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The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012: Holistic storage

In February we published the The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012 as a free ebook. (You can get it here via our ebooks page.) To date there has been about 7,000 downloads, To give you a flavour of the book, co-written by Trevor Pott and Liam Proven, we are republishing our second of two extracts. This short extract acts as …
David Gordon, 20 Mar 2013

El Reg bundles your gaming past into brace of ebooks

Games, we love 'em. We've played a fair few of them over the years too. And while we've seen graphics evolve from barely distinguishable bunches of pixels to elegantly sculpted and rendered 3D models, and virtual arenas expand from the limits of a screen's resolution to take in entire cityscapes, one thing is constant among all …
David Gordon, 19 Mar 2013

BYOD: Bring Your Own Device - or Bring Your Own Disaster?

In most discussions of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and consumerisation the experts' mistrust of users is evident. Typically, IT departments are not keen on people bringing their own devices into work with the expectation that apps, services and support will just magically work. But some organisations have decided to trust the …
David Gordon, 12 Mar 2013
The Register breaking news

Cloud storage matters. Really matters...

We've come to the end of our HP webcast series on building the right private cloud, so we've looped right back to look at why storage should be the beginning of your private cloud story. Previously we explored the vital role that your infrastructure, servers and network play in planning a successful private cloud deployment. In …
David Gordon, 11 Mar 2013
management cloud7

Concerned about sophisticated storage solutions?

The storage architecture you will need for a private cloud deployment will probably be very different to what you have today. So what level of performance, and what attributes does it need to have? And how do you migrate from what you have now into what you have next? What will you need to spend, and what are the common mistakes …
David Gordon, 26 Feb 2013
An aerial view of a building in the shape of our vulture logo

The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012: A short extract

Two weeks ago, we published the The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012 as a free ebook. (You can get it here via our ebooks page.) To date there has been about 6,000 downloads, which is cool. To give you a flavour of the book, co-written by Trevor Pott and Liam Proven, we are republishing two extracts - but to read it all you …
David Gordon, 25 Feb 2013
management cloud4

Delving deep into Microsoft's 'Cloud OS'

Microsoft claims that Windows Server 2012 is the "Cloud OS", but is that a serious statement or just marketing hype? We know that thousands of you who are Windows Server users are planning to migrate to private cloud in 2013, so the answer matters as much to you as it does to us. Join The Reg's Tim Phillips for a live discussion …
David Gordon, 22 Feb 2013
Microsoft's cloud OS does it all and anywhere you want to do it

Inside Microsoft's 'Cloud OS'

Microsoft claims that Windows Server 2012 is the "Cloud OS", but is that a serious statement or just marketing hype? We know that thousands of you who are Windows Server users are planning to migrate to private cloud in 2013, so the answer matters as much to you as it does to us. Join The Reg's Tim Phillips for a live discussion …
David Gordon, 18 Feb 2013
The Register breaking news

Why virtual network application

According to readers of The Register, Private Cloud is low-moving towards being a central plank of IT with more than 30% of them estimating their IT will be based on such a dynamic infrastructure within the next three years. This isn’t a project that can be done at server level in isolation of course. Rather, it’s a project that …
David Gordon, 15 Feb 2013

The data centre of the future, according to Reg readers

The wish list for the data centre of the future, according to Register Readers, is heavily focussed on service delivery, with tightly organised pools of resources and massive amounts of virtualisation – and of course, fault-tolerance to the Nth degree. Cloud will play a part in this, naturally. But not in the way some vendors …
David Gordon, 11 Feb 2013

The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012

Reg stalwarts Trevor Pott and Liam Proven had teamed up to write The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012 - it is fab and it is free,* and it is well worth a read. The authors deliver a great overview of WS2012 and its place in today's IT environment. Windows Server 2012 is the server version's first big update for four-and-a- …
David Gordon, 11 Feb 2013
The Register breaking news

The Register: Our all-new app now available for Android

You can now nip down to the Google Play store and bag yourself our new Android App. This version adds offline reading capabilities and comments! Oh. Nice This is a new release, not an update. So those of that you that have the older version, we're sorry: it won’t automatically upgrade. We're also sorry it took longer than …
David Gordon, 07 Feb 2013

Private clouds creep into the enterprise

According to readers of The Register, Private Cloud is creeping towards being a central plank of IT with more than 30% of them estimating their IT will be based on such a dynamic infrastructure within the next three years. This isn’t a project that can be done at server level in isolation of course. Rather, it’s a project that …
David Gordon, 04 Feb 2013
The StoreAll object and file storage appliance

The problem with deploying storage for a private cloud is...

