Rebooting this Blog

It has been several years since I updated this blog. For last couple of years, I had been busy with Executive MBA program at University of Washington. My interests also had diverged from purely data storage to broader markets and technologies for data storage, data analytics, data mining, statistics and machine learning. In addition, I became interested in Micro-finance specifically peer-to-peer lending sites such as Prosper and Lending Club.

After deliberating whether to start a new blog for my new-found interests or reboot this blog, I decided on later. This blog was always about my random thought and not necessarily focusing on a specific topic so as interests change so does this blog.

Once again, I look forward to slowly become a regular poster on this blog. I look forward to welcoming returning and new readers.

Spreadsheet Miscalculation of 30!

Today, I encountered something amusing. I was trying to calculate Factorial 30 (also written as 30!). Don't ask me why I was trying to calculate Factorial. :-).

As a refresher for some of us who may have forgot Factorials, Factorial 30 is product of all positive integers between 1 and 30 inclusive.

30! = 30 x 29 x 28 x 27 x 26 x 25 x 24 x 23 x 22 x 21 x 20 x 19 ... x 1.

With Microsoft Excel, using both PRODUCT function and manual multiplication 30 x 29 x ....

30! = 265,252,859,812,191,000,000,000,000,000,000

Same results on my MacBook with Numbers program, using both PRODUCT function and manual multiplication.

30! = 265,252,859,812,191,000,000,000,000,000,000

I got slightly different result with Google Docs Spreadsheet, using PRODUCT function

30! = 265,252,859,812,191,030,000,000,000,000,000

And, another different result with Google Docs Spreadsheet using manual multiplication

30! = 265,252,859,812,191,100,000,000,000,000,000

But actually,

30! = 265,252,859,812,191,058,636,308,480,000,000

It appears spreadsheets are rounding numbers after 15 or 16 digits.

Heading to Google Scalability Conference

Like Robin Harris, I am also attending Google Scalability Conference in Seattle Friday and Saturday. Hopefully, I will see him at the event. All sessions at Google conference look good. Unfortunately, I will miss half of them as two tracks are running in parallel. I am looking forward to hearing about maidsafe, CARMEN, GIGA+, and Google Maps scale down.

Recently, several readers inquired whether I lost interest in blogging as I am posting very irregularly. Nothing can be further from the truth. I am still as excited about blogging as I was almost five years ago when I first delve into blogs. The lack of frequent updates is due to my attention being somewhere else (new dig, rig and gig). Will elaborate some other time.

BTW, checkout Storage Optimization blog by Carter George. His startup Ocarina got interesting story with their data footprint reduction technology. I am looking forward to learning more once I refocus on new exciting stuff in storage. Hopefully, Ocarina can change the KPCB's luck in storage space.

Thanks for sticking around!

It has been quite a while since I last blogged. This summer had high-and-low stored for me at personal level. The summer started out great with family get together and celebration but ended with death in the family.

Blogging and Storage weren't something I though about much in last two months. As someone said, life goes on, it is time for me to move on from personal tragedy. Thank you everyone for inquiring about my absence from blogging and whereabouts. I hope to slowly ease back in to blogging again.

If you are reading this post, thanks for sticking around!

The Great Ideas of Dr. Mortimer Adler

After reading my previous blog entry on Richard Feynman, one reader suggested picking up works of Dr. Mortimer Adler for my next non-storage related reading. Dr. Adler was a philosopher, professor, author and star of his own TV show.

After some research, I decided to get How to Think about The Great Ideas book from King County Library System. This book is a collection of transcripts from his TV show, The Great Ideas, aired in early 1950s. Guessing from how quickly my request for this book was fulfilled by library system, works of Richard Feynman seem to be more popular in Seattle region.

This week, I am focusing on reading this book instead of listening, reading and writing two cents in storage blogosphere. The Great Ideas book is very fascinating and some of the lessons are worth sharing on this blog.

Look for more from this book in coming days.


All the news about stormy conditions in Seattle region reminded me of this image of tree hanging on power cables. I captured this picture during last windstorm in Redmond.

Gigantic Banana over Texas Sky

This is funny! A project to put geostationary banana over Texas. Why didn't they pick a place in Canada? The project leader, Cesar Saez, is based in Montreal, Quebec.


I wasn't impressed with their reasons for picking Texas. They are just making mockery of an experiment that could have been great scientific and engineering adventure in addition to artistic expression.

IMO, the political undertone may alienate people from scientific community.

Asempra Hiring while Others Firing!

Last week, Eric Herzog sent me an email mentioning that he is looking for Systems Engineer, based in Sunnyvale and NYC, for Asempra. He is also searching for Director of Business Development and Alliances, Senior Technical Support Manager and Director of Product Marketing and Channel Marketing, all based in California. In his words,

All MUST have very, very SOLID storage subsystems knowledge but who know software as well as hardware.

If you are interested in these opportunities, apply through Asempra Career section. Don't forget to mention you came to know of these opportunities through this blog.

Please DON'T email me your resume unless you can write me a note explaining how your resume can make Eric dance in front of Asempra logo and send his dancing picture for me to post!

Excerpts from provided SE position overview:

The Regional SE position is the focal point of technical responsibility within the Sales organization for all pre-sales customer and partner engagements. The Systems Engineer is responsible for opportunity qualification, product demonstrations, technical presentations, on-site product installation, training, and, coordination with support and post-sales resources. Heavy regional travel is required - up to 70% on-site work with customers and partners.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of working with and directing technical sales teams; The ability to influence and educate prospective customers and partners via demonstrations, technical resources or other methods to more effectively sell technical solutions; a deep understanding of the role of a systems engineer; strong analytical capabilities; a creative problem solver; work well in a dynamic team environment.

Ideal background would include expertise within Windows and Linux Environments, SQL, DR and Recovery Management, Storage Management; and the data protection market (backup, replication, CDP, volume management).

If you didn't like recent Steve's Rant and like Storagezilla wished Steve lump of coal, you may be a good candidate for Asempra.

Patent Search through Google - How Convenient!

Google makes patent searching easy with Google Patent Search. See Google Launches Patent Search Beta, a TechNewsWorld article for more information.

Results for Avamar through Google Patent Search. Convenient and nifty! Hopefully, one day it will expand to include patents from other countries also instead of U.S. only.


View of Tokyo from Hotel room window