Thursday, March 13, 2014

VXL launches new thin client virtualization solutions for Citrix and VMware environments

Worldwide thin client and cloud connection device manufacturer, VXL, unveils a new range of desktop devices for North America and Western Europe including two System-on-Chip (SoC) models, the Citrix ready, Xtona J12-z zero client & Gio-Linux J54 desktop together with VMware ready, Vtona V200, PCoIP zero client with dual DVI.
Xtona J12-z, SoC, Citrix Ready Zero Client Designed for the Citrix environment, the System-on-Chip J12-z incorporates the latest HDX Hardware Acceleration, a TI ARM 1.0GHz processor and an ultra-slim, compact desktop footprint. An environmentally friendly device, with a low power consumption of only 8.7 watts, the J12-z incorporates 4GB Flash / 1GB RAM onboard and a comprehensive feature set including four USBs, DVI-I / DV-D ports and Gigabit networking.
J54 Gio Linux, SoC, Desktop
The J54 System-on-Chip desktop also incorporates the latest TI ARM 1.0GHz processor and utilises VXL's Gio Linux operating system making it suitable for either VMware or Citrix user environments. Sharing the same ultra-slim design and low power consumption as the J12-z, the J54 also boasts the same impressive feature list including 4GB Flash / 1GB RAM onboard, four USBs, DVI-I / DV-D ports and Gigabit networking.
Vtona V200 VMware PCoIP Zero Client
The perfect solution for VMware Horizon View users, the Vtona V200 Zero Client incorporates the Teradici 2321 PCoIP processor for a superior performance for all Cloud, Virtualisation and Remote Desktop environments. Ensuring a rich multi-media performance including 3D graphics, CAD / CAM, video and more, the latest V200 also supports up to two displays with up to 2560 x 1600 resolution.
Classified as a ‘true' zero client, the Vtona V200 has no operating system, no device drivers, no fan, no noise and comes complete with class-leading specification including 512MB memory, four USBs and a three year warranty as standard.
Frank Noon, VXL's VP Worldwide Sales commented "Our leadership position in the thin and cloud connection space reflects our ongoing strategy of developing innovative product solutions that meet our customer needs. These competitively priced models stay true to that concept, providing VMware or Citrix users with high performance, low power devices with excellent green credentials" he added.

Coriant Accelerates On-Demand Service Enablement and Simplifies Network Operations with Dynamic Optical Cloud

Coriant today announced the Coriant Dynamic Optical Cloud, an end-to-end and highly programmable infrastructure solution that enables service providers to cost-effectively address a rapidly changing world of dynamic, virtualized, high-bandwidth applications and services. The Coriant Dynamic Optical Cloud solution is powered by proven metro-to-core packet optical networking capabilities and industry-leading software-defined networking (SDN) intelligence for a new level of programmability, automation and control of multilayer, multi-vendor transport networks.
As business and consumer demand for cloud-based connectivity increases and traffic loads in wide area networks become more and more unpredictable, service providers require an elastic end-to-end infrastructure that mirrors the flexibility, scalability and programmability of compute and storage resources in the data center - for all services. To unleash this capability, Coriant is introducing Dynamic Optical Cloud, an innovative solution and open framework that helps service providers reduce OPEX and CAPEX, while creating new revenue opportunities as well.
Coriant has worked with several Tier 1 operators around the world to define the SDN use cases and implementations for the Dynamic Optical Cloud's software-defined multilayer programmability. This includes such functionality as the following: 
  • Application-driven TaaS/bandwidth on demand
  • Multilayer defragmentation
  • Network analytics and workflow management
  • Dynamic mobile backhaul resiliency
  • Cloud-bursting
This solution is comprised of the 7100 and hiT 7300 packet optical networking platforms, the 8600 mobile edge router, and a suite of applications, open orchestration and controllers - all of which are available to customers today. Furthermore, Coriant has integrated third party routers into these use cases as an initial step toward multivendor implementation. Coriant is currently engaged in multiple customer trials and will be trialing the commercial offering in the third quarter of 2014.
"Coriant‘s Dynamic Optical Cloud solution reinforces our market leadership in end-to-end packet optical networking following the merger of Tellabs and Coriant," said Pat DiPietro, Chief Executive Officer, Coriant. "With greater scale, deeper R&D resources and technology expertise, and an expanded portfolio of SDN-enabled products and capabilities, we are well positioned to be the preferred supplier to our customers as their network and service requirements evolve in a cloud-centric world."
"As we bring new solutions to market and strengthen our end-to-end product portfolio, we are also delivering the software-defined tools and techniques to help our customers easily integrate our solutions into their networks and quickly deliver tangible service and operational value," said Herbert Merz, President and Chief Operating Officer, Coriant.
Coriant's full suite of Dynamic Optical Cloud solutions and capabilities will be showcased in a live demo at the OFC 2014 conference. Attendees can stop by the Coriant booth (#2511) to learn more about our comprehensive portfolio of SDN-enabled packet optical products and solutions, including the new mTera Universal Transport Platform, the Coriant 7100 Nano, the Coriant hiT 7300 intelligent optical transport platform, and Coriant IOC.

