Nutanix The Hybrid Multi-Cloud Platform

 

What is Nutanix?

 

According to Techzine, Nutanix is a so-called hyper-converged Infrastructure (HCI) solution. A software platform (cluster) that runs on top of different kinds of individual servers (nodes). All these servers are linked together through this HCI software platform. All processors, internal memory, hard disks (storage), and network interfaces are bundled in one cluster to run virtual machines.

 

What is Hyper-converged Infrastructure (HCI)?

 

Hyper-converged Infrastructure simplifies the deployment, management, and scaling of datacentre resources by combining x86-based server and storage resources with intelligent software.

 

Why is Nutanix the best hybrid and multi-cloud platform?

 

  • No need for third party intervention

The ability to deploy and configure your cluster, without any third party managing it keeps you in control of the most critical infrastructure powering your applications and data. The self-service nature of Nutanix Clusters allows for just-in-time deployment, which aligns well with most cloud consumption models. Regardless of cluster size, deployments times are about the same

 

  • Use your software licenses across clouds

Nutanix Clusters provides Nutanix Software licensing flexibility across clouds, which is a big advantage over competitive solutions. Cluster resource management can be integrated into Prism Element and only needs one Prism Central instance to manage multiple clusters. By doing this you are saving your resources for your workloads instead of using them for management tasks.

 

  • No need to re-engineer your network

Nutanix Clusters is a hybrid and multi-cloud solution that provides native AWS cloud IPs for your workloads that migrate from on-prem into AWS. This means that you do not need to deploy, manage, or consume the additional overhead of another network overlay on top of the one the cloud provider is already using. After you deploy your cluster, you can simply create a new subnet from the AWS console and add it to Prism, and then it’s ready to use with Nutanix Clusters. 

 

  • Built-in security groups improve data protection

The built-in management security group contains all of the necessary ports to operate your Cluster. The security group gets applied to every management Elastic Network Interface (ENI) on the bare-metal EC2 instances. The security group deployed for workloads is the same as the management security group deployed to every ENI used by the workloads running on your cluster. Without spending any additional money, time, or resources, inbound and outbound traffic is protected. If you need to get more granular protection, you can use your existing on-prem Prism Central for management and enable network and VM micro-segmentation.

 

  • Deactivate and reactivate instances to control cloud costs.

The Hibernate feature of Nutanix Clusters (currently in tech preview) allows you to shut down your bare-metal EC2 instances running Nutanix AOS and move all of the Clusters storage to AWS S3 buckets. When you want workloads to return to where you left off, you can simply resume your cluster, and then storage is recovered from S3. In scenarios where you only need to compute to exist in spurts, like Dev-Test or seasonal workloads, but are still best served in traditional environments, the Hibernate feature provides the option of moving to a dynamic instance based model of public cloud, rather than static infrastructure on-prem. In addition to the cost savings from reducing infrastructure, this feature also optimizes operations and time, given that you can start and stop Cluster instances with just a few clicks.

 

A lot of people thought everything would become cloud-only, now it is clear that from a cost perspective this is not feasible. Hybrid cloud seems to have the future. Also, Nutanix has a working product and a great list of customers, while others are still in the process of developing their hybrid and multi-cloud platform.

 

Contact P2L today to start your Nutanix journey!

Your Game, Your Rules

The idea that soft skills must be taught in the work environment has become less and less prevalent. Now, the rise of virtual reality and accessible 3D games is taking the forefront. Accessing this market is vital, and building a new workplace training culture by creating your game, your rules.

 

Ever since the release of “Descent”, the first ever 3D game; the market has exploded. 3D games give players the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new world. Think escapism to the max, or any 80s dungeons and dragons players dream. 

Descent on GOG.com

With this kind of technology at our fingertips, a question of education should be raised. The staple of any good product is its ability to better mankind. While certain games only serve as escapist time eaters, an era of productive gaming is on the rise.

 

The custom 3D game system is designed to inform. Whether you create one for your school board curriculum, or training in the workplace. This concept is the push 3D games need for practical value. 

 

Services regarding a custom game are limited, and most medium-small sized businesses haven’t caught wind of it yet. With this in mind, having a custom training game will give you a competitive edge in workplace quality of life. 

(SELF ADVERTISEMENT INCOMING)

P2L offers a custom 3D game service helmed by our experienced programming team. This process will take your school board or business through a 6 month – year long process of storyboarding and game development. All done by professionals but overlooked by you.

