Server Support

Conversion of Primary DNS Server to an Active Directory Integrated Primary Server

2010-02-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Every website on Internet has a unique URL, which locates the website. The URL consist of the domain name, which is converted into the corresponding IP address with the help of DNS server.
You can also convert your Primary DNS server to an Active Directory Integrated Primary server, instead of adding secondary DNS servers. The concept behind adding secondary DNS server is to avoid any failure. With the following steps you can convert Primary DNS Server to Active Directory Integrated Primary server on Windows Server 2003:
STEP 1: On the current DNS server, start DNS Manager.
STEP 2: Right-click a DNS zone, click Properties, click the General tab, and then note the Type value. This will be Primary zone, Secondary zone or Stub zone.
STEP 3: Click Change.
STEP 4: In the Change Zone Type box, click to select the “Store the zone” in Active Directory check box. When you are prompted to answer whether want this zone to become Active Directory integrated, click Yes, and then click OK.
When you complete all the steps, then in the Domain properties, type will be shown as "Active Directory-Integrated". You can supplement other DNS servers in the domain controller after its replication becomes complete. So, in this way you can supplement other DNS servers, which lead to removal of any point of failure.

Remote Support Services

2010-02-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

Remote support services are an array of technical services offered through the Internet. Many technical service providers offer remote support for a range of services. Your system should have an Internet connection in order to utilize remote support services.

Services offered through remote support are enlisted below:

· Software installation

· Virus removal

· Windows upgrades

· System tune-up and routine maintenance to speed up the computer

· Configuring settings for e-mail, or Internet, or Microsoft Office

· Removal of spyware applications

· Troubleshooting

· Internet optimization

· Support for peripheral devices

Along with these services, remote support provides you many benefits. Most important benefit is the availability; you can access remote support from anywhere in the world. You do not have to take your system to any service provider, and no need to call someone at your premises.

You just have to contact any technical service provider, and your issue gets resolved. A technician from your service provider will access your system via remote connection. After that, he will diagnose the issue that is not letting your system perform better and fix it simultaneously.

So, it is viable to say that remote support services are much better than traditional services. You just have to pay once and get access to a wide variety of services through remote support.

Windows Server Support

2010-02-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

Microsoft had launched a series of server operating systems under the brand name Windows Server. Some of the server operating systems are, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Server and others.
Microsoft offers support for all its products including server operating systems. You can visit Microsoft support website, in case you have any technical issues related to Windows Servers.
You can receive a lot of information related to Windows Servers from Microsoft support website. Some of the issues on which you can receive information are, how to configure an authoritative time server in Windows Server 2008 R2, how to troubleshoot shutdown problems in Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 service pack 1 support tools, how to lock down Windows Server 2003, how to configure Internet printing in Windows Server 2003, how to enable Telnet Server in Windows 2000 Server and many others.
Beside this, you can contact a technical service provider for Windows Server support. Technicians at technical service providers make use of remote connection in order to access your system online. After accessing your system, your issues will be analyzed and resolved. So, you do not have to take pain of inviting a technician at your own place because your issues will be resolved through the Internet.

How to enable DHCP on Windows 7?

2010-02-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

DHCP Server for Windows 7
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server offers information about IP address, subnet mask and default gateway to the clients. DHCP server for Windows 7 has been enhanced in many areas like support for SSID caching, optimization for obtaining IP address and others.
Suppose, your Windows 7 computer is connected to an intranet having multiple subnets and the Internet, but having a default gateway for both adapters. In this situation, you can either communicate with all computers on the intranet or Internet, but not with both of them. In order to solve this problem, you have to configure a default gateway with the adapter connected to the Internet. This is where the role of DHCP server comes into play.
In case, you want to configure a default gateway on Windows 7 PC follow the procedure:
STEP 1: Open Network Connections by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type adapter, and then, under Network and Sharing Center, click View network connections.
STEP 2: Right-click the network adapter that you want to configure a default gateway for, and then click Properties. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
STEP 3: Click the Networking tab.
STEP 4: Under “This connection uses the following items”, click either Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), and then click Properties.
STEP 5: In the dialog box that appears, select either “Obtain an IP address automatically” or “Use the following IP address”.
a) If you configure the network adapter to obtain an IP address automatically, the default gateway is assigned by the DHCP server.
b) If you manually specify an IP address configuration, the default gateway is the IP address in the Default gateway box on the General tab
After completing this procedure, you can configure a default gateway on your Windows 7 PC.

Benefits of Print Server

2010-01-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

Print server can be a computer or any device which is capable of connecting with one or more printers along with the client computers over a network.
Print server has many benefits because it lowers the administrative and management workload. A print server enables an administrator to manage and control access to each printer. Three level of printer permissions are available, print, manage documents and manage printer. Print permission is granted to everyone in the group. It allows a user to print documents, pause, resume, start and cancel his documents.
Manage documents permission is allocated by administrator to some selected users for controlling job settings for all documents. Manage printer permission enables the user to pause and restart the printer, share a printer, adjust printer permissions, modify printer properties and modify spooler settings.
Client computer jobs are quickly spooled to print server when compared to printer. The main point to be noted is that while printing large jobs from an own printer, resources of client computer are used and he may have to leave his computer running until printing task gets completed. But with the use of print server, if any job has been spooled to it, then user can shutdown his system without any harm.
Print server can also work according to priority of documents. The document with the highest priority will be printed first.

Windows Server 2008 - Top 5 Extraordinary Features

2010-01-23T00:27:00.000-08:00

Server 2008 is one of Microsoft Windows' server series of operating systems. It is the successor to Windows Server 2003. Like Windows Vista and Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 is built on Windows NT 6.x. In this blog we’ll discuss some of its extraordinary features.
NTFS - Windows’s server 2008 used an improved version of NTFS, a new system service works in the background that can identify a file system error, and perform an automatic healing process without anyone taking the server down.
Address Space Load Randomization (ASLR) -Probably one of the most divisive included features already, especially since it’s introduced with Vista, ASLR makes sure that no two subsequent instances of an operating system load the same system drivers in the same location in memory each time.
Powershell - It's a part of the shipping operating system: the completely new command line tool that can either supplement or completely replace GUI-based administration.
Server-Core - Windows Server 2008 introduces a variation of installation called Server Core. Server Core is a radically scaled-back installation where no Windows Explorer shell is installed. All configuration and maintenance is performed completely through command line interface windows, or by connecting to the machine remotely using Microsoft Management Console. However, Notepad and some control panel applets, such as Regional Settings, are available.
Windows System Resource Manager- It offers resource management and can be very handy to control the amount of resources a process or a user can use based on business priorities. Process Matching Criteria, which is defined by the name, type or owner of the process, imposes restrictions on the resource usage by a process that matches the criteria. CPU time, bandwidth that it can use, number of processors it can be run on, and allocated to a process can be restricted. Restrictions can be set to be imposed only on certain dates as well.

Windows 7 DHCP Server - Steps for better networking

2010-01-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

The concept of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is an important aspect for better network in regards with security, reliability, manageability and usability. It also avoids conflict between similar IP addresses, which are often caused due to human error. Moreover, it has simplified the job of administrator where they don’t need to assign IP address again and again.
When this technology is implemented with Windows 7 user can gain excellent internet experience over their mobile network.
Key advantage of DHCP server along with Windows 7
• Easy to locate the client with the distinct IP address
• Easy to manage the client computer
• Least resource consumption, which attributes for enhance network performance
Hence, DHCP server along with Windows 7 will be very useful for the businesses and enterprises to manage their business from remote places over the laptop and PDAs mobile. This will increase the pace of communication with utmost security.
Let’s see how we can configure DHCP server for Windows 7.
STEP 1. Click Start, Control Panel, and then click Add Or Remove Programs
STEP 2. Select “Add/Remove Windows Components”
STEP 3. It will initiate Windows Components Wizard
STEP 4. From the Components list box, select Networking Services, and then click the Details button
STEP 5. The Networking Services dialog box opens
STEP 6. In the Subcomponents Of Networking Services list box, check the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol checkbox
STEP 7. Click OK
STEP 8. Click Next
STEP 9. On the Windows Components Wizard page you will get the prompt of Complete process. Click “Finish”
Hope, you will find this blog extremely useful.

Role of IT Server in Business Growth

2010-01-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

IT server has changed the scope of business. Now the business has gained a global dispersal leading a healthy competition and better productivity.
Role of IT server
• Facilitates quick access of data over LAN and WAN
• Allows centralized data storage
• Centralized backup
• Implement efficient data security
• Permit resource sharing
• Secure data sharing
IT server should be dynamic in function, it must manage, store, send and process data on 24/7/365 basis. Hence, it should be reliable and secure. To get the job done, it must be equipped with:
• Duel processors; either equipped or capable
• Redundant hard drives or power supplies
• Hot swappable components
• Internet security package and firewall
Different IT servers are required to accomplish different tasks. Accordingly we can have the following categories of IT server.
Application IT Server: These are deployed for managing the multiple applications over a LAN or WAN from a centralized administrator computer. Different work stations are managed with respect to data flow. In order to manage huge application an IT server must have built-in redundancy, monitors for high-availability, high-performance distributed application services and support for complex database access.
Print IT Server: Installation of Print IT Server is a cost-effective approach and reduces the number of printer. You can share a single printer over your entire LAN network. Your print IT server will manage the print file request and sends the file to the requested printer.
Database IT Server
Design and architecture of Database IT server is resembles with client/server architecture model. Total number of applications running over the server is divided into two parts: a front-end running on a workstation (where users collect and display the database information) and the back-end running on a server where you need to perform data analysis and storage.
Mail IT Server: This is a life blood of corporate networks (LANs and WANs). It would facilitate easy, fast and cheap mode of communication. It will manage your e-mail clients.
Web IT Server: It is extremely useful for processing request of web browser through HTTP communication. Hence large enterprises who owns their websites needs to have an efficient Web IT server, so that the customer request can be processed without any delay.
FTP IT Server: Enterprises who have their offices in multiple locations should amend dynamic and reliable IT server, so that the file and data can be shared over the Internet without any issue. Hence, important for both downloading and uploading of a file.
Proxy IT Server: If your server is getting overloaded with client request you can establish a Proxy IT server which intermediates between web browser and real server. Real role is to maintain a time gap and perform filtration of request. Hence, it’s important for the security concern too.

Smart IT support for healthy competition

2010-01-12T10:12:00.001-08:00

IT industry has become the backbone of every infrastructure. Hence, vitality of IT support has increased by manifolds. IT support is available for every segment of users. Home user can take the IT support for their personal desktop or laptop. Businesses and enterprises need it to keep their Windows server running in smooth condition with maximum productivity.
Scope of IT support
• Installation and upgrade of operating/application software
• Cognizant solution on feature and product
• Develop user-interface program
• Troubleshoot and fix any bug
• Data backup and recovery
• Joint product analysis with manufacturer/developer
• Manage Internet security
Different enterprises are offering reliable and authentic IT support services on both remote and onsite visit basis. Remote support is getting too much popular because it is more reliable genuine and available round the time without any restriction of territorial boundary.
If you are equipped with reliable IT support service, you can concentrate on your core business in a better way. For every segment of user, they have consolidated and specific tariff plans.
Manufacturers of computer and software giants are working in collaboration with the certified Microsoft technical groups in order to build better customer relationship. They are outsourcing IT support to make it more authentic and cost efficient. But don’t worry for customer understanding services are available in plain English. Globally recognized organizations are offering IT server support in all languages to meet their objectives.

iYogi Secures $15 Million in Funding Led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson to Fuel Surging Market Share in Rapidly Growing Consumer Tech Support Market

2010-01-11T07:52:00.001-08:00

Significant New Round of Funding to Build on iYogi’s Global Delivery Platform and Enhanced Services with Channel Partners

New York, NY, January 6, 2010: iYogi, the fastest growing on-demand consumer tech services company, announced today it has raised $15 million in funding to accelerate the company’s continued global growth in consumer remote tech support services. Draper Fisher Jurvetson joined continuing investors Canaan Partners; SAP Ventures, a division of SAP AG; and SVB India Capital Partners in the new financing.

iYogi will use the investment capital to enhance services, expand its team of Global Tech Experts, and build on the significant growth it has experienced in the last year. Since 2008, iYogi has seen 300 percent growth in revenues and subscribers, and has doubled its employee base to 1,200. For the next year, iYogi is forecasting an additional 300 percent revenue growth and an increase to 3,000 Global Tech Experts worldwide.

