Processor Newspaper Volume 31 Number 21

2009·13.5 MB·English

by  Sandhills Publishing

P.O. Box 85518
Lincoln, NE 68501-5518
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August 14, 2009
Volume 31 Number 21
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Products, News & Information Data Centers Can Trust. Since 1979
In This Issue... Windows 7:
Network
COVER FOCUS
Traffic
Windows 7
It’s All About
With Windows 7 on the horizon, chances are
your enterprise is at least discussing an overall Management:
strategy and plan. We run down what you can
expect from the new OS, along with expert
advice for when and how to implement it. The Big
The Features
Windows 7: It’s All About The Features..........................1
When To Implement Windows 7....................................7
Picture
Are You Ready For Windows 7?....................................8
What’s Next For Microsoft?............................................9
What To Expect From cached at local branch offices (for a natural
Develop A VoIP & Unified
Traffic Management,
reduction in network traffic) and therefore
Communications Strategy Microsoft’s Latest OS
offers an improved response time.” Shaping & QoS Provide
What are your enterprise’s needs when it
This cached data can either be distributed
comes to VoIP and unified communications? by Chris A. MacKinnon across peer client computers (in distributed The Tools To Guarantee
How can you meet those needs
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) cache mode) or centrally hosted on a server Performance
while controlling costs?
IT’S ALMOST TIME for enterprises to open (in hosted cache mode). BITS (Background
We talked with experts to
their doors to the newest addition to the Intelligent Transfer Service) 4.0 was also
find out. See page 22.
Windows family—or is it? When Windows updated to leverage BranchCache. by Kurt Marko
Vista came on the scene, (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
many enterprises were THATTHECAPACITYof enterprise networks
TECH & TRENDS
so entrenched with Win- has exploded over the last few years isn’t
■Effective traffic managementrequires accurately dows XP, they hesitated, breaking news, but what’s underappreci-
identifying and classifying applications and their network and Vista was not widely ated is the increasing diversity of traffic.
flows......................................................................page 1 deployed. So what new Convergence is a mantra for many net-
features has Microsoft work managers—dedicated voice and data
■Aside from general cooling issues, it’s not often that
developed that speak di- circuits are passé as every form of com-
you stop to consider how the shape and size of your
rectly to enterprise users? munication has been packetized for IP
data center impacts data center cooling. Does your
What is so appealing
data center’s size and shape matter?................page 30
about the latest offering
Key Points
■Counterintuitive as it may seem, growth doesn’t from the king of OSes?
always stop when the budget does. Even with IT in the Here is a look at Micro-
(cid:127) Converged voice/data networks with
grip of freezes and cutbacks, many enterprises continue soft’s newest operating
diverse and latency-sensitive applications
to find themselves with increasing IT needs....page 31 system.
can require traffic management and QoS
■The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Feature-Rich to guarantee acceptable performance.
is designed to provide better security management, poli-
Bob Kelly, senior prod- (cid:127) Effective traffic management requires
cies, and procedures within the payment card industry.
uct manager at KACE accurately identifying and classifying
Businesses that process payment card transactions have
(www.kace.com), says applications and their network flows—a
obligations under this industry standard..............page 32
there are a number of challenging prospect when many apps
■With no short-term end in sight for today’s resource Windows 7 features that tunnel through the HTTP port.
challenges, many enterprises are searching for better will appeal to enterprises (cid:127) Traffic management can be achieved by
ways to address their pain points........................page 33 and data centers. “For starters,” Kelly says, According to Kelly, Windows 7 will also queuing flows with fixed priorities, enforc-
“a new admin feature available to those that provide a better experience for those in VDI ing data rate limits (policing), or buffering
■Adhering togreen initiativesis a challenge for most
deploy Windows 7 in a Windows Server (virtual desktop interface) mode. Such an and signaling applications (shaping).
organizations. But for government agencies, where red
2008 r2 environment is a feature called experience has always meant reduced func-
tape gathers like cobwebs in an old house, meeting envi-
BranchCache, which enables content for tionality and feature sets, but Windows 7
ronmental requirements within a predetermined time
file and Web servers on a WAN to be removes many of these limitations. “This transport—and although this strategy
frame can seem next to impossible....................page 34
includes support for Windows Aero, use of makes efficient use of available capacity
multiple monitors, [and] viewing of videos and is a big money-saver, it exposes limita-
NEWS Key Points
in Windows Media Player 11 and also tions of historically data-only networks.
■Privacy concerns are prompting U.S. government includes some administration tools for By default, all IP traffic receives equal
agencies to revisit a policy that prohibits the use of per- (cid:127) Windows 7 offers a number of compelling manipulating these virtual images,” he says. claim on available capacity, yet divergent
sistent cookies or Web beacons ......................page 2 features for enterprises and their employ- Kelly says that startup and standby resume network applications such as phone calls
ees, including productivity enhancements, times have also been significantly enhanced and file transfers respond quite differently
■Microsoft has agreed to hire about 400 Yahoo! reliability improvements, user-friendly in Windows 7, and the new Taskbar intro- to bandwidth constraints, delays, or retrans-
employeesas part of a plan to share the revenue gen- security controls, and a relatively slim duces many intuitive features, which are missions. Traditional IP networks behave
erated from Internet search advertising................page 3 overall footprint. most noticeable when you first use it. like a crowded thoroughfare where ambu-
■A recent Gartner survey found that software budgets (cid:127) AppLocker, a new feature in Windows 7, lances and fire engines must wait their turn
Benefits For Admins
worldwide may be 1.53% larger next year............page 3 replaces software restriction policies and at a signalized intersection just like every-
gives administrators the ability to control Although the new Taskbar is definitely a one else. According to Jim Frey, research
■According to data from IDC, mobile phone ship-
how users can use scripts, applications, nice step forward for Windows users, Kelly director at Enterprise Management Asso-
ments were down 10.8% in the second quarter, and IDC
and installation files. says Microsoft has also focused more on ciates (www.enterprisemanagement.com),
expects the mobile market to decline about 13% for the
(cid:127) Managed service accounts have also how Windows 7 makes life better for ad- the goal of traffic management is to provide
whole year............................................................page 3
been introduced in Windows 7 to reduce ministrators. He says, “Despite User Account more intelligent handling of network appli-
the account management overhead that Control being a powerful and neces- cations. In converged networks, with het-
The Processor.com home page is frequently updated with
is required for critical services and appli- sary security feature of Windows Vista, it erogeneous traffic, that requires a means of
new articles and hardware news to help you keep current.
cations. has been more of an annoyance due to the prioritizing and managing data flows using
Visit www.processor.com today.
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Also In This Issue... News
TECH & TRENDS
❙ European Union To Decide On makers in their companies aren’t convinced will be able to choose from a “ballot screen”
■We all know that eating more vegetables and saving Oracle, Sun Microsystems of the benefits of cloud computing. IT execu- whether to use IE as the default browser or a
10% of each paycheck are smart moves, yet most of us tives believe that benefits include improved competing browser.
have reasons for why we don’t do such things. Could the On Sept. 3, the European Commission plans efficiency, resource scalability, cost-cutting,
❙
enterprise community be treating cloud computingthe to release its first opinion on Oracle’s planned the ability to experiment, and enhanced IT Greenpeace Protests
same way?..........................................................page 35 takeover of Sun Microsystems that will state responsiveness. Most surveyed executives HP’s Environmental Policy
whether it clears the European Union Merger say that they would be most interested in run-
■It’s one of the most thankless jobs in all of IT: Although HP has claimed to be making
Regulation or violates any antitrust laws. The ning Web services and business analytics in
strides of late toward greater eco-friendliness,
ensuring the company has enough software licenses
U.S. Department of Justice is also looking the cloud.
