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Tuesday, May 14th, 2013
| Time | Event |
| 11:30a | Cloudant Raises $12 Million for Database-as-a-Service Mobile and web applications are growing at an astounding clip, bringing the market for hosted databases in tow. That’s behind the investment in Database-as-a-Service company Cloudant, which has raised an additional $12 million in Series B Funding from Devonshire Investors, Rackspace, and Toba Capital. Current investors Avalon Ventures, In-Q-Tel, and Samsung Venture Investment Corporation also purchased additional shares. The funding will support global expansion, as well as go towards growing the company’s support, service, and go-to-market strategies. “The market opportunity for managed, hosted databases is large, and the NoSQL model is where major mobile and Web applications are moving,” said David Jegen, managing director at Devonshire Investors. “We’re seeing that shift accelerate across the industry with Cloudant in the sweet spot of this market, adding big customer names with a highly scalable and durable DBaaS.” Cloudant provides a scalable, managed NoSQL DBaaS based on a globally distributed network of data centers. Application developers build their back ends on the Cloudant Data Layer cloud database, freeing developers from the mechanics of data management so they can focus exclusively on their applications. It allows customers to offload the administrative burden of operating and scaling distributed databases. Samsung announced a strategic investment in the company last February, given its interests in the mobile space. Support from RackspaceRackspace’s investment is also of note, given the service provider is at the heart of the “Internet of things” movement. The company is careful and calculated in terms of what it invests and acquires, usually focusing on what is sees working and grabbing the most attention first hand. “We hear all the time from customers that dealing with the complexities of large-scale systems infrastructure just slows them down,” said Pat Matthews, senior vice president of corporate development at Rackspace. “Developers want control of their infrastructure, but they don’t want to have to manage it 24×7. Cloudant is the natural extension of this idea at the database layer. We’re partners that share a commitment to delivering the highest level of customer support, which is why investing in Cloudant works so well from a Rackspace perspective.” Momentum in the enterprise market has also helped the company court new investors like Vinny Smith at Toba Capital, the former CEO of Quest Software, which he led to IPO and a $2.4-billion acquisition by Dell. “Enterprises are quickly realizing that they want a cloud that isn’t one size fits all. They want to scale their app without having to customize it to fit within a third-party cloud,” said Smith. “Spending on cloud infrastructure is no longer an IT line-item; it’s now a major line-of-business concern. With strategic support from Rackspace, Cloudant is providing a clearer path for businesses to run large production workloads in the hybrid cloud.” Cloudant also announced the opening of a new office in San Francisco. Market demand recently drove the company’s expansion into the U.K. with an office in Bristol. The company’s headquarters are in Boston, and it has an office in Seattle as well. Cloudant will use its new presence to strengthen its relationships with the Web and mobile application development communities and to build its brand in the enterprise software market. |
| 1:00p | NEC Launches SDN Application Center NEC Corporation of America announced the SDN Application Center, which includes software-defined networking solutions built upon customers’ top-of-mind network concerns. NEC will provide APIs to help organizations proactively and automatically manage, secure and optimize their networks through their SDN solutions. “Our new SDN Application Center will give our customers more choice on network visibility, security, load balancing and wide area networks (WAN) optimization,” said Don Clark, director of Business Development, IT Platform Technologies, NEC Corp. “Coupled with our previously announced comprehensive multi-vendor infrastructure support, NEC’s solutions offer both northbound and southbound APIs to cover the SDN architecture.” Vendors that are part of NEC’s SDN Application Center include Real Status (Management Applications); vArmour (Security Applications); A10 Networks and Silver Peak (Optimization Applications); and Red Hat (Cloud Orchestration Applications). The NEC ProgrammableFlow Networking suite is an OpenFlow-based technology that centralizes control of the network, monitors network traffic and redistributes accordingly, and can scale to manage everything from a single rack, or the entire data center. It includes both physical and virtual switches as well as an SDN controller and applications. “NEC’s ProgrammableFlow Network Suite allows cloud service providers to rapidly deploy new services for their customers while containing their operational cost and optimizing their cloud infrastructure resources,” said Craig Rowland, Chief Operating Officer at Real Status. “To define relevant optimization rules for their cloud, not only do they need a strong business understanding of their cost and revenues structure, but also complete visibility and permanent monitoring of what is used by whom and when in their cloud infrastructure. Coupling the automation offered by NEC software-defined networks with Real Status’ modeling and visualization solution, Hyperglance, gives cloud providers a significant competitive advantage and a solid foundation to rapidly grow their business.” |
