Monday, May 6th, 2013

Time	Event
1:08p	Cloudera Launches SQL-on-Hadoop Solution Cloudera announced the general availability of Cloudera Impala, an open source, interactive SQL query engine for analyzing data stored in Hadoop clusters in real time. Cloudera worked closely with customers and open source users to develop the platform, designed from the ground-up for enterprise workloads. “With Impala, Cloudera has decisively planted the stake in bringing the worlds of Hadoop and enterprise SQL together,”  said Tony Baer, principal analyst, Software and Enterprise Solutions at Ovum. “And it has done so in a way that addresses the expectations for performance that are taken for granted in the enterprise SQL world. For Hadoop to cross over to the enterprise, it must become a first class citizen with IT, the business and the data center. A large part of making Hadoop a first-class citizen in the enterprise is making it accessible to the large base of SQL developers and applications that already exist.” Cloudera says that adoption of its platform has been strong, with over 40 enterprise customers and open source users are using Impala today, including 37signals, Expedia, Six3 Systems, Stripe, and Trion Worlds. With its 1.0 release, Impala extends Cloudera’s unified Platform for Big Data, which is designed specifically to bring different computation frameworks and applications to a single pool of data, using a common set of system resources. With Impala, users can query data stored in HDFS and HBase directly. The framework supports all standard file and data formats available, so users can choose the format that best suits their use case. The Impala framework is optimized for use with CDH, Cloudera’s 100-percent open source distribution of Hadoop and related applications. “Impala represents a major advance for Cloudera and the Hadoop ecosystem as a whole,”  said Mike Olson, CEO at Cloudera. “Cloudera was first to recognize that Apache Hadoop would be a catalyst for business transformation in the 21st century. We have worked tirelessly to support the rapid development of the platform to form a viable and open enterprise solution, with a rich and vibrant ecosystem to support it. We will continue to be a primary driver behind the evolution of a 100-percent open source Hadoop platform by setting a high bar that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible to exceed the high expectations of our enterprise customers.” (Comment on this)
2:23p	How Cloud Computing Has Empowered The End User Until the last couple of years, organizations have been focusing technologies around corporate efficiency, growth capabilities and the ability for business continuity. Of course, these are all still important. However, with the advancements around cloud computing, WAN technologies and virtualization, a new trend has begun to emerge. Because of cloud computing and IT consumerization, there is now a distinct focus on the end user. Targeted data center technology is driving better performance, happier users and improved productivity. More users are bringing their own devices into the workforce. Not only has IT consumerization changed the IT playing field, more companies are conducting workforce analysis to see how they can make their employees happier and more productive. A lot of those results came back with something simple: work place technology flexibility. As more organizations begin to leverage cloud technologies, they will turn their focus to optimizing the end-user experience. Furthermore, they are going to try their best to optimally deliver more workloads with better resource utilization, both at the data center and at the end-user level. There are already more solutions which directly help data center administrators control users and the information that they are trying to access. Going forward, be prepared to see many more user-centric technologies start to rise up. Let’s understand why: Remote users. More contractors and users are now logging in remotely. There has to be a system in place that’s capable of supporting such an environment. Flexible work schedules. More employees are asking to work from home, or during their own hours. For many organizations, this isn’t an issue. However, delivering a positive user experience over the WAN to someone’s house can prove to be a challenge. International user base. Technologies are allowing us to re-provision hardware and software to accommodate new time zones. This means we don’t have to have duplicate resources to support more users. IT consumerization. Almost every organization is allowing their users to bring in an iPad or smartphone into an environment. These organizations are continuously tasked with allowing users to connect to corporate data. Cloud computing has facilitated the growth in end-user devices being brought into the corporate environment. Furthermore, more organizations are creating truly distributed platforms where users have the freedom to log in from anywhere, anytime and on virtually any device. End-user optimization and the performance of an application or desktop are vital for optimal workforce productivity. When the focus turns to the end-user, here are some technologies to keep an eye on: Complete User Abstraction. Imagine being able to carry all of your settings with you at all times. I mean literally – all of them. From how your applications function, to the slightest detail in your profile – all yours. It’s happening now and will continue to grow. Organizations like AppSense are