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Arthur Cole

Infrastructure

Data center and networking architecture to keep your data safe and moving

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June 30, 2008

Software Puts Virtual Environments on the Cloud

Virtualization firm Q-layer says it has devised a way for enterprises to convert virtual server environments into full-blown cloud computing platforms suitable for provisioning data center assets ove... More >

Walking Through a Data Migration

I know the sound of it makes you cringe and your blood run cold, but data migration is the IT equivalent of cleaning out the garage: The longer you put it off, the bigger job it is.   But like... More >

June 27, 2008

Brocade Launches 8G HBAs; Downplays FCoE

Brocade took its HBA technology up to 8 Gbps this week and is already talking about 10 Gbps Fibre Channel models, but when it comes to running Fibre Channel under the Ethernet protocol, the company i... More >

Reviews Are in: Hyper-V Is a Hit, Sort of

Yesterday's headlines were all about Microsoft's release of the Hyper-V virtualization software , so it's inevitable that today we see the rush of reviews.   And on the whole, they're not bad. ... More >

June 26, 2008

Cloud vs. Enterprise: Who Needs Who More?

Cloud computing offers many advantages over today's siloed infrastructure, but let's face it -- getting from here to there won't be easy.   It's not so much technical hurdles that stand in the w... More >

Disk Drives Costing More Green

Enterprises looking to cut down on power and cooling costs might want to shift their eyes from the server rack to the storage array.   The latest figures from IDC indicate worldwide expenditures... More >

June 25, 2008

NAS Joins the Cloud

A novel new use of cloud technology comes from a company called Nirvanix, which has beta'd new software that turns a standard 1 RU server into a multi-petabyte NAS device using the company's Storage ... More >

New Thinking in Disaster Recovery

There's nothing like a disaster to get people thinking about, well, disaster. If there can be any positive spin put on the Midwest flooding and Southwest wildfires, it's that they at least get the to... More >

Hitachi Powers Up the BladeSymphony

Hitachi is putting Intel's new Itaniums to good use, bumping up the processing power of its BladeSymphony server line some 25 percent and providing a more robust platform for the Virtage embedded vir... More >

Cisco Boosts Application Availability

Cisco Systems is pushing virtualization deeper into its Data Center 3.0 portfolio, adding both local and wide-area technologies aimed at improving application availability across the enterprise. &nbs... More >

June 23, 2008

New Appliance Centralizes Remote Management

One of the limiting factors of distributed networks is the difficulty in centralizing management and control, forcing enterprises to maintain local point solutions to ensure operational efficiency. B... More >

So Far, So Green

Everybody's talking about the green data center, but the fact is that few are actually doing it. This is no surprise, considering we're talking about revamping infrastructures and design concepts tha... More >

June 20, 2008

3Leaf Taps HP c-CLass

The HP train keeps on rolling. Following a string of enhancements and third-party integrations for HP's various hardware platforms , word is out that 3Leaf Systems has completed interoperability tes... More >

Capacity Planning for the Newly Virtual

In the pre-virtualization era, wondering whether you had enough capacity to handle the day's workload was inconceivable. If your workstations were connected to their own servers, then of course there... More >

June 19, 2008

Shoring Up Ethernet Weaknesses

However much the Infiniband crowd talks up their platform as the foundation for the unified fabric , the fact is that the vast majority of enterprises are deeply invested in Ethernet and is likely t... More >

EMC Said to Eye SSDs for CLARiiON

Word on the street has it that EMC is getting ready to add a solid-state tier to its CLARiiON drive array , a move that would continue the company's recent deployment of flash technology across its ... More >

June 18, 2008

More Virtualization for PCIe

Virtualization over the PCI bus is gaining more adherents now that new standards are in place to widen the traffic lanes in one of the last pieces of network real estate subject to bottlenecks in a... More >

HP Boosts Server Capabilities

Now that HP has emerged as top dog in the server market, the company is aggressively adding to its arsenal in a bid to hold onto that leadership position over arch-rival IBM.   The company's s... More >

June 17, 2008

Parallels Launches XServe Virtualization

Following up on yesterday's post about Apple in the enterprise, Parallels unveiled its Parallels Server for Mac this week in a bid to increase virtualization capabilities across Intel-based syste... More >

Infiniband Primed for the Fabric

With all the talk about unified fabrics and high-speed "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" networks, the Infiniband community says it is ready to step up to the plate.   But the group is walking a... More >

June 16, 2008

Virtual PCIe Debuts

Developers are wasting no time in getting the new virtual flavor of PCI Express out the door, opening up one of the last bottlenecks between hardware and software as the enterprise goes increasingly ... More >

Seeding the Enterprise with Apples

If the latest surveys are any guide, you'll soon be hard-pressed to find an enterprise that hasn't incorporated the Macintosh and OS X into their environments. But while that may be good news for App... More >