Citrix Advances Enterprise Mobility To Meet High-Security Requirements With New XenMobile Release

Citrix today announced new security and feature enhancements to the Citrix XenMobile solution. The new release empowers organizations in highly regulated industries, such as government agencies, to embrace device choice, improve productivity with quick access to more apps, and provide support for Microsoft Lync online meetings and other communication environments, without sacrificing security, control and most importantly, user experience. Citrix also enables enterprises and government agencies that are planning to phase out BlackBerry devices to transition smoothly, knowing their data and existing apps are secure, integrated and supported.
Mobility is redefining the way people work and the way IT departments support them. For many organizations, the growth of mobile devices and applications is largely driven by employees' desire to be more productive. While the new era of mobile computing offers opportunities for organizations to boost worker productivity and employee satisfaction through programs, such as bring your own device (BYOD) or corporate-owned, personally enabled (COPE), governments and other highly regulated industries face the challenge of finding cost-effective enterprise mobility management (EMM) solutions that will meet their security and compliance requirements while providing a solid user experience.
XenMobile enables government agencies and other highly regulated organizations to mobilize their employees without sacrificing security or control. The security and feature enhancements to XenMobile include:
  • FIPS 140-2 compliant encryption for mobile apps, including secure email, browser and content collaboration. XenMobile creates a secure encrypted vault for application data on mobile devices so that government and enterprise workers can access critical documents and applications securely.
  • Better-than-native secure mobile email, calendar and contacts through the WorxMail™ app with FIPS compliant encryption for data at rest and data in motion. New enhancements include one-click access to leading communication and collaboration apps, such as Microsoft Lync, the FaceTime app, and SMS messaging directly from WorxMail calendar and contacts.
  • Support for a variety of email and collaboration solutions, such as existing systems like the IBM Lotus Notes client. Government workers also have secure mobile intranet access with single sign-on (SSO) to portals and SharePoint sites using the WorxWeb™ app, a containerized browser with full policy control.
  • Support for newly launched Apple iOS 7.1 and Microsoft Windows 8.1 operating systems, allowing devices with these new operating systems to be managed and controlled with XenMobile. XenMobile also adds VPN support for Amazon Kindle devices, enabling them to connect to corporate environments.
XenMobile provides a complete EMM solution for highly regulated organizations to manage mobile apps, data and devices. With XenMobile, government agencies and enterprises gain control over personal and corporate-issued mobile devices with full configuration, security, provisioning and support capabilities. This also includes visibility into currently deployed BlackBerry devices. XenMobile meets IT departments’ need for mobile security, compliance and control while allowing employees new ways to work better.
Availability
Citrix XenMobile 8.7 will be available for download for current customers this month. For more information, please contact Citrix sales.

