Arraya Insights

by

Even in our mobile-first world, the desktop phone remains a staple of business collaboration. For many – 65% according to research conducted by CIO Online – it’s their preferred method of taking business calls. Beyond their importance as a vehicle for collaboration, these phones may also be hiding additional value, particularly as they age.

Under Cisco’s Technology Migration Program (TMP), businesses can trade in their legacy endpoints for credit that can be put toward eligible Cisco Unified Communications (UC) endpoint upgrades. This includes devices such as Cisco IP phones, etc.

TMP can be a valuable ally for businesses looking to make modernizing their collaboration environment more affordable. Want to learn more about it? Here are four frequently asked questions – and the corresponding answers.

Q: What are the nuts and bolts of TMP?              

A: The program offers an ongoing discount of 15% for eligible device trade-ins that can be applied to the purchase of more advanced Cisco collaboration solutions, including Cisco phones, Cisco video conferencing solutions, Cisco VCS endpoints, and more.

Q: I’m not currently a Cisco collaboration shop – but I’d like to be. Am I out of luck as far as TMP goes?

A: Not necessarily! Select competing technologies are also eligible to be traded in as part of TMP. These devices can earn credits that can then be used to facilitate a changeover to a Cisco-based collaboration environment.

Q: I want to upgrade, but my budget is tight. Are there any other trade-in discounts I can take advantage of?

A: The answer here is probably. Cisco does offer additional programs that can net further incremental discounts. However, these are dependent upon the product and platform on the trading block. Arraya will work with customers and Cisco to maximize the discounts received through a trade-in.

Q: Who handles the disposal of turned-in devices?

A: Disposal of turned-in devices is included as part of Cisco’s offer. As an added benefit, business concerned with their environmental impact can rest easy knowing that this process will be conducted in an eco-friendly manner that is aligned with accepted industry standards.

Modernizing your endpoints without breaking your budget

Do you have any additional questions about Cisco’s TMP offering? Arraya Solutions’ Cisco Collaboration team can help. Our engineers will assess your existing environment, gather insight from you on your ideal environment, and then help you plot a path forward that provides you with the right solutions for your objectives – while also keeping within your budget. The Arraya team will work with you to factor in any possible savings opportunities, including those covered above, to ensure the best technology and deal for you and your organization.

Start a conversation with our team by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/. If you’d like to leave us a comment or ask a question raised by this post, please do through social media. We can be found on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

by

 

If software-defined WAN (SD WAN) technology isn’t currently a part of your organization’s networking strategy, give it a little longer and it likely will be. That’s the takeaway from a pair of predictions from leading industry research firms Gartner and IDC. Each believes that, within just a few years, SD WAN technology is going to play a much-greater role in connecting geographically-dispersed business locations.

Let’s start with Gartner, which predicts that by the time 2019 comes to a close, 30% of businesses will leverage SD WAN to knit together their branches and offices. What makes that figure especially notable is that, by the end of 2015, only 1% of businesses could make a similar claim. That’s a fairly sizeable jump to make in only a few years.

IDC also looked at the growth of SD WAN, although it took a different angle to reach a comparable conclusion. IDC predicts that, by 2020, businesses will invest roughly $6 billion in SD WAN solutions as their confidence in the technology increases. What, in particular, will be driving that rising level of acceptance? IDC’s team looked into that as well. It found that the three most popular motivating factors behind SD WAN adoption were:

  • a more consistent approach to security (36%)
  • more reasonable pricing (35%)
  • reduced management complexity (31%)

With a plethora of vendors occupying the increasingly in vogue SD WAN space, it could prove a challenge for organizations to find the right solution to address those needs and others.

4 must-have SD WAN capabilities

Every organization’s needs are unique. Still, here are four table stakes features and capabilities organizations should look for as they shop for an SD WAN solution:

  • Application performance control – Do you know what’s using your WAN? Network managers must have the ability to monitor, adjust, and automate traffic flow across their organization’s WAN to ensure applications and data are traveling the correct path based on performance and availability needs.
  • Centralized network management – Rather than travel back and forth among a company’s different locations, network managers should be able to execute routine tasks, such as implementing patches from their preferred base of operations. Beyond reducing travel, a solution should free up time – and reduce the potential for human error – through automation.
  • Connectivity that doesn’t sacrifice security – Businesses can’t afford to compromise on security, yet – with the proliferation of the cloud and remote workers – they must also deliver unparalleled connectivity. Their SD WAN solution should be able to juggle that connectivity while integrating formidable defenses – such as firewalls, intrusion detection, etc. – to keep data and apps secure as they traverse the corporate network.
  • Hassle-free scalability – The demands organizations place on their networks are routinely in flux – as such, it’s essential for an SD WAN solution to have the ability to scale along with them. Solutions should include the ability to automate the management process, allowing branches, cloud, and more to scale as the company’s needs do.

