In a nutshell, Web 2.0 is a group of powerful applications that improve the way we communicate online.

With that said, imagine what Web 3.0 will be like and how its applications will be different than its predecessor?

One focal point of Web 3.0 will be a much richer semantic interpretation of information that’s being searched out on the Internet.

As we’ve watched the Internet evolve, many people have paid attention to the power of search, what it does, how it generates information, and how that information can be used personally, professionally and through collaboration with others.

While applications will continue to grow and software will expand, the searching power of Web 3.0 will greatly enhance our lives and the people who we interact with.

What makes Web 3.0 a lot different than Web 2.0 is that Web 3.0 builds on certain attributes that have been offered up in previous versions and it enhances them – not just in flat content, such as print material – but also through video, audio and other media formats.

The wonderful thing about Web 3.0 is that it’s new, it will grow and as Web 3.0 takes shape on the Internet, an emerging strategy will come out for people who are continuously working at developing enhancements to it.

Web 3.0 will change many of the things we know about Internet search. What’s promising to Internet users is the accuracy of queried information and the search results.

The improved search results we get will change how we research information, make interpretations of it and use it to better our lives.

What’s nice too, is we will witness first-hand how the Internet will once again change for the better.

In the end, Web 3.0 structured semantics will benefit everyone and numerous new software applications will run on servers, PC workstations, mobile devices and other PC centric hardware.

I am Joe’s email list.

Joe calls me his list, his peeps, and sometimes just “the list.” But, I am not a list, really, I am not a crowd, or an audience. I am not “everyone out there” as they teach new broadcasters to say.

I am me. One single person with hopes, dreams, stresses and fears.

In many ways I am just like you - the way you describe yourself in your hungry years before you went to that life changing event, read the book, and started making money online.

I get email from you Joe.

I can’t remember for sure, but I think I “joined” one day when you offered a free report or video and I had to put my email address in - and confirm - in order to see it.

In my inbox, Joe, your email looks just like the personal emails I get from my daughter or son, and sometimes, sadly, from my ex.

Now that you’ve been sending me email - as well as some of your “good friends” - I have begun to be able to see in a glance that they are just offers, sometimes disguised as important messages, sometimes blatantly, not.

Whenever I see the word “this” in your subject lines, like - “this won’t last long” - or “have you seen this?” I know it’s an offer.

Since the Product Launch Formula I and especially II - I’m amazed at how many times per month I am literally inundated with emails from so many people all about the same exciting product.
They arrive over multiple days, culminating in a bonus orgy that is just overwhelming.

I read a clever post in a forum once, that “the bonuses are so comprehensive, it makes me wonder what is covered in the course, that is not already covered in the bonuses!”

That made me laugh.

I’m writing you today, to share something important about myself - and I hope you’ll take the time to consider my feelings, ok? I have to get off of some of these lists.

The volume of email and the distraction of chasing the offers is just crippling my time, my focus, and my ability to get things done.

When Rick Butts asked his readers to consider unsubscribing from the people who sent you Stompernet Launch offers IF they had not provided any useful content in the last month - he really got me thinking.

Then Ed Dale made a video saying, basically, that no one is holding a gun to your head and that if you wanted to stop getting offers - stop bitching - and just unsubscribe.

But here’s the deal. I’d LIKE to learn from you Joe - and to be able to know that being on “your list” is valuable to me, my business, and my future.

So, please don’t think me a big whiner, I’m a customer, and here’s what I respectfully request:

1. Slow down the frequency of mailing to me, Joe. Do not email me every day - that’s just way too much now.

2. Don’t mail me offers all the time. I’m reading a lot more RSS feeds from bloggers who are putting out great content. If you are using Feedburner or Feedblitz or Aweber’s blog notification service that mails me when you update your blog - then, cool. I’m good with that.

3. If you do mail me an offer PLEASE don’t cut and paste the pre-written one from the creator of the product. Do you know how stupid that makes you look to me? And, how insulting it is to get them from multiple people?

4. Try giving me some TRUTHINESS in your communiqués to me. If you are really making money in the non-marketing-to-Internet-marketers, then tell me some useful tips that are working for you. No, you don’t need to tell me your market niche but hey, every once in a while how about your show me how valuable I am to you buy sharing one of those SECRETS?

