Cloud Physics: An analytics-driven approach to managing infrastructure
A New Approach
In today’s world of software-defined datacenters, infrastructure is increasingly complex and change is constant. The potential for change-related risk to applications is greater than ever before. In spite of the abundance of tools available, IT administrators lack the ability – and time – to study all the known or unknown configuration issues in their vSphere infrastructure. They struggle to understand whether changes – intended or accidental – result in smoldering performance and availability issues waiting to ignite.
Further, when things go wrong, there’s an inability to replay the changes over time to correlate events or trends that caused the current problem. This creates a significant drag on administrator effectiveness especially as they are thrown into firefighting mode to minimize the impact of unexpected application disruption and related costs.
The goal of CloudPhysics is to provide organisations with an analytics-driven approach to managing infrastructure that enables administrators to preempt emerging hazards and gives them the confidence to act boldly to reduce risk and waste in their vSphere environments.
To learn more , please fill in your details below to receive a free copy of the CloudPhysics whitepaper.
Everything you need to know about dHCI…
XMA’s Infrastructure Solutions Team are seeing a growing interest in dHCI from HPE.
XMA Solutions Director for Infrastructure – Jen Norman – and her team of Datacentre Architects take a closer look..
We’ve been designing and installing Hyperconverged Infrastructure solutions for some time now, and between Myself and my Datacentre team we have over (*cough) 115 years (*ahem) engineering experience between us. So when HPE came to us with a disaggregated hyperconverged infrastructure solution last year, apart from repeating the name several times over to ourselves, we got onboard and got involved. Now we are privileged to have completed our first dHCI live production solution deployments earlier this year.
What could you be facing?
So maybe your VMware system is running out of storage capacity, your servers are dated and you can’t upgrade to run the latest versions.
Ok. Well you’ve done some research and investigation. You want a hyperconverged replacement where you can run concurrent workloads, and like the idea of being able to scale out storage or compute separately. BUT it would be great if you could get this delivered, supported and managed as a single product.
What else might you need?
Well as standard, you want a storage system that has options for encryption, compression and deduplication, application consistent snapshots and advanced replication (ether synchronous or asynchronous) with near all-flash speed and sub-ms latency for always-on apps. That’s a given.
Definitely VMware clusters running on the latest compatible server hardware and block level storage.
A complete turnkey solution? One that is monitored from the application to the storage, proactive alerting and with the ability to predict and prevent infrastructure problems before they happen.
Nothing less than a system designed for 99.9999% availability – no single point of failure, hardware redundancies with the ability to tolerate 3 simultaneous drive failures!
And you’re pretty sure that Procurement will want the choice on finance options – including future proofing, cloud like financing, with integrated support.
Then you definitely need a HPE disaggregated hyperconverged solution (dHCI)
And you are not alone. Since its inception in 2019 we have seen successful installations in Local Government and Education, with interest and opportunities growing in the Corporate, Commercial Enterprise and Healthcare sectors.
It’s a winning combination
You take the power and performance of the HPE Nimble Storage array, with its self-managing flash storage.
Add industry-leading HPE ProLiant Servers, include HPE storage switches, and deploy VMware vSphere.
Then this is all preconfigured as a turnkey solution!
Then automate with full-stack intelligence and policy-based automation for VM-centric management.
But here’s the best bit……
Add the power of HPE InfoSight over all this, and you have full-stack predictive analytics and support automation working for you that predicts and prevents issues. Infosight auto-routes any complex issue directly to L3 HPE Nimble support.
HPE have streamlined their support portfolio to offer four service levels that are easier to understand, easier to align to business needs which gives you visibility into IT assets and support status from anywhere.
You can flexibility and independently grow compute and/or storage – adding new dHCI compatible storage and/or servers when required – for scale-out upgrades that are non-disruptive and transparent to applications.
Eliminate over provisioning and add only the resources when needed. The Timeless Storage means no worries today or tomorrow with all-inclusive software licensing, flat support pricing, no forklift upgrades, and an option to receive a free faster controller upgrade after three years with Timeless Storage.
And, if you’re reading this thinking ‘well this sounds great but I’ve still got Gen9 (or 10) Proliant servers that are in warranty and I don’t want to replace them yet’.. Well HPE read your mind, (just kidding, they leave that to your home speaker system and asked Alexa what you thought), and have designed the solution so you can use the existing compute you already have in place, add a Nimble array and the dHCI software allowing you to convert everything in to a dHCI solution!
Is this Complex?
