[mikepurvis]

I don't have a clear picture what all can be deployed on this... thing. Obviously the basics of a webserver, database, docker containers, etc., but this isn't where the value is.

It appears to have a wifi antenna— can it manage a corporate wifi deployment, with RADIUS or whatever? What about LDAP? Samba shares?

Can it supply an email/webmail service which I won't have to spend all day setting up?

For the stuff configured through these fancy visual tools, I assume there's a sane and secure way to back up my config and data offsite, and do a quick restore in case of failure/loss of the hardware.

[dsr_]

The Thing is not for production deployment, it's for training. It's a bunch of compute nodes in a nice roadcase, so that you can experiment in an environment that is:

- clean

- does not require rackspace in your datacenter

- does not require your IT group to deploy it

- does not take up machines that your QA group wanted to use

- and is a known hardware, network and OS configuration so that the documentation is useful.

When you want to set up for sandbox/alpha/qa/beta/prod, you go through your IT or cloud procedures first.

[jevyjevjevs]

Wish they would have better explained that. Even being quite technical, run a business and use Ubuntu daily, I couldn't figure it out.

Lord have mercy on the poor business person trying to understand the value.

[iancarroll]

It does say right here it's for training, it's mentioned quite a lot actually.

> Two full days of technical training, covering Ubuntu, MAAS, Juju, Landscape and OpenStack.