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What could be better than an SDN product to bring you closer to a networking nirvana? You guessed it – an SDN product using machine learning.

Want to have some fun? The next time your beloved $vendor rep drops by trying to boost his bonus by persuading you to buy the next-generation machine-learning tool his company just released, invite him to watch James Mickens’ Usenix Security Symposium keynote with you.

After outlining the basics of machine learning, James explained in his signature style all the great things that happen when you connect AI to the Internet, or use it in mission-critical systems.

I particularly loved his conclusions that I’ll start using whenever someone asks me about long-distance vMotion, stretched clusters, and similar MacGyverisms:

• In three words: Think before deploying.
• In two words: Think first.
• In one word: Don’t.

Hope you’ll enjoy that keynote as much as I did!