Jessica Brown

SaltStack (SALT): A Comprehensive OverviewSaltStack, commonly referred to as SALT, is a powerful open-source infrastructure management platform designed for scalability. Leveraging event-driven workflows, SALT provides an adaptable solution for automating configuration management, remote execution, and orchestration across diverse infrastructures. This document offers an in-depth guide to SALT for both technical teams and business stakeholders, demystifying its features and applications. What is SALT?SALT is a versatile tool that serves multiple purposes in infrastructure management: Configuration Management Tool (like Ansible, Puppet, Chef): Automates the setup and maintenance of servers and applications. Remote Execution Engine (similar to Fabric or SSH): Executes commands on systems remotely, whether targeting a single node or thousands. State Enforcement System: Ensures systems maintain desired configurations over time. Event-Driven Automation Platform: Detects system changes and triggers actions in real-time. Key Technologies: YAML: Used for defining states and configurations in a human-readable format. Jinja: Enables dynamic templating for YAML files. Python: Provides extensibility through custom modules and scripts. Supported ArchitecturesSALT accommodates various architectures to suit organizational needs: Master/Minion: A centralized control model where a Salt Master manages Salt Minions to send commands and execute tasks. Masterless: A decentralized approach using salt-ssh to execute tasks locally without requiring a master node. Core Components of SALTComponent Description Salt Master Central control node that manages minions, sends commands, and orchestrates infrastructure tasks. Salt Minion Agent installed on managed nodes that executes commands from the master. Salt States Declarative YAML configuration files that define desired system states (e.g., package installations). Grains Static metadata about a system (e.g., OS version, IP address), useful for targeting specific nodes. Pillars Secure, per-minion data storage for secrets and configuration details. Runners Python modules executed on the master to perform complex orchestration tasks. Reactors Event listeners that trigger actions in response to system events. Beacons Minion-side watchers that emit events based on system changes (e.g., file changes or CPU spikes). Key Features of SALTFeature Description Agent or Agentless SALT can operate in agent (minion-based) or agentless (masterless) mode. Scalability Capable of managing tens of thousands of nodes efficiently. Event-Driven Reacts to real-time system changes via beacons and reactors, enabling automation at scale. Python Extensibility Developers can extend modules or create custom ones using Python. Secure Employs ZeroMQ for communication and AES encryption for data security. Role-Based Config Dynamically applies configurations based on server roles using grains metadata. Granular Targeting Targets systems using name, grains, regex, or compound filters for precise management. Common Use CasesSALT is widely used across industries for tasks like: Provisioning new systems and applying base configurations. Enforcing security policies and managing firewall rules. Installing and enabling software packages (e.g., HTTPD, Nginx). Scheduling and automating patching across multiple environments. Monitoring logs and system states with automatic remediation for issues. Managing VM and container lifecycles (e.g., Docker, LXC). Real-World ExamplesRemote Command Execution: salt '*' test.ping (Pings all connected systems). salt 'web*' cmd.run 'systemctl restart nginx' (Restarts Nginx service on all web servers). State File Example (YAML): nginx: pkg.installed: [] service.running: - enable: True - require: - pkg: nginx Comparing SALT to Other ToolsFeature Salt Ansible Puppet Chef Language YAML + Python YAML + Jinja Puppet DSL Ruby DSL Agent Required Optional No Yes Yes Push/Pull Both Push Pull Pull Speed Very Fast Medium Medium Medium Scalability High Medium-High Medium Medium Event-Driven Yes No No Limited Security ConsiderationsSALT ensures secure communication and authentication: Authentication: Uses public/private key pairs to authenticate minions. Encryption: Communicates via ZeroMQ encrypted with AES. Access Control: Defines granular controls using Access Control Lists (ACLs) in the Salt Master configuration. Additional InformationFor organizations seeking enhanced usability, SaltStack Config offers a graphical interface to streamline