After the VMworld 2008 announcements VMware published some videos about key new features coming with VMware Infrastructure 4.0:
They also offer a glimpse at the new vCenter (formerly VirtualCenter) 4.0 interface. They are definitively worth a look.
Source: Virtualization.info
The iSCSI standard (RFC 3720) defines transporting of the SCSI protocol over a TCP/IP network that allows block access to target devices. A host connection to the network can be provided by an iSCSI host bus adapter or an iSCSI software initiator that uses the standard network interface card in the host.
iSCSI-capable IBM Blades utilize two iSCSI initiators during the boot process. One iSCSI software initiator is contained in the system firmware or BIOS. The other iSCSI software initiator is provided by the operating system.
ETC Distribution is a true Value Add Distributor that covers all IBM brands: System p, System i, System x, Storage, Software and services and is therebuy the only one-stop-shop-distributor in Holland.
Thanks to the broad expertises of our multi-disciplinair team they have a strong relationships with our resellers.
Contact ETC Distribution and join their IBM Business Club today
This IBM Director 5.20.3 will propably be the latest version of IBM Director in the 5.20.x range. The next major release is IBM Systems Director 6.1 which is available now.
UPDATE: The Systems Director 6.1 press release has been published HERE and is available for download HERE
This 5.20.3 version adds official support for Windows 2008 and several additional hardware support like iDataPlex, the Cisco Catalyst switches. the RAIDed SAS switch, 8GB FC cards and resolves a number of APAR's.
Source: Release Notes 5.20.3, What's New and IBM Support Download 5.20.3 and 6.1
A tool that helps ensure business resilience by offering simplified failover and storage management solutions for BladeCenter S.
What is BladeCenter Integrated Manager?
Business resilience is more than continuity of business operations. Regulatory compliance, high availability, security and data protection, and integrated risk management are needed to help businesses rapidly adapt and respond to risks and maintain continuous business operations.
IBM BladeCenter Integrated Manager provides failover functions with simplified manageability to help ensure business resilience.
This tool provides flexible functions, including:
IBM Systems Director 6.1 is available NOW!! ........ download it here!
The management software will be included on a CD with every IBM system from december 12th onward.
The september 23rd official press release on IBM Systems Director 6.1 can be found HERE.
An update on IBM Director 5.20 has also been posted to the IBM support site. This 5.20.3 release now support Windows Server 2008 and additional new hardware e.g..
Additional sources of information on IBM Systems Director can be found @:
Lenovo has introduced their new ThinkServer line that will be available for purchase at Lenovo Business Partners on september 30. In january this year we published that Lenovo would introduce servers based on System x technology. Read that story again HERE
Blades and high-end systems as well as the tower and rack servers IBM is selling now will still be sold tomorrow. With the Lenovo ThinkServer System x technology will be sold on places IBM itself is not selling at this moment.
The competitive mapping of ThinkServer versus System x is (T=Tower, R=Rack, S=Single socket, D=Dual socket):
TS100 vs x3200 M2, TD110 vs x3400, TD110x vs x3500, RS110 vs x3250 M2 and RD120 vs x3650
Source: IBM and Lenovo Agreement, Lenovo ThinkServer, Announcement
From the beginning of august 2008, IBM is shipping the BladeCenter Start Now Advisor together with the BladeCenter S.
The software (approx. 330MB) can also be downloaded seperately.
Update: A video is available @ http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3542028/9809187 to show you how it works.
Start Now Advisor Features:
VMware has always believed that virtualization needs to be ubiquitous. We want to accelerate the day that x86 servers, desktops and datacenters are fully virtualized. With the explosive growth of multi-core capacity, improvements in virtualization-aware hardware, and performance improvements in our virtualization software, we believe that no technical hurdles remain for 100% virtualization. Now we are removing any financial hurdles as well. ESXi is mature enough and easy enough to use that it can be the entry point into virtualization for those companies just taking their first steps with the technology.
The BladeCenter S can now be equiped with a second ethernet switch and if you add the 2/4 port Ethernet Expansion Card (CFFh), partnumber 44W4479, you can have up to 6 ethernet ports on each blade installed in the BladeCenter S. This means that the BladeCenter S can now be used in virtualised environments as well.
This 2/4 port Ethernet Expansion Card has been announced and will be GA at the end of this month (august 2008). The BladeCenter Interoperability Guide and BladeCenter Products and Technology Guide will be updated shortly.
Here are some examples on what is now possible:
Now with 3.5 Update 2, VMware supports the use of 10Gb Ethernet for iSCSI in a VMware Infrastructure environment.
Source: VMware Storage VMotion, Announcement VMware ESX 3.5 Update 2
IBM Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) is available as an Installable Edition and a Portable Edition and is a system information collection and analysis tool that is used by IBM xSeries(R) Service and Supportpersonnel to aid in the diagnosis of system problems.
The enhancements of version 2.11 (Build ID: FDPD17A, Revision 17) are:
DSA collects information about the following aspects of a system:
Just released for the IBM System x servers, the QLogic 2500 Series host bus adapters (HBAs) are different than other 8Gb HBAs due to their Dynamic Power Management and Cool HBA™ technologies -- two breakthrough innovations developed under the QLogic StarPower™ Green Initiative.
The QLogic 2500 includes the QLE2560 single-port (IBM #42D0501) and QLE2562 dual-port (IBM #42D0510) 8Gb HBA running at 5 GHz over a PCI Express bus. QLogic builds all its products with 4 key goals in mind - Efficiency, High Performance, Superior Scalability and Enhanced Reliability. The 2500 Series achieves these goals with the following:
We've got many requests pending on clear instructions for SMI-S provider combined with IBM Director 5.10/5.20.x.
As you expect we've sorted this out and created a procedure for succesfull monitoring of DS4700 DS3400 etc.
All DS series should be able to be monitored withing IBM Director so give it a try and share you experience with us.
Read more to see the instructions. Credits go to LSI for their excellent support.
VMware comes out with their Thinapp, but besides that an Application Virtualization comparison chart could not be found, so virtualfuture.info decided to make one. This comparison chart is an objective overview of features of the major Application Virtualization solutions. Some of the major advantages are:
Source: VirtualFuture.info and Application Virtualization comparison chart
