Arraya Insights

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Technical conferences are great, but typically the bane of an IT manager’s existence. For engineers, a technical conference is a great opportunity to learn about the latest technologies that can help Tech Summit 2 (002)both your own career and your business.

In reality though, IT continues to deal with smaller budgets and compressed timelines. Costs are top of IT managers minds and if innovation isn’t valued, technical conferences are one of the first line items to go.

Enter: Arraya Solutions Tech Summit.

On June 9th in King of Prussia, Arraya is holding a Tech Summit. Hear about the latest technologies from our engineers directly. If you need to convince your boss (or yourself) to go, here are a couple of great reasons to attend.

Reason 1: It’s Free

Not every business can afford the travel and lodging costs associated with sending employees to conferences all over the country. Arraya is bringing these technologies to the greater Philadelphia region, for free!

All you need to pay for is the gas to get there.

Reason 2: You Missed Something

There have been a number of great conferences over the past year that you might have missed. From the recently wrapped up EMC World back through Microsoft’s Ignite last May, it can be hard to keep up with all the changes in technology. Compound this with the pace of change around cloud technologies and your head might be spinning.

In one day we can get you up to speed across over 20 different sessions with what’s going on with your favorite vendors and solutions.

Reason 3: No Sales Reps

The emphasis is on the Tech in Tech Summit. Our engineers run the event sessions and NO SALES PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED (at least until the Cocktail Reception).

We love our Sales Reps, but our engineers are passionate about the technology and want to help educate you.

Reason 4: Networking

Not only is our Tech Summit a great way to learn about technology, but it also a great opportunity to network. While our engineers will be in attendance, so will our partners and technical attendees from throughout the region, allowing you to network and bounce ideas off industry leaders and your peers.

What’s Holding You Back?

Arraya’s Tech Summit is a fantastic way for you and your peers to learn about the latest technologies and network in a low pressure environment. Best of all, the cost keeps it accessible to even the most rigid IT manager.

Go register and we’ll see you June 9th!

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With all of the bad news about malware out there, how about a “glass half full perspective?” According to one study, malware infections aren’t necessarily becoming more common. The key wordFrustrated business man on laptop there is necessarily, as IT leaders are on the fence about the issue. Still, it could be worse. For a look at how it could be worse, here’s their two cents on whether malware infections are getting more severe: yes. Absolutely yes.

This information comes from a study by the Ponemon Institute called “The Cost of Malware Containment.” In the study, IT leaders covering a wide breadth of responsibilities were asked to share their thoughts on malware as a whole and their defense strategies. One of the more eye-catching questions concerned the volume and severity of malware infections. Here’s how their answers broke down:

  • There is a dead heat between those who felt malware infection rates were increasing (45%) and those who felt malware rates were staying the same (45%).
  • The consensus is that malware infections that do occur are becoming more severe (60%), compared to holding steady (31%).

These weren’t the only items worth noting turned up by the researchers. The study also uncovered some interesting – and troubling – tidbits about the security strategies employed by businesses. It found:

  • 33% of IT leaders said their business takes an ad hoc, unstructured approach to malware containment
  • 40% of those surveyed said no one person or function is tasked with taking the lead on malware containment
  • Only 41% of businesses have introduced some level of automation into their malware containment process

Regardless of whether you believe malware rates are on the rise or are in a holding pattern, we can all agree the above three bullets aren’t ideal ways to secure the corporate network. Especially not when the increasing severity of malware infections taking place is factored into the equation.

Minimizing the threat of malware infections

A better tactic? A solution which provides the automation – and just as important – the structure businesses need in response to the threat posed by malware. That automation ensures hazards are addressed quickly, without requiring closer attention from IT (pulling them off of other projects). Meanwhile, structure eliminates the likelihood that something might go unnoticed because someone thought someone else had it covered.

Cisco’s Rapid Threat Containment Solution can help businesses realize those benefits and more. This solution brings together the malware detection and remediation capabilities of Cisco’s FireSIGHT Management Center (FMC) and its network enforcer Identity Services Engine (ISE). These tools work together to identify malware infections, and adjust access policies accordingly to limit the damage an intruder can do before it is given the boot.

That’s a high-level look at the role Rapid Threat Containment plays in the fight against malware. For a more comprehensive take, join us on June 9 at the Sheraton Valley Forge in King of Prussia, PA for the 2nd Annual Arraya Solutions Tech Summit. This free, all-day event features courses covering today’s hottest tech issues and tools – put together by our team of solutions engineers and architects, guaranteeing a day that is strictly by techs, for techs.