members of environmental activist organiza-
for everyone. It can also cost a company dearly if it
doesn’t pay close enough attention....................page 36 into the case. Specifically, the DoJ is investi- ❙ U.S. Government Debates tion Greenpeace
gating how rights to Java are licensed. Oracle
Use Of Web Visitor Tracking disagree—and have
■Generation Yadults don’t always share the same announced the proposal to purchase Sun vandalized HP’s facili-
view of work or the same expectations of their employers Microsystems in April for about $7.4 billion in Internal privacy concerns are prompting ties to show it. As a
as earlier generations..........................................page 37 cash, or $9.50 per share, in a move aimed at U.S. government agencies to revisit a protest against HP’s
helping Oracle to better compete with rival policy established in 2000 that prohibit-
■News of IT threats from botnets or malwaretypically recent delay in eliminat-
hardware and software vendors. ed the use of persistent cookies or Web
ing certain chemicals
focuses on larger enterprises, but small to midsized
enterprises should also be aware of botnets and mal- ❙ Microsoft, Yahoo! Strike Search Deal beacons. The latest federal policy pro- from its manufacturing
posal allows single- and multisession
processes, members of
ware and the damage they can do......................page 38
After months of negotiations, Microsoft and cookies but gives Web visitors the
Greenpeace defaced the
Yahoo! agreed to a 10-year Internet search choice to opt out. Associated privacy
California company’s
TIPS & HOW TO
and advertising partnership to challenge advocates argue that site visitors
headquarters by painting
■SMEs have good reason to seek better hardware Google’s search industry dominance. Under should be able to expect a private session. the words “Hazardous
pricing in a down economy; however, low prices are no the deal’s terms, Yahoo! will use Microsoft’s However, the goal of using cookies is to Products” on the roof using children’s
bargain if the product is not genuine..................page 26 Bing search engine on Yahoo! Web sites and improve Web site customer service as well finger paints to stress using nonhaz-
license its own search technology to Microsoft. as enhance Web analytics. Since 2000, gov-
■Like everything else, there is a right way and a wrong ardous materials. Greenpeace claims it
Yahoo! will also be in charge of search ad ernment sites have been required to post
was disappointed in the computer mak-
way to go about server virtualization..................page 26
sales for both companies. The agreement stip- explanations behind gathering user data
er’s delay in banning polyvinyl chloride
■Securityis a regular preoccupation for IT managers, ulates that Microsoft will pay Yahoo! 88% of the from visitors. plastic and brominated flame retardants
but it means different things to different people. After identi- search revenue generated from its own sites ❙ Microsoft Offers Resolution in its products. In a statement, HP decried
fying the threats that require a solution, IT managers have for the first five years. Microsoft and Yahoo! In IE Case Greenpeace’s “unconstructive antics,” saying
another decision to make: hosted or in-house?....page 28 together account for about 28% of the search it was still committed to reducing harmful
market share, compared to Google’s 65%. For In an attempt to resolve the lingering anti-
■Because of the increasing amount of data and the materials and stressing its position as a
more, see page 33. trust case against it by the European Union,
leader in e-waste recycling.
cost of storing it all, many companies are turning to
❙ Microsoft is proposing a solution in which
tiered systems..................................................page 28 Barriers To Cloud Computing users will be able to choose their own default ❙ National Cyberspace Chief Resigns
According to a study performed by grid and browsers rather than the bundled Internet
The United States’ acting senior director for
COMPANIES
cloud services provider Platform Computing Explorer. The European Commission has
cyberspace, Melissa Hathaway, has resigned,
■Hergo Ergonomic Support Systems provides function- at the International Supercomputing charged Microsoft with violating antitrust laws citing personal reasons. Hathaway, who was
ally engineered modular technical office furniturefor Conference in June, 28% of surveyed IT by bundling its IE browser with its ubiquitous appointed by former President George W. Bush,
enterprises of all sizes........................................page 39 executives are planning to launch a private Windows operating system. Microsoft’s pro- previously headed the National Cyber Study
cloud this year. However, 76% of respon- posed solution says that IE will still be bun-
■Automated Systems Design’s products primarily con- Group, which developed the Comprehensive
dents believe that the business decision dled with its new Windows 7 OS, but users
National Cyber Security Initiative. In February,
sist of structured cabling systems and cable compo-
President Obama asked Hathaway to conduct a
nents for voice and data....................................page 42
WATCH THE 60-day review of cybersecurity at the govern-
■Founded in 2008, Polargy is a new company with This information provides a quick glimpse of current and historical stock ment level; the review was completed in April.
STOCKS
some very clear goals. “We want to establish Polargy as prices and trends for 14 major companies in the technology market. The report called for major advances in system
the de facto brand for airflow containment,” says security, saying “it is doubtful that the United
Polargy founder and CEO Cary Frame..............page 43 States can protect itself from the growing threat
% change from
Company Symbol Year Ago July 23 $ Aug. 6 $ previous issue of cybercrime and state-sponsored intrusions
PRODUCTS AMD AMD $4.80 $3.59 $3.69 ▲2.79% and operations.” Hathaway had been consid-
■IT WatchDogs’ new MicroGoose, a low-cost addition to CA CA $23.87 $19.12 $21.53 ▲12.6% ered a contender for the top cybersecurity post
a server rack, monitors temperature and humidity lev- Cisco Systems CSCO $24.25 $21.90 $22.31 ▲1.87% Obama announced in late May.
els in a server room or data center......................page 16 Dell DELL $25 $13.47 $13.16 ▼2.3% ❙ Google Sells AOL Stake For A Loss
Google GOOG $495.01 $437.34 $450.36 ▲2.98%
■Primavera Online High School relies heavily on email According to a quarterly report filed by Google
HP HPQ $45.82 $41.64 $42.21 ▲1.37%
and needed a solution that would prevent availability with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
IBM IBM $128.81 $117.06 $117.38 ▲0.27%
problems from occurring ....................................page 20 the search giant has sold its equity investment in
Intel INTC $24.23 $19.48 $18.70 ▼4%
■When SoftLayer, a provider of virtual data center ser- McAfee MFE $39.31 $44.15 $42.73 ▼3.22% America Online back to Time Warner. Although
the $283 million sale is reported as a $9 million
vices, began hearing requests from its clients for more Microsoft MSFT $28.13 $25.56 $23.46 ▼8.22%
gain in the quarter for Google, it actually repre-
and better solutions for mobile and remote workers, it Oracle ORCL $23.52 $22.20 $21.21 ▼4.46%
sents a 72% loss on the company’s $1 billion
turned to Mezeo..................................................page 20 Red Hat Software RHT $22.88 $23.24 $21.93 ▼5.64%
investment in AOL three and a half years ago,
Sun Microsystems JAVA $10.25 $9.22 $9.15 ▼0.76%
which gave it a 5% stake in the erstwhile dial-up
The Processor.com home page is frequently updated with Symantec SYMC $21.98 $17.46 $15.27 ▼12.54%
ISP powerhouse.
new articles and hardware news to help you keep current.
NOTE: This information is meant for reference only and should not be used as a basis for buy/sell decisions.
Visit www.processor.com today.
August 14, 2009 Processor.com Page 3
News
UpcomingITEvents
Are you looking to learn more about data center
❙ business-critical services to midmarket compa-
Ignoring Security Certificate Warnings or IT topics? Network with some of your peers?
nies in a way that best meets their individual Consider joining a group of data center
A recent study from Carnegie Mellon University needs.” Sparxent has acquired four companies professionals. If you have an event you’d like
shows that between 55% and 100% of study in the past year; financial details of the Cema- listed, please send an email to
[email protected].
participants disregarded browser warnings phore purchase were not disclosed.
about problems with Web sites’ security certifi- ❙
Ericsson Absorbs Nortel Wireless For
cates. The online survey consists of more than - AUGUST -
$1.13 Billion
400 Web surfers as well as 100 people that AITP Southwest Missouri
Carnegie Mellon brought in to study how peo- Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson Aug. 18
Springfield, Mo.
ple use the Internet. In particular, the study won the auction for Nortel Networks’ wireless
aitpspringfield.org
❙ notes that people felt they could safely ignore assets, paying a total of $1.13 billion. Nokia
Microsoft To Hire 400 Yahoo! Workers (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
messages when they visited a Web site that Siemens proposed an offer of $650 million in Oklahoma City AITP Chapter
Microsoft has agreed to hire about 400 Yahoo! they trust, but participants were more wary at June, which led to offers from other telecom Aug. 18
employees as part of a plan to share the rev- less trustworthy sites. The study also indicates enterprises. Ericsson outbid others to win Oklahoma City, Okla.
www.aitp.org/organization/chapters
enue generated from Internet search advertis- that Firefox users were the least likely to visit a Nortel’s CDMA and next-generation LTE wire-
/chapterhome.jsp?chapter=40
ing. Microsoft will also hire an additional 150 Web site after seeing a warning because of the less technologies. The agreement includes job
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
workers from Yahoo! to help with the transition. warning language used in Firefox 3. offers for at least 2,500 Nortel workers at ISSA Central Ohio
The plan puts Microsoft’s Bing search engine in ❙ Ericsson. Additionally, the acquisition includes Aug. 19, 8 a.m.
Jump In Graphics Chip Sales
control of the search results on Yahoo.com, CDMA contracts with Bell Canada, Leap, Sprint, Platform Labs
1275 Kinnear Road
while Yahoo! manages advertising sales and Analyst firm Jon Peddie Research indicates U.S. Cellular, and Verizon. Once a major player
Columbus, Ohio
marketing. Microsoft will pay Yahoo! 88% of the that graphics chips sales increased by 31.3% in the communications market, Nortel now plans
www.platformlab.org
revenue gathered from searches performed on to 98.3 million units sold in the second quarter. to sell off every portion of its business rather
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
Yahoo!’s sites. Microsoft will also pay Yahoo! AMD’s market share increased from 17.1% to than consolidating. ISSA Oklahoma City
$150 million over a period of three years to help 18.4%, and Nvidia dropped from 31.1% to ❙ Aug. 19
Courts OKs Bid For Nortel’s Spaghetti Warehouse
with transition costs. The deal is expected to be 29.2%; Intel, which sells chipsets with integrat-
Enterprise Solutions Business 101 E. Sheridan Ave.
in place in the first half of next year. ed graphics cores, has the largest graphic
Oklahoma City, Okla.