presenting the ability to abstract not only the user, but the hardware and software layer as well. More ShareFile/Dropbox. Right now, companies don’t like Dropbox. However, there is a need for a secure file sharing platform. It will grow and it will enter the enterprise. Organizations can now create Dropbox-like environments and completely silo their data. That means information doesn’t have to leave a data center – or even a region. Content Optimization. Not just WAN optimization. Specific QoS at the content level. Things like ICA, PCoIP, Flash, Video and Audio are all end-user centric. This type of content will be easier to manage. And, it won’t require a big hardened appliance to do so. Mini-WAN Accelerators. Much like their bigger brothers, these would be given out to very remote employees. Why not optimize traffic into their home to ensure a better user experience? When the costs come down, this technology will see some big growth. More Cloud APIs/Connectors. More applications are being built in the cloud space. As a result, there has been a greater emphasis around cloud connectors and APIs. The idea is to help the user connect faster to more applications around the web. Moving forward, these technologies will continue to grow and expand as more cloud-based platforms are brought up. More IT Consumerization Control. Almost every organization is facing the BYOD truth. There are more users, more data and a lot more devices trying to connect into a network. Instead of blocking users, many data center administrators have switched tactics and are now trying to empower the end-user. Solutions like XenMobile or MobileIron create granular BYOD policies and controls to allow administrators to deliver more content to the end-point. Remember, the goal isn’t to block or track devices – it’s to allow users to become more efficient as well. Cloud computing and IT consumerization weren’t just new technological platforms. They were a new way of thinking. IT administrators are now working with a widely distributed networking infrastructure with components possibly being located all over the world. Furthermore, there is the challenge to deliver more applications, workloads and data to end-users which are not using traditional means of access. There are core benefits in focusing your IT efforts around the end-user. Not only will organizations create better user personality profiles, they’ll be able to align their business around end-user functionality. This means creating an environment which allows the end user to become more efficient, utilize more devices, and – very importantly – enjoy using your company’s technology platform. At the end of the day, this all translates to a happier and more productive user. 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3:02p	Iceland: Where Mixed Modular Design Meets Free Cooling The Avania Thor data center in Iceland features the use of both container-style data center modules (at the left, in the rear) and “modular rooms” assembled from pre-built components. Both products are supplied by AST Modular. The diversity of modular data center design can be seen in a single large room in Reykjavik, Iceland. That’s where the Advania Thor Datacenter has added new capacity using a “modular room” assembled from pre-built components, which sits alongside a pair of stacked container-style modules. Both phases of the design were created by AST Modular, and use the Barcelona company’s “natural free cooling” (NFC) technology, which harnesses Icelandic fresh air to cool servers for customers like Opera Software, the mobile browser pioneer. The first phase of the project was completed in 2009 as proof of concept,and comprised of one 40-foot containerized data center with 17 racks at a power density of 14 kilowatts per rack, plus a modular room with 50 racks at 7 kilowatts.  The second phase, which is currently being finalized, features one 105 square meter modular room plus a separate cooling room hosting 8 of AST’s cooling modules providing indirect free cooling. Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger This approach use an air-to-air heat exchanger that takes advantage of the cool climate without introducing outside air into the servers – an important consideration in a land where volcanic ash is a concern. By avoiding the need for chillers or refrigeration, Advania is able to achieve a Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) of 1.16, according to AST. “The latest expansion clearly shows that our prefabricated data center options – either containerized or modular – help customers achieve a Capex differed growth and generate savings,” said Davide Ortisi, Marketing Director at AST Modular. “On the other hand our Indirect Free Cooling NFC will minimize Advania’s Opex and guarantee security since Iceland can be an environment with high concentration of volcanic ashes and external contaminants.” The approach taken by Advania reflects one of the benefits that’s been advanced for modular designs -the ability to expand incrementally. AST says the additional data center space has been built with “minimal” electrical and mechanical upgrades and finalized in less than 2 months upon shipment of components from Barcelona to Iceland. “We have seen a tremendous increase in datacenter space demand in the last 12 months” said Ægir Rafn Magnússon, Sales Director at Advania Data Centres. “Iceland is a very competitive country for data centers. The huge availability of green and affordable geothermal power combined with low outdoor temperatures and highly skilled IT professionals allow us to go to market with a first in class service at a very low price.” Here’s a look at a time-lapse video showing the construction of an AST modular room at the Advania facility. (Comment on this)