PernixData FVP Added to VMware Partner Verified and Supported Product Program

PernixData, the leader in virtualizing server flash, announced today that FVP has been added to the VMware Partner Verified and Supported Product Program. With inclusion in this program, PernixData's software is ready for deployment in vSphere environments 5.0 and greater. This is the latest in a string of features that highlight PernixData's virtualization expertise, establishing the company as a storage vendor for today's virtual data centers.
PernixData's listing in the VMware Partner Verified and Supported Product Program, including the FVP compatibility guide, can be found here: http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/vcl/partnersupport.php 
PernixData's Virtualization Expertise
FVP virtualizes all server side flash into a clustered acceleration tier that enables IT administrators to quickly, easily and cost-effectively scale-out storage performance completely independent of storage capacity. PernixData's extensive knowledge of VMware and commitment to customers using vSphere is evident in the following unique FVP features:
  • Robust vSphere support. FVP supports all versions of VMware vSphere 5.0 and greater today. 
  • Seamless management via vSphere Web Client. All FVP operations are managed natively within vSphere, such as configuring flash clusters and monitoring application and storage performance. 
  • Seamless deployment, compatible with VMware vSphere: PernixData FVP software is deployed inside vSphere in under 20 minutes, with no changes (or reboots) required to VMs, servers or primary storage. The product is compatible with VMware vSphere.
  • Clustered platform compatible with all VMware operations: PernixData FVP uses patent-pending Flash Cluster technology to enable any host to remotely access the flash device(s) on any other host in the cluster. This technology enables PernixData FVP to support all VMware operations and products, such as vMotion, DRS, HA, Snapshot, VDP, Site Recovery Manager, Horizon View and vCloud Director.

VMware Releases vSphere PowerCLI 5.5 R2

VMware quietly announced the release of vSphere PowerCLI 5.5 R2.  And with it, some great new features are being made available. 
Alan Renouf, a product manager at VMware focusing on automation frameworks and CLI, explained, "In this release we take PowerCLI one step further and allow even more troubleshooting, reporting and automation of vCloud Suite products by introducing easy access to vCenter Site Recovery Manager (SRM) APIs through the core PowerCLI cmdlets."
Some of the new features and enhancements added to vSphere PowerCLI 5.5 Release 2 include:
  • Full management of the vCenter SRM Public API - Using the Connect-SRMServer and Disconnect-SRMServer you are now able to connect to vCenter SRM and access all public APIs available
  • Support for creating and removing Tags and Tag Categories - create and remove tags and tag categories to complement the tagging functionality offered in existing cmdlets released in the previous version
  • Enable/Retrieve information on Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) Mode for Clusters - Adjustments to the Host and Cluster Cmdlets now allow for enabling, disabling and retrieving information for EVC Mode making automated build environments one step easier to accomplish.
  • Security policies for vSphere standard switch and port groups - vSphere standard switches and portgoups can be adjusted using the Get/Set-SecurityPolicy cmdelts.
  • Added support for Windows PowerShell 4.0
  • Added support for IPv6
  • Added statistical information - PowerCLI has been updated and we have added the ability to specify all supported types including clusters, datastores, etc and retrieve more statistical information via the Get-Stat and Get-StatType cmdlets.
  • 64 bit Support - The New/Set-OSCustomizationSpec cmdlets have been updated to work in 64-bit PowerShell and no longer require running in a 32-bit PowerShell environment.
  • Updated the Get-Datastore cmdlet - Filtering can now be done by cluster
  • Added support for e1000e network adapter type
  • Get-VM cmdlet updated - Allows a virtual machine to be retrieved by virtual switches
For a full list of all that has changed, check out the full vSphere PowerCLI 5.5 R2 Release notes here.
And when you are ready, download the latest version here.  