Next Steps: Dig deeper into SD WAN

The above abilities only scratch the surface of what businesses must demand from SD WAN vendors. One solution that addresses all four of these needs – and others – is Cisco’s IWAN. This SD WAN solution promises the secure and highly-available experience necessitated by today’s cloud-centric business environment.

Want to learn more about Cisco’s IWAN? Join us on June 8th for the third annual Arraya Solutions Tech Summit! This free event is committed to exploring the latest technologies as well as addressing the challenges faced by today’s IT professionals in a full day of deep dives. Each of the day’s instructional sessions will be presented by the members of our technical team, guaranteeing an event that is truly “by techs, for techs.”

One such session is “Real IWAN Case Studies: What to Do & What to Avoid.” This session will leverage the real life experiences of Arraya engineers to illustrate a best practice approach to architecting and deploying Cisco’s IWAN – as well as shining a light on potential pitfalls.

The Tech Summit is free; however, registration is required. Please visit: https://events.arrayasolutions.com/ to secure your spot today! Stay in the know about our latest Tech Summit news, industry insights, and future learning opportunities by following us on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

by

A fair amount of digital ink has been spent recounting the ransomware attack known as WannaCry and its effects on the global market.  Ransomware attacks are nothing new; revenues obtained from these attacks exceed 1 billion annually, with previous examples such as 2015’s CryptoWall earning $325 million alone.  What is new is IT’s acknowledgement of ransomware as a legitimate threat.  WannaCry was successful in large part due to the high volume of systems running unpatched versions of Microsoft Windows.  Organizations are taking a close, hard look at their security posture and discovering something unexpected: their systems are not up to date.

According to StatCounter, the global install base for Windows OS is 38% (as of April 2017), with desktop deployments sitting at a nearly 85%.  This makes it a primary target for hackers and cyber criminals.  Of course, Microsoft is no stranger to security vulnerabilities. Their “Patch Tuesday” has been a monthly tradition for Windows system administrators since 2003.  Simply knowing when patches come out isn’t enough to protect your environment.  As Arraya’s Cyber Security Practice Director Tom Clerici highlighted in his article on basic security hygiene, vendors publicize vulnerabilities when they release patches, “yet many organizations fail to install and test those patches in a timely fashion.”   How could this be?

There are a few reasons.  There may be a lack of defined processes for how and when systems are patched.  It’s common practice to leverage the Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) to automate patching.  This is a good start, but WSUS does not account for all the applications running in the environment.  Who is going to identify and patch those applications?  What about validation?  It could also be a lack of focus.  Security is a hot topic, and countless projects and initiatives are being greenlit to harden the network and protect identities.  It’s ironic then that organizations are being exposed by the simplest of things: patch management.

Fortunately, Arraya’s Managed Services customers have not suffered the same fate.  We are proud to say that no customer who relies on us for systems management has been affected by the WannaCry outbreak.  Patch management is an integral part of our service and the first step in safeguarding infrastructures under our care.  We take this responsibility seriously and spend the time to baseline the environment and set up recurring schedules.  Consider this quote from Arraya’s Managed Services Director, Robert Whann: “having a well-executed patch process allows us to apply updates quickly without having to worry about outages and interruptions.”

Patching systems is only one part of a much larger security story.  Don’t let global events and external forces be your only motivation for building an actionable strategy.  Arraya offers a variety of services to help set your IT organization on the right path.  Consider the risk of doing nothing and leaving systems, information and your employees vulnerable. Don’t let that be the case. Visit us at www.arrayasolutions.com to start a conversation on how partnering with our Managed Services and Security practices can keep your business safe and bring your IT goals within reach.

by

Working for different cloud providers for the past six or so years, I’ve seen some major changes in how the conversation has gone. Early on, most of the conversations I was involved in revolved around, “What is this ‘cloud’ thing I keep hearing about?” This evolved into “How do I get started in the cloud?” and then moved toward conversations around deeper strategy of how to effectively leverage the cloud in the enterprise. While the conversation has progressed, there are still many who have trepidation about moving from the comfort of their data centers or secured colocation services to something that can come across as nebulous and abstract as “the cloud.” If you’re part of this group, this article is for you.