❙ chips share, showing an increase from 49.7% Nortel has received permission from U.S. and www.issa-okc.org
Researcher Uncovers Clampi Malware
to 50.3%. Jon Peddie Research indicates that Canadian bankruptcy courts to sell its Enter- (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
A Trojan by the name of Clampi has infected graphics chip sales don’t normally pick up until prise Solutions unit and Government Solutions AITP Omaha
Aug. 20, 5:30 p.m.
between 100,000 and 1 million Windows com- the third quarter, so the uptick in sales was a shares to Avaya based on a “stalking horse”
Seraph Corp.
puters and is almost impossible to track or surprise. The report says that upcoming releas- bid of $475 million. The bid essentially sets the
Omaha, Neb.
reverse engineer, according to Joe Stewart, the es of Windows 7 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard floor at $475 million for Nortel to auction its www.aitpomaha.org
director of malware research for SecureWorks’ will drive PC demand, so manufacturers are enterprise business; other interested parties, (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
counter-threat unit. Clampi targets financial infor- preparing for increased PC sales. including a joint venture between Siemens AG AITP Tarheel
Aug. 20, 6 p.m.
mation by turning up on computers when users and private equity firm Gores Group called
Foothill Brewery
are tricked into opening an email file attachment Enterprise Networks Holdings, must make bids
638 W. 4th St.
or when they visit one of 4,500 targeted sites, prior to Sept. 4. In January, Nortel filed for Winston-Salem, N.C.
including banking, credit card, shopping, and job Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Canada www.aitp.org
hunting sites. Stewart believes that there is only and the United States. Already, Ericsson has (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
ISSA Upstate SC
one group behind the malware and that it’s likely acquired Nortel’s CDMA and LTE businesses
Aug. 21, 11 a.m.
based in Russia or eastern Europe. based on a $1.13 billion bid that topped a
NuVox
❙ $650 million stalking horse bid from Nokia; 301 N. Main St., Suite 5000
Software Spending To Climb
however, RIM has argued that some of Nortel’s Greenville, S.C.
A Bit In 2010
❙ wireless technology should remain in Canada, www.upstate-issa.org/index.htm
Cell Phone Shipments Down In Q2
A recent Gartner survey found that software which prompted an emergency meeting report- (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
ISSA Des Moines
budgets worldwide may be 1.53% larger next According to data from IDC, mobile phone edly set for early this month with a Canadian
Aug. 24, 11:30 a.m.
year. However, North American enterprises are shipments were down 10.8% in the second House of Commons committee, which will 1401 50th St., Suite 200
still expected to budget slightly less than the quarter, and IDC expects the mobile market to review if RIM was shut out of the original bank- West Des Moines, Iowa
rest of the world with a 2.06% overall decrease, decline about 13% for the whole year. Cell ruptcy proceedings. (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
ISSA Baltimore
despite 28% of companies polled predicting phone makers shipped 269.6 million units ❙
Programmers Guild Dealt Setback Aug. 26, 4:30 p.m.
increases in spending. Funds that have been worldwide, though this decline wasn’t as bad
Sparta Inc.
held back from infrastructure upgrades will like- as Q1. However, smartphones continued to A legal effort by the Programmers Guild of pro- 7110 Samuel Morse Drive, Suite 200
ly be retargeted toward new applications sell well and see a high demand in Q2; accord- fessional technical workers was dealt a setback Columbia, Md.
intended to help companies compete, such as ing to Ryan Reith, senior research analyst for late last month by a U.S. Court of Appeals in www.issa-balt.org
self-service Web sites and new Internet deliv- IDC, “Among the big handset vendors, Nokia, Philadelphia. The guild has been working to
- SEPTEMBER -
ery channels, Gartner says. The April/May sur- Samsung, Research In Motion, and Apple all fight an extension the Bush administration
AFCOM
vey polled 1,000 IT pros around the world. beat expectations for smartphones within the approved in 2008, which extended the time for- Central Ohio
❙ second quarter.” Nokia leads the mobile market eign students could work on student visas from Sept. 9, 11:30 a.m.
Delay In New Bus Spec
with 38.3%, followed by Samsung, LG, one year to 29 months; however, the appeals Columbus, Ohio
www.afcomcentralohio.org
The PCI Special Interest Group has announced Motorola, and Sony Ericsson. court upheld a previous ruling from a U.S.
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
that it is delaying the release of the PCI-E 3.0 ❙ District Court that ruled the guild didn’t have
Microsoft Ditches IE-Free Version AITP
base specification from later this year to the legal standing to argue the case. At the time Central Idaho
Of Win7
second quarter of next year, and hardware that Bush extended the visa, there was a high Sept. 9, 11:45 a.m.
supports the spec should be available in 2011. Microsoft says it will now ship the same version demand for H-1B visas, but following the eco- Owyhee Plaza Hotel
1109 Main St.
The foundation of the spec is in place, but the of Windows 7 in Europe as it does to the rest of nomic recession, demand for foreign workers
Boise, Idaho
group wants to take more time working out a the world. The change comes as Microsoft fell off considerably. Reportedly, 20,000 of the
www.boisestate.edu/dpma/dpmaci
few specification details, such as power con- says the European Commission “welcomed” its 85,000 available H-1B visas for this year are /centida.html
straints and backward-compatibility. The updat- proposal to instead offer users of the operating still available. The Programmers Guild is argu- (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
ed spec is expected to double the data transfer system in Europe a ballot screen that will let ing that the visa extension has resulted in more AITP San Diego
Sept. 9, 5:30 p.m.
rates for PCI Express peripherals, such as them select the Web browser they want to use. competition for jobs and lowered wages for
Cloud Computing Event
graphics cards, while consuming less power Earlier, Microsoft announced that, in its effort to U.S. workers. The guild plans to ask the court
San Diego, Calif.
than the PCI-E 2.0 spec. Other perks of the meet the Oct. 22 worldwide availability date for to reconsider the decision and may possibly sandiego.aitp.org
spec include smarter and faster data transfers Win7, it would create a version of the OS seek an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
and, of course, backward-compatibility. dubbed Windows 7E without a Web browser ❙ AITP Washington, D.C.
Vista Makes Gains Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m.
❙ for sale in Europe. In a blog post, Microsoft
Online Ad Revenue Slips Alfio’s Restaurant
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Just months before the expected release of
4515 Willard Ave.
According to a recent report from industry ana- Dave Heiner says concerns from consumers, Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system, the Chevy Chase, Md.
lyst IDC, online ad spending is on the decline. computer manufacturers, and partners led to latest OS information from Forrester Research aitpwashdc.ning.com
The report finds that the worldwide advertising the decision to offer the ballot screen version. shows that Windows Vista is now installed on (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
ISSA Northeast Ohio
market dropped 5% in Q2 compared to Q2 about 12% of corporate desktops, up more than
2008. Last year, organizations spent $14.7 bil- ❙ Solution Provider Acquires Cemaphore 4% during the past year. Mac OS X also made Sept. 10, 8 a.m.
Corporate College East
lion on online search ads, display ads, and Sparxent, which provides consulting, software, gains, mostly at WinXP’s expense, according to 4400 Richmond Road
classified ads, whereas this year that number and services to midsized companies, has Forrester, and is now on 3.6% of corporate desk- Warrensville Heights, Ohio
amounted to $13.9 billion. Only Asia/Pacific and added email synchronization abilities with its tops. With the anticipated releases of Windows 7 neoissa.org
Japan showed increases in spending. Online ad acquisition of Cemaphore Systems. Dave R. and Apple’s next OS, Snow Leopard, “most IT (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
AITP Garden State
spending in the United States dropped 7% to Taylor, co-founder of Sparxent, says Cema- operations professionals are in a holding pattern,”
Sept. 15
$6.2 billion, down from $6.6 billion in 2008. IDC phore’s real-time email synchronization prod- according to Forrester analyst Benjamin Gray. www.aitp.org/organization/chapters
predicts that the industry will continue to decline ucts, through both onsite products and via the Gray expects enterprises will begin Windows 7 /chapterhome.jsp?chapter=21
until the second half of 2010. cloud, will help Sparxent “deliver a portfolio of deployments in late 2010 or early 2011.
For more Upcoming IT Events, see page 7.
