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a16z Podcast | When Large Scale Gets Really Massive -- Managing Today’s Enterprise Networks
11 segments available
Managing enterprise networks with thousands of users and endpoints has been hard enough. Now that large enterprise networks routinely include hundreds of thousands of nodes it’s amazingly difficult and time-consuming (we’re talking days often) to get definitive answers to seemingly simple questions like, how many PCs do I have running? Never mind, how many PCs do I have that could be at risk of the Heartbleed virus? Tanium, the most recent company to join the a16z portfolio, offers a systems management and security tool that allows administrators to ask virtually any question about the configuration, performance, and complexion of an enterprise network and get an answer in seconds. Tanium CTO and Co-founder Orion Hindawi and a16z Board Partner Steven Sinofsky discuss the origins of Tanium; the invention of the “linear peer-to-peer communications” architecture that turbo-charges the Tanium solution; and with Internet of Things coming online fast, the prospect of networks quickly going to millions and billions of nodes.
Segments Timeline
Introduction to Tanium
In this segment, Michael Copeland introduces the podcast and welcomes Steven Sinofsky and Orion Hindawi, the CTO and co-founder of Tanium. They set the stage for discussing the challenges of managing large-scale enterprise networks and the innovative solutions Tanium offers.
"welcome to the a 16z podcast I'm Michael Copeland and we are here today with board partner Steven Sinofsky Steven welcome hi there and the CTO and co-founder of our latest investment tinium orion and ..."
The Origins of Tanium
Orion Hindawi shares the backstory of Tanium, detailing how the founders recognized the limitations of existing systems management tools like BigFix. He explains the need for faster, more efficient solutions to address the growing complexity of enterprise networks and the evolution of Tanium's architecture.
"but let's maybe start by describing the big problem that you and and your co-founder is your father but that you and your team Atheneum had been addressing for years really yeah so I mean we essential..."
Challenges in Network Management
Steven Sinofsky discusses the real-world challenges faced by IT professionals managing large enterprise networks. He highlights the inefficiencies of traditional inventory systems and the critical need for accurate, real-time data to respond to security threats effectively.
"times faster instead of gathering data in hours or days from really large networks we need to be able to do that in seconds and so to do that we essentially took a team of engineers put them in a room..."
The Evolution of Security Threats
Orion and Steven delve into the evolution of security threats, emphasizing the shift from untargeted attacks to sophisticated, nation-state-level threats. They discuss how traditional tools are inadequate for modern security challenges and the necessity for a new approach in systems management.
"like well do you have a hundred and fifty or 300,000 I mean if your job is to count them right like that's that's a really big difference and then I actually learned a lot and this was a long time ago..."
Tanium's Real-Time Data Capabilities
Orion explains how Tanium's unique architecture allows for real-time data collection across vast networks. He describes the innovative peer-to-peer communication model that enables instant querying of network endpoints, significantly improving response times to security incidents.
"customers are seeing is you know they've got a bunch of tools that the systems management people use to to inventory and maintain and deploy patches and updates and software to machines and monitor pe..."
Live Demonstration of Tanium
Steven recounts his experience witnessing a live demonstration of Tanium's capabilities. He describes how Orion was able to query a live network and receive instant responses, showcasing the tool's efficiency and effectiveness in managing large-scale environments.
"well it's fast you know a lot of folks here at Andreessen Horowitz are coming from a very deep operational background many of them were members of the ops wear team and of course mark and Ben created ..."
Understanding Tanium's Architecture
Orion elaborates on the technical aspects of Tanium's architecture, explaining how it differs from traditional systems. He discusses the lightweight nature of the software and its ability to operate efficiently across various devices, including those with limited resources.
"the hood to the excel you can explain to us what's happening sure so you know really the fundamental problem with existing solutions that we see is that when you're querying them you're just querying ..."
Indicators of Compromise
Steven discusses the concept of Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and how Tanium allows IT professionals to respond to potential threats quickly. He emphasizes the importance of real-time data in identifying and mitigating security risks before they escalate.
"thing is it's so lightweight you can actually put it in VMs we have people who are putting it on process controllers and ATMs and point of sale devices and the heart rate monitors I mean devices that ..."
Responding to Heartbleed
Orion shares how Tanium customers were able to quickly assess their exposure to the Heartbleed vulnerability. He highlights the tool's ability to provide immediate answers to critical questions, enabling organizations to respond effectively to security threats.
"way that they deployed it it you know we mesh networking has been around for a long time peer-to-peer networking around for a long time and most of those hadn't really reached any any critical uses in..."
The Future of Network Management
Orion and Steven discuss the future of enterprise network management as IoT devices proliferate. They emphasize the need for scalable, real-time solutions to manage billions of devices and the innovative architecture that Tanium provides to meet these challenges.
"that was sort of one of the most fascinating things that we learned and looking at a Neum was that what heartbleed happens and you know the most obvious first question that every every CEO all of a su..."
Conclusion and Future Insights
In the closing segment, Orion and Steven reflect on the transformative potential of Tanium's technology. They discuss the importance of real-time data and the innovative approaches needed to tackle the complexities of modern enterprise networks.
"and so what we see is the possibility to embed this you know ring and linear peer-to-peer communications model into a myriad set of devices that some of which are going to be very lightweight right we..."