Virtualization drives advances in storage management

Networking Technology Update This newsletter is sponsored by Oracle TCO: Making the Most of Your Information Technology Investments Discover how to use the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) approach and four key strategies to chose the best technologies to benefit your organization and its unique needs and requirements. Networking Technology Update, 05/09/07 Virtualization drives advances in storage management By Deni Connor The convergence of server and storage management is slowly taking place as enterprises look for more automated ways of managing their data center assets. Spurring the trend toward convergence — which remains somewhat hampered by a lack of available tools — is virtualization technology. Get more out of your IT dollar Business Services Management lets you get more out of your IT investments by aligning business goals and your core infrastructure. Network World Editor-in-Chief John Dix and IDC Research Manager Stephen Elliot examine BSM's benefits and how enterprises are starting to take advantage of this strategy. Attend now! “If you don’t believe servers and storage have converged, all you need to do is take a look at server and storage virtualization," says Greg Schulz, senior analyst for Storage IO. “Let’s go way back — originally servers and storage were managed together, then they were separated, and now they are being put back together again." Virtualization technology lets administrators divide physical servers or storage devices into logical virtual machines that can support different operating systems and applications. Businesses are looking to virtualization so they can consolidate server and storage resources; run multiple workloads on a single machine more efficiently; and dynamically provision resources as application and business needs shift. Server virtualization software from companies such as VMware, SWsoft, Virtual Iron and XenSource has been adopted by leagues of users; according to IDC, more than three-quarters of companies with 500 or more employees use virtual servers, and 45% of all new servers purchased in 2006 were virtualized. However storage virtualization deployments are less mainstream. IDC reports 49% of companies are evaluating storage virtualization, while 34% have implemented virtualization software or hardware. Enterprises are having difficulty adopting storage virtualization products to pool resources from multiple heterogeneous arrays because the software to do it is lacking. For more on this story, please click here.

TODAY'S MOST-READ STORIES: 1. Analysts squash IBM layoff rumors 2. Five cool future IT positions 3. Top things we love and hate about Apple 4. Top 15 controversial Microsoft quotes 5. Top 15 all-time 'network-iest' TV characters 6. Thin clients in, PCs out at Verizon Wireless 7. The 50 best consumer tech products ever 8. Cringely should stop shooting his mouth off 9. 10 ways to boost your IT org now 10. Sprint Nextel vs. 41 non-profits MOST E-MAILED STORY: Homeless man disrupts Internet2 service

Contact the author: Network World Senior Editor Deni Connor can be reached at dconnor@nww.com This newsletter is sponsored by Oracle TCO: Making the Most of Your Information Technology Investments Discover how to use the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) approach and four key strategies to chose the best technologies to benefit your organization and its unique needs and requirements. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007