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Archive for the ‘cloud computing’ Category

The VIRTUMANIA continues with Episode 17! Rick Vanover jumps in the co-host chair for me this episode. We are joined by special guests Ben Armstrong, Adam Fazio, and Brent Ozar. The following is the podcast summary:

VIRTUMANIA Podcast Episode 17 – Hyper-V Dynamic Memory Is Not Over Commit Hosted by Rich Brambley (@rbrambley) of VMETC with co host Rick Vanover (@rickvanover) of Rickatron.us. Guests include Ben Armstrong, Microsoft Virtualization Program Manager, (@virtualpcguy VirtualPCGuy Blog), Adam Fazio, Microsoft Consulting, (blog), and Brent Ozar (@brentO) of brentozar.com. This week’s show starts with some talk about the recent keynotes, demos, and sessions from the Microsoft TechEd 2010 conference in New Orleans, LA, but then quickly switches to an explanation of what the new Hyper-V Dynamic Memory feature really is, and more importantly, is not. Virtumania is an Infosmack Production.

Listen to the podcast with the embedded player or subscribe to get a weekly copy so you can listen when convenient.

Check out the VM /ETC VIRTUMANIA Page to listen to past episodes as well as episodes of Infosmack.

The following links offer more information on some of the topics mentioned in VIRTUMANIA Episode 17:

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There were a couple of virtualization related things that made me laugh this week, and since it’s Friday I thought I would pass them along for those that might have missed them.

You Might Be A vDiva If …

Jon Owings’ post on his 2 VCPs and A Truck Blog is definitely worth the quick read. You’ll be sure to get a long laugh. The comments are as good as the post itself, so be sure to scroll all the way down. I’m betting even Jeff Foxworthy will be proud of this effort if he ever stumbles across this one.

I added several of my own vDiva-isms in Jon’s post comments. Here’s just a few I created to give you an idea of the fun:

You might be a vDiva if …

• Your notebook is an iSCSI target
• You think SEX is a spelling error
• You’ve ever called your children linked clones
• You describe yourself at work as thin provisioned and over allocated

Put My Data Center In The Cloud

I found the video “A better way to cloud computing” posted on VMworld.com (and YouTube). Like a vDiva, this one needs no introduction either.

Enjoy the embedded copy below.

Are you confused from trying to figure out what exactly The Cloud is? Have you given up trying to determine if you want your software, platform, or infrastructure delivered as a service? Do you even care if a cloud is private, public, or hybrid any more? When you reach that point, maybe it’s time to frag some frustration away in a death match?! Better yet, what if that frag fest can be joined from a web browser, saves all of your settings on the internet, and provides the same experience from any computer whether running Windows or Linux? From both IE and Firefox? Let’s call this kind of (arguably) cloud offering FPSaaS – First Person Shooter As A Service. 

Believe it or not, it exists already and it’s free. ID Software has created the Quake 3 based game site QuakeLive.com.

After creating an account, installing a browser plug in, and a quick download of some local content needed for game play you are ready to participate. Various game data such as maps are updated when you join matches. You can practice against Bots or unleash your wrath on combatants around the world. Choose from Free For All, Capture The Flag, Clan Arena, and several other modes of play. QuakeLive keeps track of your stats so you can see how well (or poorly in my case) you battle.

What else is there to say? Go check it out. Look me up when you do. I play as VMETC_01.

Maybe we should start a VIRTUMANIA night once a week? Leave a comment if you are interested.

In VIRTUMANIA episode 10 Theron Conrey and Simon Wardley join Marc and me for closer look at the open source Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud. The following is the podcast summary:

VIRTUMANIA Podcast Episode 10 – Rooters, Hummers, and the Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud Hosted by Rich Brambley (@rbrambley) of VMETC and Marc Farley (@3parfarley) of 3Par and StorageRap.com. Theron Conrey (@theronconrey http://www.conrey.org / vmunderground.com) joins us as we explore Ubuntu’s Enterprise Cloud with Simon Wardley (@swardley blog.gardeviance.org) of Canonical.  Simon explains how hypervisors are quickly becoming commodities, discusses his OSCON presentation on Why The Cloud Really Matters, reveals how Ubuntu’s partnership with Eucalyptus provides an open source alternative for IaaS, and compares Ubuntu’s cloud to the implementation and features of other popular commercial cloud infrastructures. Thanks to Greg Knieriemen (@knieriemen) for this Infosmack Production.