5. Show me some stuff that made less than $1,000,000.00. I’d be immensely interested in real world examples of success I can get my head around. I’m never going to build a big list of “biz-op” peeps and hammer them with a big JV launch. Show me how I can make $500 a week - then be able to replace my income and quit my skank job.

6. Stop bragging about your zero-gravity dives and how you are spending my money in outrageous ways. Trust me, this is a lot more fun for you, then it is for me to read about it. You may excuse it as “inspirational” but I don’t’ even think that works in MLM anymore. It just annoys me. A little “high life” goes a long way and I’m more impressed by how Internet marketing lets you enjoy your family.

7. Please, please, please, for the love of God, stop participating in these dreadful launches! Let me believe you are successful enough without having to bend over and schlep me and the rest of my list mates through your embarrassing attempt to get me to “buy from you” and help you win a contest.

The reason Rick Butts wrote about the 12 Biggest Whores, without naming anyone, is that we have all watched the emergence of about that many well known marketers who cross-promote each others stuff so regularly it is hard to imagine that they do anything else.

I think that gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of things that would make getting email from you valuable again - and persuade me not to unsubscribe from you forever.

Final thought…

The blowback from the “unsubscribe” and “launch fatigue” has been to accuse me and my list mates, the little people, of being whiners.

And while there is no shortage of whiners in the world, I want you to know that from the bottom of my heart - I am pleading with you to not dismiss me so easily.

What most of us really want is for you to provide us with value, treat us like a long term relationship, and we will, certainly reward you for helping us get to the next level.

Now back to check my email, I think there’s a Traffic Secrets 2.0 launch today?

Sincerely,

Joes List

Reprinted with permission by Rick Butts.. visit Rick Butts at www.RickButts.com

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I recently met with two prominent individuals here in Las Vegas. For their privacy, I will not divulge their names. However, I will tell you they have painted a picture of online and offline marketing as we know it today; and what’s right around the corner.

The following prediction is based on objective data, technology trends, analysis, mastermind groups, and in speaking with reputable marketing managers both in Las Vegas, Nevada and throughout North America.

Before I tell you this prediction, let me say this: If you are thinking about writing a big check to the Yellow Pages for 2009, STOP RIGHT NOW! Don’t do it until you read this post, watch the  5 minute movie below and reconsider sending that check; at least for the full amount. 

The following movie is informative, thought provoking and shows evidence of truth. So enjoy this 5 minute eye opening look into the future of advertising and what you may want to reconsider as you watch the “2015 EPIC movie”  http://epic.makingithappen.co.uk/ 

With that in you mind, let’s ask ourselves a few questions to validate this  knowledge:

Do you have to pay for 411 phone calls anymore? Nope, not with Google 411

Do you have to pay for telephone services like we did just a few years ago?  Not really; we only pay a fraction of what we paid just a few years ago. With Skype, Google Talk, Magic Jack hundreds of other service providers emerging change is eminent.

Do you have to pay for GPS navigation technologies?  Nope, you only have to Google it?

Have many times do you reference Google in comparison to picking up the Yellow Pages?

The ratio at my office is 50 Google queries to 1 look up in the Yellow Page Phonebook (in print or online).

With that said, here is my prediction:  I believe many companies will throw thousand of dollars at the yellow pages for many prospects who are looking at the Yellow Pages for “Let you fingers do the walking” information.  The Yellow Pages are dying!

However, I believe as the Internet grows geometrically (print, audio and video formats), we are all going to witness radical changes in how we market our products and services; how we communicate with others.

Companies that overlook objective data, technology trends and conduct their own analysis may be in fact throwing money at “historically what’s been the mainstay of conventional advertising”, something that will give them a very marginal return on their advertising  investment.

So I ask you, before you pull the trigger on investing in Yellow Page advertising, have you done your homework as it relates to know what’s in store for thousands of business who “with much certainty” will waste millions of dollars on phone book advertising in 2009.