“The surging demand for remote technical services stems from the critical need for computer owners to keep their systems up and running and retailers to differentiate their offerings, particularly as the PC market becomes increasingly commoditized and competitive,” said Mohanjit Jolly, Executive Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson India. “With its global team of experts, advanced support services and intelligent knowledge platform, iYogi is well-positioned for significant expansion and differentiation in this category, and is partnering with top tier retailers, ISP’s, OEM’s and software vendors to broaden its footprint.”

iYogi’s Global Delivery Platform is powered by Microsoft Certified tech experts, an extensive knowledge base and advance tools for diagnostics, repair and maintenance. The company has witnessed exponential growth through online direct marketing across four primary geographies - US, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. In the coming year, iYogi will continue to build on its online brand presence and expand upon its channel partnerships to accelerate global expansion in the vast market for remote computer tech support.

“We are delighted to have support from successful, high-profile venture firms like Draper Fisher Jurvetson along with Canaan Partners, SAP Ventures and SVB India Capital Partners,” said Uday Challu, co-founder and CEO of iYogi. “iYogi’s progress over the last year is both a strong reflection of the tremendous market opportunity for remote technical services and an indication of iYogi’s momentum in seizing significant market share. We are able to effectively and consistently address and resolve consumer concerns through our unique Global Delivery Model across multiple geographies with the highest resolution rates and customer satisfaction in this growing industry.”

Today, iYogi has more than 100,000 annual subscribers and provides thousands of single incident sessions every day on a 24/7 basis. Its Global Delivery Platform delivers on the highest customer quality benchmarks in the industry and gets smarter with every customer interaction, building a powerful knowledge base that provides unique customer insights on predictive needs to tech support

ABOUT DFJ

Draper Fisher Jurvetson ("DFJ") backs extraordinary entrepreneurs everywhere who set out to change the world. DFJ achieves its mission through its DFJ Global Network of Partner Funds. Together, DFJ and the Network manage over $6B and have made more than 600 investments on four continents. With a 24-year history of success across diverse sectors and market conditions, DFJ has led the way investing in emerging technologies, from the Internet and life sciences to clean energy and nanotechnology. DFJ has been proud to back over 500 companies across many sectors including such industry changing successes such as Hotmail (acquired by MSFT), Baidu (BIDU), Skype (acquired by EBAY), United Online (UNTD), Overture (acquired by YHOO), Athenahealth (ATHN), EnerNOC (ENOC), TicketsNow (acquired by TicketMaster), Feedburner (acquired by Google), Interwoven (IWOV), Four11 (acquired by YHOO), Parametric (PMTC), and Digidesign (acquired by AVID). For more information, visit: www.dfj.com

About iYogi

iYogi is a global on-demand services company that provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. iYogi’s unique model, including proprietary technology iMantra and highly qualified technicians, is designed to eliminate computer-related stress and keep millions of digitally dependent consumers and small businesses always protected and productive. Only iYogi -- with its proven global expertise delivery model, intelligent customer insight systems, easy-to-use self-help tools and automated PC optimization and computer support services – offers users a simple yet comprehensive path to digital serenity. iYogi has perfected the remote technical support model to overcome the current limitations of in-store, on-site, or call center services to become the fastest growing provider of support in the industry. Major resellers and technology companies are increasingly turning to iYogi to improve customer satisfaction, reduce return rates, and deliver a compelling new-value added offering to customers. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.net

Media Contact

Derek Kober

Global Fluency

Tel. :650-433-4233

Email:dkober@globalfluency.com

Contact:

Vishal Dhar

President, Marketing

Tel. : +1-212-229-0901

Email : vishal@iyogi.net

System/Server optimization using IT support

2010-01-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

IT has become the backbone of every enterprise and small business. Even on the personal level too, we can’t ignore the importance of IT. Hence, IT support services have an important role to play in the coming year. Understanding the importance, software developer and manufacturer companies are outsourcing their IT support services to Microsoft Certified technical groups.
IT support services are available for versatile segment of users. These services are available on both remote and on site-visit basis. Customer oriented enterprises are offering, IT support services in a user-friendly and cost-effective manner.

Significant role of IT support services includes:
• Intellectual counseling on the primary stage
• Optimization of the system/Server performance
• Development of qualitative IT infrastructure
• Tighten the security aspect
• Effective data backup management
• Installation of compatible software
• Perform consistent monitoring of client’s server or system

Categories of IT support services

• Support for operating system
• Support for Internet networking
• Support for Migration of system/application software
• Support for Exchange server and email client
• Support for security patches
• Support for data backup

Selection of suitable IT support services is an essential part of your business if you want to gain absolute peace of mind. In turn, you will be able to focus deeply on your business and survive in the increasing competition. Brand specific IT support services are also available like Dell support, HP support and so on.

How to manage the Network Environment using Active Directory?

2010-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

Active directory –a property modifier
Active directory is the protocol which provides the platform to manage the network environment. Microsoft has done enough amendment to simplify the use of Active Directory in terms of management, migration and deployment.
Important feature of Active Directory include:
• Permission of X.500 close user group professional in the same company.
• Inception of secure data management
• Presence of hierarchical system allows the system administrator to have clean information of individual user accounts
• Object-targeted storage organization, allows easy access for information from anywhere in the network.

Benefits of Active Directory
• Organizations are able to perform their regular business operating while switching over from one network to other network platform.
• Users don’t have to do much amendment in the existing network.
• Existing user accounts and resource permission will be self migrated.
• Services and application running on the existing platform would also get migrated without any effort.

Deployment of Active Directory
User should follow the below suggestion to formulate Active directory over the new server platform.
• Test and verify the deployment process.
• Against the Forest Root create a DNS.
• Create the Forest Root.
• Map a new Regional Domain.
• Import your valuable data from other sources.

Installation of DNS Server in Windows Server 2003

2010-01-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

When you browse Internet, you always write alphanumeric address in the address bar. You write these type of addresses because these are easy to remember. The main point is that any server address is in the form of IP address. Then there arises the need of translating these alphanumeric addresses in the IP addresses. Here comes the role of DNS Server. DNS Server does the task of translating the alphanumeric address into the IP address. This server is required when you write any website address in the address bar or you click on any link. Before the installation of DNS Server, you should have the information about your domain name, the IP address and host name of each server for which you want to provide name resolution.

If you want to configure your computer as a DNS Server, then the following conditions should be fulfilled:

Your operating system should be configured in the correct way. DNS service is based on the correct configuration of the operating system and its services, in case you are using the Windows Server 2003 family. You have to allocate the available disk space. All the existing disk volumes should use the NTFS file system.

If you want to install DNS Server, then follow these steps:

Click on the Start, click on Control Panel and then click on the Add or Remove Programs. After this, click on Add/Remove Windows Components. Then open the Windows Components Wizard. In the Components, pick out the Networking Services check box and then click on the Details. In the Subcomponents of Networking Services, pick out the Domain Name System (DNS) check box, click on OK and then click on the Next. If you are prompted, then type the full path of the distribution files and then click on OK. In this way DNS Server will be installed on your system.

Alteration in Terminal Server's listening port

2009-12-16T21:41:00.000-08:00

It is a well-known fact that TCP port 3389 is used by Terminal Server and Windows 2000 Terminal Services for client connections. Alteration in this port is not recommended by Microsoft. But you can change this port. You have to perform this task carefully, otherwise you will face serious problems.
You have to give more concentration while modifying the registry. If you want to change the default port, then you have to follow these steps:
You start with the task of running Regedt32 and go to this key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp. Then you have to find the port number subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, hex is for 3389. After this, you have to change the port number in Hex and save the new value.
If you want to change the port for a particular connection on the Terminal Server, then follow these steps:
You have to run Regedt32 and go to this key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\connection. After this, you have to find the port number subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, here hex is for 3389. Then you have to change the port number in Hex and save this new value.
After performing this, you have to make alteration in the Port on the Client Side. Follow these steps to perform this:
You have to open Client Connection Manager. Then on the File menu, click on New Connection and then create the new connection. After executing the wizard, you will view a new connection listed there. Then you have to ensure that new connection is highlighted. After this, on the File menu, click Export. Then you have to edit the .cns file using Notepad. You have to make modifications in the server port, Server Port=3389 to Server Port= new port number, that you had specified on Terminal Server. Now import the file back into Client Connection Manager. Then you will be demanded to overwrite the current one. If it has the same name, then overwrite it. In this way, you will receive a client that has the correct port settings to match your Terminal Server settings.

Upgrading from the Small Business Server 2000 to Small Business Server 2000 SP1a

2009-12-11T01:31:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 helps the small and medium size organizations, by providing them many services in the affordable price. Small Business Server 2000 SP1a is the next version of it and having many improvements over it. For the installation of Small Business Server 2000 SP1a, you have to check whether enough free space is available or not. If enough space is not available, then you are not able to install the Small Business Server 2000 SP1a. For installing it, perform these steps:

You can download the Small Business Server 2000 SP1a package from the Microsoft Web site, but for performing this you should be the user of Small Business Server 2000. If you are not a user of the Small Business Server 2000, then you have to purchase its full product. After downloading this package save it on your computer. Now, you have to stop any services like antivirus that are running on the server. Then you have to double-click on the SBSSP1a.exe file. After this you have to unzip its files in the folder indicated in the dialog box. After all of the files are unzipped, then locate the folder in which you have saved its unzipped files. Then you have to double-click on the SP1Setup.exe in the folder.

Now, if you are prompted to install the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, then click on OK. Then the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Setup Wizard starts. If you are not prompted, then it means that this wizard has already started. Then click on Next. After this, follow the instructions to complete the Setup Wizard. When you are prompted to restart the computer, perform it. After your computer has been restarted, log on as administrator. After following the above mentioned steps, Small Business Server 2000 SP1a will gets installed.

Windows Server Support to Restore Windows Time service on local computer

2009-10-13T03:15:00.000-07:00

This post provides Windows Server Support to restore windows time on local computer. It's Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista

Use this procedure to restore the Windows Time service on the local computer to the default settings.

Administrative permit

To perform this procedure on the local computer, you must be a member of the Administrators group. To perform this procedure on a remote computer, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group.

To restore Windows Time service on local computer to default settings

1. Open a Command Prompt.
2. Type the following command and then press ENTER:
net stop w32time
3. Type the following command and then press ENTER:
w32tm /unregister
4. Type the following command and then press ENTER:
w32tm /register
5. Type the following command and then press ENTER:
net start w32time

How to use the Move Mailbox tool in Exchange Server 2003

2009-10-06T02:25:00.000-07:00

If the Move Mailbox tool is multithreaded, how many threads can it create at the same time? How many mailboxes can the Mailbox Move tool move at the same time?

Can the Move Mailbox tool move mailboxes between earlier versions of Exchange, or can it only move mailboxes to or from Exchange 2003?

Can a mailbox move operation still be done from Exchange Tasks in Active Directory Users and Computers ?

This section provides exchange 2003 server support for how to use the new functionality of the Move Mailbox tool.

1. In Exchange 2003, start Exchange System Manager, select the mailboxes that you want to move (or select the users in Active Directory Users and Computers), and then click Exchange Tasks.
2. When the Exchange Task Wizard appears, click Move Mailbox , and then click Next.
3. Select the server and the mailbox store that you want to move the mailboxes to, and then click Next.
4. Click the action that you want the Move Mailbox tool to take if corrupted items are encountered during the mailbox move, and then click Next.
5. Select the start time and the finish time for the mailbox move, and then click Next.
6. The mailbox move is now underway. Note that all the selected mailboxes are moved at the same time (the percent of messages that have been moved increases on all the selected mailboxes at the same time).
7. After the mailbox move is complete, Exchange Task Wizard displays a summary of results of the task. If you want to view a detailed report of the Move Mailbox task, click to select the View detailed report when this wizard closes check box, and then click Finish.

Summary In this Server Support tips is used To use Exchange 2003 management tools, the schema must be updated by installing an Exchange 2003 server. Or, if you are using Exchange 2003 ESM or ADUC without having installed an Exchange 2003 server, you need to run Exchange 2003 Setup by using the /forestprep switch. If you do not update the schema, Move Mailbox will not work correctly.

What is Clustering and Load Balancing?

2009-09-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

Clustering is often understood to mean the capability of some software to provide load balancing services, and load balancing is often used as a synonym for a hardware- or third-party-software-based solution.

In practice, clustering is usually used with application servers like IBM WebSphere, BEA WebLogic and Oracle AS (10g). Also being used in that environment are load balancing features found in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) like BIG-IP. (For simplicity, we will talk about "clustering" versus "ADC" approaches.)

