Latest News from Virtualization Journal

Network-Centric Computing Model

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:00:00 EDT

System architects and engineering teams are designing increasingly complex embedded systems in order to satisfy their customers’ stringent functionality and performance requirements. In addition, within tactical systems, it’s not uncommon to require deterministic real-time behavior while moving large quantities of information over non-deterministic network transports.

F5 BIG-IP Solutions Integrated with VMware vCenter Server

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT

F5 Networks, Inc., a provider Application Delivery Networking (ADN), has announced integration between its BIG-IP solutions and VMware vSphere 4 and VMware vCenter Server, together creating a scalable and extensible platform that allows IT administrators to improve organizations' control over virtual environments. Working in concert, VMware vCenter Server and F5 BIG-IP solutions enable customers to dynamically provision application resources, reduce costs, and maximize the automation and agility of their IT infrastructures.

SYS-CON Announces Virtualization Conference & Expo Show Awards

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EDT

Virtualization, viewed as one of the most promising technology investments in an economic downturn, is of great interest to enterprises seeking to build a flexible IT infrastructure that can keep pace with rapid business change. Investments are being made in proven products for infrastructure virtualization management, dynamic workload management, moving edge applications to cloud computing service providers, and tools for power management - to name just a few.

The Investment Virtues of "SOA in the Cloud"

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:45:00 EDT

In today’s economy, an enterprise must have strong financial motives for transitioning to SOA. SOA’s superior technical capabilities are a strong motive for information technology professionals to make that transition. However, enterprise stakeholders are motivated by solid investment opportunities. Software architects have learned how to express the technical virtues of SOA. What they need to learn next is how to express the investment virtues of SOA.

The Machine Is Now the Data . . . How Does That Affect Compliance?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EDT

In IT terms, virtualization is cool. The rewards include cost savings, agility, and flexibility. Enterprises reap the benefits of virtualization through a much more efficient use of IT personnel and resources, faster delivery time of applications, higher availability/service levels, and additional capabilities such as high availability and disaster recovery. No wonder data centers worldwide are being transformed by going virtual.

Oracle Reportedly Kills Virtual Iron Product Line

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Virtual Iron reportedly had 2,000-3,000 customers worldwide, according to what the Register's heard - including the FBI and Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and of course it's promising continued support from the support staff it's retained with the acquisition. It's legally obligated to but it's oddly hazy on migration and seemingly abrupt in canceling the product line without having a replacement handy, making it seem like it doesn't care whether VI's customers drift away.

Start-up a First Mover in Memory Virtualization

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:15:00 EDT

RNA networks, which virtualizes memory, has moved into cache, claiming it can remove the data center bottlenecks caused by contention for application memory, the data center’s scarcest resource. When processor speed outstrips memory capacity, bottlenecks are created that slow application performance and utilization rates.

Layered Technologies to Include Virtual Firewall Solutions

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EDT

Viruses and hackers are just some of the data security threats that businesses encounter today. To give customers the ability to quickly and easily add robust security at affordable prices, Layered Technologies has expanded offerings available via Astro to include Virtual Firewall Solutions from Fortinet, the industry-leader of Unified Threat Management solutions. Layered Tech launched its automated server provisioning platform Astro in January and continues to develop the platform so that customers can add additional services to servers within minutes, gaining security, flexibility and affordability.

Virtualization and Cloud Computing Get IT Green Light

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EDT

Seeing the downturn as an opportunity to upgrade, nearly two-thirds of 1,200 IT professionals surveyed in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Japan plan to invest in new infrastructure technology, according to results released this week.

Dr. Leslie Lenert of CDC Speaks on Healthcare IT

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:00:00 EDT

During this week's Federal News Radio Federal Executive Forum pre-recording, Dr. Leslie Lenert, Director, National Center for Public Health Informatics (NCPHI) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shared some of his thoughts on the future of health care information technology. His comments included the following:

Pixorial Turns to Dell Systems & Xsigo Virtual I/O

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:57:00 EDT

Xsigo Systems, a provider of data center I/O virtualization, has announced that Pixorial has deployed Dell(TM) PowerEdge(TM) servers and Xsigo virtual I/O in support of its ground-breaking online video service where home movies and people interconnect. This architecture enables Pixorial to double its bandwidth, decrease deployment times from days to hours, and increase overall server utilization by 33 percent.

