Deep dive into the unified, distributed storage system in order to provide excellent performance About This Book ? Leverage Ceph's advanced features such as erasure coding, tiering, and Bluestore ? Solve large-scale problems with Ceph as a tool by understanding its strengths and weaknesses to develop the best solutions ? A practical guide that covers engaging use cases to help you use advanced features of Ceph effectively Who This Book Is For If you are a developer and an administrator who has deployed a Ceph cluster before and are curious about some of the most advanced features in order to improve performance then this book is for you What You Will Learn ?Know when and how to use some of Ceph's advanced new features ? Set up a test cluster with Ansible and some virtual machines using VirtualBox and Vagrant ?Develop novel solutions to massive problems with librados and shared object classes. ? Choose intelligent parameters for an erasure coded pool and set it up. ? Configure the Bluestore settings and see how they interact with different hardware configurations. ? Keep Ceph running through thick and thin with tuning, monitoring and disaster recovery advice. In Detail Mastering Ceph covers all that you need to know to use Ceph effectively. Starting with design goals and planning steps that should be undertaken to ensure successful deployments, you will be guided through to setting up and deploying the Ceph cluster, with the help of orchestration tools. Key areas of Ceph including Bluestore, Erasure coding and cache tiering will be covered with help of examples. Development of applications which use Librados and Distributed computations with shared object classes are also covered. A section on tuning will take you through the process of optimisizing both Ceph and its supporting infrastructure. Finally, you will learn to troubleshoot issues and handle various scenarios where Ceph is likely not to recover on its own. By the end of the book, you will be able to successfully deploy and operate a resilient high performance Ceph cluster. Style and approach A practical guide which has each chapter explaining the concept, sharing tips and tricks and a use case to implement the most powerful features of Ceph

Take tiny steps to enter the big world of data science through this interesting guide About This Book ? Learn the fundamentals of machine learning and build your own intelligent applications ? Master the art of building your own machine learning systems with this example-based practical guide ? Work with important classification and regression algorithms and other machine learning techniques Who This Book Is For This book is for anyone interested in entering the data science stream with machine learning. Basic familiarity with Python is assumed. What You Will Learn ? Exploit the power of Python to handle data extraction, manipulation, and exploration techniques ? Use Python to visualize data spread across multiple dimensions and extract useful features ? Dive deep into the world of analytics to predict situations correctly ? Implement machine learning classification and regression algorithms from scratch in Python ? Be amazed to see the algorithms in action ? Evaluate the performance of a machine learning model and optimize it ? Solve interesting real-world problems using machine learning and Python as the journey unfolds In Detail Data science and machine learning are some of the top buzzwords in the technical world today. A resurging interest in machine learning is due to the same factors that have made data mining and Bayesian analysis more popular than ever. This book is your entry point to machine learning. This book starts with an introduction to machine learning and the Python language and shows you how to complete the setup. Moving ahead, you will learn all the important concepts such as, exploratory data analysis, data preprocessing, feature extraction, data visualization and clustering, classification, regression and model performance evaluation. With the help of various projects included, you will find it intriguing to acquire the mechanics of several important machine learning algorithms – they are no more obscure as they thought. Also, you will be guided step by step to build your own models from scratch. Toward the end, you will gather a broad picture of the machine learning ecosystem and best practices of applying machine learning techniques. Through this book, you will learn to tackle data-driven problems and implement your solutions with the powerful yet simple language, Python. Interesting and easy-to-follow examples, to name some, news topic classification, spam email detection, online ad click-through prediction, stock prices forecast, will keep you glued till you reach your goal. Style and approach This book is an enticing journey that starts from the very basics and gradually picks up pace as the story unfolds. Each concept is first succinctly defined in the larger context of things, followed by a detailed explanation of their application. Every concept is explained with the help of a project that solves a real-world problem, and involves hands-on work—giving you a deep insight into the world of machine learning. With simple yet rich language—Python—you will understand and be able to implement the examples with ease.