Scalability

There are hardware load balancers, of course, but there we talk about "pools" or "farms," the server groupings where application requests get distributed. It is in the software world that the term "cluster" is applied to that same group.

Clustering will typically convert one instance of an application server to a master controller, then process/distribute requests to multiple instances using such industry standard algorithms as round robin, weighted round robin or least connections. Clustering is similar to load balancing in that it has horizontal scalability, a nearly transparent way to add additional instances of application servers for increased capacity or response time performance. To ensure that an instance is actually available, clustering approaches typically use an ICMP ping check or, sometimes, HTTP or TCP connection checks.

Health and Transparency

For load balancing, ADCs support the same industry algorithms, but have additional, complex number-crunching processes, and check such parameters as per-server CPU and memory utilization, fastest response times, etc. ADCs also support more robust health monitoring than the simple app server clustering solutions. This means they can verify content and do passive monitoring, dispensing with even the low impact of health checks on app server instances.

For applications that require the user to interact with the same server during a session, clustering uses server affinity to get the user there. This is most common during the execution of a process like order entry, where the session is used between pages (requests) to store data needed to close a transaction, like a shopping cart.

For the same situation, ADCs use persistence. Clustering solutions are usually somewhat limited as to the variables they can use, while ADCs can not only use traditional application variables but also get other information from the application or network-based data.

More than a few clustering solutions need node-agents deployed on each instance of an application server that is "clustered" by a controller. It may not be a burden as far as deploying and managing it, since it is often in place, but it is still means more processes running on the servers and consuming memory and CPU resources. Of course, it also adds another possible failure point to the data path. Since ADCs need no server-side components, they remain completely transparent.

What is Cluster Hosting?

2009-09-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Having a web site is a necessity for the success of most businesses in today's technologically advanced society. However, just having a web site doesn't mean that it is going to get the public exposure needed to be successful. That is where web hosting comes into play. With web hosting you rent a place in a server and exposure to the internet. The pricing of web hosting can range anywhere from the bare minimum for free to the most advanced for a varied prices depending on the web hosting company and the type of web hosting you decide to go with.

One type of web hosting that works toward getting exposure to your web site, but is somewhat less common than other types of web hosting is Cluster Hosting. The configuration of cluster hosting tends to lean more toward more complex design, implementation and support. Networking of shared resources of computing, as well as varied implementations of those resources comprises a cluster. It is often referred to as a server farm since is consists of a group of independent servers. However, the group functions together toward a common goal.

If a company experiences an IT system failure, there can be a lot of money lost while the website is down. This is where cluster hosting comes into play. When connected directly to a single server, if failure occurs the user cannot reconnect; whereas with a cluster the user can immediately reconnect and keep going with what they were doing. If one server of a cluster host would happen to fail, there is an automatic backup.

A complex cluster can take data and split it into manageable sections that independent servers can then process. In this way if a single server should fail there is no affect to the others. There are a couple of different kinds of cluster configurations in cluster hosting as well. These include an active/passive cluster and active/active cluster. The active/passive situation involves a passive server being idle until the case where the active server fails. If the active server fails, the passive server then takes over where the other one left off. In the configuration of active/active the whole group of servers can be active and be backup servers to each other. Each server can take on the role of the others in this type of cluster configuration.

No matter the type of web hosting you choose, you should be sure that the web hosting company you choose clearly defines every aspect of their services and the services that are available to you and your company specifically. You should be very careful in your selection of a cluster hosting company. With cluster hosting there is the need to ensure that the web hosting company can provide you with an adequate number of cluster servers to handle the level of traffic your web site will experience. The success or failure of your company infrastructure depends on your choice in a web host.

The main reason for choosing cluster web hosting is be sure that there is a redundancy available in the computer network. This ensures that the network is always available and will not fail. In turn the company's website is always accessible and navigable.

How To Build Your Own Server

2009-08-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

The measurement of a server is done in a unit called U, where 1U is equal to 1.75 inches. First of all you have to choose an operating system that you want to use while making server.

The Operating System Of The Server

Here i am taking a operating system (OS) from Microsoft and it is Windows 2000. It is not a server OS. It is not secure, and does not support .NET, but is still quite popular. The operating system can also be Windows Home Server, which is compatible with Windows XP and Vista clients. It is user-friendly, and has the Windows Home Server Console to administer or manage server remotely. The operating system can also be Windows 2003 Server, which supports .NET and can act as a domain controller, which means it plays a role in the logon process. Linux and FreeBSD are secure operating systems, but are very difficult to use.

You need to install Windows 2000 from the CD. To do so, you need to change the BIOS, so that you can boot from CD-ROM. Create a partition and format it with NTFS. You also need to configure the TCP/IP settings. Next, you need to go to Windows Update and install all the necessary patches to fix bugs.

Building an FTP Server

To build an FTP server, you need to download FileZilla Server, which is available in SourceForge. You need to add a new user and give him a password. You need to share the folders, which the user is able to access. You also need to give permissions, such as read (to download), write (to upload) and delete. If you want to set up a public FTP server, create a new user named 'Anonymous' and uncheck the password box. You can create a group, for a collection of users, who have the same permissions on a particular folder. You can access the FTP server by using the following URL: ftp://user:password@host:port. The host is your IP address, and the port is 21.

Instead of AppServ, you can use WampServer, which is also a combination of open-source applications in one package. The WampServer can start automatically when Windows starts, or you can manually start and stop the server everytime. The document root in WampServer is the 'www' directory. WampServer now supports PHP 5, but you can also use an add-on to support PHP 4. The normal user in MySQL is the root account, and the default password is blank. You can use the MySQL command-line tool, which brings up the console.

Instead of FileZilla, you can use the CrossFTP server. So, now that you have learned how to build a server, you can go ahead and make a personal home page or a front page for your business.

HP offers big business server solutions

2009-06-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

Hewlett Packard (HP) has created a new range of "skinless" data centre servers which can be easily mounted in sever racks or server cabinets.

The company's HP ExSO portfolio is squarely aimed at large companies that require a lot of processing power concentrated in a small space.

According to HP, the new lightweight servers, which use simple mounting rails, give businesses the chance to reduce both shipping costs and expenditure on facility space.

"Customers with extreme scale out requirements like hosting companies or companies with high performance computing needs want to achieve greatest economy of scale," said Christian Keller, vice-president of industry standard servers at HP.

The company also claims that energy savings can be made because the devices have consolidated power and cooling infrastructure, which includes a unique air flow design.

HP states they require 28 per cent less power than traditional rack-mounted servers.

Meanwhile, HP has started supplying AMD's low-power Neo processors, which are dual-core and run at 1.6GHz.ADNFCR-1186-ID-19215098-ADNFCR

Source: comms-express.com

Apple iPhone OS 3.0 activations crash iTunes server

2009-06-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

The mad grab for the newest version of Apple's iPhone won't begin in earnest until the iPhone 3G S is released on Friday. But a flood of current iPhone users looking to download the newest operating system, iPhone OS 3.0, crashed the activation server at the iTunes store on Wednesday.

Apple simultaneously released patches for 46 security vulnerabilities in the OS 3.0 which, if left unpatched, could allow hackers to execute malicious code through maliciously crafted images or PDF files.

After the operating system became available for download on the iTunes online store, many users reported being able to successfully download the upgrade, but were unable to activate the OS on their phones.

Disgruntled users received an error message that the iPhone activation server was temporarily unavailable.

The update is available for free for owners of the original iPhone and iPhone 3G, but iPod Touch owners have to pay $9.95 for the update. However, security experts warned that Touch users should get the upgrade to fix security holes in its operating system that were patched yesterday.

From: mxlogic.com/securitynews

How to Set Up a Virtual Private Network with Windows

2009-06-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

However, if you knew how to set up a virtual private network (VPN), you could access the file from any computer in the world! A VPN allows you to connect to a computer from anywhere in the world and access the files.

Setting up a VPN in Windows is a two step process.

1. Set up one computer to share files (server).
2. Set up another computer to access them (client).

Begin by setting up the server:

1. Open Internet Explorer and go to www.whatismyip.com. Write down the IP address. You will need it to configure the client.
2. Click the Start button and click Run.
3. Type control and hit Enter.
4. Click Network and Internet Connections.
5. Click Network Connections.
6. Click Create a New Connection, which is the first option on the left toolbar.
7. The New Connection Wizard will open. Click Next.
8. Choose Set up an advanced connection, the last element on the list. Click Next.
9. Choose Accept incoming connections. Click Next.
10. You will see the Devices for Incoming Connections screen. Do not select anything on this screen. Click Next.
11. Select Allow virtual private connections. Click Next.
12. Select to whom you want to give access. Click Next. If a user is not listed, you will have to add an account. See “Related Wikihows” for more information.
13. Do not change anything on the Networking Software screen. Click Next.
14. That’s it! Your computer is now set up to allow for VPNs. Click Finish to complete the wizard.

Now proceed to connect the client:

1. Click the Start button and click Run.
2. Type control and hit Enter.
3. Click Network and Internet Connections.
4. Click Network Connections.
5. Click Create a New Connection, which is the first option on the left toolbar.
6. The New Connection Wizard will open. Click Next.
7. Select Connect to the network at my workplace and click Next.
8. Select Virtual Private Network connection and click Next.
9. Type the name of your network in the blank box. Click Next.
10. Enter the IP address you wrote down earlier and click Next.
11. Select Add a shortcut to this connection to my desktop and click Finish.

Source: wikihow.com/Set-Up-a-Virtual-Private-Network-with-Windows

How to Install Nagios on Ubuntu Server?

2009-06-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

You want features? Nagios is full of them. Nagios can monitor your entire network, you can handle problem remediation, you can plan network downtime, you can watch hosts, systems, services, applications..there’s very little you can’t do with Nagios.

But let’s think about this installation. The best way to install Nagios is from source. This means you are going to have to do some compliation. Don’t worry, it’s not hard…when you have a step-by-step guide that is.

Before you start

If you are using, as I did, a Ubuntu server installation, you will need to install a few tools first. So from the command line issue the following commands:

sudo apt-get install php5-gd

sudo apt-get install gcc

sudo apt-get install make

The above commands will install the tools you need in order to get Nagios installed. If you don’t install the above, you won’t be able to complete the installation.

Installing Nagios - preflight

Before you actually run the installation you will need to take care of some user/group accounting first.

Create the user nagios:

sudo useradd -m nagios

Give the nagios user a password:

sudo passwd nagios

NOTE: You will have to enter the new password twice for the above command.

Create the group nagios:
sudo groupadd nagios

Add the user nagios to the group nagios:

sudo usermod -G nagios nagios

Create the group nagcmd:

sudo groupadd nagcmd

Add the user nagios to the group nagcmd:

sudo usermod -a -G nagcmd nagios

Add the Apache user to the group nagcmd:

sudo usermod -a -G nagcmd www-data

Installing Nagios and Nagios Plugins

The first thing to do is to download the files you need. Issue the commands:

wget http://osdn.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/nagios/nagios-3.0.6.tar.gz

and

wget http://osdn.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/nagiosplug/nagios-
plugins-1.4.11.tar.gz

to download the files you need.

Untar the Nagios file with:

tar xvzf nagios-3.0.6.tar.gz

Change into the newly created Nagios directory with the command:

cd nagios-3.0.6

Now run the configure script using the nagcmd defined as the command group with the command:

sudo ./configure –with-command-group=nagcmd

Time to compile:

sudo make all

Time to install everything:

make install

make install-init

make install-config

make install-commandmode

Almost ready to finalize the installation of Nagios (before moving on to installing the plugins.) There is one simple configuration to take care of (for the basic installation). Open up the /usr/local/nagios/etc/objects/contacts.cfg file and add your email address as the contact email address. That’s the only configuration to change for now.

Configuring for the Web interface

There are just a few commands to run to configure the Web interface:

make install-webconf

htpasswd -c /usr/local/nagios/etc/htpasswd.users nagiosadmin

/etc/init.d/apache2 reload

The final command above simply restarts Apache.

Install the plugins

Before you log into your Nagios installation you have to install your plugins first. Change to the directory you downloaded the Nagios files to and untar the plugins file:

tar xvzf nagios-plugins-1.4.11.tar.gz

Now change into the newly created directory:

cd nagios-plugins-1.4.11

Compile the plugins with the command:

sudo ./configure –with-nagios-user=nagios –with-nagios-group=nagios

Now install the plugins with the following commands:

make

make install

Fire it up!

