[ Ai and llms ] 11 min read
Just a Lot of Multiplication: What's Actually Inside an LLM
A large language model is an enormous pile of numbers, and everything it does comes from multiplying other numbers by that pile. Part one of six.
We help executive teams turn technology into a strategic advantage–driving growth, efficiency, and long-term scalability.
Latest posts
All posts →[ Ai and llms ] 6 min read
The First Rule of The Foundry
I asked an AI to tidy up my blog repo and it accidentally organized itself into a nine-member development team. I'm releasing that team, free, on GitHub.
[ Infrastructure ] 21 min read
It's a Series of Buildings
Data centers are eighty years old and already 99% full. We need considerably more of them, and we're making a hash of deciding where they go.
[ Tech field day ] 6 min read
Commvault at TFDx RSAC 2026: Clean Recovery Is a Different Problem Than Fast Recovery
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” — Mike Tyson One organization Chris Bevil worked with had a genuinely good disaster recovery program. Tabletop exercises, tested runbooks, the whole thing. When …
[ Tech field day ] 7 min read
Object First at TFDx RSAC 2026: If You Can Turn It Off, It Wasn't Immutable
“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” — Humpty Dumpty, Through the Looking-Glass (1871) I’ve lost count of how many storage conversations I’ve sat through where immutability …
What we do
Strategic Technology Advisory
Independent guidance for CIOs, CTOs, and IT leaders on turning AI, automation, and infrastructure modernization into a strategy the business can actually execute.
Analyst Services
Landscape assessments, vendor evaluations, and market briefings, written for practitioners rather than procurement committees and without the analyst-firm retainer.
Custom Writing
Custom writing projects, from white papers to technical guides, by a long-time member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors with a deep portfolio of published and private work.
From the archive
Browse the archive →[ Networking ] 5 min read
802.1x for Wired Networks (Part 1)
Most of you are probably familiar with the IEEE 802.1x specification, at least in general terms, but are more than likely used to seeing it applied in the context of wireless networks and services. In this multi-part …
[ Industry events ] 4 min read
Non-Generic Tips for Cisco Live
Editor’s Note: This was written by my lovely wife, Jennifer Bryson, after a frustrating few days of reading the same hackneyed advice for convention goers. I have been reading a lot of different tips people are posting …
[ Industry events ] 2 min read
Cisco Live US 2015 Customer Appreciation Event Band
I just wanted to post a quick announcement around the band for Cisco Live this year. This is usually a hotly contested issue in the community, with Cisco often letting attendees vote, and most of us look forward to the …
[ Industry events ] 1 min read
Cisco Live!
I just wanted to drop a quick note here to let everyone know that I plan on blogging a little more frequently this week, as I’ll be in Las Vegas for the annual North American Cisco conference: Cisco Networkers/Live. I …