Book Review: Cloud Computing

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Mar 132012

Cisco Press released Cloud Computing, Automating the Virtualized Data Center, in December, 2011.  This book covers both conceptual workflows and tested implementations of data center automation practices.  It does a good job walking you through the complex frameworks and technologies involved in automating both enterprise and service provider data centers.

CloudComputingCisco

By building up the technology layers and showing how they fit together, the book provides a clear path to creating value for your customers, whether they be end users in a corporation or corporate consumers of SP based services.  Of course, the view is based on Cisco best practices, products, and Cisco Validated Designs (CVDs), but that is still a valid framework to discuss how the solution stack is layered and the connection points are integrated.

As an example of the complexity of the solutions discussed, the Appendix B Terms and Acronyms runs 21 pages.  For new adopters or those researching a potential solution, it’s great to have these technologies laid out for you with the appropriate standards referenced.  I also appreciated the Cloud Design Patterns and Use Cases that relate common operations and techniques and provide common ground for discussion.  While this book would prove most useful to architects and directors who are building out a VMware based Infrastructure as a Service offering, the framework and vocabulary are useful to other stacks.  Everyone can benefit from the financial models and governance discussions, even those who resist the ITIL methodology, although many of the discussions are grounded in ITSM.   Overall, a valuable addition to the library if you’re working on building or specifying Cloud Services based on the IaaS model for public, private, or hybrid cloud models.

Posted by Jae Ellers at 4:16 pm Tagged with: , ,

VMware and Pearson Team Up to Offer VMware Press

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May 202011

Pearson and VMware Announce the Creation of VMware Press

New Publishing Alliance to Provide Virtualization Learning and Certification Resources from VMware

Indianapolis, IN – May 19, 2011 – Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, and VMware, the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced VMware Press, a newly created technical imprint that will serve as VMware’s official publishing entity. The newly formed press will provide a suite of virtualization technology and certification products in multiple languages and formats.

News Facts

The newly formed press will focus on three types of content:

  • Technical books, ebooks and videos that concentrate on specific applications of virtualization.
  • Decision Maker books, ebooks and videos that focus on the business aspects of virtualization.
  • Official certification materials that support VMware’s complete certification program.

The majority of the new products will target VMware technology, primarily VMware vSphere®, VMware View™, VMware vCenter™ and VMware vCloud®, which comprise the basic platform for all of VMware’s products and services.

Expert authorities, IT professionals, and subject matter experts from VMware will author official VMware Press titles.

Working in conjunction with VMware, Pearson plans to leverage the user group community programs and social channels to further engage the VMware community and offer exclusive promotions and access to the certification and technology products endorsed by VMware.

Visit http://www.vmware.com/go/vmwarepress for a complete product listing of relevant materials for IT professionals.

Usable Quotes

“Pearson stands for accessible, engaging learning, and we look forward to working with VMware to create materials that help IT professionals master innovative technologies and prepare for career-building certifications,” said David Dusthimer, Associate Publisher for Cisco Press, Pearson IT Certification and the new VMware Press.  “Through this partnership, we will work hard to make VMware Press synonymous with exceptional VMware learning.”

“Many qualified subject matter experts from our engineering and technical communities are already reputable authors,” said Andrea Eubanks de Jounge, Senior Director at VMware, “and the time is right for VMware, through our alliance with Pearson, to establish a publishing entity as an official source of books and certification preparatory materials.”

Additional Publisher Links

Facebook: VMware Press fan page

Twitter: @VMwarepress

About Pearson

Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, is home to such respected brands as Addison-Wesley Professional, Cisco Press, Exam Cram, IBM Press, Prentice Hall Professional, Que, and Sams Publishing, which have as their online publishing arm, InformIT-The Trusted Technology Learning Source. In addition, Berkeley-based Peachpit, the publishing partner for Adobe Press, Apple Certified, and others, publishes best-selling books for creative design professionals. Pearson is also co-founder, with O’Reilly Media Inc., of Safari Books Online, the premier on-demand technology content library providing thousands of expert reference materials through a single point of contact, including expert technology, creative and design, industry and management resources in video, audio and written formats. Pearson Education is part of Pearson (NYSE: PSO), the international media company. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

About VMware
VMware delivers virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions that enable IT organizations to energize businesses of all sizes.  With the industry leading virtualization platform – VMware vSphere® – customers rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, improve agility, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2010 revenues of $2.9 billion, more than 250,000 customers and 25,000 partners, VMware is the leader in virtualization, which consistently ranks as a top priority among CIOs. VMware is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found online at www.vmware.com

Press Contacts

Jamie Adams, Senior Publicist
Pearson 317-428-3012
Jamie.adams@pearson.com / @Jamieadams76

Joan Stone, Global PR

650-224-8733

joanstone@VMware.com

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VMware, VMware vCenter, VMware View, VMware vCloud and VMware vSphere are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. The use of the word “partner” or “partnership” does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.

Keywords: VMware, VCP, Pearson IT Certification, Pearson, Certification, IT, Virtualization, vSphere, VCAP, VCDX, storage, technology, virtual, vmwarepress

Posted by Jae Ellers at 3:55 pm

Review: VMware ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers

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Mar 192008

Author: Edward L. Haletky
ISBN: 0132302071
Published: January 8, 2008

For everyone looking for a solid book on server virtualization using VMware Virtual Infrastructure you can rest easy. Equal parts design guide, best practices, and cookbook this book is full of great background, pertinent info, and ways to make your infrastructure more reliable and secure.

If this book were not so thorough I might say it errs on the side of TMI (too much information). However, since it is so complete I believe there is something here for everyone. There’s great coverage here of obscure topics like the boot sequence that only serves to add to the level of even an expert’s understanding. Do you know how to configure Boot From San? You will if you buy this book. I especially like the hardware agnosticism of having the step by step presented for both Emulex and Qlogic HBAs.

The author’s understanding of security factors in design and implementation definitely adds a lot of value and raises the bar for those willing to go the extra distance in their infrastructure. There are auditing and configuration scripts that help you secure your environment.

Networking design and configuration are also covered in depth, with detailed command line examples. I found a lot to like in this book and plan to keep my copy close at hand. If you’re
interested in your own copy you can get it here: VMware ESX Server in the Enterprise or VMware ESX Server in the Enterprise (Kindle).

Posted by Jae Ellers at 6:33 pm
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