Please know, I am not saying to stop advertising entirely in your phonebook of choice. What I am saying is to reconsider how you can better utilize your advertising budget for 2009.

As our staff  works with clients to build their own Grid platform,  I encourage you to conduct your own research and take the time to educate yourself on what’s changing in areas which will have the greatest impact on growing your business through conventional and non-conventional advertising mediums.

Friends, change is eminent and it’s not coming; “It’s HERE!

To learn more about the Google Grid read the following post: 

GOOGLE GRID PLATFORM & EPIC

Provide your comments and feedback..you opinion counts.

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Copyright © 2008 Coprofit, All rights reserved<

With careful planning there are strategies you can implement during the design phase of your data center build that can minimize downtime and effectively deal with unforeseen power outages.

Your data center is the lifeblood of your company. In fact, as we move forward in time, it is my contention that each computer in the office or at home will become a virtual data center.

When the data center goes down, your company immediately begins to lose money. Whether your data center goes down and services are no longer available, or if your data center goes down and your business is no longer able to access customer information, a data center power outage can be very costly.

Therefore, it’s critical that you proactively plan for a data center power outage. A formal plan should be created, documented and be immediately accessible on-site and remotely. Not having a formal plan in place could prove costly to your business and ongoing operations. Every minute your data center is down, vast sums of money are lost as business is lost. In this day and age, virtually no business can have its data center down for any extended period of time.

Furthermore, communication channels need to be accessible throughout the chain of command. While it is not recommend to immediately communicate a disruption of service to your customers, all employees should be aware of proper communication protocol to external customers in the event of a power outage.

No matter how self-sufficient your data center is, it is still dependent upon the nation’s power grid. The power grid is, in turn, dependent upon many electrical wires running above and underground. Theses wires, at different nodes, are always susceptible to power outages.  For example, a car accident five miles away could cause your data center to lose power for hours, costing your business a significant amount of money.

With careful planning there are strategies you can implement during the design phase of your data center build that can minimize downtime and effectively deal with unforeseen power outages. Data center design should always consider the optional backup power supply in the event of a power outage. Whether your power outage plan includes battery systems or on-site power generation, these options should be considered during the initial planning and design of the data center.

Backup power sources give the data center operator peace of mind in knowing that in the event of a power outage, a temporary and independent power source is available to keep the data center running while the utility company scrambles to get power back to your business.

Deciding which backup power solution is right for your business depends upon individual data center power requirements, local laws and your company budget for the expense. Each alternative power choice has its benefits and runtime limitations. To make the right decision, you must weigh the cost of added redundancy against the cost of downtime in your data center. Also, because emerging technologies continue to progress at an accelerated rate, the data center design should be scalable and adaptable to both current and future growth requirements.

Also, local business zoning laws may determine which type of generator you’re allowed to install on your property. For example, many localities have laws not allowing the installation of diesel-powered generators. Be sure to check into local regulations first before moving forward.

On the other hand, many localities encourage businesses to conserve power through alternative resources. At sites not allowed to install a gas or diesel generator, it may be permitted to install a wind turbine or solar cell to provide the backup power your company needs to stay up and running for a short time period.

Inevitably, your data center will demand increased power requirements. It will not have the same power requirements today as five years from now. It would be costly to install an alternative power solution today only to replace it in a few years. That’s why long-term planning is critical.

The first thing to consider when deciding what type of backup systems you need to install for your data center lies in the probability of a power outage at your business location(s). With generators and many battery systems, interruptions occur when the utility power first becomes unavailable.

Power may temporarily (for a few seconds) be unavailable to servers and computers on the network. Generators do, after all, need to be powered on when needed. Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) systems do not have this problem. They constantly recharge their batteries from the utility provider when power is available and then instantly provide DC power, accomplished with an Auto-Transfer Switch (ATS), to your data center when utility power goes out.

UPS battery backups and other battery-powered backup systems are inherently temporary; however, if your data center is located in an area prone to power outages, or if you require large amounts of temporary power, a generator may be appropriate. Generators usually consist of diesel, gasoline or natural gas engines that provide power as long as there is fuel. Data centers located in areas prone to hurricanes (like Florida) or any prolonged severe weather do well to install generators.

