Docker EE update brings together Windows, Linux and mainframe apps: The latest version of Docker Enterprise Edition is now available and includes some significant enhancements to the popular CaaS (container as a service) platform.
It's now possible to bring together containerized applications for Windows, Linux and IBM System z mainframes into the same cluster, allowing a single orchestration system for all three types. This means IT shops can set access and security policies once and apply them across the different applications, saving significant time and effort.
Another prominent addition to Docker EE is secure multi-tenancy. Here's how it's described in the announcement:
[O]rganizations can customize role-based access and define both physical and logical boundaries for different users and teams sharing the same Docker EE environment. These new capabilities allow teams to BYO IT services model to a Docker environment where different teams rent their own nodes, multiple teams share resources, or a specific team is granted access to a collection of specific resources.
Docker EE is available as a community edition as well as several enterprise editions (pricing available here).
POV: Cross-platform, multi-cloud and hybrid cloud capabilities are what enterprises want when deploying their code assets, says Constellation Research VP and principal analyst Holger Mueller. It's a surprising twist on Docker's part to add mainframe support to Docker EE, given that mainframes are often not leveraged for next-generation application projects, he adds. "Nothing is more valuable for enterprises than to re-use working code and focus on the creation and implementation of new code assets," and that's where platforms like Docker come in, Mueller says. .
Microsoft bolsters Azure's HPC capabilities with Cycle Computing buy: Redmond wants to bring what it calls "big computing"—better known as HPC (high-performance computing) to the masses, and its latest move in that direction is the acquisition of startup Cycle Computing. Here's the rationale, as provided by Azure CVP Jason Zander in a blog post:
Azure ... has powerful infrastructure, InfiniBand support for fast networking and state-of-the-art GPU capabilities. Combining the most specialized Big Compute infrastructure available in the public cloud with Cycle Computing’s technology and years of experience with the world’s largest supercomputers, we open up many new possibilities.
We’ve already seen explosive growth on Azure in the areas of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and deep learning. As customers continue to look for faster, more efficient ways to run their workloads, Cycle Computing’s depth and expertise around massively scalable applications make them a great fit to join our Microsoft team. Their technology will further enhance our support of Linux HPC workloads and make it easier to extend on-premise workloads to the cloud.
POV: HPC capabilities are key for enterprises to take full advantage of the opportunities machine learning offers, and large IaaS vendors such as Microsoft provide the most efficient avenue to obtain them, says Constellation VP and principal analyst Holger Mueller. The question is whether Microsoft will retain Cycle Computing multi-cloud approach, as it currently also supports Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, he adds. "That would be a good move, as customers want choice and IaaS vendors compete more successfully on TCO than lock-in," Mueller says.
Legacy watch: Couple allegedly used website loophole to scam Lowe's out of goods: A New Jersey woman "knowingly and purposely exploited weaknesses" in home improvement chain Lowe's website in order to receive a trailer load's worth of merchandise shipped to her home without payment.
Romela Velazquez then put up some of the items for sale on a local Facebook "buy and sell" page, listing them as new in the box and available for less than half the original price tag, according to a release from the Brick Township Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
Earlier this month, authorities executed a search warrant on Velazquez and her husband Kimy's home "and recovered enough stolen merchandise to fill a 18 foot trailer," the release notes. "Detectives on scene stated the residence resembled more of a warehouse than a home."
The items included a Weber grill, a Honda lawnmower, a Dewalt power washer, a 70" TV, three Dyson vacuum cleaners, a Nikon camera and multiple boxes of furniture. The Velazquezes are facing multiple theft-related charges.
POV: A Lowe's retail crime manager alerted authorities to the alleged thefts. The official press release didn't give specifics about how the Velazquezes allegedly pulled off the thefts, but the New York Post reported they used a technique known as "glitching," in which scammers log in coupon codes that incorrectly provide steep discounts or even free products.
Glitching has become a bit of a phenomenon thanks to social media, with tips passed among users through dedicated groups and channels. To be sure, most glitchers aren't trying to steal a tractor-trailer load of goods for resale—they may just want to use that $1 off coupon to get a $0.79 bottle of iced tea for free.
But glitching is nonethless a big problem for retailers and CPG companies, and stems to inherent system weaknesses that their IT departments need to address as part of their e-commerce evolution. Couponing remains a key strategic pillar for both product manufacturers and retail stores, as they attract new customers, drive customer loyalty and can offer advantages over competitors.