Your game will be curated within the unity engine, which is used for popular games like Cuphead, Rust, and Cities: Skyline.

Gamification is a revolutionary concept. Reinventing how you train your staff has never been more accessible. 

The possibilities are endless. With the bottom line being: your game, your rules.

For more information contact us here for a quote.

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure logo

 

What is Microsoft Azure?

 

According to CCB Technology,  Azure is a public cloud computing platform—with solutions including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) that can be used for services such as analytics, virtual computing, storage, networking, and much more. It can be used to replace or supplement your on-premise servers.

Companies all over the world are realizing great success with business solutions powered by the cloud. They are redefining the way they do business with scalable & secure cloud-enabled enterprise applications. A large number of Fortune 500 companies are using Microsoft Azure to drive their business. Azure supports a wide range of programming languages, frameworks, operating systems, databases, and devices, allowing enterprises to leverage tools and technologies they trust.

So why do businesses trust Azure?

Availability

Compared to any other cloud service provider, Microsoft has a broad global footprint. High availability of Azure cloud storage facilities makes it easier for businesses to transfer their data and applications where they want it to be.

Cost efficient

Microsoft allows you to pay for what you use to build or expand resources using Azure services. This cuts down the IT administration costs to a minimum as infrastructure is taken care of by Microsoft on Azure. It connects datacenters to the cloud effortlessly and supports 42 regions like no other cloud provider.

Security

Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) is an industry leading security process on which Azure has been designed. It involves security at its core and private data and services are guaranteed secure on Azure Cloud.

Easy to learn

Familiar tools such as Visual Studio, ASP.NET, and programming languages like Visual Basic, C++, C# are used to develop cloud native applications, making it easier for users to develop cloud based enterprise applications.

Integrates with other Microsoft tools

Companies dependent on Microsoft tools like Office 365, Outlook and SharePoint invest in a cloud platform that perfectly integrates with Microsoft products. Azure simplifies operations by using the same virtual on-premise machines like Windows and Linux.

Scalability

The ease of using Azure enables a company to scale operations. Businesses using Azure can easily and quickly develop, test, and launch applications. This allows companies to explore potentially profitable ideas. Moreover, companies using Azure can try out features of new technology as they expand. This type of agility is not just valuable in terms of getting things done, but it means that companies can do a lot more and grow quickly.

These are some of the many benefits of using Microsoft Azure. Businesses will have to adapt since more and more operations are moving to the cloud. Take advantage of the expertise of Microsoft and its cloud computing model, Azure.

Contact P2L today to learn more about Microsoft Azure.

 

 

Cloudera Enterprise

Cloudera Administrator Training for Apache Hadoop 101

 

The key engineers from Facebook, Google, Oracle, and Yahoo came together to create Cloudera in 2008. The idea arose from the need to create a product to help everyone harness the power of Hadoop distribution software.

 

What is Cloudera?

 

Talend defines Cloudera as a software company that provides a structured, flexible, and scalable platform, enabling sophisticated analysis of big data using Apache Hadoop, in any environment. Cloudera allows for a depth of data processing that goes beyond just data accumulation and storage. Cloudera’s enhanced capabilities provide the power to rapidly and easily analyze data, while tracking and securing it across all environments.

 

Why should businesses use Cloudera Enterprise?

 

  • It creates a data hub for enterprise. The analysis of the acquired data from companies delivers great insights into business operations and helps them to make it better.  An enterprise-level data foundation can be established with this platform for better administration, management, and security.
  • Hadoop Administration. The data science world is always amplifying itself with new applications. Hadoop is also one that is continuously updating and upgrading. To manage this system and use data in the best way possible, enterprises use Cloudera Manager to easily manage and administer this system into any IT environment.
  • Partnership with big technology companies. Cloudera is associated with the biggest technology companies such as Google, Google Cloud, Intel, CISCO, SAP, etc. These platforms can be incorporated and used by an enterprise without any hassle. It means that the venture to use data will become even better as Cloudera collaborates with these platforms for producing and processing data.