If your business would be better served with UPS systems or battery backups as a temporary measure, you need to consider how large you wish your UPS system to be. UPS systems take up precious data center space. The more battery capacity of a UPS system, the larger amount of space it requires. UPS systems can be designed to be located outside, but this adds a level of susceptibility to the elements, as well as increases the price. UPS systems designed for outside placements must have measures added to fight against the elements.

Deciding which type of power backup system depends on your data center’s runtime needs. If your data center is large (a Tier 2, 3 or 4 data center) and requires a prolonged amount of backup power in case of an outage, or if your data center is located in a hurricane- or power-outage-prone area, it would be wise to consider getting a generator.

If you rarely encounter outages of extended length, or if you only need enough time to properly shut down equipment in case of a power outage, a UPS system or a basic battery backup system may be required. UPS systems are perfect for small data centers that cannot afford any interrupted service.

No matter what system you choose, remember to plan for the future accordingly. As your business grows, so, too, will your data center. Battery backup systems used in conjunction with a generator provide scalability. The battery backup system provides temporary backup power with a generator available if the power outage stretches beyond the batteries’ capacities.

To determine the whether or not you want a power generator implemented into your data center, ask yourself the following questions: 

1. What is the current communications process in place that addresses our course of action and chain of command?

2. How does my business communicate with both internal personnel and external customers in the event of a catastrophic power outage?

3. Are there any local laws that prevent our company from installing a gasoline, diesel fuel or natural gas generator on our property?

4. Do we have a formal, written procedure that addresses what to do in the event of a minor or major catastrophic power outage?

5. Is it more cost effective to install a larger UPS that has a longer runtime or to install a power generator to minimize downtime?

6. In the event of a power outage, how much power, in terms of kilovolts, do we need to sustain business operations, and for what pre-determined period of time?

Most importantly, it is imperative that a documented plan is in place that provides direction on how to effectively deal with a power outage. Taking the time to make smart decisions now could save your company millions of dollars and infinite frustration.

Provide your comments and feedback….your opinion counts.

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Copyright © 2008 Coprofit, All rights reserved.  

A major driving force behind retaining good employees is maintaining high morale in the workplace. Yes, it is important to have strong management and leadership in any organization.

But, what process do fast-growth companies utilize to account for performance goals, improve morale, develop and recognize employee achievement to ensure both managers and employees are performing at their best?  

To often, front line managers do not have a formally defined process which supports their company’s performance management strategy. When this process is missing or fragmented, companies place themselves at risk: conflicting expectations regarding roles and goals, lack of standardized methods and unclear communication can create significant ramifications. 

Also, the company image, relationships between the managers and employees, as well as the quality of work is impacted. This can lead to a decrease in employee morale and job satisfaction, which ultimately impacts the long-term growth and success of the organization.       

Below are some often overlooked steps any business can follow to improve communication standards and boost staff morale.

Step 1 - Define the results you want to achieve by implementing the process.  Some examples would be: to foster an environment of open, honest communication, to communicate both company/department goals and objectives, to establish performance standards and to create a feedback loop between management and employees. 

When results are documented and used as the framework to reference to employees, management now has a clear perspective on what needs to be done to move forward in creating the entire process. All employees benefit because everyone is on the same page, and can now identify company goals and objectives.   

Step 2 - Set company goals and objectives, and determine what is required by employees to achieve these goal and objectives. Recognize, in many cases the vast majority of supervisors and managers are unaware of the importance of goal setting and the power of goal-oriented management.   

By defining company goals and objectives, you not only give employees a target to identify, you create a platform for dialogue between management and employees to observe what goals are being met, and what must be done to ultimately achieve all goals. By linking goals from executive management down through to rank and file employees, everyone identifies the big picture and ultimately what must be accomplished to sustain the organization’s growth and profitability.   

Step 3 - Document the performance expectations. Define performance expectations in a simple, easy to read format that includes performance categories - usually no more than six major categories are necessary.   Categories may include quality and quantity of work, attendance/punctuality, teamwork, safety and communication. Certain categories, such as quality and quantity of work, must be measurable. The benefit of implementing measurements within expectations is the company will move one step closer to establishing clearly defined standards.