HPE Nimble storage arrays can be installed and be up and running in half a day requiring no external tools or software – we have completed installations where the HPE Nimble arrays that have been physically installed, configured, integrated and have test VMs running within hours ready for User Acceptance Testing (UAT). They can be All-Flash (AF) or Adaptive Flash (HF) for mixed, mainstream workloads, where cost-efficient flash performance is important. It is a Secondary Flash array for backup and DR while allowing you to put your backup data to work.
For the compute you have the HPE ProLiant Gen10 DL360 a performance driven dense server or DL380 for performance and expandability. These servers deliver security, agility and flexibility without compromise – with the knowledge that you can confidently deploy for virtualisation.
These are completed with a choice of Ethernet HPE storage switches to meet your budget and installation size.
Root Cause…. Could it be the network? A server fault or a storage fault?
Once installed HPE InfoSight can help you stop spending days searching for a root cause deep in your hybrid environment. Every second, HPE InfoSight collects and analyses data from more than 100,000 systems worldwide, and uses that intelligence to make every system smarter and more self-sufficient. The result? HPE InfoSight predicts and automatically resolves 86% of customer issues.
We are an HPE Platinum partner and have trained and Certified HPE sales and engineers with Master Accredited Solutions Experts (top-level credential validates technical skills) with experience in building and sizing advanced enterprise systems. Continually staying up to date with the latest technology updates, strategies and programs. One of our core values is “customer focus”. We put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We don’t just provide technology we provide solutions.
Written by Jennifer Norman, Solutions Director for Infrastructure
Microsoft Licenses – April Update
On 1 April, Microsoft launched a new entry-level package, calling it Microsoft 365 F1 (F for Frontline). It bundles together the cloud-based productivity tools you need to be efficient and effective. To make way for this brand-new bundle, the product formerly known as Microsoft 365 F1 has been renamed Microsoft 365 F3. Office 365 F1 becomes Office 365 F3.
View the First Line Worker Comparison Chart along with the full April updates here
Some licensing products are being rebranded. The plan is to phase out the name ‘Office’ over time and migrate everything to ‘Microsoft’. From 21 April this starting with the following business products:
If you have any questions or need any help with Microsoft Licensing please contact our CSP Business Manager, James.Thorogood@xma.co.uk, or alternatively speak with your dedicated account manager or call our sales team on 0115 846 4000
Free extended trial of the HPE iLO Advanced license
The HPE iLo Advanced license offers security and smart remote functionality without compromise for HPE ProLiant Servers and now you can access an extended trial license that last until the end of the year FREE. HPE understands challenging circumstances require solutions that will help customers that need to access their server remotely and securely.
This license includes the full suite of HPE iLO server management capabilities that offers users enhanced security, improved efficiency and ease of server management.
Learn more about HPE Integrated Lights-Out licensing here
Beginning March 31st, 2020, customers can access the extended HPE iLO Advanced license free of charge, enabling iLO Advanced through December 31st 2020.
Note: Customers downloading licences until November 2nd 2020 will get keys that will expire on January 1st 2021. Customers downloading licenses after November 2nd 2020 will get keys valid for 60 days from date of activation.
To receive your free iLO license please fill in the form below
Say ”Goodbye” to Windows Server 2008
Say “hello” to a secure, simple, cloud-ready future
Modernise with the latest versions of Windows Server on HPE Gen10 and benefit from improved security, greater efficiency, and access to the cloud.
Windows Server 2008 went end-of-support January 14th, 2020.
Windows Server 2008 is an operating system produced by Microsoft. In the past, if you had a problem with your server, either you, your IT partner, or your software vendor had the ability to reach out to Microsoft to get:
Technical support
Help troubleshooting issues
Patches or updates
Microsoft will no longer provide this support.
If your business runs software on the Windows Server 2008 operating system, neither you, nor your IT vendors, IT service providers, or custom/third-party software application developers will be able to contact Microsoft for help even if the issue originates in Windows Server 2008.
Upgrade to Windows Server 2019 today with Windows Server on HPE Gen10
The Benefits
In addition to cybercrime protection, new systems are significantly more efficient. With Windows Server 2008, virtual machines consume so much CPU and memory that only a small number of VMs can run on each physical server. With modern Windows Server technology, it’s possible to run hundreds or thousands of containers on each server. Fewer servers = lower costs and less complexity.
Old servers play a large role in rising IT costs because they drive up the #1 cost issue for most data centers: software license and support fees. Moving to the latest HPE Gen10 servers will help control this significant expense. Since most software is licensed according to the number of processor cores:
Microsoft will offer extended security updates for customers who migrate their legacy applications to the Azure cloud and run them on virtual machines. Is that the best solution for you?