Unveil the world of mixed reality with HoloLens About This Book ? Bring holographic insights to existing line-of-business applications, tools, and workflows ? Focus on developing end-to-end realistic holographic application. ? Build interactive model *s and test them in Unity3D and holographic emulators Who This Book Is For This book is targeted at developers and designers working on mixed-reality developments for complex integrated scenarios using HoloLens. What You Will Learn ? Interact with holograms using different interaction models ? Develop your first holographic app ? Integrate holographic applications with cloud systems ? Visualize data feeds coming from the cloud through holograms ? Manage the application distribution of enterprise-enabled HoloLens ? Integrate HoloLens applications with services deployed on Azure ? Identify and create 3D Assets and Scenes ? Use HoloLens to explore the Internet of Things In Detail Do you want to create stunning applications with HoloLens? Are you a developer who is fascinated with Microsoft HoloLens and its capabilities? If so, this is the book for you. This book introduces and demystifies the HoloLens platform and shows you different ways of interaction with computers (mixed-reality). You will start your mixed-reality journey by understanding different types of digital reality. You will learn to build your first holographic app. Also, you will understand holographic application integration possibilities within Line of Business Applications using Azure. Moving ahead, you will create Integrated Solutions using IoT with HoloLens. Gradually you'll learn how to create and deploy apps on a device. You will learn to publish application to the store; if you are an enterprise developer, you will also manage and distribute applications for enterprise-enabled or domain-joined HoloLens. Finally, you will develop an end-to-end realistic holographic app, ranging from scenario identification to sketching, development, deployment, and, finally, production. Style and approach The book is a project-based guide to help you to create some really astonishing mixed-reality applications. It will provide end-to-end solutions and enable you to build stunning applications for HoloLens.

Explore the Java Virtual Machine with modern programming languages About This Book ? This guide provides in-depth coverage of the Java Virtual Machine and its features ? Filled with practical examples, this book will help you understand the core concepts of Java, Scala, Clojure, Kotlin, and Groovy ? Work with various programming paradigms and gain knowledge about imperative, object-oriented and functional programming Who This Book Is For This book is meant for programmers who are interested in the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and want to learn more about the most popular programming languages that can be used for JVM development. Basic practical knowledge of a modern programming language that supports object-oriented programming (JavaScript, Python, C#, VB.NET, and C++) is assumed. What You Will Learn ? Gain practical information about the Java Virtual Machine ? Understand the popular JVM languages and the Java Class Library ? Get to know about various programming paradigms such as imperative, object-oriented, and functional ? Work with common JVM tools such as Eclipse IDE, Gradle, and Maven ? Explore frameworks such as SparkJava, Vert.x, Akka and JavaFX ? Boost your knowledge about dialects of other well-known programming languages that run on the JVM, including JavaScript, Python, and Ruby In Detail Anyone who knows software development knows about the Java Virtual Machine. The Java Virtual Machine is responsible for interpreting Java byte code and translating it into actions. In the beginning, Java was the only programming language used for the JVM. But increasing complexity of the language and the remarkable performance of the JVM created an opening for a new generation of programming languages. If you want to build a strong foundation with the Java Virtual Machine and get started with popular modern programming languages, then this book is for you. The book will begin with a general introduction of the JVM and its features, which are common to the JVM languages, helping you get abreast with its concepts. It will then dive into explaining languages such as Java, Scala, Clojure, Kotlin, and Groovy and will show how to work with each language, their features, use cases, and pros and cons. By writing example projects in those languages and focusing on each language’s strong points, it will help you find the programming language that is most appropriate for your particular needs. By the end of the book, you will have written multiple programs that run on the Java Virtual Machine and know about the differences between the various languages. Style and approach This practical, example-filled guide will help you get started with the JVM and some of its most popular languages.

Use Python modules such as ArcPy, ArcREST and the ArcGIS API for Python to automate the analysis and mapping of geospatial data. About This Book ? Perform GIS analysis faster by automating tasks. ? Access the spatial data contained within shapefiles and geodatabases and transform between spatial reference systems. ? Automate the mapping of geospatial analyses and production of map books. Who This Book Is For If you are a GIS student or professional who needs an understanding of how to use ArcPy to reduce repetitive tasks and perform analysis faster, this book is for you. It is also a valuable book for Python programmers who want to understand how to automate geospatial analyses and implement ArcGIS Online data management. What You Will Learn ? Understand how to integrate Python into ArcGIS and make GIS analysis faster and easier. ? Create Python * using ArcGIS ModelBuilder. ? Learn to use ArcGIS online feature services and the basics of the ArcGIS REST API ? Understand the unique Python environment that is new with ArcGIS Pro ? Learn about the new ArcGIS Python API and how to use Anaconda and Jupyter with it ? Learn to control ArcGIS Enterprise using ArcPy In Detail ArcGIS allows for complex analyses of geographic information. The ArcPy module is used to * these ArcGIS analyses, providing a productive way to perform geo-analyses and automate map production. The second edition of the book focuses on new Python tools, such as the ArcGIS API for Python. Using Python, this book will guide you from basic Python *ing to advanced ArcPy * tools. This book starts off with setting up your Python environment for ArcGIS automation. Then you will learn how to output maps using ArcPy in MXD and update feature class in a geodatabase using arcpy and ArcGIS Online. Next, you will be introduced to ArcREST library followed by examples on querying, updating and manipulating ArcGIS Online feature services. Further, you will be enabling your *s in the browser and directly interacting with ArcGIS Online using Jupyter notebook. Finally, you can learn ways to use of ArcPy to control ArcGIS Enterprise and explore topics on deployments, data quality assurances, data updates, version control, and editing safeguards. By the end of the book, you will be equipped with the knowledge required to create automated analysis with administration reducing the time-consuming nature of GIS. Style and approach The book takes a pragmatic approach, showing ways to automate repetitive tasks and utilizing features of ArcPy with ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS online.