Cloud Computing Expo: VMLogix Mounts a Virtual Lab on EC2

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EDT

VMLogix, which manages VMs, is beta testing LabManager- Cloud Edition, a new hypervisor-agnostic, policy-based product that lets software teams run virtual labs in the cloud, a low-risk environment that will let companies experiment with the platform. The start-up says it’s got the only widgetry to support a public cloud like Amazon EC2.

Enterprise Desktop Virtualization Reaches Turning Point with MokaFive

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EDT

MokaFive has announced the 2.0 version of its desktop virtualization technology in the form of MokaFive Suite, a Desktop-as-a-Service platform for the enterprise. MokaFive Suite extends the company's existing cross-platform, self-healing hosted desktop service, giving organizations of any size the ability to host a secure desktop management solution within their premises. MokaFive Suite marks a turning point in desktop virtualization, offering an enterprise-ready platform that provides persistent user personalization while giving IT organizations complete policy-based control.

VMware to Integrate HP Software

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:45:00 EDT

VMware has cut an OEM deal to integrate HP Discovery and Dependency Mapping software into its vCenter software as a virtual appliance next year when vCenter’s ConfigControl is available. Users will be able to manage both physical and virtual machines off the same console. Meanwhile, HP has integrated VMware’s ThinApp into its Client Automation policy-based management platform.

Citrix Updates XenServer

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EDT

Citrix’ free XenServer 5.5 is available for unlimited production deployment. Since Citrix set XenServer free two-and-a-half months ago, it says there have been 100,000 downloads. The update includes centralized multi-node management, built-in storage, full live motion, consolidated backup, enhanced conversion and search tools.

Centrify Secures Virtual Servers

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EDT

Centrify, the place where Linux meets Active Directory, is pushing into – what else? – virtualization with the release Tuesday of Centrify Suite update 3. It supports heterogeneous virtualized data centers. And Centrify ain’t kidding when it says heterogeneous. The widgetry reportedly supports a dozen or more hypervisor platforms and upwards of 180 Unix and Linux operating systems running as guests on hypervisors or physical servers.

No, No, A Thousand Times No!

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:45:00 EDT

Data Domain rejected EMC’s hostile acquisition bid again. It told its shareholders Monday not to succumb to the siren song of EMC’s $30-a-share cash tender offer because EMC could walk away at any time. It prefers to go with NetApp even if it means taking $30 in cash and stock, mostly stock, and stock is so…so uncertain.

Solving the Virtual Machine Backup Conundrum

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:45:00 EDT

Just when it seems that you’ve finally met and solved your data backup and recovery challenges, along comes another kink to complicate the problem. While server virtualization provides many benefits, it may create a conundrum when determining an organization’s best backup and restore strategy.

Enterprise Data Storage Needs

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Business continuity and disaster recovery continue to be top priorities for enterprise IT decision makers. Big or small, data storage is a critical issue impacting every business in every market segment. Most businesses with a critical need for highly robust data storage operate in highly regulated sectors such as financial services, health care, and government.

Mitel Extends Virtualization Strategy with VMware

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Mitel has announced a new relationship with VMware to strategically collaborate on solutions that improve efficiencies of real time voice applications and computing resources for organizations of all sizes. This is the next step in Mitel's virtualization strategy by enabling customers to leverage industry standard servers to maximize space, optimize IT resources, reduce power, and deliver business continuity.

Kerio MailServer Virtual Appliance Now Available for Parallels Server on Mac

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Kerio Technologies has announced the availability of Kerio MailServer Virtual Appliance for Parallels' server and desktop virtualization software for the Mac platform. Parallels, a global leader in virtualization and automation technology, was the first to market with a server virtualization solution for the Mac platform. With this partnership, customers will benefit by having the ability to utilize shared CPU, hardware, memory, network, and have lower cost of maintenance.

