Once upon a time there was Ethernet. Every half decade or so, the industry got together and worked out a faster version. Sometimes they didn't totally agree, but a standard emerged at 10x the speed of the previous version. Throw all that out the window: Faster Ethernet is coming, and it's going to be weird! Although it looks like a simple network Channel, Ethernet is … [Read more...] about Faster Ethernet Gets Weird
Broadcom
VMware’s Hardware Partner Strategy: Heads I Win, Tales You Lose
VMware is in an enviable but tricky situation: The company must work closely with hardware partners, keeping these prime sales and promotional channels happy and supportive. But VMware must also innovate around proprietary OEMs, subverting their products with integrated software before a rival steps up with an integrated alternative. This two-prong "coopetition" strategy has … [Read more...] about VMware’s Hardware Partner Strategy: Heads I Win, Tales You Lose
Apple Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter: A Mini Marvel
As soon as I saw the announcement of the next generation MacBook Pro with Retina display, I knew I needed to have one. I switched from a 15 inch MacBook Pro to a 13 inch aluminum unibody model last year, but I missed the high-resolution display. Since there were no major feature omissions apart from Gigabit Ethernet, I decided to buy the new model. While purchasing the … [Read more...] about Apple Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter: A Mini Marvel
VMware ESX SATA and PATA Compatibility Cheat Sheet
The VMware ESX hardware compatibility list is awesome but it's kind of hard to wade through. It's super-detailed, but difficult to navigate if one is browsing for compatible hardware. Although SATA and especially PATA aren't exactly mainstream in enterprise datacenters, they're the most-likely storage attachment for labs and tinkerers like me. So I decided to put together a … [Read more...] about VMware ESX SATA and PATA Compatibility Cheat Sheet
VMware ESX FCoE CNA Compatibility in Plain English
VMware has one awesome hardware compatibility list. It's not the breadth of it (in fact, ESX's range of hardware support is astonishingly small) but the thorough, public way in which VMware shares this information. It's really worth a look, and I regularly visit the list to see what's changed. But the thoroughness and detail of the VMware HCL can be daunting. It's fairly … [Read more...] about VMware ESX FCoE CNA Compatibility in Plain English