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Tag: virtualisation

  • Transformational Impact of Server Virtualization on IT Infrastructure

    A recent IDC survey investigating server virtualization deployments in various organizations reveals that the technology is transforming server, storage, and networking infrastructure and even more so the way their datacenters are and will be built and managed.

    "The accelerated adoption of virtualization is making the technology a crucial factor, changing buying behavior and deployments of customers throughout Europe," said Nathaniel Martinez, program director for IDC’s European Enterprise Servers group.

    According to him, customers are not only rapidly exploiting new and emerging virtualization functions such as high availability and VM mobility, they are also slowly adapting their infrastructure to virtualization requirements.

    “This in turn drives the acquisition of richer configured servers, expansion in fiber channel SANs, increased spending on iSCSI-based storage, and a boost in NAS adoption in large hosting environments," Martinez added.

    The survey also suggests that many users are pushing their virtual server environments to the limits, which is causing several problems, such as virtual server sprawl and storage I/O bottlenecks.

    22% of all survey respondents claim to have had I/O problems within the past six months and this number jumps to 40% of respondents that fit into the early adopter category.

    "Costs are obviously an important factor, but many storage administrators are looking for ways to ensure that storage supporting virtual server environments can meet current and future performance needs," said Eric Sheppard, program director for IDC’s European Storage service.

    The study, Status of x86 virtualization in European Organizations is based on a survey conducted among current server virtualization users in the U.K., Germany, and France.

  • DataPipe Rolls Out 3PAR Cloud-Agile Services

    3PAR, a provider of utility storage, announced that managed global IT service provider and 3PAR Cloud-Agile partner DataPipe now offers differentiated virtual private array (VPA) and disaster recovery (DR) services as part of their Stratosphere cloud services, which are powered by 3PAR Utility Storage.

    DataPipe is the first member of the 3PAR Cloud-Agile program to offer its customers 3PAR Cloud-Agile ASSURED and 3PAR Cloud-Agile SECURED services through this program.

    As the company claims, 3PAR Cloud-Agile ASSURED powers DataPipe’s delivery of highly available and flexible business continuance solutions which are easy to use, quick to implement, and require minimal effort to maintain. 3PAR Cloud-Agile ASSURED leverages 3PAR Remote Copy and gives DataPipe the ability to offer cost-effective, flexible, and robust remote data replication, DR, and autonomic data backup to end users.

    “With 3PAR and VMware powering Stratosphere, we have been able to extend the value we deliver to our customers and enhance the security, agility, and cost-efficiency of the services we offer,” said Michael Parks, Chief Technology Officer for DataPipe.

    He assures that with the new 3PAR cloud service his company offers isolated, secure virtual private array services for performance and security levels previously only available with dedicated hardware, but with a cost structure approaching that of a shared service offering.

    DataPipe delivers VPA services as a value-added “shared” hosting option with the security of a dedicated environment. 3PAR Cloud-Agile: SECURED employs the combination of 3PAR Utility Storage and 3PAR Virtual Domains to give DataPipe the ability to deliver high performance levels while providing secure segregation within a shared, virtualized hardware platform that is protected from unauthorized access, monitoring, and control.

    “As cloud computing has gained momentum, we’ve seen the spotlight mainly cast on virtual private servers and security concerns at the virtual server level,” said Jeff Boles, Senior Analyst and Director at Taneja Group.

    “However, virtual private server deployments are only as secure as the storage foundation upon which they are built. 3PAR Cloud-Agile SECURE enables providers like DataPipe to offer VPA services that ensure security, segregation, and data integrity from the ground up, to complement the security that VMware delivers at the virtual server level,” he added.

    According to Parag Patel, vice president of VMware, combining VMware vSphere 4 with private and resilient 3PAR Utility Storage, service providers like DataPipe are able to meet the demand for security and high availability from their customers who utilize services delivered via the cloud.

    DataPipe provides custom solutions for complex internet-facing infrastructures, proactively managing security, monitoring, storage, datacenter operations, servers, and applications including database administration and software stack.

  • China VoIP & Digital Telecom Virtualization Project Receives Governmental Funds


    Jinan Yinquan Technology has announced that its data center virtualization technology project has received 500,000 yuan from Shandong Economic and Information Technology Committee.

    Following the award, the wholly owned subsidiary of China VoIP & Digital Telecom said it is well positioned to take full advantage of the tremendous economic growth currently being experienced in China.

    The company is currently marketing its NP Soft Switch system in China and is testing stages of other IT products.