Of course you want to make sure Nagios starts any time the system is restarted. Do this with the command:

sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/nagios /etc/rcS.d/S99nagios

And finally, before you start up Nagios, make sure there are no errors with the command:

sudo /usr/local/nagios/bin/nagios -v /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg

If you see no errors reported, it’s time to start it up. Issue the command:

sudo /etc/init.d/nagios start

Nagios is ready to go. Point your browser to:

http://ADDRESS_OF_NAGIOS_SERVER/nagios

Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/08/how-to-install-nagios-on-ubuntu-server/

Business Server Support Services and Solutions

2009-06-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Business Server Support has become a major part of our lives. Any business or office is almost completely dependent on server support today for their operation. Once an office is computerized it may tend to have problems with the server hardware or may end up with some software related issue some time or the other. To take care that the functioning of the business is not affected due to these problems most companies hire the services of an On-Site or Online server support firm which would provide it with the necessary small business server support that it needs from time to time. In case of any problem this firm would give the server support solutions that are required to overcome the problem.

IT experts do a wide variety of jobs which include designing and installation of computer networks, managing the system and various other tasks. Some server support lending firms have such advanced technology that they identify a problem at a very early stage and that tends to work as an alert system. This works as an alarm and major problems can be avoided and huge expenses can be prevented. The server support services firm monitors the functioning of the servers and being a continuous process, problems are identified and addressed at the earliest saving both time and money.

Hiring a competent server support services firm is of utmost importance as it would have all the server solutions which would make the functioning of the business an absolutely smooth process. Over a period the servers tend to slow down and a server support firm which has the right expertise would help you deal with this issue by monitoring the servers and providing effective maintenance at regular intervals. The most well equipped firms offer online server support and this would help in saving a lot of time. They are even capable of identifying a failing hardware which would ensure that no data is lost as recovery measures can be setup at the earliest.

Security issues are a big concern as far as servers are concerned. A capable and proficient server support partner would help in getting the very best out of your servers. Most of the time companies have a requirement of programs which are to be made with certain specifications meeting the demands of the company. Such server solutions can be brought about only with a well experienced team of an efficient server support firm.

If the server is managed by an experienced hand then you can concentrate completely on the functioning of the business. There are such firms which look into the needs of Companies requiring small business computer support to enterprise level support. Such competent firms also have well experienced staff to attend to every problem at the earliest and offer the very best solution.

One should conduct a thorough survey before hiring the server support of any such firm. There are plenty of such support providers but an efficient one is of utmost importance as the functioning of your enterprise is largely dependent on their service and effectiveness.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/business-server-support-services-and-solutions-757465.html

Server Support Services: The Big Idea

2009-05-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

Some people are destined to get big ideas; some are destined to grow very big because of those ideas. In the early days, the big idea was perhaps enough to determine success. However, today with the myriad forms of communication available to businesses just a big idea is not enough. Even the recipients of big ideas are used to modern communication methods. The point that I am trying to make here is that form, structure, sharing and communication on time, every time is extremely important for the success of that ‘big idea’.

For a small business that employs more than five people a community needs to be built so that all employees are focused on the same big idea. What is this community; a small business network server. What will this do for a small business? It will create a platform whereby a common communication and interaction platform is developed. Your business will be able to use e-mail, common calendar and the Internet to name a few of the key advantages. New marketing opportunities will be created as you now will have the option of creating your own website, selling online, and logging business sitting in the comfort of your office space.

Having aroused your interest (hopefully!), I must caution you that even a small business network server requires attention and good qualified tech support actually, the need for tech support kicks in even before you buy a small business network server. It is important that you purchase something that can be potentially scaled up to match with your growing needs. It would not hurt to have sound and qualified advice from a tech support professional. Whether it is price, compatibility or availability, a professional tech support person’s inputs would be invaluable.

Like with any new product and service, training and orientation is extremely critical. It is possible that you may have an in-house resource that could meet your server support requirements. Fantastic, with proper training your server ship is ready to sail.

While a server brings wonderful networking and communication opportunities to your business, it will also open you to the world. What I am referring to is the need for firewalls and other security measures against spam, virus, spyware and the need for passwords and user authentication. Server support is a 24/7 requirement. Your data back up typically happens when you are away from office so your server never sleeps and honestly neither should your server support. A small business cannot afford to have server support on holiday.

A small business server becomes the nerve center of your enterprise. You interact of it, you backup data on it, and you host your online business on it. It’s an extremely precious resource. Supporting this workhorse is an important part of your day to day business.

For a big idea to grow, the small business network server must grow as well. You will have to move from the plug and play server to a bigger business server. Similarly you will need to decide on how much computer support you actually need on a day to day basis.

Reacting to emergencies is one major area that computer support is required but I feel that preventive and diagnostic tech support is really mandatory for a business. For the big idea to become a big sustainable business, good sustainable technological infrastructure is a must. There is no getting away from this fact. Where there is technology, there must good tech support; either in-house or outsourced.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Server-Support-Services--The-Big-Idea/882024

New Features of Windows Server 2008 R2

2009-05-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

As expected, Microsoft announced that Windows 7 will be ready for customers in time for the holiday shopping season. This is something that industry analysts and bloggers have speculated for months, but Microsoft has not confirmed until now.

"With early RC testing and extensive partner feedback we've received, Windows 7 is tracking well for holiday availability," said Microsoft senior VP of Windows Business Bill Veghte during today's keynote speech at Tech Ed.

Veghte touted in his speech that the one-two punch of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will help businesses become more efficient and save money. Two Windows 7 features that utilize Windows Server 2008 R2 that Microsoft believes will accomplish this goal are DirectAccess for connecting to corporate networks without the use of a VPN, and BranchCache for speeding up access to files in remote offices that are away from corporate headquarters.

In a briefing late last week, Ward Ralston, a Microsoft Windows Server marketing executive, touted the efficiencies of the Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 union.

"Companies that have been testing DirectAccess and BranchCache are seeing improvements in employee productivity. They are also seeing thousands of dollars of bottom line savings by eliminating VPNs and reducing WAN bandwidth," he said.

Microsoft also revealed today three interesting features new to the release candidate of Windows Server 2008 R2:

Hyper-V scales higher - Microsoft's server virtualization software will now give users the ability to support 64 logical processors, with the goal of getting more out of hardware and server availability and handling the biggest enterprise workloads. Previously, Hyper-V could only scale up to 32 processors.

Processor Compatibility Mode - Allows the migration of virtual machines to another physical server with a different CPU version (but not to a machine with a CPU made by a different chipmaker.) In the past, to move a Hyper-V virtual machine to different hardware, the CPUs had to be the same, forcing users to buy new hardware.

File Classification Infrastructure - FCI is a built-in feature that allows IT pros to classify and manage data in file servers. Data can be classified as having high, medium or low business impact, and then users can back up the most important data more often and on higher-speed storage.

Download Here

Source: itworld.com

iYogi Acquires Clean Machine Inc.

2009-05-14T02:19:00.001-07:00

Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine appointed as President Global Channel Sales at iYogi

New York, NY, May 11th, 2009 : iYogi, a global direct to consumer and small business remote technical support provider, today announced it’s acquisition of Clean Machine Inc, a provider of remotely administered PC security and performance management services. Clean Machine will operate as a separate brand under the iYogi services umbrella along with the recently lunched Support Dock (www.supportdock.com) and its comprehensive range of 24/7 technical support services for computers, printers, MP3 players, digital camera, routers, servers and more than 100 software applications. Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine is appointed as the President of Global Channel Sales for iYogi.

iYogi will integrate technology and innovation that Clean Machine Inc. has developed for delivering an enhanced service experience by proactively managing the health and security for PC's and Apple Computers. This acquisition also broadens iYogi's access to key markets through Clean Machine's existing partnerships. Larry Gordon's past experience and successful track record will accelerate iYogi's expansion through his focus on global alliances.
Commenting on the acquisition of Clean Machine Inc., Uday Challu, CEO & Co-founder of iYogi, said,

"This acquisition will help iYogi to enhance our customer experience and extend our market reach to the millions of consumers that are challenged by the increasingly complex technology environment. Clean Machine's proactive maintenance and management of PCs in home and small business environment will be our launch platform for building the next generation of managed services for consumers."

"We are delighted to have Larry spearheading partnerships and global alliances for iYogi. His incredible experience in marketing, sales and building global alliances will help forge partnerships with retailers, multiple service operators, software publishers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other such companies that are at the frontlines for managing tech support issues for consumers and small businesses",

added Challu.

With more than 20 years of experience, Larry Gordon has played a variety of strategic roles in marketing, sales and building alliances. Larry was the Executive Vice President at Capgemini and Kanbay. He was also VP of Global Marketing for Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leader in global IT services and Director of Marketing for New York based Information Builders.

"I am excited to join a company that shares a common mission to Clean Machine in creating a global brand for delivering the best technical support to consumers and small businesses. We also share a common approach of utilizing highly skilled talent with leading edge tools, thereby delivering services at incredible price-points, with high margins for our partners",

said Larry Gordon, the newly appointed President of Global Channel Sales at iYogi.

ABOUT IYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, USA, iYogi provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. IYogi's 24/7 phone and remote technical assistance, spans across a comprehensive range of technologies we use every day from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing its proprietary technology iMantra , and highly qualified technicians, iYogi delivers amongst the highest benchmarks for resolution and customer satisfaction. iYogi is privately held and funded by SAP Ventures, Canaan Partners, and SVB India Capital Partners. iYogi was recently awarded the Red Herring Global 100 Award, recognizing it as one of the 100 most innovative private companies driving the future of technology. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.net.

ABOUT CLEAN MACHINE

Clean Machine Inc. is a NJ-based and incorporated company that helps consumers and small business owners easily manage and protect their computing environments safely and cost effectively. The company is has a unique, powerful and inexpensive PC concierge service. Specifically, each customer is assigned a highly-trained tech concierge who remotely examines their computer system on a scheduled and very secure basis. The PC concierge will immediately fix software-based problems and prevent new threats to the customer's computing environment including offensive pop-ups, browser redirects and slow performance, and then provides a detailed report. Clean Machine's proprietary Radar(TM) technology (Remote Access Detection Audit and Repair) allows its expert technicians to remotely resolve any problems, eliminating the need for customers to go through the frustrating process of speaking with a tech support expert, and still having to do the work themselves. In other words, the Clean Machine PC concierges do it all. For more information on Clean Machine please visit www.pccleanmachine.com.

Google sees new browser displacing desktop software

2008-09-04T01:14:00.000-07:00

Google sees new browser displacing desktop software

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (Reuters) - Google Inc is challenging Microsoft Corp with its own Web browser that lets users run many applications that once worked only when installed on local PCs, executives said on Tuesday.

Google introduced a public trial version of its new browser software, Chrome, which is designed to handle not just text and graphics, but more complex computer programs.

Chrome, available in 43 languages in 100 countries at www.google.com/chrome, has been designed to download software and Web pages faster than existing browsers. It even allows users to keep working when one of its windows crashes.

This represents Google's long-anticipated head-on attack on Microsoft and its Internet Explorer, which has three-quarters of the Web-browsing market. Google has backed Mozilla Corp's Firefox browser, which holds about 18 percent of the market.

Google engineers and executives call Chrome a "fresh take on the browser," a 15-year-old technology that is supplanting 25-year-old desktop software as the basic way users interact with computers.

"You actually spend more time in your browser than you do in your car," said Brian Rakowski, group product manager for Google's browser project.

Chrome was seen by analysts as partly a defensive move due to Google's fear that the recently upgraded Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8) could be used to lock out Google. Google's core business of Web search and related advertising depends on browsers.

A Microsoft executive said IE 8 gives users control over how and where they navigate, improves their day-to-day browsing experience, and keeps people safe from new security threats. "Microsoft understands that Web browsing is crucially important for hundreds of millions of people, which is why we invest in Internet Explorer so heavily," Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of Internet Explorer, said in a statement.

CHALLENGE TO MICROSOFT WINDOWS?

Google co-founder Sergey Brin said Chrome was designed to address the shift to using software from within a Web browser rather than as locally installed computer applications running inside Microsoft Windows or some other operating system.

"I think operating systems are kind of an old way to think of the world," Brin told a group of reporters after the news conference at Google's Mountain View, California headquarters. "They have become kind of bulky, they have to do lots and lots of different (legacy) things."

Google believes any task done in a standalone desktop computer application can be delivered via the Web and Chrome is its bet that software applications can be run via a browser.

"We (Web users) want a very lightweight, fast engine for running applications," Brin said.

