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Market Roundup HP: A Cool Refreshing Drink of Water |
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HP: A Cool Refreshing Drink of Water
HP has announced new power management and cooling
technologies that include a modular chilled water-cooling system, a universal
rack that standardizes HP server and storage platforms, and a power distribution
unit management module that monitors data center environments to provide
customers with a more reliable power infrastructure. The new technologies
support the HP ProLiant, BladeSystem, Integrity, Integrity NonStop, and HP 9000
server families as well as HP StorageWorks
Those who are long in tooth will undoubtedly remember the esoteric plumbing required for a vintage mainframe to be adequately cooled through a liquid heat exchange regimen. In fact, the early advancement of air-cooled mainframes was one of the key differentiators that allowed Amdahl to compete in this space against Big Blue. Since that time, we have witnessed advances in computing technologies that reduced the space and energy required to effect computing solutions. Ironically, this ability to cram more and more circuits into an ever decreasing amount of CPU real estate is bringing us back to the point where even the most creative air-cooling will not handle the task: we have hit the limits of thermodynamics. Given that the performance being cranked out by Industry Standards chips such as the x86 architecture has been largely driven by astonishing increases in clock rates, there would seem to be no end in sight in the increased generation of heat, and the commensurate increase in performance. Combined with the propensity to package computing solutions into ever denser form factors such as racks, blade centers, etc., it is clear that alternatives to air will be necessary, lest the data center servers begin a China Syndrome meltdown.
But in all seriousness, we applaud HP’s tenacity in seeking a solution to this issue that will not only meet the needs of today, but for a while into the future as well. HP’s decision to standardize its multitudes of incompatible racks into a single one with optional liquid cooling and remote monitoring to us is, simply, cool. Customers will likely enjoy the standardization of the racks, which could bring them some operational efficiency and standardization, and aesthetically bring some continuity to their HP-deployed wares. For those constrained by data center real estate and air cooling limitations, the water-cooled rack attachment is worthy of consideration and may prove to be a practical, if not time tested, approach to solving the limits of data center HVAC. While 10kw racks are not uncommon today, the 30kw limits of this latest endeavor should provide some breathing, or make that cooling, room for the future. Therefore, while retro-focused remarks about water-cooled databases are certain to be made, we are happy to see serious efforts being applied against the trauma of heat generation in the datacenter and observe that others in the industry are as well taking note.
Novell Bundles Up: How to Do Enterprise Linux Right
This week Novell announced that it will now bundle support and training for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Novell hopes to differentiate itself from other Linux distributors with free training, as Novell solution provider partners—the primary channel for mid-market customers—will now offer 24/7 support and online assistance to customers. Novell believes that most SMBs turn to local solution providers for IT support. Providing a solution that integrates Linux products, support, and training gives channel partners a better solution for their customers.
Linux has been around for awhile now, lurking about the data center, and making inroads into various spaces. Generally, the younger you are (which generally implies a bit of time or desire to experiment), or the more technical experience you have (if you know UNIX, Linux is easier to pick up), the more likely you are to have played with Linux. Many SMBs, while desiring more skillful IT departments as much as any other organization, are generally more constrained by bandwidth or resources. Linux growth has generally been grass roots, with customers pulling demand rather than vendors pushing it. All Linux distro marketing aside, it’s still a fairly new game in the grand scheme of OS penetration. And while Linux has a nice role to play in SMBs, if companies believe they have to purchase a new OS and learn how to use it and pay to learn how to use it… well, that becomes a bit onerous even with Linux’s reputation for being accessible and affordable. So Novell looks good delivering free training, partners have another good will item to sweeten the deal, and smaller customers get some training wheels while they learn to steady themselves. Risk reduction is a good thing.
There was a period when intuitive computing was all in vogue. Marketing departments went through large swaths of random monkeys to prove that anyone anywhere could use their product in an afternoon. The truth of computing is much closer to what we have today, which is that state-of-the-art products with advanced capabilities require skilled operators. In addition, mid-market companies are often willing to explore new technologies they wouldn’t otherwise consider, if it can be demonstrated that the technology can give them a competitive advantage or make them appear even larger than they are. There are many reasons for choosing Linux, but proper training and handling are required as they are for any technology. Novell’s decision to offer free training implies that Novell understands this and is looking to remove one more potential gating factor from the market. It remains to be seen if the channel can leverage this offering to turn customers’ heads more quickly to Linux.
iAnywhere
has announced the RFID Anywhere Appliance Edition which is geared towards enabling
hardware manufacturers to embed intelligence into readers. The new product
provides RFID hardware manufacturers with embeddable software components to
build “smart” readers that include essential security features, support for a
variety of communication protocols, the ability to execute logic on-device,
remote management and upgrade capabilities, and RFID reader multi-protocol
support. RFID Anywhere Appliance Edition offers secure access to the device in
accordance with existing network authentication policies (e.g., LDAP, Active
Directory) and supports multiple protocols, including
Separately, Applied Wireless Identification announced that
RFID Anywhere Appliance Edition would be embedded into AWID's
The cost of the reader is often a limiting factor in many technologies and applications. We haven't really seen the long awaited “year of the smart card” yet, and two major roadblocks to that year have been the cost of the reader and the lack of a universal standard. The RFID application fits nicely into the two major reasons why organizations buy IT: to make money and to save money. The nature of an appliance—simple to operate and manageable on a remote basis—has a great deal of attraction to administrators. On that basis, RFID Anywhere Appliance Edition seems to be the answer to quite a few concerns that have kept the technology from being more widely adapted.
Our concern would be the rate of expansion of RFID
applications that can quickly show an attractive ROI. If the readers aren’t
truly cost-effective, then the technology, no matter how sexy, is not going to
be widely adopted. There is also the issue of distribution channels for a smart
reader. If it were coupled with a