Archive for the ‘vNews’ Category

This months monster edition of vNews is feature length presentation. So sit back relax as you hear our dulcet tones discuss the news. It’s bumper packed because it includes news of Dec and Jan compiled into one meaty edition.

As ever you welcome to download the vNews PPT file for use at your VMUG. Just give credit where credit is due – and name check the source & me & Stu. All the links mentioned in the vNews are in the PPT as well. I could cut them out and put them here to click – that would save you downloading a couple of MB for a link. But to be honest that would be too much work. I’m typing this on the free WiFi at Hong Kong airport after 12hr flight, waiting for connection to Brisbane – so extracting links doesn’t feel like a big priority right now…

This months vNews includes contributions from , Eric Sloof, Chad Sakac, Rick Sherer, and Scott Lowe. On the vendors side we have stuff from HP, Microsoft, Citrix and VMware.

Oh, If you don’t get the reference in the title of the post – you need to use google…

You can watch the video in number of formats. Youtube very kindly upgraded my account recently so I can now do longer videos on youtube.com. The quality gets pretty degraded on the Youtube version, so if you would prefer something a bit more native (but a perhaps a bit longer to buffer) you can use the video directly underneath here.

As ever if you want the MP3 version of the vNews it’s here – but to be honest it’s much easier to subscribe to the MP3 podcast via iTunes which means the chinwag/vendorwag podcast will be download when ever I do them – along with your monthly vNews. Alternatively, if you would prefer the videos on your iPAD/iPOD/iPhone – you subscribe to the video version of the Chinwags/Vendorwags/vNwws there (beware they are big!). If you don’t use iTunes, here’s the generic RSS Feed link

Finally, If you want to see the video in hi-resolution and full density – you can open it here.

It’s BACK. The first vNews in a very long time. To tell you the truth doing the vNews became a mega chore with it taking a day to collate all the information and put together the PowerPoints. As my workload went up with books and such like, it had to go. Anyway, one fine day at the London User Group I was cornered by Stu McHugh (who has been on my chinwag) – and was telling me how much he missed the vNews, and if I would bring back.

There’s nothing like the encouragement of others – and the input of others. So the vNews has a new co-presenter – none other than Stu McHugh who runs the blog stumchugh.wordpress.com/ and he’s also on Twitter on @stu_mchugh. The ideas is that two people will make it more interesting as we discuss the news…

The vNews is split between bloggers & vendors – I’ve chosen to watch the blogs, and Stu’s doing the vendors. So by splitting it 50:50 its helped make it more doable for me.

As ever you welcome to download the vNews PPT file for use at your VMUG. Just give credit where credit is due – and name check the source & me & Stu. All the links mentioned in the vNews are in the PPT as well. I could cut them out and put them here to click – that would save you downloading a couple of MB for a link. But to be honest that would be too much work. I’m typing this on the free WiFi at Hong Kong airport after 12hr flight, waiting for connection to Brisbane – so extracting links doesn’t feel like a big priority right now…

This months vNews includes contributions from Nick Weaver, Eric Sloof, Chad Sakac, Simon Long, Forbes Gutherie, Duncan Epping, Scott Lowe, and Mike Dipetrillo. On the vendors side we have MS Office 365, HyperV 3.0, Citrix winning awards, Citrix & Cisco telephony partnerships, VMware Fling: ESX System Analyser, and VMware & Telifonica Partnership

Oh, If you don’t get the reference in the title of the post – you need to use google…

You can watch the video in number of formats. Youtube very kindly upgraded my account recently so I can now do longer videos on youtube.com. The quality gets pretty degraded on the Youtube version, so if you would prefer something a bit more native (but a perhaps a bit longer to buffer) you can use the video directly underneath here.

As ever if you want the MP3 version of the vNews  it’s here – but to be honest it’s much easier to subscribe to the MP3 podcast via iTunes which means the chinwag/vendorwag podcast will be download when ever I do them – along with your monthly vNews. Alternatively, if you would prefer the videos on your iPAD/iPOD/iPhone – you subscribe to the video version of the Chinwags/Vendorwags/vNwws there (beware they are big!). If you don’t use iTunes, here’s the generic RSS Feed link

Finally, If you want to see the video in hi-resolution and full density – you can open it here.

Podcast Video Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[The following is piece I wrote recently for TechTarget. Sadly, I rather dropped the ball on the brief, and it didn't make the "cut". It was meant to be technical tip, but quickly became an opinion piece about the current economy uncertainty we are facing - and its impact or not on the world of virtualization.

Sorry about the title. Generally I can't abide this fashion for putting software version numbers in things to describe the next generation - like Web 2.0. Sounds too much like some sort of media construct...]

