WAN optimization

Dec 17 2007   5:59PM GMT

Next pass on Data Center Automation “Blueprint”

Posted by: Ryan Shopp
DataCenter, CMDB, eTOM, FCAPS, IT Process Automation, ITIL, Application monitoring, Network monitoring, Performance management, Security, Storage, Virtualization, RBA, Run Book Automation, Systems monitoring, Systemschannel, WAN optimization

Thanks for the feedback, I’ve incorporated some points that have been made into an updated version of the Data Center Automation Blueprint (DCAB).

As mentioned previous this is a work in progress and I love getting feedback, ideas, concerns etc. with the model. As mentioned previously I’m trying to build a functional model (at the 30,000 foot level) that represents key software functionality to automate the data center towards someday becoming “lights out.”

Also, with that said, it needs to be comprehensive but not overwhelming. I want to keep the yellow DCA functional areas limited in number…if this grows to be much more then the current six I feel it becomes too complex. So to add any new areas I need to assess how do they compare to the current areas and could I combine any areas.

One I’m struggling with right now is I’ve received feedback that analytics itself is an area. The interesting thing is analytics currently fits to some degree within each of the 4 horizontal functional areas (e.g., Configuration/Change, Security/Protection) as each of those products offer advanced reporting and as that progresses they do predictive reporting and analytics around that functional area.

Analytics would also show up at the dashboard level (currently beyond the scope of what I’m defining as the functional areas of the Data Center Automation Blueprint) where you would correlate business intelligence, patterns etc. across not just Data Center Automation functional categories but also across manual task orchestration (e.g., service/help desk) details.

Thoughts?

One more thing to clear up, I know some (many) of these functional categories and their products extend beyond the Data Center. The lens this blog looks through is exclusively focused on the challenges posed by large, complex data centers. For example, I know performance products are also useful in all sized companies (big & small) and also beyond the data center (e.g., headquarters, remote offices, partner networks, etc).

Nov 19 2007   2:44PM GMT

Virtualization in data center, drumbeat keeps getting louder

Posted by: Ryan Shopp
WAN optimization, Virtualization, DataCenter

As mentioned during our Microsoft thread last week, Virtualization and the management of it is something all vendors are already doing or starting to offer. It’s been and continues to be the hot new technology “thing” in the data center automation space that nobody wants to not have “an answer” for. SUN, a traditional player in the data center just announced their latest activities last week.

<snip>

New hypervisor and management tools will be released to the open-source community, CEO Schwartz promises. Sun Microsystems, joining a growing group of companies that are building their own virtualization software, has launched a new virtualization and management platform designed fro the data center of the future.

<snip>

No matter if the vendor is big, medium or small - optimizing and automating the data center continues to gain major attention and momenteum. It seems like every time I turn around i’m reading more about server optimization through virtualization or WAN optimization through application acceleration appliances (e.g., Riverbed, SilverPeak, Expand Networks, Exinda and some of the bigger guys like Cisco, Juniper)

Article snip referenced above is available in it’s complete version here Sun’s New Virtualizatino Manager Supports Windows, Linux

**Update** Just came across a very well written article that captures/builds upon the essence of this blog post - “Hypervisor battle glowing red hot“

**Update2**  Just came across this blogger & blog posting while I was searching around last night doing more research related to this topic.  I just laughed so hard I was almost crying :)  Meanwhile, it looks like John is a trainer on Tivoli products and an advocate of open source so I’ve added him to my blogroll.