Thursday, March 6, 2014

CPLANE NETWORKS Delivers High-Performance OpenStack® Networks to Accelerate Cloud Application Deployments

CPLANE NETWORKS, the leader in high-performance software-defined networking (SDN), today announced the availability of a new network virtualization platform for enterprises and cloud service providers. Dynamic Virtual Networks (DVN) transforms static physical networks into virtualized resource pools that can be allocated on demand, significantly reducing the time and cost to deploy cloud applications.
DVN is Built for OpenStack, the leading open source computing platform for private and public cloud service orchestration. “Our approach has been to unite the ‘divided house’ of the data-center, bringing together cloud application developers and network engineers to deliver agile, automated cloud networks,” said Brandon Williams, CEO of CPLANE NETWORKS. “Enabling application developers and network engineers to work together in a unified DevOps (development/operations) model, DVN and OpenStack significantly simplify and shorten the network services provisioning process.” Zero-touch configuration, reduction of unnecessary network traffic and elimination of external routing services ensure rapid response to service orchestration requests and significantly improve network performance.
Utilizing the power and scale of the CPLANE NETWORKS Cloud Networking Platform in conjunction with industry-standard protocols such as Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN), DVN creates high-performance virtual networks that provide secure traffic isolation for applications and customers. A software-only solution, DVN leverages all popular vendor network architectures and products, allowing customers to protect their current infrastructure investment while providing a smooth path to new technologies and eliminating vendor lock-in.
“DevOps and open source orchestration are dramatically transforming the way data centers deliver services. CPLANE NETWORKS is at the nexus of these two revolutions with radically innovative and transformative technology,” said Williams.

CollabNet's CloudForge Available in Cloud Foundry Marketplace

CollabNet, a leading provider of cloud-based Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solutions for agile software delivery at scale, today announced that its CloudForge® development platform is currently available as an add-on service in Pivotal's on-demand PaaS service, powered by Cloud Foundry and available on-line at http://run.pivotal.io.
CloudForge continues to see strong adoption by organizations that want the benefits of cloud computing with the compliance and traceability CollabNet delivers to enterprises increasingly using open-source tools and cloud-based platforms. CloudForge availability in the Pivotal Web Services add-on marketplace provides developers with an integrated development and PaaS offering. It will accelerate development and deployment of enterprise applications to any Cloud Foundry-based platform, whether it is hosted in a private or public cloud.
"Joining the Cloud Foundry ecosystem is a great fit for CloudForge as both platforms support an open and flexible approach to software development and delivery in the cloud," said Bill Portelli, co-founder and CEO of CollabNet. "The move to develop and deploy applications in the cloud is growing every day, and CloudForge is attracting increasing numbers of developers, teams and organizations that want a practical path to scale without cumbersome restrictions."
Cloud Foundry is an open platform-as-a-service, providing a choice of clouds, developer frameworks and application services. It makes it faster and easier to build, test, deploy and scale web and mobile applications. Cloud Foundry is an open source project and is available through a variety of private cloud distributions and public cloud instances, including Vmware's vSphere, Amazon Web Services, Open Stack and more.
CollabNet's CloudForge helps developers build websites, mobile/cloud/web applications, and rapidly prototype and deploy business software. Built for the enterprise, it offers a fast and practical path to grow and scale organization-wide, through a flexible role-based framework that makes it easy for developers to use and administrators to scale to thousands of users.
Now, Cloud Foundry users on Pivotal's Web Services (http://run.pivotal.io) can sign up for a CloudForge account from the Add-on Services Marketplace to gain instant access to CloudForge's leading development-based tools that are integrated into a single-user experience. CloudForge lets developers manage their development projects (plan, code, track and collaborate) and deploy code in Cloud Foundry. CloudForge delivers Apache Subversion® and Git, as well as the TeamForge ALM project management platform to all customers.
"We're excited to add CloudForge to the growing Cloud Foundry ecosystem," said James Watters, head of product for Cloud Foundry at Pivotal. "This partnership provides an integrated suite of leading development tools to enable rapid application development, deployment and scalability. CloudForge complements the Cloud Foundry philosophy of choice, flexibility and performance with a proven suite of on-demand, enterprise-grade tools and services."