Arkeia Announces Cloud Hosting Backup

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) that deliver cloud computing typically leverage both Linux and server virtualization, areas where Arkeia has demonstrated leadership and innovation. Linux provides a robust, cost-effective and flexible platform to deliver hosted services and virtualization improves the efficiencies of server deployment and management. With Arkeia Network Backup version 8.1, MSPs now have the ability to deliver even more customized backup capabilities to their customers with a system that is secure, scalable and granular.

Virtualization Security with VMsafe

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:00:00 EDT

VMware's vSphere release adds new "VMsafe" security interfaces. This article describes how Altor Networks uses VMsafe Fast-path to provide security embedded into the virtual infrastructure.

Federal IT Managers Identify Significant Potential in Virtualization

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:15:00 EDT

CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), has released its 2009 Federal Virtualization Report, an assessment of client, server and storage virtualization in Federal civilian and defense agencies. The report, based on an April survey of 377 Federal IT managers, reveals that while 73 percent say the technique, a broad term used to describe the abstraction of computer resources, is integral to improved efficiency in IT operations and reduced costs, just 20 percent indicate that their agencies are harnessing virtualization to the fullest extent.

Citrix Delivers XenServer 5.5

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:15:00 EDT

Citrix Systems has announced the immediate availability of Citrix XenServer™ 5.5, a significant new upgrade that raises the bar once again for free, enterprise-class virtualization. Today’s announcement comes just 75 days after Citrix changed the game in server virtualization by making the full enterprise-class XenServer platform available for unlimited production deployment at no charge.

Wind River’s Hypervisor Bows

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:15:00 EDT

Last year Wind River, the embedded OS maven soon to become an Intel outpost, said it would get in the virtualization game and beta tested a hypervisor. Tuesday the Wind River Hypervisor came out. It was described as key to the way the company deals with the multi-core processors that are increasingly finding their way into embedded devices. The move puts Wind River in competition with other embedded virtualization vendors such as VirtualLogix, OKLabs and Trango.

Centrify Supports Virtual Computing Environments

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:01:00 EDT

Centrify Corporation has announced extensive support for heterogeneous, virtualized data centers with the general availability of the Centrify Suite update 3. With this release, Centrify facilitates an organization's ability to securely and efficiently transition from a traditional, physical infrastructure to a dynamic, virtualized computing environment. Centrify enables organizations to leverage their existing Microsoft Active Directory infrastructure for centralized identity management, access control, privilege management and auditing across the industry's broadest range of platforms - with newly released support for over a dozen hypervisor platforms and over 190 UNIX and Linux operating systems running as guests on hypervisors or on physical servers.

Virtualization Expo: Sun Kills Off Rock: NYT

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:15:00 EDT

Sun has killed its vaunted Rock chip, according to the New York Times. Five years in development at the cost of billions of dollars, the 16-core/32-threads UltraSparc chip was meant for a line of high-end Supernova SMP servers that had already been delayed several times.

NextIO Gets Another $15m

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT

NextIO has picked up a $15 million D round. NextIO’s the six-year-old Texas outfit with the rack-optimized I/O virtualization solutions based on high-performance PCI Express (PCIe) switching technology and the money is supposed to accelerate the delivery of its second-generation Express Connect widgetry.

Nick Carr's Cloud-Network Disconnect

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:30:00 EDT

Virtualization and cloud computing are promising to change the way in which IT services are delivered and, in effect, transform computing as we know it today. I think the promises are likely to come true, if and only if critical technology issues are addressed. Nicholas Carr told a recent audience at IDC Directions that "Cloud computing has become the center of investment and innovation." While he is not a technologist, his sometimes shocking insight into the transformation of IT have been prescient, even if he doesn’t sweat the details of how complex IT infrastructures can morph into the equivalent of today’s public utilities. To his credit Carr has predicted the rise of the cloud computing press release, multiple cloud conferences and panels and even the SaaS repositioning exercise. He also foresaw the rise in Amazon and Google cloud announcements, perhaps years ahead of profits and/or material revenue.