These measurements can be linked to department/company goals, incentive pay, an existing compensation model and consideration of certain employees for promotion within the organization.   In addition to defining formal performance expectations, create an absentee calendar and communication log form.

The absentee calendar form is used to document attendance and punctuality, while the communication log form serves as the medium where communication between the manager and the employee, regarding performance, is formally documented. Consistent use of both forms by management provide a means to document performance in real time.        

Step 4 - Create and utilize an employee performance review form with a performance planner. The employee’s performance review will give both the manager and the employee a snap - shot of the employee’s overall performance over a specific time-frame. What’s important about the employee performance review is it reinforces what the expectations are, if they were achieved and where the employee scores in relationship to his/her peers in the workgroup.  

The performance review can have either a sliding points measurement or can be defined in terms of outstanding, above average, average, unacceptable or not observed. Managers should always document and retain on record, the employee’s performance as it relates to both expectations and company goals.

The benefits of accurate documentation are many. Not only will the company have an accurate record of both good and bad performance, but should any legal issues arise (discrimination, wrongful termination, unfair promotion), the documentation serves as a reference point to all parties involved - the facts are all there.  

Also, integrating a performance planner on the backside of the employee performance review serves an important purpose. It answers two big questions; “How am I doing?” ”Where do I go from here?” The performance planner should include performance areas where improvement is needed, knowledge, skills, or abilities that must be developed to result in the improvement.  

There should also be an area to document development activities/assignments (these are the planned activities for addressing the areas of need) and finally, projected implementation/completion dates. Verify both the manager and the employee sign and date days of discussion. 

Step 5 - Organization, timing, frequency and scope Organization of the aforementioned documents and forms is easy. To make management of this process even easier, visit your neighborhood office supply store and purchase a six-sided classification folder. A six-sided binder provides ample space for all individual employee documents and forms. 

Below is a very useful format layout for managing employee documentation:  

Flap 1 - Employee Performance Review and a dated performance recap log.

Flap 2 - Performance Expectations - Quarterly and yearly (start this on day 1.)  

Flap 3 - Calendar showing attendance history - monthly   

Flap 4 - Communication log forms  - form recapping communication between you and your subordinate

Flap 5 - Documentation defining company goals and objectives  

Flap 6 - Letters of recognition, awards, certificates, accomplishments, etc.   

Timing the process begins once the decision is made by executive management to amend its current performance management strategy. Once the first drafts are completed, the assigned management team reviews and approves or rejects all documents prior to implementation.  

Upon completing all forms, it’s now time to roll out the new Performance Management Plan. For newly hired employees, it is recommended performance expectations, communication log forms and company goals be communicated during the first few week of employment.  

Doing this will eliminate any concerns the employees may have about their role and job responsibilities. Once an employee is hired and depending on the job and scope of work, employee performance reviews should be completed at least every six months.

For employees currently employed with the organization, the new plan can be phased in with scheduled semi-annual employee performance reviews. With regard to the scope of implementation, once the documents are completed they can simply be reproduced for distribution throughout the company. Depending on the size of the organization, specific performance expectations can be modified to match specific criteria within different departments.  

Remember, the key is to master the process and standardize across the organization. Once the process is implemented, managers can then explore ways to improve content. This is what operating standard are all about.

The benefits of implementing this process within the organization are enormous.   It serves as a tool to effectively establish and communicate performance standards which will improve employee morale, performance and the overall quality of an operation. It serves as a vehicle to reduce Human Resource Management issues (discrimination, wrongful termination, unfair promotion) and allows mid - level managers to focus on other areas of the operation without being bogged down with “people issues”.   When the process is implemented throughout the organization, it becomes much easier for new (and transferring) managers who are assigned to take over an existing work group.   

Should you need to see what the ideal internal Performance Expectations, Employee Communications and Follow-up Forms look like, please contact us directly? Finally, following the process helps everyone identify what’s important, where the employee stands in relationship to performance and what needs to be done so everyone performs at their best.    