Your hesitation is understandable. I mean, you could be giving up a lot of control over critical systems that are your responsibility. There are more regulations around data today than ever before and knowing if making major changes to your environment risks noncompliance can be a challenge. But, the evidence is there – the cloud is not going anywhere. It is the next evolution of computing. Actually, it is the current evolution of computing. We are past the early adopter phase and cloud services are clearly moving toward mainstream. Microsoft’s most recent quarterly earnings show that cloud services are still in high growth. Most enterprises aren’t asking “if” cloud but “when.” A Gartner article from 2016 makes the point that by 2020 a “No Cloud” corporate policy will be as common as a “No Internet” policy is today.

So, how do you get started? How do you dip a toe in the waters? In the past, most enterprises would look to start with systems like email. Cloud-based email services like Office 365 Exchange Online are mature, proven platforms at this point, and are prepared to handle customers of any size with any regulatory needs. This is an easy place to start, and is effective, but there are other areas to bank on the cloud while minimizing risks. Some of the more popular cloud entrance points include storage, backup and disaster recovery and hybrid computing.

Expanding your cloud footprint

On-premises storage, while it has gotten cheaper, still is not cheap. There are a lot of costs involved in expanding storage systems, and many times it is for data that is not actively in use. However, there is a new generation of storage that takes advantage of the cloud. The idea is to ease management while allowing your data to live wherever it belongs.

Meanwhile, backup vendors are looking at the cloud as an opportunity for their customers to end the dependence on tapes. The general rule of thumb for backups is the “3-2-1 Rule,” which says: three copies of your backups, on two different types of media, one copy in a different location. While tape has satisfied this rule in a relatively affordable way for years, actually decades, the cloud provides an opportunity to end the reliance on the volatile media. Any administrator who attempts to restore old tapes always sweats a little hoping those tapes are still functional. Those restores can take hours, days, possibly longer depending on the condition of the media. Almost every major backup vendor today offers an alternative that removes that dependence. Add-on software to existing backup solutions makes it easy to target cloud storage for off-site copies of backup data.

So, the first two ways I’ve reviewed to utilize the cloud focus on what are low-profile or non-production solutions. Getting beyond storage and backup, hybrid computing offers a way to start using the cloud without making drastic changes. New releases of products, such as Microsoft SQL Server 2016 and its ability to share databases across on-prem and Azure SQL using its StrechDB technology, begin to blur the lines between on-prem and cloud. While most products focus on extending the data center to the cloud, only one is focusing on extending the cloud into the data center – Microsoft Azure Stack.

Microsoft Azure Stack is an upcoming solution in conjunction with major hardware providers that will bring a flavor of Azure into the data center that will also connect to Azure. This solution enables enterprises that aren’t yet ready to make the move to the cloud to take that first step. It offers the flexibility to move between on-prem and the cloud as needed when the time comes. Administrators will love this because they only need to learn one interface for management of both environments. The power of local computing for time-sensitive information is combined with the growth and elasticity of the cloud, all in one interface. This is the ultimate in hybrid environments, and has the potential to change how the data center is defined.

If you have not yet considered the cloud for any of these types of solutions because you don’t think the cloud is right for your company, or you don’t know where to start, think about this. No one virtualized their environment 100% immediately. In fact, many companies that consider themselves fully virtualized probably have a couple of physical systems floating around. Companies that moved to colocation services still have some local servers. Few companies will be 100% cloud. But almost every company will have some percentage of cloud services.

If you want to talk about where to begin, reaching out to Arraya’s Microsoft Sales team is a great place to start. In addition, I will be covering hybrid cloud solutions including the ones discussed above at our 2017 Tech Summit on June 8th.  I encourage you to attend to learn more about this and many other great topics.

by

Perhaps you have always taken pride that your network maintains strong perimeter securities, including your formidable firewall which is functioning as it should – IT infrastructure well organized, everything tightly sealed from outside threats.  You’ve done everything possible to protect your vast amount of data.  Or so you have always assumed …

The fact is, what you once thought was a strong citadel of security around your network structure is most likely insufficient in this fast-changing evolution of technology.  Perimeters are being redefined entirely with things like cloud-based applications, remote and roaming end-users, and hosted disaster recovery.  These require anywhere, anytime access to data center applications and data from any device. The cyber threats experienced today are well-coordinated attacks, and unless the many internal systems are also protected down to the workload, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to the inevitable thread that will get past your firewall.

