Utility computing

Article (111)

vSphere and Hyper-V: costs, features and management features compared
Confused by virtualization costs? We compare the price, features and management of VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V in this podcast.
Cloud management tools a 20 year bet: IDEAS International
The tools you buy now to enable a move to the cloud will “define your IT processes for the next 20 years,” according to Tony Iams of IDEAS International.
Microsoft to overhaul virtual licensing
CIOs frustrated by Microsoft's arcane and expensive virtual licenses may be about to get relief.
Cloud computing vs. virtualization vs. SaaS vs. SOA
Vendors are using he terms cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS) interchangeably, then throwing in virtualization and service-oriented architectures (SOAs) as essential ingredients in the mix. We explore these technologies and their roles to help explain what they can do for your data center.
How one CIO improved disaster recovery with desktop and server virtualization
Learn how the CIO of a midsized bank used desktop and server virtualization to improve disaster recovery.
CIOs allowing mixed VMware/Hyper-V environments
It seems counter-intuitive, but some organisations are mixing virtualisation tools from different vendors despite the obvious management challenges.
Colocation vs. segmentation for test and development environments
Most organisations need a test and development environment, but what's the most cost-effective way to create and operate this facility? Our experts debate two options: colocation and segmentation.
Open source virtualization guide: Oracle VM, Novell and RHEL compared
Open source virtualization technology is a real alternative to VMware and Hyper-V. We compare Linux virtualization architectures from Oracle, Novell and Red Hat in this story, to help you understand how (or if) these products belong in your infrastructure.
Can Microsoft beat VMware?
Virtualization tools are now critical infrastructure for most organisations, and Microsoft's Hyper-V is well-priced and well-featured. But can the company match VMware's performance and take the lead in the virtualization market?
Need more data center space? Consolidation, colocation or cloudification are your choices!
If you need more data center space, consider consolidation, colocation or the cloud to get the capacity you need without investment in new facilities.
Users say licensing costs slow virtualization adoption
The cost of VMware is deterring at least one organisation from further adoption of virtualization.
Integrated IT management increases virtualization's ROI
Heterogeneous virtualization environments are inevitable, but can be tamed with strategies designed to provide integrated management tools.
Mortgage Choice adopts Google apps, pledges to “always” consider the cloud
Neill Rose-Inness, the CIO of Mortgage broker Mortgage Choice, explains the organisation’s decision to adopt Google’s cloud applications.
What can storage virtualization do for your organisation?
Server and desktop virtualization hog the headlines, but storage virtualization can also bring big benefits. Learn the basics of the technique so you can manage your storage infrastructure more effectively.
Five cloud computing fibs
Cloud computing cannot replace current data centers, nor is it a panacea for all that ails a CIO, argues our guest columnist who operates a third party data center.
How to pick a server virtualization vendor
Buying server virtualisation software is not easy, thanks to vendors' lock-in tactics, not-so "optional" extras and technology shifts. In this story, we help you to understand these factors to make the best choice for your organisation.
PRIMER: Intel VT
Intel's VT (Virtualization Technology) is a cornerstone of virtualization implementation, thanks to its memory management, processor interrupt features and virtual machine integration tools. Read on to learn everything a CIO needs to know about the product.
PRIMER: Hyper-V R2 licensing and pricing
Considering Microsoft's Hyper-V? The first thing you need to consider is the price of System Center and Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM). Then there's Hyper-V itself, for which we explain licensing and pricing options in this piece.
Cloud computing reliability problems detected by University of New South Wales researcher
A University of New South Wales researcher has found that cloud computing services do not perform reliably, with considerable variance in performance making different clouds suited to diverse tasks.
Can virtualization create a single point of failure for your organisation?
Imagine a virus that took down your hypervisors. Could you survive? And has your risk management strategy even considered such an incident?
Avoid VM sprawl with careful planning
Virtualization is fun and easy ... which can mean it suddenly creates complexity. Here's how to avoid the downside of virtualization.
