Virtualization Strategies News, Analysis, White Papers and Case Studies on Virtualization Software and Hardware Strategies

BLADE Network Technologies, Inc. just announced that its 1-10 Gigabit Ethernet switches is now  equipped with VMready^TM — making it the first network virtualization solution that automates the enterprise data center for dynamic “live” migration of virtual machines (VMs).

Now data center architects can use BLADE’s VMready switches to overcome network-based obstacles. The inability for security policies to move in concert with the VM is inhibiting broader adoption of server virtualization in the enterprise data center. VMready watches the Virtual Machine environment to ensure that when a live VM moves from one physical host to another, the destination network has been prepared in advance — preserving essential security, access and performance policies.

“In order to fully realize the benefits of server virtualization, dynamic migration of workloads is required,” said Joe Skorupa, Research Vice President, Enterprise Network Services and Infrastructure, Gartner, Inc. “To enable this environment, the underlying network must be able to automatically reconfigure itself to ensure that the appropriate polices and resources are in place before a VM is moved to a new host.” Read More…

Posted under Data Center Virtualization, Hardware Virtualization, Server Virtualization, Virtualization News, Virtualization Products / Reviews

OFFERS VIRTUALIZATION BENEFITS WITH OUT THE COST OF VIRTUALIZATION SOFTWARE

Rackable Systems, Inc. announced its new MicroSlice architecture, which eliminates the need for costly virtualization software and sets a new standard for price performance-per-watt. Basically, MicroSlice eliminates the need for virtualization software through what Rackable Systems calls “physicalization,” a hardware-based approach to virtualization which may improve the total cost of ownership.

“Rethinking the whole approach to an existing market is at times the best way to achieve the magic blend of reducing costs and improving performance”, said Mark Peters, senior analyst with the Enterprise Strategy Group. “Rackable Systems’ innovative mindset has achieved just that with its new building-block server architecture - delivering a package that is perfectly targeted for any users seeking to ‘do more for less’ in the current tight economic conditions”. Read More…

Posted under Server Virtualization, Virtualization News, Virtualization Products / Reviews, Virtualization Software, Virtualization Strategies

Sun Microsystems announced that it has expanded its portfolio of small and medium-sized business (SMB) solutions with the introduction of two new virtualization solutions that combine Sun’s x64 server and open storage products with VMware ESX and Microsoft Hyper-V software.

Sun said it’s SMB initiative delivers uniquely designed solutions for virtualization deployments, while reducing total cost and complexity. Sun’s SMB solutions portfolio includes Windows Essential Business Server (EBS), Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 upgrade, MySQL database and Sun’s secure web server solution. Sun’s overall commitment to open source software and industry-standard hardware make it easier and more affordable for SMBs to access Sun’s leading products. Customers can choose from a wide range of products and platforms like the Sun Fire x64 servers and Ultra-SPARC processor-based servers; multiple operating systems like Solaris 10, Windows and Linux; and industry-leading databases like Sun’s MySQL database. Sun’s SMB initiative continues to deliver customer value across a range of industries from media and entertainment to education and technology. Sun SMB customer case studies can be found at http://www.sun.com/customers/. Read More…

Posted under Desktop Virtualization, SMB Virtualization, Virtualization Case Studies, Virtualization Products / Reviews

This week Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT management research and consulting firm released a research report which provides data and advice on managing virtualization deployments more effectively. The report is called: “Best Practices in Virtual Systems Management (VSM): Virtualization Metrics and Recommendations for Enterprises”

As with all major IT revolutions before it, virtualization has introduced new and difficult management challenges. Traditional management tools and processes are less useful for virtualization deployments, and without new approaches to Virtual Systems Management (VSM), enterprises will suffer from increased downtime, higher costs, staff shortages, lack of flexibility, competitive disadvantage, and many other problems.

Enterprise Management Associates’ research indicates that better response times, faster provisioning and improved efficiency are just of the few improvements seen with the use of specific VSM toolsets and best practices. Here are few other results a company might expect from following VSM best practices: Read More…

Posted under Data Center Virtualization, Hardware Virtualization, Storage Virtualization, Virtualization Case Studies, Virtualization News, Virtualization Software, Virtualization Strategies

Intel and Citrix are planning to bring desktop virtualization technologies to a wider audience in an effort to make it easier to run and manage virtual machines within a corporation.

Intel and Citrix Systems are looking to combine their virtualization and hardware management technologies into one overall offering that will make it easier to secure and manage multiple virtual machines running within one corporate client.

Under this agreement Intel and Citrix plans to produce a new class of virtualization solutions that optimize the delivery of applications and desktops to millions of Intel Core2 and Centrino 2 processor-based devices, dramatically reducing the cost of desktop management.  The hypervisor-based virtualization solution should bring both mobile and office users the benefits of centralized desktop virtualization with a rich, personalized PC environment.  As a result, mobile and office workers will be able to take advantage of enterprise-scale virtualization without sacrificing security, manageability, ease-of-use, performance or mobility. Read More…

Posted under Desktop Virtualization, Virtualization News, Virtualization Products / Reviews

Cisco Systems is preparing to enter the server market as early as March, according to an article in the New York Times. The article, which claims to have inside sources, said Cisco aims to sell a server combining hardware and virtualization software from Cisco and VMWare Inc.

Speculation on Cisco’s move into the server market has been going on for several months. Many experts agree that this is a logical extension for a company that has a dominate market share in other network products like switches and routers. One interesting thing to watch is how long time allies like HP and IBM will feel about Cisco competing with them in the server market.

Virtualization technology offer business tremendous benefits and a networking company like Cisco see an opportunity to produce a new, potentially disruptive class of hardware and software management systems that span an entire data center. With businesses looking to manage their data centers as a single entity rather than separate units, Cisco’s entrance in the server market could make them the core supplier of data center technologies (Cisco has a minority stake in VMWare – the leading supplier of virtualization software. Read More…

Posted under Data Center Virtualization, Server Virtualization, Virtualization News, Virtualization Products / Reviews

EMC to offer strategy, design, implementation services to help customers accelerate the business benefits of virtualization.

EMC Corporation announced this week that it is now a gold-level VMware Authorized Consultant, strengthening its global alliance with VMware. For decades EMC has been a leader in information infrastructure solutions, and this move enables them to better serve enterprise customers around the world via the benefits they can realize by virtualizing their information infrastructures and data centers.

Customers recognize the VMware platform as a well suited environment for information infrastructures and choose EMC’s industry-leading technology because of the breadth of our VMware-integrated products and features.

“EMC’s deep knowledge of enterprise infrastructure, combined with our longstanding engineering relationships with tier-one application vendors and our broad product portfolio of VMware-integrated products make it possible for EMC to deliver high-value services that enable our customers to get to the next level within their VMware adoption curve,” said Howard Elias, EMC’s President, EMC Global Services & Resource Management Software Group. “As a VAC, EMC will be able to actively address all of the requests we receive from our enterprise customers who seek to leverage virtualization technology throughout their information infrastructure to reduce infrastructure and operational costs and gain business agility.”

Read More…

Posted under Data Center Virtualization, Storage Virtualization, Virtualization News