Tech Round Up 4th November 2012

Random interesting tech stuff from: Cisco, Citrix, EMC, Kemp, Microsoft, NetApp, Riverbed, and VMware. Favourites from the below: NetApp ExpressPod Implementation Guide and VMware Cost-Per-Application Calculator.

## Cisco ##

The Network is the Path to Accelerate Adoption of Cloud Services

Cisco Cloud Connectors:

- Office-in-a-Box Solution with Integrated Services Routers G2, UCS E-Series and VMware View

- Xerox Mobile Print Solution

- Infoblox vNIOS for VMware on Cisco ISR

- Asigra Cloud Backup

- Cisco Unified Survivable Remote Site Telephony

Configuring Microsoft NPS (Network Policy Server) / (Internet Authentication Service) IAS as Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) RADIUS Server

Wireless security solution.

## Citrix ##

What's New in XenDesktop & XenApp

Slideshow from Citrix Synergy

A Better Way to Size Desktop Virtualization Environments

“We’re releasing Project Accelerator, the all-new, all-singin’ and dancin’ version of what used to be called Desktop Transformation Accelerator at the end of this year.”

## EMC ##

EMC Unisphere Remote

Next-Generation Storage Monitoring

EMC VNXe High Availability

Overview

## Kemp ##

High Availability and Load balancing for your Microsoft Exchange, Lync and Terminal Services Applications

Video by Peter Melerud of Kemp, with slides available too, and links to Kemp’s LoadMaster 2200/2600/3600/5300 products and solutions.

## Microsoft ##

Microsoft Virtual Academy - Windows Server 2012

9 courses covering Server 2012!

Windows Azure Poster

Another great Microsoft poster

Windows Phone 8 Software Development Kit (SDK)

If you’re interested in developing apps and games for Windows Phone 8, then check out the SDK.

FREE eBook: Windows 8 for IT Pros

Pay with a tweet!

Top 20 Hyper-V Performance Metrics You Should Care About

A Guide to Understanding Hyper-V Performance Monitoring – free white paper from Dell vKernel

No snapshots to revert were found for virtual machine 'VMNAME'

“When automatic mounting of new volumes is disabled on Windows 2008 Hyper-V Host systems, then online backups of (capable) guest systems will fail.” Solution is to enable automatic mounting with either:

- diskpart > automount enable

- mountvol /E

(Relates to Windows Backup, DPM, …)

Windows Server 2012 doubles down on security

- True UEFI and Secure Boot

- Data center-ready BitLocker drive encryption

- Early Launch Anti-Malware

- DNSSEC

- Data classification

- Dynamic Access Controls and Expression-Based Authorization Rules

- Kerberos improvements

- Group Managed Service Accounts

- Internet Information Service 8

- GUI-based, fine-grained password policies

## Netapp##

NetApp Solutions for Midsize Businesses

NetApp ExpressPod Implementation Guide

Interesting walkthrough install guide!

Aligning VMs via Netapp VSC 4.1

Online IO alignment!

Case Study: PeakColo Accelerates Cloud with Data ONTAP 8 Cluster-Mode

Overview of PeakColo architecture:

FAS6200 Cluster Delivers Exceptional Block I/O Performance with Low Latency

Comparison of NetApp cluster with other leading SPC-1 results:

## Riverbed ##

It’s finally here – visibility into 100% virtual environments – Cascade 10.0

Riverbed had released their Cascade 10.0 advanced Application Aware Network Performance Management (NPM) product. For MSPs and Internal IT Teams dissatisfied with their current NPM solution and/or wanting more visibility into virtual environments, this is well worth a look.

## VMware ##

VMware Cost-Per-Application Calculator

VMware vSphere 5.1 vs. Microsoft Hyper-V / Citrix XenServer 5.6 – Acquisition Cost Comparison

vCenter 5.1.0A Readme

Including information on Upgrade Strategy

Permanent Device Loss (PDL) and All-Paths-Down (APD) in vSphere 5.0

Explanation into how vSphere 5 handles DPL and APD. Improved handling over vSphere 4.0

VMware Support Alert – Implementing CA signed SSL certificates with vSphere 5.1

Useful article regards implementing custom certificates.