10 ways to renegotiate your virtualization licenses
Renegotiating licenses for virtualization software can save you plenty, without limiting your ability to transform a data center.
Xen vs. KVM: Which open source hypervisor is ascendant?
Citrix has scored some success with Xen and Red Hat is championing KVM virtualization. Which is winning? Analysts say KVM needs some the wins to prove its viability in the market.
Microsoft virtual licensing still makes it hard to move virtual machines between physical machines
Microsoft's approach to server virtualization licensing persists with its insistence on tieing licenses to physical servers, an arrangement critics say is dumb.
Microsoft and Red Hat get all lovey over virtualzation
Microsoft and Red Hat inked a pact to optimize their operating systems running as guests on each other's virtualization platforms.
Do you need dedicated management tools for virtual servers?
Virtualization was supposed to simplify computing ... then along came dedicated tools for managing virtual machines. Learn how CIOs can juggle simplicity and control in this story.
Cloud services complicate CIOs' lives
Cloud computing looks simple and carries a nice price tag. But it also brings new complexity that CIOs must learn to manage.
The management challenges of virtual servers
Virtual servers offer many benefits, but also create new challenges CIOs must learn how to manage. Learn how savvy IT managers can ensure virtualization delivers the goods in this story.
Money-saving Hyper-V licensing strategies
Learn how to get the Microsoft virtualization products you want at a price you'll like with the licensing tips in this story.
Cloud email pays for itself in three months at Altium
Electronics design software company Altium has adopted hosted email from Google at a cost of $40,000-$50,000 a year – vastly less than the $600,000 it was quoted for a new Microsoft Exchange implementation.
VMware announces more detail of pubic cloud plan
Melbourne IT has been revealed as a provider of VMware's new vcloud service.
VMware offers starter virtuaization service for small business
VMware's new VMware Go remote-installation service should make it easier for SMBs to deploy ESXi, which enterprises have thus far rejected.
Two enterprises explain how they reigned in VM sprawl
Learn how to large organisations found themselves with more virtual machines than they bargained for ... and how they got things back under control.
How to pay less for virtualized software
A panel of experts offers their tips for negotiating the best price for virtualized software, without getting into a software licensing pickle.
Amazon launches virtual private cloud
CIOs worried about cloud computing have a new option: private clouds that live inside public clouds thanks to the magic of virtualization.
PODCAST: How to budget for virtualization
Learn how to virtualize without spending too much in this podcast with analyst Laura DiDdio.
Virtualization 2.0: Disaster recovery, business continuity and cloud computing
Virtualization in the midmarket is now used for mission-critical servers and services, disaster recovery and business continuity, and even cloud computing, says our CIO columnist.
Beyond consolidation: succesful virtualization creates new jobs for CIOs
Once virtualization helps you to consolidate servers, prepare to formalise the way you use the technology and extend its use into other areas.
VMware to release new cloud creation and management tool?
VMware may use its conference in two weeks to unveil a new its 'Redwood' project, a tool that allows enterprises and service providers to create private and public cloud computing facilities.
One CIO's private cloud experience
Learn how the CIO of a hotel group has decided to build a private cloud, as a first step towards future public cloud use.
What IS cloud computing?
Is cloud computing SaaS? Or is it PaaS? Infrastructure on demand? We devolve the acronyms into concepts a CIO can use.
The risks of cloud computing
Cloud computing contracts often omit niceties that CIOs - and traditional software vendors - consider absolutely mundane.
Virtualization strategy - will Microsoft become as important as VMware?
Microsoft's Hyper-V R2 is considered more mature than its previous efforts. Ideas International analyst Tony Iams offers his advice on what this means for CIOs' virtualization strategies.
How Microsoft plans to pitch Azure
Microsoft is busy readying its Azure cloud computing service. Learn what it hopes to offer enterprises in this story.
VMware is the new Microsoft (and why virtualisation is neither free nor cheap)
Analyst firm Hydrasight warns enterprises that VMware is starting to behave like Microsoft and that vendor lock-in and high prices are becoming characteristics of the virtualisation market.
