Free White Papers

• Top 3 Virtualization Backup Methods

  Which is the best method for virtual backup? What are the pros and cons of the three most popular methods? How should IT professionals choose which way to go? Find out in this technical white paper.

• Integrating Single Sign-on Across the Cloud

  We all know about Single Sign-on for traditional and on-premises applications. But across the cloud? Well, that’s a different story altogether. Discover more about it in this comprehensive white paper.

• Taneja Group: Making the Virtual Infrastructure Non-Stop

  In a virtualized infrastructure, there’s nothing more important than application availability. In this research paper, find out not only how to achieve high availability but how to do it efficiently. Read more.

• Taneja Group: Are Your Critical Business Services Protected?

  It’s possible now to ensure application availability that is far greater than even a few years ago, but the process for doing that is also more complex than ever before. In this research report, find out how to develop an effective IT business continuity plan. Read on.

• IDC Opinion: Symantec Optimizes Veritas Cluster Server for use in VMware Environments

  Last year, Symantec and VMware announced that Symantec would optimize VCS software for vSphere. Here, the independent experts at IDC give their take on what has happened since. Learn more.

• Top Five Mistakes in Consolidating and Virtualizing the Data Center

  As data center demand increases, your network infrastructure can grow more complex—and costly. In this Cisco article, you’ll learn how to avoid the top five mistakes made when consolidating and virtualizing the data center and how to address them. Read on.

• Changing the Economics of IT Productivity

  Increase ROI and improve productivity. See how the Cisco Unified Data Center can help you achieve these two goals by simplifying, standardizing, and automating IT processes, so you can turn your data center into an innovation center. Learn more.

• The Advantages of a Private Cloud Deployment

  Before you begin your cloud journey, learn the barriers to successful deployment. In this Cisco CIO™ white paper, get the breakdown of a 2012 IDG Research Survey that compares private, public, and hybrid clouds. Read on.

• Don’t Get Stuck on your Virtualization Journey: Where to Focus Next

  You've virtualized a significant number of server workloads and have likely experienced signficant cost savings and performance improvements so, what's next? Read this white paper to identify which phase of virtualization you are in and where you should be headed to reap even more business benefits with expansion of your virtual environment. Read more

• Cloud Security Myths and Strategies Uncovered

  Forward-thinking CSOs are embracing the right security strategy and exercising appropriate caution without dampening cloud optimism. By overcoming the number one perceived challenge—security—CIOs can move beyond their fears to pursue their IT transformation to cloud computing. Learn more.

• Beyond Cost Savings: Four Compelling Reasons To Virtualize Your IT Environment

  Cost savings is a well-known benefit of virtualization, but what else can be gained from a shift to a virtualized IT environment? Find out how other results of virtualization, such as improved business continuity and simplified IT management, can also have significant effects, as told by VMware® customers in this white paper. Read more.

• Gartner - Magic Quadrant for x86 Server Virtualization Infrastructure

  Server virtualization offers immediate ROI and serves as a strategic foundation for infrastructure modernization. This Gartner paper offers insight into what you should consider when evaluating virtualization technology as well as the strengths and weaknesses of top solutions for virtualizing x86 server hardware or OSs. Read on.

• How Virtualization is Key to Managing Risk

  Read this eBook to learn how VMware® virtualization solutions can help prepare your systems for a disaster and protect your data if one does strike. Read more.

• Top 10 Considerations for Getting Started with Virtualization

  Moving your workloads from physical servers to a virtualized environment can help your business drive down costs, increase IT efficiencies and improve application availability but it's important to carefully plan the transition to virtualization in order to avoid any complications. Read these considerations as you plan your move to virtualization to ensure a smooth transition and a successful project. Learn more.

• An Executive’s Guide to Remote Desktop Monitoring Strategies In the Teleworking Era

  Many organizations use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to facilitate employee telework. Attempting to monitor and report on RDS activity is challenging, and requires a third party solution. Read on.

• Delivering Virtual Desktop Infrastructure with a Joint F5-Microsoft Solution

  In many cases new software and engineering costs associated with VDI offset expected savings to increase TCO, and the complexity of the infrastructure. Microsoft and F5 are working together to simplify the approach to VDI with a platform based on Windows Server 2012. Learn more.

• Comparative Performance Report

  In the most recent ‘Gartner Magic Quadrant’ report published in November of 2012 F5 BIG-IP was named the #1 ADC and the best solution for VDI and complex deployments. For six years, F5 has published the industry’s most accurate performance testing report. This report shows the results of rigorous Application Delivery Controller (ADC) testing comparing F5® BIG-IP® to solutions from Cisco, Juniper and Citrix, with F5 demonstrating significant performance advantages. Learn more.

