The other day, I went to a presentation of FlexPOD and was impressed. FlexPOD is a collaboration of efforts from Cisco, VMWare, and NetApp. What it offers is a highly flexible framework to grow IT datacenters they are calling Infrastructure as a service (IIAS). If...
Imagine (if you dare) the worst case scenario with your company's data. Double disk drive failure, all data lost. You need to recover that data as fast as possible due to deadlines. You've been diligent about your backups using Bacula, but now they are going to be put...
With today's computers, cooling is critical. When moving to a new site, it's necessary to ensure the new server room will meet your needs prior to move-in. Using some quick estimation techniques, there's ways to ensure the needed power for your servers. Here's a...
One of the most frequently cited windfalls of IT outsourcing is the level of autonomy that’s created for internal IT staff who are able to devote more time and energy to pursuits aimed at benefiting the business. This includes innovative approaches to applying...
Has your organization started integrating virtual infrastructure into your overall IT services plan? If not, a quote from Star Trek may be in order, "Resistance is futile." In today’s IT world, the likelihood that your organization is running some sort of...
Holes in your IT infrastructure can make for some awkward situations. Whether you're dealing with sensitive customer information, upcoming product designs, or simply just don't want people messing with your stuff, maintaining system integrity can be difficult....
Earlier this month we posted the second blog in a series on how IT outsourcing can deliver multiple benefits to organizations. This post will delve into the benefits to R&D Engineers. Engineers fear disruption to the organization, potential loss of jobs (including...
This week we're going to talk about a system tool that's really multiple tools in one. I’m referring to CCleaner, which turns out to be a veritable Swiss Army knife of tools. Here is a short list of what's included in CCleaner: Reclaim space by deleting unneeded files...
Our Infrastructure Management Services include data center migration planning and deployment. Recently, I moved two different companies to new facilities. Both had drastically different IT needs. One was heavier on infrastructure and server room. The other was not...
How Bug Analysis Improves Software Engineering Postmortems 2023 So, after countless hours of coding, testing, and debugging, your software project has finally been released into the wild. It's an exciting milestone, but as a diligent software engineer, you know that...
IT outsourcing contracts, as noted in a recent blog post, should be treated as living documents -- continuously evaluated, refined, and optimized over time. Not only do business conditions continually change, but it’s also important for outsourcing customers to...
In part 1 of this series, I introduced the APCUPSD software package which allows you to monitor APC UPS units. As we head into the winter months, having a functioning UPS is critical for your infrastructure. Just as critical as the UPS itself is the ability to monitor...