Off topic conversation this week includes a call to action for more steering wheel camera videos and how to order half of a lobster in Denmark!

Listen to the podcast with the embedded player or subscribe to get a weekly copy so you can listen when convenient.

Check out the VM /ETC VIRTUMANIA Page to listen to past episodes as well as episodes of Infosmack.

The following links offer more information on some of the topics, blog posts, and products mentioned in VIRTUMANIA Episode 10:

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What a week in Las Vegas at VMware Partner Exchange 2010! For all those that complained just 4 months ago that VMworld 2009 was disappointing because the announcements were few and far between, all I can say is, based on what I watched, experienced, and touched this week at PEX 2010, VMware should grab your attention again soon! Unfortunately, so much of what was discussed falls under the VMware Partner NDA that I’ll have to ask VM /ETC readers to wait for the technology to become public. We’ll have plenty to discuss when it does.

For now I’ll quickly wrap up my week and drop some hints about VMware’s future direction based on my understanding about what I saw during the PTAB meetings, the Keynotes, and the Hands On and Self Paced Labs. I’m also linking to some reactions from others to support my impressions.

The official VMware News Release for Partner Exchange can be found at this link:

VMware Partner Exchange 2010 Kicks Off With Record-breaking 2,600+ Attendees, 55 Sponsors and 45 Countries Represented

PTAB: Cloud Infrastructure and Virtual Desktops

I knew what was on the Partner Technical Advisory Board meeting agenda before I arrived, but I have to admit I was still pleasantly surprised. In short, the two day meeting was split by topics. We talked about virtual servers on Day 1 and virtual desktops on Day 2.

The server discussions included everything from possible future enhancements to the vStorage API to details about Project Redwood architecture. Discussions included a mix of vSphere roadmap possibilities and potential directions of VMware in the private and hosted cloud. VMware is serious about Platform as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, and Software as a Service, and the slides presented to the PTAB committee revealed a considerable strategy to make it happen. I’ll just say it is a lot clearer to me where exactly Zimbra and SpringSource fit into VMware’s future plans.

Switching to the second day and to the topic of virtual desktops,

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Here’s some links, thoughts, and general information surrounding some of the announcements that caught my attention during the VMware Partner Exchange 2010 conference. This is by no means and inclusive list of every press release and announcement made during the conference. To be honest, I wouldn’t doubt that I missed something more significant than the handful of news listed here. Let me know if I did!

The VMware Express

I personally toured the 18 wheeler on Monday evening before the Conference Kickoff Reception. I would recommend VM /ETC readers catch this VMware View demo center on wheels when it rolls through your town.

• VMware View Hits The Road

“The VMware Express  is a datacenter and demo environment on wheels and it will be crossing the U.S. and Canada over the next year letting you, our customers get hands on with the latest and greatest technologies in your own back yard.”

NetApp’s Vaughn Stewart has a nice post about the VMware Express with great photos from inside the truck. There is also another half dozen blog posts in the form of

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Before the Alliance, Coalition, and Partnership start the Cloud Wars, everybody raise your Guinness and say “Brilliant!”

YouTube Guinness Brilliant Six Pack Commercial

It’s obvious now that Cloud Computing is no longer just a concept. Amazon EC2 has been around for a while, vCloud Express was announced late last year, Microsoft is moving full steam ahead with Azure, and new internal cloud infrastructure and storage solutions are appearing on the scene weekly. CTOs and IT Directors are starting to see legitimate solutions for offloading some or all of their development and production workload and infrastructure to alternatives in The Cloud.

Put yourself at the helm of one of the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEMs) that have made their money selling server, switch and storage hardware in the private data center to date. Faced with the future possibility that companies will have an option to run applications and services on infrastructure they don’t buy, build, or maintain, what would be your strategy for generating reoccuring business in the future?

I bring it up because of all the cloud architecture announcements. EMC announced a coalition with Cisco and VMware, NetApp has a Secure Multi Tennancy alliance with Cisco and VMware, and HP has announced an Integrated Infrastructure partnership with Microsoft. The storage OEMs are the first out the gate with the snap together infrastrucure for the cloud, but I imagine other hardware partnerships are not too far behind. VMware and Cisco UCS may already be the first with Microsoft and HP? Microsoft and VMware conveniently can run on top if it all.

Before the Alliance, Coalition, and Partnership start the Cloud Wars, everybody raise your Guinness and say “Brilliant!”

It’s brilliant because Read the rest of this entry »