• F5 Enhancing VMware View with F5 Solutions

  IT departments are challenged to ensure high performing, reliable access to virtual desktops as concurrent desktop connections increase, and end users demand flexibility, multiple access options, and desktop customization. With F5, VMware delivers on the promise of flexible, fast, easy, and always available virtual desktops. Learn more.

• Adaptable and Resilient VDI Deployments

  VDI deployment is a worthy undertaking for lightening the desktop footprint, centralizing application administration, and covering licensing concerns. But it is a complex system that increases the network burden, and can require configuration efforts beyond normal workloads. Read this paper for important factors you should consider when planning to implement or improve upon a virtual desktop infrastructure. Read on.

• Guarantee Delivery and Reliability of Xen App and Xen Desktop

  As Cloud, VDI, and BYOD converge upon IT, it can be challenging to meet performance and security expectations. Citrix XenDesktop and Citrix XenApp,—coupled with F5 ADCs—enable you to meet business objectives while streamlining IT and creating a flexible foundation that adapts to new clients and devices immediately. Learn more.

• Integrated Data Protection for VMware Infrastructure

  The ease of use and efficiency of virtualization is creating data protection challenges in today’s IT infrastructures. Learn how HP Data Protector, an enterprise-class data protection solution, helps organizations meet these challenges. Learn more.

• Guide to Virtual Server Protection

  Managing the growth of virtual server environments are changing the backup and recovery operations for many organizations. Learn more in this white paper.

• Top 10 Reasons Federated Deduplication Is the Right Data Protection Strategy

  The non-stop growth in variety, velocity, and volume of business critical information challenges IT organizations to efficiency protect this growing data. Read this white paper to learn the top 10 reasons federated deduplication is the right data protection for your organization.

• 7 Stages of IT Monitoring Grief

  Download this eBook to find out where you are in the 7 Stages of IT Monitoring Grief and how you can put a stop to the endless cycle of the IT monitoring challenge. Learn more.

• 8 Reasons Application Developers & Customers May Fight Converged Infrastructure

  Download this ebook to understand why IT professionals resist converged infrastructure and want to keep their siloed infrastructure. Then arm yourself with the suggested solutions.

• Service Level Monitoring with Cisco UCS and Zenoss

  In this white paper discover how you can achieve service-level monitoring using Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) and Zenoss. Read on.

• Blueprint for Delivering IT-as-a-Service: 9 Steps for Success

  Download this white paper to learn tips and tricks on how to effectively deliver IT-as-a-Service in today’s ever-evolving technical environment. Learn more.

• Monitoring IT Business Services: How Too Many Tools Can Impact Your IT Operation Efficiency

  Forrester finds that using too many IT monitoring tools is causing operational inefficiency. Download the white paper to learn how to fix issues faster and lower your operating expenses.

• The Software-Defined Data Center and the New Hitachi Unified Compute Platform

  Forget the data center you have now. It’s a relic. The data center of the future is the software defined data center. What is it? How does it work? Find out in this white paper.

• The New Business Economics of Desktop Virtualization

  The new, multi-device world of work has transformed organizations, and IT professionals have to keep up with the trend. The best way to do that is by implementing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). Find out here how and why VDI works.

• 5 Best Practices for VMware Admins: Microsoft Exchange on VMware

  Administrators often avoid virtualizing Exchange because they are concerned about the impact. The good news is that even the largest Exchange environments can be safely and easily virtualized. Learn more.

• What to Look for in a Data Protection Solution for Virtual Environments

  Data isn’t really worth much unless it’s protected, and nowhere is data protection more important than in a virtual environment. In this paper, discover which characteristics to look for in data protection tools.

• Agent and Agentless Virtual Machine Backup and Recovery: Unraveling the Myths

  Agent or no agent? The options for backup are myriad and diverse, and platform vendors are always seeking to push customers toward certain options. Get straight talk on VM backup and recovery.

• vCPU Sizing Considerations

  The number of vCPUs is one of the most important considerations when sizing virtual machines. But getting the right balance — neither over-allocating nor under-allocating is a challenge. This white paper offers the guidance you need to get vCPU sizing right. Learn more.

• Best Practices for Oversubscription of CPU, Memory and Storage in vSphere Virtual Environments

  This paper by Virtualization Evangelist, Scott D. Lowe, discusses what oversubscription is and why it is used, explores the pros and cons, and proposes some ideas about the point at which oversubscription becomes dangerous.