Over here in Europe we all seem to bracing ourselves for yet another round of the credit crunch, as European leaders once again meet to discuss what can be done to reduce the affect of the Euro sovereign debt crisis. One would think that the market uncertainty was creating gridlock with IT projects, with everyone batting down the hatches and tightening their respective belts.  I took it upon myself to do an informal unofficial survey whilst at last weeks VMworld Europe event in Copenhagen. The responses from the many people were many and varied but I did see a pattern emerging…

(more…)

This months vNews is a little delayed. Mainly because I was so busy with the run up to VMworld. And then VMworld happened which generated even more vNews! But I’ve managed to sit down this week and puts some powerpoints and links together. If you want the PowerPoints for the vNews for use in your user group or elsewhere, you can download them here – just remember to give me a credit somewhere along the lines…

Here’s the links from the video:

Podcast Video [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome to vNews a monthly round-up of what’s been happening in the virtualization space. This months is quite heavily dominated by stuff from VMware, but does include stuff from Microsoft, EMC, NetApp and quick survey of the bloggersphere…

Anyway, I kinda of do a round-up about what’s been happening in July. I should have really got this done last week as August kicked off, but I had sooooo much to do, I only got round to doing it now. Sorry about that.

If you want to use my PowerPoints in the vNews for your User Group, you can download them here. Just give me a little credit if you would be so kind.

As ever you get vNews delivered to your desktop if subscribe to the podcast via iTunes (Audio with vNews) which means the podcast will be download when ever I do them. By subscribing you’ll also get weekly updates of my chinwag/vendorwags – If yu want just videos of the chinwags, vendorwags and vNews, you need this URL for iTunes. And if you don’t use iTunes, here’s the generic RSS Feed link.

Below are the links that used to build the vNews, so you don’t need to download the PPT to get to the links. I guess by looking at these links you can see what the topics are going to be in the vNews..

Podcast Video [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome to vNews a monthly round-up of what’s been happening in the virtualization space. This months is quite heavily dominated by stuff from VMware, but does include stuff from Microsoft, EMC, NetApp and quick survey of the bloggersphere…

If you want to use my PowerPoints in the vNews for your User Group, you can download them here. Just give me a little credit if you would be so kind.

As ever you get vNews delivered to your desktop if subscribe to the podcast via iTunes which means the podcast will be download when ever I do them. By subscribing you’ll also get weekly updates of my chinwag/vendorwags – If you don’t use iTunes, here’s the generic RSS Feed link

Below are the links that used to build the vNews, so you don’t need to download the PPT to get to the links. I guess by looking at these links you can see what the topics are going to be in the vNews..

VMware wins awards at TechEd

VMware in the Magic Quadrant

VMware DCAP – DataCenter Admin Exam Experiences - boche.net vmwaretips.com simonlong.co.uk virtualizetips.com

VMware Courses on vSphere4

VMware Management Products on 64-bit Windows

VMware Storage IO Control

VMware VMDirect Path – For and Against1 (Chad Sakac) and Against2 (Scott Drummonds)

VMware & Novell – Independent Response (vinternals), Microsoft Response, VMware Reply

VMware Update 2 and PCoIP Bug

Microsoft Hyper-V Architecture Poster

Microsoft Ebooks – Including Virtualization (Virtualboy)

Microsoft Dynamic Memory in Depth from TechEd (Virtualboy)

EMC and Microsoft Think Big

EMC RecoverPoint Virtual Appliance

EMC Atmos Virtual Appliance

The Future of NetApp – SilconAngle, Scott Lowe

From the Bloggersphere -

TechHead Reviews of Lenovo TS200 ThinkServer and Dell Equalogic PS4000

Eric Sloof – Resource Pools as Folders is dangerous

vCO Blog

Duncan Epping – Swapping and the vmkernel

The Work-At-Home Robot

Podcast Video Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome to this months vNews, and what with me being holiday during this time – there is lots to report. Did the vendors know I was on my holidays – and release stuff just as I board the plane. Anyway, I’m back from Crete where I took my break – whilst I was there I took out the time walk/hike the Somaria Gorge, which is allegedly the longest gorge in Europe. Somewhere between 16-18km in length – you drop a couple of 1,000m within the first couple of kilometres. So it was it was down hill all the way you say – easy-peasy. Not so my friend. I almost lost both toenails from each of me feets! So this vNews is well earned chance to rest my butt and those toes nails – and work my through all the blogposts and announcements their virtualicentric. I had nearly 300 unread posts in my feed-burner – so it tooks some whittling away to get to this content. Enjoy!

