By Lisa Gecko
SQL Server 2012 was released earlier this year and has many new improvements in database management, data integration, business intelligence and integration with cloud-based computing.
Significant updates include performance improvements, high availability and organizational security. These included the AlwaysOn feature – a new high availability and disaster recovery solution which enables faster application [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
There a several cloud computing models and each has their pros and cons. Add to these the numerous supporting technologies associated with each and it can be confusing to figure out the best option. In this series we will introduce these service models, and then take a deeper look at each.
The three [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
In this article we will explore Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and what it has to offer organizations looking for cloud-based solutions. Of the three main models in this series, IaaS is the most comprehensive in scope, providing a fully outsourced computing infrastructure environment that is scalable to the fluctuating needs of the [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
In this series of articles we are looking at features and benefits of vCloud Director (vCD), and in this installment we explore some of the advances in self-service networking. This paper will only touch briefly on the technical aspects of vCD’s network hierarchy. Instead, the focus is on the key networking features that [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
As the heir apparent to VMware Lab Manager, vCloud Director (vCD) is the next generation in cloud computing management platforms. For businesses moving to cloud-based solutions via private or hybrid clouds, vCD provides the interface for cloud service providers (CSPs) to offer clients access to their virtual resources at the user end, with [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
Cloud-based computing is quickly becoming the IT model of choice for organizations around the world. The reasons for this are many: it offers all the features and power of a traditional network with a pay-as-you go model with reduced operating and personnel costs, greater efficiency, and virtually unlimited scalability. In addition, a cloud-based [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
One of the more impressive new additions from VMware included with the release of vSphere 5 is the Storage Distributed Resource Scheduler (SDRS), which utilizes data store clusters to intelligently balance resource levels and oversee virtual disk placement automatically. Storage DRS and Profile-Driven Storage reduce the possibility of I/O bottlenecks, and provide a [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
Storage is the slowest and most complex host resource, and is capable of severely handicapping your virtual machines (VMs) performance during business critical processing. In a VMware environment, Storage I/O Control (SIOC) provides much needed control of storage I/O and is used to ensure that the performance of your business-critical VMs are not [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
The new virtual machine hardware version 8 included with vSphere 5 has several new features, including support for 3D graphics for Windows Aero and USB 3.0 devices; but the most beneficial might be the ability for cloud hosting companies to run larger virtual machines. With this, it is now possible to configure VMs [...]

                 

By Lisa Gecko
2011 proved to be a watershed year for business migration to cloud-based services, and with the much anticipated release of VMware’s vSphere 5, hosts and providers concerned with cloud security welcome the addition of the ESXi stateless firewall. An absent feature since the ESX server, the addition of the ESXi firewall provides [...]