"The kind of things you want to have running standalone (on a computer) are shrinking," he said, adding that he still edits photos on his computer rather than using a Web program.

GOOGLE BORROWS FROM APPLE, FIREFOX

Chrome borrows liberally from other browsers running open-source software code, including Apple Inc and Firefox, and company officials said they planned to fully share Chrome code with other developers. "We have borrowed good ideas from others," Google Vice President of Product Management Sindar Pichai said. "Our goal here was to bring our point of view, but do it in a very open way."

Because Chrome relies on Apple's open-source WebKit software for rendering Web pages, it can run any application that runs on Apple's Safari Web browser, Pichai said.

"If you are a webmaster, and your site works in Apple Safari then it will work very well in Google Chrome," he said.

Greg Sterling, a Web analyst with Sterling Market Intelligence, said Google's entry into the browser market has echoes of the bruising "browser wars" of the late 1990s, when Microsoft crushed Web pioneer Netscape Communications.

But while the competition between Microsoft and Google is likely to produce many improvements for consumers, the likely fallout from the battle will be other browser makers that have only recently begun to pry market share away from Microsoft.

Sterling said Firefox could become a victim of "friendly fire" from Google as many of its users are the same early adopters who are most likely to switch and try a new browser.

"Firefox has softened up and paved the way for Google. Without Firefox, Chrome would not be possible," Sterling said.

Brin said Google planned to continue to work closely with Mozilla, whose primary financial backing has come from Google in recent years. He said he hoped to see future versions of Chrome and Firefox become more unified over time.

Chrome organizes information into tabbed pages. Web programs can be launched in their own dedicated windows.Among Chrome's features is a special privacy mode that lets users create an "incognito" window where "nothing that occurs in that window is ever logged on your computer," according to a Google promotional guide.

Source:http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0232438620080903?pageNumber=4&virtualBrandChannel=0

Google sees new browser displacing desktop software

2008-09-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (Reuters) - Google Inc is challenging Microsoft Corp with its own Web browser that lets users run many applications that once worked only when installed on local PCs, executives said on Tuesday.

Google introduced a public trial version of its new browser software, Chrome, which is designed to handle not just text and graphics, but more complex computer programs.

Chrome, available in 43 languages in 100 countries at www.google.com/chrome, has been designed to download software and Web pages faster than existing browsers. It even allows users to keep working when one of its windows crashes.

This represents Google's long-anticipated head-on attack on Microsoft and its Internet Explorer, which has three-quarters of the Web-browsing market. Google has backed Mozilla Corp's Firefox browser, which holds about 18 percent of the market.

Google engineers and executives call Chrome a "fresh take on the browser," a 15-year-old technology that is supplanting 25-year-old desktop software as the basic way users interact with computers.

"You actually spend more time in your browser than you do in your car," said Brian Rakowski, group product manager for Google's browser project.

Chrome was seen by analysts as partly a defensive move due to Google's fear that the recently upgraded Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8) could be used to lock out Google. Google's core business of Web search and related advertising depends on browsers.

A Microsoft executive said IE 8 gives users control over how and where they navigate, improves their day-to-day browsing experience, and keeps people safe from new security threats. "Microsoft understands that Web browsing is crucially important for hundreds of millions of people, which is why we invest in Internet Explorer so heavily," Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of Internet Explorer, said in a statement.

CHALLENGE TO MICROSOFT WINDOWS?

Google co-founder Sergey Brin said Chrome was designed to address the shift to using software from within a Web browser rather than as locally installed computer applications running inside Microsoft Windows or some other operating system.

"I think operating systems are kind of an old way to think of the world," Brin told a group of reporters after the news conference at Google's Mountain View, California headquarters. "They have become kind of bulky, they have to do lots and lots of different (legacy) things."

Google believes any task done in a standalone desktop computer application can be delivered via the Web and Chrome is its bet that software applications can be run via a browser.

"We (Web users) want a very lightweight, fast engine for running applications," Brin said.

"The kind of things you want to have running standalone (on a computer) are shrinking," he said, adding that he still edits photos on his computer rather than using a Web program.

GOOGLE BORROWS FROM APPLE, FIREFOX

Chrome borrows liberally from other browsers running open-source software code, including Apple Inc and Firefox, and company officials said they planned to fully share Chrome code with other developers. "We have borrowed good ideas from others," Google Vice President of Product Management Sindar Pichai said. "Our goal here was to bring our point of view, but do it in a very open way."

Because Chrome relies on Apple's open-source WebKit software for rendering Web pages, it can run any application that runs on Apple's Safari Web browser, Pichai said.

"If you are a webmaster, and your site works in Apple Safari then it will work very well in Google Chrome," he said.

Greg Sterling, a Web analyst with Sterling Market Intelligence, said Google's entry into the browser market has echoes of the bruising "browser wars" of the late 1990s, when Microsoft crushed Web pioneer Netscape Communications.

But while the competition between Microsoft and Google is likely to produce many improvements for consumers, the likely fallout from the battle will be other browser makers that have only recently begun to pry market share away from Microsoft.

Sterling said Firefox could become a victim of "friendly fire" from Google as many of its users are the same early adopters who are most likely to switch and try a new browser.

"Firefox has softened up and paved the way for Google. Without Firefox, Chrome would not be possible," Sterling said.

Brin said Google planned to continue to work closely with Mozilla, whose primary financial backing has come from Google in recent years. He said he hoped to see future versions of Chrome and Firefox become more unified over time.

Chrome organizes information into tabbed pages. Web programs can be launched in their own dedicated windows.Among Chrome's features is a special privacy mode that lets users create an "incognito" window where "nothing that occurs in that window is ever logged on your computer," according to a Google promotional guide.

iYogi Announces Launch of Monitoring and Performance Tool For SMBs

2008-08-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

iYogi – a leading provider of technical support services with horizons in the US, UK, Canada and Australia – today announced the launch of its exclusive server monitoring tools for small businesses. The new product offers integrated technology solutions to surmount the users’ unique IT support requirements thereby enabling them to derive and share information, data, enable network performance analysis, and security trends critical to plan and mana ge their set of servers – 24x7.

Uday Challu, iYogi’s CEO commented, “Holding a significant niche for itself in the computer support industry, iYogi has always known to be on the forefront of adapting breakthrough technology to exceed customer service expectations. This time we have developed a tool offering value-add functionality which will help small business customers maximize the business outcomes of IT.”

iYogi’s monitoring tool provides real time observation and monitoring solutions to ensure more robust and reliable IT support and infrastructure for small buinesses. Small Business owners also get a comprehensive assesment of their IT environment to meet technology needs with the scalability for future growth and create preventative measures based on quick analysis of network device alerts, pre-failure indicators, performance benchmark and security issues.

The new Monitoring and performance tool will provide small business with the opportunity to test all technical and non-technical aspects of their servers and help them to strengthen overall IT infrastructure. The array of services will include: Patch Management, Security Auditing, Site Inventory, Real Time Alerting Script Based Management, and Rights Management Services for all critical server issues.

“Irrespective of the business being small or large, when the consumer chooses iYogi, he leverages the potential of an elite taskforce of Microsoft Certified System Engineers and Cisco Certified Network Associates, ready to service their critical assets, using the most advanced network asset tracking and Performance monitoring”, adds Challu.

Another factor where the Company aims to distinguish itself from its competitors is product pricing. Embracing the concept of service quality, iYogi offers competitively priced technical support services at no-haggle, low prices.

As for its small business support, the Company has integrated its exclusive Monitoring and Alerting Services under one price umbrella of just $480 annually. per server i.e. $49.99 per month. The price is certainly hard to find anywhere else.

For more information on iYogi Small Business Support, visit http://www.iyogibusiness.com/

Contact Details:
Company Name: iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd
Address: iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free no:1-800-237-3901
Work Number: 1-212-229-0901
Fax Number: 1-888-867-2715
E-Mail: awadhesh.singh@iyogi.net

iYogi Secures $9.5M in Series B Funding Led by SAP Ventures, With Follow-on Investment from Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners

2008-07-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

iYogi Secures $9.5M in Series B Funding Led by SAP Ventures, With Follow-on Investment from Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners
iYogi, a Direct-to-Consumer and Small Business Technical Support Provider, Paves the Way for Personal Offshoring to Become India’s Next Success Story

New York, 24 July, 2008: Personal Offshoring, which is driving the next wave of India’s outsourcing success story, got a huge boost today when iYogi - a remote technical support provider from India - raised $ 9.5 million in Series B financing from SAP Ventures, a division of SAP AG, Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners, a venture fund affiliate of Silicon Valley Bank.

iYogi (www.iyogi.net) delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India. The company offers its customers an unlimited, annual service subscription for $119.99 per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware Microsoft Windows operating system, software applications, peripherals and multifunctional devices.

“Personal Offshoring has created new investment opportunities in India with incredible growth potential,” said Doug Higgins, partner at SAP Ventures. “It is very exciting to see companies like iYogi challenging the traditional enterprise-focused offshore-service delivery model by creating a consumer-focused, direct-to-customer personal offshore model. iYogi is one of the fastest-growing companies in this market segment, and we look forward to working with them to create India’s next success story.”

“Our focus on the customer experience has helped us achieve a 93 percent satisfaction rate across more than 50,000 customers,” said Uday Challu, CEO of iYogi. “We are delighted to have the support of three terrific investors as we increase our market share and continue to provide the best technical support experience possible for our customers.”

iYogi will use the funds to fuel its expansion into 12 new regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and to increase its delivery of new services including PC recovery, anti-virus/spyware, data back-up and PC optimization.

“As consumer technologies grow in sophistication, consumers will be seeking the kind of home IT support services – including remote services offered by companies such as iYogi – to help them solve their most complex problems,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst, Parks Associates. “In primary research, we found more than one-third of consumers are willing to pay for competent and professional remote support services, and 60% express a strong interest in software solutions – what we refer to as ‘PC Dashboards’ – that automate many basic PC performance enhancement and troubleshooting features, solving many PC-related problems before they even are noticed by end-users.”

iYogi had previously raised $3.1 million in Series A financing from Canaan Partners and SVB in April of last year. “iYogi is one of the most promising investments for Canaan Partners,” said Alok Mittal, managing director of India at Canaan Partners. “Third-party, vendor-independent technical support is an exciting new service category, witnessing explosive growth. Customers are looking beyond the traditional vendor-provided support to remote channels for better problem resolution, faster service, and greater overall satisfaction. iYogi has created an incredible value proposition and price offering for its customers that is hard to beat.”

”Several next generation outsourcing companies from India are delivering a range of personal offshoring services for individuals and small businesses in the U.S. including online tutoring, tax preparation, remote executive assistance and research services,” said Suresh Shanmugham, managing director of SVB India Capital Partners, a venture fund affiliate of Silicon Valley Bank. “iYogi has leveraged the technical skills available in India along with process expertise to scale as a global technical support provider for millions faced with increasingly complex technology”.

About SAP Ventures
SAP Ventures invests in innovative and disruptive software and services companies globally. We pursue opportunities across all stages for outstanding financial return. Our goal is to bring substantial benefit to all parties by facilitating interaction between portfolio companies and SAP and its ecosystem of customers and partners. SAP Ventures has a successful track record of building industry-leading companies by partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and top-tier venture capital firms since 1996. For more information, visit www.sapventures.com.

About Canaan Partners

Canaan Partners is a global venture capital firm specializing in early-stage information technology and life sciences companies. Founded in 1987, Canaan Partners has $2.4 billion capital under management and has invested in more than 240 companies, completed 63 mergers and acquisitions, and brought over 50 companies public. The firm catalyzes the development of innovative mobile, Internet, CleanTech, networking, semiconductor, enterprise software and services, biotechnology and medical technologies to build next-generation market leaders. Canaan was an early investor in Acme Packet (APKT), Aperto Networks, BharatMatrimony.com, Blurb, DoubleClick (DCLK), ID Analytics, Match.com and SuccessFactors, along with dozens of other market-leading companies. Canaan is headquartered in Menlo Park, California and also has offices in Connecticut, India and Israel. For more information visit: www.canaan.com.

SVB India Capital Partners Fund and Silicon Valley Bank

SVB India Capital Partners Fund is a $54 million equity fund that is focused on Indian companies and co-invests across industries and stages with top-tier venture capital firms. Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for emerging, growth and mature companies in the technology, life science, private equity and premium wine industries. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 27 U.S. offices and five international operations. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group, with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital, SVB Global and SVB Private Client Services. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.