The storage architecture you will need for a private cloud deployment will probably be very different to what you have today. So what level of performance, and what attributes does it need to have? And how do you migrate from what you have now into what you have next? What will you need to spend, and what are the common mistakes …
David Gordon, 01 Feb 2013
High-altitude snap from Dave Akerman's Cloud 7 payload

Navigating towards software defined networking

If you're implementing a private or a hybrid cloud, then your network fabric needs a refit. You've virtualised your servers - but even in a mostly static environment, traffic patterns have changed. Add the flexibility of a dynamic IT infrastructure, and you need a network that can reconfigure instantly as loads move. In this …
David Gordon, 29 Jan 2013
Entry-level FlexPod

Hotel chain De Vere checks out of server rooms and into the cloud

De Vere hotels had legacy systems, systems that needed updating but, most of all, it had lots of servers doing different things. Having grown by acquisition, it needed to consolidate if it wanted to realise its plans for customer service. It did this using a private cloud created by ANS Group, based on NetApp's FlexPod. At 11:00 …
David Gordon, 25 Jan 2013

The perfect Data Centre vision

On paper the benefits of data centre automation are easy to see. But we don't build data centres on paper. Our Regcast today at 11:00 GMT will examine how to build a data centre and maintain it throughout its life in the private cloud environment. What, if anything, has the cloud changed? What are the costs of running a sub- …
David Gordon, 23 Jan 2013
H Flexible Datacentre

The dream of the automated data centre

On paper the benefits of data centre automation are easy to see. But we don't build data centres on paper. That is why our Regcast on 23 January at 11:00 GMT examines how to build a data centre and maintain it throughout its life in the private cloud environment. What, if anything, has the cloud changed? What are the costs of …
David Gordon, 09 Jan 2013
Entry-level FlexPod

Hotel chain De Vere checks out of server rooms and into the cloud

De Vere hotels had legacy systems, systems that needed updating but, most of all, it had lots of servers doing different things. Having grown by acquisition, it needed to consolidate if it wanted to realise its plans for customer service. It did this using a private cloud created by ANS Group, based on NetApp's FlexPod. On …
David Gordon, 07 Jan 2013
Facebook connection map

Do users have enough power?

Pundits say we are entering a new era of freedom and empowerment. Users should be allowed to do whatever they want to improve productivity and make their lives easier. Whether it’s hooking up personal devices to the corporate network, storing confidential documents in DropBox, or discussing business matters over social networks …
David Gordon, 21 Dec 2012

What Reg readers are planning for their datacentre

When 481 Reg Readers were asked to rate their IT delivery capability in terms of responsiveness, service level management, cost control and business alignment, only a quarter claimed a good level of performance across all areas. Furthermore, a wholesale move to the public cloud was not felt to be the answer. This puts the …
David Gordon, 17 Dec 2012

A data centre that takes care of itself? It's...the dream

On paper the benefits of data centre automation are easy to see. But we don't build data centres on paper. That is why our Regcast on 23 January at 11:00 GMT examines how to build a data centre and maintain it throughout its life in the private cloud environment. What, if anything, has the cloud changed? What are the costs of …
David Gordon, 11 Dec 2012
Windows server 2012 logo

Microsoft Windows Server 2012: Why Bother?

Join us today at 11:00 GMT, when we’ll be broadcasting live from our London studio with Reg readers Chris Losch, from Newham Council, and Gary Collins, from Intercept IT. Between them, they’re going to run through a raft of real-world projects and deployment scenarios where they’ve been using and abusing Windows Server 2012 to …
David Gordon, 07 Dec 2012
Source: Simply Smile Photography by Georgia Stephenson

Consolidation in the cloud

De Vere hotels had legacy systems, systems that needed updating but, most of all, it had lots of servers doing different things. Having grown by acquisition, it needed to consolidate if it wanted to realise its plans for customer service. It did this using a private cloud created by ANS Group, based on NetApp's FlexPod. On …
David Gordon, 06 Dec 2012
The Register breaking news

Why you need an interactive archive

When the bell tolls, you really want to be sure that you can find the relevant documents and emails you need to support your case. For most of us, that bell rarely tolls and we live in hope that the ad-hoc measures we’ve cobbled together will see us through when it does. For others that bell doesn’t just toll, it’s like Tinnitus …
David Gordon, 06 Dec 2012
The Register breaking news