If you want the PowerPoint of this vNews so you can rip it off and present at your User Group – feel free – just give me some credit…

In this months vNews I cover:

IDC Report into the growth of virtualization

The New VMware Certified Advanced Professional tracks

The Alleged End of VMware Server

Change Block Tracking Backup Bug (Plantvm.net)

VMware VUM and HP SIM Woes (vinternals)

VMware ESX Security Hardening Guide

New NFS Best Practices White Paper from VMware

Troubleshooting VMware Snapshots Whitepaper

vSphere 4.1 Feature Leak

Top 10 Free vSphere/ESX Utilities (kendrickcolman.com)

VMware Toolbar

Microsoft Dynamic Memory Primers (Part 1 of 5)

Microsoft Virtualization Profitability Toolkit (Partners Only)

Best Practise Analyser for App-V

Best Practise Analyser for Hyper-V R2

Citrix Client Hypervisor – XenClient

Burton Group – Compare of XenDesktop vs View

EMC vPlex – Long Distance VMotion

New EMC/vCenter Storage Plug-ins

NetApp Long Distance VMotion

NetApp DeDupe Calculations (boche.net)

Podcast Video Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hi there, and welcome to this months vNews. This was delivered to a live (well, they were at the beginning!) audience at yesterdays – Leeds VMUG. I stated putting vNews online initially for folks who couldn’t make the UG event.  If you don’t know vNews is round up of virtualization news from the last month – and when delivered to a small group – it can be used to stimulate debate. For sure some of the content is pure raw news, but other stuff is contentious enough that it might stimulate discussions. If you want to take the PowerPoints that make up vNews and use them at your own user group – then feel free to download them there here (just remember to mention my name & give credit where credit is due).

In this month’s vNews I cover:

• VMware new independent global VMUG
• VMware Script-o-Mania Contest winners
• VMware discounts vSphere Essentials
• Up and Coming Saleforce.com and VMware joint venture
• Citrix XenApp6, Branch Repeater VPX, Idle Virtual Desktops
• Microsoft Virtual Desktop License changes
• Microsoft enhancements to Hyper-V via SP1 – including RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory
• The Sysprep SID Duplication Myth
• Updates from EMC and NetApp
• Round up of interesting blogs from the sphere…

vNews is also include in my podcast feeds – you can add me to your iTunes here

Below is all the links embedded in the PowerPoint/Video

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

• Hyper-threading is back
• Memory Reservations
• First Ever TPC Result; New Record

Podcast Video Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hi there, and welcome to this months vNews.  A monthly round up of what’s going on in the world of virtualization. Yeah, I scan all the blogs – filter out what I can and then regurgitate it for you pleasure. That doesn’t sound nice. I do these occasionally for the user groups I’m speak at, it’s part news, part tips and part personal rant.

If you want the PowerPoints they are here… and if you just want the links they are here:

VMware + EMC Eats Itself

VI3.5 Support

Chris Wolf’s take on VMware’s cherry picking of EMC Ionix

Iomega vClone

TrainSignal vSphere4 Pro Series

NetApp & VMware vSphere – Best Practises

vSphere 4.0 Quick Start Guide – PDF Version

Foundations for Cloud Computing with vSphere4

vSphere Session Montor 2.0

Xtravirt RDP vSphere4 Plug-in

VMware PEX – Transparent Memory Compression (TMC)

Microsoft – Linux Integration Tools for RHEL

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack/64-bit App-V 4.6

Microsoft NVSPBIND.EXE

Citrix release virtual appliances

vPivot – How you cannot trust performance data inside the guest operating sysem

vPivot – Using the Paravirtual SCSI Adapter – Performance Implictations

Podcast Video [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here’s a video of my vNews. It’s quite long just over an hour. Opps. Still its hard to round up news and pass comment on it meaningfully in 10 minutes. These won’t be very frequent – about one a month I think. It depends on how my user group work pans out – as I tend to cobble these together in time for a UG.

Also I think I could have made the picture-in-picture video bigger – I will know better next time. I’m investing in a green-screen so I can do it more professionally and some lighting gear too. All I need now is an attractive anchorwoman. Perhaps Carmel will do the virtual weather too… The other thing I’m thinking is I want to drop the whole PPT approach altogether – it works fine when your presenting in UG. But its all a bit static as a video (Gee, I’m really selling you this aren’t I!) So more graphics – and pictures to make it more like an actual news programme!

You can watch here or use the download button to download and play your on iPOD/iPhone. [Just click and open in iTunes]

The full version at high quality is here (beware it is 370MB). This format is suitable for play back via a projector. [Right-click and Save-As)

If you want the power-points – which include the links to the stories – they are here. If you do use them for your user group that’s fine. The PDF file contains links to each of the stories that I mention.

If you want to watch in a browser, streamed to your desktop – just click the little Video Mov graphic below!

vNews - January 2010 [ 0:01 ] Download