workflow management. Additionally, SALT's integration with VMware Tanzu provides advanced automation for enterprise systems. Installation ExampleOn a master node (e.g., RedHat): sudo yum install salt-master On minion nodes: sudo yum install salt-minion Configure /etc/salt/minion with: master: your-master-hostname Then start the minion: sudo systemctl enable --now salt-minion Accept the minion on the master: sudo salt-key -L # list all keys sudo salt-key -A # accept all pending minion keys Where to Go NextSalt Project Docs Git-based states with gitfs Masterless setups for container deployments Custom modules in Python Event-driven orchestration with beacons + reactors Large 600+ Server Patching in 3 Regions with 3 different Environments ExampleLet give an example of have 3 different environments DEV (Development), PREP (Preproduction), and PROD (Production), now let's dig a little deeper and say we have 3 different regions EUS (East US), WUS (West US), and EUR (European) and we would like these patches to be applied on changing dates, such as DEV will be patched on 3 days after the second Tuesday, PREP will be patched on 5 days after the second Tuesday, and PROD will be 5 days after the 3rd Tuesday. The final clause to this mass configuration is, we would like the patches to be applied on the Client Local Time. In many configurations such as AUM, or JetPatch, you would need several different Maintenace Schedules or plans to create this setup. With SALT, the configuration lies inside the minion, so configuration is much more defined, and simple to manage. Use Case RecapYou want to patch three environment groups based on local time and specific schedules: Environment Schedule Rule Timezone Dev 3rd day after 2nd Tuesday of the month Local PREP 5th day after 2nd Tuesday of the month Local Prod 5th day after 3rd Tuesday of the month Local Each server knows its environment via Salt grains, and the local timezone via OS or timedatectl. Step-by-Step PlanSet Custom Grains for Environment & Region Create a Python script (run daily) that: Checks if today matches the schedule per group If yes, uses Salt to target minions with the correct grain and run patching Schedule this script via cron or Salt scheduler Use Salt States to define patching Step 1: Define Custom GrainsOn each minion, configure /etc/salt/minion.d/env_grains.conf: grains: environment: dev # or prep, prod region: us-east # or us-west, eu-central, etc. Then restart the minion: sudo systemctl restart salt-minion Verify: salt '*' grains.items Step 2: Salt State for PatchingCreate patching/init.sls: update-packages: pkg.uptodate: - refresh: True - retry: attempts: 3 interval: 15 reboot-if-needed: module.run: - name: system.reboot - onlyif: 'test -f /var/run/reboot-required' Step 3: Python Script to Orchestrate PatchingLet’s build run_patching.py. It: Figures out the correct date for patching Uses salt CLI to run patching for each group Handles each group in its region and timezone #!/usr/bin/env python3 import subprocess import datetime import pytz from dateutil.relativedelta import relativedelta, TU # Define your environments and their rules envs = { "dev": {"offset": 3, "week": 2}, "prep": {"offset": 5, "week": 2}, "prod": {"offset": 5, "week": 3} } # Map environments to regions (optional) regions = { "dev": ["us-east", "us-west"], "prep": ["us-east", "eu-central"], "prod": ["us-east", "us-west", "eu-central"] } # Timezones per region region_tz = { "us-east": "America/New_York", "us-west": "America/Los_Angeles", "eu-central": "Europe/Berlin" } def calculate_patch_date(year, month, week, offset): second_tuesday = datetime.date(year, month, 1) + relativedelta(weekday=TU(week)) return second_tuesday + datetime.timedelta(days=offset) def is_today_patch_day(env, region): now = datetime.datetime.now(pytz.timezone(region_tz[region])) target_day = calculate_patch_date(now.year, now.month, envs[env]["week"], envs[env]["offset"]) return now.date() == target_day and now.hour >= desired_hour def run_salt_target(environment, region): target = f"environment:{environment} and region:{region}" print(f"Patching {target}...") subprocess.run([ "salt", "-C", target, "state.apply", "patching" ]) def main(): for env in envs: for region in regions[env]: if is_today_patch_day(env, region): run_salt_target(env, region) if __name__ == "__main__": main() Make it executable: chmod +x /srv/scripts/run_patching.py Test it: ./run_patching.py Step 4: Schedule via Cron (on Master)Edit crontab: crontab -e Add daily job: # Run daily at 6 AM UTC 