V-Block: Is this the beginning of Hypervisors embedded in Hardware?

With the announcement of V-Block and Cisco UCS as a major component, is more hypervisor functionality going to end up in hardware? UCS adds some interesting features into the hardware that were traditionally within the purview of the hypervisor. Now it looks like V-Block is the assembly of myriad components that taken as a whole look remarkably like the beginnings of a hardware based hypervisor.

VLANs/FCoE/CNA – Mixed Security Data on One Wire

Over the past year or so I have been thinking pretty heavily about the direction networking is taking within virtualization. In some ways, it appears security has been forgotten or relegated to ‘encrypt’ and forget. However, it takes quite a bit of knowledge and time to properly set up the backbone of an ‘encrypt’ and forget approach to network security, so it does not happen. Instead, we have a proliferation of technologies being used to cut down on cable clutter and thereby consolidate the network. These are all very important concepts. Security practitioners like myself realize that this type of consolidation WILL happen. So what tools are required to either ‘encrypt and forget’ or to protect these consolidated networks?

EMC/Cisco/VMware vBlock – The Data Center Virtualization Perspective

Well the cat is well and truly out of the bag now, after several months of serious courting and getting caught behind the bike shed a few time, the worse kept secret in IT has arrived. Cisco, EMC, and VMware have entered into a joint venture arrangement called V-block, so what is it and how exactly does it affect the state of play?

News: Systancia launches AppliDis Fusion 4

Systancia announce the launch of AppliDis Fusion 4, their first solution that incorporates both application and desktop virtualisation in a single product with management through a single web console. AppliDis Fusion 4 joins solutions such as Ericom’s Powerterm Webconnect and Quest Provision’s vWorkspace to offer solution that gives simplified management of typical agile workspace solution that encompasses both presentation, application and desktop virtualisation to deliver dynamic and scalable services to users.

NIST Cloud Computing Definitions Final

There has been great debate of what comprises the cloud, how to bound the cloud so that its easier to understand, and how to secure the cloud. Christofer Hoff of the Rational Survivabilty blog has been spear-heading quite a bit of discussion on cloud taxonomy in his attempts to wrap some thoughts around how to properly secure the cloud and everything within it. The start of this journey is the act of defining exactly what the cloud is, and is not. NIST’s document adds some more to an existing definition by defining public and private clouds.