The day’s course catalog features sessions on data protection, cloud, communication, and more – including Rapid Threat Containment. Attendees will learn exactly how FMC and ISE work together to repel threats quickly and effectively. They’ll also gain valuable insights into how to manage a Rapid Threat Containment deployment.

To learn more about our Tech Summit, or to register, please visit: arraya.info/TechSummit. Also, follow us on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook) to keep up with all of the latest Tech Summit news, company updates, and other special Arraya events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The news is out: SQL Server 2016, the latest generation of Microsoft’s database management family of products, will be available on June 1, 2016. Even though it’s not generally available yet, SQLhands on keyboard Server already has compiled an impressive résumé. In addition to an array of new features and capabilities, SQL Server 2016 also has a number of performance records and a “first-ever” distinction to its name.

Let’s take a closer look at these features and accolades to determine what they mean for businesses in the market for an upgrade.

  • Speed is of the essence: Businesses looking to operate more quickly – which, if we’re being honest, is all businesses – take note: SQL Server 2016 is the fastest in-memory database for corporate apps. This claim is backed up by multiple performance benchmarking studies on the operational prowess of Windows SQL Server 2016, conducted by Lenovo and other industry-leaders.
  • Born-in-the-cloud: SQL Server 2016 is the first-ever “born-in-the-cloud” database management solution. Several SQL Server 2016 features, including Always Encrypted and Role Level Security, have their origins in the cloud. These were tested and perfected on Azure SQL Database by hundreds of thousands of Microsoft customers, where they were subjected to billions of queries. These features aren’t just optimized for the cloud, they were forged by it.
  • A more intelligent solution: SQL Server 2016 is all about helping IT operate smarter. It can provide real-time operational insight through a native combination of advanced analytics and in-memory technology. The data can be leveraged without having to relocate it or hinder end user performance. Beyond that, SQL Server can deliver insights on any device due to its built-in mobile business intelligence capabilities.
  • End-to-end encryption: It’s not enough to encrypt data that’s on the move. Data that’s resting peacefully in a data center can still find itself in the crosshairs of attackers. That’s the inspiration behind Always Encrypted, one of those “born-in-the-cloud” features we mentioned earlier. Always Encrypted provides end-to-end encryption to keep data safe no matter where it is, or what it’s up to.
  • Increased query processing: SQL Server 2016’s in-memory columnstore index delivers a boost to query performance, resulting in enterprise-scale data warehousing capabilities. When compared to disk-based solutions, SQL Server 2016 has a mammoth performance edge of 100x. In addition, it’s designed to scale, meaning SQL Server 2016 will continue to provide high performance levels even as the business – and its data center needs – grow.

Dig deeper into SQL Server 2016

SQL Server 2016 will be available in three main editions: Enterprise, Standard, and Express. However, there is a fourth option on the table: Developer. This edition is meant to help app developers build and test new business applications. Both Express and Developer will be obtainable as free downloads, making SQL Server broadly available for developers to use as a design platform.

Still have questions about SQL Server 2016? Our Microsoft team can walk you through the finer points, to help you find a deployment which best meets your needs. Reach out to them at mssales@arrayasolutions.com to set up a conversation about SQL Server or any other piece of Microsoft technology your business is interested in exploring further.

Be sure to follow Arraya on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Doing so will help keep you up to date on the latest tech industry news, Arraya blog posts, special events, and more.

 

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How does this sound: employees working seamlessly across location and device, delivering comparable results from the grocery checkout line as they would from their cubes? For many of today’sbusiness man on smartphone employees, that kind of flexibility isn’t seen as a perk or an added bonus, it’s an expectation. Meanwhile, IT is on the hook for figuring out the nuts and bolts of things like execution and security.

According to the recent BYOD & Mobile Security study, only 40% of businesses have made enterprise mobility options such as BYOD available to their entire workforce. It almost goes without saying, but not every role needs BYOD. However, a lack of need isn’t what’s primarily holding back the spread of BYOD at the surveyed companies. Their biggest inhibitor is, in a landslide, security concerns. Almost 4-in-10 (39%) companies pointed the finger at security concerns, compared to 7% who said staffers don’t want or need BYOD access.

The top four security concerns surrounding enterprise mobility according to the same study are:

  • Data loss (72%)
  • Unauthorized access to company data and systems (56%)
  • Users downloading unsafe apps or content (54%)
  • Malware (52%)

VMWare’s end user compute trajectory

“Any app, any device, anywhere” has long been the cry heralding the evolution of VMware’s slate of end user computing products. Over the last few months, VMware has unveiled a slew of changes to these products to provide the open and accessible connectivity prized by end users. On top of that, these solutions can also allay any fears the words “open” and “accessible” conjure up for the folks managing a business’ security.

