Sharkfest 2008

April 14, 2008

Gerald Combs @ Sharkfest 2008

Editor's Note - I have accomplished something that has never been accomplished in the past which is to get Gerald Combs to sit down, relax and talk about himself for 11 minutes and 27 seconds. For those who don't know Gerald, he is the creator (or what Gerald prefers to say, the lead developer) of Ethereal/Wireshark, the most widely used network analysis software, with about 300,000 unique downloads per month or 1.1 download every 10 seconds!!!

As far as I can tell, this is the first time that Gerald has appeared in an interview. And probably for millions who have downloaded his software and benefited from his creation for years, this is the first time that they are seeing him live. There is almost no personal information available on Gerald except for the following which is partly from Wikipedia.

Gerald Combs, a computer science graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, is the creator and lead developer of Ethereal, now Wireshark, which was first released in 1998. Recently Wireshark was selected as the the winner of the 2007 BOSSIE (Best of Open Source Software) award for network protocol analysis. Combs worked for Network Integration Services (NIS) until mid 2006 when he moved to a new job at CACE Technologies. In June 2006, he created Wireshark from the Ethereal codebase ... In 2003, Gerald received the prestigious Alumni Achievement Award from his Alma mater.

In addition to this video, I have also uploaded a slightly edited Youtube version. Please feel free to visit and embed in your own blog and web pages. As I said at the end of the interview, all of us are grateful and appreciative of Gerald's technical contribution but also in awe of his integrity, humanity and generosity as a person. Let's make this the most popular Youtube video and bring visibility to our greater community.

April 11, 2008

Scott Haugdahl @ Sharkfest 2008

Vendor Profile - J. Scott Haugdahl is the founder and CTO of his new venture, Bitcricket. He was former Chief Technology Officer at WildPackets and holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology. He has extensive experience in the network analysis industry in the areas of speaking, writing, competitive analysis, on-site training and network troubleshooting, and expert systems design and implementation. Industry vertical expertise include 802.11 wireless, VoIP, performance analysis and Apdex (Application Performance Index), and good old fashioned protocol analyzer detective work (including forensics). His past entrepreneur experience includes founding Net3 Group, where he wrote the industry’s first analyzer agnostic expert system. He continues writing his popular blog and can be reached by email at scott (at) bitcricket (dot) com.

Continue reading other posts from “The Network Guy” column by J. Scott Haugdahl »

April 10, 2008

PacketTrap Networks @ Sharkfest 2008

Vendor Profile - PacketTrap Networks provides affordable enterprise-class network management tools and solutions that allow network engineers to manage their networks from a single, centralized dashboard. The ptControl Dashboard incorporates a proprietary suite of network tools to give users a graphical, global view of the IT environment for easy network monitoring and network diagnostics. It includes time-saving reporting and dataflow capabilities that are unmatched in the industry and also supports browser-based open source tools.

Michael Blonsky is the VP of Field Operations at PacketTrap. Michael joins the PacketTrap team after starting up and building out the virtual appliances initiative for VMware (NASDAQ: VMW). By developing a successful ISV outreach program, Michael helped VMware grow a new category of software solutions from 4 sample virtual appliances to over 600 virtual appliances including a large number of certified, production supported, commercial virtual appliances. Prior to VMware, Michael was Director of Advanced Solutions for Cast Iron Systems where he focused on selling to and delivering solutions for high profile customers like Toyota, Motorola, Affymetrix, Solectron, Kinder Morgan, and British American Tobacco. In addition to the eight years working in Silicon Valley, Michael brings another eight years of international technology consulting experience with firms like Accenture and Grant Thornton where Michael led multi-year projects for companies like General Electric and Royal Bank of Canada. Michael holds a M.S. in Business and Technology from Johns Hopkins University.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool posts on PacketTrap Networks »

April 09, 2008

Panel Discussion @ Sharkfest 2008

Panel Discussion: The Future of Open Source Network Tools - a distinguished panel of industry experts in a lively discussion on the future of open source versus commercial network tools.

Panel Moderator: (standing) Mike Pennacchi, Network Protocol Specialists, LLC

Panel Participants: (sitting, right to left) Scott Haugdahl - CEO of BitCricket; Gordon Lyon (aka Fyodor) - Founder of insecure.org and Creator of NMAP; Mike Kershaw - Creator of Kismet; Gerald Combs - Creator of Ethereal/Wireshark; Michael Blonsky - VP of Field Operations of PacketTrap

Editor's Note - As an experiment, we have turned on the feature that allows anyone to add comments within the videos. Hopefully this will promote further discussions regarding open source tools. Please keep it clean and civil. Thanks in advance.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool posts by Mike Pennacchi »

April 08, 2008

Network Critcial @ Sharkfest 2008

Vendor Profile - Founded in 1997 by President and CEO Alastair Hartrup, Network Critical is a UK-based company that has grown into a global leader, developing premier network access solutions for the enterprise security and network management marketplace. A channel-friendly company, Network Critical operations continue to grow world-wide, with new offices in Buffalo, New York and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Network Critical provides proper enterprise access wherever monitoring is critical—maximizing the value of customer monitoring investments, and giving customers the assurance that traffic is always seen and always available.

Chris Bihary is the Managing Director of Americas for Network Critical.

