Gong-A-Thong at LugRadio Live USA
The very brave soul, was Aaron Bockover, from the Banshee media player fame (via the LugRadio Live USA 2008 weblog). There were a few interesting highlights from these gong-a-thong sessions…
Zumastor
Dan Kegel spoke about the Zumastor Linux Storage Project. Want snapshots and remote replication in your Linux filesystem? This one does just that. From the contributor list, it looks like its all Google engineers hacking on this… Yes, this is better than LVM. No, I haven’t tried it yet.
mod_ndb
J.D. Duncan spoke about mod_ndb. Here are my transcribed notes of the talk.
MySQL Cluster is a database designed to be fault tolerant, on cheap commodity hardware. Write SQL queries, and they access the data from the NDB nodes. A few deficiencies in web applications – 2 tier architecture (from PHP to MySQL), now it becomes a 3-tier architecture (PHP->MySQL->NDB). MySQL 5.0 also limited – no true VARCHARs, and entirely in memory. There are variable linked rows, VARCHARs support, and on disk support in 5.1.
Apache web server, link in mod_ndb in httpd.conf file, write something that looks like a SQL query, then you send a GET/DELETE/POST request to Apache (its a REST API). If its a GET, the data can come out of the database as JSON, XML, etc. From a browser, its as simple as an XMLHTTP request call.
Solomon Chang’s Irish Ballad
Folk at the MySQL Conference 2007 would remember active community member Solomon Chang. In fact, if you’ve read The MySQL 5.1 Cluster DBA Certification Guide, you’d also recognise the name.
Solomon went up on stage to entertain us with an Irish ballad. He used to be involved with an Irish woman, and has got the skills to mimic the accent really well, and make funny tunes. Solomon won a Neuros OSD for his efforts.
Technorati Tags: dan kegel, zumastor, mod_ndb, j.d. duncan, mysql cluster, apache, solomon chang
I thought I might also have the courtesy to post the lyrics. –Solomon
-==Coder McKinnan o’ The Cubicles==-
By Solomon Kevin Chang
McKinnan was a coder who had worked a ‘Nine to Five’,
And he started every morning with a grueling hour’s drive.
With coworkers one day he went to fetch some coffee blend,
At a quiet little Starbucks, on which programmers depend.
‘Twas here his people came to lay out web domains they tend.
‘Twas here McKinnan briefly broke his train of thought just when
His eye then spied a bonnie lass, all prettied up and slim,
But his boss stepped in, to stop McKinnan, saying this to him:
[Chorus]
“No lass as she could ever be with nerdy geeks like ye.
Oh, thy lot in life is loneliness as far as I can see.
McKinnan you’re a coder, but a lover not ye be.
Now get back and patch our clients’ PHP.”
And who should come in at that moment? Lo! ‘Tis Fair Folk kin,
A member of the Seelie court on a Latté binge.
McKinnan ‘pproached the fairy with his mortal friends in tow,
For when it came to flirting, ’tis what the Seelie fully know.
The fairy told McKinnan, “Though thy heart is lost of glee,
Be thankful of six figures have ye in your salary.
But matters of the heart, ye shan’t like what I shall say,
But I say this unto you on behalf of all the Fey:
[Chorus]
“No lass as she could ever be with nerdy geeks like ye.
Oh, thy lot in life is loneliness, and that’s the way it be.
McKinnan you’re a coder, but a lover not ye be,
For romance is not a struct you write in C.”
McKinnan sat in silence, stunned, and wept with lip a-furled,
“How dare you call this ‘wisdom’, Fairy Fey not of this world!
Oh I defy thy damned decree until my dying day;
The Little Folk and coffee never mixed well anyway!”
Turning to his coworkers, he asked, “What say of ye?”
In one voice of unison, they answered somberly,
“McKinnan, when ye chose careers, ye also chose yer fate,
As is true of every coder, ye are doomed to never date!”
[Chorus]
“No lass as she could ever be with nerdy geeks like ye.
Oh, thy lot in life is loneliness, ‘cept maybe D&D.
McKinnan you’re a coder, but a lover not ye be,
Even if you can afford a PS/3.”
McKinnan stirred his cappuccino, then he took a sip.
Turning to the others, he said, “You’re all full of it!”
Gathering up his courage, he approached the lass so fair.
Whereas she struck him down with icy words atop an icy stare:
[Chorus]
“A man like ye could never be with women such as me.
Oh, thy lot in life is loneliness, which you refuse to see.
McKinnan you’re a coder, but a lover not ye be,
If you try to make a living in IT.”