Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) today released an embedded server blade that fits into higher-end ProCurve switches and a combined virtualization and network management technology. The new products blur the lines among the roles various vendors and devices play in the data center.

The server blade, the Open Network Ecosystem Services zl Module, is HP’s answer to Cisco’s Application Extension platform, which can run Cisco (NSDQ: CSCO) or third-party Linux apps on Cisco Integrated Services routers. ONE’s initial apps include a co-developed Microsoft/HP network security and identity server, MacAfee network security, Avaya (NYSE: AV) unified communications, F5 application acceleration, and Riverbed (NSDQ: RVBD) WAN optimization. Click here for the rest of the article.

Nickelback lyrics notwithstanding, many see Linux as the hero that can save us — save us from continuous hardware upgrades with each major software revision, confusing licensing programs, hidden costs and fees and vendor lock-in. With that said, is Linux our hero? The obvious answer is yes, but is it a true hero or just the hero of the month?

They say a hero will appear when the world needs one most. A hero saves you from oppression (vendor lock-in), fights off the bad guys (hackers, viruses, malware), and allows you to sleep better at night knowing he is watching over you (stability). Click here for the rest of the article.

Companies rushing to virtualize their environments to cut costs will find that backup and restore could be a problem due to its extensive use of scripting.

Most businesses use VMware products, as the company is the market leader, and its VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) centralized backup facility requires users to write a lot of scripts. That makes it difficult to use, according to some experts. Click here for the rest of the article.

By James Niccolai

October 01, 2008 — IDG News Service —

Google’s leadership on the Web stems partly from its powerful data centers, which allow it to provide lightning-fast search results while keeping energy costs to a minimum. The company has been mostly secretive about what goes on inside these giant computing factories, but on Wednesday it offered a peek at what it has been able to achieve — on the energy side at least.

Google has published results from internal studies showing that its data centers are “the most efficient in the world,” according to a blog post from Urs Hölzle, its senior vice president of operations. While some of what it does, like designing its own servers, isn’t practical for most businesses, other tricks could be replicated by other companies, albeit for an upfront capital cost.

Click here to see the rest of the story

By Nancy Gohring

October 01, 2008 — IDG News Service —

Enterprises can now buy a networking appliance from Cisco Systems that runs basic Windows Server 2008 functions, a product designed for use in branch offices, Cisco and Microsoft announced Wednesday.

The companies said in February that they were working on a way for enterprises to run Windows Server 2008 services locally at a branch office on Cisco’s Wide Area Application Services networking appliance. The alternative for many companies is either to use a full Windows Server at every branch, which could be overkill, or run all functionality centrally, which could result in slow performance for branch workers.

With the new product, called Windows Server on WAAS, branch offices can host services locally including Active Directory, Microsoft Print Services, Microsoft Domain Name System Server and Microsoft Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Server. That can improve performance for branch workers and reduce costs related to wide area network connectivity and branch systems management. An IT administrator can remotely manage the Windows Server functions using Microsoft System Center.

Cisco used embedded virtualization technology in its appliance to enable Windows Server 2008 to run on it.

Some companies that had early access to the product describe their experiences on a Web site set up by Microsoft and Cisco. Farm Credit Services of Mid-America had 180 Windows Servers companywide, including one in nearly every branch, said Jim Curtis, director of infrastructure. His goal with Windows Server on WAAS is to move most of the branch servers to the company’s data center to make better use of a small infrastructure support staff.

He currently runs Active Directory centrally, but once the appliance setup is complete he could move Active Directory to the branches as a read-only function, improving log-in times for workers and mitigating potential security issues, he said.

The product is one example of Cisco and Microsoft working together while they also compete in other markets, such as unified communications.

Pricing for Windows Server on WAAS starts at US$10,000, including the hardware and the software license. Other configurations with more storage are also available.

Copyright © 2008 IDG News Service. All rights reserved. IDG News Service is a trademark of International Data Group, Inc. Article From CIO.COM

How many of you have had nightmares about one of your rackmount servers burning up? Even worse, how many of you have actually had a server burn up? Before you get to depressed, I have a solution that can take away your fears and help you sleep a whole lot better!