For optimal viewing experience, after clicking on the large right arrow above to start the video, click on the up arrow on the bottom right hand corner to view the video in full screen mode, then click on the upper left corners of either half of the screen to adjust the size.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool posts on Network Critical »

April 07, 2008

NetQoS @ Sharkfest 2008

Vendor Profile - NetQoS software and services help service providers, government agencies, and large enterprises – including half of the Fortune 100 – improve the delivery of applications over wide area networks by enabling them to monitor application service levels, troubleshoot problems quickly, and plan for change. Representative NetQoS customers include Chevron, Lockheed Martin, American Express, Hilton Hotels, Siemens, Boeing, Deutsche Telekom, NASA, and Barclays Global Investors. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NetQoS has R&D centers in Austin and Raleigh, N.C., and regional sales offices in London and Singapore.

Joel Trammell is the CEO and Co-Founder of NetQoS which co-sponsors Sharkfest 2008. Since co-founding NetQoS in 1999, Mr. Trammell – a 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner – has led the company to become one of the fastest growing in the U.S., with a rapidly growing list of more than 700 blue-chip customers and sustained profitability. In 2005, the Austin Business Journal recognized him as its Private Company Executive of the Year. Joel began his career as an Officer and Instructor/Division Director at the U.S. Navy’s prestigious Naval Nuclear Power School, instructing more than 400 naval officers in thermal sciences and nuclear reactor plant systems. He was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal and the designation of Master Training Specialist before moving on to build products and solutions that would empower clients to solve their long-standing information technology problems.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool posts on NetQoS »

April 04, 2008

Xangati @ Sharkfest 2008

Vendor Profile - Xangati provides a rapid problem identification (RPI) system which IT organizations leverage when first responding to end-user, application and network performance and availability issues. Xangati RPI enables its users to swiftly and effectively track down root cause. Enterprises, government organizations and service providers alike use Xangati to accelerate problem identification efforts by at least twenty percent—which directly results in major productivity gains for the technical teams and their end-users.

David Messina is the VP of Product Management and Marketing for Xangati. David is a seasoned executive with fifteen years of experience in the marketing and selling of enterprise, consumer and service provider networking equipment on a global level. Prior to Xangati, David held product marketing and marketing communications executive positions for CoSine Communications and Bay Networks (acquired by Nortel Networks). David holds a BS in Economics from The Wharton School, UPENN.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool posts on Xangati »

April 03, 2008

Solera Networks @ Sharkfest 2008

Vendor Profile - Solera Networks develops and markets high performance storage appliances and storage and application software and hardware solutions for the emerging Network Management and Network Security Markets. Solera's flagship product, the DS Series, is a suite of network packet recorder appliances that far surpass the gigabit barrier. Acting as a large network buffer, the DS Series integrates seamlessly with existing network applications, providing network managers a complete and accurate picture of network activity and performance.

Paal Tveit is VP or Engineering at Solera Networks and has over 20 years of software and hardware engineering experience. Prior to Solera Networks, Paal served as Director of Engineering at SonicWALL, where he was responsible for the design, implementation, and testing of FIPS and Common Criteria certifiable VPN's and firewalls across all product lines. He joined SonicWALL as part of the acquisition of Phobos in 2000. Paal previously held senior engineering positions at Mainstream Data, Philips/BTS, and Unisys. Paal holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economics from Johns Hopkins University.

For optimal viewing experience, after clicking on the large right arrow above to start the video, click on the up arrow on the bottom right hand corner to view the video in full screen mode, then click on the upper left corners of either half of the screen to adjust the size.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool posts on Solera Networks »

April 02, 2008

Vint Cerf @ Sharkfest 2008

Speaker Profile - Dr. Vinton G. Cerf is vice president and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google. He is responsible for identifying new enabling technologies and applications on the Internet and other platforms for the company.

Widely known as a "Father of the Internet," Vint is the co-designer with Robert Kahn of TCP/IP protocols and basic architecture of the Internet. In 1997, President Clinton recognized their work with the U.S. National Medal of Technology. In 2005, Vint and Bob received the highest civilian honor bestowed in the U.S., the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It recognizes the fact that their work on the software code used to transmit data across the Internet has put them "at the forefront of a digital revolution that has transformed global commerce, communication, and entertainment."

For optimal viewing experience, after clicking on the large right arrow above to start the video, click on the up arrow on the bottom right hand corner to view the video in full screen mode, then click on the upper left corners of either half of the screen to adjust the size.

April 01, 2008

CACE Technologies @ Sharkfest 2008

Vendor Profile - CACE (Creative, Advanced Communication Engineering) Technologies is dedicated to enhancing the Wireshark user experience. Our staff of accomplished computer scientists and engineers has created Wireshark®, the world’s most popular network analyzer, WinPcap™, the industry-standard open source packet capture library for Windows, and AirPcap™ Product Family 802.11 WLAN packet capture devices for Wireshark. Our collective experience and talents combine to offer exciting networking products as well as a broad range of engineering, development, and consulting services.

Dr. John Bruno is the Co-Founder and CEO of CACE Technologies and CACE is the sponsor/organizer of Sharkfest 2008.

More "Show Time" Videos (Sort by Event)

(Click on the following miniaturized banner to go to the desired event)

2007:

2008: