Entries Tagged 'networking' ↓

PacketTrap MSP has come out with a new 6.0 version that is chock full of features and is specifically designed for the Managed Service Provider (MSP) or for multiple data center enterprises to monitor and troubleshoot their networks.

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PacketTrap can be used to diagnose and correct a lot of different network problems, such as traffic analysis, network maps, bandwidth issues, hardware and software inventory, remote control of desktops and servers, anti-virus protection, report on overloaded disk volumes and other device management issues. There are various versions, including one for MSPs that can be hosted remotely, or on-premises versions that can be installed inside a corporate data center. They are in a somewhat specialized field where Kaseya, Spiceworks and Enable Software are two of their competitors.

The new 6.0 release has what they call full screen dashboard mode which can be used to rotate through all your individual dashboard screens. It is designed to sit up on the wall of your network operations center. Also included is an array of custom gadgets, so users can create their own gadgets from templates and can turn into reports that can be run too.

Second is the addition of anti-virus monitoring tools. These allow the MSP to deploy and manage all AV software across the customer's environment, and sell an additional security service, using GFI/Sunbelt's engine.

Also new are global data collection and remediation policies that can be executed across the entire enterprise. In the past, these policies couldn't be created for more than a single customer, again making it easier for an MSP to populate and enforce a single policy across all its customers easily.

Added to the long list of devices that can be monitored is the ability to monitor VMware ESX servers and their VMs that are running on each server.

Finally, their community discussion page is now embedded inside the main product's Web pages, where you can find scripts, ask questions from their knowledge base, and other items.

You can download a trial version, and pricing is available by number of sites starting at $327 per month for up to five sites, with up to 500 devices total across all the sites. Anti-virus is an additional $8 per year per device.

Today at the GigaOM Structure event in San Francisco Citrix Data Center and Virtualization CTO Simon Crosby announced that he and Xen founder Ian Pratt are stepping down and starting a new company called Bromium. The company also announced that it closed a series A to the tune of $9.2 million from Andreessen Horowitz, Ignition Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners.

We caught up with Crosby by phone today to ask a few questions about the Bromium's plans.

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Bromium is in stealth mode, but in a blog post Crosby revealed that Bromium is "fusing deep virtualization and security systems DNA to build a powerful set of tools that can offer continuous endpoint protection." Crosby wrote that Bromium won't compete with any existing virtual infrastructure or security vendor.

Though the name may sound more like a high-end competitor to AXE Body Spray than a technology company, Crosby told GigaOM's Derrick Harris to think about another technology with which Bromium rhymes. Chromium is the obvious answer, suggesting that this may have something to do with Google browser, or perhaps Chromium/ChromeOS.

Note: this is a rough and somewhat edited transcript due to a poor connection quality of our phone call.

ReadWriteWeb: Why did you decide to start a new company instead of pursuing these projects at Citrix?

Simon Crosby: This is very much in the domain of systems security, so it's not part of the core DNA of Citrix. It's a different domain from Citrix, though it's still related to virtualization. We talked to Citrix about it and we all agreed that we needed to have a passionate team focused on that particular business problem.

It sounds like you think that trust and perception are actually bigger problems than the actual security of the public cloud, is that correct?

Trust is a multifaceted and subjective measure. I think people's mistrust in the public cloud is largely misplaced. This comes largely from a perception of cloud providers being somehow untrustworthy, but the reality is that cloud providers will often build something that's more secure than the enterprise would build themselves. Cloud providers have people dedicated to security.

Some people think of the cloud as insecure because they've been attack through the cloud. For example, the RSA breach or Operation Aurora, where Chinese hackers exploited Internet Explorer 6.

Moreover, you will not be more secure in the private cloud than the public cloud because I can walk in through the front door on any of your employees PCs.

What do you see as the biggest cloud/virtualization security problem that is not currently being addressed by other vendors? It sounds like you think the client is the biggest problem.

The point of the client is to ensure that all running code is protected at all times. That's the problem Bromium is trying to solve.

Will the products Bromium offers work with virtualizations products other than Xen, such as those offered by VMware or Microsoft?

Bromium is not based at all on the hypervisor technology that is in use at all. The core intellectual property is hypervisor independent.

I know it's too early to say much, but given your background in open source, can we expect Bromium to open-source some of its code?

I think that in the cloud business open source is the most valuable tool in the toolbox. That's been a core element of everything I've learned in the past six years or so. So yes, we're absolutely committed to that. Some components may be proprietary, some may be open source, much as we've done at Citrix.

Today eEye Digital Security released the results of a survey of over 1,600 IT administrators, managers and C-level executives about their top security concerns. Most respondents said that high profile malware like Project Aurora and Stuxnet were either small or very small threats to their enterprises. Slightly more were concerned about government or state sponsored hacking. But most still saw this as a low priority.

So what are they actually worried about?

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Common, day-to-day malware.

It's been over two decades since John McAfee founded one of the first anti-virus companies. Why is it that companies still have to worry about malware?

Survey respondents cited various concerns, but a lack of resources and the inability to deal with zero-day vulnerabilities top their concerns.

So if the magic resource faery waved its wand and gave the respondents a 20% budget increase, what would they spend it on? Security reporting and dashboards, patch management and configuration compliance topped their wish lists.

Photo by Circo de Invierno

These days, a lot of folks are looking for a job, and after the LinkedIn IPO, job seeking tools are back in the spotlight. A Facebook App called BranchOut grew from 30,000 to more than 800,000 users in a matter of days last week, especially without any marketing hoopla, constructing virtual farm land or attacking angry avians.

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LinkedIn, of course, is the social networking champ in this space (even though its stock price is down from its post-IPO thrall). Is their room for another service?

The idea is a similar one: increase your networking and job-seeking potential by targeting someone at a company that you want to work for, but don't necessarily know first-hand. If you can find someone in your existing network who does, you can relay your interest through your common friend and hope to at least get a toehold and a potential meeting set up.

BranchOut duplicates many of the same features found in LinkedIn: you can create networks, search for job openings or people at specific companies, seek endorsements from people you have worked with and pay for premium services (in their situation, it cost $99 vs. LinkedIn monthly fees starting at $25). You can also automatically import your LinkedIn account information via their app to get started easier. Once you have your account setup, the service recommends people that you might know who aren't yet in your network, similar to what LinkedIn does - although with LinkedIn you can see the context by which you might know someone and how many common connections you both share, both missing from the current BranchOut version.

Like Foursquare, there are badges and other eye candy that you post to your Facebook Wall, all to attract more people to the system and promote your own activities.

However, most of us have created our LinkedIn networks using professional contacts for the most part, and these networks may be more useful in terms of connecting job seekers with the right people. For example, I have more than 2,200 connections on LinkedIn, and when I loaded BranchOut, only had 160 connections there. The BranchOut app was a bit sluggish and somewhat buggy, and I had to reload it a few times to complete the initial setup.

It is worth checking out, if nothing more than to have something professional to do on Facebook or if you have yet to establish your beachhead on LinkedIn. But if you are an experienced LinkedIn user with a well-developed profile and make use of Groups and Answers on that service, you are probably better off staying put rather than learning something new.

Life, to me, is all about human connections.

No, it’s not so much about the “professional networking” aspect or building a social media network full of fans and promoters. Even in our increasingly tech-laden world, it’s those pure, totally uninhibited, simply “human” face-to-face connections that mean the absolute most in life.

There’s something so unique and special about the bonds we forge over laughter and smiles, as well as those shared over tears and during moments of adversity when communities unite to overcome sorrow.

However, if you’re more of an “introvert” like me and not a Type-A, extroverted personality, those human connections feel a bit tougher to come by. I’d rather listen that talk, ask questions than rattle off answers. It takes some real courage for me to enter a social setting that I’m unfamiliar with, or especially (gasp!) a social scene where I don’t know anybody else beforehand.

Are you the same way?

No matter the extent of your social skills, introverted personality, or even if you deal with social anxiety in certain situations, I’ve assembled some of the easiest and most effective tips for introverts — provided by introverts, themselves! — from across the web and Twittersphere for you to try out at your next networking event or at the local watering hole this weekend!

1. JUST DO IT!!

“I have to force myself to get out there. It’s hard to do. But I join organizations, talk to business people… Engaging people first through social media has helped make the transition to real life interactions easier: It sets up a wonderful comfort level.” calkundra, on Twitter

Honestly, what would we do without the wisdom of Nike’s infamous catch-phrase? Simply force yourself to step outside of your comfort zones. You can even use social media like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to facilitate face-to-face connections in a way that provide an initial level of familiarity and comfort with new people.

Did you know that modern scientific and psychological studies prove that when you interpret difficult, uncomfortable situations as “challenges” and “adventures,” we are better able to cope with stress and anxiety?

Get creative and push yourself to extend your boundaries. View each interaction, and each new social setting as a unique challenge, opportunity and adventure to meet new and wonderful people — who knows who you’ll meet, what you’ll learn, and what good could come to a stranger’s life thanks to your friendly smile.

2. RELAX, GET COMFORTABLE

“Warmth. Getting relaxed as possible prior.” playwithamy, on Twitter

Outside of using social media to get yourself more familiar with people who will be in attendance at upcoming networking and social events, you can even visit the venue itself to get familiar with the “lay of the land.” I don’t know about you, but I get all sorts of flustered when I get lost heading to a new venue or struggle to find parking for my car (or, in Boston where I’m currently living, figuring there’s a good chance of getting ticketed and/or towed!).

Watch a funny movie or TV show ahead of time, too.

Your happy, smiling, fun-loving state will carry over into the event and help you radiate with attractive, positive energy and invite new people to approach you for conversation.

3. SET SIMPLE GOALS

“Speak to one stranger per day! Trust and embrace the unknown!” outwardnick, on Twitter

Focus on setting simple goals. Meeting one new person every day — or even just one person in any social setting — helps to build your confidence, gather forward momentum and create a sensation of steady growth within you.

You can meet just one stranger per day, can’t you? :)

4. GET HELP FROM YOUR (OUTGOING) FRIENDS

“I think having at least one very extroverted friend helps. When I’m with mine, you’d never know how shy and introverted I am.” aprilsmithma, on Twitter

This is an awesome bit of advice. Who are your most outgoing, social friends? You can “ride their coat-tails” and tag along with them to events you might not otherwise feel comfortable attending, and begin meeting new people through their naturally extroverted personality.

Don’t feel intimidated by your friend if he or she woos the room and you feel like you’ve taken a back seat or are hiding in the shadows. Remain confident and smiling. You can even ask your friend outright for help meeting people — they will happily oblige.

I use this strategy myself!

5. EMBRACE THE NERVES

“Be scared, uncomfortable, and do it anyway. Stretch boundaries slowly, desensitize one awkward situation at a time! :)” jwitcraft, on Twitter

You’re nervous? Good. You’re alive.

Like any skill, socializing takes practice. I’ve gotten better and better at it over time, and in spite of your nerves, stretching your boundaries step-by-step will help you grow to become pretty good at witty banter and that typical back-and-forth of conversations when meeting new people.

6. MAKE IT ABOUT THEM, NOT YOU

“Focus on the other person. Asking ppl about themselves & being interested makes them think you’re a great conversationalist. :D” cordeliacallsit, on Twitter

I personally LOVE this tip. In any uncomfortable situation, an introvert’s best strategy is to simply take the attention off yourself by asking questions, becoming invested in the words the other person is saying, and deeply listening to their stories.

Take the attention off of yourself by making your interaction with someone about them and not you, and you won’t feel like you’re buckling under the pressure of “putting on a show.”

This technique will also make you feel more comfortable to open up yourself and get familiarized with the group of people with whom you’re spending time.

7. DROP THE ‘INTROVERT’ LABEL ALTOGETHER!

This tip is my own!

Personally, I’m really not sure when I “finally” realized I was an introverted personality. But if the decision was an “either/or” between introvert and extrovert, it’s not like I had much of a choice, anyway!

I’m not sure that it makes any sense to completely reduce our deeply complex personalities to such a black-or-white, introvert or extrovert, one-or-the-other label: one that ingrains an idea within our own minds of our personal skills, talents, abilities, and — equally as powerful — our perceived limitations.

Truly, each of our individual personalities (combined with our unique living experiences) should remind us that each of our personalities represent one of “one million-shades of gray.”

Just drop the “introvert” label and remind yourself that every person is really in the same boat as a human being looking to share those same unique and special human connections with others.

After all, that’s what life is really about.

Enterprise software tools vendor Solarwinds has announced new versions of several of its products to help enterprise virtualization and network admins better manage their networks. All are available now.

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First is a new version 4.0 of its Virtualization Manager (formerly called Hyper9) that allows you to examine little-used VMs, predict when you will run out of CPU or storage capacity, and turn back the clock to see when you first had a particular issue with your virtual infrastructure. There are VMware vSphere plug-ins that can perform some of these tasks directly within vCenter, and dashboards galore to help you keep track of all of VMs across your enterprise.

Second is a new version 10.1 of its Orion Network Performance Monitor software that offers deeper visibility into the data center, with loads of new enhancements, including support for Cisco's Unified Communication System and integration with Microsoft's Active Directory.

Finally, there is a new version 5.0 of Storage Manager Powered by Profiler. It allows you to map VMs to their actual physical storage they consume, along with being able to view thin provisioning information on your virtual disk storage so you can gain visibility into the level of over-commitment on your storage. It also integrates into the Orion Network Performance monitor for easier dashboard management.

You can download a 30-day free trial for all of their products, and licenses start at less than $3000 with some very complex pricing tiers for each. On each of the site links above there are short intro videos that will show you around what is new and how each product can be used, along with lots of details on their other products too.

Today Microsoft announced the Windows Thin PC (WinTPC) thin client operating system will be available on July 1. A release candidate has been available since March.

The company also announced that WinTPC will be supported by Microsoft's Forefront Endpoint Protection.

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WinTPC is based on Windows 7 and replaces the Windows XP based Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP).

The idea is to give enterprises the ability to reuse old desktops and laptops as thin clients to access remote desktops or cloud-based services. WinTPC will run only certain applications such as security, management, terminal emulation, Remote Desktop, Citrix Receiver and Web browsers. Running the thin client OS will enable enterprises to upgrade from legacy operating systems without needing to upgrade or replace hardware.

WinTPC and WinFLP are available only to Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) customers. Earlier this year Brian Madden criticized both WinTPC and WinFLP for being locked down, and for offering little of value to SA customers.

Another option would be to run any of the various lightweight cloud-oriented operating systems now on the market.

Today Microsoft announced the Windows Thin PC (WinTPC) thin client operating system will be available on July 1. A release candidate has been available since March.

The company also announced that WinTPC will be supported by Microsoft's Forefront Endpoint Protection.

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WinTPC is based on Windows 7 and replaces the Windows XP based Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP).

The idea is to give enterprises the ability to reuse old desktops and laptops as thin clients to access remote desktops or cloud-based services. WinTPC will run only certain applications such as security, management, terminal emulation, Remote Desktop, Citrix Receiver and Web browsers. Running the thin client OS will enable enterprises to upgrade from legacy operating systems without needing to upgrade or replace hardware.

WinTPC and WinFLP are available only to Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) customers. Earlier this year Brian Madden criticized both WinTPC and WinFLP for being locked down, and for offering little of value to SA customers.

Another option would be to run any of the various lightweight cloud-oriented operating systems now on the market.

If you spend any time trying the usual networking strategies, then you’ll probably notice that most of them seem insincere at best. It always feels like you’re fighting between your own agenda and the best interests of your new “friends.”

That said, networking is perhaps the single best way to achieve success.

So how do you achieve the goal of advancing your career and expanding your professional network without using people? Here are 7 tips that should help.

1. Choose the best channel for you.

Too often, we spread ourselves too thin by setting up accounts on social media sites, going to networking mixers, cold-calling potential clients, asking interesting people out to lunch and so on. For most of us, this all-out pursuit leads to burnout instead of results. Rather than trying to be everywhere at once, decide which area should receive your attention first. Choosing to focus on one mode of communication makes it easier to give your new contacts your full attention … which is exactly what they deserve.

2. It’s about listening to what people say, not saying the right things.

Take a bit of the pressure off of yourself. You don’t need to say the exact right words at the exact right time. Networking is more about taking the time to listen to people’s stories and looking for the places that you can provide something of value to them. it is crucial to understand where people are coming from and what’s important to them. That way, you’ll be able to help them out in the future.

3. You don’t need to know the most people, just the right people.

Stop firing your business cards to everyone you meet and blasting emails out to anyone that looks interesting. It’s much more beneficial to have 10 people that would help you at any time than it is to have 100 that recognize your name. Spend some time finding people that are relevant to you and then pursue the relationships that seem to have a genuine connection.

4. The other side doesn’t “owe” you anything.

Just because you reached out and said hello doesn’t mean that the other person is required to help you. Instead of approaching networking with the hope of gaining favors, try reaching out with curiosity. Contact interesting and relevant people and see what happens. Figure out what makes them unique. See if there is a way you can help them. And if you do help them, don’t expect anything in return.

5. Every person matters.

Please don’t make the mistake of categorizing networking opportunities by status, position, or other superficial metrics. People advance in their careers. People change jobs and industries. Furthermore, you literally have no idea who knows who. That fast food worker could have a cousin that works on Capitol Hill. Treat everyone with respect and don’t dismiss anyone as irrelevant.

6. Offer praise when you reach out over email.

Unless you have a mutual contact that is putting you in touch for a specific reason, it’s best to avoid asking for anything when you make that first contact. Did they win an award or did their company do well last quarter? Send a quick note of congratulations. Over email it’s especially important that you offer a little praise before delving deeper. If they reply to your first email, then you can move on to asking for advice or setting up a date for lunch.

7. Show your current network some love.

Networking isn’t just about reaching out to new people. A huge part of it is nurturing your current network of friends, co-workers, and peers. You can start helping these people today because you already know what they are interested in. Network with the people that are already close by sending helpful information and connecting them with other interesting people you already know.

These steps aren’t difficult, but the do require you to take action.

There aren’t any secret sayings that will turn you into a world-class networker. Simply, begin reaching out and helping others however you can. If you’re looking for more, then I’ve put together an even longer list of networking tips.

Six Places Online To Find Something To Do

• href="http://craigslist.org">Craigslist.   The grand daddy of all websites to help you get out of the house.  Classes? Check. Events? Check. Just friends? Check. More than friends? No problem.  I use Craigslist all the time – my favorite sections to post are “strictly platonic” when I’m looking for tennis and hiking buddies, and in the “musicians” section when looking for fellow band mates.  Whatever you’re looking for, Craigslist has you covered.  I’ve even made friends with people after purchasing used tennis rackets and guitars, and some of my best friends have been random people I’ve met on Craigslist.  I have friends in different cities through Craigslist to this day – some of whom I met as many as seven years ago!
• href="http://meetup.com">Meetup.  Meetup is awesome – they have well organized events, you can see who is attending, and you will often see the same regulars at event after event so you can build a relationship.  I’m involved in about a dozen Meetup groups, although I don’t attend many events – but I love being able to see what’s being planned and having the option of attending. Many cities have dedicated “New In Town” Meetup groups, and whenever I’ve attended I’ve found them to be welcoming – and a great place to meet people when I’ve first arrived.
• href="http://twtvite.com/">Twtvite.   A relative newcomer, Twtvite uses Twitter to publicize events and RSVPs.  You don’t even need a Twitter account to use it, you can  just show up – but you’ll want to get on Twitter so you can keep in touch with all the cool people you meet.  Just go to the site to see what’s being organized in your town and to see who’s attending.  As I was writing this I went to check it out and found an event one of my friends was organizing,  that 30 people are attending.  Instant things to do, instant Twitter followers and instant new real life friends.
• href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.bandshows">Myspace Shows. I love discovering new music, so whenever I move to a new city, this is one of the first sites I pull up. Not only does it help me find local music, it also helps me meet people, because I can find people at the concerts that likely are similar to me.  If nothing else, the people I meet have the same taste in music. It also gives me an excuse to check out bars I may not normally visit. One night when I was living in Maui, I had nothing to do so I found an acoustic musician playing a solo show in a tiny little bar in Kihei.  I decided to check it out, and I was blown away.  He was amazing, and since then we’ve remained good friends – and I’ve introduced many of my friends to his music.  I also check out Ticketmaster since they tend to have lots of concerts listed as well, but generally not as many as Myspace Shows – and I also have a harder time meeting people at large concerts compared to smaller local shows.
• href="http://www.metromix.com/">Metromix.  A  great source for club parties and local bar events, Metromix is slick and polished.  They have lots of pictures and information about the venues, so you can make a decision about where to spend your evening.  The downside is they tend to be focused on nightlife, so you may have a harder time finding daytime events.
• href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=fe">Facebook Events. This requires slightly more work which is why it’s last.  Whenever a friend invites me to an event on Facebook, I take a look at who the organizer for the event is and check out their Facebook profile.  Over time I’ve found about a dozen people – local DJs, bartenders, etc. – who constantly post new events to Facebook to get the word out.  The result is that now on any given night, there are usually one or two events I can see going on on Facebook.  Since I can see who is organizing events as well, I can often get on guest lists for free or reduced cover charge.

How about you? Are there any websites you like that help you find local events?

Sid Savara is a a lifehacking fanatic. Visit Sid’s website for more information about HREF="http://sidsavara.com/personal-development/how-to-get-motivated-tips">how to get motivated and href="http://sidsavara.com">analysis driven personal development. Sign up for his newsletter and pick up a copy of his HREF="http://sidsavara.com/motivational-quotes-book">free motivational quotes book, The Little Book Of Big Motivational Quotes.

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