Cisco Pays for Its Server Impertinence

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Despite steep price cuts, Cisco lost 14.4 points of market share in high-end SAN switches and 9.8% overall to Brocade in Q1, according to the Dell’Oro Group because OEMs switched their allegiance when it became clear Cisco was going to enter the server market. Dell’Oro called it a “landslide shift.” Cisco finally rolled out its Unified Computing System in March, bundling networking, storage and compute in one box.

EMC-NetApp-Data Domain Halo Effect

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EDT

The stock market has been under the impression that somebody will come in and challenge Intel for Wind River. Intel said last week that it was buying the embedded OS house for $11.50 a share. The stock has been up over that price ever since. Some analysts have encouraged the punters to think that maybe, say, IBM could come in, like an EMC-NetApp-Data Domain halo effect. It’s subsiding now.

Thinking Global, Big Chinese PC Maker Allies with NComputing

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:15:00 EDT

Lenovo’s not the only Chinese PC maker with global ambitions. So has Haier Computer Group, reportedly the country’s second-largest PC maker and part of the $16 billion Haier Group, already the world’s fourth-largest white goods manufacturer. So, Haier has tied up with NComputing, the American company with the ultra low-cost virtual desktop solution, to jointly pursue large educational and government opportunities such as the one they captured in 2007 in Macedonia to supply 180,000 seats throughout the country’s school system for under $150 a seat including hardware, software, and network infrastructure.

Voltaire Aims Its First Ethernet Switch at Cisco’s Nexus

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT

A month ago Voltaire joined the anti-Cisco front and sketched out its vision of a Scale-Out Ethernet architecture supporting what it likes to think of as “virtual mainframes” built out of industry-standard gear and making extensive use of virtualization. Monday it started describing its first Ethernet device, the new high-density, Layer 2 core, 10 GigE switch that’s key in building these data centers and clouds.

Getting Started with Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V on Dell Servers

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:15:00 EDT

Your solution to a simplified virtualization platform is here. Learn about the benefits of Microsoft Hyper-V technology integrated directly into Microsoft Windows Server 2008 OS. Get the facts on Hyper-V virtualization, discuss the architecture and technologies, and receive guidance on best practices for deployment on Dell PowerEdge servers.

Highly Available Virtualization with Microsoft Hyper-V and SCV MM 2008

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Learn how to create your own highly available virtualized system while offering simplified management, dynamic performance, workload optimization, and reduced costs. Combining Microsoft Hyper-V technology with Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008 on Dell PowerEdge servers can help to avoid lost revenue, maintain productivity, and protect data from system failure.

Leveraging the Cloud: IBM’s Presentation at Cloud Computing Expo 2009 East

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:15:00 EDT

Cloud Computing will have major impact on the way in which IT is delivered from the data center to its many clients. For CIOs, this can be perceived as a threat to the way in which they manage data center capabilities. In reality, cloud computing offers a huge opportunity for the CIO who now has the capability to offer more responsive, scalable, and available IT services.

IBM’s Session on Smarter Business Solutions at Virtualization Conference

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT

In these difficult economic times, IT leaders are re-evaluating their one-server-per-application strategy and looking for new solutions to help increase responsiveness, scalability, and agility while reducing energy costs and improving resource utilization. In this session at Virtualization Conference & Expo 2009 East, Jim Rymarczyk showed how IBM's new Dynamic Infrastructure vision and evolutionary approach can help customers achieve these objectives through the implementation of virtualized IT environments.

CA Presents the Business Value of Virtualization on SYS-CON.TV

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:45:00 EDT

Enterprise IT organizations are increasingly becoming service provider organizations, creating internal clouds of IT and computing resources to serve customers and business units. Cost savings objectives are no longer enough; IT organizations are adopting virtualization as an architecture to reliably capitalize on the promised business and operational transformation, efficiencies, and extended cost reduction without risking performance, business continuity, security, compliance or control.

