Archive for the ‘Soluto Updates’ Category

Hi,

This is Tomer, founder and CEO of Soluto. We have some cool news to share and we could really use your support in spreading it around.

Earlier today, after several crazy weeks, we finally launched our new service for IT managers in small businesses and IT service providers. The new service includes some awesome new features such as remote access, chat, asset management and extended reports, and can really help IT pros become more productive and provide a better service.

Don’t worry - Soluto still has a free version, and nothing will change for existing users.

If you would like to enjoy our new features, upgrade to Pro. It’s totally worth it... and you will make us very happy :)

Wondering how you can help (and even win an iPad mini)? If you know anyone who might enjoy our new stuff, or works in IT, share Soluto them. To show our appreciation we’ll be drawing an iPad mini among those whose friends actually join and add PCs. For that to work, please share from here (you have to be a Soluto user).

Live long and prosper,

The Soluto Team

We’re happy to finally announce Chi Keung from Hong Kong as the winner of the Soluto holiday trivia. Chi Keung is the tech support of his family, and prior to using Soluto he says he was always taking the blame for the slow boot time of their PCs, and was constantly searching for the cause of it.  Now that he uses Soluto he’s able to see a clear list of apps running on each PC he supports, and then delay or remove these apps which saves his family members lots of time.  Plus, Soluto saves him the hassle of investigating the causes of a slow boot, and helps him to explain the whole picture to his family members too.

 Chi Keung says, “It's very convenient to set up a new computer with Soluto too: Install the software, and pick all useful software on the list, and everyone's happy :)” Congratulations Chi Keung on winning an iPad mini! Click here to try it yourself!

