So Dell has introduced ARM serversfor hyperscale/cloud applications. This is very, very interesting, but also quite puzzling. Will they sell these to "regular" customers? And who would buy them? the Dell “Copper”ARM server will be delivered to “select customers and partners” like Canonical, … [Read more...]
Dependent hardware iSCSI adapter on ESXi5
May 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The virtualization space seems a little light on technical content lately. There are plenty of event announcements and white paper or webinar promotions, but few posts on, you know, how stuff works. Here's the incomparable Gabrie Van Zanten to change that, with a deep look at iSCSI configuration … [Read more...]
What Is a Blade Server?
February 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I’ve been watching enterprise IT for over 20 years now, and I’ve seen some radical changes. In the server space, one of the biggest shifts was the form factor of the servers: From tower to rack-mount to blades. But what makes a blade server anyway? Let’s consider this for a moment, as we watch … [Read more...]
HP’s Mighty Stumble
February 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
How could a company as mighty and diverse as HP have had so many issues with executive management? HP stumbled mightily in 2011, and it had nothing to do with product or people. Even sales remained strong, though the PC business is changing. HP’s mighty stumble was a crisis of confidence due … [Read more...]
Why Should Anyone Take Dell Seriously in Enterprise Storage?
February 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
For a massive IT company, Dell sure doesn’t get the kind of respect given their competitors. Time and again, I’ll hear the sneers about Dell being little more than a “box shifter” who doesn’t “get” real enterprise IT needs. After a series of acquisitions in storage and … [Read more...]
Every Company Is Gunning For Someone Else
December 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Everyone has a target on their backs, but they all aim in different directions One of the amusing aspects of being self-employed is watching all the giants battle it out. Every company is gunning for someone, but the amazing thing is that they rarely point their sights directly at each other: … [Read more...]
Thoughts On A Dell Acquisition Of Compellent
December 9, 2010 by 10 Comments
The news came out this morning that Dell is in exclusive talks to acquire network storage specialist Compellent for just under $900 million. I will leave it to the real reporters to track the ups and downs of the story; what piques my interest is the value Dell gets from Compellent's technology and … [Read more...]
Caringo Bulks Up CAStor For Cloud Services
November 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment
You may not know Caringo, but you have probably heard of cloud storage, EMC Centera, and Dell DX. Read on to learn the link! Now that the hype of “cloud everything” is subsiding, organizations are getting down to work deploying cloud storage to do actual useful tasks. The march from CAS to … [Read more...]
The Enterprise IT Acquisition Game
September 2, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The players are lining up for the biggest acquisition game enterprise IT has witnessed in a while Today is the (a?) day of reckoning in the 3Par saga, with Dell widely expected to make a counter-offer higher than HP’s bid. But this mega deal, like the Data Domain war before it, sends a strong … [Read more...]
3Par Acquisition: The Future For The Storage Industry
September 1, 2010 by 1 Comment
The ongoing battle for 3Par by HP & Dell tells us much more about the state of the IT Industry than just the desires of two companies to acquire some interesting storage tech. It signals an acceptance that storage is a key feature in the future direction of the IT industry – more important … [Read more...]