| 1:58p | HP Unveils New Storage System and Partner Program The storage industry headlines from this week included: HP Unveils New Storage System and Partner Program. HP (HPQ) announced new offerings that include the next generation of its MSA entry disk array, enhancements to the HP StoreEasy Storage portfolio, and a new program for HP channel partners. Available under its Simply StoreIT program, the new HP MSA 2040 Storage system is up to four times faster than similarly priced solutions. The MSA 2040 is built to support increased bandwidth, along with a high-performance controller and solid-state disk (SSD) performance, which will support increasing workloads and maximizing dollar per input/output operation. An enhanced HP StoreEasy Storage portfolio enables customers to store, manage and protect unstructured data for thousands of concurrent users. The products are aimed at small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and government agencies to help them maximize storage investments. “Virtualization and other emerging workloads threaten to drown SMBs in a sea of complexities that hinder, rather than support, growth,” said David Scott, senior vice president and general manager, Storage Division, HP. “Simply StoreIT allows our partners to serve their small and midsized customers who are stressed for time, budget and resources.” StorageQuest Announces Flash Storage Appliance. StorageQuest announced the public availability of its StorageQuest Flash Storage Appliance (FSA). The new hardware provides high throughput storing and retrieval over the network to an array of sixteen removable Compact Flash chips, with capacities ranging from 1GB to 256GB per Compact Flash for a total online capacity of 4TB. Each device includes an optional copy of StorageQuest Archive Manager, which includes advanced features such as Read and Write Caching, Remote Replication (Cloud, RAID, Optical Libraries or even additional Compact Flash mediums). “This new product leverages the popularity, availability and price of industry standard Compact Flash media and transforms it into a portable archival and retrieval storage system,” according to Brendan Lelieveld-Amiro, Director of Product Development. “It’s current application lends itself well to the Security and Intelligence communities looking for portable, automated long term archiving of evidence data.” IceWeb Selected by NASA. Unified Data Storage appliance provider IceWeb announced that it has made a sale to the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA). NASA chose the IceBOX cloud collaboration platform because it meets the NIST FIPS 140 encryption requirements which will allow them to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solution that keeps the agency FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) compliant. The IT administration and auditing features of IceBOX were also instrumental in winning this business. ”There are three major constituencies with mission critical requirements in every BYOD implementation whether it’s in a large enterprise or a small business—the End-User community, the Internal IT community and the Legal/Regulatory community,” said Rob Howe, IceWEB CEO. ”You don’t get to cherry-pick which community you are going to serve. You must serve them all if you are to be a truly viable BYOD solution. Obviously, all those communities were represented in this sale, and all of them gave IceBOX their ‘thumbs-up.’ So it’s clear that with IceBOX, we pass the usability, the security/administration and the auditability tests. That’s what makes the IceBOX such an exciting and useful product for any size organization no matter how critical and complex the data.” For more storage news, visit our Storage Channel. |
| 2:30p | DCK Webinar: Data Center Energy Efficiency Data center energy efficiency is a significant focus for many in the data center industry, and our next Data Center Knowledge webinar on Thursday, May 30, will bring you a comprehensive look at maximizing efficiency in the data center. The Data Center Knowledge webinar series continues, providing free, educational content focused on mission-critical issues facing today’s data center managers, owners and investors. Each webinar is an opportunity to learn from top experts in the field. Data Center Knowledge contributor Julius Neudorfer returns to present on the hot topic of energy efficiency. Neudorfer, who also is CTO at North American Access Technologies, Inc, kicked off the series with a webinar on the topic of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Title: Data Center Energy Efficiency In