Amazon Web Services...

On the topic of virtualization... it seems AWS is a version of virtualization.  Not as much control as a local version (duh) but something to look at anyway.

Another interesting concept of the AWS system is scalable web hosting.  A service is offered that allows running a WordPress blog from an AWS account for about $1.50/month.  Very interesting stuff, gonna have to look in to this more!

All atwitter

No, not Twitter (though I'm scubabum there too it you want to follow)...

My ADD is kicking in hard tonight... three screens, three computers, one remote connection and a virtual machine!  Gotta love it!

I got interested in hardware virtualization long ago but never had the hardware or software to support it.  Last year I built a modern computer (AMD Phenom 6 core processor with 8 GB of RAM) and started playing with virtualization.

I never really got things cooking because every virtual machine requires software and each instance requires its own license so toying with Windows would have cost me $100 a pop for new installs (my old Windows XP installation media was corrupt, never saved any Vista media).  Now, since I'm a student (check out Dreamspark), I have access to free versions of Windows Server 2008.  I installed Virtualbox and away we go!

The first step was to create the space for the virtual machine (VM) to run in.  The Virtualbox software stepped me through the process and very quickly I had a 20 GB virtual harddrive for my install.

Installing Server 2008 wasn't much different than installing it directly on a computer.  I downloaded the software to my file server (Unraid server that will soon be virtualized using ESXi) and shared the ISO using an addon for Unraid and attached the ISO to the VM I created above.  On initial start of the VM the installation media booted as if it were a CD-ROM in a real computer and allowed me to install my operating system. 

Once Server 2008 was running it automatically detected virtual network access and started downloading updates and service packs.  After a few restarts to get all of the updates installed I had a fully functional VM.

Running Windows 7 Professional and Windows Server 2008 on the same hardware was causing some serious lag issues.  My initial thought was that I was overburdening the processor but after downloading Windows widgets to track CPU, RAM and SWAP usage I found that my 8GB of RAM was the bottleneck.  Luckily, RAM is cheap right now ($45ish for 2x4GB DDR3 non-ECC 240 pin RAM) so I upgraded to 16GB and my lag went away.

Great, now I have two OSs running on the same hardware (dual monitors are important here), so what?  Since I'm a student... I also have access to a free version of MS Visual Studio 2010 Pro!  I have a modern MS OS that is isolated from my production/play machine that I can install an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) in!  If I right some code and it breaks my machine, it's a virtual machine that can be quickly returned to a useful state, all while I keep plugging away on my real machine!

The remote connection is to my Unraid server, I'm moving files from four smaller drives to two larger drives in preparation for moving that machine to a virtual OS.  Should be fun!

And, for the haters, I already installed Ubuntu desktop and server and Slackware as VMs.  Ubuntu works like a champ but my Linux noobishness has kept me from getting the Slackware VM up, probably going to host those on the ESXi box when it's up, speed of execution for me will be more important on those OS's so I'd rather they be closer to bare metal rather than running in a VM on top of another OS.  Those installs will be another post though.

Dinner

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie!

Twice in one day!

Yup, trying to be more communicative....

I really was looking forward to coming home and finding out how to move my blog but, the internet was down!

After about 2 1/2 years and a trip or two around the world, my Linksys WRT-120N called it quits. The thought crossed my mind that it might be under warranty but going without internet at home for the period of time to do the warranty exchange was out of the question. Now I'm the owner of a new Belkin N-750DB. So far so good...

I was a bit leery about getting the Belkin, I've had issues with their stuff in the past, but it had very similar specs to the Linksys E4200 I was going to buy but cost $50 less. We'll see how it goes.

Off to check on that warranty, a spare world traveling router isn't a bad thing to have!

EDIT: WRT-120N waaayyy out of warranty, tech supports best advice "Dispose of properly." ;-)

I'm baaack!

I've been meaning to get back into blogging for a while.

I liked blogspot/blogger because it allowed me to email my post to my blog. I didn't like the layout of the blog. I always thought I would just use blogger and then forward the site to my domain (scubabum.com). I kind of forgot about it.

Now I've come back and tried again. I still haven't gotten the posts to forward but I have found new cool tools to post stuff to this obscure address.

Marketing

Hello world!
It's been a very long time since I posted on my blog but I'm sitting
at the airport in Dubai with a few minutes until boarding.
That brings me to the title of this post. I'm sitting in one of 4
Starbucks in this airport. I'm enjoying a venti coffee of the day
(Kenya if you're into such things) and I heard a Windows computer
start up. Here I am, very remote from the US, surrounded by US company
branding. I walked past a Costa coffee shop to get here and I know it
was a Windows computer because of the distinctive chime when it is
turned on.
Some things, like the Windows computer, aren't here so much for the
brand or current marketing as for past marketing and making the PC
user friendly. Starbucks though? That's all marketing!
There are not many computer operating systems out there that are
accepted by the masses but there are a ton of coffee shops! Here in
Dubai I can visit big chains (Costa, Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Gloria
Jeans, Coffee and Tea House, Caribou to name a few) or any smaller
chain but the one with 4 in the airport is Starbucks. In all fairness,
Costa has three here.
They just passed a boarding call for an Iranian Air flight to Tehran.
I wonder what an Iranian thinks of all these American brands with such
dominance just a few miles from their shores?

