Kansas Department of Health & Environment’s IT Infrastructure Failure is Recovering

A recent news article reported on an IT infrastructure failure at Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).  The issue was compounded by the fact that it occurred as students were preparing to enter school and needed birth certificates, immunization records, and other state documents.  Because they were no longer electronically accessible, approximately 120,000 of these records had to be retrieved from storage in a central Kansas salt mine, no doubt adding significant man-hours to workers across Kansas.

According to the Healthcare IT News article, the technical problems stemmed from a storage area network (SAN) failure, the hardware which stored agency records. Read more

Ravica Environmental Sensors Are Alternative To “Glass Pavilion”

August 23, 2010 by · Comment
Filed under: environmental monitoring, Security Monitoring 

I recently learned of the existence of a glass house in Montecito, California designed by Los Angeles- based architect Steve Hermann.  Considering that this is a glass house in which someone standing outside can see into multiple rooms (including bedrooms and bathrooms), I question the validity of Mr. Hermann’s statement, “Here I have complete privacy.” 

Albeit gorgeous, the home features glass exterior walls, allowing the occupant to be “one with nature.”  But it also seems to allow the occupant to be “one with everyone else who is standing outside the house.”

This takes the concept of “neighborhood watch” to a new level.  Read more

Ravica Environmental Monitors Begin Where Mayberry Ends

Growing up in a small town had some advantages, including a feeling of security.  For example, when our family would leave town on vacation, the police department kept an eye on our home.  Patrol cars drove by our house periodically, day and night, ensuring that our home and possessions were safe.  In this way, it was if our small town was in the very capable hands of our own Andy Griffith.  These days, law enforcement departments don’t necessarily have the resources to protect property this way.  

Fortunately, we can have that sense of trust with a Ravica environmental sensor.  Ravica security monitors placed in your property can alert you to the presence of property hazards like smoke and water.  While you are away, you can still feel secure knowing you will be alerted to hazards as soon as they happen.

Read more

Ravica’s Motion Sensor Cameras Prevent Tremendous Drain on Networks

It seems the need for preventative monitoring is everywhere. 

Last week I noted a discussion with an associate who lost data due to a water leak in a data center.  Not long after that discussion, I had a conversation with an IT Manager regarding business structure.  During our conversation, he mentioned that his building’s security officers recently called him with complaints of slow internet connectivity.  He used his company’s NetFlow monitoring tool to find the source of tremendous internet bandwidth streaming.  Through the NetFlow Analyzer, he narrowed the focus to one specific security camera and realized the camera was constantly streaming images of an empty hallway.  This streaming was pumping pictures to the network server and causing huge delays.

He further used his Scrutinizer Analyzer Read more

Environmental Monitoring Sensors: More Than Just Fancy Smoke Detectors

During a conversation this week, an associate of mine explained that his business is growing exponentially.  His operation expanded from 5 locations to 18 locations in just 2 years.  Considering the national economy during this last 2 years, I found this to be an astonishing and noble feat.  But then he casually mentioned something else:  one of his centers recently lost data due to a water leak.  He mentioned it almost in passing, as if losses of this nature were to be occasionally expected.

Sadly, this type of water damage is fairly common.  Not as common as the Old Spice Guy videos on YouTube, but common nonetheless.   Read more