3:15p	Cloud News: Amazon Offers AWS Certification News from the cloud computing sector includes developments from Pengiun Computing, Software AG and Amazon: Amazon launches AWS certification program. Amazon (AMZN) announced the launch of the new AWS Certification Program with the first of several exams that will made available in 2013. The new AWS Certification Program helps to fill this need to recognize IT professionals that possess the skills and technical knowledge necessary for building and maintaining applications and services on the AWS Cloud. To earn an AWS Certification, individuals must demonstrate their proficiency in a particular area by passing an AWS Certification Exam. Individuals looking to prepare for an exam can attend courses through AWS Training to help gain proficiency with AWS services. “AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate Level” is the first exam available, which tests skills for technical professionals and solutions architects involved in the design and development of applications on AWS. “With cloud computing being quickly adopted by organizations of all sizes around the world, in-depth training programs as well as certifications for individuals who have demonstrated competence with AWS are increasingly important,” said Adam Selipsky, Vice President, Amazon Web Services. “The AWS Certification Program helps organizations identify that the employees, partners and consultants they depend on for their AWS solutions are well-versed in the best practices of building cloud applications on AWS and have the skills to help them be successful.” Penguin Computing Icebreaker Cloud CS storage. Penguin Computing announced the immediate availability of the Icebreaker CS storage platform for large scale-out cloud storage deployments. The Icebreaker CS is a fully integrated and pre-configured appliance that incorporates Scality’s RING Organic Storage software. It will be available directly from Penguin as well as through Scality. Based on its Icebreaker 4860 storage server the Penguin Computing Icebreaker CS offers 240TB of raw data in a 4U form factor. It is powered by an Intel Xeon E5-2600 processor and configured with 128GB of RAM. Organizations with multiple sites can achieve even higher levels of availability with Scality RING’s geo-redundancy features. “Performance, availability and scalability requirements of large scale cloud businesses cannot be met with traditional IT approaches to storage, that typically excel in one of these areas and fall short in another,” said Charles Wuischpard, CEO Penguin Computing. “To meet the demands of our customers that require storage solutions at the petabyte scale we based our large scale storage appliance Icebreaker CS on software from Scality. With its distributed no-shared architecture and its sophisticated Advanced Resilience Configuration, Scality RING offers excellent storage scalability and great availability without compromising performance.” Software AG acquires LongJump. Software AG announced the acquisition of the Cloud Platform vendor LongJump. LongJump’s technology is fully complementary to Software AG’s ARIS, Terracotta and webMethods, product suites extending the company’s business value both within existing enterprise customers and to SMEs. Software AG will also continue to develop and extend LongJump’s Platform-as-a-Service products for fast and flexible cloud based development and deployment of situational and case management applications. “The digital enterprise is all about real-time business insights driving fast decisions and faster reactions,” said Wolfram Jost, CTO at Software AG. “With this latest acquisition we have taken a major step in optimizing both the business knowledge and IT skills needed to develop flexible, business process driven, situational applications and deploy them rapidly wherever they are needed.” (Comment on this)
3:49p	5 Key Steps to a Smooth Cloud Transition Alan McMahon works for Dell in enterprise solution design, across a range for products from servers, storage to virtualization, and is based in Ireland. ALAN McMAHON Dell In today’s Virtual Era, the role of IT has changed due to the speed at which technology is evolving, and it requires the same evolution of our IT teams. In order for the teams to support, and carry out the goals of their organizations, they need the infrastructure to grow while becoming more agile and efficient. However, there are some challenges that come with these changes. Many companies, especially smaller ones that are just getting started, lack the resources with which they can use to make these changes. Additionally, it can be difficult to manage the outdated hardware and software which is used. It’s important that we begin working towards streamlining processes and making better use of the cloud in order to gain an edge over our competition, while fulfilling our company’s objectives. There are five imperatives that we must follow in order to accomplish a smooth transition to the cloud. Each of these will help to transform IT as we know it and will help to reduce the costs and complexity. On their own, they each aid in self-funding and reduce costs and overhead expenses. Together, these five imperatives help IT become more