today’s world, it is almost impossible to discuss any business operation without considering efficiency. In the data center realm, maximizing the energy efficiency without impacting the reliability should be the goal of virtually every data center owner or operator. The path to that goal involves some basic design and practices issues, as well as more sophisticated methodologies. Energy represents one of the most significant operating costs in the data center. Moreover, based on current and foreseeable trends, the basic price of energy will continue to rise over time, and may become constrained as global demands rise, making energy use and efficiency a long term business priority. This one-hour webinar will examine the more detailed aspects, such as the tradeoff between energy efficiency vs. redundancy, the potential energy savings derived from the expanded use of “Free Cooling” and the potential use of sustainable energy sources, as well as other data-center-specific energy issues. Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A session with your peers, Julius and industry experts from Digital Realty. Sign up today and you will receive further instructions via e-mail about the webinar. We invite you to join the conversation. |
| 2:30p | Design for Efficient Operational and Energy Management This is the fourth article in a series on DCK Executive Guide to Data Center Designs. While most data centers have some basic form of Build Management System (BMS), any new design needs to include a highly granular network of sensors in virtually all of the systems and sub-systems of the facility power and cooling infrastructure. Older, general purpose BMS systems typically had simple alarms to warn of equipment failures and perhaps a moderate amount of basic information on energy use. In recent years, it became clear that as data centers grew larger and used more complex systems, it became more difficult for operators to keep track of all the critical infrastructure system operational details on maintenance requirements and energy efficiency. A newer more sophisticated class of systems designed specifically for data centers have been developed which are known as Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM). They not only encompass monitoring energy usage and efficiency optimization, they can improve operational reliability, by early detection of operational anomalies. DCIM systems also can help track and schedule preventive maintenance and spot any trends of recurring problems. While DCIM software varies widely based on vendor offerings and continues to evolve, the data center design should include pre-installed or provision for sensors at all the critical systems and sub-systems. You need to in review a variety of DCIM vendor offering to see which product features offers what you need. Regardless of your choice, make sure that you include the pre-installation of sensors in the design phase. Adding sensors after building the facility is both costly and can be intrusive if the systems are already operational. Examples would be energy monitoring for every CRAC/CRAH and if a chiller system is involved Chilled water flow metering, as well as energy monitoring all the individual components such as compressors, pumps and fans. This information will allow you to optimize cooling system operation and energy efficiency. Moreover, with real-time monitoring and maintenance management you can detect trends and anomalies and proactively address potential issues before they become critical problems. In addition, every point in power distribution system to the IT equipment should have Branch Circuit Monitoring pre-installed. This will allow you to integrate real-time information from IT systems energy usage and correlate it to computing activity to provide for better capacity planning, resource optimization and avoid islands of stranded capacity and improve facility side provisioning of IT equipment deployments. No new data center should be designed or built without some form of DCIM system as part of the base infrastructure system. While DCIM requires additional investment, it can ultimately lower the TCO by improving operational and energy efficiency, while reducing the number of data center and IT support staff. The complete Data Center Knowledge Executive Guide on Data Center Design is available in PDF complements of Digital Realty. Click here to download. |