• Maximizing Virtual Machine Performance

  This technical white paper provides an introduction to VM performance turning, aimed to help you maximize performance in your virtual environment. Read on.

• Top 20 VMware Performance Metrics You Should Care About

  Virtualization introduces new challenges for managing the data center. Applications now compete for shared, dynamic infrastructure resources such as storage, CPU cycles and memory. This creates a complex resource allocation problem that only worsens as more virtual machines are added, causing performance bottlenecks, poor ROI and unhappy customers. Read on.

• Mythbusting Goes Virtual: Debunking Four Common vSphere "Truths"

  VMware's products have become the stuff of legend, with myths from the days of old guiding the actions of today's most experienced administrators. Like many myths, a few great lies are given credence because of a small nugget of truth that lies within. Discover the full truth behind four such myths and learn how they may impact your virtual enviroment.

• The Ins and Outs of IOPS as a Measure of Storage Performance

  In filling the need for better metrics on storage performance, IOPS has become a commonplace term in determining shared storage capabilities. Learn the benefits and pitfalls of focusing on IOPS, and how storage I/O is an often over-simplified topic.

• Cisco Domain Ten eBook

  To transform your data center to the cloud, you need a holistic framework: the Cisco Domain TenSM. In this comprehensive guide, we lay out the roadmap for a successful transition so you can identify and achieve your business goals. Learn more

• Symantec NetBackup Appliances: Key Factors in Modernizing Backup and Recovery

  Which is more effective for protecting data, a software-only approach or a purpose-built appliance? Discover the answer and the details behind it in this white paper.

• Why You Need Virtualization Aware Storage

  Is your storage virtualization aware? If not, find out why virtualization aware storage is so important in the datacenter in this new white paper by vExpert, David Davis. Read more.

• ESG Lab Review: Veeam Backup & Replication – Built for Virtualization

  Download the Veeam Backup & Replication March 2013 ESG Lab Review to learn how Veeam addresses today’s IT challenges such as exploding data volumes, shrinking backup windows and more stringent RPOs and RTOs.

• 5 Fundamentals of Modern Data Protection

  Legacy backup is costly, inefficient, and can force IT administrators to make risky compromises that impact critical business applications, data and resources. Read this white paper to learn how Modern Data Protection capitalizes on the inherent benefits of virtualization. Read on.

• 2013 Annual Virtualization Data Protection Report

  This independent survey of 500 CIOs conducted in November 2012 across USA and Europe found that enterprises are still not experiencing the full benefits that virtualization offers and the advances modern data protection tools can provide. Learn more.

• 10 Essential Domains for Moving to Private Cloud

  Ready to move to a private cloud? Starting with a look at infrastructure and virtualization through process and governance, learn the ten essential domains you need to know to get started with this journey.

• Adopting a Service-Centric Approach to Backup & Recovery

  What’s driving the need to move beyond traditional backup and recovery and adopting a services-centric view? Find out in this white paper focusing on protecting mission-critical applications and databases.

• Enabling Tomorrow’s Workforce Today: A Focus on Mobile Devices

  This paper takes a closer look at some of the challenges that mobile devices present to the workforce today — and how IT managers can learn from these to plan for a more empowered and productive workplace tomorrow.

• The Cloud Advantage: Five Ways the Cloud Is Better for Business When Disaster Strikes

  Learn the advantages of data recovery when using the cloud.

• Beyond Technology: Backup and Recovery Best Practices

  Learn about expert techniques used to run a successful backup and recovery program: assigning ownership, managing expectations, preparing for audits, and building redundancy into the team.

• Business Case for Desktop Virtualization: Information Guide

  The single O/S and device per user is a model of the past. IT must protect data security and control user access to data, while managing the range of applications and devices for all users. This guide will help identify the business and technical benefits of virtualizing the desktop environment.

• Tech Target - Desktop Virtualization Takeaway Guide

  If your organization is like most enterprises, you are either deploying or considering desktop virtualization. With good reason: Desktop virtualization has the potential to save costs, simplify complex software migrations, improve security, enhance compliance management and enable business agility. Read on.

• Tracking Productivity: How Moving to the Cloud Drives IT Success

  Research shows companies that embrace the cloud are more productive, efficient and successful than those who don’t. Get the facts you need to make the move to the cloud and experience greater employee productivity and IT success with this paper.

• Designing Storage for VMware and Hyper-V Backups

  One of the key requirements of a virtualized environment is how well it can be protected. VMware and Hyper-V specific backup applications like Veeam provide efficient backups and 100% data protection. A challenge remains, however, in selecting the backup storage for these environments. Read on.