Here’s a look at some of these latest changes and what they mean for businesses and end users:

  • Workspace ONE – Tying together the capabilities of the AirWatch and Horizon product lines, Workspace ONE gives IT a cloud-based platform from which to either launch or advance their digital workspace strategy. Workspace ONE caters to today’s mobile workforce, giving them a single destination from which to access all of their corporate apps. Plus, its app store feature lets workers search for and download any apps they need. This access is backed by a powerful collection of security features. To start, ONE leverages AirWatch’s policy engine and Identity Manager to ensure only compliant devices can access its features. Also, security policies can be applied to files to limit what can be done to them and by whom.
  • Horizon Air Hybrid-Mode – Hybrid mode can help transition the management and deployment of apps and virtual workspaces to the cloud. This service, which blends the upsides of the cloud and hyper-converged infrastructure, is powered by the Horizon Air cloud. As it is cloud-based, businesses gain an OpEx-friendly annual subscription and the knowledge that they’re always running the most secure version. Display advancements such as Blast Extreme ensure the highest quality enterprise mobility experience for end user.
  • Horizon 7 Instant Clone – This feature provides “just in time,” personalized desktops to users on the go. Desktop clones branch off of parent accounts, at the average of nearly one per second. Speed is great, but what about security? Instant Clone allows IT to push out fixes in a fraction of the time it used to take. When users log back in to their account, it will automatically be updated with all of their customizations and the latest updates.

Dive into these topics and more

Want to learn more about these updates, as well as others which tie into the theme of app, device, and location freedom? Don’t miss our course entitled End-User Computing: Any App, Any Device, Anywhere which will feature demos of the above products as well as others, all in the end user computing space. This is just one of nearly twenty courses scheduled to be held on June 9th at this year’s Arraya Solutions Tech Summit.

The Arraya Solutions Tech Summit is a free, day-long event populated by sessions diving deep into the hottest issues facing IT. In addition to the aforementioned end user computing, topics will also include: cloud, security, collaboration, enterprise mobility, and more. Each session will be presented by a member of our team of experts, making the Arraya Solutions Tech Summit a true “by techs, for techs” event.

Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot at this year’s Tech Summit by visiting arraya.info/TechSummit.

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The overarching theme of EMC World 2016 has been modernize. Day 1 was all about modernizing the industry, while day 2 focused on modernizing your data center. The theme of Day 3? emc world pic 11
Modernize your business. In addition to the product announcements and insights, the day featured an address from producer John Landeau (Avatar and Titanic) on how technology is impacting movies and a James Bond-tinged keynote on emerging technologies featuring Jeremy Burton, EMC’s President of Products & Marketing.

Here’s a recap of some of the other festivities and announcements you may have missed from Day 3 of EMC World 2016:

Unity: Data Protection Options

EMC Unity has been one of the stars of this year’s EMC World. The mid-tier storage offering was unveiled during Day 1 and its capabilities were explored even further during Day 2. In store for Day 3 was a look at the security components native to Unity – and what can be added to further harden it against cyber crooks. Topics included Unity’s ability to:

  • pull block, file and Vvols from the same pool
  • replicate virtual appliances to hardware solutions
  • execute controller-based encryption at no additional cost, enabled at install time
    • Encrypt/Decrypt are handled at the SAS controller level, supported on all ports and SLICs
    • Deleting pools deletes all drive encryption keys, may eliminate the need to shred drives
    • Keeps detailed, easily retrievable audit logs
  • provide point in time copies via snapshots
    • The ability to redirect on write technology results with minimal to non-existent impact on performance
    • Multiple sources of snapshots, including:
      • LUN
      • VMware datastore
      • Other snapshots
    • Instant restore from snapshot, automatic snapshot, or existing source provide “undo” capability
    • Snapshots can be customized for frequency and retention time via a scheduler build into the GUI interface.
  • back up filesystem data via NDMP
  • support VPLEX, Recover Point and Data Domain

Unity Multi-Dimensional Flash Flexibility

The flexibility provided by EMC’s Unity was also a hot topic of conversation during Day 3. This included discussions around use cases for Unity’s hybrid deployments, as well as its all-flash arrangement. Beyond that, attendees were walked through a methodology they could use to determine what the makeup of their storage pools should be. Highlights included:

  • Unity’s range from 101-295K IOPS depending on model starting from 300F to 600F
  • Its diverse drive support, covering:
    • Fast Cache, 200, 400 or 800GB
    • SSD for Fast VP
    • SSD for flash only
    • 15K spinning
    • 10K spinning
  • When test run on 500F model, Unity delivered:
    • 1 through 32 threads per LUN, up to 4 LUNs
    • 80/20 read/write ratio at 8K IOPS
    • During 67/33 w/r mix, Unity hit 25K IOPS per drive
  • Sizer tool can be fed existing performance data from EMC array to get detailed configuration recommendations for Unity
  • Vdbench test uses (4) servers attached at 16GBs to Unity 500f servers capable of 200K iops per server
    • 16 LUNs in Raid 5
    • 8KB random 50% read, 48K iops per drive 97K IOPS at 1.33ms response time (5) 800gb SSD drives
    • Same workload against 20 SSDs results in 9700 IOPS per drive with sub 1MS latency
  • Fast Cache now supports online expansion or shrink, a transition which used to be a disruptive event on all previous EMC arrays

The Future of EMC: Emerging Technologies

During Day 3’s general session, which featured the previously-mentioned James Bond flair, CJ Desai and Josh Bernstein (President and Vice President of EMC’s Emerging Technologies Division, respectively) discussed the latest offerings coming out of their division. These included:

  • Software-Defined Storage and Open-Source Technologies – There are three main drivers behind software-defined storage (SDS). The first is economics. As SDS can operate independent of hardware specific features, it can result in tremendous cost-savings. Then there’s scalability. Today’s apps are built with scalability top of mind, and SDS can meet the demands of those apps while also reducing management complexity. Lastly, flexibility is a key. In response to this, EMC has developed a comprehensive collection of SDS options for customers, e.g.:
    • ScaleIO for block storage
      • Software-defined SAN offering
      • Capable of scaling up to 1000 nodes
      • Mainly used to build IaaS tools for traditional, block-based apps
    • Elastic Cloud Storage (ECS) for object storage
      • Hyper-scale object storage platform
      • Functions as storage for geo-distributed cloud-based apps
    • IsilonSD Edge for file storage
      • Software-defined version of Isilon file platform
      • Seamlessly syncs data from edge to core
      • Features 36 TB scalability at edge
  • Project Nitro may not be available yet (it’s coming in 2017), but when it arrives, it promises to revolutionize storage. Here’s how:
    • All-flash Isilon, built on blade architecture
    • Capable of scaling out to 400+ nodes and 100 PB capacity
    • Offers 1.5 TB/s bandwidth
  • DSSD is a new innovation from EMC available today. This hardware architecture sports:
    • 10M IOPS at micro-second latency
    • PCIe shared storage
    • Real-time analytics capabilities
    • Over 100 GB/S of bandwidth
  • VxRACK has gone cloud native with its latest version. The new VxRACK 1000 with Neutrino nodes gives companies a platform from which to quickly, securely deploy an on-prem cloud environment. VxRACK:
    • Supports OpenStack, VMare Photon Platform, and more
    • Allows provisioning of cloud-native IaaS in less than one hour
    • Scales with ease, ensuring cloud environments remain fast, agile and enjoy a lower cost

Staying in the loop with EMC World 2016

Weren’t able to attend EMC World 2016? Here are our recaps of Day 1 and Day 2 to help catch you up on what you missed. Members of our enterprise infrastructure team have been on the ground in Las Vegas all week, gaining firsthand access to the news and innovations to come out of the week. Have a question for our team? EMC World-related or not, they can always be reached by clicking HERE. Also, they can be reached through our social media accounts: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

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EMC World 2016’s themes of automation and the need to modernize were echoed frequently during Day 2. They came up during a keynote address given by Jeremy Burton, EMC’s President of emc world pic 7Products and Marketing. “Modernize. Automate. That will transform your IT Operations,” Burton said. The idea behind this message was also palpable throughout the day’s announcements and sessions.

Here’s a recap of some of what you missed from Day 2 of EMC World 2016:

Data Protection Management and Deep Dive

  • EMC Data Domain Management Center provides a single virtual appliance, one that is easy to deploy and can handle the needs of up to 100 Data Domain systems. In addition, it:
    • can group together similar Data Domain systems so they can be managed via a single pane of glass.
    • gives IT additional insight into the replication process and whether or not SLAs are being met. If they’re not, it can provide a path to resolution.
    • offers a Data Domain first: If Data Domain systems are running 5.7 DDos, it can show physical capacity consumed per MTree.
  • EMC Backup and Recovery Manager provides IT with an easy-to-deploy virtual appliance which can manage/monitor Avamar, NetWorker, and Data Domain. Also it:
    • can centrally restart failed jobs from one pane.
    • tracks the status of backup jobs across all three solutions (NetWorker, Avamar, and Data Domain) in real time.
    • is available on mobile devices, including iOS and Android.
  • Data Protection Advisor alerts IT to trends in data, change rate, and available capacity. It also:
    • features a 6.2 SP3 in the latest generally-available version
    • includes an analysis engine that can help IT root out the causes of failure
    • offers Smart Groups functionality covering:
      • the ability to group backup clients logically and use those groups to guide reporting, analysis, history, etc.
      • the regeneration of sophisticated and detailed reports on demand.
      • a way to bridge the gap between IT and the business side, making the effectiveness and value of backup solutions easily digestible.