Last Thursday we went into about 62 hours of unexpected downtime. No matter how you tried to reach Soluto, you got to an “Under Maintenance” message. Many people were hurt by this and many contacted us complaining they cannot support their business customers, friends, or family members. Two groups were especially affected by the downtime: business customers using Soluto to provide professional support to customers or co-workers, and those who educated the people they help to regularly use F8 to ask their PC questions (as those questions weren't sent during the downtime). Emotions ranged from sending us “get well” cards with pink hearts to nasty sarcastic comments. We get it. People using Soluto expect it to be up all the time to serve their own PC needs, their family’s PC needs, or their business customers’ PC needs. So first and foremost, we’re sorry. This is unacceptable, and it’s certainly not the way we wanted  to start 2013. The downtime was caused by technical issues our cloud service provider experienced. In a nutshell - in order to provide our service, Soluto runs on hundreds of Internet servers that we “rent” in a large data center in the US. On Thursday, that data center went down and it took us with it. We’re learning and analyzing this event and we’re taking serious measures to make sure such events either do not happen in the future or have much softer effects on the people using Soluto. Again, we apologize for this downtime. We hope you’ll stick with us :) Below we’ve included a much deeper technical analysis of what happened. If you’re into tech you may find it interesting. If you’re not, beware - it may be extremely boring for you: If you consider yourself a tech geek or even mildly interested in technology, we’d like to explain a bit about what happened, and what measures we’re taking to prevent or reduce the effect of such future events. Let’s start by talking a bit about Soluto’s high level architecture. Soluto has 4 main pieces: 1. An agent application installed on PCs. 2. A web application through which you can manage PCs. 3. A container for all the data gathered from PCs, so it can be served to those users through the web (there’s no personal data here, only technical aspects of the PCs). 4. A database where data from different PCs is analyzed and crunched together to reach smart conclusions and recommendations about PC issues. These relationships are roughly illustrated below: This is naturally a gross simplification. The rectangles titled “specific PC data” and “aggregated data” each comprise of tens of different types of servers and hundreds or thousands of different types of data elements, mostly residing in key-value tables and BLOBs. Soluto currently runs on >400 servers (and growing) and writes about 100,000,000 data points every day to the cloud infrastructure. When there’s a spike in traffic, we immediately add as many servers as required. When there’s a slow day, we reduce the number of servers. When designing our architecture, we had to choose a cloud service provider to host our servers. More specifically, we wanted to go with a cloud provider with platform-as-a-service capabilities. There were two realistic alternatives for us: 1. Amazon Web Services 2. Microsoft Azure Amazon is the clear leader in this market, established and experienced, used by the likes of Dropbox, Netflix and Instagram. However, we decided to go with Microsoft Azure due to various reasons, most important of which was our belief that we could develop our solution much faster on top of it. Sure, choosing Azure was a risk because it was a less mature platform than Amazon. But we knew the people running and leading the technical side of Azure personally, and we knew they are top people. In addition, we got lots of help from Microsoft by being added to their BizSpark One program: we got both great pricing and the highest level of support. This decision paid off big time - we implemented the entire complex server architecture very quickly and it has been serving the people using Soluto for over a year now. Now’s a time to mention a key point about being a start-up. Our most precious resource is product development time. We can buy everything else. We prioritize our work by the hour, to move as fast as possible to improve our service. Whatever we execute is always measured against what we could have otherwise executed. We could have obviously spent time building various mechanisms to make sure that whatever happens to Azure, we’ll be able to provide our service (the extreme example would be creating a fully redundant deployment in Amazon). But that’s not the startup way. Because by doing so, we wouldn’t have created hundreds of features for our users at the same time. And for well over a year, we hadn’t experienced severe downtime except for a single case of several hours in February, but once a year is acceptable. And then came last Thursday. What happened was that the “storage service” in Azure’s main data center went down. Machines running code could still run code, but they could not access the data. And our service is all about access to data. So, for example, when you browsed to your Soluto account, the machine responding to your browser’s request was alive, but it could not fetch your PC’s data. If you clicked on the Soluto tray again - your PC’s agent was able to reach our web service, but the web service could not reach your PC’s data. Since we didn’t have any access to the data ourselves, we could not even move parts of it to somewhere else. In the first hour we were not really sure what went wrong, because even Azure’s service dashboard was unavailable (it’s served from the same data center that went down). But as time progressed and we were able to contact people within Microsoft, we understood there’s a severe problem with the storage service and people are working over the weekend to resolve it. One of the worst things about this downtime is that Microsoft didn’t know how long it would take to resolve the issue, and as a result we didn’t either. Deducing from our knowledge about Amazon downtimes, we assumed it would take a couple of hours, at most a day. It took much longer. In retrospect, had we known it would take so long, we would have taken various steps to ease the effect of the downtime for our users, but we were optimistic. Too optimistic. Some people have asked us “why don’t you backup your data so it’s available in other data centers?”. Well, Azure has an option to pay about 30% more and get what’s called “geo-replication”, which means the data is backed up and can be restored in a different data center. Are you thinking to yourselves “those cheap bastards saved on geo-replication?” - well, you’re wrong. We do pay for it. But the issue is, that restoring an entire service from a backup is a process that takes Microsoft longer than the downtime we had. We were not aware of that fact beforehand, and now we treat the geo-replication as something very different from what we used to. So what are we going to do? First, we are going to start migrating some of the more critical elements of our architecture to a redundant solution, some of which will probably reside on both Azure and Amazon. In addition, we’re refactoring some of our service to be storage-independent. That process will take time. As we’re still learning the results and effects of the downtime, we will surely come up with additional improvements in the near future. We have always been big believers of transparency, we hope the information here helps clarify the situation. If you have further questions you’re welcome to contact us at info@soluto.com. The Soluto Team  

In the spirit of the holiday, we’d like to thank all those who participated in Soluto Holiday Trivia. We hope you had some fun and discovered new, useful things about Soluto too. For those who are curious about a few of the trivia answers, when the Soluton didn’t back up his files, the dog ate his family photo album, and the character pictured below appears in Soluto’s “Hello 1984”. And since you’re probably spending a lot of time with your extended family this holiday season, you might be wondering where you meet your extended family in Soluto: when you invite them to start using Soluto so you can support their PC. We’ll be announcing the winner of the iPad mini in the upcoming week on our Facebook page, so stay tuned.