0 6 * * * /srv/scripts/run_patching.py >> /var/log/salt/patching.log 2>&1 This assumes the local time logic is handled in the script using each region’s timezone. Security & Safety TipsTest patching states on a few dev nodes first (salt -G 'environment:dev' -l debug state.apply patching) Add Slack/email notifications (Salt Reactor or Python smtplib) Consider dry-run support with test=True (in pkg.uptodate) Use salt-run jobs.list_jobs to track job execution Optional EnhancementsUse Salt Beacons + Reactors to monitor and patch in real-time Integrate with JetPatch or Ansible for hybrid control Add patch deferral logic for critical services Write to a central patching log DB with job status per host Overall ArchitectureMinions: Monitor the date/time via beacons On patch day (based on local logic), send a custom event to the master Master: Reacts to that event via a reactor Targets the sending minion and applies the patching state Step-by-Step: Salt Beacon + Reactor Model1. Define a Beacon on Each MinionFile: /etc/salt/minion.d/patchday_beacon.confbeacons: patchday: interval: 3600 # check every hour This refers to a custom beacon we will define. 2. Create the Custom Beacon (on all minions)File: /srv/salt/_beacons/patchday.pyimport datetime from dateutil.relativedelta import relativedelta, TU import pytz __virtualname__ = 'patchday' def beacon(config): ret = [] grains = __grains__ env = grains.get('environment', 'unknown') region = grains.get('region', 'unknown') # Define rules rules = { "dev": {"offset": 3, "week": 2}, "prep": {"offset": 5, "week": 2}, "prod": {"offset": 5, "week": 3} } region_tz = { "us-east": "America/New_York", "us-west": "America/Los_Angeles", "eu-central": "Europe/Berlin" } if env not in rules or region not in region_tz: return ret # invalid or missing config tz = pytz.timezone(region_tz[region]) now = datetime.datetime.now(tz) rule = rules[env] patch_day = (datetime.date(now.year, now.month, 1) + relativedelta(weekday=TU(rule["week"])) + datetime.timedelta(days=rule["offset"])) if now.date() == patch_day: ret.append({ "tag": "patch/ready", "env": env, "region": region, "datetime": now.isoformat() }) return ret 3. Sync Custom Beacon to MinionsOn the master: salt '*' saltutil.sync_beacons Enable it: salt '*' beacons.add patchday '{"interval": 3600}' 4. Define Reactor on the MasterFile: /etc/salt/master.d/reactor.confreactor: - 'patch/ready': - /srv/reactor/start_patch.sls 5. Create Reactor SLS FileFile: /srv/reactor/start_patch.sls{% set minion_id = data['id'] %} run_patching: local.state.apply: - tgt: {{ minion_id }} - arg: - patching This reacts to patch/ready event and applies the patching state to the calling minion. 6. Testing the Full FlowRestart the minion: systemctl restart salt-minion Confirm the beacon is registered: salt '*' beacons.list Trigger a manual test (simulate patch day by modifying date logic) Watch events on master: salt-run state.event pretty=True Confirm patching applied: salt '*' saltutil.running 7. Example: patching/init.slsAlready shared, but here it is again for completeness: update-packages: pkg.uptodate: - refresh: True - retry: attempts: 3 interval: 15 reboot-if-needed: module.run: - name: system.reboot - onlyif: 'test -f /var/run/reboot-required' Benefits of This ModelReal-time and event-driven – no need for polling or external scripts Timezone-aware, thanks to local beacon logic Self-healing – minions signal readiness independently Audit trail – each event is logged in Salt’s event bus Extensible – you can easily add Slack/email alerts via additional reactors GoalTrack patching event completions per minion Store patch event metadata: who patched, when, result, OS, IP, environment, region, etc. Generate readable reports in: CSV/Excel HTML dashboard JSON for API or SIEM ingestion Step 1: Customize Reactor to Log CompletionLet’s log each successful patch into a central log file or database (like SQLite or MariaDB). Update Reactor: /srv/reactor/start_patch.slsAdd a returner to store job status. {% set minion_id = data['id'] %} run_patching: local.state.apply: - tgt: {{ minion_id }} - arg: - patching - kwarg: returner: local_json # You can also use 'mysql', 'elasticsearch', etc. Configure Returner (e.g., local_json)In /etc/salt/master: returner_dirs: - /srv/salt/returners ext_returners: local_json: file: /var/log/salt/patch_report.json Or use a MySQL returner: mysql.host: 'localhost' mysql.user: 'salt' mysql.pass: 'yourpassword' mysql.db: 'salt' mysql.port: 3306 Enable returners: salt-run saltutil.sync_returners