Page 4 Processor.com August 14, 2009
P S
RO D U C T P OT L I G H T
A Look At Some Of The Newest
Tape Backup Products
Crossroads Systems ReadVerify Appliance Crossroads
Systems
Crossroads Systems RVA (ReadVerify Appliance) is designed to provide a
simple means of monitoring, tracking, and reporting on tape devices and media TapeSentry
to help ensure the optimal performance and health of tape devices and tape
media, in addition to ensuring tape backup system integrity. With adequate vis-
ibility, RVA helps data center administrators discover and mitigate any media Designed to alleviate the security issues associated with tape storage, Crossroads Systems
or hardware issues before an organization-threatening failure occurs. TapeSentry encrypts tape media to prevent unauthorized access, theft, and data loss. Adding
TapeSentry to a data center won’t impact server performance and is designed for quick and easy
Best For:Proactively monitoring and validating the integrity of tape media and implementation with the ability to configure any port, host access, or device connectivity. TapeSentry
tracking the performance and utilization of tape devices. features centralized key management via a Web-based interface with support for flexible, non-drive, or
device-dependent encryption policies. Other features include multisite key replication, automatic back-
(cid:127) Monitors, tracks, and reports on performance and utilization in real time up and recovery, and secure sharing of data in the event of a disaster recovery effort.
(cid:127) Helps prevent backup system failures
(cid:127) Offers insight into incomplete or failed backups Best For:Rapidly and cost-efficiently encrypting your data stored on tape with simple, secure, and
(cid:127) Helps discover and address system issues before failures occur robust key management.
(cid:127) Automatic alerting and reporting
(cid:127) Data encryption to prevent loss or theft
ReadVerify Appliance RV50f, 1 to 4GB FC, RJ-45 MGMT Port, 1U, 90 slots included is (cid:127) Support for secure key management
$5,900 (MSRP) (cid:127) Requires no infrastructure updates or add-ons
[phone] (cid:127) Avoids performance slowdowns during integration with backup applications
www.crossroads.com (cid:127) Flexible encryption policies
(cid:127) Easy setup and configuration
TapeSentry f2, 2-port, 4Gbps tape encryption appliance is $17,500 (MSRP)
[phone]
www.crossroads.com
Gresham Enterprise Storage
Best For:Environments look-
Clareti Storage Director
ing to improve backup and
restore performance, lower
Clareti Storage Director, Gresham’s backup virtualization prod- operating expenses, and bet-
uct, is designed to deliver streamlined, optimized, and simpli- ter utilize existing hardware.
fied data protection for IBM Power Systems, HP NonStop, and
Open Systems. Storage Director works seamlessly with (cid:127) Easy integration with exist-
Gresham’s Backup Virtualization tools and also integrates disk ing backup applications,
and tape to help users gain optimal data protection. By using drives, libraries, and media types
Storage Director, data centers may save costs by reducing or (cid:127) Task automation
repurposing existing hardware, delivering cost-efficient growth, (cid:127) Scalability for small sites up to large enterprises
increasing operational uptime, simplifying operations, decreas- (cid:127) Simple for administrators to use Starts at $10,000
ing backup failures, and cutting down on the number of re- (cid:127) Provides disk performance combined with the security and [phone]
quired tape volumes. cost efficiency of tape www.gresham-storage.com
HP StorageWorks DAT160 USB Tape Drive
Protect your small or medium-sized enterprise, remote office, or workgroup with the HP
StorageWorks DAT 160 USB Tape Drive offering the highest capacity and performance
with the ability to store up to 160GB of compressed data on a single cartridge at speeds
of up to 50GB per hour (assuming 2:1 data compression). The DAT 160 USB Tape Drive
is available with a USB 2.0 interface for low-cost universal plug-and-play connectivity in a
choice of models, including internal (which also fits in the 1U Rack-Mount kit) and exter-
nal, making it compatible with virtually any server environment.
Best For:Small and medium-sized enterprises requiring cost-effective long-life data
retention.
HP StorageWorks RDX
(cid:127) Can store up to 160GB on a single cartridge, while backing up to 50GB per hour or
Removable Disk Backup System
one cartridge in about three hours
(cid:127) Two-generation backward-compatibility with DAT 40 and DAT 72 tape drives
The RDX Removable Disk Backup System offers fast disk-based performance with the abili- (cid:127) Low-cost backup solution and ongoing low cost of ownership
ty to store 160GB or 320GB of data on a single removable disk cartridge at speeds of up to (cid:127) Universal plug-and-play native USB 2.0 interface
108GB per hour. Portable, durable, and rugged removable disk cartridges let you simply and (cid:127) Small half-height form factor and choice of models to fit servers, workstations, and
securely store backups offsite for complete data protection and peace of mind. rackmount kits
Best For: Small and medium-sized enterprises needing a simple, inexpensive, and reliable Starts at $729
way to protect critical data and systems. [phone]
www.hp.com
(cid:127) Drag-and-drop file access designed to make backup as simple and convenient as a
mouse click
(cid:127) Backup of data at hard drive speeds of up to 108GB per hour
(cid:127) Random disk access to restore critical files in seconds
(cid:127) Easy scalability and expandability
(cid:127) Plug-and-play implementation
Starts at $279
[phone]
www.hp.com
August 14, 2009 Processor.com Page 5
P S
RO D U C T P OT L I G H T
Compiled by Seth Colaner
Overland Storage Spectra Logic T50e Tape Library
NEO 2000E & 4000E
The Spectra Logic T50e Tape Library offers enterprise capabilities in a compact 4U rack-
mount library with a range of support options to complement specific requirements. The T50e
Designed for easy installation and compatibility with features LTO technology, library media management functionality, and increased security
future technologies, the Overland Storage NEO through the integrated BlueScale Encryption. It is compatible with all major backup packages
2000E and 4000E offer embedded SCSI, Fibre and operating systems. Connectivity options on the T50e include direct-connect SCSI or
Channel, or SAS connectivity. In addition to support Fibre Channel, with iSCSI support planned in the future.
for LTO half-height tape drive and direct-connect
interfaces for lowering initial costs and ensuring Best For: SMBs and remote offices.
data protection, the NEO 2000E integrates with
Overland’s REO Series of disk-based backup and (cid:127) Setup takes less than half an hour
recovery VTLs, Snap Server NAS appliances, and (cid:127) Management via Web browser for easy operation
ULTAMUS RAID SAN. It also features a scalable, (cid:127) Built-in AES 256-bit BlueScale Encryption and Key Management
multimodular design from 30 to 240 cartridges per (cid:127) Monitors its own drives, power supplies, controller, and robotics with the AutoSupport
module. The 4000E features redundant power. features
(cid:127) Media Lifecycle Management and Certified Media tools to detect media errors before
Best For:Midrange data storage requirements. they happen
(cid:127) Storage capacity of 12TB (2000E) or 24TB (4000E) up to 384TB Starts at $9,995
(cid:127) Can handle 432GB per hour up to 13.8TB per hour [phone]
(cid:127) Embedded SCSI, Fibre Channel, and SAS connectivity www.spectralogic.com
(cid:127) Support for LTO half-height tape drive and direct-connect interfaces
(cid:127) Modular design for scalability
(cid:127) Easy integration with existing storage devices and appliances
Starts at $8,999 for the 2000E and $39,999 for the 4000E
[phone]
www.overlandstorage.com
Spectra Logic T680 Sun Microsystems StorageTek SL3000
Tape Library Modular Library System
The Spectra Logic T680 Tape Library features The Sun StorageTek SL3000 Modular Library System lets you grow your tape automation
the ability to store a petabyte of data in a sin- environment at your own pace, from 200 to more than 3,000 cartridge slots. Its open design
gle rack space and is expandable up to more offers true mixed media, logical and physical partitioning capabilities, advanced manage-
than 10,000 slots of storage. Designed to ment, and high-availability features, so you can consolidate mainframe and open systems
eliminate backup failures caused by dirty or environments while minimizing power, space, and operating costs.
overused tape media, the T680 supports
Spectra’s BlueScale software to provide a sin- Best For:Midrange storage needs.
gle layer for a number of management tasks.
(cid:127) Scales from 200 to 3,000 cartridge slots
Best For:Medium-sized businesses to small (cid:127) RealTime Growth and Capacity on Demand simplify scalability
enterprises. (cid:127) Flexible solution for partitioning, sharing, and managing
(cid:127) Employs technologies designed to simplify capacity planning
(cid:127) Supports up to 680 tape cartridges and (cid:127) Supports for both mainframe and open systems
TranScales to the T950 for more than
10,000 tape cartridges Starts at $67,990
(cid:127) 1.08PB (compressed) maximum capacity [phone]
(cid:127) Supports 12 full-height tape drives (with www.sun.com
support for up to 24 drives planned)
(cid:127) 10.4TB/hour (compressed) throughput with
LTO-4 drives and media
(cid:127) Connectivity via nTier disk cache, VTL,
Fibre Channel, SCSI, or iSCSI
Starts at $67,780
[phone]
www.spectralogic.com
Service Providers Offering Tape Recycling, New & Used Tape Media
Data Media Source RecycleYourMedia/
Storage Media
Data Media Source provides complete
data destruction services for all tape Brokers
media formats. The company reclaims
used media, repurposing it to keep it
RecycleYourMedia buys excess new
from landfills or incineration and provid-
and used data tape media from com-
ing the disposer some form of reclaim
panies when the media are out of
value per tape. Data Media Source pro-
archive or no longer in use. The company also recycles tapes that no longer have any
vides a secure means of erasing data
resale value. The company’s premise is to keep e-waste out of landfills, as tapes that
and reclaiming tapes and components
have been written to only a few times can still be used. In fact, some tapes can be writ-
for further use. Total data security, controlled chain of custody, a detailed certificate of data
ten to more than 1 million times. RecycleYourMedia helps the environment by keeping
destruction, and all logistics costs are included. And, pricing for services typically nets out to
used media out of landfills and helping companies recoup initial IT expense and avoid
free or a net reclaim value, so companies can properly dispose of obsolete tapes and turn a
costly shredding fees.
laborious chore with a big labor cost into a completed solution with a net payback.