    Li Kunwu, chairman and CEO of CVDT

    The Chinese government established the fund to award outstanding energy-saving industrial technology projects in Shandong Province in 2009.

    Li Kunwu, chairman and CEO of CVDT, said the virtualization technology solution provided by Yinquan is in full compliance with the conservation-oriented society and Green IT concepts advocated by the country.

    "Yinquan maintains a leading position in virtualization technology, and the government’s endorsement will accelerate our expansion in the virtualization market in 2009," he said.

    "Also, with the government’s support, industrializing virtualization in China will be expedited. I believe Yinquan should have bright growth prospects in virtualization."

  • IT Execs Doubt Virtualization is Data Recovery Remedy


    Separate backup data center locations are not being used by many companies to provide the complete data-recovery system, according to research.

    Instead they are relying on failover to separate storage arrays and servers within the same physical building.

    Market researcher Harris Interactive said this is the Achilles heel of many virtualized IT environments.

    Three-quarters of IT executives surveyed believe virtualization by itself can play a major role in an enterprise disaster recovery plan.

    But they said it in no way represents a complete answer to a DR strategy, according to a "State of Disaster Recovery" survey released by Harris.

    While many IT decision-makers say they have deployed virtualization in a production setting, survey data indicated that most have not yet utilized it in a disaster-recovery situation.

    A full-fledged disaster-recovery system using virtualization replicates the system and all its data to an off-site location away from the main enterprise data center.

    In the event of the main data center going offline and out of action, virtual machines replicated at the backup location continue to keep the workloads running smoothly, with little or no latency in daily production.

    However, many companies are not able to deploy separate backup data center locations to provide the complete data-recovery system, relying instead on failover to separate storage arrays and servers within the same physical building.

    Seventy-four per cent of survey respondents indicated that virtualization can play a major role but is not a total solution for disaster recovery plans.

    One-quarter of IT respondents said they would never include virtualization technologies in their disaster recovery plans.

    Sixty per cent of respondents said they have virtualization in place now as a recovery tool from unplanned outages; only 29 per cent said they have used it successfully.

    Eight per cent said they used virtualization but that it didn’t work to their satisfaction.

    Another 29 per cent of IT decision-makers say they have deployed virtualization but not yet used it as a tool for disaster recovery.

    The survey said that over the next two years, half of IT decision-makers say they will be looking into virtualization as an option for managing unplanned outages and disaster recovery.

    About a quarter of IT executives say they will be looking into cloud computing and grid networking as potential options.

    The survey was commissioned by SunGard Availability Services, which provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software to more than 10,000 customers in North America and Europe.

  • DTM Systems Achieves HP Virtualization Solutions Elite Partner Status for Advanced Virtualization Expertise


    DTM Systems Corporation has achieved HP Virtualization Solutions Elite Partner status for Advanced Virtualization Expertise.

    To be selected as an HP Virtualization Elite Partner, companies must provide expert service and support and offer clients complete virtualization solutions – from capacity planning assessments to design, installation, configuration, data migration, training, and post-installation services.

    DTM Systems is also a HP Storage Elite Partner, HP ProCurve Elite Partner and the #1 HP Enterprise Partner in B.C.

    Virtualization technology has quickly become the primary focus for many businesses; it not only provides consolidation for x86 servers but has now moved into every aspect of I.T., from servers and storage to desktops and applications. Virtualization lays the foundation for Cloud Computing and will continue to be the most important development in I.T. for the next decade.

    As Hewlett Packard continues to remain at the forefront of Virtualization solutions, they recognize the role of partnerships, like DTM Systems in bringing this concept to life to address real-world technology issues.

    As businesses increasingly demand adaptive, efficient I.T. infrastructures, HP remains our most important strategic partner," says Ted Smith, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for DTM Systems. "We’re honoured to be recognized for our virtualization expertise and our ability to build virtualization solutions around HP’s broad portfolio of technology offerings."

    In addition to being a HP Virtualization Solutions Elite Partner, DTM Systems is a VMware Enterprise, VIP Partner, Citrix Gold Partner and Microsoft Gold Partner with certifications and expertise with the three leading providers of Virtualization technology.

    DTM Systems has been in the technology industry for 30 years and has always been at the leading edge of its evolution.

    We design and implement solutions to help organizations adapt and thrive in the face of an ever changing economy and we pride ourselves on forming the best partnerships with companies that follow our core values of competency, integrity and trust.

