VMWare v-Sphere TPS Vulnerability

Video Podcast / TechSNAP (#190) hosted by Chris Las and Allan Jude is an interesting video podcast about a 2006 feature within VMWare's v-Sphere that gives the company a competitive edge in the virtualization world, Transparent Page Sharing (TPS), that is such a serious flaw the solution is to disable the service.

The hosts’ main focus of conversion stemmed from a blog from v-Sphere Land titled, “Why the VMWare vSphere TPS Vulnerability Is a Big Deal”. Transparent Page Sharing (TPS) is a feature that could potentially allow Virtual Machines to access the memory pages of other Virtual Machines running on a host computer, therefore, information may be compromised.  This goes against the grain of virtual computing, virtual machines not being totally separated from one another.

Here is a brief window explanation of how VMWare uses Virtual Machines.  Hypervisor is a program that allows guest multiple operating systems (Virtual Machines) to share the hardware a host computer.  It controls/manages the host processor and resources, allocating what is needed to the virtual machines. With transparent page sharing, the hypervisor can reclaim the redundant copies and keep only one copy, which is shared by multiple virtual machines in the host’s physical memory. As a result, the total virtual machine host memory consumption is reduced and a higher level of memory overcommitment is possible. Overcommitment in the VMWare world means to benefit from more memory in the virtual arena than is physically available on a host computer.

The hosts’ poked fun at how VMWare downplayed the issue.  Allan recited in a mocking fashion that VMWare states that “it only matters in certain cases” and also pointed out that VMWare defends its position generally by stating that “an academic paper said that this may be a problem, so we are turning it off”.  In fact all new versions of ESX by default will come it off, current versions of ESX will have patches available for a fix and support will be offered by VMWare on how to disable the Transparent Page Sharing (TPS) feature on a host.

In conclusion, I find it fascinating that a research paper exposed this vulnerability recently, when the Transparent Page Sharing (TPS) feature came out back in 2006.  It makes me wonder if VMWare will lose some of its market share to Microsoft’s Hyper-V as an answer to server density, because of loss of its major selling point combined with how it publically handled itself.   I must confess that it is easy to lose sight of the fact that Virtual Machines do have a factor of vulnerability, because they are software based. Will VMWare be able to optimize its Transparent Page Sharing (TPS) feature in the future of abandon it? 

MY AHA MOMENT ... "KITE WARS"

My Mom reconnected me to the enjoyment of flying kites in my mid-thirties.  She was in her retirement years and experiencing more physical limitations … couldn’t stand as long, walk as far and had to drive home before it became dark outside. because she was dealing with the early stages of macular degeneration. (Age-related severe vision loss).  Going out to eat when she would come to visit from out of town was starting to get too common place and our conversation was becoming stale.  On a sunny day in early August about 12 years ago my Mom very much surprised me.  She showed me two cheap single line kites in the trunk of the car and stated that she wanted to go fly the kites at Veteran’s Park along Milwaukee’s lakefront after we ate our lunch at a local eatery.

To my delight, it was not only a sunny day, but a day that didn’t have very strong winds.  (Continue reading to get the gist of exactly what I am saying.)  I didn’t know until then that flying kites was another way to meet guys.  It was really endearing to see that when my Mom couldn’t get her kite off the ground, that a guy who took it upon himself to volunteer his services, would throw the kite up in the air and also run with it while my Mom was navigating its movement with the twine.  We had so many laughs when this cute guy, seemingly close to my age, came to help us out.  Once we got the kites up in the air we enjoyed them for about an hour … then my aha moment occurred … "kite wars".

            The objective of "kite wars" is to bring the other person’s kite down to the ground by hitting it hard with your kite as many times as it takes. It sounds goofy, because it is goofy and a whole lot of fun.  Cheap thrill at that!   Having been in my fair share of kite wars throughout the years, I have found that the ones that are most fun in battle are the animal themed single line kites with tails!  So please don’t take offense when I conclude this blog post by telling you to … "go fly a kite!"

HOW PDF BINDER SAVED ME FROM MAKING A TRIP TO KINKO'S

Back in July, I needed to send my Milwaukee Area Technical College bill for the fall semester, as well as, the hearing decision documentation for the purposes of Trade Adjustment Assistance Benefit qualification based on my appeal to the Milwaukee Hire Center.  They are paying my tuition due to the fact that I have been a dislocated worker since January 2014, and also currently enrolled in their Dislocated Worker Program.

 

My dilemma was that I needed to combine multiple documents together that contained   sensitive information, but did not want to pay for Adobe’s Pro Binder, nor want to pay a dollar a page to fax the information over from Kinko’s.    Furthermore, to see your assigned caseworker you have to schedule in an appointment and it may not be the same week that you make the appointment.  I stumbled upon a great solution while surfing the internet … PDF Binder.

