Dropbox recently clarified (via their blog and privacy policy) that they “de-duplicate” user files. This has been known for quite a while, and is obvious to anyone who’s had a large file “upload” instantly. But how exactly does Dropbox store files? Are they really de-duplicated or just single-instanced? I set out to discover the answer.
Archives for 2011
Everybody Comes to Rick’s (Party at Cisco Live)
It’s time for a party at Cisco Live USA! Monday evening, “Everyone comes to Rick’s!” We’ll be gathering in the gorgeous Mon Ami Gabi after 7 PM on Monday, July 12. Join your hosts, the dangerous and romantic Rick Blaine (Stephen Foskett) and the glamorous yet innocent Ilsa Lund (Jennifer Huber) for an evening off from the “vultures, vultures everywhere” at Cisco Live!
Back From the Pile: Interesting Links, July 8, 2011
This regular series features highlights from the week. Hop By Hop TCP What is a Switch Network Fabric ? Deal: 1800 mAh iPhone backup battery for a measly $13 Web-based jailbreak returns, supports iPad 2 and any other iOS device Rumor: Apple soldering MacBook Air SSD to motherboard (and why it’s a bad idea) (updated […]
Defining Failure: What Is MTTR, MTTF, and MTBF?
Most computer industry vendors use the term “MTBF†rather indiscriminately. But IT pros know that systems do not magically repair themselves, at least not yet, so MTTR and MTTF are just as important!
Implications of the 2011 MacBook Air’s Unconventional SSD
As techies moan about the lack of upgrade options presented by a soldered in SSD, they miss the bigger industry picture. For too long, computers have been held back by traditional SCSI and ATA controllers. These are both a performance bottleneck and an impediment to innovation. A shift to an integrated PCI storage model makes much sense tactically and strategically for Apple, and I expect that these rumors are true. Furthermore, this move will put even more stress on Windows PC makers. Once again, Apple is outmaneuvering the competition.