[phone] (cid:127) www.datamediasource.com [phone] (cid:127) www.recycleyourmedia.com
Page 6 Processor.com August 14, 2009
Windows 7: It’s All enhancements, reliability improvements,
Survey Says:
user-friendly security controls, and a rela-
tively slim overall footprint. However, if Windows 7
About The Features
enterprises did not adopt Windows Vista last
time around, Hsu says the challenge will be
Here are a few findings from a survey con-
getting from WinXP to Win7. “Increasingly,
ducted by market research firm Dimensional
Continued from Page 1 required for critical services and applications. we are finding that enterprise customers are
Research and commissioned by KACE
frequency with which it was presented, along “The benefit here,” Kelly says, “is that you taking advantage of this upgrade cycle to
(www.kace.com).
with the lack of useful information offered can isolate privileges for an application with- rethink their overall desktop strategy and
by the notifications.” Kelly says this has been out the need to manage a new account.” implement an infrastructure that will make
(cid:127) Of those surveyed, 84% do not plan to
addressed in Windows 7 by providing more Kelly points out that many of the admin- Windows 7 future migrations dramatically
upgrade existing Windows desktops and
granular control over when prompts appear focused features of Windows 7 (such as easier and less costly,” he says.
laptops to Windows 7 in the next year.
onscreen and by offering accurate informa- AppLocker and the new service accounts) “Today, users have a very binary, unset-
(cid:127) About 72% indicated they are more con-
tion about what has caused the warning. apply to Windows 7 in a Windows Server tling transition—one day their PC is run-
cerned about upgrading to Windows 7
AppLocker, a new feature in Windows 7, 2008 r2 environment. “With so many com- ning XP, the next it is Windows 7, and
than staying with an outdated Windows XP
replaces software restriction policies and pelling features tied to this new release of rarely are any of their settings preserved,”
operating system.
Hsu continues. “By introducing Windows 7
(cid:127) Half of the respondents revealed they have
Microsoft has focused more on how Windows 7 virtual desktops and virtualizing applica-
considered moving from Windows to an
tions, the transition can be much easier for
alternative operating system, and 27% of
makes life better for administrators. enterprises. Users can still have their XP
those cited Mac OS as the top alternative.
environment for a time, with the Windows
(cid:127) About 60% of survey respondents do not
7 virtual desktop delivered to the same
presently have a tool in place that auto-
gives administrators the ability to control Windows Server, there are likely to be a lot device. Then, use of XP can be phased out
mates operating system migration.
how users can use scripts, applications, and more than desktop updates taking place in after the transition period is complete.”
(cid:127) Economic factors such as budget freezes
installation files. Rules are defined based the coming months,” he predicts. In Hsu’s opinion, to leverage desktop vir-
and staff reductions were cited as other rea-
on digital signatures to dictate the files that tualization for Windows 7, a key considera-
From WinXP To Win7, Virtually sons to not immediately adopt Windows 7.
are permitted to run. If specific files are not tion is ensuring that users get the same rich
included in the rules, those files are not per- Calvin Hsu, director of product marketing desktop experience as a local PC. He says
mitted to run. for the desktop delivery group at Citrix Windows 7 includes some fundamental
Kelly says managed service accounts have (www.citrix.com), says Windows 7 offers a enhancements to the way graphics and mul- Microsoft’s DirectX technology and pro-
also been introduced in Windows 7 to reduce number of compelling features for enterpris- timedia are displayed, namely Windows vides hardware acceleration and enhance-
the account management overhead that is es and their users, including productivity Presentation Foundation, which is built on ments to graphics and user interfaces. P
Network Traffic Management: packet flows that data rate limits, and shap- or no QoS at all, can provide the needed
ing, which attempts to smooth out flows performance without the expense and man-
and avoid traffic bursts by buffering and agement headaches of complex QoS sys-
The Big Picture
signaling endpoints to reduce their trans- tems.” These might include an appliance,
mission speed. service provider, or just separate VoIP and
Traffic conditioning is often found in data VLANs.
Continued from Page 1 of acronyms. However, for IT managers WAN accelerators; however, Siegel says Frey points out that the same technology
QoS priorities and other contention man- who don’t want to become experts in queu- several vendors offer special-purpose appli- used to classify and prioritize traffic is
agement techniques. ing theory, the bottom line, according to ances that orchestrate conditioning across needed for security threat detection; thus,
Steven House, director of product market- Siegel, is that real-time applications such as multiple LANs. Not surprisingly, most are many vendors have integrated QoS fea-
ing at Blue Coat Systems (www.bluecoat VoIP or IP teleconferencing require a strict high-end appliances designed for large tures into UTM appliances. Some dedicated
.com), sees two drivers for traffic manage- priority queue above all other data, and enterprises or ISPs, although Siegel and traffic-shaping products are specifically
ment: to protect mission-critical, latency- remaining bandwidth should be allocated Frey both note that many telecom providers designed for the SME. In addition to traffic
sensitive applications such as VoIP, video, shaping, these often incorporate features
or remote desktop clients and to control such as WAN and VPN load balancing and
With more applications tunneling through
“recreational” network traffic such as failover, content acceleration and filtering,
YouTube, Facebook, or P2P file-sharing. and security features (firewall, IDS).
HTTP port 80, traffic classification often
Frey largely agrees, noting that real-time
Applications For Traffic Management
communication has been the main catalyst requires deep packet inspection rather than
behind QoS usage. Before embarking on a traffic manage-
relying on IP and Transport layer data. ment or QoS initiative, Siegel says it’s
Back To Basics
important to understand existing network
The basics of QoS are quite simple—the conditions. “People never know what’s on
ability to differentiate and discriminate among flows managed via a class-based now offer traffic management services their network,” he says, adding that net-
between different traffic flows and provide algorithm. Siegel adds that in order to appropriate for SMEs. work managers should enable netflow
preferred performance or bandwidth guar- avoid overloading available capacity and in accounting on routers and switches to
SME Traffic Management Basics
antees for time-sensitive applications under turn violating performance guarantees, gather traffic statistics. Yet, as House
congested conditions. Unfortunately, the admission to the strict priority queue Complexity is the biggest problem with points out, netflow can’t identify and
implementation is often mind-numbingly should be controlled using some form of traffic management/QoS systems, which classify the new generation of network
complex. Proper traffic classification is flow conditioning. Siegel cautions “must be carefully designed applications that tunnel traffic through
critical, says House; however, with more and implemented to ensure that all network port 80, a limitation easily overcome by
Traffic Shaping
applications tunneling through HTTP port components work together properly to pro- traffic shaping appliances using deep
& Conditioning Technologies
80, it often requires deep packet inspection vide some traffic flows with better service packet inspection.
rather than merely relying on IP and Although queue-based QoS prioritizes than others”—a requirement, in addition to Siegel says traffic analysis may reveal
Transport layer data. traffic, bumping the most critical packets or cost, that makes them infeasible for smaller that rather than having a QoS problem,
Once traffic is classified, Burton Group frames to the head of the line, Siegel says, enterprises. “A major goal for SMBs is to the network may just have an “inappro-
senior analyst Eric Siegel outlines nu- “Flow [or traffic] conditioning techniques avoid complexity,” he says, adding that priate use” problem, with employees
merous QoS techniques, including traffic monitor network traffic loads in an effort to SMEs should “think about ways to simplify downloading movies or other bandwidth-
conditioning, policing, and shaping, flow anticipate and avoid congestion at common the QoS situation, use it only when neces- hogging content. Instead of a complex
queuing, link fragmentation, and interleav- network bottlenecks.” These typically fol- sary, and use the simplest form that works.” QoS solution, he quips, “You may just
ing. Vendors have introduced a number of low one of two fundamental strategies: Yet all isn’t lost, because, Siegel notes, “In want to put in some [router] ACLs to
queuing algorithms with an alphabet soup policing, which monitors and discards many cases, much simpler QoS technology, blow this stuff away.” House adds that
packet-shaping appliances offer a less
draconian solution because they can auto-
Router QoS Technology Overview
matically identify and classify such uasge
and build simple policies—for example,
QoS devices provide a number of different functions as shown in the block limiting all social networking traffic to
diagram of a complex router. Traffic enters the router, where it’s examined 10% of the total bandwidth.
by the classification function. Flows are then conditioned to ensure they Although traffic management is a pow-
conform to bandwidth limits. Should there be congestion on an outgoing erful tool, particularly on large, complex
route, a flow’s packets are temporarily placed in a queue. Finally, the out- networks, it’s no panacea. “Quality of ser-
put from a router can have larger data rate bursts than the inputs to a vice is a useful technology for providing
router; therefore, routers usually provide a final traffic-shaping buffer. multiple service levels. However, it does-
n’t provide additional bandwidth, and it
can be expensive and complex to imple-
ment,” notes Siegel, concluding “It’s
always worth careful analysis to see if sim-
SOURCE: “TRAFFICCONTENTIONMANAGEMENTTECHNOLOGIES pler, less-expensive alternatives can handle
FORQUALITYOFSERVICE”; BURTONGROUPIN-DEPTH
RESEARCHOVERVIEWBYERICSIEGEL; APRIL30, 2009. the situation instead of a full, complex QoS
implementation.” P
August 14, 2009 Processor.com Page 7
When To Implement
UpcomingIT Events
For more Upcoming IT Events, see page 3.