PDF Binder is a document merge tool for use with the Windows Operating System.  It is a “cost free” alternative to Adobe’s Pro Binder.  It creates a single PDF with multiple pages from multiple files.  Files added to the binder can be from Word docs, Excel Spreadsheets or Acrobat PDF Files.  After selecting your documents to merge you have the option of either dragging and dropping or adding them into PDF Binder’s program interface by using the Add File button feature.  When you are done with compiling your documents to merge click on the Bind! button.  Of course you will be asked to save your PDF document, but that’s it … quite simple! 

Even if your information is not sensitive in nature like mine was, joining multiple files into one allows for easier access for the recipient, and it is especially helpful when the documents are the result of a collaborative effort.  Everyone has the ability to print PDF documents from free Adobe Acrobat Readers downloaded from the Internet, based on their system’s compatibility.

This Is A Report On How Whole Foods And Dunkin' Donuts Use Social Media

Why Whole Foods And Use Dunkin’ Donuts Twitter and Facebook?`

• Create personal connection to brand
• Retain “happy” customers
• Advertising and promotion
• Create communities in which customers are able to connect and interact with other customers

Whole Foods Uses The Social Media Platforms Of Twitter and Facebook As Follows:

Twitter:  Uses it primarily as a customer service channel for customer dialog and support.

• Responds to customer questions, praise and concerns.
• Communicate company’s brand identity of non-association with the use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in its products.

According to the Smartblog on Social Media, “85% of the company’s Twitter traffic is responses to customers (dialog and support).  Only 10% of tweets are content based, and 5% are promotional”.

Facebook:

Uses it mostly for sharing recipe advice to its customers.  It also announces product arrivals, sales, coupons, as well as, photo accompaniment for almost every post.  A good way to view this social Media tool use here is that it shares “rich media” … embedding videos or longer posts and responses than Twitter allows which typically holds true.

Dunkin’ Donuts Uses The Social Media Platforms Of Twitter and Facebook As Follows:

Twitter: Uses it primarily to share fun sweepstakes and promotions that engage fans on an ongoing basis.

Facebook:

Uses it for sharing sweepstakes, contests, pictures of their products and photos of fans/customers enjoying their products.

Whole Foods Audience On Twitter and Facebook

The audience is “anyone”.  My answer is based on their corporate motto —“Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”.  Their vision obviously goes beyond their niche of selling high quality natural and organic food products.

Dunkin Donuts Audience On Twitter and Facebook

The audience is “anyone”.  My answer on their corporate slogan - “America Runs On Dunkin”.

Whole Foods Management Of Relationships Via Twitter and Facebook

Hashtags, likes, replies and retweets develop conversation(s) with customers.

Dunkin Donuts Management Of Relationships via Twitter and Facebook

Twitter:

• Attaches photos to tweets. According to research from Buffer,” using images on Twitter increases re-tweets by 150% and click-throughs by 18%”. Widen reach of customer/fan base.
• Questions and fill-in-the-blank(s) tweets start a conversation with customers/fans
• Hashtags, first name basis replies and retweets develop conversation(s) with customers/fans.

Facebook:

• Guilty of using “like-baiting”.  If not careful, could be penalized by Facebook for using directly manipulative posts.  
• Uses visuals or videos with every post to increase chances of engagement.

Whole Foods Strategic Use Of Twitter and Facebook

• By delegating social media responsibility out to each of its stores, whole Foods achieves a great balance of centrally managed customer support and locally relevant content.   This is notable since, #WFMdish was the most used supermarket hashtag of last year.
• Discovered that it is best practice to build a page under the global Twitter account and list specific niche accounts to capture differing customer interest levels, i.e. wine account or local store account.

Dunkin’ Donuts Strategic Use of Twitter and Facebook

Both social media platforms focus on being “fan/customer centric” rather than “sales centric.  The rationale behind this is that interacting and engaging with customers/fans makes them better customers/fans. Company is very much against aggressively pushing product(s) for sake of profit.

• Facebook - Post photo of “fan/customer of the week” enjoying a company product.
• Twitter - DD Perks Loyalty Program launched in late January of 2014 - offering guests nationwide points toward free Dunkin’ Donuts beverages for every visit they make at participating Dunkin’ Donuts locations.

In conclusion, Whole Foods and Dunkin’ Donuts use social media tools to increase their bottom line and customer base by becoming less corporate and more human.  Twitter is more responsible than Facebook for this type of transformation of both companies, because it uses a real-time conversational style for engagement.  

