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Tripwire ConfigCheck Now VMware ESX 3.0 Compatible

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Remember Tripwire ConfigCheck, the nifty free utility that rapidly assesses the security of VMware ESX hypervisor configurations compared to the VMware Infrastructure 3 Security Hardening guidelines? Well, Tripwire today announced the availability of Tripwire ConfigCheck for VMware ESX 3.0.

“The massive popularity of Tripwire ConfigCheck speaks loudly to the market need for solutions that address the knowledge and skills gap in managing virtual infrastructure. With this latest release, we leverage the best practices of VMware’s hardening security guidelines for 3.5 and 3.0.x environments increasing the overall value of the utility,” said Mark Gaydos, Tripwire VP of Marketing.

In addition to offering immediate insight into unintentional vulnerabilities in virtual environments, Tripwire also provides a remediation guide containing the necessary steps to return both VMware ESX 3.0 and 3.5 hosts to a known, secure state.

VirtualLogix Invents “Carrier Grade Virtualization”

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VirtualLogix today announced something called “Carrier Grade Virtualization”, which it claims is the industry’s first solution that meets the performance, security, serviceability and availability needs of next generation, multicore-based carrier grade systems.

VirtualLogix says Carrier Grade Virtualization reduces the cost and complexity of maintaining carrier grade properties in edge and core network elements such as IP Multimedia System (IMS) nodes. According to the news release, networking and telecommunication OEMs can reuse existing investments in their carrier grade systems while gaining the benefits of using VirtualLogix VLX real-time virtualization software (faster adoption of multicore architectures and consolidation of hardware, reduced bill of materials, increased availability, improved time to market, and more efficient designs as a result).

VirtualLogix Carrier Grade Virtualization technology integrates High-Availability software with real-time virtualization in a multicore environment, and allows HA middleware to manage not only applications and hardware but also virtual machines running their own operating systems.

VirtualLogix also announced they are joining the Service Availability Forum.

VirtualLogix Carrier Grade Virtualization technology is immediately available and integrates VLX for Network Infrastructure, vHA, a virtualization enabled HA interface, and VLX Developer, a set of configuration, building and monitoring tools.

[Source: Business Wire]

VirtualLogix

Oracle VM Reaches Version 2.1

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Oracle VM, the company’s server virtualization software unveiled in November 2007, is a surprisingly strong offer that you hear little about, even though Oracle boasts an impressive list of technology partners on their websites with names like Dell, Intel, HP, IBM and NetApp. Ericom recently announced PowerTerm WebConnect, a desktop virtualization (VDI) solution based on Oracle’s server virtualization software.

As Alessandro points out, the software has evolved a bit since its launch and now carries version number 2.1.1. The release notes for the Oracle VM Server component can be consulted here.

You can download the new version free of charge here.

SteelEye Ships Protection Suite for Citrix XenServer

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SteelEye Technology, a California-based provider of business continuity solutions that focus on data protection, data replication and disaster recovery, has started shipping its Protection Suite for Citrix XenServer in addition to an existing product for VMware Infrastructure.

SteelEye Protection Suite delivers real-time LAN and WAN replication of XenServer virtual machines. It integrates with XenMotion and XenCenter to fully support manual movement of replicated VMs within a server pool. SteelEye Protection Suite is a host-based, storage repository replication solution that provides continuous data protection (CDP), change-only replication, integrated compression and a highly optimized replication engine.

SteelEye Protection Suite for XenServer is available immediately through SteelEye’s global network of value-added resellers and OEM partners. Customers that want to use the Protection Suite for a single migration of virtual machines can purchase a time-limited license for either 15 days ($495) or 90 days ($1,495).

Customers that wish to use SteelEye for continuous replication of their VMs, can make use of a permanent license that supports an unlimited number of VMs per XenServer host. SteelEye pricing is set at $2,495 for XenServer Standard Edition and at $3,995 for XenServer Enterprise or Platinum Edition.

SteelEye also announced it has joined the Citrix Ready Program, an initiative designed for organizations that have demonstrated product and solution compatibility with one or more Citrix products.

[Source: Marketwire]

TOLIS Group Teams Up With Parallels, Its Backup Solution Gets Certification

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TOLIS Group yesterday announced a partnership with Parallels, as its BRU Server network backup solution has been successfully tested for compatibility with Parallels Server for Mac virtualization software. BRU Server is now listed in the Parallels Certified Products Catalog.

“In virtualized system environments, BRU Server’s advanced architecture simply treats the host and guest systems as networked client systems,” said Tim Jones, president and CTO of TOLIS Group. “Both file by file and disaster recovery compatible image backup and restore of guest systems are supported using normal BRU Server operations – no special treatment is needed. BRU Server and Parallels work together seamlessly.”

BRU Server’s agents provide full backup support for all guest systems including: x86 Windows, Solaris, Open and FreeBSD, Linux, and Mac OS X. Additionally, TOLIS’ OFM module allows the proper management of open file environments such as Exchange, FileMaker and Active Directory running on Windows virtualized machines.

VMware Offers US Employees A Chance To Swap Their Post-IPO Stock Options

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Tech Trader Daily found out that VMware today disclosed in an SEC filing that it plans to offer employees a chance to swap their post-IPO, “underwater” stock options for an equal number of options with an exercise price equal to the share price on the day immediately following the data the exchange is finished. Got that?

ZDnet clarifies:

Non-U.S. employees will be granted  a “to-be-determined proportionate number of restricted stock units after the exchange offer for U.S. employees is completed,” president and CEO Paul Maritz wrote in an e-mail to employees.

…

U.S. employees will get the same number of options – but at a price based on the close of the stock the day after the exchange is completed. In addition, the clock on the options vesting schedule will start over. The exchange is voluntary and company executives are not eligible.

John DiFucci, software analyst with J.P. Morgan apparently said this: “[This is more of] an effort to abate a brain drain from the company… While we consider this a modest positive for the stock, we also note that it acts to slightly dilute current shareholders.”

VMW, which rose $1.94 in the regular session, is off 28 cents, or 0.7%, to $38.61, in after hours trading.

VMware