Step 2: Normalize Patch Data (Optional Post-Processor)If using JSON log, create a post-processing script to build reports: process_patch_log.pyimport json import csv from datetime import datetime def load_events(log_file): with open(log_file, 'r') as f: return [json.loads(line) for line in f if line.strip()] def export_csv(events, out_file): with open(out_file, 'w', newline='') as f: writer = csv.DictWriter(f, fieldnames=[ 'minion', 'date', 'environment', 'region', 'result' ]) writer.writeheader() for e in events: writer.writerow({ 'minion': e['id'], 'date': datetime.fromtimestamp(e['_stamp']).isoformat(), 'environment': e['return'].get('grains', {}).get('environment', 'unknown'), 'region': e['return'].get('grains', {}).get('region', 'unknown'), 'result': 'success' if e['success'] else 'failure' }) events = load_events('/var/log/salt/patch_report.json') export_csv(events, '/srv/reports/patching_report.csv') Step 3: Build a Simple Web DashboardIf you want to display reports via a browser: 🛠 Tools:Flask or FastAPI Bootstrap or Chart.js Reads JSON/CSV and renders: Example Chart Dashboard Features:✅ Last patch date per server 📍 Patching success rate per region/env 🔴 Highlight failed patching 📆 Monthly compliance timeline Would you like a working example of that Flask dashboard? I can include the full codebase if so. Step 4: Send Reports via Email (Optional)🐍 Python: send_report_email.pyimport smtplib from email.message import EmailMessage msg = EmailMessage() msg["Subject"] = "Monthly Patch Report" msg["From"] = "patchbot@example.com" msg["To"] = "it-lead@example.com" msg.set_content("Attached is the patch compliance report.") with open("/srv/reports/patching_report.csv", "rb") as f: msg.add_attachment(f.read(), maintype="text", subtype="csv", filename="patching_report.csv") with smtplib.SMTP("localhost") as s: s.send_message(msg) Schedule that weekly or monthly with cron. Flask Dashboard (Patch Reporting)app.pyfrom flask import Flask, render_template import csv from collections import defaultdict app = Flask(__name__) @app.route('/') def index(): results = [] success_count = defaultdict(int) fail_count = defaultdict(int) with open('/srv/reports/patching_report.csv', 'r') as f: reader = csv.DictReader(f) for row in reader: results.append(row) key = f"{row['environment']} - {row['region']}" if row['result'] == 'success': success_count[key] += 1 else: fail_count[key] += 1 summary = [ {"group": k, "success": success_count[k], "fail": fail_count[k]} for k in sorted(set(success_count) | set(fail_count)) ] return render_template('dashboard.html', results=results, summary=summary) if __name__ == '__main__': app.run(debug=True, host='0.0.0.0', port=5000) templates/dashboard.html<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>Patch Compliance Dashboard</title> <style> body { font-family: Arial; padding: 20px; } table { border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 30px; } th, td { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px; text-align: left; } th { background-color: #f4f4f4; } .fail { background-color: #fdd; } .success { background-color: #dfd; } </style> </head> <body> <h1>Patch Compliance Dashboard</h1> <h2>Summary</h2> <table> <tr><th>Group</th><th>Success</th><th>Failure</th></tr> {% for row in summary %} <tr> <td>{{ row.group }}</td> <td>{{ row.success }}</td> <td>{{ row.fail }}</td> </tr> {% endfor %} </table> <h2>Detailed Results</h2> <table> <tr><th>Minion</th><th>Date</th><th>Environment</th><th>Region</th><th>Result</th></tr> {% for row in results %} <tr class="{{ row.result }}"> <td>{{ row.minion }}</td> <td>{{ row.date }}</td> <td>{{ row.environment }}</td> <td>{{ row.region }}</td> <td>{{ row.result }}</td> </tr> {% endfor %} </table> </body> </html> How to Usepip install flask python app.py Then visit http://localhost:5000 or your server’s IP at port 5000. Optional: SIEM/Event ForwardingIf you use Elasticsearch, Splunk, or Mezmo: Use a returner like es_return, splunk_return, or send via custom script using REST API. Normalize fields: hostname, env, os, patch time, result Filter dashboards by compliance groupings TL;DR: Reporting Components ChecklistComponent Purpose Tool JSON/DB logging Track patch status Returners Post-processing script Normalize data for business Python CSV/Excel export Shareable report format Python csv module HTML dashboard Visualize trends/compliance Flask, Chart.js, Bootstrap Email automation Notify stakeholders smtplib, cron SIEM/Splunk integration Enterprise log ingestion REST API or native returners