We’d like to wish those who celebrate a wonderful Christmas, and all of our users warm holiday wishes. We’re very happy to have you as part of the Soluto family, and hope that if you’ve spent this past year supporting your relatives and friends, you’ll use this holiday season as an opportunity to spend time with loved ones rather than with their PCs. If you’re not yet supporting someone get started now. It’s the perfect free gift for your non-techie friend or family member, and a way to make giving tech help much easier for you. Best holiday wishes, The Soluto Team

Back in October, we welcomed Windows 8 to the world and wanted to help you enjoy the new OS to the fullest - on a Microsoft Surface tablet. We gave you 3 ways to win and now, after weeks of suspense, we are excited to finally introduce the Surface winners.   1. Soluto Giveaway Winner: Lars Recent university graduate, Lars, is a techie in every sense of the word. He spends his time reading computer science news, tinkering with home electronics, and staying up-to-date on all things tech. When it comes to computers, Lars is the go-to guy for family and friends. He helps them keep their PCs running well with the help of Soluto, as he eagerly awaits the first day of his first job since graduating. Good luck, Lars!     2. Facebook Winner: Debbie Loving mother and doting grandmother, Debbie loves spending time with her family. On any given day you can find Debbie at her computer keeping in touch with distant relatives online, or enjoying some crocheting and cross stitching too. Debbie is looking forward to the holidays so she can spend even more quality time with her family. Happy Holidays, Debbie!     3. Windows 8 Tips & Tricks Winner: Vladimir Vladimir is a skilled programmer who spends much of his time on his computer making useful programs for his school. But it’s not all about programming. Vladimir also finds time to play tennis, chess (virtually, that is), and, of course, study. After all, he is a straight A student. Well done! Check out Vladimir's winning Windows 8 tip on the Windows 8 Tips and Tricks page.     Thanks to everyone who participated and congrats to all the winners!  

The holiday season is upon us once again. This year we’re adding to the holiday traditions, and inviting you to participate in the 12 days of Soluto Holiday Trivia.

Here’s how it works: log into the app and like our Facebook page to get started. Each day, starting December 9, we’ll reveal a new trivia question to see how well you know Soluto. Each correct question gives you a point. Plus, each time you share the Soluto holiday trivia with your friends, and one of your friends starts playing as a result, you get an additional point for each friend that registers. Every point you earn increases your chance of winning. Winning what, I hear you ask? When you play Soluto trivia you’re playing for a chance to win a brand new iPad mini. This way you won’t have to wait for Santa or Chanukah Harry or Techie Timothy to leave this gadget under your Chrismakwanza tree/bush. Get started with The 12 days of Soluto holiday trivia to see how much you know about Soluto and for your chance to win. Happy Holidays and Good luck. The Soluto Team

In about a week, on December 13, the Soluto web service will celebrate its 1 year anniversary. We’ve come a long way since the launch of the web service. Since launching it, we’ve added new apps to the product, like Skype and Dropbox, and a bunch of new features too, including the ability to help someone else with their PC remotely, email notifications, Quick Question, and a Windows 8 section.

You, our users, have been the best part of making the web app great, and as we approach this Soluto milestone we’d like to thank you for returning and staying active in Soluto. We hope you continue to enjoy using Soluto to keep your PC working great and to help others with their PCs too. We’d also like to take this time to ask you, our users: how are we doing? Drop us a line and let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see in Soluto, or if you have any questions or feedback about using Soluto. We always love to hear from you. Happy 1 year (and many more), for you and us. The Soluto Team

Windows 8 is finally here, with one operating system to rule them all; PC, tablet, and mobile. What’s so different about Windows 8?  If you’re looking for the start button on Windows 8, you won’t find it.  And if you’re wondering what that pop-up menu bar is on the side, say hello to the Windows 8 charm bar.  Need to find an app in the Windows 8 app store, or a personal document on your PC? Simply start typing and you’ll see that searching on your computer has never been easier. Plus, Windows 8 is designed for use on touch-screen devices as well as PCs. I started using Windows 8 about a year ago on my beloved 7 series Samsung tablet (an amazing device, I might add, just under two lbs. with laptop capability.)