Finally, having standards similar to the aforementioned make your job as a manager much easier. Simply make the change and see the results. Your employees are you most valuable asset.

Provide your comments and feedback….your opinion counts.

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 Copyright © 2008 Coprofit, All rights reserved.

Large scale information sharing has permeated society at every level, simultaneously straining the backbones on which the global network was built. Understanding the latest innovations is key for any business looking to accelerate past the competition.

The explosive growth of voice and data transmission flowing over the Internet Protocol (IP) has been largely responsible for straining back-haul network bandwidth. Some ISPs are reporting that bandwidth demand on their backbone connections is doubling approximately every 8 to 14 months in response to ever-increasing Internet traffic.

The Internet backbone must further deal with the increasingly complex makeup of the traffic itself. Multiple data protocols must be transmitted, including circuit-based communications such as fax or TDM voice, IP packets or even packet-switching protocols and frame relay.

Faced with these concerns, Internet carriers traditionally were forced to lay additional fiber optic cabling to accommodate additional demand for bandwidth. However, at a minimum starting cost of $70,000 USD per mile, the associated costs are prohibitive in most situations except for the highest-level backbone connections.

Need always leads to innovation. The development of DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) is a key innovation that allows for more bandwidth without installing additional, cost-prohibitive cabling. The concept is easy to understand: Increase the number of wavelengths that can be transmitted on a fiber. Fiber optic cabling uses lasers for transmission through the glass medium.

Previously, these transmissions were carried out at a single frequency. By simultaneously transmitting data at different frequencies or different light colors, the signal is multiplexed. This action effectively increases fiber optic cable capacity by a factor between 16 and 32.

Since the introduction of fiber optic cabling, SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) has been the standard communication protocol in North America. SONET works by taking network signals and multiplexing them into a single wavelength to be transmitted over fiber. Counting on a single light wave to carry all the data drastically limits the capacity of the protocol. SONET transports TDM data over the optical medium.

Further inefficiency is created by current TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) technology. TDM was initially developed by phone companies to maximize the amount of voice data that can be transmitted over a medium. TDM works by increasing capacity of the backbone link by collecting bits of raw data from multiple sources and multiplexing them at the higher transmission rate. TDM reserves time slots in the process to transmit the multiple sources in round-robin order.

However, the proliferation of other data formats not based on circuits such as IP and cell-based transmissions forces TDM to deal with formats for which it was not designed.  For example, Ethernet transmissions over SONET result in wasted bandwidth of up to 80% in a 10 Base-T connection. TDM was never designed to handle anything other than voice data. Where SONET relies on TDM to transmit data for which it was not designed, drastic deficiencies occur.

Here are some key benefits of DWDM technology over SONET:

• Transparency – Operating at the primary layer of network architecture with raw data bits and streams, DWDM is able to support TDM and any other data format such as Ethernet, ATM, Fibre Channel or ESCON.

• Scalability – DWDM utilizes “dark fiber” or bandwidth otherwise wasted by inefficient transmission protocols like SONET for an instant boost.

• Dynamic provisioning – Eliminating time slots for data transmission allows for connections to be provided dynamically at a much higher rate.

• Reduced need for regenerators – Transmitting multiple signals over a single fiber decreases the need for additional expensive equipment otherwise needed to re-amplify and de-multiplex signals over multiple fibers.

Four important questions readers should ask themselves:

1. Are you experiencing bottlenecks in your fiber optic network?

2. Does your network continuously transmit multiple data formats?

3. Are you looking for a simple, yet highly effective technology to gain a competitive edge?

4. What is keeping your business from transitioning to DWDM on the back-haul networks across the enterprise?

DWDM technology dramatically increases transmission capacity while simplifying scalability concerns at the same time. The primary requirement is installing higher transmission capacity at one end of the fiber optic cabling. DWDM drastically reduces signal congestion created by amplifiers and regenerators. High-capacity network transmissions around the business can be conducted without some of this equipment when DWDM is implemented.

DWDM is a smart strategy for a highly optimized optical network. Since the sharing of information is the lifeblood of any business, the network must have the highest level of availability, and downtime must be kept to an absolute minimum.