EMC Unity Virtualization Integration

On Day 1 of EMC World 2016, EMC Unity was announced. This solution is a mid-tier storage offering built to make all-flash available to businesses of all sizes. On Day 2, Unity’s virtualization capabilities and integration points were dug in to more deeply. This included:

  • Support for Virtual Volumes (vVols) through the use of NTFS (via iSCSI or FC) and NFS (File). (Arraya’s Advice: Use the protocol your team feels most comfortable with.)
  • Control stations and data movers have been eliminated, replaced with pools which can be used for block and file unified architecture in 2 U.
  • Policy-based data store creation (on array) and VM creation (off array).
  • Support of migration from NFS/VMFS datastores over to vVols.
  • New Copy Engine – Uses open source technology to bring speed and scale to vVol clones.

VPLEX: Advanced Configuration and Design

The news of the latest features coming to VPLEX was a hot topic of EMC World 2016 Day 1. During Day 2, optimizing VPLEX to ensure it reaches its full potential was a highlight. This included how to best combine the might of VPLEX and XtremIO. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics discussed:      

  • VPLEX 5.5 now supports native unmap commands to XtremIO so there’s no need to issue these commands manually through a host server.
  • VPLEX 5.4.1 systems now have a health dashboard in the GUI 5.5+.
  • VPLEX now comes with 30 day free monitoring with VPLEX Performance Monitor virtual appliance.
  • VPLEX 5.5 uses an intelligent round robin algorithm on the backend to choose paths with smallest queue for increased performance.

Modern Data Center

Today’s data centers are being hampered by what EMC refers to as “technical debt.” That is, legacy and inherited technologies which aren’t keeping pace with the business’ needs. By embracing the Year of All-Flash, and the following solutions, EMC believes businesses will be better prepared to succeed:

  • VMAX All-Flash Arrays prove the validity of all-flash as a feasible alternative to spinning disk arrays. VMAX All-Flash boasts: 4M IOPS, 1/2 MS Response Time, and 150 GB/s 4 PB capacity, making it the largest all-flash array available. In addition, VMAX also brings to the table:
    • Nearly seven 9’s of availability
    • Up to 16 TB of cache and high capacity flash drives
    • Improved durability of high capacity flash drives due to cache
    • Cloud tiering delivered via CloudArray
    • 450 F/FX or 850 F/FX options
  • Unity brings flash storage to small-to-mid-sized business. It features an easy-to-use, HTML5 interface and five 9’s of availability. Unity storage solutions are also flexible: they can be deployed in a variety of options, including all-flash, hybrid, converged, and SDS, based on the needs of the business. Unity also features:
    • A compact dual controller design
    • Xpect More – EMC’s lifetime maintenance protection, drive warranty, and 3 year money back guarantee
    • CloudIQ, built on CloudFoundry, which lets IT monitor the health and status of a Unity array
    • Internal mini SSD – to de-stage cache
    • 2 PSU with the ability to run on 1

VCE VxRAIL Best Practices for Managing & Protecting Business Critical Workloads

VCE made headlines earlier this year when it debuted VxRail, a hyper-converged infrastructure solution billed as a “quantum leap” forward for hyper-convergence. This scalable solution is capable of reducing management complexity. Of course, the other essential elements to all data center solutions are security and reliability, two things VxRail also excels at. VxRail features:

  • a base of 4 nodes due to the fact that VSAN requires at least 3. Starting with 4 allows VxRail to tolerate 1 failure and then a second failure after re-protection
  • the ability to self-heal from drive failures and re-protect on another node
  • Fault Domains which are used to isolate faults, increasing the solution’s availability
  • Data protection options including VSphere Data Protection and RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines
  • VSphere Replication, site to site, sub one hour RTO/RPO
  • support for stretched clustering

Learn more from EMC World 2016

These are just some of the stories worth following as EMC World continues. Keep an eye on this blog (and our Twitter account) all week as members of the Arraya Solutions enterprise infrastructure team are onsite and will continue reporting back with all of the latest.