• The Enterprise Tablet: Keys to Ensuring Productivity and Security

  Read this white paper to learn how to incorporate tablets into a device strategy and deploy tablets securely and with ease.

• Cloud-Connected Means Faster Backup, More Reliable Recovery

  This white paper explores how cloud-connected backup and recovery offerings are helping customers thrive in today’s rapidly evolving data protection environment.

• Securing MySQL Databases

  Every database contains valuable information. Hackers remain as determined as ever in their efforts to cash in on this treasure. Equally concerning is the rising tide of employee-related abuses. Insider risks run the full spectrum of careless administrators to criminal privileged users who abuse their role and skirt security parameters. Learn more and read on.

• Top Five Reasons to Deploy a Dedicated Database Security Solution

  In this white paper learn how protecting the valuable and confidential information stored within databases is vital for maintaining the integrity and reputation of organizations everywhere, and for ensuring regulatory compliance. Learn more.

• Database Security in Virtualization and Cloud Computing Environments

  Since virtualization is now in use by nearly all it’s time to ask whether we need to update our IT security methodologies. Read this white paper now and learn what you can do!

• From Silicon to the Data: A Multi-Point Approach for Protecting Cloud Environments

  Cloud platforms offer a wide range of benefits to organizations, but there’s a reluctance to fully embrace them due to the complexity of protecting them from malware. Read on to discover what you can do.

• A Practical Guide to Database Security

  Why is database security so important? A serious data breach boils down to monetary damage in many forms including business disruption, bad publicity, stiff fines for noncompliance, and undermined customer confidence. Data security in general and database security in particular are a crucial part of any company’s overall corporate health. Learn more and read on.

• Simulated Test Environments for Development and QA

  Developers and testers often need anytime/anywhere access to dependent systems that cannot feasibly be virtualized (e.g., mainframes, 3rd-party systems). Learn how service virtualization’s simulated test environments close this gap. Learn more.

• The Total Economic Impact™ of Desktop Virtualization Based on Cisco VXI

  Forrester interviewed four existing Cisco customers and found that a composite company experienced a risk-adjusted ROI of 72% with desktop virtualization based on VXI. Learn about the potential costs, benefits, and total economic impact. Read on.

• Next-Generation Workspace Will Revolve Around Mobility and Virtualization

  How will you meet the needs of a mobile workforce? Discover approaches to BYOD and desktop virtualization in this research report from Forrester Consulting. Read more.

• Data Protection Solutions Get a Data Management and Recovery Solution to Support Them

  This DCIG analyst report explores how you can overcome new data management and recovery challenges stemming from varying data backup solutions, different backup policies and lack of consistent means to perform recovery. Learn more.

• Analyst Report: Breaking The Backup Single Pane of Glass

  Data protection must evolve from backing up data and recovering it to meeting service level agreements (SLAs) that minimize risk. Learn more in this report from analyst firm, Storage Switzerland. Read on.

• The Expert Guide to VMware Data Protection

  Virtualization is the most disruptive technology of the decade. Virtualization-enabled data protection and disaster recovery is especially disruptive because it allows IT to do things dramatically better at a fraction of the cost of what it would be in a physical data center. Learn more.

• Preparing for Server 2012 Hyper-V: Seven Questions to Ask Now

  Windows Server 2012 represents a paradigm shift from the traditional client/server model to a new cloud-based infrastructure. Is your business ready? Download this whitepaper to learn the 7 key questions you need to answer now. Read more.

• New! Backup Policies Defined for VMware VMs

  In this Backup Academy paper we will consider some aspects of backup retention, especially how virtualization has changed our data profile. Learn more.

• Planning Considerations for Disk-based VM Backup

  While tape backup has its limitations, backing up data to a disk can result in numerous performance and recovery benefits. To get the most out of recent backup technology, it’s important for you to follow a few best practices, understand the technology and apply considerations when deploying the solution. Learn more.

• 5 Ways Your VMware and Hyper-V Backups May Fail You

  There′s more to protecting the virtual machines in your VMware or Hyper-V environment than HA. This NEW white paper explains common pitfalls of current backup strategies and what you can do to protect your VMs the right way. Read more.

• Gartner CommVault Newsletter: Does Integrated Backup and Archiving Make Sense

  This white paper reveals the latest research from Gartner on integrated backup and archive and discusses a strategy for tackling the Big Data problem with a converged approach to backup, archive and reporting. Read now.

• Gartner: Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup/Recovery Software

  Download the 2012 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup/ Recovery Software see how the vendors in the market are evaluated. Try now!

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