Create ‘AAA’ quality game audio with new features and tools built for Unity About This Book ? Explore the basics of audio development in Unity to create spatial sound, mixing, effects, composition, adaptive audio and more. ? Leverage the Audio Mixer of Unity 5.x to create blockbuster sound and music for your game. ? Learn about developing professional audio for games with FMOD Studio and composing original music with Reaper. ? Build amazing audio synchronized graphic visualizations with Unity. ? Understand how real-time character lip syncing can be implemented. Who This Book Is For The ideal target audience for this book will be game developers, both Indie as well as semi pro. No prior knowledge of Unity and audio development is assumed, What You Will Learn ? Develop game audio and other audio effects with Unity ? Getting familiar with the new Audio Mixer introduced in Unity 5 ? Implement dynamic and adaptive audio using various tools and strategies ? Explore interesting ways to incorporate audio into a game with sound visualization ? Use 3rd party professional audio development tools like FMOD ? Compose original music and record vocals ? Understand and troubleshoot audio performance issues In Detail Game Audio is one of the key components in making a game successful and it is quite popular in the gaming industry. So if you are a game developer with an eye on capturing the gamer market then this book is the right solution for you. In this book, we will take you through a step by step journey which will teach you to implement original and engaging soundtracks and SFX with Unity 5.x. You will be firstly introduced to the basics of game audio and sound development in Unity. After going through the core topics of audio development: audio sources, spatial sound, mixing, effects, and more; you will then have the option of delving deeper into more advanced topics like dynamic and adaptive audio. You will also learn to develop dynamic and adaptive audio using the Unity Audio Mixer. Further, you will learn how professional third party tools like FMOD are used for audio development in Unity. You will then go through the creation of sound visualization techniques and creating your own original music using the simple yet powerful audio workstation Reaper. Lastly, you will go through tips, techniques and strategies to help you optimize game audio performance or troubleshoot issues. At the end of the book, you’ll have gained the skills to implement professional sound and music. Along with a good base knowledge audio and music principles you can apply across a range of other game development tools. Style and approach This book will have a step by step practical approach where downloadable free games will be given with the book and readers will be free to work with them.

Jump into the world of Game AI development About This Book ? Move beyond using libraries to create smart game AI, and create your own AI projects from scratch ? Implement the latest algorithms for AI development and in-game interaction ? Customize your existing game AI and make it better and more efficient to improve your overall game performance Who This Book Is For This book is for game developers with a basic knowledge of game development techniques and some basic programming techniques in C# or C++. What You Will Learn ? Get to know the basics of how to create different AI for different type of games ? Know what to do when something interferes with the AI choices and how the AI should behave if that happens ? Plan the interaction between the AI character and the environment using Smart Zones or Triggering Events ? Use animations correctly, blending one animation into another and rather than stopping one animation and starting another ? Calculate the best options for the AI to move using Pruning Strategies, Wall Distances, Map Preprocess Implementation, and Forced Neighbours ? Create Theta algorithms to the AI to find short and realistic looking paths ? Add many characters into the same scene and make them behave like a realistic crowd In Detail The book starts with the basics examples of AI for different game genres and directly jumps into defining the probabilities and possibilities of the AI character to determine character movement. Next, you’ll learn how AI characters should behave within the environment created. Moving on, you’ll explore how to work with animations. You’ll also plan and create pruning strategies, and create Theta algorithms to find short and realistic looking game paths. Next, you’ll learn how the AI should behave when there is a lot of characters in the same scene. You'll explore which methods and algorithms, such as possibility maps, Forward Chaining Plan, Rete Algorithm, Pruning Strategies, Wall Distances, and Map Preprocess Implementation should be used on different occasions. You’ll discover how to overcome some limitations, and how to deliver a better experience to the player. By the end of the book, you think differently about AI. Style and approach The book has a step-by-step tutorial style approach. The algorithms are explained by implementing them in #.