The Two Faces of Tomorrow /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James Patrick Hogan Publisher Baen Books Published Date 1997 Page Count 464 Categories Fiction / Science Fiction / General, Fiction / Science Fiction / Hard Science Fiction Language EN Average Rating 2.5 (based on 2 ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 0671878484 By the mid-21st Century, technology had become much too complicated for humans to handle -- and the computer network that had grown up to keep civilization from tripping over its own shoelaces was also beginning to be overwhelmed. Something Had To Be Done.As a solution, Raymond Dyer's project developed the first genuinely self-aware artificial intelligence -- code name: Spartacus. But could Spartacus be trusted to obey its makers? And if it went rogue, could it be shut down? As an acid test, Spartacus was put in charge of a space station and programmed with a survival instinct. Dyer and his team had the job of seeing how far the computer would go to defend itself when they tried to pull the plug. Dyer didn't expect any serious problems to arise in the experiment.Unfortunately, he had built more initiative into Spartacus than he realized....And a superintelligent computer with a high dose of initiative makes a dangerous guinea pig. More Information

Aws /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Aws The Ultimate Guide From Beginners To Advanced For The Amazon Web Services (2020 Edition) by Theo H. King Publisher Independently Published Published Date 2019-12-21 Page Count 197 Categories Computers / Internet / Web Services & APIs Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 1675528276 Become an Expert at Amazon Web Services and Transform Your Business! If cloud computing is one of the leading trends in the IT industry (and it most certainly is), then Amazon Web Services Platform (AWS) is the champion of that trend. If you want to be a part of the competitive markets, you need to jump on this ascending wagon and get familiar with the AWS. There's a reason successful businesses like Netflix and Pinterest use this platform. The math is simple: higher performance, security, and reliability at a lower cost. This book offers a guide to AWS, for both beginner and advanced users. If you want to reduce your companies operating costs, and control the safety of your data, use this step-by-step guide for computing and networking in the AWS cloud. What you'll be able to do after reading this guide: Use developing tools of AWS to your company's advantage Manage cloud architecture through AWS services Upgrade your outsourcing Create a private network in the cloud Implement AWS technology in your projects Create cloud storage and virtual desktop environment Use Amazon Workspaces and Amazon S3 service And so much more! The best part about AWS is that it works on any scale. You can be the owner of both big and small businesses in order to implement AWS in your operations. Even if you're familiar with the AWS cloud, this guide will help you expand your knowledge on the topic. You'll find out everything there is on AWS strategies, cloud selection, and how to make money with a smart AWS implementation in your company. You don't need to be an IT expert to use AWS. You simply need this comprehensive and easy to understand guide. Join millions of customers around the world and skyrocket your profits! Scroll up, click on 'Buy Now with 1-Click' and Get Your Copy! More Information

Numerical Methods for Engineers and Scientists Using MATLAB /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Numerical Methods for Engineers and Scientists Using MATLAB by Ramin S. Esfandiari Publisher CRC Press Published Date 2017 Page Count 471 Categories Computers / General, Mathematics / General, Mathematics / Applied, Mathematics / Number Systems, Mathematics / Numerical Analysis, Technology & Engineering / Engineering (General), Technology & Engineering / Civil / General, Technology & Engineering / Mechanical Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 1498777422 This book provides a pragmatic, methodical and easy-to-follow presentation of numerical methods and their effective implementation using MATLAB, which is introduced at the outset. The author introduces techniques for solving equations of a single variable and systems of equations, followed by curve fitting and interpolation of data. The book also provides detailed coverage of numerical differentiation and integration, as well as numerical solutions of initial-value and boundary-value problems. The author then presents the numerical solution of the matrix eigenvalue problem, which entails approximation of a few or all eigenvalues of a matrix. The last chapter is devoted to numerical solutions of partial differential equations that arise in engineering and science. Each method is accompanied by at least one fully worked-out example showing essential details involved in preliminary hand calculations, as well as computations in MATLAB. This thoroughly-researched resource: More Information

