Articles

SGI® Origin® 400ChosentoResearch Security of Virtual Machines and Virtualization Interoperability

26 May 2011

One SGI® customer is expanding its efforts to understand the security implications and inter- operability in the area of virtualization. Virtualization allows computer systems, with powerful multi-core processors, such as the Intel® Xeon® processor, and large memory capacity, to be used more efficiently.

Efficiency Gains with 480V/277V Power at the Cabinet Level

25 May 2011

In February 2009, the Data Center Pulse Group, along with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, began calling for new data center implementations in North America to incorporate support for a 480V/277V power distribution topology.1 They implored the makers of power supplies and servers to begin extending the operating range of their gear from a high end of 240V to a 277V nominal input. The driving impetus for recommending 277V power to the rack was two-fold – improved efficiencies and lower costs.

Business Continuity – You Need More Than Just a Plan

25 May 2011

You need to make sure your business is already prepared for anything

Stop for a moment and take a look around you – IT isn’t just the computer on your desk, the lap top in your bag or the mobile in your pocket. The truth is it’s controlling who is and isn’t entering your building- virtually and physically, how and where your customers are being dealt with, it’s driving your production line and it even has a part to play in how your coffee is produced. IT is no longer confined to a small back office, possibly in the basement, staffed with geeks all speaking their own language. IT keeps you open for business, but if you’re not careful it can close you down for good.

Market Overview: Private Cloud Solutions, Q2 2011

25 May 2011

Over the past year, client inquiry questions have evolved from “What is cloud?” to “What vendors should I consider?” This market overview examines the landscape of vendors providing solutions designed to accelerate the implementation of an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) cloud in a customer’s data center. Several standard criteria and a selection of differentiating factors are examined. All the solutions evaluated provide the core IaaS functions: self-service, standardization, automation, and pay-per-use. In this market we found five solution types emerging: 1) enterprise systems management vendors; 2) OS/hypervisor vendors; 3) converged infrastructure solutions; 4) pure-play cloud solutions; and 5) grid-derived solutions. Each brings the core IaaS features as well as unique differentiating value.

IlliniCloud - Case Study

20 May 2011

IlliniCloud is a non-profit cooperative that hosts applications for school administration, facilities management, student performance tracking, multimedia, and library management for K–12 school districts throughout Illinois. To optimize the delivery of these services through its private cloud and to help member districts manage annual data growth of up to 300 percent, IlliniCloud chose F5® BIG-IP® Application Delivery Controllers and ARX® intelligent storage virtualization products.

IBM iDataplex and BLADE Network Technologies RackSwitch Fill King's College London's Need for Speed

19 May 2011

King’s College London medical researchers, who specialize in the field of genetics, strive to better understand the causes of a range of serious health issues, including skin disease, diabetes and cancer. Such research depends heavily on its new IBM iDataplex HPC system with IBM BNT RackSwitch G8124 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches for maximizing compute processing power to deliver data analysis in the fastest possible time.

The CEO and his Elusive Token

12 May 2011

A tale of inadequacy, woe and career destruction – or is it?

Based on a real life story as told by Steve Watts, Co-founder of SecurEnvoy

Let me tell you a story. It has everything a gripping tale needs - conflict, a power struggle and a gripping climax. Best of all, it’s loosely based on true accounts – could this be your story?

Paul Brown is CEO of a FTSE 100 retailer. It’s summer and he’s jetting off with his family for three weeks on Safari in Kenya. He’s done his research and the reserve he’s travelling to offers wi-fi access, his mobile is unlocked and set to roam wherever he does, and IT has been exceptional in making sure he knows all the passwords, processes, and exactly how to input the authentication codes that will grant him access to the network remotely. He’s even been shown how to use another computer, not owned by the company, to open the bowels of the network in case his own develops a problem. His secretary has his full itinerary, contact details and the mobile number of his dedicated guide. 

Cost Benefits of Server Virtualization

09 May 2011

Server virtualization and clustered storage have much more in common than what is easily apparent. In fact, it can be argued that the next generation IT data center will leverage the symbiotic relation ship between the two technologies to reduce costs, increase control and eliminate needless com plexities.

United Biscuits gets a flavour for flexible IT with NetApp

03 May 2011

The challenge

To find a storage solution that would support an increasingly virtualised environment, and provide simultaneous backup and instant fail-over. 

The solution

A V3140 central appliance, incorporating United Biscuits’ existing SAN, to provide increased centralised storage resources across the organisation. A fully-mirrored FAS3140 will be located at a second site to provide full backup and ensure business continuity in the event of disaster.

Benefits

• Integration of existing IBM SAN into the feature-rich NetApp environment through V-series controller
• Full disaster recovery and business continuity will be provided through the installation of a second NetApp appliance
• Additional storage capacity immediately available to meet the needs of a desktop virtualisation roll-out across the organisation
• Reduced costs, increased capacity, and greater functionality and flexibility within storage service

Cyber-Crime and the State: Defining Advanced Persistent Threats (APT)

03 May 2011

The Rise of APT

The industrialization of hacking is today the number one cyber-threat to most organizations and according to one estimate, it’s an industry which rolls $1 trillion annually. Not surprisingly, hackers are focused on optimizing their activity to increase revenue, while automating their processes in order to decrease costs.