Whitfield Calder, Earl of Danning, would much rather spend a fortnight tending to his estate than entertaining three eligible young ladies. But when his valet insists that marriage is an earl’s duty, Whit agrees to the house party. He has no intention of actually proposing to anyone…until flame-haired Ruby Hollingsford declares she’d never accept him anyway. Ruby has been tricked into attending this charade, but she certainly won’t compete for the earl’s attentions. Yet, Whit isn’t the selfish aristocrat she envisioned. And with a little trust, two weeks may prove ample time for an unlikely couple to fall headlong into love.

Jonathon Bradby would gladly return to fighting the French if it meant avoiding his new title: war hero. Only he knows the reputation isn’t deserved. Then a visit to Sanctuary Bay brings renewed acquaintance with the lovely Lady Catherine Meriweather. He’s drawn to her, yet Cat surely deserves a real hero. Overwhelmed with organizing a Yuletide celebration and her sister’s wedding, Cat gladly accepts Jonathan’s help. Soon she sees the gentle heart he conceals beneath his wit. But Jonathan’s need to prove himself could drive them apart—unless they’re bold enough to seize the unexpected gift of love.

Return of the Cowboy Doctor A western inspirational romance from Harlequin's Love Inspired Historical line The Cowboy's Reluctant Sweetheart Two years shy of his medical degree, cowboy Maxwell White is out of money. So, he's back in Bear Creek, Wyoming, working part-time for the local physician. Though he is immediately drawn to the doctor's lovely, whip-smart daughter, she seems to be irritated by Maxwell's very existence. Hattie Powell can't quash her feelings for the town's new would-be doctor. But that's exactly why she must keep him at a distance. Hattie is closer than ever to fulfilling her lifelong wish of becoming a doctor. Now, the only thing standing in her way is the man of her dreams. Wyoming Legacy: United by family, destined for love ---------------------------------- * USA TODAY on this christian western romance: "If you enjoy Western romance series with fresh characters in each book, but still want to check in on the heroes and heroines past, you'll enjoy this Love Inspired Historical series from author Lacy Williams." * Publisher's Weekly on this inspirational western, "sweet, poetic Max is a lovable hero, and Hattie's desire to have both career and family will resonate strongly with readers." ---------------------------------- Inspirational Romance Book Categories: > Historical Romance Cowboys > Religious Historical Romance > Western Inspirational Romance

RISKING IT ALL Detective Melody Zachary is determined to find who killed her nephew in a drug related murder. She’s launched her teen center in his memory, to keep kids off the streets. And she’ll prove to narcotics officer Parker Adams and his K-9 drug-sniffing partner, Sherlock, it’s not a haven for dealers. As they risk their lives to save others, Melody discovers that Parker and she share the same deep commitment to making a difference. Will circumstances allow them to take the biggest risk yet, on love? Texas K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

“NO ONE’S GOING TO HURT YOU.” When he finds Nicole Harris cowering in a closet—a terrified witness to murder—Detective Alex Donovan’s only priority is keeping the beautiful redhead alive. But Nicole is harboring a deep, dark secret–a childhood trauma that stops her from counting on anyone. Haunted by the violence in his own past, Alex knows he shouldn’t get personally involved, but his own feelings blindside him. With a killer targeting Nicole as his next victim, his toughest road is still ahead. Somehow, he’s got to convince her to trust him with her life . . . and her heart.

Who can she trust? Alyssa Wells has uncovered evidence that her police officer husband was murdered by his partner, a dangerous claim in a small town. After two tours in Iraq, protecting Alyssa and her children shouldn't be a problem for private investigator Cole Justice. Alyssa feels drawn to him, but how can she trust anyone after everything? Cole's sure his heart is closed off to love but Alyssa and her children seem to have found a way in. As the killer draws closer, Alyssa realizes she's trusting Cole with more than her safety. The Justice Agency: Family and law enforcement go hand in hand??????