Windows 7
AITP Southwest Missouri
Sept. 15
Springfield, Mo.
aitpspringfield.org
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
Central Ohio PMI
Hardware Refreshes & Software Sept. 15, 8 a.m.
Key Points Platform Labs
Support Are Factors To Consider 1275 Kinnear Road
Columbus, Ohio
(cid:127) Analysts say that Microsoft will work out
www.platformlab.org
by Bruce Gain likely ironed out compatibility problems the bugs in Window 7 early, so admins can (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) and upgraded security features early before forgo waiting for SP1 before implementing Central Ohio VMware User Group
MICROSOFTISPUTTINGthe finishing touch- its launch, Kay says. the OS. Sept. 15, 9 a.m.
Platform Labs
es on Windows 7 for launch later this year, For enterprises with Vista PCs, Michael (cid:127) Prepare to bring Windows 7 into the enter-
1275 Kinnear Road
but most enterprises have not even adopted A. Silver, an analyst and research director prise already installed on new PCs as part Columbus, Ohio
Vista yet after it became available more at Gartner, recommends only installing of a product refresh cycle. www.platformlab.org
than two years ago. According to analyst Windows 7 as soon as it is time to refresh (cid:127) Testing the OS’ compatibility with software (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
ISSA St. Louis Chapter
firm Gartner, more than 50% of enterprises PCs. and hardware interfaces in a lab environ-
Sept. 15
plan to skip Vista altogether. “We are not advocating installing ment is crucial before making the switch. St. Louis, Mo.
For those enterprises with Windows XP, Windows 7 over Vista on existing machines, stl.issa.org
admins generally remain content to keep the because our philosophy is to recommend (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
previous-generation OS loaded on their buying PCs with a new OS and trying to run because SP1 may be out already by the Oklahoma City AITP Chapter
Sept. 15
workstations as long as possible, says Roger that OS until the PC dies,” Silver says. “That time you get support from your application
Oklahoma City, Okla.
L. Kay, an analyst for Endpoint Technolo- way, you are not going to be sending a lot of vendors, which we believe is more impor- www.aitp.org/organization/chapters
gies Associates (www.ndpta.com). money to Redmond, and you don’t have to tant than SP1,” Silver says. /chapterhome.jsp?chapter=40
Brad Kowal, an IT man- (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
ager for Shands HealthCare Vendor & System Support AITP Northeastern
Wisconsin Chapter
in Florida, for example, Vendor support is also
Sept. 16, 4:15 p.m.
says only about 10% of his important to consider. Sup- Holiday Inn Select
enterprise’s PCs run Vista pose your enterprises’ work- 150 S. Nicolet Road
and that WinXP will remain stations are running WinXP Appleton, Wis.
its principal platform. “I with no problems and you new.aitp.org
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
think Microsoft is now off see no need to replace the
ISSA New Jersey
the beat of the upgrade systems in the foreseeable Sept. 16
cycle when it comes to feature. Even so, at some nj.issa.org
businesses because of the point, your application ven- (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
Vista launch,” Kowal says. dors may no longer support ISSA Oklahoma City
Sept. 16
“It should be interesting to their offerings for WinXP,
Spaghetti Warehouse
see how they convince Silver says. “Let’s assume 101 E. Sheridan Ave.
businesses to bypass Vista you have a number of im- Oklahoma City, Okla.
and go to Windows 7 as the portant back-client appli- www.issa-okc.org
next upgrade.” cations, and let’s assume (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
AITP Cornhusker “Connecting IT &
But even if enterprises they will continue to put out
People” Seminar
are less than enthusiastic a new release every few Sept. 17, 8:30 a.m.
about Microsoft’s latest and years,” he says, adding that SCC Continuing Education Center
greatest operating system, it will be several years later Lincoln, Neb.
enterprises will eventually before support issues arise www.aitpcornhusker.org/uploads/2009
_Seminar_Flyer.pdf
have to outgrow Windows with Vista. “By 2012, it is
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
XP, as well as Vista, wheth- going to become fairly com- AITP Greater Boston
er due to lack of vendor mon that these vendors will Sept. 17
support or compatibility no longer support XP on www.bostonaitp.org
issues associated with the their new releases, while (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
AITP Omaha
legacy operating systems in finding hardware with driv-
Sept. 17, 5:30 p.m.
the future. But how long can admins wait touch these machines with big OS upgrades er support will also become an issue.” Seraph Corp.
before they must install Windows 7 on their in the middle of their lives.” Beyond software vendor support, it’s Omaha, Neb.
enterprises’ workstations? Here is a look at important to make sure your hardware is www.aitpomaha.org
Not Waiting For SP1
what you need to consider as you decide ready, as well. As obvious as it may seem, a (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
AITP Tarheel
when to implement Microsoft’s latest OS. Admins have traditionally waited for key step in planning for a Windows 7 imple-
Sept. 17, 6 p.m.
Microsoft’s first service pack before mentation in your enterprise should involve Foothill Brewery
New Equipment, New Windows?
installing Vista, WinXP, and previous oper- installing the OS on a few test machines to 638 W. 4th St.
The fact that most admins have avoided ating systems on their enterprises’ machines. gauge hardware driver and software applica- Winston-Salem, N.C.
Vista and kept WinXP means that there is a This was seen as a prudent move in order to tion support first. The date by which you www.aitp.org
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
significant supply of older equipment in use give Microsoft time to work out operating need to outfit your enterprise with new PCs
Boston Society
that will soon require an upgrade, Kay says. system errors, compatibility problems, and may be a year or more away, but that doesn’t for Information Management
Among the organizations that have skipped other issues, which the first service packs mean you shouldn’t install and run the new Sept. 17
Vista, WinXP is seen as “quite serviceable,” often fixed. But this time around, it may be OS in a lab environment. By doing so, you www.simnet.org/Chapters/Northeast/Boston
Kay says. However, he believes it will be a unnecessary to wait for SP1 for Windows 7, can have the compatibility headaches ironed /tabid/78/Default.aspx
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
good idea for enterprises with PCs and lap- because some analysts believe that Microsoft out long before your upgrade goes live.
ISSA Upstate SC
tops that are four to five years old to consid- will have worked out the bugs earlier com- “Since application compatibility is still at Sept. 18, 11 a.m.
er installing Windows 7 after its launch as pared to its previous OS launches. the forefront of the minds of IT, testing NuVox
part of a PC refresh cycle when the operat- “Windows 7 is likely to be stable sooner [should] start early on staging environ- 301 N. Main St., Suite 5000
ing system becomes available. than XP, and there is not a really good rea- ments. This will allow for IT to begin to Greenville, S.C.
www.upstate-issa.org/index.htm
Although it is not recommended to son to wait that long for SP1,” Kay says. build a repository of applications that work
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
replace WinXP or even Vista with Win- Indeed, after its scheduled October re- with Windows 7,” says Nick Cavalancia, AITP Pittsburgh
dows 7 on existing PCs, it does makes lease, enterprises could safely begin to adopt vice president of Windows management at Sept. 21, 6 p.m.
more sense to upgrade as part of the next Windows 7 early next year if they are up- ScriptLogic (www.scriptlogic.com). “As Sokol Club-Southside
enterprise PC and laptop upgrade cycle, grading their PCs, Silver says. new machines are purchased, Windows 7 2912 E. Carson St.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Kay says. “We think that the first service pack is a will be utilized as is appropriate based on
www.aitp-pgh.org
“You will likely see Windows 7 installed bit of a bogus indicator at this point, mostly app usage.” P
with refreshes in which you swap out the - OCTOBER -
hardware, the environment, and the appli- Data Center World
Microsoft To Pull Support For WinXP In 2014
cations,” Kay says. “Because enterprise Oct. 4-7, 2009
Orlando, Fla.
client hardware is getting old, there will be
www.datacenterworld.com
a refresh cycle towards 2010.” Microsoft has announced that software compatibility does WinXP in the enterprise. “In
In fact, the Windows 7 upgrade cycle it will no longer support Win- not pose a problem, Micro- April 2014, you have to start
will be different from past ones from an dows XP after 2014. Although soft’s cut-off date will mean moving to higher ground,”
enterprise perspective because Windows 7 some enterprises could get that a lack of security and says Michael A. Silver, an
will likely represent the first Microsoft OS away with running the OS for other necessary updates will analyst and research director
launch since Windows 95 that “stimulates years to come if hardware and eventually spell the end of at Gartner.
an upgrade cycle,” as Microsoft will have
Page 8 Processor.com August 14, 2009
Are You Ready
News
For Windows 7?
