Virtualization.com – Page 218 – News and insights from the vibrant world of virtualization and cloud computing

DataCore Introduces SAN Software Starter Packages For SMBs

December 31, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

DataCore Software has announced an expanded line of new SAN software starter packages priced for small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs).

The high cost and complexity of traditional SAN storage required to support virtual servers and desktops puts it out of the reach for many small and mid-size businesses. DataCore’s new packages firmly reset the industry’s starting price point for business continuity solutions that provide true auto failover/failback high-availability and fault tolerance. These new packages provide a new level of automated storage protection to ensure business uptime, while also significantly lowering the cost and complexity barriers of SAN storage for Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix, Virtual Iron, Parallels, VMware and other server and desktop virtualization environments.

The new software packages, with entry prices starting at under $2,000 per server, include thin provisioning, data migration technology, storage performance caching software, snapshots for fast disk backups, remote site disaster recovery replication and DataCore’s High Availability (HA) data protection. In virtual server and desktop environments, DataCore’s HA is unmatched in automation (true failover/failback recovery), manufacturer independence (storage and server brands), network connectivity (iSCSI or FC, or both) and proven fault tolerance (deployed in thousands of systems worldwide).

DataCore’s new packages fill the gap between low-end, Windows system replication solutions that provide limited single system data protection (e.g. Double-Take Software) for VMs at a cost of thousands and higher-end, enterprise-class storage arrays and SAN that provide necessary protection but are complex and often cost $100,000 or more. With these packages, DataCore has created a new class of SAN solutions that deliver the highest-end data protection capabilities at a SMB price point.

iCore: Virtualization For Use At Home

December 29, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

A new company, iCore Software, aims to bring the benefits of virtualization to the home PC market. The company’s first product, iCore Virtual Accounts, isolates and protects the various “identities” a home computer can have. Games, internet browsing, student files and important financial data can be completely segregated by virtually dividing one home computer into three. This is the first container-based virtualization solution for the Windows desktop.

iCore software allows to create multiple Virtual Account (iCore Computers) that run on top of an existing Operating System (OS). iCore VA are isolated and can be easily created or deleted without affecting each others’ state or the state of the core operating system.

Unlike many other virtual machines, iCore VA works on the OS kernel level. This means that iCore VAs can utilize all the power of your existing PC (such as modern video card, game adapter, etc.) and eliminate the need for additional licenses, performance overhead is almost zero.

Virtualization Journal Interview With Christine Crandell, Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer Egenera

December 29, 2008 by Robin Wauters 1 Comment

Jeremy Geelan over at Virtualization Journal penned an interview held with Christine Crandell, Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer for Egenera, offering a fairly interesting read. Previous coverage about Egenera can be found here.

Excerpt:

Virtualization Journal: How does Egenera see the future of the data center? How much of a role will the cloud play in Enterprise IT, for example?

Christine: I see data centers rapidly evolving into reliable dynamic data centers. So what do we mean? At Egenera, we’ve adopted the Burton Group’s definition, which says “The dynamic data center is born from the orchestration of virtualized IT systems and resources.”

A reliable dynamic data center is the next step after virtualization – that’s because virtualization is the essential foundation. Without it, companies cannot achieve the agility, flexibility, and reliability needed to evolve into a reliable dynamic data center. Let’s look at what the data center of the future will be – it won’t be homogeneous – rather it will be highly heterogeneous with components like computing, I/O, and storage stitched together through intelligent fabrics. A holistic infrastructure management system will manage all assets – physical and virtual – including those internally owned and externally service-provided (cloud), all through a centralized console.

Server virtualization is mainstream with almost 70% of companies use x86 virtualization and many are looking at their RISC and mainframe systems for additional opportunities. The benefits of virtualization go well beyond consolidation. Cost reduction is often the starting point, but the benefits really extend well beyond TCO. Virtualization can help you speed development cycles and new resources faster. Companies that have been using server virtualization for 2+ years (that’s about 50% of companies) have realized that virtualization – in its many forms – positively impacts quality of service and their ability to meet SLAs. Automated provisioning, high availability, and disaster recovery are easier and cheaper to implement.

The next evolutionary stage is to address application workload consolidation as a critical enabler of speed, efficiency, and optimization. They enable dynamic allocation and balancing of computing resources based on business policy. Other critical components include unified fabrics, standardized management interfaces, an orchestration engine, and IT governance.

Xcedex Unveils Virtualization Planning Software Suite X_Factor

December 27, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

Xcedex, provider of virtualization planning software and solutions for managing virtual infrastructure in the data center, yesterday introduced X_Factor, a new virtualization planning software suite.

X_Factor enables users to thoroughly plan and document virtualization projects using data collected with CollectorX, a virtual appliance that houses a mature agentless data collection engine. Candidate selection/exclusion/inclusion, modeling and storage planning decisions are performed using X_Factor, a web based analysis portal.

Xcedex delivers its X_Factor software and solutions primarily through its Global Alliance Channel. X_Factor’s advanced capabilities create a number of opportunities for channel partners to accentuate their core products, consulting and professional services to their clients. Using the robust agentless data collection capabilities of CollectorX, Xcedex partners are able to automate services such as data center assessments, physical to virtual migration planning, business continuity planning, server virtualization and storage capacity planning, implementation and deployment, and various managed services.

X_Factor automates virtualization candidate selection/exclusion, workload analysis, on the fly and adjustable “what if analysis” combined with a holistic view across the server, applications, network, and storage resources. X_Factor assists with the generation of a Virtualization Plan that provides the user with an actionable roadmap ready for implementation.

This automates many time-intensive tasks such as a manual or “clipboard approach” to IT Infrastructure inventory, manually reviewing data from multiple sources, and mashing up the results to produce what is often incongruent data that is aged by the time it is compiled for review. The resulting benefits include accelerated results of finding “low hanging fruit” candidates to be virtualized, exclusion of certain candidates that are not optimal for virtualization, reduced data center complexity, increased agility and resource utilization, and dramatically reduced capital and operating expenses.

X_Factor is available today in a private beta release.

Quest Releases PowerGUI PowerPack for VMware 2.0

December 24, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

Quest Software announced the release of version 2.0 of its PowerGUI PowerPack for VMware, expanding the company’s leadership in Windows and Virtualization Management along with the technology provided by Vizioncore.

The new updates for Quest’s PowerGUI PowerPack for VMware includes a full featured PowerShell script library for VMware, to provide enhanced virtualization management capabilities for VMware admins. It enables virtualization domain experts to take advantage of managing their virtual infrastructure using Quest PowerGUI and the VMware Infrastructure Toolkit for Windows.

PowerGUI is a free download which simplifies management via Microsoft Windows PowerShell with an intuitive user console, powerful script editor and platform specific PowerPacks. PowerGUI with the VMware PowerPack version 2.0 enables administrators to quickly and easily automate management tasks common to virtual infrastructures. Together, Windows PowerShell, PowerGUI, and the PowerGUI PowerPack for VMware provide the ability to manage not only the applications organizations depend on but also the virtual infrastructure that power them, all from a single console.