DANGER IN AMISH COUNTRY When her brother is killed in a small Amish town, Anna Quinn discovers she’s an unwelcome outsider. But the FBI agent investigating the case is right at home—because Eli Miller was born and raised in Apple Creek’s Plain community. Eli left his Amish faith behind long ago, but his heart is rooted in a local cold case he can’t forget—a mystery with strange connections to Anna’s loss. Desperate to uncover the truth, Anna and Eli are faced with stony silences and secrets . . . secrets that someone wants to stay buried in the past.

Someone wants to stop Becki Graw from claiming her inheritance. Police officer Rayne is just as determined to keep his beautiful neighbor safe. She may not be the tomboy Josh remembers, but she’s just as stubborn. Becki is intent on keeping her grandparents’ remote farmhouse—no matter the danger. Becki’s feelings for her childhood crush may be rekindled, but she’s seen too much to risk opening her heart. As the threats against Becki escalate, the list of suspects grows longer. Josh must convince Becki to trust him with her heart—and her life—before a madman ends their chance at happiness—permanently.

Princess Lara Kincade returned home to New Orleans to continue her late husband’s humanitarian work. She also hopes to force his killer out of hiding. But a priceless painting has put her plans—and life—at risk. Embroiled in a deadly art scandal, Lara must depend on handsome photojournalist Gabriel Murdock to help her expose a murderer. Gabriel’s determination to keep her safe has softened her heart to love’s possibilities again. Somewhere among his photos lies the identity of the murderer, but can they uncover the killer before this heist turns deadly?

Journalist Katie Todd wanted her name as a byline on the front page, not in the obituaries. When an assignment goes very wrong, she finds herself pursued by ruthless kidnappers. Her only hope is the enigmatic and handsome Mark Armor. All clues point to him being the enemy of her enemy, but is he a friend—or something much more dangerous? Every move Mark makes to help Katie brings him closer to the life he left behind, but he can’t say no to the beautiful writer. Will the secrets of his past put Katie in even more danger?

When someone sabotages ex-Navy SEAL Luke Baldwin’s “unhackable” software, there’s more than his reputation at stake. Faced with treason charges, Luke turns to Dani Justice, a computer expert and skilled investigator. She’s eager to dive into the challenging case…until she uncovers a devastating connection. The hacker framing Luke has a personal, deadly history with Dani. Luke’s code of honor—and his growing feelings—make him resolved to protect the sweet, strong woman he knows is more vulnerable than she’d admit. But what good are his training or determination against an enemy who can hack into any system, and find them wherever they hide?

When his partner turns on him and tries to kill him, FBI agent Jack Mitchell is framed for murder and abandoned… until a blue-eyed beauty saves his life. Even in his wounded haze Jack sees Casey Johnson is hiding a secret. As the only witness to his innocence, Jack needs her. But Casey doesn't know who's more dangerous–the man who wants Jack dead or the handsome agent himself. For if Jack knew the reason she escaped to the wilderness with her niece, he’d have to arrest her. But on the run with Jack, Casey realizes more than her secret is at stake now. So is her heart….

Kidnapped and dragged into the Montana wilderness, Sarah Langston has no idea where her brother is or what her captors want with him. But when help arrives and removes her blindfold, she’s shocked to see the father of the baby she gave up for adoption. Police officer Bryan Keyes is convinced that Sarah’s kidnapping is tied to a deadly human trafficking ring. Now with Sarah’s brother in the line of fire, Bryan must join forces with the only woman he’s ever loved. Will they have time to rekindle a love that happened too soon?

On the last ordinary day of her life, Abby Bennett feels like the luckiest woman alive. But everyone knows that luck doesn't last forever… As her husband, Nick, and daughter, Lindsey, embark on a weekend camping trip to the Texas Hill Country, Abby looks forward to having some quiet time to herself. She braids Lindsey's hair, reminds Nick to drive safely, and kisses them both good-bye. For a brief moment, Abby thinks she has it all—a perfect marriage, a perfect life—until a devastating storm rips through the region, and her family vanishes without a trace. When Nick and Lindsey are presumed dead, lost in the raging waters, Abby refuses to give up hope. Consumed by grief and clinging to her belief that her family is still alive, she sets out to find them. But as disturbing clues begin to surface, Abby realizes that the truth may be far more sinister than she imagined. Soon she finds herself caught in a current of lies that threaten to unhinge her and challenge everything she once believed about her marriage and family. With a voice that resonates with stunning clarity, Barbara Taylor Sissel delivers a taut and chilling mystery about a mother’s love, a wife’s obsession, and the invisible fractures that can shatter a family.