And to think that Redmond makes fun of VMware for acquiring their expertise via the M&A process.
What's wrong with snapping up otherwise hard-to-find expertise by buying an up-and-coming company from time to time? Beats trying to develop everything internally. Which is no doubt what Microsoft was thinking when they bought Baltimore-based AVIcode, a previously private firm known for its .NET application monitoring capabilities.
Brad Anderson, Microsoft corporate VP, Management and Services Division, writes in his blog that Redmond's move to SaaS and PaaS (via Windows Azure) has challenged the company to extend its monitoring capabilities to do three key tasks: "Enable an understanding of how end users experience an application's performance and quality, trace the performance of critical business transactions, and gain insight into the relationship of the hardware and the software components of a distributed application or service."
Enter AVIcode. Anderson says AVIcode solutions include all those monitoring metrics, and they are all integrated with System Center Operations Manager. In fact, he adds, Microsoft has been deploying AVIcode with Operations Manager in its far-flung data centers on services such as XBOX for many years.
"Bringing together the capabilities of Operations Manager with the enhancements from AVIcode enables organizations to truly get the 360-degree view of their service--independent of where the service is hosted, whether a datacenter/cloud, in a partner's hosted datacenter/cloud, or from a public cloud solution such as Windows Azure," Anderson says.
Posted by Bruce Hoard on 10/06/20102 comments
Mike Prepelica, director of IT at Chicago-based distributor Revere Electric, was able to solve two problems with RingCube's vDesk software. First, he was able to create virtual desktops on the computers of employees who were sick, or otherwise unable to physically appear at work. Second, since Revere Electric does not supply its sales force with computers, the company was able to provision those employee-owned computers either in person or via the network in 30 minutes instead of the two to three days it used to take.
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Posted by Bruce Hoard on 10/04/20100 comments
Mindful of its Microsoft System Center competition, VMware introduced vCenter Configuration Manager (vCM) 5.3, which automates configuration across virtual and physical servers and desktops. The new version enables enterprises to maintain continuous compliance by locating changes and comparing them to security and configuration policies such as PCI DSS. It also "remediates problems and automates and optimizes server provisioning for complete virtualized datacenter control." vCenter Configuration Manager was part of the Ionix products VMware acquired a few months back.
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Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/29/20106 comments
There's bad news on the data protection front.
Unless you're the hard-working people at Veeam, and you have a plan.
Which, of course, they do, but they're too modest to release it just yet, lest they spoil the experience of people who want to read their new bad news survey, aka their first annual report on the impact of virtualization on data protection strategies.
This independent survey of 500 IT directors conducted by the survey firm, Vanson Bourne, reveals several depressing facts (and I quote from the press release):
- Recovery of a backed-up VM takes nearly five hours.
- 47% of such full server recoveries are performed to recover a single file or application item.
- Nearly two-thirds (63%) or organizations experience problems every month when attempting to recover a server.
- Failed recoveries cost the average enterprise more than $400,000 every year.
- Only 2% of all server and VM backups are tested for recoverability each year.
- 63% of enterprises experience problems every month when attempting to recover a server.
- Testing recoverability of a single backup takes IT teams approximately 13 hours.
- A lack of human resources is the top reason (61%) why IT departments do not test the recoverability of more backups.
Reaction: Who's the guy in your company who has to tell the CEO that you blew through $400,000 last year on failed recoveries?
Imagine the scene: The company's top officers are all sitting around the burnished walnut table in the big room with the view. The CEO asks the CIO if he's been staying on plan for the fiscal year. The CIO attempts to clear his throat, but it's like there's a chicken bone in there. He coughs a couple of times in a vain attempt to expectorate.
Finally, he speaks:
"Uh yeah Roger, we've been right on our numbers with one minor exception."
"What's that, Rich?"
"Well, you remember all that neat data protection stuff you sprung for in this year's budget?
"Yes, as I recall Rich, you said that was going to save us beaucoup bucks."
"Right, Rog, that's what I said--and I meant it, I really did--but, uh, as you know, the IT environment is very complex, and we didn't really see just how complex it would become, and how, uh, well expensive it might get, you know?
"No Rich, I don't know. What are you getting at?"
"Well, Rog, one thing led to another and we ended up putting out four hundred grand on failed recoveries--but I can assure you that me and my guys are going to cap that gusher quicker than you can say memory overcommit."
At this point, all eyes are on Rich, who is perspiring heavily and yanking at his collar in an attempt to open his airway. His bald spot is glaringly reflecting the overhead lights, and his lack of pallor is alarming. He seems to be on the cusp of a severe, debilitating stroke.
You get the idea. Rich--who is currently mopping floors at his local Frosty Freeze--gets the idea. All those numbers in the Veeam report are really bad news.
The question is, what are you going to do about them?
Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/28/20104 comments
Andreas Rodriguez, CEO of Nasuni, which prides itself on making the cloud usable to business users, is very excited and animated about the debut of Nasuni Filer 2.0., which e calls "a virtual NAS appliance that provides secure in-network access to unlimited storage." The new version offers enhanced performance in Windows environments with full support for Hyper-V (a common destination for storage companies lately) and Azure, which Rodriguez likes a lot. There is also support for DFS namespaces and Windows Previous Versions. In addition, Rodriguez says 2.0 now supports private clouds and enables customers to provide their own "cloud credentials, increasing the flexibility of the product."
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Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/22/20106 comments
With 5,000 customers such as JPMorgan, Chase, Wachovia and ESPN around the world, AppSense definitely has a competitive leg up on the ever-growing number of vendors seeking to find a lucrative niche in the virtualization market they can call their own. AppSense hangs its hat on the concept of "user virtualization," which is designed to streamline multi-platform desktop deployments. It seeks to do this by eliminating expensive user management tools, enabling single-image application delivery and ensuring that users have the same experience at any desktop. All good stuff.
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Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/20/20101 comments
Virsto Software is growing up, but not without a certain amount of discomfort. Some customers are happier than others. Kudos and criticism go hand in hand. According to CEO Mark Davis, however, since the company launched last Februrary and made its flagship product Virsto 1 generally available in March, it has added "real paying customers" who like what they've seen, but want more--specifically in the realm of Microsoft's System Center suite.
Virsto responded to that demand by bulking up on its Microsoft offerings big time. Most notably, it joined the System Center Alliance, an online community to help technology partners work more easily with System Center products and create a strong partner ecosystem around them. A strong Microsoft ecosystem is a powerful thing--just ask VMware.
So now as a result of its work with the SC Alliance, the company's new release, Virsto One v1.2 (v1.1 slipped by under the covers without any fanfare) will offer advanced support for Microsoft datacenter and infrastructure solutions, including Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V R2 and System Center.
v1.2 also supports Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2010, Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 and Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). In addition, Virsto "complements the recently announced Hyper-V Dynamic Memory feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 service pack 1, which enables greater virtual machine density by optimizing available memory for servers and desktop virtualization deployments."
In other words, Virsto--which claims it can reduce VM storage consumption and triple I/O performance--has plopped itself down squarely in the up-and-coming sweet spot that is Hyper-V.
Davis certainly thinks it's up and coming, saying six months ago you couldn't find a Hyper-V installation, and now they're turning up everywhere. "A couple of years ago, VMware thought they would be in a monopoly forever," he notes. Regarding closer ties with Microsoft and the benefits of the SC Alliance, he adds, "We really do get help out of them. Perception does matter and the help we have gotten from Microsoft has helped legitimize us."
Next on the agenda: Working with customers, resellers and Citrix to help reduce the dampening effect expensive storage has on potential VDI customers.
Now available, Virsto One v1.2 is priced on a per-server socket basis. Hyper-V users may download a free 30-day evaluation from www/virsto.com/try
Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/15/20105 comments
On a role since the week before VMworld, Citrix is keeping a high profile by teaming up with Cisco to develop and deliver new desktop virtualization technology created to enhance the Holy Grail that is the desktop virtualization user experience.
The recipe is not complex: Combine XenDesktop with unified computing, sing hosannas to Flexcast and HDX, sprinkle in spices (no pun intended) such as "simpler, more scalable solutions," and the result is a highly palatable comfort meal that warms the hearts of desktop virtualization users who are looking for a nice protein load, but don't want to overdo.
Under the guise of "Accelerates Mainstream Adoption of Desktop Virtualization," this new combo offers both preconfigured service profiles that expedite set-up times, and preconfigured starter and expansion kits that speed up deployment times. Citrix and Cisco are also offering a reference design architecture that features NetApp storage.
Toward that end, Citrix and Cisco claim to be eliminating the storage bottleneck that has become so unpopular--and expensive--for many virtualization users who are looking to maximize their profitability while streamlining their operations. According to the two companies, "The Citrix UCS offers memory-extension technology that can deliver up to 60% greater virtual desktop density per server with no degradation in application performance when compared with other server platforms with standard memory configurations."
Citrix is wisely using this joint agreement to wave the flag of enhanced user experience, flog its high-definition HDX technology (customizable on a per-user basis), and tout the ability of its Flexcast technology to satisfy every user need.
Citrix is sweetening the pot by throwing in XenApp and its integration with Microsoft App-V, "making it easy for customers to deliver Windows apps as an on-demand service to any device, across any type of physical or virtual network."
It's a nice way for Cisco--which is looking to enhance its virtualization chops--to get involved with Citrix--a top-notch virtualization company that is well known for its openness to mutually beneficial business partnerships.
Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/13/20101 comments
Everybody knew VMware's ThinApp was not equal to Citrix XenApp, which has been the application virtualization gold standard forever, so at VMworld, VMware introduced ThinApp 4.6 to go along with its new View 4.5. In so doing, the company enhanced the value of both products, whether they be deployed in standalone mode, or as a package to compete against XenApp and XenDesktop.
The ThinApp update was clearly done with Windows 7 in mind, and VMware wants everyone to know that v4.6 is the best Win7 horse to ride, saying that it facilitates a speedy application migration path, while offering application compatibility, and reducing the management burden in virtual desktop environments.
ThinApp 4.6 supports virtualizing Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, which reportedly eases the challenge of virtualizing legacy IE6 applications for 32-bit and 64-bit Win7 desktops. v4.6 also includes integrated application assignment in VMware View Manager. According to VMware, "ThinApp packages can be assigned to individual desktops, or groups of desktops in VMware View Manager to allow for streamlined application deployment."
Two additional new features include ThinDirect and ThinApp Converter. ThinDirect enables users to seamlessly run IE6 on Win7 desktops in conjunction with "newer, natively installed" browser versions. Via its compatibility with vSphere, ESX and Workstation images, ThinApp Converter converts "silently installed" apps into ThinApp packages by using a command-line interface that automates application conversion and management.
Generally available now, the ThinApp suite--which contains the ThinApp Packager, one license of Workstation for Windows to create clean packages, and 50 client licenses--costs $5,000. ThinApp is also bundled in VMware View Premier for $250 per concurrent user.
Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/09/20104 comments
VMworld was a blur, starting on Monday--which I thought was going to be sort of a warm-up for Tuesday--and running through Thursday, when I frantically tried to squeeze in one more demo but was unable to hook up with my intended connection.
Before going any further, here are the vital statistics put out by the VMware show people. There were:
- Over 17,000 attendees, up an impressive 5,000 over the 2009 event (although it should be noted that no computer trade show in history has never been entirely honest about how many attendees were actually there)
- Over 15,000 labs completed
- Over 145,000 VMs deployed
- 102,000 sodas consumed
- 27,000 pastries consumed
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Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/07/20105 comments
VMworld Day 4: Netuitive--which announced at VMworld that it has completed an integration with Amazon EC2 (Elastic Cloud Computing) Services--is a very interesting and unique company that seems to be flying a bit under the radar even though its self learning performance management software is currently in use at seven of the top largest 10 banks in the country. Consider this: Using Netuitive's software, AT&T monitors over a million metrics simultaneously.
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Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/02/20103 comments
VMworld Day 3: New products of note have been released/shipped from Embotics, Spoon and Wanova.
Embotics took its place in the VMworld product parade with V-Commander 3.6, a management package created to optimize the growth of virtual environments while simultaneously building cloud foundations. Embotics says the new product gives organizations complete control of virtual environments without requiring them to expend the time, money and other resources usually associated with deploying enterprise virtualization management solutions.
Key V-Commander 3.6 components include self-service portal and scheduled reporting; capacity, configuration and performance management; realtime VM inventory and reporting; complete management and auditing; troubleshooting tools; and multi-hypervisor support, including Microsoft and VMware.
Spoon has made a big hit with its splashy, non-corporate marketing designs, and an even bigger hit with its nifty Spoon Server, which enables enterprises and software publishers to launch applications out of the box without unwieldy installs.
The company upped the ante by announcing the immediate availability of Spoon Virtual Application Studio 2011, which enables Spoon customers--ranging from Autodesk, Novell, and the U.S. Marine Corps--to virtualize their existing Windows-based apps "for instant, zero-install deployment in standalone executables, on private clouds or over the Web."
Spoon Virtual Application Studio 2011 supports the virtualization of 64-bit applications and the .NET 4.0 Framework, in addition to numerous new application templates, including Microsoft Office 2010, Internet Explorer 6,7,8, and 9, Mozilla Firefox 2, 3, and 4, and Google Chrome 4,5, and 6. In addition, it includes support for executing legacy apps side-by-side on Windows 7.
Wanova is another desktop virtualization newcomer that offers solutions designed to improve the way customers support, manage and protect their desktops and laptops. Yesterday, the company announced that Durable Data Corporation (DDC), a service provider focused on onsite and cloud-based offerings, is now deploying solutions jointly supported by it and VMware. Specifically, DDC is now able to manage its customers' desktops, whether they are distributed or centralized, virtual or physical--or a combination of thereof.
Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/01/20102 comments
VMworld, Day 3: It's been a busy show for Quest Software, which recently acquired Vizioncore. The company introduced vFoglight Storage, yet another monitoring product in an ever-increasing market; a licensing agreement with Liquidware Labs for its Stratusphere Fit and UX products; a technology alliance with Virtual Computer for open products; and the release of ThinShell, a "zero cost" Windows application that enables PCs to act as kiosks.
vFoglight Storage is billed as a physical storage monitoring solution that helps admins to get the most out of their virtual infrastructures by realizing more control and visibility over the physical layer. "By providing superior insight beyond the datastore, vFoglight Storage enables users to pinpoint performance, capacity and topology issues; meet SLAs; and achieve performance levels," the company said.
The Liquid Labs agreement allows organizations to conduct comprehensive assessments of the "suitability" of their desktop virtualization environments, while performing ongoing user experience monitoring and reporting for "proactive troubleshooting, improved user experience, and increased uptime."
Quest's technology alliance with Virtual Computer is one component of a new plan to provide open support for distributed desktop virtualization technologies based on client-side hypervisors. Quest says this initiative extends the platform-agnostic approach that the company's vWorkspace brings to the choice of server-side hypervisors, access devices and virtualization platforms to client-side hypervisors. In other words, the company is hedging its bets on type 1 versus type 2 hypervisors by partnering with leading vendors of both.
Quest bills vWorkspace ThinShell as a zero cost app for Windows PCs that enables them to act as kiosks for connecting to virtual desktops and applications through the vWorkspace platform.
Verizon, VMware Team Up
VMworld, Day 3: Also at VMworld, Verizon Business and VMware took the wraps off an enterprise-class hybrid cloud solution that will reportedly allow enterprises to more quickly move their apps to the cloud without compromising on security or performance. The agreement is based on the combination of Verizon's global IP network and VMware vSphere, and its goal is to help remove obstacles to the adoption of cloud computing, which is VMware's mantra. Verizon says the deal also enables the delivery of "IT as a Service," VMware's new philosophy calling for the transformation of IT to a more business-centric approach, focusing on "outcomes such as operational efficiency, competitiveness, and rapid response."
Just to muddy the philosophical waters a little more, it should be noted that the new offering joins Verizon's Computing as a Service (CaaS) portfolio of cloud computing services. CaaS is enabled by VMware's vCloud Datacenter, which allows enterprises to select which apps to move to the cloud, making it possible for them to react more quickly to meet changing business conditions.
"Additionally, with Verizon's new compute service, enterprises utilizing the VMware platform can leverage their existing infrastructure, tool and skill sets without changing their underlying IT setup," the two companies said.
Posted by Bruce Hoard on 09/01/20102 comments
VMworld Day 2: During the VMworld keynote session this morning, both Rich Jackson, VMware chief marketing officer, and CEO/President Paul Maritz were talking about the steps that VMware customers are taking in their "journeys" to the cloud. From my perspective, I think the talk was a little on the fast and loose side. What I'm pointing out is that when these guys talked about step one in the cloud journey, which is users virtualizing their data centers, Jackson and Maritz both said that most of the customers in the audience had already taken care of this task—which is anything but a trivial undertaking.
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Posted by Bruce Hoard on 08/31/20102 comments
VMworld Day 2: I had a very interesting and productive interview today with two Microsoft virtualization execs here at VMworld. The two are David GreschIer, Director of Virtualization Strategy in the Management and Services Division, and Mike Neil, General Manager, Windows Server and Server Virtualization in the Windows Server Division. Great stuff, and I look forward to writing up the piece.
I mention them not because I intend to blog about them now, but because I recently interviewed Dave Bartoletti, a Senior Analyst at the Taneja Group, in preparation for the above-mentioned interviews. Dave had a lot of interesting things to say, but due to the ever-present space considerations, I will not be able to use them all. Therefore, I will use some interesting quotes here. To wit:
"I think Microsoft is trying to change the conversation away from virtualization as an infrastructure technology to virtualization as simply an enabler for application delivery. I think that takes them back to their strengths.
Comment: Based on my conversation with Greschler and Neil, I'd say Dave pretty well nailed it.
"You don't see a lot coming from Microsoft that says here's how we're going to displace VMware as the real data center server virtualization platform. I think where they would like to see Hyper-V is being the server component of desktop virtualization strategies."
Comment: Don't count Microsoft out of the server virtualization race. Outwardly, they are watching some favorable numbers develop as Hyper-V increasingly takes hold. There is no doubt, however, that Redmond covets the multifarious desktop virtualization space.
"Until recently, a lot of XenApp solutions or XenDesktop solutions still had VMware as the hypervisor in the data center. I know that Citrix has made some noise recently that they're happy that a lot more of these XenDesktop applications actually are being supported by XenServer, but I think it's over 50% of them are being deployed on VMware back ends."
Comment: And if you think VMware doesn't love telling that story to anyone who will listen, you are just plain loco.
Posted by Bruce Hoard on 08/31/20103 comments