in overhead

* In a pinch, fits UNDER many airplane seats, too

* Toss it on your back or throw it over your shoulder and go

Clothing cubes

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-4-Piece-Packing-Cube-Set/dp/B014VBHNDU/ref=asc_df_B014VBHNDU/

Toiletry bag

https://www.workbygravel.com/products/the-explorer-slim-the-best-toiletry-bag-for-traveling

* Was originally a kickstarter.

* A little pricey, but so worth it; you will never again be plagued by a toothpaste explosion

Laptop sleeve

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ICV5E28/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

* Protects the laptop while it is packed

* Doubles as a light-weight item to carry your laptop on days you don’t need all of your gear. (shoulder strap included)

Baubax jacket

https://www.baubax.com/

* I like having my passport physically on my person, but without advertising it

* I’d recommend the sweatshirt or vest; soft-shell might be too much for a flight

(Computer) Cable bag

* Apple’s approach to international power adapters is superior to everything else I’ve seen

Today's Network Break analyzes Juniper's $405 billion purchase of WiFi vendor Mist Systems, discusses VMware's new service-defined firewall, digs into the launch of a new security analytics service, opines on Huawei's lawsuit against the U.S., plus more tech news.

Take a Network Break! We start the episode with a correction about previous commentary about DNSSEC, and then jump into the news.

Juniper Networks acquires the wireless startup Mist Systems for $405 million, VMware announces a new service-defined firewall, and an Alphabet-backed startup called Chronicle launches a new security analytics service that leverages Google’s search and data processing capabilities.

Comcast acquires security vendor BluVector, RightScale releases a cloud adoption survey, and Facebook announces modest plans to sell spare fiber capacity to local and regional telcos.

Greg weighs in on cyber insurance, and Huawei files a lawsuit against the United States alleging that the government’s ban against Huawei gear in government systems is unconstitutional.

Get links to all these stories below.

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Show Links:

Juniper Networks Announces Intent to Acquire Mist Systems – J-Net Community

Juniper Networks Announces Intent to Acquire Mist Systems to Bring AI to IT, Delivering on Promise of Software-Defined Enterprise – Juniper Networks

Quick Take: Why Juniper Bought Mist Systems – Packet Pushers

VMware Introduces Industry’s First Service-defined Firewall to Help Better Protect Apps and Data On-Premises and In the Cloud – VMware

Chronicle Security – Technology Overview – Chronicle

Chronicle Releases Chapter One: Backstory – Dark Reading

Comcast Acquires BluVector, Developer of AI-Powered Cybersecurity Technology – Business Wire

State of the Cloud Report – RightScale

Building network infrastructure with fiber-optic cable – Facebook Code

Facebook Will Begin Selling Wholesale Fiber Capacity – Data Center Frontier

U.S.