Not looking forward...

I’m a Dad now.  That’s a great thing.  I’m headed back out on deployment.  That’s not such a good thing.

This dad thing is pretty awesome.  I never realized how much one little person could influence your life!  He’s a bundle of joy and just so precious you want to hug him all day.

Tomorrow is going to suck though.  Time to head back to my unit and the work that I’m not looking forward to.  The only upside is that we have been so busy the last few months that it kind of slipped on by.  Hopefully the remaining few months will do the same so I can get back to my family.

Daddy?

Well, almost. Sitting here in the hospital waiting for the newest member of our family.

We came in today to induce but Kris is already having contractions and is dilated to about 1cm.  Not far along but progressing!

Headed home...

And that means it’s almost time for baby!

Frigid day in the UAE

Who would have thunk?  With lows in the 60’s at night people actually wear jackets here.

The temperatures have been downright pleasant lately, mid-80’s during the day with a pleasant, non dust stirring breeze and down to the 60’s at night.  If there were more green it would be the perfect climate!

Dubai, UAE

Dubai really is a unique town.  It’s a global city in the fact that it takes its global connections for the city to thrive. 

It is built in the desert adjacent to a salty body of water.  They basis of the growth of the city hasn’t been that it straddled any important trade route or was the seat of an empire, it was oil.

Luckily for Dubai, early on the ruling body realized that oil is a non-renewable commodity and they started investing in what we now call the service sector.  Dubai has built an economy around tourism and service.  Tourism is the base and service is being added on.  The hotels here run from nice to amazingly ostentatious.  Shopping can be done in a modernized souk (air conditioning, food courts, etc) to some of the largest malls in the world.  Dubai has opened an international banking center and the first stock exchange in the Middle East.  It really is visionary.

The history of the city is short, much like south Florida, but it has Arab influences it can pull from that keep it interesting.  So far, it has been an interesting visit.  Couldn’t live here though, too flat and too brown…

Long time no post...

I know, I know.  I’ll get to it…

Another day in paradise

Well, I'm at Dubai International airport getting ready to fly to Bahrain again.  The great thing about DXB is that it has free WiFi everywhere!  I was able to track my progress through the airport using Google Earth.

I'm starting to get settled in here in Dubai.  It really isn't that difficult to adjust because everything here is very Western.  If I long for Chili's I can go to the Mall of the Emirates, if I want some Lean Cuisine I can go to Spinney's and get it (not LuLu's though, but they have great spicy chicken shwarmas!)

The return trip through the Bahrain airport won't be nearly as much fun.  Bahrain's airport isn't the equal of Dubai's, it is like a regional airport stateside, smaller, more crowded but a lot easier to navigate.

Well, I'm off to fly Gulf Air (broke down and got their Frequent Flyer Club card too).

On the way again

I'm airborne enroute for another deployment. This one has got to be
one of the hardest I've ever done. 12 years of sea duty and 13
deployments and this is by far the worst.

The saving grace is that this is probably my last deployment.

Last Pasha brunch

We just finished another wonderful brunch at Pasha Mezze in Norfolk.
It just hit me that this is the last brunch before I deploy. It's been
a short but fun filled break between deployments

On the way again

Here it is, less than a week before I deploy again for the third time
in two years. I did get back early from the last one but that was
because of my transfer.

Like numerous other deployments I've done I'm leaving Kris at home.
Unlike those other times the next time I see her we will be headed
somewhere to have a baby (I'm a bit vague on this detail, maybe from
Babys R Us?).

After 19 years of being married, our entire world is about to be
turned upside down and I'm going to miss the last couple of months.
Admittedly, this deployment is one of the most unique I have ever
done. Living conditions promise to be very nice if not downright posh
and there will be lots of money thrown our way to pay for living where
we are headed but still, I just want to be home!

I will be posting more now that I'm headed out again so stay tuned.

Previews...

Just finished the 20 week preview of our 13 ounce baby boy! He is
doing well and a bit of a show off, jumping around, waving at the
crowd...

Everything looks good and mother and baby are fine!

Gotta have it!

Diving that is. I really need to go diving soon. If I can get it
together, I will go diving off North Carolina in a couple of weeks.
I'm looking forward to diving the Graveyard of the Atlantic again with
Discovery Diving.

Monday's

they really aren't so bad when the boss rolls them into a holiday
weekend. Our Independence Day celebration was a success! How about
yours?

Happy Independence Day!

Or Happy 4th of July however you like to celebrate it!

This is the last 4th of July for just Kris and I, next year Baby will
be here to enjoy the festivities!

That great American tradition of the cookout will be celebrated here
today. Chicken, corn, potato salad and snacks followed by ice cream
or fruit salad. Yum!

Have a fun and safe holiday!