About iYogi

iYogi is the first direct-to-consumer and small business technical support service from India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support for $119.99 per year, iYogi now boasts more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 450 professionals servicing customers in the U.S., U.K., Canada fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi’s resolution rate of 87 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 93 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit www.iyogi.net.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. iYogi shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Contact:

Company Name:
iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd

Address:
iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013

Toll Free no: 1-800-237-3901

Work Number: 1-212-229-0901

F ax Number: 1-888-867-2715

Online support site for doctors

2008-07-11T04:26:00.000-07:00

A NEW Online vista tech support site for GPs and businesses has been launched by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Healthy Working Wales promotes healthy working practices and offers advice on how best to manage and recover at work if any health issues do arise.

The new website will bring together a number of initiatives, including Workboost Wales, Welsh Backs and the Corporate Health Standard, providing easy access to information, advice and support on a broad range of workplace health issues.

The website will also host a new pilot programme providing GPs with access to online resources on health and work issues.

The programme will provide Online vista support for GPs to access occupational health advice for their patients.

The Health & Safety Executive estimates that 30 million working days are lost each year due to work- related ill health. Sickness absence and associated worklessness costs £100bn a year in the UK.

Dr Tony Jewell, Wales’ chief medical officer for Wales said: “Ensuring that we are able to lead healthy working lives is as much our responsibility as our employers’.

“Unfortunately, not all ill health can be prevented but we can better Online vista tech support people to help them stay in work.

“The accessibility and convenience of an information resource like Healthy Working Wales is invaluable and will provide individuals, employers and health professionals with access to advice that may help prevent long-term conditions from developing.

“For GPs the pilot project will provide access to the most up-to-date information, and the expertise of professionals trained specifically to help find solutions for people with health and work issues. This is an innovative approach to providing advice on health and work issues and I’m pleased that it has been developed here in Wales.”

Source: walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/07/online-support-site-for-doctors-91466-21272016/

How to get Online Vista Support

2008-07-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has been struggling to convince Windows XP users to embrace Online Vista Support and PC makers have shunned the new operating system as well due to negative feedback from customers. The new platform, they claim, is too bloated and slow when compared with its predecessor.

Microsoft unveiled the corporate edition of Online Vista Support on November 30, 2006 and the consumer equivalent on January 29, 2007.

In a bid to boost online Vista's sales, Microsoft had set June 30, 2008 as the last day for PC makers to sell machines preloaded with Windows XP - with the exception of low-cost systems such as the Asus Eee PC.

Microsoft decides which operating systems run on specific hardware. As a result, business and home users will be subject to different rules, and most corporate clients wanting to ditch online Vista can do so for free.

The country's largest PC supplier, Hewlett-Packard, will offer Windows XP free to its business clients.

"HP will be offering the downgrade to Windows XP from Windows Vista support on our business desktops, notebooks and workstations until July 30 next year," Rob Kingston, HP Australia's PSG Commercial Products manager, said. "We won't be charging our customers for this."

But HP's home users will have to fend for themselves, as all consumer machines come with online Vista support. Should they choose to install Windows XP instead, they would have to bear the cost.

At Dell Australia, the purchase of a Vostro desktop, laptop or XPS gaming system will incur a downgrade fee of between $US20 ($21) and $US50.

Lenovo Australia says select online Vista support models will ship with an XP CD.

"Microsoft will allow us to continue putting these CDs in the box until January 31, 2009," a Lenovo spokesman said. "However, the majority of PCs we ship don't have the CD. If a customer purchases a online Vista system and wishes to downgrade, they can contact our help centre."

Lenovo customers will have to pay $82.50 for the XP CD.

Asus Australia has no plans to charge customers to switch from Vista to XP. "XP is not included in the package so this is based on customers sourcing their own valid XP CD and licence," the company's notebook product manager, Albert Liang, said.

"The licensing agreement for the Eee PC is separate to the standard Windows PCs and notebooks agreement, therefore the June 30 deadline does not affect the Eee PC."

According to Microsoft Australia, customers will receive mainstream support for Windows XP until April 2009. "They will be able to receive extended support under Microsoft's extended support policy until April 2014," a spokesperson said.

http://www.foxriverantiques.com

source : australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23956544-15306,00.html

InfoComm: Minicom to release digital signage remote support system

2008-06-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

JERUSALEM, Israel — a provider of digital signage player-to-screen connectivity, will showcase a new power management and remote vista support system that completes the player-to-screen comprehensive solution at this year's Las Vegas, June 17-20, 2008.

Minicom has created a solution called PowerOnCable that increases lifespan and cuts down on power costs of LCD, plasma and projectors, in response to the increase of energy prices and concern for the environment. PowerOnCable can connect to Minicom’s DS Vision 3000 system and LCD, plasma and projector display. PowerOnCable will radically improve display device lifespan and power consumption costs.

Minicom’s remote support solution enables customers to troubleshoot digital signage players anytime from anywhere in the world through Internet connectivity. It provides remote command in real time and enables troubleshooting even when the operating system is down.

The company also will offer private demonstrations of the technology at a suite across the street from the LVCC at the Marriott Residence Inn.

Tragedy in Harvard computer support department

2008-06-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

HARVARD – Jane Gasiorowski awoke Tuesday to her alarm at 4 a.m. and smelled smoke.

When she opened her apartment door, she saw her neighbor across the hall, apologizing profusely.

“The guy from 1C was standing in a smoke-filled hall between his apartment and mine in his underwear saying, ‘I’m sorry,’ online computer support over and over again.”

Gasiorowski said she assumed that the man was apologizing because he had started his apartment – and ultimately the building at 1415 Northfield Court – on fire. She said she saw flames shooting out his patio, and he was shrouded in smoke.

The man, 58-year-old John R. McKoski, later died.

The state fire marshal determined that McKoski caused the fire after falling asleep while smoking, spokeswoman Januari Smith said.

“He didn’t die in the fire,” Gasiorowski said. “He walked out the back door of the building, between our apartments. He lay down in the grass. As far as I knew, ... I didn’t see he was suffering in any way, and I was more worried about trying to get other people out.”

An autopsy showed that McKoski did not die from smoke inhalation, Coroner Marlene Lantz said.

“We did not find any soot in his airway, which means it could be a natural death or it could still be as a result of the fire,” Lantz said.

Toxicology results, which will not be available for several weeks, will reveal whether McKoski suffered from carbon-monoxide poisoning or whether he had drugs or alcohol in his system, she said.

The Harvard Fire Department responded to the fire about 3:35 a.m. and arrived on the scene about 3:42 a.m. In addition to McKoski, rescue personnel took a woman to Mercy Harvard Hospital.

Virginia Schaefer, 54, was treated for smoke inhalation and released.

“I’m fortunate because I have a place to go, my sister’s, but some people don’t,” Schaefer said. “I’m kind of nervous person anyway, but I’ve been shaking so bad.”

Gasiorowski said the smoke detector in her unit was not going off. Concerned about other tenants, she pounded on a fire door to awaken anyone who might still have been sleeping.

But from inside his apartment where he was watching TV on a living-room couch, Matt Bell could hear smoke detectors in the hallway.

“I wasn’t sure what it was, so I came out to the balcony, and I saw the smoke,” Bell said. “I woke up my wife, who popped out of bed and banged on everybody’s door.”

Twelve units in two separate buildings were made uninhabitable by the fire, displacing 16 people, said Chief Dan Kazy-Garey of the Harvard Police Department.

Representatives for the apartment complex’s owner, Cunat Inc., were working with the McHenry County Housing Authority to find places to stay for the displaced families.

“We have the funds available to provide them with shelter. So if they need it, we can provide it,” said the housing authority’s executive director, Julie Biel Claussen. “We are trying to get them through this difficult situation. We know it’s devastating.”

Twenty fire departments with about 85 firefighters and EMS personnel responded, as well as the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department, the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency, the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and Animal Control.

This was the third major fire in Harvard in the past week.

An 82-year-old woman, Katalin Hoz, was killed May 28 when her house at 2311 Paulson Road was destroyed. The home was engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived on the scene and the flames were too intense to rescue her.

Also, a family of five was displaced Sunday after their home at 24008 South St. was deemed uninhabitable. A pet cat was killed.

source : http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2008/06/04/news/local/doc48452fefb42dc519360700.txt

SQL Server support 2008: a first look

2008-05-27T04:38:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has made some big promises for server support 2008 , a major update of its enterprise database product. No precise date has yet been announced for the launch, but the new features have caught the interest of database developers, users and IT managers alike.

Users will notice a completely overhauled reporting engine and greatly improved performance. This should allow more users to run OLAP queries, or enable existing OLAP users to run more complex queries than are currently possible.

Among the highlights for developers is full support for a new could enable a new breed of low-cost applications for web commerce.

The new datatype allows applications to store and sort data describing locations. For example, a travel agent's database might store information about hotels, airports and restaurants; users could then search it for all the five-star hotels and restaurants within 10 miles of a particular airport.

Another groundbreaking addition is SQL 2008’s data type. These records can contain arbitrary data — such as text, sound or video — and can be searched using normal database commands. The difference is that FileStream records are stored on the local NTFS filesystem, which means they can contain much more data than a normal SQL record, and performance can be better too.

Despite being stored as files in the normal NTFS file system, FileStream data is thoroughly integrated with the database, which will keep it backed up, and will make sure that any transactions using it are consistent.

For IT managers, the biggest gains come in the shape of better performance and security. A new feature lets SQL Server . The application need not be aware of it, so existing applications can use this feature without any changes to existing code.

Support has also been added for certificate-based encryption and authentication, which works with a range of certificate authorities, including Microsoft Certificate Services.

Microsoft claims SQL Server 2008 will run 14 per cent faster than SQL Server 2005 on a quad-socket server, and Microsoft has also made some more specific For instance, automatic data compression for backups will reduce the amount of storage needed for backups by around 50 percent, Microsoft promises.

Database mirrors have been improved in order to store null values more efficiently, and the logs that synchronise database mirrors can now be compressed. This should reduce the amount of bandwidth needed to maintain duplicates of a database. Finally, a new resource governor enables administrators to assign CPU power to particular applications.

The most eagerly awaited feature, ironically, is not actually part of SQL Server 2008, but arrives at the same time: the , which lets Visual Basic and C## software applications include and verify SQL queries.

Previously about the only way to find out what was stored in a SQL database was to put SQL queries directly into an application coded as a text string, which would be sent by the application to the SQL database for processing. The trouble is that the software development tools don’t understand SQL queries, so the queries could not be automatically verified for correctness or efficiency.

LINQ is a set of extensions to the .NET Framework that enables the software development tools to understand the SQL queries, so they can manage them alongside the rest of the project. LINQ can also be used with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and 2005.

Developers and IT managers are understandably eager to get to grips with the reality of this promised functionality. When the product finally arrives, they will be checking to see whether it lives up to the claims, and so will we.

source : http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/software/enterpriseapplications/0,1000001813,39422964,00.htm

Atempo Adds Mac, Linux Support to Live Backup

2008-05-21T04:45:00.000-07:00

Do you rely on your road warriors to backup their laptops? Is that working out for you or are you just blaming the victim when they're machines are lost, stolen or just break down after being sent through the airport X-ray machine one time too many? Once you accept the fact that users, especially Sr. executives won't take any action at all to backup their data on a regular basis you'll start looking for an automated solution. Atempo's Live Backup has been that automated solution for Windows for years. With Version 3.2 Atempo is expanding client support to the fast growing Mac and Linux platforms.

Once you set up Live Backup on a Windows server support in your data center and install the clients to your users it runs continuously in the background on their machines saving their work at the block level. If they're connected to your network the changes are sent to the Live Backup server in real time. If they're at 35,000 feet enjoying the flight in the corporate Gulfstream it journals the changes to a dedicated partition on their hard drive and uploads it when they connect.

When the waste product strikes the air movement device, and we all know it will, users can restore files themselves through the Live Backup client UI and IT staff can doa bare metal restore to a new machine when the Exec VP drops his laptop into the Zambezi.

Atempo says a Live Backup server support can up to 10,000 users, assuming of course it has enough disk space.

Along with Mac and Linux, specifically the SUSE and Red Hat distros, support 3.2 adds multi-tiered administration that can enable departmental IT staff to manage their user groups and get reports. Atempo is also looking to use this feature to sign up solution providers for online backup.

source : http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/05/atempo_adds_mac.html

Ten Cooling Solutions to Support High-Density Server Deployment

2008-05-16T04:23:00.000-07:00

Overview:

High-density servers offer a significant performance per watt benefit. However, depending on the deployment, they can present a significant cooling challenge. Vendors are now designing servers support that can demand over 40 kW of cooling per rack. With most data centers designed to cool an average of no more than 2 kW per rack, innovative strategies must be used for proper cooling of high-density equipment.