Removing the irrational from application rationalisation

Are you hoping to forklift some of your applications over to the cloud, to take advantage of cost savings? By all means evaluate it, but understand all of the implications for the applications and the business processes that they support. Rationalisation is one of the most important steps in that understanding. Before deciding …
David Gordon, 04 Dec 2012
The Register breaking news

How to find what you need when you need it

When the bell tolls, you really want to be sure that you can find the relevant documents and emails you need to support your case. For most of us, that bell rarely tolls and we live in hope that the ad-hoc measures we’ve cobbled together will see us through when it does. For others that bell doesn’t just toll, it’s like Tinnitus …
David Gordon, 04 Dec 2012
Windows server 2012 logo

Council techie and top reseller talk Windows Server 2012

Join us on December 7 at 11:00 GMT, when we’ll be broadcasting live from our London studio with Reg readers Chris Losch, from Newham Council, and Gary Collins, from Intercept IT. Between them, they’re going to run through a raft of real-world projects and deployment scenarios where they’ve been using and abusing Windows Server …
David Gordon, 03 Dec 2012
The Register breaking news

Four key mistakes to avoid when building your hybrid cloud

Whether it’s public, private, or hybrid, there is an emerging consensus that various forms of cloud computing will have a role to play in the future of IT delivery. But what if you have a data centre already, doing tasks that won't go away overnight? How do you build an operational environment without creating a completely …
David Gordon, 30 Nov 2012
The Register breaking news

Who cares about your archives anymore?

There aren’t many business that don’t need archives of their files and emails that their employees can reach with ease. But certainly, it can be of more strategic importance for some than others. Reg reader, Stuart Walters, falls into the latter camp. He’s the IT Director of international law firm Taylor Wessing - a place where …
David Gordon, 28 Nov 2012

Upping your game with Windows Server 2012

Join us on December 7 at 11:00 GMT, when we’ll be broadcasting live from our London studio with Reg readers Chris Losch, from Newham Council, and Gary Collins, from Intercept IT. Between them, they’re going to run through a raft of real-world projects and deployment scenarios where they’ve been using and abusing Windows Server …
David Gordon, 27 Nov 2012
The Register breaking news

Why you need an interactive file archive

Are your file or email archives a black hole? Do you even archive? If not, you might have a black hole in a black hole. Do you have funding for your archiving project? If not, you have a black hole in a black hole in a… you get the idea. Email is embedded in your business processes. It contains vital business intelligence, but …
David Gordon, 23 Nov 2012
The Register breaking news

Dodging costly common cloud pitfalls: YOU ask the questions

Whether it’s public, private, or hybrid, there is an emerging consensus that various forms of cloud computing will have a role to play in the future of IT delivery. But what if you have a data centre already, doing tasks that won't go away overnight? How do you build an operational environment without creating a completely …
David Gordon, 19 Nov 2012

Forget what vendors think: What’s YOUR vision for the data centre?

Given the chance, any IT vendor or service provider will launch into their company’s vision for the future... your future. If it’s Salesforce.com or Google, that will be a future in which you wave goodbye to all of your servers, storage and networking kit. If it’s IBM, HP or Microsoft, their crystal ball will envision you …
David Gordon, 09 Nov 2012
The Register breaking news

Future-proofing the data centre

Whether it’s public, private, or hybrid, there is an emerging consensus that various forms of cloud computing will have a role to play in the future of IT delivery. But you have a data centre already, doing tasks that won't go away overnight. How do you build an operational environment without creating a completely disjointed …
David Gordon, 31 Oct 2012
The Register breaking news

BYOD: Ready or not, here it comes

Whisper it. The techies have lost control. Partially at least. The rise of the smartphone, slate/tablet/whatever you want to call it, means that more and more unqualified devices are creeping onto the corporate network. In our recent broadcast, Many Devices, One Policy, Tim Phillips, Andy Buss and Sasi Myrthy explored how this …
David Gordon, 19 Oct 2012
The Register breaking news

Big data? Big challenge

Do you find dealing with data like drinking from a fire hydrant? Even as existing data silos continue to grow, an increasing range of external information sources offer new opportunities to understand customers better, to make better decisions or improve service delivery. No organisation is working in a vacuum, however. Time and …
David Gordon, 17 Oct 2012
The Register breaking news

The Register iPhone and Android apps: Maintenance update

We are prepping new Register apps for iPhone and Android. Unfortunately, this has taken us a little longer than anticipated, and the current apps are no longer working. The new versions will include comment functionality, among many improvements. And we aim to go live this week. In the meantime, we apologise for any …
David Gordon, 01 Oct 2012
The Register breaking news

BYOD? Is it too late for IT to shut the back door...