Sources:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/65075-how-delectable-is-dunkin-donuts-social-media-strategy#i.1ppqgur1aykd1l

http://www.splashscore.com/3-social-media-lessons-from-the-dunkin-donuts-la-launch/

http://www.briansolis.com/2011/11/dunkin-donuts-uses-social-media-to-improve-customer-relationships-and-experiences/

http://news.dunkindonuts.com/Press-Releases/DUNKIN-DONUTS-LAUNCHES-NEW-NATIONAL-DD-PERKS-REWARDS-LOYALTY-PROGRAM-478.aspx

https://econsultancy.com/blog/63471-how-whole-foods-market-uses-facebook-twitter-pinterest-and-google#i.fnaaw6p2od1jx

http://entre528.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/whole-foods-vs-trader-joes-how-do-their-social-media-strategies-compare/

http://mashable.com/2009/08/25/whole-foods/

http://www.businessbee.com/resources/news/operations-buzz/buzzbattle-trader-joes-vs-whole-foods-which-health-foods-grocer-do-you-prefer/

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/reaching-millions-with-twitter-the-whole-foods-story/#more-1676

http://www.supermarketguru.com/the-lempert-report/whole-foods-explifies-the-use-of-social-media.html

Ted Talks: Dan Barasch Speaker - "A Park Underneath The Hustle And Bustle Of New York City"

“Lets go down to the park”, may take on a new meaning in New York in the near future.

What Was The Topic And Argument Of The Presentation?

Dan Barasch and his business partner James Ramsey, want to build the world’s first four season subterranean park, called the Lowline, in a former trolley terminal in Manhattan’s lower east side. They intend to use a system of solar panels and fiber optics to bring light from above ground down to the terminal providing the sunlight needed to help the grass, plants and trees to grow on this empty space that is equal to a football field.  Dan shared that he wanted to make a difference … make the world more beautiful, more interesting and more just.  This park would be a step in the right direction to restoring an ecological balance in Manhattan after the industrial revolution made its mark by uprooting grass, plants and trees for the development of buildings.

How Were Visual Or Other Props Used In The Presentation?  Was It Effective?

• Visual images were used to display complex information clearly – “His park concept”.
• Visual images were used to compare and contrast his Grandmothers and Parents “old New York City” with how it is today.
• Visual image of his Grandmother cooking in the kitchen was used to elicit contextual humor and also to help informalize the presentation.
• All of the above were effective methods of using visual imagery to enhance the verbage in his speech.

Were Questions Asked?  Humor Used?  How Was The Pacing?

• No questions were asked.  It was more of a presentation than a Q&A.
• A small dose of humor was used one time to keep the audience engaged. Dan made reference to his grandmother shrugging off his questions and telling him to eat more meatballs, more pasta.
• The pacing of his presentation was spot on.  He allowed enough time for the audience to conceptually grasp his vision of an underground park.

Was There A ‘Path’ Through The Presentation?

1. An idea emerged (the underground park).
2. Attempted to get historical perspectives directly from his Grandmother about the “old” New York City and its industrial development … but didn’t succeed.
3. Takes idea full circle by emerging the history of his Grandparents and Parents generations of building and developing the city with his own generation’s propensity of reclaiming space that already exists and reinventing it with an aesthetic and green purpose.

Were You Engaged Or Inspired By The Presentation?

Yes.  I was engaged and inspired.   Dan is an excellent speaker!   He spoke from the heart and personalized his underground park idea to the audience by including the generations of  his family tied to New York City … the “old” and the “current”, as well as, telling of his personal sacrifice … quit his job to see his idea to fruition.  I am inspired by him, because he is trying to bring back what once was … beauty and ecological balance within a great state.

In conclusion, I agree with Dan that we need to reinvent how we use urban abandoned empty space and apply a green consciousness that is effective in its function, as well as, appealing in its design.  I believe that Dan will be making a difference in the community, if his idea gets implemented, because there is an abundance of scientific research to support that green space has a direct effect on the lives of city residents with a marked reduction in stress and an improved mood. Why should city dwellers have to drive to green space to improve their well-being?       

"Why I am at MATC"

The driving forces for me were affordability and the high potential for the reward of speedy employment placement after graduation.  I am part of the student statistic for those that attend a four year university but never graduate and end up working a series of jobs for below average pay, because only a high school diploma has been obtained.  After substantial investment in time and money, it became clear that the Communicative Disorders Program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater did not suit me.

This past January I was laid off as a Small Group Underwriting Technician from a fortune 500 health insurance company after a decade of working there and climbing the ladder.  After a great deal of soul searching I connected with the Dislocated Worker Program at the Milwaukee Hire Center.  They will provide most of the funding for my IT Program.  I have a good foundation to draw from because my work background includes computer operations, help desk and project administration.  Furthermore, back in 2000, I obtained certification as a Microsoft Certified System Engineer for NT 4.0.

I am currently pursuing the IT Network Specialist Associate in Applied Science degree on a full-time basis and work part-time on weekends for a commercial printing company.  I am really enjoying my first semester so far!  Oh, I almost forgot to include that when I have spare time, I am rallying computer geeks to take over the world!