Backups performed in real-time and decentralized processing are essential to keeping mission-critical applications online, as are parallel processing and a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. The common theme among these best practices is the requirement for a network of the highest quality, efficiency and reliability.

Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing is a smart alternative to traditional Time Division Multiplexing. Know what your options are now and consider the benefits as you expand business operations.

Disclaimer/Release of Liability Statement: Regarding knowledge shared in this article, Michael G. Perry will not be held responsible for any consequential damages resulting from the application of content or recommendations.

Contact Us should you need assistance with fiber optic services? 

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Copyright © 2008 Coprofit, All rights reserved.

The business world has watched as 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) has evolved from a new, bleeding-edge technology without a lot of compliant hardware into a mature, proven technology ready to be deployed in many businesses seeking faster data transmission speeds.

Firms are beginning to realize that the time may have arrived to take advantage of the technology, especially when considering the resource demands of newly adapted networking technologies such as server virtualization and data warehousing.

Ever increasing storage demands, bandwidth-hogging video, and exponentially increasing transaction processing can form bottlenecks in networks operating under older Ethernet standards and further contribute to the need to upgrade to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE).

Companies operating with 1 Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) are finding that as their company has grown so has their network. These firms are discovering that the backbone cables that provide the highest transfer rates at 1 gigabit per second 1(Gbps) are becoming bogged down with the demands of their advanced networking system. Also, demand for Gigabit Ethernet has grown at the desktop level where increasingly there are needs for shared video and demanding business applications deployed by the server.

Efficient servers operating with virtualization technology that previously required the use of several, independent machines also demand faster data transmission rates.

Businesses are upgrading to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) to relieve these pressures involved with their growing networks.  Deploying the latest Ethernet technology not only makes sense from a technical viewpoint, but also from a financial one as managers begin to realize that network bottlenecks are causing inefficiencies and, therefore, are costing the firm money.  Furthermore, deploying 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) directs businesses towards becoming more “green” as power demands are reduced. 

A survey conducted in the fall of 2007 of nearly 400 business and IT professionals has confirmed this rising interest in 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE). The survey confirmed that IT personnel are currently evaluating the new technology and are testing different ways that the standard can be used with servers, switches and network interface cards (NICs).  At the same time, firms are conducting price feasibility research on rolling out the faster transmission rates.

Enterprises are finding from their internal research that network infrastructure and company economics call for the move to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE). During the time period since the standard was established, 10GbE technology has drastically improved and costs involved in deploying it have dropped to levels where the cost is justified in companies needing the upgrade.  Factor in the savings that increased network efficiency can generate, and the upgrade becomes a no-brainer.

While 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) deployment is being considered, business customers are seeking the same solutions that have always been desired from their network: a deployment optimized for a particular network that enables a more efficient infrastructure and administration at an affordable price.

Upgrading to the latest standard is not a daunting task for IT managers. 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) still utilizes familiar Ethernet connections and media to achieve these higher speeds.  Organizations are able to build upon their existing network infrastructure to introduce the faster transmission rates.  Current IT staff already possess a wealth of knowledge about Ethernet, having spent years operating with Ethernet hardware and protocols since the 10Base-T (10 Mbps) technology was first used in the 1990s.

Fiber cabling, already present in many 1 Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) networks is also used in transmitting at this faster rate. Commonly used Network Interface Cards (NIC cards) already present in PCs are capable of gigabit transfer rates but are held back by network administrators concerned about the bottlenecks that would occur should they open up desktop users to their highest possible speeds.

Because of the widespread acceptance of Ethernet technology, there is also no need for software upgrades to take advantage of the higher transmission capability of 10GbE.  Servers will run the same applications that ran before the upgrade without a hitch.  Applications are developed with Ethernet protocols in mind; 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) follows the same standards. 

Another area where business owners are always looking to reduce costs is in power consumption.  Power needs for servers are considerable, especially when the cooling requirements for these sensitive machines are factored in. When deployed correctly, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) will reduce power consumption and lessen utility bills by reducing the footprint of the servers in the business.  Running at higher transmission speeds over the same types of cables lessens the power demands of the servers.  Also, processing demands that also generate higher power consumption are not wasted routing bottlenecked data to lines running under capacity in networks running at or close to maximum bandwidth at the lower transmission rate.