 

P2L offers Cloudera courses to all levels of IT professionals. Here are the courses we offer :

 

  • Cloudera Administrator Training for Apache Hadoop. Apache Hadoop provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of all the steps necessary to operate and maintain a Hadoop cluster using Cloudera Manager. From the installation and configuration through load balancing and tuning, Cloudera’s training course is the best preparation for the real-world challenges faced by Hadoop administrators.
  • Cloudera Developer Training for Spark & Hadoop.  This course delivers developers’ key concepts and expertise to use Apache Spark to develop high-performance parallel applications. Participants will learn how to use Spark SQL to query structured data and Spark Streaming to perform real-time processing on streaming data from a variety of sources.
  • Cloudera University Security Training. This course, which is offered exclusively through OnDemand, introduces experienced system administrators to some of the tools and techniques that Cloudera’s Solution Architects use to protect the clusters that our customers rely on for essential business operations.

Contact P2L today to know more about Cloudera and how it can help your company.

The Benefits of Using Databricks

Why Use Databricks

 

 

 

What is Datrabricks?

 

Databricks is an industry-leading, cloud-based data engineering tool used for processing and transforming massive quantities of data and exploring the data through machine learning models.

 

Databricks is integrated with Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform to make it easier for businesses to manage a substantial amount of data and carry out machine learning tasks.

 

Here are some benefits of learning Databricks :

 

High Productivity

Databricks provides an inter-professional environment with a common workspace for data scientists, engineers, and business analysts. Collaboration not only brings new and fresh ideas, but it also allows others to introduce frequent changes while boosting development processes concurrently. Deploying work from Notebooks into production can be done almost instantly by just tweaking the data sources and output directories.

 

Flexible

Since Databricks is developed by the creators of Apache Spark, it is optimized for cloud environments. Databricks provides scalable Spark jobs in the data science domain. It is flexible for small-scale jobs like development or testing as well as running large-scale jobs like Big Data processing. For those who are just starting their programming journey, you can easily switch between the different languages on Databricks. This is convenient when functions from different languages are needed.

 

Data Source

Databricks connects with many data sources to perform limitless Big Data Analytics. Databricks not only connects with cloud storage services provided by AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud but also connects to on-premise SQL servers, CSV, and JSON.

 

Can be used for small jobs

Databricks is ideal for massive jobs, but it can be used for smaller scale jobs, and development or testing work as well. Databricks can be used as a one-stop shop for all analytics work.

Databricks was created for data scientists, analysts, and engineers to help users integrate the fields of data science and engineering across the machine learning lifecycle. It helps ease the processes from data preparation to experimentation and machine learning application deployment.

 

Contact P2L today to learn more about Databricks.

 

Why Should You Take an Amazon Web Services Course?

AMazon Web Services Cloud logo

Why should you take an Amazon Web Services course?

 

Flexible

AWS lets you select the programming language, web application platform, operating system, and database. With AWS, you receive a virtual environment that lets you load the software and services your application requires.

 

Reliable

Take advantage of reliable and secure global infrastructure, the fundamentals of Amazon’s multi-billion dollar business that has been trusted for over a decade.

 

Secure

Core infrastructure is meticulously built to meet security requirements for the military, banks, and high-sensitivity organizations. This is facilitated by cloud security tools, 230 security, compliance, and governance services.

 

Accessible

The AWS Cloud covers 81 Availability Zones within 25 geographic regions globally. Plans have been announced for 24 more Availability Zones and 8 more AWS Regions in Australia, India, Indonesia, Israel, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

 

Benefits of getting a certification on AWS :

  • It expands your professional network. AWS certification brings recognition to  IT professionals. There is an AWS Certified Global Community LinkedIn for professionals who finished the course and got certified. You can also meet like-minded individuals by attending meetings and conferences.
  • It shows how committed you are. IT Professionals who pursue an AWS course invest a lot of their time studying and understanding the concepts of each course. Getting a certificate is not that easy. Therefore, a certificate implies how dedicated you are and how hard-working you are to earn it,
  • It prepares you for the future. Organizations have shifted into a world where everything is cloud-based. Not only is the transition necessary but also skill upgradation. We know that AWS is the first among cloud service providers. AWS certification can help you prepare for the upcoming trends in the IT professional job market. It can also show your skills to future employers and increase your appeal as a candidate.
  • It can get you a better paycheck. According to recent studies from the Global Knowledge survey, AWS certification can improve the salary of a certified professional by almost 25.9%. Even if you are just starting on your IT journey, getting a certification on AWS will help you get ahead and you can practice the things you learned from the course.

 

 

The surging popularity of AWS is creating lots of job opportunities for technical and non-technical professionals. AWS is a great start to further your IT career by choosing to obtain thorough training right at the foundational level. 

P2l offers both virtual and classroom training allowing you to learn online as well as in-person to master the best practices.