Cloud computing shopping list
Considering the cloud? We've summarised four main vendors that belong on top of your shopping list.
How to take your first steps towards cloud computing
Analysts from Burton, Gartner and Forrester offer their advice on how CIOs can lead their organisations towards cloud computing.
Virtual OS and virtual applications: two easier virtualisation alternatives
Nemertes Research analyst John Burke explains "virtual OS" and "virtual applications", two virtualisation techniques that may be easier to implement and operate than virtualised servers.
Cloud computing over-hyped: Cisco
Cisco's Chief Technology Officer has said that cloud computing is over-hyped, largely because security, reliability and control over cloud systems are yet to be sorted out.
Interview: Google's cloud computing strategy
Google's Mike Repass explains the company's cloud computing strategy, outlining what the company's App Engine offers developers and IT decision makers.
What to look for in a cloud computing SLA
CIOs considering cloud computing need to ask many questions to ensure servic level agreements contain the right terms. We spell out the details to look for in this piece.
PRIMER: Virtual performance management tools
Virtualised infrastructure needs its own class of specialised management tools. Analyst firm Taneja Group has named these tools 'Virtual Infrastructure Optimisation' tools, and explains their role and the features CIO should look for when purchasing these products.
Negotiation firm develops bespoke cloud application
The CEO of negotiation skills consultancy ENS international shares his firm's experience developing a bespoke cloud application and explains how it is helping to change the way it thinks about its business
Application virtualisation complicated by lack of vendor support
Different vendors support virtualisation in varying ways, making it hard for CIOs to understand if the technique will really simplify infrastructure and save money.
Forrester says be careful before adopting cloud computing services
CIOs must consider security, privacy and legal issues before adopting cloud-based services, says analyst firm Forrester.
SOA and BPM need to be part of a move to cloud computing
If you want to move to cloud computing, consider business process management and service oriented architecture to improve your chance of success.
VMWare launches "cloud OS"
VMware has officially launched vSphere 4, touting the software as enabling "federated clouds" that blend private and hosted infrastructure.
$300K per year private cloud trumps in-house IT for US college
US tertiary college Marian College has spent $US300,000 on a private cloud - the same amount it would have had to spend on a SAN alone to achieve its objectives.
Can cloud computing reduce your headcount?
Many CIOs imagine that cloud computing is less labor-intensive than on-site computing infrastructure. But evidence for this proposition is thin, at best.
Getting started with Amazon EC2
Want to try cloud computing? Amazon's Web Services are a fast and easy way to give it a go - you can even pay on your credit card. Here's a CIO's guide to the EC2 cloud service.
Virgin Blue considering Exchange, Office in the cloud
Virgin Blue CIO David Harvey is considering cloud versions of Microsoft Exchange and Office as he continues a plan to move the airline's IT department to a more mature operating model.
What's up with private clouds - Part Two
Part Two of our chat with Mark Bowker, an analyst at The Enterprise Strategy Group, looks at how a private cloud can help to change the way you consider IT costs.
What's up with private clouds
What is a "private cloud" and how is it different to a pool of virtualised servers? Enterprise Strategy Group analyst Mark Bowker explains the concepts involved in this new way to operate your data centre.
U.K. supermarket chain opts for Citrix XenServer over VMware
The IT Director of U.K. supermarket giant Tesco explains the company's virtualisation experiences and why he chose Xen over VMware.
Expect to pay top dollar for disaster recovery in virtual environments
Don't expect continuous availability of virtualised infrastructure unless you are prepared to pay out for almost everything in a virtualisation vendor's catalog.
The real cost of SaaS projects
Does a SaaS project really save you money in the long run? CIOs offer their take.
Virtual desktop infrastructure: Part 2 - the products
The conclusion of our guide to virtual desktop infrastructure explores the products you need to bring the concept to life.
What is virtual desktop infrastructure?
Learn about the changes you'll need to make in the data center if you chose to implement desktop virtualisation.
