Virtualization

Tue, August 11, 2009 - As they say, everything old is new again. The emergence of virtualization as a widely accepted computing platform has moved us that much closer to the age-old concept of centralized server-based computing that originated with the first mainframes in the 1970s. Although server virtualization has gained a sizable foothold in the Intel-based server market, the desktop market has not seen such advances. There are many reasons for this, including technology limitations that are only now being worked out, but a key one is the hostility to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) by Microsoft, as expressed in its Windows software license restrictions.

Thu, August 06, 2009 - What's one of the thorniest problems preventing secure and automated connections between internal IT infrastructure and external cloud service providers? Identity and authentication. Here's a look at the players trying to solve this riddle and what it all means to IT.

Mon, August 03, 2009 - What strategy news can you expect from VMware at the upcoming VMworld show? One hint: VMware's COO sees 2009 as the year of the data center and 2010 as the beginning of the era of desktop virtualization.

Sun, July 26, 2009 - The decision between virtualization and cloud computing should be made on a case-by-case basis. Here are the pros and cons.

Thu, July 23, 2009 - As the San Diego Port Authority's IT team learned, you don't have to be a Fortune 500 company to afford data center management tools based on CMDB technology now. Here's a look at their early experience with a SaaS-based product that's part of a growing group of options.

Wed, July 22, 2009 - As if outsourcing, virtualization, utility computing, automation, hosted applications, and a recession weren't enough to stress out the average IT professional, there's the emerging threat of cloud computing to take away even more IT jobs.

Thu, July 02, 2009 - The computing world has seen various technology buzzwords come and go; while some gained prevalence and wide adoption, others eventually died somewhat silent deaths. A few years back, we began to hear about one such buzzword--software as a service (SaaS, which also sometimes went by the term cloud computing, causing confusion for some) and, at that time, the concept of on-demand, subscription-based software may have seemed "strange" or "uncomfortable" to some.

Mon, June 22, 2009 - Wherever you turn, someone's ready to tell (or sell) you something related to cloud computing. Cutting through the myths is essential to deciding whether, when, and how the cloud is right for you. Here's our top list of myths.

Mon, June 15, 2009 - Network thoroughbred Cisco jumps into the blade server market. Server stallion HP adds security blades to its ProCurve switches. IBM teams up with Brocade. Oracle buys Sun. And everybody courts that prize filly VMware.

Thu, June 11, 2009 - HP pitches itself as the best alternative to Cisco, but can it make the case to data center managers who know it traditionally as a server company? As HP throws new effort at virtual networking and data center management tools, customers are welcoming the competition, analysts say.