This paper provides ten approaches for increasing cooling efficiency, cooling capacity, and power density in existing data centers.

source : whitepapers.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=284205&promo=100601

StoneFly Expands iSCSI Support for Server Virtualization Through VMware Technology Alliance Partner and Hardware Certification Programs

2008-05-13T04:57:00.000-07:00

SAN DIEGO, CA -- 05/12/08 -- StoneFly™, Inc., a leading supplier of integrated IP storage area network (SAN) systems and a wholly owned subsidiary of Dynamic Network Factory, Inc. (DNF), today announced its entry into VMware, Inc.'s Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) and Hardware Certification Programs.

In addition, StoneFly announced that the StoneFly StoneFusion™6.X operating system now offers enhanced server suppor t for virtual environments, including the latest versions of VMware ESX. As StoneFly's Intelligent Network Storage Platform, StoneFusion comes standard with each StoneFly IP SAN and offers comprehensive storage services, including built-in support for the VMware iSCSI initiator for speedy integration of networked storage with virtual servers.

While StoneFly has been applying the principles of virtualization since its founding in 2000, participation in the VMware programs strengthens its commitment to a growing base of customers interested in deploying virtual machines. "By formalizing our ties with VMware, we will not only be able to leverage their outstanding software to develop comprehensive disaster recovery solutions, but we can also help our customers achieve even greater advances with their virtualization initiatives," said Bahman Jalali, director of product management for StoneFly.

StoneFly IP SANs facilitate server virtualization, helping busy IT departments consolidate resources to improve efficiency and simplify the management of datacenters or IT infrastructure. At Randolph College, in Lynchburg, VA, a StoneFly IP SAN is deployed in conjunction with VMware Server to bolster business continuity and consolidate servers while also reducing energy consumption.

Within one month of installing the IP SAN along with VMware Server, Randolph had already virtualized four servers, and there are plans to transfer 12 additional server images to the SAN by year's end. Virtualization has delivered significant value, including the ability to manage printers by a virtualized print server image on the SAN, meaning that the old physical print servers can be turned off. Not only does power usage go down with fewer servers to contend with, but now Randolph doesn't need to invest in as much additional server suport hardware when it can use images on the SAN to meet a large portion of its daily IT needs.

StoneFly's Hybrid Storage Concentrator™ (HSC), Modular Storage Concentrator (MSC) and Integrated Storage Concentrator (ISC) offerings are among the key StoneFly product families that can be utilized with VMware software. Via StoneFusion, each HSC, MSC or ISC IP SAN supports StoneFly Snapshot™, StoneFly Reflection™ for synchronous and asynchronous mirroring, and block-level virtualization. StoneFusion also features centralized storage management, storage consolidation, access control, volume management and provisioning to present SAN storage to hosts as local disks.

source : earthtimes.org/articles/show/stonefly-expands-iscsi-support-for,388568.shtml

AMD fleshes out server strategy

2008-05-08T03:23:00.000-07:00

AMD has announced that it plans to release a line of 12-core server support processors within two years.

The company unveiled its server and workstation roadmap at a media event on 7 May in San Francisco, which also included plans for a line of 45nm chips by the end of the year.

The 45nm Shanghai chips will use immersion lithography techniques to produce a line of quad-core processors which the company claims will be up to 20 per cent more power efficient than its current 65nm Barcelona chips.

Shanghai will be completely socket compatible with Barcelona, allowing manufacturers to drop the new chips into existing platform designs.

AMD plans to expand its 45nm line-up to a six-core model dubbed Istanbul by the second half of 2009. Both chips will feature 6MB of level-3 cache and use Nvidia nForce chipsets.

Randy Allen, corporate vice president and server and workstation general manager at AMD, said that the next major upgrade will come in 2010 when the company hopes to launch a line of server chips running on its new Maranello platform.

The two 45nm chips, codenamed Sao Paulo and Magny-Cours, will sport six and 12 processing cores respectively.

The Sao Paulo chips will use 6MB of level-3 cache on a single die, while Magny-Cours will join two six-core dies together to create a 12-core chip.

Both chips will sport AMD chipsets and will support hyper-transport 3.0 connections as well as DDR-3 memory.

Allen told reporters that he expects the six-core chips to become a mainstay for many users. Whereas companies have been more than ready for dual and quad-core chips, Allen sees six cores as a barrier of sorts.

"The vast majority of the market is scaleable to at least six-core [chips]," he said. "We believe that there are going to be more workloads that stop at six cores."

Allen still predicts an eager market for the 12-core Magny-Cours chip. "Some of our largest markets are people running installations, and they are asking when they are going to get to 24 cores," he said. "Their workloads are embarrassingly parallel."

One possible solution for these highly parallel workloads has been the use of graphics chips for general processing, a concept known as GPGPU.

Allen explained that, while the company has looked into "leveraging" graphics processors, it is not something AMD is currently looking to address with its server support processors.

"If you look at the initiative of accelerated computing, the concept is so simple and everyone is enamoured with it," he told reporters.

"But for different problems there are different solutions, and for some problems there are better solutions than an x86 processor."

source:http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2216127/amd-fleshes-server-strategy

Microsoft, Novell stressing China's Linux server support market

2008-04-21T03:26:00.000-07:00

Novell Inc. and Microsoft Corp., trying to expand the reach of their unusual alliance, say they plan to put a bigger emphasis on the Chinese market.

The companies say they will make an extra investment to sell more support subscriptions for Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server support operating system in China. The idea is to court companies currently using Linux without any software support, often for free.

China is "quite a large and growing market in terms of Linux," said Susan Heystee, Novell's vice president and general manager of global strategic alliances. There is "a very large nonpaid Linux market" in China, she said, but many of those companies are now looking for support for mission-critical systems and for virtualization, setups where multiple operating systems can run on one piece of hardware.

Under their partnership, announced in November 2006, Microsoft agreed to buy and redistribute $240 million worth of SUSE Linux support certificates. The alliance was seen as unusual because Linux has long been one of the biggest competitive threats to Microsoft Windows.

As part of the 2006 deal, the companies agreed not to pursue claims against each other's users for patent infringement.

That provision has stirred controversy in the open-source software community by appearing to lend support to Microsoft's separate claims that Linux violates its patented technology. Novell has publicly disputed those claims.

As part of the announcement Sunday, the companies said People's Insurance Co. of China, Dawning Information Industry Co. and The Dairy Farm Co. will receive certificates from Microsoft for three years of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server support from Novell.

The companies declined to say how much more they will be investing as part of the partnership's bigger focus on China.

Source :seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/359808_msftnovell21.html

Telestream Announces Key Workflow Support in Episode 5.0 Release

2008-04-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Support expands for Web, DVD authoring, digital film/telecine workflows with latest Flash, Blu-ray and RED formats; plus support for Final Cut Server, encode while ingesting and a free SDK.

Las Vegas - NAB 2008 (April 13, 2008) - Telestream today announced availability of Episode 5.0 encoding software which expands format support to a greater number of specific digital media workflows for Apple professionals. For high-end post-production workflows, Telestream's high-performance Episode Engine server support software adds input support for RED camera, Cineon and DPX formats. For its core content repurposing to Web and mobile workflows, the entire Episode family adds support for the latest Flash 8, Flash 9 and Blu-ray formats. For Apple's new Final Cut Server media asset management and workflow automation software, Episode expands format choices beyond QuickTime to virtually any format.

"Episode 5.0 removes bottlenecks and speeds digital media workflows for a greater number of Apple users in digital production and editorial environments. The addition of high-end 10-bit 4:4:4 processing makes Episode Engine a perfect fit for the rigorous demands of digital film and telecine environments," said Barbara DeHart, VP of Marketing at Telestream. "With the addition of more formats for Web and mobile workflows, Episode continues to meet the content authoring needs for a growing number of new media platforms. We're also pleased to add server support for Apple's exciting new Final Cut Server application."

Version 5.0 adds encode and decode support for Flash 8 VP6s, Flash 9 (H.264) and Blu-ray, keep pacing with the latest new media content authoring formats. Using Telestream's innovative new Pipeline network video capture device, Episode users can now easily log and capture video from tape, schedule recording of live feeds and encode media while it is being ingested. The 5.0 release also includes a new high-quality filter for NTSC/PAL video standards conversion which brings software video conversion to a new level at an affordable price compared to hardware standards converters.

NAB is Telestream's debut for Final Cut Server integration. Episode multiformat encoding software now expands format support beyond QuickTime to virtually any file format for Final Cut Server. This a great example of how the new free Software Developer Kit (SDK) for Episode Engine enables easy integration into any workflow. Intelligent scripting simplifies integration, including monitoring, delivery and notification of transcoding operations, directly through the easy-to-use Episode user interface, without the need for programming. Version 5.0 also extends workflow integration to include media browsing and importing from Grass Valley K2 or Profile and 360 Systems servers, plus Sony XDCAM, Grass Valley Infinity and Ikegami Editcam disk-based cameras.

Episode Engine provides faster-than-real-time encoding through segmented and distributed processing for the most demanding workflows involving large, complex files. Version 5.0 now provides support for RED, Cineon and DPX formats, preserving 10-bit 4:4:4 throughout the process to provide the speed and superior quality required for digital film and telecine workflows. Because of Episode's ability to access QuickTime components, Final Cut Studio users can now gain access to Apple's pristine-quality ProRes 422 post-production format.

Telestream's Episode encoding applications for the Mac provide extensive format support, speed, quality and ease of use. Episode is the only encoding solution that scales from a single desktop to a fully-automated, multi-node server cluster with distributed encoding for high-volume and time-critical workflows.

SQL Server 2008 Support

2008-04-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR Microsoft Malaysia has three new versions of its enterprise business solutions — Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.

It is confident the products will better enable businesses to manage their IT infrastructures and move to a virtualised environment.

Among the early adopters of the products are insurance company ING Bhd, hard-disk manufacurer Western Digital, shipping firm MISC Bhd, semiconductor services provider Carsem (M) Sdn Bhd, and eGenting Sdn Bhd, the IT arm of casino and hotel operator The Genting Group.

Thomas Ng, vice-president of eGenting, said: "Windows Server 2008 has helped us better optimise our server resources through virtualisation of multiple operating systems, while helping us reduce licensing costs."

Microsoft Malaysia managing director Yasmin Mahmood hopes the products will help IT professionals create "dynamic systems that have seamless access to the information and computing capabilities that users need and for their desired devices."

The company's enterprise solutions segment has been growing steadily over the past decade; just two years ago, it only made up a third of its total business.

Now, half our total business comes from the enterprise space, said Yasmin. "It is one of the fastest growing segments for Microsoft. We are hoping for even higher growth now that these new products have been launched," she added.

Added benefits

The main focus of Windows Server 2008 is virtualisation, which enables it to run virtual server as virtual desktop machines whether to actual desktop machines or to thin clients.

This will enable system administrators to allocate IT resources more flexibly, such as in situations where demand for an application may vary at different times of the day.

That might happen in a trading or stock brokerage situation where transaction volumes are subject to peaks and troughs throughout a trading day.

Improvements in SQL Server 2008 include improved information lifecycle management of various data types, such as traditional unstructured information, geospatial information, and information structured into complex hierarchies.

SQL Server 2008 has an improved report-building facility that incorporates server support for multiple data types, data sources, and report design options, amongst others.

Visual Studio 2008 allows for faster application development by simplifying a programmer’s view of different data types through its language Integrated Query.

This lets them use a single model to query and transform XML, Microsoft SQL Server and object data without having to use the specialised language for each.

Visual Studio also lets developers build one application to run on different versions of the .Net framework rather than a different version for each version.

The 2008 versions of Windows Server, SQL Server and Visual Studio help keep software maintenance costs down, said Microsoft.

Source : star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2008/4/9/technology/20080409172014&sec=technology

Web-Based eSignatures with New eSigning Server

2008-04-03T00:38:00.000-07:00

CAMARILLO, Calif., Apr 02, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Interlink Electronics, Inc. (OTC:LINK), the trusted provider for legally-binding esignature solutions now adds IntegriSign Emcee(TM) to its robust eSign Anywhere(TM) platform. IntegriSign Emcee, the first esigning server to offer multiple electronic signature capture options, enables organizations to bridge the gap between diverse business channels, including in-branch, in-field, and online. IntegriSign Emcee also offers seamless integration into diverse IT environments and generates well executed and irrefutable Signing Ceremonies.