At first, I couldn't get used to the Windows 8 interface (actually, I hated it.) After about 4-5 months I found myself really liking the new OS.  And now I love it, I can’t imagine life without it. Still, some people might prefer to stick with their current OS, to avoid change. That’s why Soluto has added a Windows 8 feature, to help you keep the best bits of the old Windows while enjoying all the new stuff in Windows 8. With Soluto you can bring back the Start button and Start menu for easy, familiar access to frequently used apps and functionality by switching your default boot from the Windows 8 Start screen to the Classic Desktop - all in one click.  Learn more about the new Soluto Windows 8 feature, or if you’re already on Windows 8 try out this new feature for yourself.

If you want to learn more about the new operating system before diving in, make sure to check out the Soluto Knowledgebase, which is filled with tips and tricks to make your move to Windows 8 much easier. Already using Windows 8 on a PC, mobile, or tablet device? Then we’re eager to hear what you think of it and how you’re finding the Windows 8 features in Soluto. Tell us about your experiences. Enjoy, Tomer

If you’re as excited as we are for the launch of Windows 8, chances are you can’t wait to try it out. What better place to start playing around with Windows 8 than on a brand new Microsoft Surface tablet? We’ve got three ways for you to get your hands on the Microsoft Surface.  Enter all three giveaways below to maximize your chances of winning one of these amazing tablets.  Here’s what to do to win:

• Enter our Facebook Raffle, in a few quick clicks you’ll be entered for your chance to win.

• Start helping two more people through Soluto. Once they accept your invite to manage their PC on Soluto you’re in the draw for a brand new Windows 8 Tablet.

• Already a Windows 8 expert? Share your Windows 8 tips and tricks and get your friends to vote for your tip.  The post with the highest number of votes wins.

Plus 10 runners up in each contest will receive an exclusive Soluto Windows 8 t-shirt. What are you waiting for? Start liking, supporting, and sharing to get one step closer to making the Microsoft surface yours. You have till November 26th to enter all three. Need more info? Check out our support page which explains everything you need to know about our Windows 8 contests. Good luck, Larissa   By participating in any of the giveaways you agree to Soluto’s official Terms and Conditions.

So you’re excited to upgrade to Windows 8, but are you ready to say goodbye to the classic Windows you've used for years?

If you’re already using Windows 8, you've probably noticed that the Windows 8 start menu is missing. Or, maybe you’re waiting to upgrade to Windows 8, but you’re already worried about how you’ll manage without the start button.

Windows’ Start button and start menu are familiar comforts to most PC users. However in Windows 8, the PC boots directly into the new Windows 8 Start screen and the start button and menu are no longer available.  Some people who are already using the Windows 8 preview have found these changes the hardest to get used to. That’s why Soluto is giving you the opportunity to bring back the start menu and start button. 

Although you can switch to the Classic Desktop from the Windows 8 Start screen once the PC finishes starting up, many want to go straight to the Classic mode every time so you can get the start menu and start button as soon as you boot your PC.  Simply log in to your Soluto account, go to your PC dashboard and click on the new Windows 8 section.  This will give you the ability to switch your PC start up from Windows 8 Start screen to Classic Desktop, all in 1 click. Changing to the Classic Desktop mode will allow you to bring back the Start button and Start menu, providing easy and familiar access to your frequently used apps and favorite functionality as soon as you start up.

  Now you can enjoy your new OS while still having the Windows features you know and love at hand.