agile, efficient and allow the IT team to use their time, energy and financial resources to focus on other areas of innovation and growth for the company. Let’s take a look at the five imperatives: Leverage the Power of Virtualization The first thing that should be done is to virtualize data in order to boost efficiency. By removing touch points, silos and servers, costs are dramatically reduced. This task can prove challenging for companies who have an inflexible system that won’t allow for full integration at the present. But since technology is ever-changing, more and more resources are becoming available which will help you be able to unify everything seamlessly. Manage Your Data Today, data is being created at unprecedented levels, and it’s difficult to manage due to it being relatively unorganized and inefficiently stored. We need to have it organized so that we can find what we want, when we want it, with little effort. Our data needs to be able to be moved around easily and transferred to the device on which we want it, at the moment we want it. While it may seem reasonable to just add more storage devices to organize and handle the vast volume of data, the better choice is to virtualize it so that it can be everywhere, all the time. Virtual storage that is optimized and automated is the answer. Our data needs to be protected, able to be recovered and archived so that it can be integrated with our organization’s existing infrastructure. Enable Mobility Many of us do our work virtually, working from home, around town or even while travelling the world. We may have team members that we seldom see face-to-face, if we’ve ever met them at all. It’s essential to be able to have access to data and applications from anywhere there’s a wi-fi connection, at any hour of the day. Our teams also work with a variety of devices, such as tablets and smart phones, so it’s important that they have safe connections that allow employees access to the information which they need to get their work done. Consumerize IT As our workforce becomes more tech-savvy, IT needs to be made accessible to everyone in order to enable our employees to work remotely with their own devices of choice. There’s a vast array of devices, operating systems, hardware and software that our team members are comfortable using, so the IT organizations need to put systems in place to ensure that our data is monitored, protected, secure and backed-up, while still remaining accessible to everyone in the company. Transition To the Cloud In order to leverage our resources, work more efficiently, reduce costs and streamline management, we need to make the move to the cloud. A remote server and nas storage make this possible. Each company has its unique needs and will go about their transition differently. However, getting into the cloud paves the way for a more advanced, efficient working environment. As we make move forward into this Virtual Era, and transition to a more mobile work environment, we must keep these five things in mind. Not only will it help with the transition, but it will ensure our data is secure, yet available to the people that need it. Industry Perspectives is a content channel at Data Center Knowledge highlighting thought leadership in the data center arena. See our guidelines and submission process for information on participating. View previously published Industry Perspectives in our Knowledge Library. (Comment on this)
4:01p	Dell Acquires Cloud Management Player Enstratius Dell has acquired Enstratius (previously known as Enstratus), a provider of enterprise cloud-management software and services provider that delivers single and multi-tenant cloud management capabilities. The acquisition continues the streak of tech giants buying up some of the most interesting cloud pieces in order to flesh out their own cloud portfolios and capabilities. Back in March, Oracle purchased Nimbula in a similar “giant gobbles up interesting cloud player” move. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Enstratius was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. Dell plans to retain the staff of Enstratius and, as with previous acquisitions, will continue to invest in additional engineering and sales capability to grow this business. The question of whether these acquisitions will thrive amongst a larger organization or wither away are always present. However, Dell does have a good track record in terms of integrating acquisitions (Boomi is one popular example). The acquisition of Enstratius enhances Dell’s ability to provide cloud management solutions to its customers, as the company fleshes out its portfolio of cloud offerings.  Enstratius helps organizations manage applications across private, public and hybrid clouds, including automated application provisioning and scaling, application configuration management, usage governance, and cloud utilization monitoring. Enstratius is available as software-as-a-service or as on-premises software, enabling full control from within a customer’s data center, or via a hosted service.   Enstratius currently supports more than 20 public and private cloud platforms, including OpenStack, VMware, Rackspace, Amazon Web Services and Windows Azure, with the added flexibility to easily add new clouds.  