Here’s My Gripe… There has been a greater push to drive analytics and monitoring tools up-stack and VMware’s vCenter Operations Manager is one example of that. In a previous post, I commented on the “coopetition” between NetApp’s OnCommand Insight product suite and VMware’s vCenter Operations Manager. There are no doubt a number of other similar comparisons that could be made here (EMC SMARTS, vFoglight, CA Virtual Assurance, VirtualWisdom, etc.), but I would caution the data center staff that too much reliance on this information can cause more harm than good. How so — consider the erosion of critical thinking skills,Read more →
Introduction One of the more common questions I’ve been running into lately during customer meetings, especially when I talk about NetApp’s OnCommand Balance, is how does or how doesn’t Balance compete with VMware’s “new” vCenter Operations Manager product? So… Sure they compete, and then again, they’re complimentary. The next two “What is” sections are general overviews, and you’ll notice that both Balance and vCOPS have a number of features that overlap each other. I’m providing you with an overview to establish the confusion that drove this post, but I assure you that if you jump to the end (or clickRead more →
Included is some paper, sticky notes, and some pens. Please help my customer understand virtualization. Read that as tongue-in-cheek, but a position I found myself in last week at an executive briefing. The only difference, MacGyver wasn’t available. I am sure that all of you can relate to a situation where you were asked to present an abstract concept to an audience. You’ve been prepped, you’ve worked on your material, you’re delivery is solid, you are, for all intents and purposes, ready to knock it out of the park. You show up early to check the equipment, you actively engageRead more →
I’d like to extend a heart-felt congratulations to the Cloupia Team here were notified this afternoon that they have completed the FlexPod validation program. Cloupia, a cloud automation and management software provider, offering a suite of cloud computing products and solutions to power the next generation dynamic data centers (http://www.cloupia.com) is based in Santa Clara, CA. They were on the floor with us at VMworld 2011 and we used their management suite to drive the FlexPod where our live demos were hosted. I’ll update the post within the next 2 days to discuss what the program is an what thisRead more →
VMworld is in full swing on Day 2, and the Hands on Lab program is well underway with people looking to walk home with knowledge and skills that have been earned through fingers on the keyboard. This year, VMware was kind enough to offer Netapp, Cisco and EMC and opportunity to participate in the program. As you might imagine we were all excited about the opportunity and dedicated some of our best resources at it. That said, I’d like to share with you some of the current stats mid-way through the event. Of course, there are 2 and halfRead more →
