rPath Launches “System Automation Unplugged” Technical Video Series

June 17, 2010 - PRLog -- •   Educational “chalk talks” recorded for IT practitioners seeking better, lower-overhead ways to deal with system scale and change
•   Topics range from general to specific, covering broad technical topics as well as detailed discussion about rPath’s approaches to system automation

RALEIGH, N.C. — June 16, 2010 — rPath, an innovator in automating system deployment and maintenance, today announced its new video series, “System Automation Unplugged: Technical Whiteboard Sessions on Next-Generation IT Automation Topics.” Available now, the videos are designed to provide educational content to two distinct audiences: 1) those seeking to better understand rPath and its approach to model-driven and version-controlled system automation; and 2) IT operations practitioners in general, who are interested in leading-edge ideas for low-overhead system automation for the age of massive scale and accelerating change.

The “System Automation Unplugged: Technical Whiteboard Sessions on Next-Generation IT Automation Topics” videos include:

•   rPath’s Approach to Automation – An introduction to the company’s model-driven, version-controlled automation philosophy, which brings speed, efficiency and control to system management across physical, virtual and cloud environments. Presented by Erik Troan.

•   The Challenges of Large Scale System Management – A discussion of the consistency, compliance and cost-efficiency challenges posed by next-generation architectures that drive scale, including x86 servers, virtualization, and cloud computing. Presented by Erik Troan.

•   The Evolution of IT Automation – A review of IT processes and execution methods over time, from manual implementation of documented policies and rules to script-based process automation to new approaches including model-driven automation. Presented by Erik Troan.

•   Erik Troan on His Founding Vision – A look at how Troan’s experience at Red Hat—third employee, first VP of engineering, inventor of RPM—shaped his vision for better ways to manage systems at scale. Presented by Erik Troan.

•   Doing More with Less: The Case for IT Automation – A view of the business case for system automation, focusing on the driving factors of software diversity, system scale, accelerating change, and compliance. Presented by Shawn Edmondson.

•   rPath’s Approach to Automation (Deep Dive) – A deep and detailed discussion of rPath’s unique approach to system automation, covering both the mechanics and the benefits. Presented by Shawn Edmondson.

•   What is rPath? – A high-level overview for understanding rPath and a conceptual articulation of rPath and system automation. Presented by Brett Adam.

•   No More Image Inventories – Manufacturing analogies are used to propose on-demand, “just in time” image generation—images as disposable artifacts—as a better way to manage cumbersome image inventories and associated VM sprawl. Presented by Brett Adam.

•   Understanding System Version Control – An in-depth discussion on how the principles of source control management (used in application development) can and should be applied to IT operations and the management of deployed systems. Presented by Dave Johnson.

rPath technical experts featured in the “System Automation Unplugged: Technical Whiteboard Sessions on Next-Generation IT Automation Topics” videos are:

•   Erik Troan, founder and CTO. Prior to founding rPath, Erik served in multiple roles at Red Hat, including vice president of product engineering for several years and chief developer for Red Hat Software. He holds B.S. degrees in computer science and computer engineering from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia.

•   Brett Adam, vice president of engineering. Brett has over twenty years of experience in the software industry including CEO and CTO level positions as well as senior level roles in software architecture, engineering and product management. Prior to joining rPath, Brett served as CTO and vice president of engineering for Versata, Inc., a provider of business rules management products for enterprise application development which was acquired by Trilogy, Inc. in 2006. Brett studied computer science and psychology at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

•   Shawn Edmondson, director of product management. Shawn joined rPath from HP Software. At HP, Shawn worked in the BSA (Business Service Automation) group as a product manager for the HP Server Automation product, where he focused on virtualization systems management. He joined HP through the Opsware acquisition. Shawn has 14 years of experience in software engineering, engineering management, and product management. Shawn holds a B.S. in computer science from Harvard.

•   Dave Johnson, director of field engineering. Dave is a seasoned field engineer and Linux expert with an extensive background in implementing Linux-based solutions for customers. Dave has worked extensively with premier rPath customers to deliver innovative system automation within complex and diverse IT environments. Prior to joining rPath, Dave spent more than six years at Red Hat, where he served in a variety of engineering and technical management roles. Dave holds B.S. degrees in computer engineering and electrical engineering from North Carolina State University.

For more information on rPath, please visit http://www.rpath.com. For additional perspectives, please visit and subscribe to rPath RSS blog feeds at http://blogs.rpath.com/wpmu/. Follow rPath on Twitter at @rpath.

Resources

rPath website: http://www.rpath.com
rPath blog: http://blogs.rpath.com/wpmu/
rPath on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rPath
rPath press releases and commentaries: http://www.rpath.com/corp/news-and-events
rPath videos and podcasts: http://www.rpath.com/corp/audio-and-video
rPath Cloud Computing Adoption Model: http://www.rpath.com/corp/cloud-adoption-model
rPath Knowledge Center: http://www.rpath.com/corp/browse-resources
rPath webinars: http://www.rpath.com/corp/webinar

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Media Contact:

Elena Annuzzi, media relations for rPath
TECHMarket Communications
650.704.8664
Elena@TECHMarket.com

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About rPath

rPath automates system deployment and maintenance across physical, virtual and cloud environments. rPath’s innovative release automation platform is based on the industry’s only commercial version control repository for managing deployed software systems. The result is an easy-to-deploy and cost-effective automation solution for rapid, low-risk and low-overhead deployment and maintenance of complex software systems. rPath dramatically improves responsiveness to business lines, reduces compliance risks, and allows resource-constrained IT organizations to significantly reduce operating costs and “do more with less.” Headquartered in Raleigh, NC, rPath customers include many of the world’s largest enterprises and ISVs. Visit www.rpath.com.