Infrastructure
Intel adds speed and performance to PC users and developers
Intel Corp. advanced its quad-core processor series with the introduction of the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX6800.
The Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX6800 is produced on Intel’s 65 nanometer process, key to enabling the large eight megabyte cache. Running at 2.93GHz, a 1066 MHz system bus is supported and the processor is available now at a cost of US$1,199.
VMware launches VMware Fusion for Mac
VMware is pleased to announce the availability of VMware Fusion for Mac (Beta Version 3).
VMware Fusion enables the user to run any PC application on an Intel-based Mac. Using VMware Fusion, one can run Windows, Linux, Solaris and other PC operating systems right alongside Mac OS X. In addition, they can use Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X at the same time. The user interface in VMware Fusion lets you copy and paste text between Mac and Windows applications, or to drag and drop files from one desktop to another.
Combining the stability of Mac with PC performance, VMware Fusion includes a “snapshot” feature that enables the user to capture and save the current state of their virtual machine. The user can run 64-bit operating systems, such as Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition on virtual machines, or leverage VirtualSMP capabilities to create and run multi-processor virtual machines.
Complete information and download of the current beta version is available at: http://www.vmware.com/products/beta/fusion/
3Tera and Layered Technologies introduces Virtual Private Datacenters
Layered Technologies, Inc. and 3Tera, Inc. announced general availability of Virtual Private Datacenters – an utility computing service for SaaS and Web 2.0 companies.
The Virtual Private Datacenter service utilizes 3Tera’s AppLogic grid operating system to enable users to deploy and manage entire N-tier applications on grids of commodity servers. With their own Virtual Private Datacenter, SaaS and Web 2.0 companies gain ability to:
- Control infrastructure and applications with nothing more than a browser
- Deploy existing applications without modifying code
- Scale applications from a fraction of a server to dozens of servers in minutes
- Handle hardware failures automatically without losing data
- Add or remove servers and storage without disrupting applications
TheGridLayer Virtual Private Datacenter is available immediately in Bronze, Silver and Gold versions, each with progressively higher computing resources. Pricing starts at just US$999.00 per month for a four-node Bronze system, and can be scaled to 48 nodes and beyond, on-demand.
Networking
Blue Coat delivers optimization capabilities across its portfolio
Blue Coat Systems Inc. announced the shipping of SG Client for application delivery to endpoint devices used by remote or mobile enterprise users.
SG Client focuses on acceleration. SG Client incorporates protocol optimization for CIFS and TCP as well as client-side object caching and compression. Other protocol optimizations will be added in later versions this year.
Initially, SG Client is designed as a thick client that is installed on enterprise-managed computers. SG Client can be deployed and centrally managed through existing SG appliances running operating software or Blue Coat’s Director product.
As with Blue Coat SG appliances for branch and remote offices, the SG Client architecture is designed to accelerate a full range of business-critical application traffic and provide appropriate levels of security and control. SG Client incorporates portions of Blue Coat’s patent-pending MACH5 application acceleration technology, which provides protocol optimization, object and byte caching and compression. Additional MACH5 technologies will be added in subsequent versions.
Blue Coat Systems Inc. also announced a software upgrade for its series of SG appliances for WAN optimization. The software release makes WAN optimization ready for mainstream enterprise deployments by enabling it to integrate with existing network infrastructure and operations.
SG appliances provide flexibility for a variety of network topologies, including automatic configuration for combinations of varying WAN links using asymmetric routing. Each SG appliance is aware of any SG appliance added to a cluster and can automatically reassign workloads. Settings on existing SG appliances do not have to be changed, and the added appliances will understand their role in the cluster.
SG appliances ship with a Digital Birth Certificate unique to that appliance and containing its serial number. These Digital Birth Certificates can be used to automatically authenticate each point in the WAN optimization network for ease of configuration. In addition, the SG appliances can create encrypted tunnels between points, so data can be protected, even when the application does not offer its own encryption.
The SG appliance software and SG Client are scheduled to ship within the next week. The SG appliance software is available as a free upgrade to existing customers with maintenance contracts. Initial SG Client US pricing is as low as US$20 per user.