| 2:39p | Level 3 Announces Carrier Cloud Voice Solution Here’s a roundup of some of this week’s news headlines from the network sector: Level 3 Announces Carrier Cloud Voice Solution. Level 3 Communications (LVLT) announced the launch of a Carrier Cloud Voice solution. This frees CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier), wireless carriers, cable multiple system operators (MSOs) and telcos to focus on growth, rather than concentrating efforts on building or expanding a voice network. Through an agreement with cloud-based voice platform provider Alianza, Level 3 is providing a complete outsourced voice solution for service providers that are looking for ways to add voice, while avoiding significant up-front investment and ongoing operational costs. The joint solution combines Level 3′s Enhanced Local Service and Alianza’s cloud-based voice platform, which includes a hardened set of APIs for back-office integration, billing and service management. ”For communications providers expanding in today’s market, adopting a cloud-based voice platform solution can reduce costs and allow them to concentrate resources around more critical core business activities,” stated Cindy Whelan, principal analyst at Current Analysis. “Level 3′s carrier cloud voice solution is an attractive hosted VoIP platform enabling communications providers to accelerate the time to market, while avoiding onerous capital investment costs and minimizing the operating costs associated with operating a carrier-grade voice service.” Juniper Launches JunosV Contrail Products. Juniper Networks (JNPR) introduced JunosV Contrail, a family of products which includes the JunosV Contrail Controller, an open, standards-based controller for software-defined networks (SDN). Products in the JunosV Contrail family are based off of intellectual property that Juniper gained when it acquired software networking startup Contrail Systems late last year. The products will deliver a virtual network solution that easily integrates into existing data centers to centralize control across different client IT architectures and multiple cloud platforms. The solution virtualizes the network to enable seamless automation and orchestration among private and public cloud environments, elastic management of IP-based network and security services, and a “Big Data for Infrastructure” offering for enhanced analytics, diagnostics and reporting. ”After reviewing SDN solutions from different vendors, China Mobile Research believes that Juniper Networks’ JunosV Contrail provides a very competitive architecture for a scalable and interoperable infrastructure,” said Lu Huang, Technical Manager, China Mobile Research Institute. ”After completion of the trials later this year, we expect to lead the market with production deployment of a multi-vendor SDN solution.” Infinera Selected by BICS. Infinera (INFN) and BICS, a global provider of international wholesale carrier services, announced the selection of the Infinera DTN-X platform to upgrade BICS’ Pan-European network. The Infinera DTN-X delivers 500 Gigabit per second (Gb/s) long haul super-channels, enabling BICS to deliver flexible and cost effective 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) services. The DTN-X platform was selected for the scalability, efficiency and simplicity that the solution delivers. “The Infinera DTN-X allows BICS to provide flexible solutions and ensures a faster service implementation, translating into a shorter time to market for our customers,” said Johan Wouters, SVP Capacity Business Management at BICS. “This new platform will enable the aggregation of multiple high speed services on a single OTN interface. The advanced control plane offers the possibility of self-provisioning for high capacity services, making BICS the perfect network outsourcing partner.” For more on networking, visit our Networking Channel. |
| 2:57p | DCK Webinar: Data Center Energy Efficiency Data Center Knowledge will host a free webinar on Thursday, May 30 to bring you a comprehensive look at maximizing efficiency in the data center. DCK contributor Julius Neudorfer will present on the hot topic of energy efficiency. Neudorfer is CTO at North American Access Technologies, Inc. Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A session with your peers, Neudorfer and industry experts from Digital Realty Trust. Sign up today and you will receive further instructions via e-mail. Title: Data Center Energy Efficiency The Data Center Knowledge webinar series continues, providing free, educational content focused on mission-critical issues facing today’s data center managers, owners and investors. Each webinar is an opportunity to learn from top experts in the field. |
| 6:35p | IO Lines Up $260 Million Credit Line to Fund Modular Vision  A look inside an IO modular data center in Edison, New Jersey. The company has arranged a $260 million credit line. (Photo: Rich Miller) Modular data center specialist IO has arranged a new $260 million multi-year credit facility led by Wells Fargo, the company today. IO will use the money to continue to build out its platform of hardware and software to support its “Data Center 2.0″ initiative. IO’s existing lender group, consisting of Wells Fargo and Mutual Bank of Omaha, has been expanded to include Bank of America, Bank of Montreal, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Arizona, Goldman Sachs Lending Partners and Morgan Stanley Bank. “This new credit facility will help IO to continue to design, engineer and deliver the world’s leading software-defined data center technology,” said George Slessman, IO CEO and Product Architect. “Our IO Intelligent Control platform solves the data center needs of our customers in an efficient, scalable and cost-effective manner. We are pleased to continue our relationship with Wells Fargo and Mutual of Omaha, and welcome the new members of the bank group to IO.” IO has been a pioneer in the emerging market for modular data centers that are built in a factory using repeatable designs and can be shipped to either an IO data center or a customer premises. Late fall the Phoenix-based company raised $90 million in equity funding from a group led by New World Ventures, an investment arm of the Pritzker family. The investment round includes $50 million from New World and $40 million from IO’s existing backers, which include Sterling Partners and J.P. Morgan Asset Management. |