I have been recommending a very cost efective solution for the last couple of years that alerts you by phone, email, text message or whatever if the temperature or humidity levels exeeds your parameters. It is called a SensorHub.

The SensorHub is a zero “U” sensor that allows you place it wherever you want to in a server rack or ceiling. For more information, check out the SensorHub link. By the way, you can save 10% if you purchase by 10-7-08. Your total solution provider, Rackmount Ranger.

Q: We purchased in the past 4 of the ERK-3520 cabinets and we would now like to purchase 6 of the WRK-37-27 cabinet frames. We would like to know if there are any rear 10-32 Tapped Rackrails in order to support a sliding 1U server where the sliding rail needs to be bolted at the front and rear. (Not supported in the ERK-3520 version).

Richard Francoeur

A: The ERK cabinets come standard with one set of tapped and threaded rack rails. Additional sets of rails are available for purchase as optional equipment, so the ERKs can be equipped with multiple sets of rails as the client’s option. The WRK, in contrast, comes with two sets of tapped and threaded rack rails, standard. So with no modification, the WRK will support a 1U server that needs to be four-point mounted.

Rackmount Ranger

Intel gave the first public demonstration on Tuesday of a new generation of computer processors that significantly increase performance without consuming more power.

The company’s chief executive, Paul S. Otellini, told developers at its semiannual technology conference that Intel expected to finish the new family of chips in the second half of 2008, in keeping with its promise of a new chip architecture every other year. The new family of chips, code-named Nehalem, will use as many as eight processing cores and will offer better graphics and memory-control processing.

Intel had been late to respond to technological challenges in energy efficiency and heat consumption, and it has spent the better part of two years racing to catch up with its smaller but feisty competitor, Advanced Micro Devices.

A year ago, Intel announced a painful corporate overhaul, including a round of cost-cutting that reduced the work force by 10 percent and trimmed $5 billion in expenses. Since then, the company has begun to regain lost market share, and last week raised its sales forecast for this quarter.

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Ten months ago, Intel Corp. shipped its first quad-core Xeon server proc­essors. Last week, chip nemesis Advanced Micro Devices Inc. finally answered back.

AMD took the first step in an effort to recapture its momentum in the server market by launching a quad-core version of its Opteron chip. Company officials hope the new device, which was code-named Barcelona, will have the same kind of business impact that the original Opterons did after being released into a world dominated by Intel’s 32-bit chips four years ago.

Opteron, the first x86 chip able to run both 32- and 64-bit applications, was an immediate hit with server vendors as well as businesses and high-performance computing users. Its arrival posed the biggest challenge yet to Intel’s dominance of the Windows server market.

But Intel has responded to that challenge — sending AMD’s share of the server chip market into retreat, according to research firm IDC.

In the second quarter of 2006, AMD-based systems accounted for 15.3% of x86 server shipments worldwide compared with 84.7% for machines with Intel chips, IDC said. But in the same quarter this year, AMD’s share slipped to 14% as measured by IDC, compared with 86% for Intel.

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The S&P 1500 Computer Storage & Peripherals subindustry index has seen an improvement in its rolling 12-month price performance over the past few weeks. Year to date through Sept. 7, the Computer Storage & Peripherals subindustry index gained 7.3%, vs. a 2.8% rise for the S&P Composite 1500 index, which consists of the large-cap S&P 500, MidCap 400, and SmallCap 600 indexes.

Take a look at the accompanying chart, which shows this subindustry index’s rolling 12-month price performance compared with that for the S&P 1500. Any point above 100 indicates sector outperformance vs. the S&P 1500 over the prior year, while points below 100 show sector under-performance. The red line is a rolling nine-month moving average, while the two green bands indicate one standard deviation above and below the index’s longer-term mean relative strength.

There are 13 companies in the S&P Computer Storage & Peripherals subindustry index. Seven have S&P STARS rankings, of which four have 4 STARS (buy) or 5 STARS (strong buy) designations: EMC (EMC; $19; 5 STARS), Network Appliance (NTAP; $27; 4 STARS), QLogic (QLGC; $13; 4 STARS), and Western Digital (WDC; $22; 4 STARS).

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