How Arraya and VMware NSX Secure Your Ecosystem

First need to determine if and how you can benefit from a network virtualization solution, and the Arraya Solutions Virtualization team is here – ready to partner and work alongside you.  As you probably understand, it is a challenge to know everything about the makeup of your environment. To help, Arraya is offering a free network assessment to give you a holistic view of the entire network ecosystem and location of security gaps.  In case you just backed up to read the last sentence again, yes, this initial assessment is absolutely free.  With our application-focused tool, we can provide thorough insight into your network infrastructure, reducing the time needed to plan and configure your virtualized network by up to 70%.

Sounding like a good plan?  We also handle the deployment of VMware NSX from start to finish – the goal being to develop and implement the best solutions based on your specific needs.  In the process we will empower your IT departments and company as a whole to continue to discover innovative uses and applications for enhanced security using micro-segmentation.  So now, let’s talk a little bit about what micro-segmentation is and what it can do for your network.

Using VMware NSX Micro-segmentation

So what exactly does VMware NSX micro-segmentation do?  Micro-segmentation allows your organization to assign firewall monitoring capabilities at the application and workload (even user) level.  You can then define network and security policies for each of these “virtual firewalls” that follow their application/workload as it moves around the data center, across data centers, or into the cloud.  What this means is that if the even if the perimeter is breached, the threat’s ability to move laterally inside the data center will be severely restricted.  It has been likened to a bank vault filled with individual deposit boxes.  If the vault is entered, the separate security boxes are still protecting individual items inside.  Without internal protection, an attack can move laterally from workload to workload with no controls to stop its proliferation!  Micro-segmentation contains and blocks this movement to other systems, dramatically reducing the attack surface and risk to your organization.

Key benefits you’ll see using a virtualized network:

  • Security – Operational model closely resembles that of a virtual machine (VM), and micro-segmentation monitors traffic as it flows between systems and workloads.
  • Agility – Network changes can be addressed quickly in a matter of minutes instead of days.
  • Flexibility – Applications are able to move across data centers and to the cloud with no changes to the physical network.

Micro-segmentation is going to allow you to lower the impact of data center breaches, accelerate time to market, protect your existing network investments, lower your operating expenses and achieve both speed and business agility.  All-in-all a very sound investment and safeguard.

Arraya Virtualized Network Solutions – Helping you Breathe a Little Easier

Another bonus to a virtualized network means your IT security teams will no longer be viewed as inhibiting business agility with overarching, restrictive safety policies.  This, in turn means less conflict between those factions and business units.  No longer will performance necessarily have to be sacrificed for safety.  When you partner with Arraya, you get a team of individuals who are as committed to your business as you are. We have the technical skills and experience necessary to find the solutions you need, with people skills that set us apart.  Get ahold of us and start reinforcing your network today!

To learn more, get in touch with us today by emailing info@arrayasolutions.com – or you can join us for the 3rd Annual Arraya Tech Summit. This free event includes a full day of courses covering the latest IT solutions and challenges. Each session will be presented by a member of our technical team to ensure an in-depth, comprehensive presentation that is truly by techs, for techs. One session included on the day’s agenda is ACI & NSX: A Side-By-Side Look at the Software-Defined Data Center. During this class, attendees will be guided through some common use cases for software-defined networking and explore what the industry looks like today. The Tech Summit will be held on June 8 at the Sheraton Valley Forge in King of Prussia, PA. While it is free, registration is required, so please visit: https://events.arrayasolutions.com/ to reserve your spot today!

by

Throughout my career, I have participated in a lot of mergers and acquisitions. When I worked at a national power generation company, it was common to spin in and out power plants. At that company, the executives decided to combine multiple companies in a complex, three-way merger. That activity represented my first large, multi-thousand user M&A. Following this milestone, I helped to complete various complex acquisitions and divestitures involving thousands of users at a global semiconductor at the pace of about one major M&A per year.

As you can imagine, I’ve moved a lot of IT resources around over my career. For an IT Professional or manager, an M&A can be a daunting task. Let’s look at what the IT Professional can expect, from when they first hear about an M&A through completing the consolidation.

While these steps are sequential, the time frame is extremely short for all of these, with some steps happening out of order or even before the announcement is made!

Step 1: Don’t Panic

Unless you are a CxO, M&As are usually always a surprise. Employees typically find out when the rest of the world does. Companies will put out a public statement or internal email announcing their intent to move forward with the activity. Read both and study them carefully to understand the what, why and – most importantly – the when.

There will be many questions up front, especially if you are the acquired company. Keep in mind that your direct manager likely knows as much as you. Your management chain needs to start working on the legal issues surrounding communications of systems with the other company. Typically, there are rules and waiting periods here, all balanced against the urgency to do something.