Have a question about what’s taking place at EMC World? Contact our team directly by clicking HERE, or reach out to us via any of our social media accounts: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

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Day 1 of EMC World 2016 is in the books and the yearly assemblage of IT leaders and EMC aficionados from across the country got off to a flying start. Highlights from Las Vegas included a emc world pic 4keynote from Super Bowl-winning quarterback Peyton Manning and an introduction of an official name for the combined infrastructure power of Dell and EMC – Dell Technologies. Beyond that, attendees were also treated to a firsthand look at what the future holds for EMC and its industry-leading technology.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the day’s biggest announcements.

  • What’s New with VPLEX
    • 6 nines of availability has been achieved.
    • Cloud integration allows data to move seamlessly between your data center and the cloud, or to exist in both environments simultaneously.
    • Service level provisioning capabilities allow customers to apply their existing SLO policies with data virtualized behind VPLEX.
    • Performs unmap command natively when XtremIO is used as back end storage. This eliminates the need to issue unmap commands manually through a host server, reclaiming valuable provisioning space in the process.
    • Includes a performance monitor tool that can provide up to 30 days of historical data.
    • Total VPLEX volumes have increased. There are 25% more volumes for local and 275% more for distributed volumes for metro and geo VPLEX deployments.
    • Now supported with Appsync integration for automated copy management when XtremIO is used as back end storage.
  • Announcing EMC Unity
    • A new mid-tier storage solution capable of bringing EMC’s concept of 2016 as “the year of all-flash” to businesses of all sizes.
    • Available in a multitude of configurations, including all-flash, hybrid array, software-defined, and converged configurations.
    • Boasts a storage capacity of up to 3 PB.
    • Brings a rich set of unified file and block storage options in a footprint of 2U.
  • What’s New for RecoverPoint
    • New Gen6 Hardware
      • 60% more horsepower than previous iterations
      • 320MB/s
      • 39000 iops
    • Module, Field replaceable cards, 1u, 16gb FC, 1Gb or 10Gb iSCSI.
    • RecoverPoint is available for the new Unity storage solution.
    • RecoverPoint for VMs, which features:
      • Integrated management and orchestration
      • Integration with VAIO for vSphere
      • Integration with Vvols
      • VSAN support 6.0 and 6.1
      • RE-IP for recovery can now be executed by way of the GUI
      • Journal can be expanded without losing protection history
    • Additional Day 1 Announcements
      • Data Domain tiering covering cloud and copy data management.
      • Integration of Virtustream storage cloud with on premises storage solutions from EMC, creating a best of both worlds storage environment.
      • MyService360 – EMC’s new support and service analytics system.

Learn more from EMC World 2016

These are just some of the stories worth keeping an eye on from EMC World Day 1 – with the promise of even more updates coming as the week progresses. Keep an eye on this blog (and our Twitter account) all week as members of the Arraya Solutions enterprise infrastructure team are onsite and will continue reporting back with all of the latest.

Have a question about what’s taking place at EMC World? Contact our team directly HERE, or reach out to us via any of our social media accounts: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

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Everyone makes mistakes – even Help Desk staffers, aka the folks who businesses rely on to clean up after others, aren’t immune. In many cases, there’s just a little bit more on the line when the Help Desk drops the ball. After all, how many employees can no longer imagine doing their jobs without the technologies the Help Desk supports?

Some Help Desk mistakes are easy to spot and fix. Others run deeper and are harder to solve. The Arraya team has spent years assisting customers to manage and staff their Help Desks and in that time we’ve gotten pretty good at spotting mistakes that fly under the radar. Even though these mistakes might not be as noticeable as others, they can still do quite a bit of damage to the business if left unchecked.

We funneled those years of experience into the infographic below – and under that you’ll find our expanded take on each of these challenges and what needs to be done to solve them.