June 13, 2008

ATTO Links Apple to IBM Virtual SANs

Mac users will be pleased to know that there is a way they can take advantage of new storage virtualization systems from IBM.   Apple networking specialist ATTO has added a set of specialized d... More >

Thinning out Your Storage

It's almost a given that storage virtualization will involve some form of thin provisioning technology to make the most efficient use of available resources. Still up in the air, though, is which of ... More >

June 12, 2008

You Can't Crash into a Cloud

The cloud is coming, whether you like it or not. The cloud is coming because the major players in the IT industry want it. The cloud is coming and it will radically alter the enterprise infrastructur... More >

Automating SAN Migration

I thought I'd direct your eyes today to a new SAN migration platform from a young firm called Incipient.   The company has come out with the Automated Data Migration software stack designed to... More >

June 11, 2008

NetApp Steps on the Gas

NetApp doesn't want to be left behind in the high-speed networking world.   The company is bumping up its line of FAS appliances with improved I/O and cache performance, along with a new set o... More >

Rivals to Take on VMware Storage

When you've been king of the hill for a while, it shouldn't come as any surprise when the other players try to knock you down. That's what VMware is experiencing as it tries to hold onto its position... More >

June 10, 2008

RDMA: Tiny Interface Produces Big Gains

Amid all the talk of enterprise fabrics, cloud computing, WAN optimization and other tricks to get data from here to there and back again, few people outside networking circles have noticed the incre... More >

SGI Enters the Warehousing Fray

SGI continues its transformation from 3-D graphics vendor to HPC platform provider with its new Adaptive Data Warehouse solution , which the company has designed for the Oracle Optimized Warehouse I... More >

June 9, 2008

Mellanox Debuts 40G Infiniband

Mellanox released the first 40 Gbps Infiniband switch today, a move that could propel the server interconnect technology to the forefront of the unified fabric movement.   The company's Infini... More >

Data Compression and the Environment

A lot has been made of data compression in recent months, both as a means to reduce storage footprints and to introduce greater efficiencies for wide-area data networking.   But while compressio... More >

June 6, 2008

Networking the Mid-Sized Enterprise

I found an interesting article here by Stephen Garrison on TopTech News dealing with the enterprise networking needs of mid-sized companies.   His take is that switch performance is never so... More >

How to Approach Implementing Virtual Technology

If the latest research is correct, only about a quarter of worldwide data centers have embarked on some sort of virtualization strategy. That leaves the vast majority of you either still pondering th... More >

June 5, 2008

The Line Between Grids and Clouds

Grids are not clouds and clouds are not grids, although most clouds reside on some form of grid infrastructure. That's that standard explanation you hear from vendors trying to convince you of the me... More >

A New OS X Already?

Rumors are swirling the Apple will use next week's Worldwide Developers Conference to tout more than the new version of the iPhone. Word on the street is that a major upgrade to OS X is in the work... More >

Brocade Gives Mainframes Global Reach

Centralizing datacenter operations does wonders for the bottom line, but it can lead to logistical problems for enterprises operating over the wide area.   Application acceleration technology ha... More >

June 4, 2008

SSDs in the Enterprise

Sometimes, the speed at which new technologies burst onto the enterprise scene is enough to give you whiplash. Virtualization is a case in point, going from a relatively obscure mainframe technology ... More >

The Growing IT Divide

What are the dominant trends in enterprise infrastructures these days? Everyone's got an opinion, but I found the ones expressed in this article in Australian IT News to be rather insightful.  ... More >

June 3, 2008

PoE and the Green Enterprise

The enterprise networking community is caught in a bind. Like many sectors of the modern economy, it finds itself having to serve two masters: increased performance and productivity on the one hand, ... More >

June 2, 2008

Oracle Looks to Boost Industrial Connection

Following up on last week's post on the strengthening ties between enterprise and industrial Ethernets, ILS Technology has announced that its deviceWISE 2.0 software is now compatible with Oracle's ... More >

The Many Faces of Virtual Management

What's the toughest thing about managing virtual infrastructure? It seems that depends on the kind of management you have in mind.   I came across this insightful article by Denise Dubie on P... More >

Better Networking Through Software

When it comes to the movement of data around the enterprise, the focus is usually on the hardware systems within the infrastructure (routers, switches, HBAs) or the protocols they use.   But Dat... More >

The Archival Conundrum

When it comes to data archiving, the typical enterprise is caught in a classic squeeze play. One the one hand, there is the need to increase both search and retention capabilities for discovery and c... More >

Information Management

Tools, tips and solutions to help you manage your data more efficiently to tackle today's challenging economic environment.

Data Loss Protection

Data-loss prevention tactics, technologies and best practices to protect your sensitive and valuable company data.

Security Information and Event Management

Best practices, strategies and technologies to help you use security information and event log management efficiently and effectively in order to get business value in terms of increased security, reduced risk, regulatory compliance and increased business agility.

Cost Cutting through Server Consolidation

Products, management tools, and industry insights that enhance the value of virtualization for your business.