The bottom line: Enstratius has been going out of its way to ensure compatibility across the cloud landscape, and its acquisition positions Dell to be similarly compatible. Big Technology Players Embracing Multi-Cloud Strategies The big trend among customers is embracing cloud either in a hybrid setup, as part of a larger strategy, or employing multiple clouds for various reasons including cost savings, redundancy and extending overall reach. However, managing multiple clouds is tricky. This is where Enstratius comes in. The big technology players are looking to acquire cloud management offerings that are cloud agnostic.  The Enstratius acquisition enables customers to choose from a wide variety of public and private cloud providers, including Dell and non-Dell clouds. “As enterprises increase their use of public, private and hybrid clouds, the need for controls, security, governance and automation becomes more critical,” said Tom Kendra, vice president and general manager, systems management, Dell Software. “Dell, together with Enstratius, is uniquely positioned to deliver differentiated, complete cloud-management solutions to enterprise customers, large and small, empowering them with the efficiency and flexibility in the allocation and use of resources.” Dell says Cloud management is a key strategic priority for Dell, given customers’ rapid adoption of cloud-based applications and the compelling array of cloud deployment models.  Enstratius brings Dell cloud infrastructure management for public, private and hybrid-cloud deployments and complements the capability Dell recently acquired from Gale Technologies, now Active System Manager (ASM), by providing enhanced multi-cloud management and application configuration capabilities. Enstratius also builds upon Dell Software’s strong portfolio of technologies such as Foglight performance monitoring, Quest ONE identity and access management, the Boomi integration platform, and data protection offerings such as AppAssure and NetVault to create a stronger systems management portfolio that enhances multi-cloud management. “We are excited to join the Dell team and bring our expertise to Dell’s rapidly growing cloud-management capabilities,” said David Bagley, CEO of Enstratius.  “Together, Enstratius and Dell create new opportunities for organizations to accelerate application and IT service delivery across on-premises data centers and private clouds, combined with off-premises public cloud solutions. This capability is enhanced with powerful software for systems management, security, business intelligence and application management for customers, worldwide.” (Comment on this)
5:59p	BMC Acquired By Private Investors for $6.9 Billion Data center management is hot, and investors are picking up on the trend. Software maker BMC is going private in a deal that sees the company acquired by private equity firms Bain Capital and Golden Gate Capital together with GIC Investments and Insight Venture Partners. BMC will be acquired for $46.25 per share in cash, or approximately $6.9 billion. Credit Suisse, RBC Capital Markets and Barclays have agreed to provide debt financing. There are several reasons why BMC would choose to go private. At the top of the list is the flexibility it provides from a strategic standpoint. Answering to investors is difficult, particularly in times of technological paradigm shifts such as these cloud days. “BMC believes the opportunity to become a private company will provide additional flexibility and position us to invest more strategically to drive powerful innovation and deliver cutting edge customer solutions,” said Bob Beauchamp, chairman and chief executive officer at BMC. “We look forward to working closely with all parties to complete this transaction and enter into our next chapter of growth and industry leadership.” The board of directors has approved the deal, which offers only a modest premium above the current stock price. “After a thorough review of strategic alternatives, the BMC board of directors is pleased to reach this agreement, which provides shareholders with immediate and substantial cash value, as well as a premium to our unaffected share price,” said Beauchamp. Shares of BMS have fluctuated between  $44 and $45 in recent weeks, and traded at $45.45 this  afternoon.  Elliott Management, which owns 9.6 percent of the BMC common stock, has agreed to vote its shares in favor of the transaction. BMC an attractive play to investors BMC’s flexibility and its already-strong position in the infrastructure management market made it attractive to the investor group. The company has been expanding its management capabilities, both for internal and external infrastructure. “BMC is the only enterprise software vendor that can go from mainframe to mobile, with solutions that help IT drive real business innovation and optimize operations management and employee productivity,” said Ian Loring, managing director at Bain Capital. “We and the rest of the Investor Group look forward to working with the management team and employees of BMC to execute additional growth strategies designed to expand the Company’s capabilities and enhance its relationships with customers and partners around the world.” “BMC is an innovative leader in IT operations management and has strong leadership positions in growing segments such as cloud management, service management and workload automation,” said Prescott Ashe, managing director of Golden Gate Capital. “We are excited to work with the management team and employees to accelerate BMC’s growth and strengthen its position as the best-in-class provider of IT management software for heterogeneous environments.” (Comment on this)

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