5 Mistakes Your Help Desk May Be Making_2_green headline
  • Giving in to ‘Just this once’ – Documented policies are documented because they’ve been judged to be the best path to take to lead to a desired outcome. However, no route will ever be well-worn and proven enough to make shortcuts look less attractive all of the time. For example, if a high-ranking end user requests a permissions change, the temptation is there to sign off on it instead of filtering that end user through the proper approval process. One exception can lead to another and then another, making a firm stance the Help Desk’s best bet.
  • Missing the small picture – Help Desk staffers know what constitutes an IT emergency. Maybe they’ve lived through the painful aftermath of a ransomware attack or a data breach. Those cataclysms can dwarf Joe from Accounting’s access troubles to Help Desk staff. Just because the issue isn’t a fire, it’s still painful for Joe from Accounting. If a smaller problem needs to be tabled for a larger one, Help Desks can earn some good will and some time by reaching out to the person and letting them know where their problem stands in line.
  • Forgetting to follow up – When an issue needs to be passed along to another tech, there’s a tendency to file it under the “Not my problem” heading and dive in to the next. However, that ignores a vital step in the problem management process: the follow-up. After handing off a ticket, Help Desk staffers should follow up with both the person who submitted the ticket and the tech to whom it was transferred. Time is tight on the Help Desk, but even a very brief message checking that the issue was resolved to the user’s liking can build a strong relationship between the Help Desk and its customers.
  • Walling off end users – So many tickets cross the Help Desk that it’s easy for staffers to see them as just that: tickets, and forget about the person or persons attached. As much as possible, Help Desk staffers should get to know the people on the other side of those tickets. Getting to know customers’ needs and wants lets staffers perform their own job better. Chances are many of those needs and wants line up with what Help Desk staffers’ also value: the ability to work effectively and efficiently, going home at a reasonable hour, etc. This mindset allows the Help Desk to see end users as their partners instead of as tickets.
  • Measuring too much – We’ve all heard that old business saying that you can’t control what you don’t measure. That saying has been very much taken to heart in today’s Big Data-obsessed, more-measurements-the-better climate. Of course, it is possible to have too much data. Help Desk teams should regularly audit the data they’re collecting and how they’re using it. After a review, the team might realize information previously thought of as “must-have” is actually white noise, stealing bandwidth from more worthwhile pursuits.

Increase the reach of your Help Desk

Arraya Solutions’ Managed Help Desk service is designed to expand the skills and availability of onsite IT teams. When your team clocks out for the day – or when their experience with a project is light – that’s when our team steps in.

Our Managed Services team’s ability to increase customer efficiency and technology ROI has landed Arraya on CRN’s Managed Service Provider 500 list for three straight years. If you’d like to learn more about Arraya’s work on Help Desks or our Managed Services in general, reach out to us at: http://www.arrayasolutions.com/contact-us/

We can also be reached through any of our social media accounts: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Be sure to follow us on each to keep on top of our latest blog posts, company news, and upcoming special events.

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Earlier this week, TrendMicro posted a blog informing the public of two major vulnerabilities it found within Apple QuickTime software. Apple is no longer issuing security updates for QuickTime so the only way to be completely safe is to uninstall it from your machine. For organizations with hundreds or thousands of workstations, this could be a nightmare to deal with and an easy entry point for hackers.

The question is, what can IT do about it?

Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) can help organizations protect themselves from this threat by identifying all assets with QuickTime installed and then subsequently removing the software. There are a number of ways you could accomplish this with SCCM. Here is an example of one way you might go about it.

The first step is to identify the attack footprint for your organization by identifying the computers that have QuickTime installed. SCCM has simple, built-in reporting around the information it gathers from the computers in the organization. The report you are looking for is under Software – Companies and Products – Computers with a specific product name and version.

In the Product Name field, just type QuickTime and select the Product version. In Arraya’s demo environment, we didn’t have any computers with QuickTime except one (see below). This report gives you a good idea of the challenge ahead of you and the potential impact.

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The second step is to start removing the software and provide protection against computers that may have it installed in the future. This kind of automation can be done by using what is known as Configuration Baselines. These will automatically populate a target list for the uninstall command.

In order to remove the software, we have to find it first. There are a number of ways this can be accomplished, including looking for related files and folders. In this example, we will detect the uninstall registry key for the software. This is a very strong method to detect any software that is listed in Add/Remove Programs. Start by opening up the SCCM console and creating a new Configuration Item called “Detect QuickTime.”

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Instruct this configuration item to consider any computers with this key to be Non-Compliant. This can be deployed to all systems or all workstations in the environment. It will instruct each machine to check for the existence of this particular registry key. When detected, the machine will report back to SCCM that it is not compliant. From here, we can build a group of computers known as a Collection. This can be built automatically based on the computers reporting Non-Compliance.

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The populated Collection of computers is where you deploy the uninstall command. In this case, we use a simple package to deliver the command. The command to uninstall QuickTime is:

MsiExec.exe /x {FF59BD75-466A-4D5A-AD23-AAD87C5FD44C} /passive

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Back over to our test computer that has QuickTime, you can look at the status of the Baseline we just created. You can see that this computer is now considered Non-Compliant.

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This computer will be a member of the Collection we created and receive the uninstall command. Once that is done, the next time the machine evaluates its compliance, it will see that it is now Complaint and will automatically remove it from that Collection. As time goes on, you will see the number of Non-Compliant computers diminish in the Collection. If anyone in your organization installs QuickTime in the future without your permission, you can rest easy knowing it will be uninstalled as soon as that computer evaluates itself.

This methodology can be used to remove any unwanted or risky software from your network. If you are interested in learning more about what SCCM can do, contact Arraya and schedule a demo today!