Ecological Statistics /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Ecological Statistics Contemporary Theory and Application by Gordon A. Fox, Simoneta Negrete-Yankelevich, Vinicio J. Sosa Publisher Oxford University Press Published Date 2015 Page Count 389 Categories Computers / Mathematical & Statistical Software, Mathematics / Probability & Statistics / General, Nature / General, Science / Life Sciences / Botany, Science / Life Sciences / Ecology, Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / General Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 0199672555 The application and interpretation of statistics are central to ecological study and practice. Ecologists are now asking more sophisticated questions than in the past. These new questions, together with the continued growth of computing power and the availability of new software, have created a new generation of statistical techniques. These have resulted in major recent developments in both our understanding and practice of ecological statistics. This novel book synthesizes a number of these changes, addressing key approaches and issues that tend to be overlooked in other books such as missing/censored data, correlation structure of data, heterogeneous data, and complex causal relationships. These issues characterize a large proportion of ecological data, but most ecologists' training in traditional statistics simply does not provide them with adequate preparation to handle the associated challenges. Uniquely, Ecological Statistics highlights the underlying links among many statistical approaches that attempt to tackle these issues. In particular, it gives readers an introduction to approaches to inference, likelihoods, generalized linear (mixed) models, spatially or phylogenetically-structured data, and data synthesis, with a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding and subsequent application to data analysis. Written by a team of practicing ecologists, mathematical explanations have been kept to the minimum necessary. This user-friendly textbook will be suitable for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of ecology, evolution, environmental studies, and computational biology who are interested in updating their statistical tool kits. A companion web site provides example data sets and commented code in the R language. More Information

Design Patterns /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Design Patterns Elements of Reusable Object-oriented Software by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm (Computer scientist), Ralph E. Johnson, John Vlissides Publisher Addison-Wesley Published Date 1995 Page Count 395 Categories Computers / Programming / Object Oriented Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 9332555400 Four software designers present a catalog of simple and succinct solutions to commonly occurring design problems, using Smalltalk and C++ in example code. These 23 patterns allow designers to create more flexible, elegant, and ultimately reusable designs without having to rediscover the design solutions themselves. The authors begin by describing what patterns are and how they can help you design object-oriented software. They go on to systematically name, explain, evaluate, and catalog recurring designs in object-oriented systems.--From publisher description. More Information

The Model Thinker /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } The Model Thinker What You Need to Know to Make Data Work for You by Scott E. Page Publisher Basic Books Published Date 2018-11-27 Page Count 448 Categories Computers / Data Science / Data Modeling & Design, Mathematics / Probability & Statistics / General, Social Science / Statistics, Business & Economics / Economics / Theory, Computers / Data Science / General Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 0465094635 Work with data like a pro using this guide that breaks down how to organize, apply, and most importantly, understand what you are analyzing in order to become a true data ninja. From the stock market to genomics laboratories, census figures to marketing email blasts, we are awash with data. But as anyone who has ever opened up a spreadsheet packed with seemingly infinite lines of data knows, numbers aren't enough: we need to know how to make those numbers talk. In The Model Thinker, social scientist Scott E. Page shows us the mathematical, statistical, and computational models—from linear regression to random walks and far beyond—that can turn anyone into a genius. At the core of the book is Page's "many-model paradigm," which shows the reader how to apply multiple models to organize the data, leading to wiser choices, more accurate predictions, and more robust designs. The Model Thinker provides a toolkit for business people, students, scientists, pollsters, and bloggers to make them better, clearer thinkers, able to leverage data and information to their advantage. More Information

Foundations of Applied Mathematics, Volume 2 /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Foundations of Applied Mathematics, Volume 2 Algorithms, Approximation, Optimization by Jeffrey Humpherys, Tyler J. Jarvis Publisher SIAM Published Date 2020-03-10 Page Count 806 Categories Mathematics / Numerical Analysis, Mathematics / Optimization, Mathematics / Probability & Statistics / General, Computers / Computer Science, Computers / Programming / Algorithms Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 1611976065 In this second book of what will be a four-volume series, the authors present, in a mathematically rigorous way, the essential foundations of both the theory and practice of algorithms, approximation, and optimization—essential topics in modern applied and computational mathematics. This material is the introductory framework upon which algorithm analysis, optimization, probability, statistics, machine learning, and control theory are built. This text gives a unified treatment of several topics that do not usually appear together: the theory and analysis of algorithms for mathematicians and data science students; probability and its applications; the theory and applications of approximation, including Fourier series, wavelets, and polynomial approximation; and the theory and practice of optimization, including dynamic optimization. When used in concert with the free supplemental lab materials, Foundations of Applied Mathematics, Volume 2: Algorithms, Approximation, Optimization teaches not only the theory but also the computational practice of modern mathematical methods. Exercises and examples build upon each other in a way that continually reinforces previous ideas, allowing students to retain learned concepts while achieving a greater depth. The mathematically rigorous lab content guides students to technical proficiency and answers the age-old question “When am I going to use this?” This textbook is geared toward advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in mathematics, data science, and machine learning. More Information

