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Sun Microsystems today announced a new release of Sun Ops Center, its comprehensive and highly scalable management solution for both physical and virtual systems. In addition to managing Sun’s x86 and SPARC servers, Ops Center 2.5 now extends lifecycle management capabilities to Sun’s built-in virtualization technologies, including Solaris Containers and Sun Logical Domains (LDoms). Ops Center 2.5 is designed to help customers regain control over system sprawl, reduce IT costs and make datacenters more flexible, laying the foundation for managing private cloud environments.

By using advanced technologies and built-in automated workflows, Ops Center 2.5 allows users to maintain consistent deployment of firmware, OS, and applications across physical and virtual resources, speed deployment time, as well as improve business continuity by quickly provisioning new systems and dynamically allocating resources. From a single and intuitive browser-based console, Ops Center 2.5 automates and controls Sun infrastructure as well as heterogeneous environments running the Solaris(TM) Operating System (OS), Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), and Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL).

New features in Ops Center 2.5 include:

— Ability to create, delete, configure, monitor, and migrate Solaris Containers and LDoms from a single console.

— Ability to patch the Solaris OS using Solaris(TM) Live Upgrade software with minimal downtime.

— Cutting-edge virtual storage library management using Fiber Channel, NFS or ZFS(TM) software.

— Advanced patching for Microsoft Windows via integration with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, giving customers a single pane to patch Solaris, Linux and Windows OSes.

— Full support for discovery, monitoring, provisioning and patching of servers running Oracle Enterprise Linux.

— Advanced, automatic datacenter asset grouping to accelerate initiation of repetitive tasks.

Sun offers subscriptions and perpetual licenses for Ops Center. Commercial subscriptions are priced annually per system starting at $500 for the Premium Management Pack, which includes patching and provisioning, and $1000 for the Enterprise Management Pack, which includes full virtualization management. Enterprise Management Pack subscriptions are only sold with Premium Management Pack subscriptions.

xkoto today announced availability of GRIDSCALE 5.1, the latest release of its active-active solution for Microsoft SQL Server. GRIDSCALE 5.1 adds several features that enhance the performance and capabilities of the industry’s first shared-nothing solution for SQL Server, including native driver support and a new Cluster Lock Manager.

GRIDSCALE 5.1 features a new, “driverless” configuration mode for Microsoft SQL Server. By implementing the Microsoft SQL Server tabular data stream (TDS) protocol, GRIDSCALE is now compatible with native SQL Server drivers, including ADO, .NET Framework, and OLE DB. Plus, GRIDSCALE can now simultaneously manage multiple SQL Server instances using popular tools such as Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Manager.

The latest version of GRIDSCALE also includes:

• An entirely new Cluster Lock Manager that coordinates row-level transactions across disparate database servers for enhanced performance of online transaction processing (OLTP) applications
• Automatic recovery of database failures without IT intervention
• Automatic recovery for clients that need seamless access across data centers
• Support for Microsoft SQL Server 2008

GlassHouse Technologies has announced it has acquired UK-based virtualization infrastructure consulting company, Systems Group Integration (SGI). The acquisition broadens GlassHouse’s existing virtualization capabilities by combining vendor experience with analysis tools, helping customers realise ROI, increase efficiencies and reduce carbon emissions in their IT environments.

SGI has specialized in Microsoft and virtualization technologies for over 15 years. Its services and solutions for all aspects of distributed IT architecture will be integrated into GlassHouse’s existing and complementary platform business to help customers build effective, service centric infrastructures and realize ROI on their virtualization investments. The timely acquisition responds to increased customer demand for wide scale adoption to include server, desktop and storage virtualization over the coming years.

The move will also increase the depth of GlassHouse’s vendor relationships to optimize GlassHouse consultants’ access and knowledge of the very latest product developments. GlassHouse remains completely vendor independent and will use vendor information, alongside its Transom™ methodologies to advise customers on the best strategies for individual business needs.