For over 30 years the IT department issued kit and managed it. But recently the techies have lost control to gadget hungry managers and workers who insist on bringing their own kit into the office. Our latest Regcast, Many Devices, One Policy, explored how this trend is causing the IT department to pull out its collective hair, …
David Gordon, 28 Sep 2012
The Register breaking news

Can you be a strong development manager and stay agile?

By the end of last week’s Regcast Agility without Anxiety, El Reg's Tim Phillips decided he could do with being a bit more agile himself. Judging by the wave of questions we had on the live broadcast agility is definitely something you are concerned with too. Mark Warren from Perforce shared the Perforce Version Management …
David Gordon, 27 Sep 2012
The Register breaking news

So many devices, so little policy

Every one of your users has a computer at home, maybe a laptop, definitely a phone, and likes to log in from someone else's computer from time to time. They're carrying your data around, but often not your security policy. You know how hard it is to match policy form device to device, location to location. If only it were …
David Gordon, 20 Sep 2012
The Register breaking news

So many devices, so little policy

Every one of your users has a computer at home, maybe a laptop, definitely a phone, and likes to log in from someone else's computer from time to time. They're carrying your data around, but often not your security policy. You know how hard it is to match policy form device to device, location to location. If only it were …
David Gordon, 19 Sep 2012
The Register breaking news

Agility without anxiety

Some Reg readers think so. This is what a few of you tell us about agile development: "Often of a lower standard and the system will inevitably be less reliable". "If you don't have good people, you're screwed". "It leads to several wheels being reinvented in disparate ways". Ouch. Not everyone thinks it equals "deliver badly …
David Gordon, 18 Sep 2012
The Register breaking news

Agility without anxiety

Some Reg readers think so. This is what a few of you tell us about agile development: "Often of a lower standard and the system will inevitably be less reliable". "If you don't have good people, you're screwed". "It leads to several wheels being reinvented in disparate ways". Ouch. Not everyone thinks it equals "deliver badly …
David Gordon, 13 Sep 2012
The Register breaking news

So many devices, so little policy

Every one of your users has a computer at home, maybe a laptop, definitely a phone, and likes to log in from someone else's computer from time to time. They're carrying your data around, but often not your security policy. You know how hard it is to match policy form device to device, location to location. If only it were …
David Gordon, 11 Sep 2012
The Register breaking news

Agility without anxiety

Some Reg readers think so. This is what a few of you tell us about agile development: "Often of a lower standard and the system will inevitably be less reliable". "If you don't have good people, you're screwed". "It leads to several wheels being reinvented in disparate ways". Ouch. Not everyone thinks it equals "deliver badly …
David Gordon, 06 Sep 2012
The Register breaking news

BPM today, tomorrow and beyond

Are you tough enough to take on Business Process Management (BPM) and win? Someone has to. It has never been more important to handle workflow efficiently. But it has never been more tricky: different types of information, acquired in different locations, for different business needs, need to be integrated into the process. You …
David Gordon, 29 Jun 2012
The Register breaking news

Unilever revamps IT for agility

On the 11th of July at 10:30am we’re broadcasting live with Garry Meaburn, the operations effectiveness and tooling manager at Unilever, dishing out practical tips on how to build a dynamic IT operation using private cloud principles. Garry's currently a good way through this sizable project. The Register's Lucy Sherriff is the …
David Gordon, 28 Jun 2012
The Register breaking news

Scaling the heights of private cloud

We’ve done it again. Another couple of slices through our Private Cloud research delivered in stunning Technicolor gloryvision. For this beauty, click the pic to see it (PDF), we’ve zoomed in on the route from virtualisation to private cloud, showing adoption, how challenges are tackled, the progress made by your peers. And the …
David Gordon, 27 Jun 2012
The Register breaking news

Realising the benefits of cloud for mobile workers

Even today, many enterprise users are unsure about cloud computing. They don't understand what it means, and they think that it's mere hype. And yet mobile devices primed for the cloud are making their way into the enterprise, whether IT departments like it or not. Understanding how the cloud works, and what it can offer mobile …
David Gordon, 21 Jun 2012