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End user computing from VMware looks a little different lately. The virtualization leader recently announced a host of new releases, reorganizations, and renames coming to its line of end userModern businessman sitting at workplace and typing computing products. Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest updates impacting VMware’s end user computing sphere and what these changes mean for your business moving forward.

New Release: Horizon 7

Horizon 7 is optimized for today’s cloud and mobile-centric world. Horizon 7 connects users with their desktops, apps, online services from any device and any location, while allowing IT to manage and deliver those features from across virtual data centers, virtual machines, and physical devices. Ultimately, Horizon 7 addresses the 4 S’s of IT care-abouts: Security, Scalability, Speed, and Simplicity.

What specifically has changed from the previous Horizon release? Here’s a look:

  • Instantaneous VM Management – Instant Clone lets IT stand up or update desktops instantly as the name suggests as opposed to preexisting processes which could take hours depending on the size of the environment.
  • Built for the Hybrid Cloud – Horizon 7’s workloads live on-prem or in the cloud, making it a perfect fit for customers looking to seamlessly transition from the former to the latter.
  • Poised to Grow as Needed – With Cloud Pod Architecture, Horizon 7 can scale to support 50,000 sessions over 10 sites, and it can do this with 25 pods of infrastructure in one or more data centers.
  • Intelligent, Real-Time Security – Horizon 7 balances the security and control features IT professionals want with the ease of use necessary to keep end users from getting frustrated and searching for workarounds.
  • Display Technology for Mobile Workforces – Blast Extreme is constructed on a base of industry-standard H.264 protocol, powering a crystal clear user experience on billions of user devices.

New Release: App Volumes 3.0

In many businesses, the application lifecycle management process is plagued by high costs, slow maintenance, and aging approaches – all issues VMware looks to solve with App Volumes 3.0. This solution unites automation, integrated end-user management, and unified administration (among other capabilities) to make life easier for the folks managing the apps and the folks using the apps. In addition, it can save IT up to 70% budget-wise.

Here are some of the top new features found in App Volumes 3.0:

  • AppToggle – By enabling per user entitlement and installation of apps within a lone AppStack, this architecture reduces the number of AppStacks IT needs to manage, leading to lower costs and storage needs, with higher performance.
  • AppCapture w/ AppIsolation – Adding this new capability allows IT to easily capture and update apps, simplifying packaging, delivery, etc. while AppIsolation integration allows for further streamlined app management.
  • AppScaling w/ Multizones – This feature eliminates the need to have additional software in order to use AppStack for replication across multiple locations.
  • Fully-Modernized Architecture – App Volumes 3.0 offers the intelligence and flexibility need to manage the business applications as well as end user environments of today.
  • Single Pane of Glass Management Console – Admins gain a perch from which they can monitor environments, while also automating the creation of management workflows surrounding app delivery, user environment management, and more.

Renames and Reorganizations

There are also a number of VMware end user computing offerings gaining either a new name, a new set of features, or both. Here’s a helpful guide to all of this movement.

Workspace Suite is now Workspace ONE

Workspace ONE brings the best of Workspace Suite to cloud-connected workplaces. By re-engineering elements of the AirWatch and Horizon portfolios and placing them in the cloud, Workspace ONE gives employees access to the technology they need to do their jobs regardless of where they are or what device they’re working from. Plus, the fact that it’s cloud-based, ensures Workplace ONE is always up-to-date.

Horizon Application Management Bundle is now App Volumes Enterprise

App Volumes Enterprise used to be known as “Horizon Application Management Bundle” before it was bestowed its current moniker earlier this year. The new name reflects the solution’s place as an application and user management tool built for enterprise-scale workloads, including app delivery, isolation, and monitoring.

App Volumes Standard now includes VMware User Environment Manager

App Volumes Standard – which services app and user management workloads for small and mid-sized businesses – has gained some new capabilities. This solution was recently expanded to include User Environment Manager (UEM). The move pairs the end user profile management abilities of UEM with the virtual environment management abilities of App Volumes Standard.

App Volumes Advanced includes UEM and ThinApp

App Volumes Advanced used to be known simply as App Volumes before that solution was split into three separate tiered offerings. The new Advanced tier is home to the profile management abilities of UEM, the app and end user management of App Volumes, and Thin Apps’ ability to isolate apps from operating systems.

Dive deep into VMware’s latest updates

That’s a lot of movement on the end user computing side to keep tabs on, however, the Arraya Solutions VMware team is ready to help. Our experts can provide more in-depth explanations of any of the above changes, as well as answer any other questions you might have about virtualization. Click HERE to start a conversation today.

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