The acquisition will also strengthen GlassHouse’s relationship with partners such as Dell; both SGI and GlassHouse are approved Dell partners, with SGI being a preferred partner for virtualization practice. GlassHouse partners will now have access to its broader virtualization resources as well as expertise in storage, back up, data centers, security and managed services.

Scalent Systems today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 7,574,491 to the company for “A system and a method for implementing a virtual data center,” recognizing the unique approach Scalent V/OE Infrastructure Manager software uses to automate the provisioning and management of datacenter infrastructure. This technology is a necessary ingredient for the automation and virtualization of data center infrastructure.

Scalent lets enterprises create a dynamic IT infrastructure that quickly adjusts to the changing needs of business. The Scalent V/OE Infrastructure Manager rapidly provisions what servers are running and how they are connected to networks and storage, without needing to make physical server, cable, or SAN changes.

Server provisioning becomes nearly instantaneous. Changing system function and topology doesn’t require touching physical cables or servers. You can rack once, cable once, then reconfigure repeatedly, as needed, effortlessly. Both bare-metal and virtual machines are supported. End-to-end provisioning means servers, network, and storage access are provisioned simultaneously.

High Availability and Disaster Recovery are automatic. In the event of hardware failure an available server is re-provisioned to replace the failed one in minutes. All required network and storage access is configured automatically. Instead of hours of downtime, applications are back online in minutes.

Change is simple. Sometimes even the best-laid plans fail to predict real-world needs. If a workload was provisioned in a virtual machine but now needs to run on a bare-metal blade due to higher demand, Scalent V/OE Infrastructure Manager assures a smooth move in minutes.

Scalent V/OE Infrastructure Manager is a software-only solution. It does not require proprietary hardware modules or gateways — it works with industry standard servers, Ethernet switches, and Fiber Channel switches. It is certified for use with servers and network switches from Dell, Cisco and Brocade. The product also supports a multi-vendor array of storage devices that customers already have in their infrastructure.

Scalent Systems recently signed an OEM agreement with Dell under which Dell will sell, service, and support the V/OE Infrastructure Manager as part of its Efficient Enterprise solution portfolio. The Scalent V/OE Infrastructure Manager is also available as an OEM product from Unisys, as well as from EMC in the EMC Select catalog.

Liquidware Labs today announced the launch of its Managed Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Alliance Program to enable Service Providers in Hosting, Outsourcing and Data Center businesses to offer VDI assessment, diagnostic and migration services  based on LWL’s Stratusphere platform.

The company also unveiled that Perot Systems has signed as one of the first members of LWL’s Managed VDI Alliance Program.

LWL’s program includes Service Providers who are already in the hosting or outsourcing business and who want to leverage their existing data center assets to drive significant revenue through Managed VDI services. Alliance members will be able to increase quality, speed of deployment, and customer satisfaction with end-to-end VDI services and monthly subscription offerings.

LWL accelerates VDI deployment and subscription revenue by providing the capability to assess physical desktops, migrate user profiles as well as data to the data center, while simultaneously monitoring and diagnosing virtualized desktops. With this program, service providers can:

• Improve customer adoption of VDI services
• Access world class methodologies from thought leaders in VDI
• Receive world Class sales enablement tools and training
• Access products and programs designed specifically for service providers
• Accelerate VDI sales cycles by offering custom-branded assessment and design services

“This whitepaper is a review and reflection on previous Project VRC publications, the benchmark: “Login Virtual Session Indexer (VSI)” and Windows clock behavior within virtual machines.  This discussion is fueled by the fact that results from the individual Project VRC whitepapers are set side-by-side to compare hypervisors. Project VRC has been in discussion with both vendors and community, and performed additional research in this context. Before Project VRC can publish new results, it is important to address any questions, review the impact of this discussion and improve VSI where possible.”

Download it here (you need to create an account first).

(Via VMblog)