Step 2: Determine Day One

The key is to find out when Day One is. Day One is the day that the two companies become one and it comes up fast. Day One is a 24-hour blitz, usually focused on activities that bring a single cultural identity, namely email address and company intranets.

If your Day One is imminent, stop reading this and contact us today so we can talk about what needs to happen. If not, read on!

Step 3: Build a Plan

CxOs and Management will hold discussions around consolidating specific back office platforms, what they want for Day One, etc. For example, which SMTP address are you putting out to the world? What does Day One look like for them and why? Will the ERP be Oracle-based or SAP? … and so on. These discussions happen well above any IT Professional’s pay grade, so stay vigilant, provide feedback when requested and be a subjective participant.

The goal of an M&A is to develop synergies (the one time you can use that word appropriately) and streamline operations to deliver stakeholder value. This happens by consolidation.

Once the systems decisions are made, it is time to build a plan. This is where Arraya can help.

Step 4: Consolidate the Foundational IT Platforms First

IT is built on a foundation of identity and devices. Every user has a user account and computer (or device) that they use to access everything. This user account, backed by an email address, is their identity for the business. To achieve a successful Day One, you need to consolidate identities, emails and computers into a single cohesive platform for employees to be able to communicate without barriers.

Arraya has built an award-winning M&A methodology for consolidation, and we’re familiar with the pace and constraints around which this activity needs to happen. We can help you through consolidating identities, domains, workstations, servers and collaboration platforms. Beyond those foundational technologies that drive a successful Day One, all M&As are different and this might not be all that is required.

Oftentimes, security becomes an issue in the weeks leading up to Day One. We can help build network security perimeters and drive toward a common, integrated network while keeping protections in place. VDI can be another tool to help accelerate collaboration while staying within the boundaries of what is allowed legally.

Since Arraya is a full-service IT infrastructure, cloud and Managed Services provider, we can help across every activity that drives a successful Day One, even augmenting your Help Desk to deal with employee issues.

Step 5: Reach out to Arraya

Whether an M&A has just been announced or your company has struggled to integrate with another, it is never too late to develop a consolidation plan. Arraya has helped businesses consolidate certain Day One activities within weeks and migrated foundational IT platforms within months, not years. Our expertise can get you through this one-off activity quickly, helping to drive the financial goals of the consolidation.

Reach out to our team today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/. We can also be found on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Be sure to follow us to stay in the loop with our latest company news, industry insights, and special events.

by

Cloud migrations don’t have to be all or nothing ventures. After all, one of the great benefits of moving to the cloud is its flexibility. Businesses are free to determine everything from the workloads they wish to commit to the cloud, to their path to that destination, be it through a public, private, or hybrid option. Regardless of what they do in the cloud or how they get there, businesses must prepare for the move accordingly – or risk having their efforts fall short of the intended impact.

The versatility of the cloud is reflected in recent research into the make-up of modern cloud environments conducted by Forbes and Cisco. The report, called “When Clouds Connect,” concluded that we are indeed living in a hybrid world when it comes to the cloud. In fact, it found 77% of executives confirmed that their business currently leverages both public and private cloud architectures. Roughly two-thirds (62%) of executives also described having a hybrid cloud strategy as “very important” to the success of their business.

What are some other insights into the modern cloud environment turned up by Forbes and Cisco’s research? The report also found:

  • Of those businesses utilizing a hybrid cloud architecture, 57% have the majority of their assets on-premises
  • More than half (54%) believe they will increase their reliance on public cloud architecture over the next two years
  • Public cloud adoptions have consistently met or exceeded SLA expectations in a number of areas, including: cost reduction (87%), increasing application performance (89%), and increasing storage capacity (92%)

Potential networking headaches presented by the cloud

Outcomes such as greater flexibility, better performance, and streamlined budgets have driven countless businesses to clouds of all types. However, if the proper network architecture isn’t in place to support that transition, it could lead to major headaches for those assigned to manage it. Potential problems include:

  • Bottlenecks on the network edge – Moving applications and workloads to the cloud shifts the burden off of internal data center infrastructure – and onto edge access points. All of this additional traffic can cause productivity and availability issues if left unaddressed.
  • Plodding application migrations – Mission-critical applications carry a lot of baggage in terms of data requirements. This once again presents a challenge for corporate infrastructure. If this gets overwhelmed, critical line of business apps struggling to make the move from on-prem to the cloud may be unavailable to workers.
  • Poor application performance – Depending on their build, certain apps may get tangled in security nets placed by cloud vendors to protect businesses and data. While additional security is always a good thing, in this case it could lead to less-than-optimal app performance if not accounted for early.

Build a network that is ready for the cloud

Are you preparing for a move to the cloud? Join us at the 3rd Annual Arraya Solutions Tech Summit to learn more about how to design your network so that the above potential problems never translate into actual headaches. The Arraya Tech Summit is a free, day-long event consisting of multiple sessions exploring the latest IT solutions as well as the challenges faced by modern IT pros. Each of these will be led by a member of our award-winning team of engineers, ensuring a day that is truly “by techs, for techs.” One such session is “Architecting Your Network for Cloud Adoption.” During this class, attendees will be guided through the steps that must be taken to prepare business networks for successful cloud adoption and migrations.

The Arraya Tech Summit takes place on June 8th at the Sheraton Valley Forge in King of Prussia, PA. The event is free, but registration is required. To sign-up for this unique learning opportunity, please visit: https://events.arrayasolutions.com/.

by

I recently googled the term ‘cyber attack’ to learn what people researching the topic would see.  As expected, the images that came back all included shady-looking characters wearing hooded sweatshirts while sitting in a dark room typing super-secret hacking stuff. These images brought a couple of thoughts to mind. I initially wondered why it’s always so cold in the room where these guys are “hacking” that they have to bundle up – and how do they type with gloves on? Secondly, why is it so dark?  By turning on the lights, they could see so much better. Finally, because it seems like such a cool trick, how do I get lightning bolts to come out of my computer?

The point here is that attacks usually don’t happen the way most people imagine them. Hollywood tends to sensationalize what a cyber attack looks like. Often times, hackers – hooded or otherwise – can be stopped by simply implementing basic security best practices. Listed below are three basic hygiene tasks that could have prevented some of the more high profile attacks we’ve seen lately.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) for Remote Access

Passwords alone don’t work, and too many people use “pizza” as the secret answer to reset their passwords. MFA is not a new concept, nor is it difficult to implement, but too many organizations fail to take advantage of it. MFA protects your account by authenticating it with something you know (e.g., a username and password) and something you have (some sort of token). Usually the MFA token is an app on your phone or a physical token with a number that changes every 60 seconds. This method is effective because even if someone learns your username and password, they would still need your phone or token as the second form of authentication to gain remote access. Consider the user community within your organization and how likely they may be to inadvertently give away their credentials. MFA protects against that (especially if you don’t force your users to regularly change their password).

During the 2016 presidential campaign, there was a lot of talk about Hilary Clinton’s emails. That leak came about from attackers that sent a phishing email to John Podesta (the campaign chair), tricking him into thinking he was changing his password. What he really did was give attackers the username and password to his email account so they could access it remotely. MFA could have protected that account even though he gave away those credentials.

Installing Security Patches and Updates

The second Tuesday of every month is affectionately referred to by many administrators as “Patch Tuesday.” It gets the nickname because that’s when Microsoft releases its monthly security patches. In many cases, these patches close security gaps that could otherwise be exploited. Additionally, other software vendors like Oracle, Adobe, Google and Mozilla also release security patches on a continuous basis. Think about what’s happening when a vendor releases patches to the world. They are essentially saying that if you don’t install these updates, an attacker could break into your system. They announce these patches publicly too, so it’s no secret how to exploit them. Yet, many organizations fail to install and test those patches in a timely fashion.

In January, the popular hosting site WordPress released a new software version that patched critical vulnerabilities. This update prevented attackers from accessing and potentially changing or defacing websites remotely. Many organizations failed to quickly install this update though, opening up vulnerabilities across the world. Reportedly, over 100,000 sites were attacked via this vulnerability. For those organizations that patched their systems this attack was unsuccessful.  Unfortunately, many organizations learned the hard way the importance of quickly installing security patches.

Limiting and Monitoring Administrator Access

The topic of restricting administrator access can be a sensitive one. Many companies give their entire user community administrator access to their PCs, especially laptops. They do this so users have the flexibility to install whatever systems they want. In theory, this sounds great because it reduces support time by enabling users to completely manage their machines. The security risk is the same as the benefit though – users can do whatever they want. So if they open a malicious email attachment or click on a malicious website, that malware is now also running as an administrator and can install whatever it needs to. By limiting administrator access, even if a user does open a bad attachment or link, since the user isn’t an administrator the malware may not be able to install itself or run correctly, thereby securing the system. You can’t just limit access though, you have to monitor and control administrator accounts so when they are created, notifications go to the right people. This prevents attackers from creating administrator accounts and using them to escalate their privileges across other systems.