CIOs share SaaS contract advice on pricing, customization and more
CIOs who have been down the SaaS road share what they wish they had done differently and what went right with licenses, code in escrow and more in their SaaS contracts.
Burton Group report says VMware beats Hyper-V and Xen for hypervisor performance
Analyst firm Burton Group has staged a showdown between four hypervisors and found all lack some features, but that VMware emerges on top of the heap.
Burton Group says Oracle lags on virtualisation licensing
Oracle's pricing and support policies are not meeting the needs of virtualisation users, says analyst firm Burton Group.
IBM reveals cloud plans
IBM has revealed more details of its "Blue Cloud" at a conference in the USA.
Free Citrix XenServer tempts, but lacks important features
Citrix will offer some XenServer for free in a move that pre-empts new VMware announcements. But the product needs paid-for add-ons to be useful in the enterprise.
Site visit: Desktop virtualisation lets Red Bee tell multiple desktops to buzz off
Meet Michael Tomkins, Head of Technology at Red Bee Media, and learn why his team had four PCs on each desk ... and how desktop virtualisation has helped cut that down to zero.
Virtualisation rollouts slowed by immature support
IDC says by 2010 virtual machine installations will outstrip physical server acquisitions. Whether the support issues hampering some virtualisation rollouts will be addressed by then is anyone's guess!
Lack of best practise means cloud computing introduces new risks for users, providers
Melbourne IT says the results of its cloud computing beta show would-be users – and would-be providers – have a lot to learn about cloud computing, virtualisation and cloud-driven business processes before utility computing delivers.
Which is cheaper?: Hyper-V or VMware?
Microsoft's Hyper-V costs less on the price list, but sometimes VMware ESXi can be cheaper to implement.
Seven tips to avoid desktop and application virtualisation problems
Learn about some pitfalls and problems associated with desktop and application virtualisation, and how to avoid mistakes other users have made.
How to get the best deal on software-as-a-service
SaaS providers change their pricing models and try to lock you in to longer contracts. Fight back with these tips that advise on how to negotiate the best SaaS deal.
Desktop virtualisation for CIOs
Learn about the pros and cons of virtual desktops and how to fit them into your business' IT strategy.
Advanced SaaS apps require complex integration, but remain worth it
New advanced SaaS apps require significant integration efforts from companies, but that complexity doesn't override the benefits of SaaS.
COMMENTARY: The cloud can drive IT innovation
Cloud computing is a potent tool that can drive innovation - if you take the time to consider its uses.
Predictions 2009: Sun on Virtualisation
Jim McHugh, Sun's Vice President, Datacentre Software Marketing, offers his predictions for virtualisation's impact on the data centre in 2009.
Bursting the virtualisation hype bubble
Virtualisation is powerful and important, but vendors are using the term too liberally and CIOs need to see through some over-hyping.
Economy sends managed services to the top of CIOs' shopping lists
Analyst Forrester predicts a surge in adoption of managed services, fuelled by a low-growth economy-driven desire for cost savings.
Assessing Microsoft's cloud play
Microsoft says its hosted services are about cost savings and mobility. Is there more to its cloud offerings than those simple messages?
Telstra, Microsoft, launch joint SaaS offering
Telstra will deliver a SaaS play using Microsoft technologies, and will take the hosted applications onto mobile devices.
What is desktop virtualisation and what are its benefits?
Learn about the benefits and applications of desktop virtualisation in this Q&A.
Microsoft unveils 'Azure' - its cloud computing vision
Microsoft's Azure will integrate the cloud with .Net and Windows Server. But the company's not saying when it will deliver.
Video Q&A: Google explains cloud applications
The product management director for Google Enterprise outlines his beliefs about how cloud applications can help CIOs in this video Q&A and accompanying transcript.
Is "presence" hampering unified communications?
"Presence" is touted as one of unified communications' great benefits. But Burton Group analyst Mike Gotta argues that most vendors have failed to deliver useful presence and CIOs will therefore need to devise strategies to blend UC and social networks to realise the technology's potential.
Should you reverse virtualise?
