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
VDS
A VMware Hypervisor For Networkers?
As my friend Stu Miniman pointed out, a recent VMware video suggests the company is about to jump into networking in a big way. Dubbed "vFabric," This new offering would be a generic hypervisor for virtual network devices, from load balancers to security appliances, and would presumably be integrated with the existing vNetwork Distributed Switch functionality. This appears to … [Read more...] about A VMware Hypervisor For Networkers?
I Can Finally Talk About Windows Storage Server 2008!
I don't usually "do" NDAs. It's just too hard to figure out what I'm allowed to say and what I should keep quiet. I prefer to get free and open information, but will settle for embargoed briefings if it means I can get some time to think before reporting. So my Microsoft connection is a major anomaly, and I've been sitting on my hands trying not to spill the beans... … [Read more...] about I Can Finally Talk About Windows Storage Server 2008!
10 Cool Storage Features From the 2009 Microsoft MVP Summit
Note: Every one of these items has previously been discussed by Microsoft. I can't yet talk about any other storage features I might have seen... iSCSI Quick Connect - No more fumbling through tabs and popups, just enter an IP address and you're connected! Yeah, baby! Wire-speed 10 Gb iSCSI - The software iSCSI initiator can saturate a 10 Gb Ethernet link to a … [Read more...] about 10 Cool Storage Features From the 2009 Microsoft MVP Summit
Microsoft’s best-kept secret
I've said before that Microsoft's work in the field of enterprise storage was truly remarkable. Every other operating system vendor, as well as the grubby hordes developing Linux and BSD, should be ashamed that the "evil empire" beat them to the punch with great storage ideas like VSS, VDS, and transportable backup integration. Well, it seems Microsoft is changing the SAN … [Read more...] about Microsoft’s best-kept secret