Butterfly Effect in Virtualized Environments

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:15:00 EDT

In 1969 Edward Lorenz, the famed meteorologist and Chaos Theory proponent, introduced the concept now known as the “Butterfly Effect” when he posed the famous question: “Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” The Butterfly Effect theory describes the phenomenon of how small variations in a dynamic system can subsequently cause larger and more complex variations over the long term.

Working with the Analyst Community to Get More Buyers

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EDT

For some companies over the years, it became good fashion to give analysts a hard time or feel intimidated by them. Analysts for the most part are pretty good at helping provider companies think through issues. This is great news for a provider who is trying to frame their story and tell it in a way that works for the buyer.

Developer Dead after Hack Deletes 100,000 Hosted Sites

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:45:00 EDT

A 32-year-old software developer, who started a company called Lxlabs at home in Bangalore, is dead of an apparent suicide after hackers exploited a critical vulnerability in the VPS management software he wrote and wiped out the data on a reported 100,000 web sites hosted by the British firm VAserv Sunday night. KT Ligesh, who created the Xen/OpenVZ-based hyperVM package and the integrated Kloxo (née Lxadmin) web hosting platform that VAserv depended on, was found hanged from the ceiling of his bedroom by his roommate Monday morning after a late night of heavy drinking, according to the Times of India.

Devon IT to Support University System of Ohio Virtualization Efforts

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:14:00 EDT

Devon IT has announced its O-VDI program that offers deeply discounted pricing on Devon IT thin client desktop devices to participants in the University System of Ohio Virtualization Program. The University System of Ohio Virtualization Program, announced in January 2009, is a three-year purchasing aggregation initiative with the potential of saving Ohio colleges and universities more than $130 million.

EMC CEO Sends Open Letter to Data Domain Employees

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EDT

"We stand ready to welcome the talented people of Data Domain to EMC with open arms," writes Joe Tucci - Chairman, President and CEO of EMC - in an open letter to EMC employees just released this morning. "We believe that bringing Data Domain into the EMC family would be the best way for you to continue building your careers and accelerating the success you've already achieved in the marketplace," Tucci also writes.

EMC vs NetApp for Data Domain: Joe Tucci Sends Open Letter

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:10:00 EDT

"We stand ready to welcome the talented people of Data Domain to EMC with open arms," writes Joe Tucci - Chairman, President and CEO of EMC - to all Data Domain employees this morning. He chose an open letter format, says EMC, as the best way to express directly to Data Domain employees his thoughts about why EMC is the best choice for them.

Citrix Survey Finds Virtualization Top of Mind

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT

A recent survey conducted by Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXS) found that K-12 education technology leaders view virtualization solutions as a viable way to deliver applications and resources to students while reducing IT costs. Due to the ever-growing need to do more with less, and with the new funds available because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, state governments and schools are looking to modern IT infrastructure solutions to get the most out of their resources.

Making the Case for Data Virtualization

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:45:00 EDT

Achieving compelling value from information technology is critical because IT is typically an enterprise or government agency’s largest capital expense. Increasing business complexities and technology choices create greater demands for justification when making IT investments. Cambridge, MA-based analyst firm Forrester Research recently reported that, “Business and government’s purchases of computer and communication equipment, software, IT consulting, and integration services and IT outsourcing will decline by 3% on a global basis in 2009 when measured in U.S. dollars, then rise by 9% in 2010.”

Lack of Best Practices Is Hurting Virtualization

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EDT

Those who approach virtualization these days are often taken aback by the complexity of the architecture when faced with the number of layers they must deal with to deploy virtualization. Most typically consider virtualization around data center optimization or private clouds, and find it difficult to get their bearings as they wade into their first virtualization project.

Free Security Hardened Virtual Machine Image

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Perhaps I am a bit sensitive to the topic of security, but I could not let a "first" go by without comment. Back in 1999 and 2000, Sun was the...

Cisco Needs to Buy EMC to Own VMware

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:45:00 EDT

Cisco's January sales were down 20% from a year ago. Its customers are holding off their purchasing decisions under the current economic climate. The only growth potential the company has today is in the virtualization market, which is expected to increase by more than 40% in 2009.