Migrating your entire legacy environment to run in virtual machines in the public cloud still leaves you with outdated applications on an OS that loses support as soon as you leave Azure. And VMs in the cloud require extensive ongoing management for many of the features that are automated in cloud-based applications, including configuration sizing, securing, patching, and maintaining. A migration of Windows Server 2008 to VMs in the cloud is a short-term fix that will need to be resolved for your business to truly benefit and move forward.
The better alternative
When a legacy Windows Server 2008 environment is modernised on HPE Gen10 Servers with a current version of Windows Server, you get the added security against cybercrime, the efficiency of cost-saving technologies, and the benefits of a hybrid cloud platform. Exciting HPE products like Synergy, SimpliVity, and the Apollo System for AI and Deep Learning provide powerful tools so that you can successfully address the IT challenges that were never imagined back in 2008. It’s time to move forward.
Contact us today to find out more about which solution is best for your business
XMA’s Guide to Getting started with Microsoft Teams
With more and more of us needing to work from home, we wanted to collate some resources and share some links to items that should help organisations and end users get started quickly!
Definitely check out the ‘Remote Work Checklist’ from Microsoft. We found the most important one was setting up your workspace… even if you’ve got an orthopaedic mattress you can’t ‘Work from Bed’ for 3 weeks [if not longer]! Also get that video on! Turning the video on your Teams call can really makes a difference as it ensures all members stay focused and always good to get some human interaction and also prevents working in your pyjamas!
Teams hints and tricks
Watch the Welcome Video to get an overview of ‘What is Teams?’
XMA and Spongy Elephant have partnered to share £FREE training modules that can enable you to use Microsoft’s remote learning/working tools more effectively.
Create the perfect Team from the start and add members in a variety of ways
Understand the Microsoft Teams interface and how to use powerful features like commands
Discover how conferencing works in Teams with Teams virtual meetings
Learn how to minimise the “noise” of notifications and alerts to limit distractions
Here you can learn how to make your meetings engaging, productive and effective.
Use Teams for your entire meeting experience, including:
Sending agendas and setting context before the meeting, creating momentum
Sharing live applications and taking meeting notes, keeping attendees engaged during the meeting
Posting files and action items after the meeting, ensuring timely follow-through
Record your meeting, making it easy for those who couldn’t attend to get caught up
Keep important meetings at your fingertips by pinning them for easy access
Assess which audio and video devices are best for your meeting needs
If you have any questions or need any help with Microsoft Teams please contact our CSP Business Manager, James.Thorogood@xma.co.uk or call our sales team on 0115 846 4000
Covid-19 – Partner Updates
Like all businesses, XMA are concerned about the recent Covid-19 outbreak.
After the announcement by the Prime minister on 12th March we are continuing to follow government advice closely and are primarily focused on ensuring the safety of our staff, customers and suppliers.
The company has a business continuity plan in the event of any significant disruption and will endeavour to keep as near to normal levels of service if a period of quarantine is imposed by the government. Clearly, if our warehouses are closed, this will be more disruptive. We will post updates regularly on our website as the situation alters.
We work with a number of technology partners as do our customers and have consolidated links to our partners Covid-19 messaging in one location. Many of them working to assist their customers where they can with their relevant technologies in areas such as “how-to” webinars, providing software at no or reduced cost – mainly around remote working as well as general updates on their business during this time.
Please see below links to our Vendor Partner updates:
If you have any questions or concerns around your Infrastructure, please get in touch with your XMA Account Manager or contact us on the form below.
To read our response to the COVID-19, please read here
How can Microsoft help with Covid-19?
We all know that technology is going to play a pivotal role in reducing the impact of COVID-19 on people and organisations, including helping them stay productive at work when they’re not able to be there in person. However, lots of businesses, as well as education and public sector organisations, are not geared to sudden mass home working.
For our customers at XMA I wanted to update you as to how you can work remotely without sacrificing collaboration, productivity or security.
Microsoft launched an interactive map that allows visitors to click on the country to see the specific number of cases of COVID-19 based on data from the World Health Organization (WHO); the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Whilst it is scary to see this data outlined on a heatmap, I’m pleased to report that this website is not the only way that Microsoft are supporting in the COVID-19 crisis.
JP Courtois [Microsoft’s executive vice president and president of Microsoft global sales, marketing and operations] announced that Microsoft are making their paid for collaboration tool, Microsoft Teams, free for six months to help organisations deal with the demand of end users needing to work from home.
The Teams trial is part of a new Office 365 trial for enterprises (Office 365 E1) which includes full meeting, collaboration and workflow capabilities.
Microsoft rolled out a new update on March 10 which lifted restrictions on how many users can be part of a team in the free version of Teams. The newly released features include being able to set up Office on personal devices such as phones and tablets; 1TB of cloud storage; enterprise video-sharing service; and being able host online video conferences.