Careful Evaluation Is Key
Key Points
To A Successful Deployment
(cid:127) Take advantage of the Microsoft
by Sandra Kay Miller Assessment and Planning Toolkit for
Which Version? Windows 7 Enterprise tool to assess
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127)
IBM’s Masking
WITH THE ESTIMATED ship date of Oct. 22 Windows 7 offers a variety of editions your upgrade needs.
Gateway For only a few short months away, it’s time to ranging from Home to Enterprise. Although (cid:127) Only machines with Windows Vista can
start considering a Windows 7 OS upgrade. SMEs may opt for the Professional version, upgrade directly to Windows 7.
Enterprises Although many organizations have chosen to the Ultimate and Enterprise editions offer a (cid:127) If the OS upgrade isn’t tied to a hardware
maintain the stable Windows 2000 and XP number of additional features, including refresh, be sure to test the new OS on a
Technology Protects
on their machines, those that skipped Vista DirectAccess, Enterprise Search, BitLocker, sample machine to ensure interoperability
Sensitive Data are hoping for a more robust and mature BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, Virtual between the OS and your existing hard-
operating system with this latest release. Desktop, and multiple language interfaces. ware and software.
Such an upgrade shouldn’t be taken light- (See the “Windows 7: Professional Or
Your bank has it, your doctor has it, and ly, however; careful planning, testing, and Enterprise?” sidebar for more details.)
your employer has it. Heck, even your evaluation are necessary before making the “I think that BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, is very specific according to OS edition. For
insurance provider has it. We’d probably leap to a new OS. Here are some things to and DirectAccess will be very popular fea- instance, Windows Vista Business can only
rather not think about the implications, but keep in mind in the testing stages. tures for administrators,” says Cobb. upgrade to Windows 7 Professional and
the sad fact remains: Your sensitive data For organizations that eschewed Vista with Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7
is in a lot of different places. But a new Getting Ready plans to skip to Windows 7, there will be no Ultimate. But for users upgrading between
technology from IBM takes a unique According to Michael Cobb, founder and direct upgrade path. Citing too many funda- editions, a clean install must be performed.
approach to protecting confidential data managing director of Cobweb Applications mental architecture changes to computers Clean installs are also required for upgrading
from being viewed or stolen by unautho- (www.cobwebapplications.co.uk), “The best since the release of WinXP, Microsoft chose between 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
rized personnel. thing users can do is make themselves fully to not provide an upgrade path from pre- For those organizations with an immediate
familiar with what Windows 7 has to offer.” Vista OSes to Windows 7. purchase timeline and budget for new hard-
IBM unveiled its MAGEN (Masking Gateway (For more information on the ware, Microsoft and its OEM
for Enterprises) technology, which essen- new OS, see “Windows 7: It’s partners are offering free
tially turns sensitive documents into image All About The Features” on upgrades to Windows 7 within
files and employs optical character recogni- page 1.) He suggests down- a certain time frame.
tion to determine which fields contain which loading the Windows 7 re-
data. It then masks the sensitive data lease candidate to test the cur- Practical Advice
based on preconfigured rules. When an rent environment and software “It pays to plan well in ad-
entity requests sensitive information, for of individual systems. vance for an OS upgrade,”
instance, to determine your eligibility for a For enterprise deployments, says David Jackson, a former
loan or to have your medical insurance Microsoft has also provided corporate IT professional who
pay for a given procedure, MAGEN auto- the MAP (Microsoft Assess- now provides targeted con-
matically masks all of the sensitive informa- ment and Planning) Toolkit sulting to organizations and
tion not pertinent to your loan approval or for Windows 7 Enterprise— nonprofits with limited IT
insurance claim, secures the masked an agentless utility that will budgets.
image, and then sends it to the requestor. inventory, assess, and create For SMEs that may not
Because it uses image files, no trace of a comprehensive report of have staff devoted completely
the sensitive data is attached to the file, clients, servers, and applica- to IT or those whose technolo-
making it impossible for malicious users to tions on the network. Ad- gy departments are already
extract that information from the document. ditionally, MAP addresses stretched to the limit, Jackson
The offering also doesn’t change the origi- security issues by identifying offers some tips for upgrading
nal document. systems with third-party mal- to Windows 7.
ware applications and Win- “The easiest OS upgrade
Vendor- & Platform-Neutral
dows Firewall. path is to make the switch
MAGEN works the same way for all applica- In addition to ensuring when you purchase new hard-
tions, making it a vendor- and platform-neutral existing machines are capable ware. OEM versions are often
option that supports any communications pro- of supporting Windows 7, the least expensive, and you
tocol. According to Tamar Domany, MAGEN Microsoft has stepped up its know the OS will be compati-
project leader, the offering is generic, support- efforts to have hardware vendors ready for Although Microsoft is providing a dis- ble with the hardware on which it’s running.”
ing any data type, any application, and any the official release. Certified Microsoft counted upgrade package for WinXP users This is especially true for organizations with
level of authorization. Partners will be required to submit proof that so they will not have to bear the brunt of a a heterogeneous hardware environment.
their products are compatible with the new full-priced version, to upgrade machines to “Many companies allocate new hardware to
Administrators use a Web console to define OS prior to being allowed to display the Windows 7 will require a clean install. That their power users and then trickle down the
access according to familiar rules and role- Windows logo with their hardware. means that end users will still be responsible older PCs to administrative staff. Trying to
based policies. MAGEN consists of an “If the Microsoft Windows logo ap- for backing up and reloading user data and upgrade multiple systems of varying ages all
SOA-based masking gateway that lets pears on hardware, we want to be certain applications, which translates into more IT at once to the latest Microsoft OS is always a
users add new services/flows to address that it fully supports our software,” says hours and ultimately more costs. recipe for disaster,” Jackson says.
evolving requirements, and it is capable of Craig Rowland, senior program manager For Vista machines, the upgrade path For organizations choosing to upgrade
supporting a variety of information sharing at Microsoft. could be equally murky. The migration path existing hardware, Jackson stresses the
scenarios, data types, and batch/online importance of testing third-party applications
modes. Other benefits include on-the-fly prior to moving to Windows 7. “The OS may
Windows 7: Professional Or Enterprise?
masking; a single point of installation; and run fine on the hardware, but if you have a
centralized management, reporting, and critical application that won’t run on the new
configuration. Deciding between the Profes- (cid:127) BitLocker & BitLocker To between networked loca- OS, it may be more economical to make do
sional and Enterprise versions Go:Automated encryption tions, including SharePoint with the older OS,” he says.
MAGEN resides between the client’s secure of Windows 7 is a tough task for for both systems and por- sites. Perhaps the most often overlooked portion
data center and the data requestor, such as SMEs. To ease the process, table storage such as flash (cid:127) Interface for multiple of an OS upgrade is the users themselves.
an outsourced call center. It requires mini- here is a look at what the full- drives and USB drives. languages:A single OS Cobb points to several changes in the
mal change in customer environments, sup- featured Enterprise version has (cid:127) BranchCache: Reduces install supporting multiple Windows 7 interface designed to streamline
ports legacy applications, and introduces to offer over the more basic download times to remote languages. the user experience, but from Jackson’s
only minimal delays in operation. At this Professional version. locations. (cid:127) Virtual Desktop experience, he knows that when users can’t
point, MAGEN is only in the prototype phase (cid:127) DirectAccess:Eliminates Infrastructure:Better user find what they need, no matter how trivial,
and not available for purchase or implemen- (cid:127) AppLocker:Allows admin- the need for a VPN while experience for VDI with mul- they’re apt to place a call to the help desk or
tation. istrators to determine what providing secure network timonitor and microphone IT department.
applications are allowed to access to remote users. support that can reuse virtu- “When making the upgrade to Windows 7,
by Andrew Leibman run on centrally managed (cid:127) Enterprise Search: al hard drive images to boot especially if you’ve skipped Vista, it’s well
machines. Optimizes searches a physical PC. worth the effort to spend time educating the
users about new features,” says Jackson. P
August 14, 2009 Processor.com Page 9
What’s Next
the traditional (that is, desktop) OS will con- News
tinue to enjoy a large percentage of market
share due largely to third-party applications
and requirement for offline access to busi-
Banking & Finance
ness tools.