Would you ever migrate from virtual to physical servers? If you need to, George Crump explains the best way to conduct physical-to-virtual (P2V) conversions.
What does Web 2.0 means for CIOs of midsize companies
Gil Yehuda, a senior analyst at Forrester Research, offers his opinion on the role Web 2.0 can play for medium-sized businesses.
VMware heads for the clouds
The rapid evolution of the virtualisation market just sped up again, as VMware used its VMworld conference to launch the concept of in-house computing clouds
What is desktop virtualisation (and why would anyone do it)?
Desktop virtualisation is the latest addition to the virtual menagerie. What is this technique and how can it help to tame the corporate desktop?
How to tap into cloud computing
A conference in the US last week explained how CIOs can prepare to take advantage of cloud computing.
IBM splashes $US360 million on cloud computing
IBM will invest millions in a data centre to further cloud computing, although some doubt the purity of its model.
Legal issues slowing storage-as-a-service rollouts
Storage-as-a-service may be stymied by cross-border privacy laws.
Open source virtualisation gives business a choice beyond VMware and Microsoft
CIOs contemplating virtualisation now have open source hypervisors to conteplate, as well as their commercial cousins.
Mobility support and strategy are finally priorities
Forrester says that businesses are finally drawing up proper mobility strategies, spurred on by the iPhone.
What is cloud computing? How is it different to outsourcing?
Analyst Kevin McIsaac dispels the buzzwords and gives the skinny on cloud computing.
Will the IT department survive the cloud?
Some industry observers say cloud computing will spell the end of in-house IT. Find out how you the cloud will effect you when it finally comes.
Open Virtual Machine Format to benefit users
Virtualisation vendors plan to adopt the Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF) to facilitate virtual appliance deployment. An expert discusses how VMware users can benefit from the new format.
COMPARISON: Microsoft vs. VMware
VMware's performance trumps Hyper-V's price, writes David Davis.
Audit requirements retard Google Apps adoption
Google apps has the functionality to replace Office in some circumstances, says the Burton Group, but lacks governance and audit trail features that many large businesses require.
The clouds are rolling in
Cloud computing is inevitable and CIOs need to start to factor it into their plans, says Gartner.
Does Google have a master plan?
Google CEO Eric Schmidt visited Sydney yesterday and gave some hints about Google's master plan ... or lack thereof.
Has cloud computing come down to earth?
Does the fact that three of the world's leading online services have recently suffered outages prove that software-as-a-service is too immature for business?
VMWare touts improved managability
CIOs have another reason to get excited about virtualisation, with VMWare announcing new tools to make its products capable of virtualising across different CPUs.
EMC storage as a service on the way for 2008
An EMC channel exec lets slip that storage as a service is on the company's roadmap for 2008 rather than this year
Microsft buys aQuantive, targets Google's ad business
Microsoft "got a bit tired of being beat up by Google" and has struck back with a significant acquisition

News (2)

Is a Linux distribution onVMware's roadmap?
VMware has dampened speculation it is developing its own version of Linux, but may be working on a virtual appliance project using the open source operating system.
Suncorp to adopt PeopleSoft as a service from Infosys
Suncorp is about to adopt a hosted human resources application, but remains wary of complex apps or sensitive data into public clouds

General Content (5)

Utility computing guide Part 5: Why is IT lifecycle management important?
This chapter excerpt makes a case for why ILM/DLM should be implemented in all businesses.
Utility computing guide Part 4: What does data lifecycle management mean?
IT lifecycle management is a policy-based approach to managing data that automates processes. This chapter excerpt explains the technology and its tools.
Utility computing guide Part 3: Data lifecycle management considerations
This chapter excerpt outlines the storage problems that organisations face today and considerations businesses need to make when assessing solutions.
Utility computing guide Part 2: Using ILM to address compliance
This chapter excerpt details how recent compliance regulations impact storage and how ILM can help.
Utility computing guide Part 1: Introducing utility computing
Learn how to use utility computing to manage your customers' storage more efficiently - saving them time and money - with this chapter excerpt.

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