For me the key obvious benefits of this are the online meetings, increased file storage and Office Suite on a personal device.
You will be able to host online meetings with audio, HD video, and web conferencing. Even being able to present ‘Broadcast meetings’ which will allow up to 10,000 people join with just a web browser. This can be done on almost any device – perfect for large, companywide, conferences or events.
With OneDrive for Business each user has 1 TB of personal cloud storage that can be accessed from anywhere, on any device. This means that you can securely save the documents that you work on at home and share with others inside and outside your organization, whilst being in control of who can see and edit each file. You could then sync these documents when you get back into your place of work with your local drives.
Installing the native Office suite of products such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint will enable most workers to continue being productive especially if their own organisation can not afford to provide them with company owned hardware or the licences.
At XMA we were already regularly seeing the benefits of Teams but now with imposed travel reductions it is becoming a go to solution. Being well verse in the Microsoft Eco-structure internally as well as via our consultants, if you require any assistance on getting your trial setup, please let us know and we are of course happy to help.
In addition to this extended 6 month trial there are also specific ways that Azure AD can help enable remote access to work resources.
At XMA we want to help our customers in this time of need. So any support you require from your Account Manager, please let them know. For the more specific items I have covered here today, please feel free to reach out and contact me directly.
In summary stay safe, travel less, collaborate more.
At XMA we strive to help support sustainability efforts that have been developed to help protect the planet. That’s why we’re happy to support HP supplies and their many sustainability programs.
HP has a closed-loop recycling program whereby manufacturing new HP cartridges are done so by using returned cartridges and other plastics to contribute to a circular economy.
The closed-loop process:
Customer purchases Original HP cartridges to use in their printer.
Customer then recycles this cartridge using HP Planet Partner Programme.
HP then work hard to sort, shed and disassemble cartridges collected.
HP collects this usable plastic from the old cartridges and adds plastic from water bottles and hangers.
HP manufactures Original HP cartridges using new and recycled plastics previously collected.
Customer purchases Original HP cartridges…and so the process starts again.
More than 80% of Original HP ink cartridges and 100% of Original HP toner cartridges contain post-consumer or postindustrial recycled content. Since the start of this programme HP have helped divert on average more than 1 million bottles per day and produced 4.2 billion cartridges using 4.4 billion plastic bottles and 101 million hangers.
The HP Planet Partner Programme provides customers a free, convenient and responsible way of returning empty Original HP cartridges for recycling. No Original HP cartridges returned through this programme are sent to landfill. For more information visit here.
2020 Tech Predictions
1919, 2020, 2121
Unless we technologically advance rather ferociously in the coming years, this is the last time we will see a double figure year in our lifetime, so it’s pretty special! An iconic year for us all to really make an impact.
Let’s jump straight into our technology predictions for 2020: sustainable innovation, experiencing technology, time limits, specialised talent, and transhumanism.
Sustainable Innovation
Change is upon us, effective change is imminent.
Being sustainable is at the core of every business. As businesses, we want to be seen making positive changes, but how far are we all actually going to make an impact? Is there any evidence to analyse? Any substance behind the claims?
We can expect to see greater investments in reuse and recycling for closed-loop innovation and expect to say goodbye to the days of bulky hardware, as just like the nano SIM, hardware are becoming smaller and more efficient and we will be more reliant on the Cloud. We can expect more organisations to source new sustainable materials for example being built with recycled and reclaimed goods.
In 2018, HP used 21,250 tonnes of recycled plastic in HP products – including 8,360 tonnes in their personal systems (a 3.5% increase from 2017); 4,790 tonnes in their printers (a 280% increase from 2017); and more than 8,000 tonnes in their ink and toner cartridges.
“As of September 2019, HP sourced about 450 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic bottles (equal to roughly 35 million bottles) that are recycled and used to make Original HP ink cartridges and hardware, including the HP EliteDisplay E273d Docking Monitor (announced in June 2019) – the world’s first display manufactured using ocean plastic. Display manufactured with 5% ocean bound plastic materials by weight, the equivalent of more than three 16 oz. recycled plastic water bottles.” (HP, 2019).
So an absolute #GameChanger is the HP Elite Dragonfly, after launching in September 2019, this beautiful, slimline device has been the talk of Tech Town. Not only is the HP Dragonfly the world’s most lightweight 13” laptop, it is also the world’s first notebook with ocean-bound plastics, including 5% in its speaker, and has started a standing-ovation-worthy cybersecurity revolution…
The motherboard is where the magic happens, but with the Dragonfly, it’s more than magic, it’s where their intelligence driven superpowers are challenged. Sure Sense, required with Windows 10, is trained to seek and analyse trends in Malware. Unlike Norton for example, which detects known malware, Sure Sense looks for codes and changes in malware that Norton would not be able to spot. This is next level. This is now. This is the answer to your cybersecurity concerns.