How Google Tests Software /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } How Google Tests Software by James A. Whittaker, Jason Arbon, Jeff Carollo Publisher Addison-Wesley Professional Published Date 2012 Page Count 281 Categories Computers / General, Computers / Software Development & Engineering / Quality Assurance & Testing, Computers / Internet / Search Engines Language EN Average Rating 5 (based on 1 ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 0321803027 2012 Jolt Award finalist! Pioneering the Future of Software Test Do you need to get it right, too? Then, learn from Google. Legendary testing expert James Whittaker, until recently a Google testing leader, and two top Google experts reveal exactly how Google tests software, offering brand-new best practices you can use even if you're not quite Google's size...yet! Breakthrough Techniques You Can Actually Use Discover 100% practical, amazingly scalable techniques for analyzing risk and planning tests...thinking like real users...implementing exploratory, black box, white box, and acceptance testing...getting usable feedback...tracking issues...choosing and creating tools...testing "Docs & Mocks," interfaces, classes, modules, libraries, binaries, services, and infrastructure...reviewing code and refactoring...using test hooks, presubmit scripts, queues, continuous builds, and more. With these techniques, you can transform testing from a bottleneck into an accelerator-and make your whole organization more productive! More Information

Snowflake Data Engineering /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Snowflake Data Engineering by Maja Ferle Publisher Simon and Schuster Published Date 2025-01-28 Page Count 368 Categories Computers / Data Science / General, Computers / Data Science / Data Analytics, Computers / Artificial Intelligence / Expert Systems Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 1633436853 A practical introduction to data engineering on the powerful Snowflake cloud data platform. Data engineers create the pipelines that ingest raw data, transform it, and funnel it to the analysts and professionals who need it. The Snowflake cloud data platform provides a suite of productivity-focused tools and features that simplify building and maintaining data pipelines. In Snowflake Data Engineering, Snowflake Data Superhero Maja Ferle shows you how to get started. In Snowflake Data Engineering you will learn how to: • Ingest data into Snowflake from both cloud and local file systems • Transform data using functions, stored procedures, and SQL • Orchestrate data pipelines with streams and tasks, and monitor their execution • Use Snowpark to run Python code in your pipelines • Deploy Snowflake objects and code using continuous integration principles • Optimize performance and costs when ingesting data into Snowflake Snowflake Data Engineering reveals how Snowflake makes it easy to work with unstructured data, set up continuous ingestion with Snowpipe, and keep your data safe and secure with best-in-class data governance features. Along the way, you’ll practice the most important data engineering tasks as you work through relevant hands-on examples. Throughout, author Maja Ferle shares design tips drawn from her years of experience to ensure your pipeline follows the best practices of software engineering, security, and data governance. Foreword by Joe Reis. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the technology Pipelines that ingest and transform raw data are the lifeblood of business analytics, and data engineers rely on Snowflake to help them deliver those pipelines efficiently. Snowflake is a full-service cloud-based platform that handles everything from near-infinite storage, fast elastic compute services, inbuilt AI/ML capabilities like vector search, text-to-SQL, code generation, and more. This book gives you what you need to create effective data pipelines on the Snowflake platform. About the book Snowflake Data Engineering guides you skill-by-skill through accomplishing on-the-job data engineering tasks using Snowflake. You’ll start by building your first simple pipeline and then expand it by adding increasingly powerful features, including data governance and security, adding CI/CD into your pipelines, and even augmenting data with generative AI. You’ll be amazed how far you can go in just a few short chapters! What's inside • Ingest data from the cloud, APIs, or Snowflake Marketplace • Orchestrate data pipelines with streams and tasks • Optimize performance and cost About the reader For software developers and data analysts. Readers should know the basics of SQL and the Cloud. About the author Maja Ferle is a Snowflake Subject Matter Expert and a Snowflake Data Superhero who holds the SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer and the SnowPro Advanced Data Analyst certifications. Table of Contents Part 1 1 Data engineering with Snowflake 2 Creating your first data pipeline Part 2 3 Best practices for data staging 4 Transforming data 5 Continuous data ingestion 6 Executing code natively with Snowpark 7 Augmenting data with outputs from large language models 8 Optimizing query performance 9 Controlling costs 10 Data governance and access control Part 3 11 Designing data pipelines 12 Ingesting data incrementally 13 Orchestrating data pipelines 14 Testing for data integrity and completeness 15 Data pipeline continuous integration More Information