I don’t like using the Target hack as an example because it’s old and everyone overuses it, but it does illustrate my point. In Target’s case, attackers created a “domain admin” account that basically gave them remote access to all of the servers on the network. Domain admin accounts are extremely privileged accounts that, when created, should set off alarms to the security team. In this case, when the attackers added a new account to the domain admins list, alerts should’ve triggered which would have enabled security analysts to respond and potentially detect the attack. Instead, attackers were able to operate across the entire system without anyone noticing.

By following these steps, organizations can establish a solid cyber security baseline. For help implementing any of the above ideas, or to take your security defenses to the next level, reach out to Arraya’s Cyber Security Practice. Our team can provide the strategic guidance and technical know-how to keep hackers (of all wardrobes) at bay.

by

It’s well established that companies around the world are benefiting from using VMware NSX to create virtualized, software-defined networks. From faster deployments,Arraya VMware vNRI Assessment more flexibility to support application network requirements, and improved security inside the four walls, NSX is putting complete control over the network in the hands of the architects and administrators.

Upping your Network Operations Maturity

As production deployments of NSX continue to grow, it’s only natural for IT departments to start considering the next level of maturity for their software defined networks: automation. While it’s true that some automation (particularly poorly planned or hard-coded) can actually reduce control and visibility over your services, or create unwanted layers of overhead and complexity, automation done well allows you to reap major benefits including lowered operating costs, reduced errors, and faster turnaround on changes and requests. It can definitely be worth the investment.

Taking an Application-Centric View of the Network

At the same time, when our primary responsibility is for the networks in our business, it’s easy to get laser focused on their performance, availability and security and forget about the rest of the data center ecosystem. But the reality is the network is a backdrop, a supporting player to what’s really turning the wheels of the business – your applications. More than ever, it’s important to take an application-centric view of your network to ensure not just the workings of the networks, but that it enables the features and functionality, performance, and also security demanded by the applications running on top of it.

The good news is, automation can help.

Improving NSX Deployments with vRealize Automation

By using VMware vRealize Automation together with NSX, you take your operational efficiencies to another level by streamlining the creation of network and security services that are then deployed along with your applications. vRealize Automation allows you to automatically:

Quickly Provision Network Components:

Provision connectivity through deployment of logical switches and routers for multi-tiered applications

 Improved Security Enforcement:

Securely deploy applications through intelligent placement of workloads in security groups protected by firewall rules

 Automated Load Balancing:

Ensure app availability and performance through the use of load balancers so users always have access to a highly responsive application

vRealize Automation automatically provisions, updates and decommissions network and security services alongside your virtualized applications. The solution can be configured for multiple deployment options:

  • Configure on-demand, dynamic deployment of network and security services during application provisioning
  • Consume existing services already managed by existing endpoints
  • Or, create a profile that uses a combination for both on-demand and existing

You can also enable self-service requests, cutting out the middle man and accelerating the provisioning process even more for application owners.

Free Network Assessment

The Arraya Solutions Virtualization team can help with your virtualized network deployment as well as evaluate the potential value of using vRealize Automation with your NSX solution. As part of this evaluation, Arraya is offering a free network assessment that gives a holistic view of your network ecosystem and security gaps. We use an application-focused tool that provides deep insights into network infrastructures, reducing the time required to plan and configure application security.

Experience all the benefits of a virtualized network, including lower operational costs with vRealize Automation, through a partner with vast experience planning, implementing and growing virtual networks with VMware NSX. To start your free network assessment, please email us at info@arrayasolutions.com.

by

The name may have changed, however last week’s Dell EMC World remained an excellent place to get a look at IT’s present and future. The company’s first global conference since last year’s groundbreaking merger did not disappoint those who made the trek to Las Vegas for the conference, which ran from May 8 – May 11. The event sported a full slate of announcements that promise to be as impactful as they are buzzworthy.

Did you miss this year’s event? Don’t worry. Several members from Arraya Solutions’ Data Management Practice were on hand to document the proceedings. Here are a few of the stories that they predict will have the most palpable effect on corporate data centers moving forward.

Hyper-Converged

Hyper-converged is always a hot topic and, on that subject, Dell EMC World 2017 certainly delivered. During the event, the company unveiled VxRail 4.5, the latest version of its hyper-converged infrastructure appliance.