We predict that the HP Dragonfly will have a snowball effect on other organisations and we will see more plans and launches of devices which use sustainable materials in their products. It’s all part of the sustainability grape vine. Find out why this is so important to us here.
Technology Experience – learning how to use technology more creatively to go the extra mile.
We predict that 2020 will create a new wave of fun for technology users. Consumers will use their devices and software to a fuller extent, producing a richer experience. Technology Education will make a breakthrough from younger ages through to adults and a better understanding of technology and it’s possibilities will be explored. Technology consumers will move forward and develop more creatively – beginning to safely experiment and enjoy the dormant or ‘unknown’ features to a fuller extent.
Time limits Apps/Personal
After studies suggest social media is addictive to younger consumers, we predict apps like Instagram and Facebook will set up ‘recommended screen time’ to present themselves as transparent and responsible media owners. At first, this could be promoted via a push notification, followed by a hideable banner on the homepage if not actioned by the user.
As well as apps encouraging this, we predict that tech users will start taking more of an active role to their technology intake and allocate certain time slots for apps.
As a side note, media giant Instagram appears to have the user at the forefront of their minds. Recently after a trial period in the UK, Instagram removed the amount of likes on photos to other users, only the photo owner can see the total number of likes; however this does not stop savvy users counting the profiles that liked it. The move was designed to promote positive well-being and to downplay the importance of users receiving ‘social validation’ on their posts after concerns of growing online anxiety, and instead to shift focus to the content they freely want to share.
Training for Specialised Talent
As I’m sure you’re aware, ICT is a rapidly growing industry, and after every layer is peeled, another 500 appear. Because of this, there is talent in special areas, we have seen the Facebook Content Manager and Social Media Community Manager, but we can expect to see wild job titles entering the mix. Perhaps Linkedin Automated Message Developer, Instagram Beauty Hashtag Expert, or Website Header Transition Engineer.
Technology has a major role to play in learning and in preparing students for the world and careers they’ll be responsible for in the future – a future where 65% of jobs they will apply for do not exist today. (World Economic Forum, “The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” January 2016).
In May 2017, BBC Sounds podcast covered this and even though this circulated figure is debatable, it creates a thought whirlwind… will technology in education create more doors to open with more space to explore? How is technology training in schools being implemented effectively to prepare for these changes? If you’re interested in finding out some more, sign up to one of our Google Interactive Learning Experiences at BETT 2020 here.
Transhumanism
How would you feel about opening your front door by the swish of your index finger? What about picking up loose change from behind the sofa with a magnetic middle finger? Would you find it helpful having a chip in your wrist which is full of your medical information?
Introducing… Transhumanism. The belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology.
When we think of transhumanism and technological developments into our bodies, we could think of a certain alien invader – cyberhumans. And hello 2020, we can liken this concept to BBC’s hit drama ‘Years and Years’, where student Bethany is obsessed with transhumanism and the culture of integrating humans with technology. If you haven’t seen it yet, it is definitely worth a watch to examine life in possibility.
‘I’m going to escape and become digital’. Granted, talk of removing the brain with all your life’s information and storing it into the Cloud is a tad extreme, however that is transhumanism in its ultimate form. Saying this, Winter Mraz, 31, labelled as a ‘Tech Geek’, with a degree in Games Modelling, Animation, and Effects, began augmenting herself after a car crash in the United States.
With ‘bionic’ implants inserted around her body, she argues over popular contraceptive implants, presenting conflicting ideas of ‘what’s the difference between a contraceptive implant and a microchip?’
Working as an engineer, she said her magnetic and data-fuelled implants allow her to sense electromagnetic fields and help avoid touching live wires at work.
Some argue that either through genetics or artificial intelligence, humans will be able to create a human being that is far superior to what we are now. From robotic hearts which don’t stop ticking, to saying ‘see ya’ to Rapid Wrinkle Repair cream and welcoming in genetic enhancements to make us not age or stay young forever, and let’s not forget about the development of bionic eyes that immediately download TV shows.
Overall, the concept of transhumanism is to collaborate humans and technology to make us more functional beings which live longer and more efficiently.
Will humans be free thinking, decision making entities in the Cloud?
Will we upload different versions of ourselves?
What if our Cloud personas are hacked? Rewind to this iconic episode of Doctor Who and The Rise of The Cybermen.
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