| 7:57p | Structure Conference GigaOM will host its Sixth Annual Structure conference, June 19-20 in San Francisco. As computing becomes more cost effective, the ability to capture data expands, and disruption is everywhere, there is a greater need to hear from industry experts who are getting their hands dirty with deployments. Cloud practitioners representing a variety of sectors – including retail, consumer goods and energy – will examine how real-time business needs are shaping IT architectures and what tomorrow’s cloud will look like. Speakers at Structure include: More details on speakers and sessions are available on GigaOM Structure website. Venue For more events, return to the Data Center Knowledge Events Calendar. |
| 8:30p | The Azure Cloud, Exposed to the Azure Sky  Data center modules packed with servers sit outside at the newest phase of the Microsoft data center in Quincy, Washington. In the background is the vast concrete shell of the company’s initial Quincy data center. (Photo: Microsoft) QUINCY, Washington – As the Windows Azure cloud expands across central Washington, the physical building has all but disappeared. Lightweight enclosures filled with servers, known as ITPACs, sit under the barest of skeleton of a facility. They are self-contained data centers, assembled in days, housed on a concrete slabs and attached to a power “spine” supplying connections to the grid and the Internet. It’s completely open to the air, and in production. With the latest phase of its data center in Quincy, Microsoft is getting out of the air conditioning business and deploying thousands of servers inside factory-built modules, which can be installed in days and allow the company to reach new heights of energy efficiency. The ITPACs take advantage of the natural environment in Quincy, allowing cool air to flow through the modules and cool the servers powering the Azure cloud. One Campus, Three ExperiencesWalking through the Quincy campus provides three very different experiences. After passing through security, you encounter Microsoft’s first facility on the six-year old campus, a typical data center in an immense concrete shell. The next phase is a lightweight building housing ITPACs. The end of the trip takes you to open air – yet even here, the Microsoft cloud continues to grow. After passing through a gate that could stop a truck, you arrive at the 470,000 foot concrete building, constructed by Microsoft in 2007. The Columbia campus feels like a fortress, with a gauntlet of security that includes a staffed access gate, biometrics and a mantrap corridor (which earns its name from the doors at both ends, which cannot open at the same time, limiting access to ) . After you’re cleared, as a guest you receive a badge that expires after a set time, with the word “VOID” appearing out of nowhere. This is your traditional enterprise data center with all the trimmings, and then some. It features all the physical redundancy, the giant generators, and the massive UPS rooms you would expect to be hidden beyond such security. Once you walk outside, you begin to see the evolution of Microsoft’s data center design. The next building you enter isn’t really a building at all, but a steel and aluminum framework. Inside the shell are pre-manufactured ITPAC modules. Microsoft has sought to standardize the design for its ITPAC – short for Information Technology Pre-Assembled Component – but also allows vendors to work with the specifications and play with the design. These ITPACs use air side economization, and there are a few variations. Essentially, they are data centers in a box. Cooling is supplied by fresh air and the equivalent of a garden hose. Fresh air is drawn into the enclosure through louvers lining the side of the module, which functions as a huge air handler with racks of servers inside. Each IT module is also equipped with an evaporative cooling system in which air passes through a moist media filter. The system uses just 1 percent of what the traditional data center uses. Inside A ‘Secret Garden’ of ServersThese ITPACs are highly efficient, and quick to deploy. The shell around these first ITPACs is wall-screened. However, by the end of the trip, you’re back in open air, in a “Secret Garden” of servers. The building has disappeared, but each ITPAC unit acts as its own steel perimeter. You’re still on camera, you’re still in a highly secure area, but it feels wide open. Just as the security evolves, so does the power infrastructure. Cloud servers drive a whole different design, down to the components. |
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