As wan-based technologies continue to evolve, distributed datacenters are making their way into many IT environments. The challenge for many IT administrators has become managing and directing workflow for these infrastructures. Resource management has become easier with better tools and the superior visibility they provide into a local environment. But the tools should be tuned to help the administrator head off issues before they become meltdowns.

As with any local data center environment, administrators must continuously patrol the infrastructure to prevent issues and optimize performance. There are several considerations to make when managing the remote data centers.

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com*

Managing a data center’s hardware lifecycle is an ongoing process in constant need of updating. Since the economic downturn, IT administrators have seen their budgets become much leaner, forcing IT to get more value from hardware investments. This usually means extending the technology refresh cycle and getting more service life from servers.

A typical server service life is about three to five years, but that number can now be as long as eight years. Some data centers are so strapped for cash that servers must run even longer than that. Machines wear down, break and often require increased maintenance as they get older. But this boosts data center costs. So the question becomes, how can data center engineers extend the life of their machines while keeping everything cost effective?

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com*

It seems like server technology is changing faster than we’re able to keep track. Before you know it, IT pros are behind the eight ball, scrambling to understand and deploy important new technologies that they’ve overlooked. Sometimes, you just want to know how your data center stacks up against the industry overall.

Earlier this year, SearchDataCenter.com released its Data Center Decisions survey, designed to collect information about hardware and operating systems, virtualization and the cloud, facilities, and data center management. We’ve compiled the data, observed the trends and released the results in our State of the Data Center: 2011 special report.

In this podcast, Stephen Bigelow, senior technology editor with SearchDataCenter.com, sits down with Bill Kleyman, virtualization architect with MTM Technologies Inc., to talk about some of the results and what they mean for IT professionals.

State of the Data Center 2011 Podcast

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com, State of the Datacenter 2011*

There’s a lot of talk about how your company can benefit from storage virtualization. There are operational improvement opportunities, expense reductions and ways to mitigate IT risk. And, we all know intuitively that this can make life a lot better in the datacenter … but to what extent? Getting an IT investment approved is always a numbers game, and you’ll need some clear facts to help you win over your CFO.

So, to help you explain the potential impact of storage virtualization on your organization numerically, here are a few stats to keep in your back pocket:

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Heterogeneous infrastructures are inherently costly and difficult to manage. The need to integrate different systems, maintain a wide spectrum of skill sets and engage multiple teams to diagnose and resolve problems requires a considerable investment in management and coordination. Simply marshaling the necessary resources can cut the time allowed for repair under your SLAs.

1. Internal consistency: Enhance IT operational efficiency throughout your datacenter with a unified solution that facilitates system integration and management, allowing you to alleviate IT team workloads and reallocate team members to higher-impact initiatives.

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When you adopt a managed infrastructure, you want to know that your systems will be available even if the worst of catastrophes strikes. There is no substitute for system access, and lost time translates to lost money. So, you need to be completely satisfied that your managed services provider has the capabilities in place to meet your specific requirements. Ask questions – a lot of them. Make sure your company is comfortable with what is provided.

Here are five questions about managed services disaster recovery and business continuity processes to get you started:

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The Citrix line of FIPS-compliant NetScaler appliances, which can be upgraded via the company’s “Pay as you Grow” plan may have more features than you realize. Think beyond the hardware, though. The software can help an IT administrator gain an edge by using NetSclaer MPX FIPS equipment. According to Citrix, here are seven key features that can help you.

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How can virtualizing your server infrastructure help your business development team? Sure, there are clear business benefits to server virtualization, but to draw a straight line to sales and client activity may not seem possible. Step back for a moment and consider how your clients interact with your business, though, and it doesn’t take long to understand how your servers can make a profound difference in your top line.

In just about every business, it’s your existing clients that have the greatest potential for new revenue. New client acquisition is extremely valuable, but it’s also hard-won and far more expensive than engaging your existing client base for new business opportunities. So, if you can deliver a superior experience to your clients, especially if they interact directly or indirectly (e.g., through a call center) with your systems, the IT department has a profound opportunity to influence overall business performance.

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The lure of cloud computing is multidimensional. Doubtless, it provides a high degree of datacenter agility and helps you extend the value of investments you’ve made in your infrastructure. The cost savings and flexibility, however, can be crucial to startups, where the importance of every dollar is magnified. Traditional cloud computing models may not be sufficient for some startups, though, especially if they are in sensitive or highly regulated industries. In these situations, a hybrid cloud computing model may be most appropriate.

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Few storage solutions have benefits as easy to quantify as data deduplication. Further, few are able to deliver such impressive returns, making the business case powerful and somewhat easier for the executive suite to approve.

The premise behind data deduplication is pretty straightforward. You have more data taking up space in your infrastructure than you need to store. Duplicates are all over the place. Find and remove the dupes, and you can defer additional equipment expenses and derive more value from your previous technology investments.

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