Guide to UNIX Using Linux /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Guide to UNIX Using Linux by Michael J. Palmer Publisher W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library Published Date 2011 Page Count N/A Categories Linux Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN N/A No description available. More Information

Netnography /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Netnography Doing Ethnographic Research Online by Robert V Kozinets Publisher SAGE Publications Published Date 2010 Page Count 221 Categories Social Science / Research, Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural, Computers / Internet / General, Social Science / Methodology Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 1848606451 This exciting new text is the first to explore the discipline of ‘Netnography’ – the conduct of ethnography over the internet – a method specifically designed to study cultures and communities online. For the first time, full procedural guidelines for the accurate and ethical conduct of ethnographic research online are set out, with detailed, step-by-step guidance to thoroughly introduce, explain, and illustrate the method to students and researchers. The author also surveys the latest research on online cultures and communities, focusing on the methods used to study them, with examples focusing on the new elements and contingencies of the blogosphere (blogging), microblogging, videocasting, podcasting, social networking sites, virtual worlds, and more. More Information

Programming Pearls /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Programming Pearls by Jon Louis Bentley Publisher Addison-Wesley Published Date 1986 Page Count 195 Categories Computers / Programming / General Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 0201103311 The essays in this book present programs that go beyond solid engineering techniques to be creative and clever solutions to computer problems. The programs are fun and teach important programming tecniques and fundamental design principles. More Information

Go.AI (Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence) /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Go.AI (Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence) by Abishur Prakash Publisher Abishur Prakash Published Date 2018-10 Page Count 320 Categories Political Science / Geopolitics Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 099583394X In July, 2018, one of the biggest developments since World War II took place: China revealed that it was developing artificial intelligence (AI) to create foreign policy. Think about that for a second. In the future, if the world wants to understand what China will do on the world stage, it will have to understand how China's AI thinks. What China is doing is one part of a much bigger picture. All over the world, countries are deploying AI in powerful ways. In Russia, AI is detecting social unrest. In Japan, AI is helping police predict crime. In the United Arab Emirates, AI is deciding who can enter the country. As countries deploy AI, it could change how the world operates. As AI enters the picture, the balance of power around the world could change. AI could lead to the next alliances or the next conflicts. From the mind of Abishur Prakash, the world's leading geopolitical futurist and author of Next Geopolitics: Volume One and Two, comes the first book to examine how AI could transform geopolitics. Building on more than 6 months of research, this book paints 12 groundbreaking scenarios of how AI could take geopolitics in a new direction. By looking at areas like ethics, trade and bias, this book goes where no other professor, pundit or publication has gone before. This book will guide leaders, visionaries, investors and policy makers through a world of geopolitics that has no precedent, where for the first time, countries will compete and clash over a technology that everyone wants but nobody fully understands. More Information

Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology /* Scoped styles for the book post */ #book-post { padding: 20px; } #book-post .post-container { padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 800px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } #book-post .post-header { margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .post-header h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 2em; } #book-post .post-header h2 { margin: 0; font-size: 1.2em; } #book-post .book-details { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 20px; } #book-post .book-details th, #book-post .book-details td { border: 1px solid oklch(0.351 0.0176 260); padding: 8px; text-align: left; } #book-post .book-cover { max-width: 200px; border-radius: 8px; margin: 0 auto; padding-left: 15px; float: right; } #book-post .description { line-height: 1.6; } #book-post .info-link { display: block; margin-top: 20px; } Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology by Unknown Author Publisher M. Dekker Published Date 1975 Page Count 386 Categories Computer science Language EN Average Rating N/A (based on N/A ratings) Maturity Rating No Mature Content Detected ISBN 082472268X No description available. More Information