So, what’s new with VxRail 4.5? As it turns out, quite a bit, including:

  • a foundation in Dell PowerEdge 14G server hardware, another powerful new release making its debut at Dell EMC World 2017
  • the ability to support VMware’s vSphere 6.5 and VSAN 6.6 offerings, resulting in better performance, more robust encryption, and enhanced clustering
  • shorter deployment times leading to accelerated time to value

Heads up: VxRail will be generally available in September 2017, however, some features will go online this summer.

All-Flash

Dell EMC packed a ton of all-flash news into the four-day conference. Updates to three key data center platforms – VMAX, XtremIO, and Unity – captured a lot of attention, both in Las Vegas and with those following along at home.

Let’s take these announcements one at a time.

  • VMAX – Faster and more responsive sums up (at least in part) the buzz surrounding VMAX 950F, the newest version of Dell EMC’s enterprise storage array. This solution promises 6M IOPS and 350 microseconds of latency, as well as a 30% decrease in response time. VMAX will be able to consolidate a massive amount of workloads and will be generally available come June 2017.
  • XtremIO – There are a number of features in the updated version of XtremIO that seem destined to catch the eye of businesses in need of a storage boost. Chief among the new capabilities of XtremIO X2 are an 80% lower response time and 25% higher data reduction capabilities. Also, credit X2’s new scale-up/scale-out approach to storage expansion for reducing the solution’s overall total cost of ownership. XtremIO will be generally available this summer.
  • Unity – Unity, Dell EMC’s midrange all-flash solution, received a makeover, including the debut of four new models – the 350F, 450F, 550F, and the 650F. These new models offer new memory and CPU abilities which result in greater scalability and overall performance. Along with a substantially-increased file size capacity (256TB vs. current max of 64TB), the new versions of Unity also offer faster deployment and shorter time to value. The updated Unity will be generally available this July.

Isilon

Dell EMC’s Isilon refresh also generated a good deal of conversation during the conference. Dell EMC World 2017 marked the official premiere of Isilon Infinity, the new architecture model for the company’s network-attached storage solution.

Isilon’s new architecture and other improvements mean:

  • a 6x improvement in IOPS
  • an 11x improvement in throughput
  • separate compute and storage nodes allowing for independent scale within a lone Isilon unit

Isilon Infinity comes in all-flash, hybrid, and archive models and it will be generally available in June.

Dell EMC Cloud + Microsoft Azure Stack

It’s always exciting when two industry giants put their head together to see what their combined forces can create. Dell EMC Cloud for Microsoft Azure Stack is the result of just such a partnership.

Dell EMC Cloud for Microsoft Azure Stack stands apart from Dell EMC’s other cloud solutions, including Enterprise Hybrid Cloud, thanks to its:

  • status as a turn-key hybrid cloud platform capable of supporting IaaS and PaaS efforts while providing a familiar Azure experience
  • automated IT services for traditional as well as cloud-based applications
  • Dell EMC PowerEdge server and networking foundation
  • deep feature set that encompasses Azure Stack, Azure Resource Manager, Avamar and Data Domain for backup, etc.

The Dell EMC Cloud for Microsoft Azure Stack bundle will be made available in the second half of 2017.

Cloud Flex for HCI

On the subject of the cloud, Dell EMC also announced its new Cloud Flex for HCI pricing model. This brings a cloud-inspired payment approach to infrastructure solutions including Dell EMC’s VxRail. So, for example, businesses could purchase a VxRail appliance and pay for it on a monthly basis over three years. At the end of that time, the total amount paid will be roughly the same as if the solution had been purchased outright. The declining payment model also replicates some of the flexibility inherent in the cloud, allowing businesses to return their appliance to Dell EMC at the end of 12 months without a fee.

Cloud Flex for HCI is available now for VxRail and Dell XC and will be coming for VxRack in the third quarter.

The Best of the Rest

A few other items announced in Las Vegas worth taking note of include:

  • Integrated Data Protection Appliance – This solution is built on the combined might of Avamar, Data Domain, and the Data Protection Suite
  • Data Domain Virtual Edition – Brings additional data protection and peace of mind to cloud-based apps residing in Azure as well as other cloud providers
  • Elastic Cloud Storage – New storage options available in on-prem, hybrid, or cloud-dedicated deployments
  • VDI – Complete Solutions – These enable build and buy options based off VSAN and Horizon View covering hardware and software

Learn more about what’s next from Dell EMC

Luckily the members of Arraya’s Data Management Practice aren’t bound by the old adage: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. If you would like to learn more about their experiences at Dell EMC World, or want to discuss any of the above announcements in greater detail, you can reach out to them by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

Feel free to leave us a comment on this post, or share your own Dell EMC World 2017 experiences, by visiting any of our social media pages: LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.