  • Aress Launches Unlimited Online Data Backup Service


    Aress Software has launched an online backup solution which gives 1GB of free space and also comes with an unlimited storage option.

    Called BackupandShare.com, the service is aimed at business and individual users, and has an ability to schedule backup for PCs and Macs.

    The India-based company said the solution offers 128 bit AES encryption for secure data storage.

    At USD $49.95 for and Individual plan and $150 USD for Business plan annually, the service provides unlimited capacity to securely store files and media collections remotely and automatically.

    Aress said data is stored in an architecture that’s isolated, multi-tiered and gated in a secure data center. It also provides 24/7 customer support.

    Other features include sharing files, photo album, maintaining playlists, remote access and mobile access.

    The BackupandShare desktop application is also available for downloading to PCs.

  • HP's Consumer PC to Come With Symantec Backup Storage


    Symantec has announced an agreement to distribute Norton Online Backup on HP consumer desktop and notebook PCs worldwide.

    The move is part of Symantec’s plans to expand its consumer business beyond its line of Norton security products.

    The 30-day trial offer of Norton Online Backup will come preinstalled and will provide five gigabytes (5GB) of secured online storage. It will be followed by an annual subscription for USD $50.

    While nearly half of consumers report having lost files in the past, less than a third regularly back up.

    By providing the online backup solution, Symantec is hoping to benefit from its ease of use and HP’s market strength.

    The cloud backup service is one of various new products Symantec has launched in the last 12 months to drive sales.

    However, analysts suggest it may take some time for the backup product to substantially boost sales.

    Symantec already has a PC distribution agreement with HP, through which it sells Norton Internet Security, a suite of programs to fight hackers and other threats.

  • HDD Not Threatened by Virtualisation, Claims Western Digital


    Western Digital has dismissed the growing trend of virtualisation among enterprises as a possible threat – and instead emphasised the indispensable value of internal hard drives in businesses.

    Noel Timbol, business development manager at WD, said recent virtualisation efforts undertaken by companies have not made any dent on the sales of their Enterprise models.

    Speaking at the launch of WD’s new line of internal HDD (hard disk drive) products at Computerworld Philippines, he told TechWorld that "even if companies are migrating their data centre operations abroad, they’d still need hard drives for simple internal operations".

    WD is currently the second-largest hard drive manufacturer in the world, and currently leads the market for portable hard drives.

  • Fujitsu Server System Raises Stakes in Virtualization


    Fujitsu has launched a new-generation blade server system as a key part of its global growth program to boost its market share for x86 servers.

    The PRIMERGY BX900 is a complete dynamic server infrastructure in a single blade cube.

    It has been designed so that users can adapt it dynamically to different IT usage scenarios, which Fijitsu says increases the agility of IT infrastructures while reducing costs.

    The company says the server it is built on four guiding principles:

    • a dynamic new power and cooling concept to reduce energy costs
    • improvements in operational performance, through dynamic virtualization
    • delivers unmatched uptime, via dynamic high availability
    • new system architecture offering dynamic scalability

    Stanley Payte, product manager, Enterprise Solutions Group, said: "The four guiding principles of the PRIMERGY BX900 design ensure that it meets the needs of datacenter operations where achieving cost savings and increasing IT systems’ agility are immediate concerns."

    Fujitsu wants the PRIMERGY BX900 to be the key foundation stone in its global market growth program for x86 servers.

    It is spearheading the company’s global growth program to increase its market share for x86 servers, with a worldwide server sales goal of 500,000 units in 2010.

  • Imeem App Helps iPhone Users Overcome Storage Limits


    Imeem has launched its Mobile social music application for the iPhone and iPod touch.

    The main thrust of the online streaming service is the ability to search and play millions of user-posted songs through a free downloadable app.
    But it also offers users cloud storage for music libraries and data files.

    By creating an imeem account on its Web site, you can upload up to 100 songs for free.

    It offers a VIP Subscription service for USD $29.99 per year, which allows 1,000 uploads, while USD $99.99 a year gives 20,000.

    The app is likely to prove popular with iPhone owners, particularly those with 8GB handset who find it isn’t sufficient to hold large playlists and music collections.

    The iPhone app follows one launched for Android last year.

    Dalton Caldwell, founder and CEO of imeem, said MyMusic enables music lovers to browse and stream their personal imeem music library.

    "People can upload up to 20,000 songs of the music they own directly to imeem.com, and then enjoy the songs on the go whenever they want without taking up additional storage on their mobile device," he said.

    imeem Mobile is now available from Apple’s App Store.