DataCenter

Beware of rising server room temperatures

When you’re cranking the A/C during these final hot days of summer, don’t forget about data center cooling as well. The consequences for not monitoring server room temperatures could burn you well beyond the summer months.

Experts suggest the optimal server room temperature should not go below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above 82 degrees. But in general, it’s best to keep your servers in a room with temperatures between 68-71 degrees. Continued »

2009 cybersecurity threats revealed – wah waaah

You know that new iPhone you got? Or the Android order you put in? Well, not to get all Debbie Downer on you, but your sexy smartphone is a security threat.

The Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) announced the release of the Emerging Cyber Threats Report for 2009. A big help in our overall awareness and protection, the report outlines security concerns and risks for consumer and enterprise Internet users. So what’s your mobile device got to do with it? Cell phones will become members of botnets.

In the GTISC report, Patrick Traynor, an assistant professor of computer science at Georgia Tech and member of the GTISC, delves into the “digital wallet” smartphone concept (smartphones store personal identity and payment information). He says smartphones will be injected with malware — when this happens, “large cellular botnets could then be used to perpetrate a DoS attack against the core of the cellular network.” The good news? Traynor goes on to say it will provide an opportunity to design security properly for the quickly evolving mobile communications sector.

The overall threat areas to be aware of, according to the report, are malware, botnets, cyberwarfare, threats to VoIP and mobile devices and the evolution of the cybercrime economy. The driving force behind all the attacks? The data.

The cybercrime community (a mafia of sorts, if you will) will be utilizing our recent advancements in social networking to cloak malcode. One example given in the report: Facebook wall links posted by a friend prompting users to install Flash Player updates. When the unaware user clicks to install the update, a piece of malware is installed on the machine. And just like that, the computer is involved in a botnet.

Other stats to be aware of? Botnets have become worse in 2008 and GTISC researchers estimate 15% of online computers will be botnet-affected this year. Cyberwarfare and attempts to “subvert the US economy and infrastructure” will accompany military interaction more often. And the already vulnerable VoIP? Cybercriminals will look to engage in voice fraud, data theft and other scams.

Top five rookie CIO mistakes

In an article published April 13, Todd McGregor, managing director of Forrester Middle East, laid out his “Top five CIO mistakes.”

Here’s an abbreviated list:

1.  Conflicting culture and structure.
2. A management style that conflicts with IT goals.
3. Metrics that don’t support the direction of IT.
4. Weakened strategic functions.
5. Overly fragmented functional groups.

 (To see the full list, check out McGregor’s article with his explanations and examples.)

Far be it from me to pick a bone with a Forrester analyst — especially a managing director — but that list seems a little simplistic. It could be that he’s addressing enterprise CIOs as opposed to CIOs in the midmarket, but it seems like each of those mistakes boils down to simple management flaws.

It could be a function of being too far removed from the IT department itself, but, really? Metrics that don’t support the direction of IT? Someone who is in charge of managing and directing technology for a company doesn’t know which metrics should be pulled and what data needs to be analyzed? I’m sure that is a top mistake for a CIO — assuming they’re making that mistake at all. C-level employees reach that position for a reason, and while employees might think that most CIOs are clueless when it comes to daily operations, being that far out of touch should be grounds for firing.

Look, McGregor does make some salient points about the general strategies that CIOs should use while running their departments. They just strike me as a little obvious. Feel free to disagree.

In the meanwhile, I’d like to humbly submit my top five rookie CIO mistakes.

1. Not wearing pants to work.
2. Parking in the CEO’s spot –this is still IT, after all.
3. Telling the facility manager he “missed a spot.”
4. Ordering the tuna salad with extra pickles in the cafeteria.
5. Contracting Rent-A-Center to redesign the data center.

VirtualNet IronApp expand partnership

Virtual Iron and NetApp Storevault storage are expanding their partnership. In this latest development, StoreVault has been certified for Virtual Iron’s server virtualization software.

This is actually mildly exciting news for CIOs. The partnership should free up storage space, help implement storage virtualization and improve data protection. The consolidation and virtualization will cut down on power and cooling costs, while beefed-up data protection is never anything to sneeze at. If IT flexibility is your thing, StoreVault says this partnership has it in spades.

In your mandatory take-it-for-what-it’s-worth PR quote, Sajai Krishnan, general manager of the StoreVault division, says: “Midmarket customers are looking to server and storage virtualization for the same reason as large enterprises - to reduce data center complexity and increase IT flexibility.”

And David Roden, director of technology for the law firm Goodell DeVries Leech and Dann LPP – and pleased NetApp and Virtual Iron customer – says, “The fit between Virtual Iron and StoreVault is about as close to pure plug and play as it gets.”

A quick call to Tim Walsh, director of corporate marketing with Virtual Iron, revealed that plug and play doesn’t mean channel-less. ”Both products are sold through our channel partners, and we feel there is a lot of value in buying both products together,” Walsh said. ”The packaged solution reduces complexity for midmarket businesses.”

But if the products’ plug and play-i-ness is being stressed to CIOs, will there be a lot of return business to the channel pro who sold them the solution? Or will the purchase – and possibly installation services – be the last time those chicanerous salesmen are called to the site?

-Brian

Symmetry, defined again, again.

Hi there. Welcome to the SearchCIO-Midmarket.com blog. Over the coming weeks and months Zach Church, CIO-Midmarket’s news writer, and I are aiming to bring you the most relevant CIO news that you’ll be able to find on these vast, expansive interwebs we call home. It can be difficult to find the news that’s hard hitting, impactful and, uh, another synonym for things that attack with force! But we’re looking to bring all that news to your email inbox, RSS feed or PDA.

But what can you expect to find on CIO Symmetry? See why other midmarket CIOs are making news and you aren’t. We’ll gather relevant news for you to peruse –  here — at your leisure. Considering attending a trade show aimed at CIOs, but you’re just not sure that effusive PR person is being totally honest with you? We’ll give you the skinny.

But most importantly, we want to hear from you, our dearly beloved midmarket CIO. What makes your job easier or harder? Is the guy who runs a data center a royal pain? Was that golf sales outing last week just not what you were expecting? Tell us. And we, in turn, will tell you about everything you might not have time to chase down on your own. After all, we both realize you’re busy, but that’s no excuse not to be up to speed on the midmarket happenings.

And while news gathering is ultimately the goal here, the two of us will also provide expert analysis and commentary with a little bit of wit, a healthy dose of sarcasm and just a touch of cynicism.

Plus videos and funny pictures. Did I mention the funny pictures yet?

-Brian