Browse our AWS Courses : 

Start your AWS journey today with P2L!

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Problem-solving and decision-making are like the two sides of a coin. They exist together yet have separate faces and need separate skills to tackle. However, they both have the same attributing factors.

These factors that result in a problem are lack of proper communication which runs both ways. Active listening and asking the right questions.

No matter what business you run, you go through situations of problem-solving and decision-making. In this leadership development course, you will learn to effectively lead people to solve problems and coach them to become clear decision-makers. With our customized learning management systems, you will now have the tools to deliver creative solutions for your everyday business problems.

There are four stages to learning the technique of effective problem solving and decision making.

 

Four stages of problem-solving and decision-making

 

Let’s take a deeper look into these four aspects of problem-solving and the decision-making process.

Anticipate

When there is a problem there is a cause that led to the problem. As a leader, the ability to anticipate a problem gives you an edge to tackle the situation ahead of time. Organizations have to therefore define problems, and outcomes, and create a goal statement that will guide employees to make decisions when needed. In larger companies, this cannot be achieved by one person. You need to have an open discussion with your employees, ask relevant questions and then define your problems and goals statement.  This is the first stage of problem solving and decision-making. When you take care of this stage, you can potentially prevent many problems from occurring in the first place.

Analyze

At this stage, we know there is a problem on hand. It is essential that people with the authority to make decisions must be ready to roll up their sleeves to get to the root cause of the problem. There are several management techniques that can help you create a process map to break down the problem situation and analyze it in-depth to arrive at a solution. If you are unsure, ask us how at games@p2linc.com

Identify

Brainstorming will bring out the best creative solutions to any problem. So lay down the process map, and chalk out all the probabilities as a team. This collaborative stage of the exercise will help you identify solutions for not just the problem on hand but will help diagnose multiply roadblock scenarios and prepare you for success.

 

Team collaborating in problem-solving and decision-making

Resolve

We like to call this a stage of taking charge. This is a two-step activity. The first part involves recording the process after going defining, analyzing, and identifying the problem. Documenting the whole process step-by-step for the benefit of the entire organization. Having historical data of what, when, and how will help in planning a future course of action.

The second part of this resolving stage is the most important of all, which is communication. Most problems occur due to a lack of communication. So, learning to covey the problem and solution is an essential skill for every member of the team.

Enroll in our problem-solving and decision-making course to learn these techniques in-depth. If you wish to customize these courses to meet your company’s specific needs, get in touch with games@p2linc.com

 

Salesperson & Product: Which is more important?

A product wouldn’t exist without a salesperson, and the salesperson wouldn’t exist without the product. These two factors of a deal thrive and grow off one another. So, we beg the question; salesperson and product, which is more important?

salesperson & product: which is more important

On one hand, the product itself must be of some value to sell. On the other, a strong salesperson can sell practically anything. 

 

With this in mind, we come to two conclusions.

 

  1. A product cannot sell itself, and therefore can’t be utilized fully without the salesperson.
  2. While a product must serve a specific purpose to be valuable, a salesperson can sell a value-less product. 

 

In turn, a salesperson is much more important than a product. In a sense, they serve as more of a product than the actual product does. 

 

There are stark differences between a good salesman and a great one though. 

 

A good salesperson works alongside the product. They complete necessary tasks for distribution and utilize strong communication skills. 

 

A great salesperson also does those things. In addition, they’ll showcase great adaptability, teamwork, research skills, and much more. 

 

How would you judge good salespeople from great ones?

 

P2L offers a sales assessment for your business used to gauge sales candidates’ professional demeanour and overall understanding. 

 

A sales assessment provides you with answers to critical questions and helps define the necessary steps to improve your team. You can use the assessment to motivate employees and help them improve their performance. 

So, while a product is important, the person selling it is even more so. Contact us here for a free assessment.

Architecting on AWS – Your Guide on Becoming a Solutions Architect

 

 

The need for solutions architects are in high demand since more and more companies are transitioning to the cloud. If you are an IT professional and you are working towards career advancement, this is the perfect course for you. Architecting on AWS is a profitable opportunity to channel your IT skills towards high-demand jobs.

 

But what is a Solutions Architect?

 

According to this article, a solutions architect is responsible for evaluating an organization’s business needs and determining how IT can support those needs leveraging software, hardware, or infrastructure.

 

No matter where you are in your IT journey, you can become a Solutions Architect by taking the Architecting on AWS course and getting certified.

