A new paradigm as the ultimate defense

[CodeTRUCKER]

On the heels of the attack against DC recently, I began to wonder if a different kind of thinking, a new paradigm shift might provide the ultimate defense against attack?  I really don't have my head around all that I'm thinking yet, but I wanted to ask if you erased the mechanics of DC and redrew it on a clean white sheet, what might it look like? 

I'll post later as the fog clears, but I wanted to provoke a discussion.

Please only post positive ideas at this juncture as there will be plenty of opportunity later to criticize.  I would like to let the creative juices flow for a while.

Thank you,
CodeTRUCJKER

[TucknDar]

I don't know what you mean. Do you mean like a new kind of forum? Or having backup solutions?

[CodeTRUCKER]

I don't know what you mean. Do you mean like a new kind of forum? Or having backup solutions?

I'm not really putting any kind of parameters on this right now.  Having conversed with you sometime back, I know that the area of your expertise is rife with methodical and worn-out models and your vision is to impact that sphere with some fresh ideas.  I'm kind of trying to provoke the same "fresh thinking" thing here so whether I'm suggesting a "new kind of forum" or "having backup solutions" I'll let you decide for now.  Explore either, both or something completely "out of the box." 

I only ask that all criticism, pessimism and gainsaying be stayed for a time to encourage germination of something yet undiscussed or perceived.  Responses I've received both public and private tells me that this discourse has merit.  I just hope the naysayers will restrain themselves.

[TucknDar]

Hm, not too sure what this is about still, but that's probably since I woke up at 5.30am today :p

Anyway, I suppose there could be some sort of minor backup solution. I take it it would be quite expensive to have complete mirrors of DC all over the net, but maybe a "just-in-case-place" where there could at least be blog+comments possibility so the community could be kept up-to-date on progress.

Personally I'm in the IRC channel pretty often, so I'll get my DC fix there, but if the server went down again a redirect to something like DC@Blogger or whatever should be fairly simple and inexpensive.

[justice]

By now you should get the idea: the IMGolden PC is a Linux Based PC with no hard drive. When you start it up it boots a version of Ubuntu Linux that's stored in a non-volatile memory module. It's kind of like running Ubuntu from a Live CD except that the Live CD is actually in permanent memory. As is the case with a Live CD, there are a whole bunch of programs pre-installed and ready to use, including Open Office and Firefox.

It's a clever idea with some immediate advantages. Every time you boot the PC it comes up in exactly the same state as the last time you booted it. Indeed, in exactly the same state it left the factory. And of course the operating system running from memory is much faster than running from a CD.

As there is no hard disk, there is nowhere for malware to hide. Any infection resident in normal memory (RAM) is destroyed when you power the machine off.

tada

[cmpm]

Bandwidth would be the issue.
For a high traffic site like this it is not cheap.

There is no problem duplicating the site.
But there would be to duplicate it's functionality.

[TucknDar]

Yes, cmpm, which is a good reason to look at an inexpensive extra "meetingpoint" (not exactly backup) which could just be a blog (tons of free ones) with comment section and possibility to download the software.

I'm sure mouser et al will come up with something great

[tinjaw]

Hm, not too sure what this is about still, but that's probably since I woke up at 5.30am today :p

I know what you mean. I am often foggy headed when I sleep in that late. 

[tinjaw]

Redundancy. That's all you need. Any system admin worth their salt already knows there are best practices to this. All it takes is people, time, and money. Hence the reason it's not always feasible. But it is *technically* trivial to do.

DNS: You have round robin to multiple servers.
Physical Servers: logical, physical, and geographical separation of mirrored boxes.
Application and Database servers: clustered and separated as with physical servers.
Backups: As often as are required to appropriate media.

etc.

In other words, it is *easier* to make sure DC doesn't go down, then it is to build and coordinate a completely separate and parallel system.

[CodeTRUCKER]

Yes, yes, yes these are all good ideas, but they are all based on the preset technology, the present paradigm.

Maybe it would help if I framed this as a kind-of pretend game?  The only rules (parameters, really) as to what "your" picture/perception (invention?) should be like is the ability to connect it to some means of present technology as a link or a stepping stone.  Let me give you an idea on another technology.  I'll call it the "Plasma Drive."


First some baselines,

-=o=- Present memory is held in place due to electromagnetic forces held within a physical framework, eg., the "chip."

-=o=- Since the "chip" is a physically delineated entity, it is finite.

-=o=- Plasma is energy in flux and in disorder, but it is not limited by finite "physical" boundaries.

-=o=- Theoretically, the energy within the Plasma could be ordered via other external and stronger electromagnetic forces.

-=o=- If the above were true, then the particles in the Palsma or at least a region could be "defined."

-=o=- If Plasma regions could be "defined" then it could be possible to set these "regions" as bits, 1 or 0.

-=o=- If this could be done then a memory core could be "defined" as a 3-D "grid."

Now, with all tis as a foundation...

-=o=- With only technology limiting the defined "bits" and therefore quantity of memory, then the storage capability could approach infinite as technology allowed for ever greater precision of the "regions" in precise subdivisions.

-=o=- Voila` - the Plasma Drive that eventually can handle an EB of EBs in a "case" the size of a sugar cube!  Who knows, since the reions are no longer tied to a simple on-off state, perhaps each "bit" could become a "superbit" capable of having multiple states?  How powerful would that be!


Ok, granted, this is far-fetched to our perception today, but back then even Bill himself couldn't conceive of anything larger than 640K, right?

As we go forward with this "game," try to let go of all the present perceptions and see what your fertile minds can spawn.  I realize that this doesn't seem to have a connection with the present need (fall-back), but who knows if some far out idea might provoke a new way of using the present resources?

I hope this helps.

[TucknDar]

Outside the current paradigm, huh... well here's a pretty good defense:

[CodeTRUCKER]

Seems like Cody should be properly attired and equipped for para-military operations?  Hey, nudone!  Does Cody have any cammos in his wardrobe?

[J-Mac]

As soon as the site goes down, send out a message over the Emergency Broadcast System that they are continually "testing" on my TV and notify all to meet at the Hall of Justice.

Jim