March 2023

Back It Up – The Importance of Redundancy

Posted on March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 by Alix Ganga

World Backup Day is March 31^st, 2023. It’s a great day to remind ourselves of the importance of backing up personal and professional data. From family photos to important presentations, you’ve likely felt the pain of forgetting to do backups.

“Failure is Always an Option” – Adam Savage

Whether you are a MythBuster or a software developer, there is no shortage of issues that can result in data loss. Software bugs, malware, environmental factors, accidental deletion. Without a robust backup solution, your data is constantly at risk. There are several types of backup options that can mitigate this risk. Let’s take a look at a few of these that can help maintain access to your important files no matter what gets thrown your way.

3-2-1… Countdown for Successful Data Protection

Having one backup copy of your critical work data is sometimes not enough. Let’s assume you back up your files or your application data to an external drive, and keep this drive in your home office or work desk. If your laptop fails, you have a backup copy for immediate recovery. If a water pipe bursts in your home, or there’s an issue at your desk onsite, then your computer and the external drive backup will likely be destroyed. This is a good reason to keep at least two copies of your critical data with one copy residing in an offsite location. Examples of offsite locations include simply saving to the cloud or even using an infrastructure datacenter whose specialty is housing backup data.

OneDrive – One terrific offsite solution is Microsoft’s OneDrive. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you may have access to 1 TB or terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage. OneDrive can be used to backup specific data but can also be set up to backup all your local folders such as documents, downloads, and desktop automatically. This “set it and forget it” configuration means your data is stored in the cloud in the event something happens to your PC. This approach has the added benefit of giving you access to your files anytime and anywhere. For more information, simply access Microsoft’s OneDrive backup instructions online.

Even with the redundancy offered by a large company such as Microsoft, it’s a good idea to backup your cloud data and email to a third-party provider for even more offsite availability. Whether you are a web developer at a federal agency or a systems administrator at a business like LCG, our data easily climbs into multiple terabytes of cloud data. Having a robust strategy is critical to personal and business success.

Remember – your backup strategy is only successful when implemented, so save your work today.

Hold on let me go save this…

Daniel Trencher is the Systems Administrator in IT and Network Support at LCG

LCG Passes ISO 9001:2015 Surveillance Audit, Recognizing the Quality of its Performance

Posted on March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 by Alix Ganga

LCG has successfully passed its ISO 9001:2015 Surveillance Audit of the Quality Management System (QMS) validating a commitment to standardize and maintain the highest level of quality service to customers and verifying its continuous improvement of processes.

In 2022, LCG formalized its continued commitment to quality by forming a Quality Control department which also includes Client Relationship Management (CRM). Before the creation of the Quality Control department, LCG was a small company that was attaining and maintaining quality certifications by organically applying the vision of leadership and maintaining high standards of employees.

Following best practices, the Quality Control department works closely with the Service Delivery team and the Project Management Office (PMO) to ensure customer service quality remains high. At the same time, they work across the company to implement processes on an ongoing process to document and improve service delivery and operations.

Achieving ISO 9001 certification is intensive with annual audits to show the company has practices in place which demonstrate the company’s level of quality. The International Organization of Standards (ISO) provides a library of standards to fulfill which the company then fits to its goals and vision.

The current certification was awarded in 2020 and is maintained every year through a “surveillance audit” during which specific areas of the company are selected for audit. The following year, a different area of the company is audited. A member of the executive leadership team is present throughout the audit.

LCG will undergo a full audit of its 2023 quality performance in 2024.

In the words of Carlene Carter, LCG’s Vice President of Quality & CRM, “We work from the inside out, maintaining a solid internal infrastructure, reducing waste, and increasing productivity. Our Service Delivery teams work on improving our customers’ experiences every day. We monitor our success through customer surveys and CPARs. We also socialize the importance of maintaining high standards, have a company-wide Process Improvement Committee, and even run mock audits with heads of departments.”

The company performed exceptionally well with LCG passing the Surveillance Audit with zero non-conformities at any level.

A Guide to Generative AI and its Potential

Posted on March 8, 2023March 10, 2023 by Alix Ganga

Generative AI models aren’t just speculative science fiction anymore. It’s important to be cautiously optimistic in this pivotal moment, as many companies and individuals explore the role that AI models may play in society. As with any game-changing technology, it’s necessary to consider the historical view, as well as to understand our roles in building a brighter, better future.

The brilliance of the technologies of today’s second machine age is on full display. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most remarkable innovations in recent years. It has the potential to transform our lives in countless ways – from boosting our productivity to providing personalized healthcare – and even creating virtual assistants that can provide a natural language interface.

ChatGPT, one of these Generative AI models, appears to be the first step across the transformative threshold for entire industries. Many are excited and many are fearful. It’s important to examine our initial reactions to create a better understanding of this technology and where it may lead.

Looking back at the industrial revolution and the first machine age in the late 1700s, we find similarities to today’s response. Many critics of industrialization believed that the capitalist system would inevitably replace human labor with machines. Industrialization did in fact replace certain types of labor, but new opportunities for employment materialized; people adapted to the new conditions driven by industry.

During the industrial revolution, remarkable physical engines augmented the capabilities of the human body. Today, the ongoing computing revolution of the second machine age is focused on augmenting human minds – and Generative AI is the perfect case study. Let’s evaluate it with an open mind.

The cautiously optimistic technologist ethicist in me calls for the following considerations.

First – We all must take the time to make responsible AI. At the very least, we should understand the ethical considerations involved in the development and deployment of AI technology so that we can ensure that they are safe, fair, transparent, and accountable.

Second – What is Generative AI, and what is the big deal? Generative AI is a field of machine learning (ML) technology that learns to guess the correct output from user input by using massive training datasets. It can output content of all types, from textual narratives, music, and even visual art. However, a Generative AI model cannot perform the broad-reaching intellectual tasks that humans perform as its focus is primarily on generating content within a specific medium. The limited scope of current Generative AI models is known as a “Narrow AI,” aka “Weak AI”, compared to the more generalized knowledge pursued by the conceptual “Artificial General Intelligence (AGI),” or “Strong AI” models speculated during the 1950s.

Third – What does all this mean for society? As with any new disruptive technology a balanced mindset allows for the analysis of potential benefits and risks. We find ourselves in a time of great uncertainty and upheaval with the availability of Generative AI to the general public for free or low cost.

As we navigate the uncertainty about Generative AI’s role in society, I hope we can approach it with curiosity. Keeping an open mind and seeking ways to harness AI’s power for the greater good will allow us to make an informed decision about its uses and applicability based on numerous capabilities and constraints.

There are several ways to learn and evaluate Generative AI, starting with ChatGPT, a platform immediately available to probe for its abilities and limitations. In addition to ChatGPT, you can explore other Generative AI solutions through resources such as Base10, which provides a wealth of information and tools to help you learn more about the latest trends and developments in the field of Generative AI.

Advanced users looking to explore AI development, OpenAI APIs, and Azure Open AI Services can find advanced features and tools to help create robust and scalable AI solutions. A recent development is the availability of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Whisper models to developers through API, ten times cheaper in monetary cost than the existing GPT-3.5 models. These services are designed to integrate with systems and workflows, so you can start building and deploying advanced AI solutions quickly and easily.

In conclusion, I would like to leave you with this thought. Modern technology will continue to evolve at a rapid pace, with increasingly advanced capabilities becoming accessible to the public. As early adopters, we should work to maximize its positive impact while minimizing any adverse consequences. By doing so, we can set an example for others to follow and help to realize the full promise of Generative AI.

Chanaka Perera is Chief Technology Officer at LCG.