"With Interlink's eSign Anywhere Platform, organizations can look to esignatures as a strategic investment capable of eliminating business silos, versus a point solution suitable for only certain processes," explains Rod Vesling, Senior Vice President and Officer for eTransactions at Interlink Electronics. "IntegriSign Emcee's support of multiple esignature capture options makes esigning a possibility for all processes no matter where, when, or how the signing transaction occurs."

IntegriSign Emcee captures esignatures through a browser-based click-through process as well as with Interlink's ePad family of handwritten electronic signature capture devices, and Tablet PCs. More importantly, IntegriSign Emcee Mobile, an additional software option, transforms a Windows(R) Mobile touch-screen smartphone into a secure esignature capture device.

According to Interlink's Mr. Vesling: "The ability to electronically sign on a mobile device truly completes our eSign Anyhwere Platform. Organizations can transform their mobile business applications by empowering their customers and representatives to esign when and where they are ready to act."

Master of the Signing Ceremonies

By offering an intuitive browser-based interface, IntegriSign Emcee enables organizations to be the Master of their Signing Ceremony and easily set-up, present, and then verify etransactions. IntegriSign Emcee offers three intuitive interfaces:

Ceremony Designer

The Ceremony Designer interface enables the process owner to choose the documents to include in the Signing Ceremony, establish the correct document presentation order, and then identify the required esignature capture options. No programming experience is required.

Ceremony Presenter

The Ceremony Presenter is the interface that the end customer will use in order to complete an online transaction. The easy-to-use interface guides the customer through the process, reducing the need to call or email for support.

Ceremony Verifier

The process owner can log into the Ceremony Verifier to check the status of all new, pending and completed transactions, and to review the audit trail of a ceremony. For an improved customer service experience, customers will also be able to receive up-to-date information on their application status through the Ceremony Verifier.

"As reported by Celent Research, financial services organizations will look to electronic signature technology to leverage both their brick and click," explains Mr. Craig Weber, Senior Vice President, with Celent. "In this current soft market, implementing efficient processes and cost reduction initiatives will help financial services organizations gain a competitive advantage and market leadership."

Distributed eSigning Engine

IntegriSign Emcee provides scaleable security and authentication options through its Distributed eSigning Engine. IntegriSign Emcee will cryptographically sign a document at the server or provide digital signing capability at the desktop or on a mobile device. Organizations now have a choice of how they deploy a browser based esigning architecture - optimizing the association of the signing process with the actual signer.

"A well designed electronic signature process, support by the appropriate technology, can actually improve a company's ability to enforce the terms of the documents signed electronically, thereby reducing the likelihood of having to resort to the courts to enforce the terms of electronically-signed documents," explains Mr. Patrick Hatfield, a Partner with Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, a national law firm with one of the leading electronic signature practices in the financial services arena.

"If the enforceability of an electronically signed document is contested, the admissibility of such document is enhanced by having each electronically-signed document individually cryptographically secured upon signature of that document, rather than cryptographically securing all the records for that transaction as a single package," continues Mr. Hatfield.

Industry Standard eSignatures

A key benefit for all organizations is IntegriSign Emcee's utilization of digital signatures capabilities from Adobe Systems Incorporated in PDF documents. No proprietary tools are necessary to verify the esignature; anyone can verify the validity of esignatures produced by simply using Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) or Adobe Reader(R) software. IntegriSign Emcee also support Adobe LiveCycle(R) Reader Extensions by presenting PDF documents through IntegriSign Emcee's Ceremony Presenter module.

"PDF has become the standard for more secure and reliable exchange of electronic documents and forms," said John B. Harris, Security Alliances Manager, Adobe. "By using the Adobe PDF digital signature architecture, Interlink is ensuring there are lower barriers to adoption for their esigning server solution. Giving knowledge workers the power to validate the esignature with Adobe Reader will make esignatures more widely-accepted."

Source : foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/technology/article/interlink-redefines-webbased-esignatures-new-esigning-server-integrisign_544867_12.html

SQL Server 2008

2008-04-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

As always, a big differentiator for Microsoft is price. At $24,999 per processor, the 2008 version costs the same as 2005 and significantly less than comparable versions from Oracle or IBM. Plus, learning its lesson from 2005, Microsoft promises an improved upgrade experience, something your customers will not only welcome, but require. Now that your customers finally have SQL Server 2005 in place and running smoothly, Microsoft is launching the next version of its venerable database: SQL Server 2008. ¡ But don't worry. There are some major improvements in the 2008 version that make an upgrade a no-brainer in several situations. For example, unlike similar offerings from competitors Oracle Corp. and IBM Corp., Microsoft's database comes with integrated business intelligence (BI) functionality, along with new support for spatial, location-based data -- all at no additional cost. And the new data types, in addition to new management and visualization tools, promise to kick-start a wealth of new applications for your customers -- and new services for you. ¡ The spatial tools open up a lot of opportunities for us," says Alex Machinis, CEO of SpatialPoint LLC, a Certified Partner in Des Plaines, Ill., that specializes in Microsoft MapPoint and Virtual Earth solutions. "This is a major release because they're providing the capabilities to store spatial data in the system and query it."

Machinis says 2008's spatial-data support enables his developers to store and query parcel data for real estate, environmental data, economic zones and even wireless coverage areas, among others. He says using the new version's capabilities is like working with a database that didn't support dates, but suddenly gains that ability. "All of a sudden, a lot more people can use it," he says. "We're storing that coverage data inside SQL Server 2008, gaining the security and ease of use, and that's something we couldn't do before."

Source: rcpmag.com/features/article.aspx?editorialsid=2447

Parallels news about containers and server support beta product

2008-03-31T00:08:00.000-07:00

Parallels is offering a few different forms of virtualization to the market. Specifically in the server market, they have a container-based solution (from SWsoft) as well as a hypervisor/server virtualization solution that is currently in Beta.

Making a big move to get its product into the hands of end users, the company recently announced that it has signed an exclusive deal with Tech Data Corporation to distribute its Parallels Virtuozzo Containers offering in the United States. The agreement strengthens Parallels' channel program by offering value-added resellers (VARs) easy access to the company's container-based server virtualization software.

"Parallels Virtuozzo Containers takes a different approach to server virtualization than many of the other solutions available in the channel, and by doing, so offers enterprises large and small a unique set of advantages, such as better per-server density and superior performance," said Bill Portin, vice president of North American sales and operations, Parallels.

"This makes Parallels Virtuozzo Containers an ideal solution for VARs deploying data center-scale virtualization or for those deploying virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions. Working with Tech Data's AIS Division, Parallels will ensure our VAR partners have access to the support, expertise and information they need to profitably deploy Parallels Virtuozzo Containers."

At the same time, the company is also moving fast to get their server virtualization solution from Beta to GA. Things must be heading in the right direction for Parallels' latest product. InfoWorld's Randall Kennedy recently put the Beta product through and said it looks promising. Kennedy said:

"I did find Parallels Server to be quite responsive, allowing me to install Windows Server 2003 into a new VM at a very competitive pace. I also found the various performance and resource utilization counters to be both helpful and informative, with everything arranged neatly in a series of tabbed panes within the VM console window.
One feature I found most welcome was support for multiple virtual CPUs. Many server applications are tuned to behave differently on a single-CPU system, limiting scalability in non-SMP VM environments. Parallels Server multi-CPU support should give these applications a healthy performance boost."

source: http://weblog.infoworld.com/virtualization/archives/2008/03/parallels_news.html

New Intel Energy-Efficient Server support Processors

2008-03-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

Two new processors are making their way to server and workstations. The new 45nm runs at 50 watts or 12.5 watts per core, and these apply even to those with 2.50GHz frequencies. Despite being 25 percent faster and even having a larger cache size by 50 percent, the new processors only consume as much energy as their lower voltage predecessors with lower specs.

“Using Intel’s hafnium-infused high-k metal gate transistors has allowed our quad-core 45nm low-voltage server chips to attain new heights in power-efficient performance,” said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Server Platforms Group. “These chips deliver the speed needed while using meager amounts of energy.”

To make the low power consumption possible, Intel reinvented its transistor formula. Together with the 45nm chip capabilities, performance boost and reduced power consumption were achieved. The first two chips released are the quad-core L5420 (with a 2.50 GHz frequency) and quad-core L5410 (with a 2.33 GHz frequency). Higher specs mean faster systems while consuming less electricity. I’m not the only one who thinks that’s cool though–a number of vendors already expressed their support for the new Intel processors. Aside from these two discussed, next quarter, Intel is also releasing a new low-voltage dual core processor running at 40 watts with up to 3 GHz frequency.

source: gadgetspy.co.uk/2008/03/25/new-intel-energy-efficient-server-processors

Dell Inks OEM Deal with Egenera for Server Management Software

2008-03-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Seeking to get any advantage it can over

and storage rivals , and a somewhat resurgent announced that it would be certifying the PAN Manager systems and virtualization management software created by egenera on Dell's PowerEdge server line.

The announcement did not come as a big surprise, of course. back in oct 2007 , when Egenera announced that it was going to make its Processor Area Network Manager infrastructure virtualization and management software available on an OEM basis to the makers of other server gear, it was pretty obvious that Dell would very likely be the first vendor to make use of PAN Manager because its management tools are not as robust as those from IBM and HP. Both IBM and HP are far more interested in taking the tools from their high-end servers and extending them down into the X64 space for Windows and Linux servers than they are letting someone else get in on the action, and they have bought companies or developed tools to keep this lucrative business in house. The mystery really is why Dell, which has been a bit acquisitive, didn't just acquire Egenera last year and pitch the BladeFrame machines and their PAN Manager software as the alternative to big iron Unix, mainframe, and i5/OS boxes. That may yet happen, of course. Particularly if the economy heads south in a big way or the financial services companies where Egenera has had a lot of its business lock up their IT budgets.

The PAN Manager software is what makes the BladeFrame a platform and not just a bunch of servers sitting in a rack. The collection of software is used to provision, monitor, and manage virtualized blade servers, their related networks, and storage area networks that feed data to the blades. The software also has built in high availability clustering for workloads. Back in December 2001, the BladeFrames only supported Linux, but Windows Server 2003 was supported in May 2003, and in December 2005 the company added support for Solaris 10 to the BladeFrame iron and its related systems software.

Last fall, Mike Thompson, president and chief executive officer at Egenera, said that the company had no plans of abandoning its BladeFrame hardware business, and that remains true to this day. But now that the first big OEM deal is signed, Thompson today conceded that there could be some impact on hardware sales now that PAN Manager will be available on Dell's PowerEdge line. "We think there could be some cannibalization of BladeFrame sales, but we also think that there will be tremendous pull as well for PAN Manager from Dell." Thompson says that given the newness of the OEM business, he is not building cannibalization into the current revenue plan for BladeFrame sales. He also says that even if Dell does sell a lot of iron with PAN Manager software on it, Egenera can still continue to pitch the BladeFrame as a high-end, integrated offering. The main thing is that Dell has thousands of salespeople pushing gear in data centers compared to the dozens that Egenera can put into the field.

So what about other server makers? Are they lining up to resell PAN Manager? Thompson is not saying. "Our focus right now is on Dell and making this partnership highly successful," he says. "This is the first global OEM partner for us, and we love the fact that we are getting PAN Manager on low-cost, industry standard servers," says Thompson. "We believe that that PAN Manager will allow Dell to leapfrog IBM and HP, in fact. While IBM and HP have good management tools, and they have enhanced virtualization, they have not done full infrastructure, data center virtualization, including the network.

Dell is expected to support PAN Manager among its customers in the United States first and then roll the software out to the rest of its customers gradually. Pricing for the software will be based on the number of sockets in the server that are being managed by the Egenera code, and it is expected to be generally available at the end of June or so. (Exact pricing will be announced then and was not available today.) Dell is also engaging its infrastructure consulting services people to push PAN Manager as a server consolidation and infrastructure virtualization offering. Dell currently supports Windows, Linux, and Solaris on its PowerEdge servers, and it is expected that PAN Manager will be able to manage all three of these platforms. By putting Solaris into the mix, Dell can take a run on the Sparc/Solaris installed base and make as credible a sales pitch as Sun itself can make with its "Galaxy" X64 server line running Solaris 10. All the more reason to think that Sun might swoop in and buy Egenera if Dell's OEM deal gets it traction in the Sun customer base.

source: itjungle.com/two/two032608-story04.html