For Microsoft? “I couldn’t imagine not being able to Sector Gets An IT
leverage the Office suite for writing a docu-
Spending Boost
ment while I was on a plane simply because
there was no Internet access,” Vitnell says.
“Microsoft understands this and has been
Some surprising results came from the recent
cautious with the move into the cloud/SaaS
20th annual Computer Economics survey of
Future Projects Are Likely To Target Mobile to ensure that business customers, and not
IT spending and staffing metrics. According
just consumers, will see benefits in the online
Workers, But Experts Don’t Expect Massive Change to the IT research and advisory firm
space. There are literally millions of applica-
Computer Economics, although
tions developed for the Windows operating
2009 and 2010 IT budgets
by Christian Perry vision of software-plus-services remains just system that are intended to be leveraged on a
have decreased overall,
(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) that—a vision. physical machine, and as such, there isn’t a
the troubled banking
WITHBILLIONSOFdollars spent annually on “Using Office with Office Live is a royal place for these applications to be delivered
and finance industry saw
research and design, Microsoft spawns pain compared to Google Docs, for exam-
a 4.9% increase. Other
intrigue like few other companies on the ple. They have a lot of work to do. That
Key Points industries that saw
planet. Although the Washington-based giant said, they will surely keep coming back at
growths in IT budgets
often remains tight-lipped on future plans, this problem until they are a leader in the
included healthcare
analysts and other experts are often able to space,” Rabins says. “This will be a long (cid:127) Windows 7 is slated to serve as the base
providers (4.7%), profes-
formulate an idea of what Microsoft has in and bloody war for dominance in SaaS, for Microsoft’s far-reaching software-plus-
sional and technical service
store for the enterprise space. And now, with cloud services, apps, OS platforms, and services strategy that aims to extend the
firms (4%), and utilities
the emergence of Windows 7, those plans are more, and Microsoft has a history of power of the PC.
and energy (1.3%).
seemingly more evident than ever. emerging intact in battles where the odds (cid:127) Microsoft is also infusing a strong mobile
“Windows 7 is the continuation of the appeared stacked against them.” focus into its software and will continue along
“The rise in
transition to anywhere-accessible data from According to Microsoft, the foundation of that path as mobile workers seek more pow-
spending in the
any device—smartphones, netbooks, etc.,” the software plus services strategy is erful, flexible methods for working with data.
banking and
says Matt Scherocman, vice president of con- Windows, which can weave devices, applica- (cid:127) Although the cloud movement will heavily
finance sector,
sulting services for PCMS IT Advisor Group tions, and services across the server, PC, influence future projects, the need for
though, is surprising,” says
(www.pcmsdatafit.com). “We’re also seeing mobile phone, and other devices. As corpo- offline data will prevent Windows and
John Longwell, director of
a move away from the keyboard and mouse rate landscapes shift to accommodate the use other Microsoft software from developing
research at Computer
to interactive screens, better handwriting of more devices, this strategy could pay off. an overwhelming offline persona.
Economics. “We think as
recognition, improved speech recognition, Anthony Vitnell, senior solutions architect at
banks merge and consoli-
[and] video. I feel that Windows 7 will be a Dimension Data (www.dimensiondata.com),
date, this is stimulating
platform on which solutions will be built.” says that previous Microsoft operating sys- via the cloud. These will continue to be ser-
investment IT infrastructure.
Whereas Windows Vista failed to find tems failed to provide mobility features for vices on a traditional OS.”
Banks are very IT-intensive
widespread success in the corporate realm, collaboration, security, and remote device On the other hand, says Rob Enderle, pres-
and then need to invest in these
Windows 7 is moving forward with impres- management that mobile employees demand. ident and principal analyst of the Enderle
systems. Keep in mind that while
sive early momentum, fueled in part by However, those needs will be met with Group, Microsoft might be focusing so heav-
the typical bank is spending more,
Microsoft’s services-heavy ily on SaaS-type offerings that
there are fewer banks.”
vision of the future. the company is now distracted
from maintaining customer
Service Strategy Other industries have not been as fortunate.
loyalty in its three keystone
The biggest drop in median IT operational
According to Microsoft products: Windows, Office,
spending occurred in industries such as dis-
sources, an increasing number and IE. For example, he says
crete manufacturing (down 5.5%), process
of Windows experiences will that other Microsoft business
manufacturing (down 2.5%), and retail
be service-enabled or powered products are either already
(down 1%).
by services. “The platform “well along the path of either
itself is designed to interact becoming SaaS offerings or Different Recession
with services, and the new de- addressing the problems relat-
According to Longwell, this recession differs
vice experiences in Windows ed to a much higher depen-
from the 2001 recession, which caused the
are completely delivered dence on the Web because
IT industry to hemorrhage jobs caused by
through services, built to host they grew up in the dot-com
overspending and overinvestment in the
services, and designed to be era. I would expect a higher
rapidly growing technology sector. Since
enriched by services. As ser- level of cross-pollination
2001, there has been a reluctance to hire
vices become richer, they between them for their next
permanent staff,more use of contract
increasingly tap into the round of development.”
workers, and an increase in outsourcing,
power of the PC for the most
Foreign Pressure Longwell says.
compelling interfaces, graph-
ics capabilities, hardware Forces outside of Microsoft
About 45% of organizations increased IT
acceleration, offline storage, itself may also influence the
operational spending over the past year,
computational power, and company’s future projects.
according to Computer Economics. During
increased performance,” says Enderle says that the Euro-
a recession, this number is generally lower
a Microsoft source. pean Commission is forcing
than 50%. But, the Computer Economics sur-
This philosophy ties deeply Microsoft to rethink its oper-
vey shows, the percentage of IT organiza-
into the growing cloud trend, ating system, which he says
tions spending more money is still ahead of
which delivers freedom to organizations in Windows 7 and likely will continue to has “become overly complex and contains
the numbers from 2002, when just 36%
ways they’ve rarely seen in previous IT evolve in future Microsoft projects. too many features that have been increasing-
boosted IT spending.
implementations. Richard Rabins, co- ly marginalized.” That, along with Google’s
Only Partly Cloudy
founder of Alpha Software (www.alpha ramped-up efforts in the OS realm, could
According to the survey, 49% of IT execu-
software.com), says that the cloud/SaaS trend Although the push for mobility will likely result in future Windows operating systems
tives say they plan to spend less than the
is forcing Microsoft to rethink its business drive a huge segment of future Microsoft that are far simpler, have previously bundled
amount apportioned in their 2009/2010 bud-
model and re-engineer its applications. projects, don’t be quick to write off the desk- features that are broken out, and come either
gets. Just 9% say they plan to increase their
However, he stresses that the company’s top altogether, Vitnell says. He predicts that cheaper or free, Enderle predicts. P
IT budgets.
Cracking The Crystal Ball “We are hopeful that IT spending will recover
next year, along with the economy, but we
don’t anticipate a big upswing,” Longwell says.
Microsoft’s exact future plans can Office into business processes and across the market and more de- “I see Microsoft continuing to offer
“IT executives remain very cautious and uncer-
be difficult to predict with certainty, line-of-business applications. This ployment within individual compa- servers and services that round out
tain as to whether they will be allowed to spend
despite the massive resources the will allow organizations to provide a nies. The 2010 version [will have] their enterprise stack for business-
all the money in their budgets. They are contin-
company dedicates to upcoming common Office interface to end better integration into the way peo- es and ISPs/ASPs. I also see a lot
uing to focus on operational improvements,
projects. However, that doesn’t stop users that will limit training require- ple work [particularly with collabora- of these servers becoming fully
and many find their current operational budgets
these experts from taking their best ments and increase productivity.” tion], more business intelligence cloud-based and sold as managed
adequate. IT organizations will come out of this
shot at forecasting. —Anthony Vitnell, senior solutions tools, and significant enhancements services, as opposed to bits that
recession leaner and more efficient, and IT
architect at Dimension Data to the interface.” have to be installed.”
executives are not going to be in a mood to
“As Microsoft continues to increase (www.dimensiondata.com) — Matt Scherocman, vice —Richard Rabins, co-founder
take on big risks.”
the integration capabilities [of president of consulting service for of Alpha Software
Microsoft Office], we will see more “As [SharePoint] grows in maturity, PCMS IT Advisor Group (www.alphasoftware.com)
by Tessa Warner Breneman
features out of the box to extend I think we will see more penetration (www.pcmsdatafit.com)
Page 10 Processor.com August 14, 2009
P S
RO D U C T P OT L I G H T
Stay Sharp With A Look At
Today’s Blade Server Offerings
HP BladeSystem Matrix HP Integrity BL870c Server Blade
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managed as one environment. Ideal for simplifying consolida- BL870c offers dual-core Itanium processing capabilities,
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The IBM BladeCenter boasts quick installation to produce efficient results within the IT data center, and IBM BladeCenter HS22 is an easy-to-
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