 

To get a better job offer, it’s best to seek formal training and get certified. There are many online platforms for learners, offering excellent certification courses in AWS architecting.

Here are the prerequisites for this course :

  • Knowledge about general networking terms and concepts
  • Practical knowledge pertaining to multi-tier architectures
  • Knowledge of cloud computing concepts
  • You can assess your skills in AWS Technical Essentials, the beginner course in the AWS training path.

 

These are the skills you will gain after taking this course

  • Learn how to optimize and manage the use of the AWS Cloud.
  • Gain in-depth knowledge of AWS services and how they enable cloud-based solutions. 
  • Learn about the best practices to work with AWS cloud.
  • Learn how to incubate and execute the architecting process of optimal IT solutions through the use of  WS-recommended design patterns. 
  • Read and analyze case studies throughout the course to see how successful AWS clients designed their digital infrastructure and how they implemented their strategies and services.

Related Certifications :

The follow-up course to Architecting on AWS is the AWS CERTIFIED SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT – ASSOCIATE.

What’s more, is that you have various options in learning formats like instructor-led training and virtual classrooms, so you can pick what fits your learning preferences. Continue on your AWS learning roadmap with these certifications:

  • Architect – Advanced Architecting on AWS
  • Architect – Planning and Designing Databases on AWS

 After passing any certification, it is best to test your new skills and take on a few industry projects. You can volunteer or work on independent projects to solidify your learning and add to your portfolio. This will not only help you become more confident as an AWS architect but also strengthen your candidacy for in-demand job roles.

 

What Other Skills are required for AWS Architect Jobs?

 

Besides certification, there are some other skills you will need to be successful in this job role:

  1. Client communications and inter-organizational communication require strong interpersonal skills.
  2. Ability to constantly assess and address organizational needs while designing solutions.
  3. Flexibility and adaptability when meetings run long and/or things go wrong
  4. Excellent planning skills, as well as task prioritization as the role, are primarily task-based.
  5. Like any other IT professional, the ability to constantly update your knowledge as the technology evolves. Keep up to date with AWS trends , research new developments, and stay in the loop to not miss important changes.

Contact P2L to start your Architecting journey today!

 

Benefits of Learning Your Business Communication Style

Change Leader in a meeting - a woman wearing a white shirt is standing in front of a whiteboard with sticky notes while four other people seated around a desk listen to her

 

Learning your business communication style encourages more successful conversations. Communication covers a wide range of topics. It includes goal clarity, strategy clarity, transparency, engaging and influencing others, persuading others, bargaining, articulating ideas, and so on.

 

Here are a few benefits of learning your business communication style:

  • Recognizing the differences between diverse communication styles will enable you to effectively communicate with anyone, regardless of their or your communication style.
  • When the style aligns, it leads to better retention of information and the listener is at ease with the conversation.
  • By learning the communication style of the listener, it will prevent misunderstandings where they can become irritated or agitated

 

Now that you have all the information about BCSA, maybe you’re wondering how do I get started and what is the process of learning this course.

 

First, take the Business Communication Style Assessment online with your team. Learn their communication style so you can communicate with them better.

 

Here are a few recommendations on how to communicate with each business style :

 

When talking to Transcenders :

  • Start with the results. Talk about the conclusion first.
  • Use as few words as possible to get your point across
  • Emphasize the What, and how practical your approach is

 

When talking to Strategists :

  • Allow plenty of time to expand the conversation.
  • Expect to discuss tangents, and do not get upset when they happen.
  • Try to tie each topic of discussion to the broader idea or scope of discussion

 

When talking to Socializers

  • Stress how your proposed plan or idea will positively impact the people involved.
  • Show what you’re proposing has worked for other groups and drop names of companies and people they might know.
  • Talk about endorsements from respected people.

 

When talking to Systematicians :

  • Don’t round up – if it’s 4.7% , don’t say 5%
  • Describe your recommendations in detail and don’t skip steps.
  • Offer options and provide the pros and cons of each option.

 

Second, answer the team exercises together. An example of an exercise we do for this course is discussing how you can communicate better with your teammate and ask if they agree with the approach. If not, why not.

Lastly, you will learn how to identify someone’s communication style to build rapport. Understanding how best to identify business communication styles is very personal. Everyone comprehends this concept differently. Identifying styles must be done in your own words for it to be authentic. Find out which questions to ask in order for you to learn and identify their communication style.

 

P2L encourages you to take this assessment to cultivate better relationships with your colleagues and clients.