Reducing the power demands on servers also can increase the life of your hardware equipment. Servers don’t have to work as hard when more bandwidth is available so the machines can keep cool and run more efficiently.

Servers running at lower temperatures obviously have lower cooling demands, oftentimes proportionately the highest power-demanding requirement of a server.

Further savings can be realized in staffing requirements of the 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) network deployment. Running at the higher transmission rate can present obvious consolidation options and the familiarity of Ethernet reduces the need to find specially trained IT personnel.  Peripheral compatibility is not an issue and there is no need to reconfigure existing appliances shared on the network to function on the 10GbE network.  IT staff will no longer be stretched to the limits administering a network running at capacity.  Also, once the new network technology is in place, high-demand processing environments like data-mining and blade server’s benefit from the faster throughput.

A 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) network is inherently optimized to take advantage of new virtualization techniques that make increased demands of data transmission.  Virtualized servers take on the tasks of multiple servers, consolidating those multiple machines into a single server, further eliminating hardware and administrative costs for the business decision-maker.

Furthermore, newer networking protocols that are only possible on the higher bandwidth of 10GbE can be taken advantage of.  This includes the high-speed storage protocol iWarp first developed in a joint project by Intel and Carnegie Mellon University in 1988, and iSCSI that links storage clusters together utilizing lower power requirements with the higher transmission rates.  Deploying protocols such as these across a 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) network can result in a dramatic improvement in network efficiency.

Ideally, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) should at least be considered where it is needed most. Usually, data centers and file servers have the greatest need for upgrading to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE).  Higher-speed transmission lines become particularly important for the file server should video transmission or multimedia streaming be integrated into your business. Video transmission requires the highest amount of bandwidth of any type of media and today’s applications and desktop users are demanding more and more multimedia in their day-to-day operations.  A lot of multimedia transmission also occurs when employees access the Internet.  Once it is determined that employees truly need faster data transmission speeds, IT managers will need to seriously consider 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE). 

Another area that would benefit right off from 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) deployment are server farms where numerous transactions are carried out simultaneously.  An inherent issue with some server farms is the ability to transfer multiple transactions simultaneously when one server is busy. The faster transmission rates could eliminate the need for some of the machines present in the server farm as well as the staffing requirements to manage them.

Deploying this newer technology sooner rather than later keeps a technologically-savvy company at the cutting edge and able to operate more efficiently than many of their business competitors who have not yet made this decision. The 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) protocol could easily prove to be a real competitive advantage to your business. While some IT Managers are fickle about upgrading to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE), more and more are choosing to move forward with it.

Below are some smart tips in determining how to integrate 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) in your existing network architecture:

1. Conduct a thorough analysis of your existing network architecture.

2. Identify what existing hardware to be reconfigured for the upgrade and what hardware may need replaced.

3. Identify “in phases” what changes need to be made in regards to server hardware, server virtualization, network storage, cabling and in your data centers to optimize the reduced power demands of the 10GbE and  minimize “server sprawl.”

4. Correlate the proposed changes to align with current and future business growth requirements of your business.

5. Act on this collected information and communicate it to your management team.

The key aspect of the 10GbE deployment is the performance advantages realized when the same network is suddenly able to process significantly more data at a faster rate.  These performance advantages also result in cost savings resulting from server consolidation as more and more servers become virtualized. Furthermore, the requirements from the IT staff are reduced and power consumption needs are not what they were before with the network operating much more efficiently. 

Finally, with more legislation coming requiring that businesses operate with less power, many businesses are looking closely at upgrading 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE).

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Once reaching your business, the power usually transforms from three-phase to single-phase power. Because of its reliability, you can almost always expect to plug in a computer or a large piece of machinery to an appropriate outlet and have it instantly draw power and begin working.

The power grid, while obviously significantly larger on a national level, has similar characteristics in individual businesses who consume power for data centers, server banks, and other related office equipment and machinery.

To stay profitable, businesses must provide clean, efficient power to computer workstations, servers, data centers and all other related electrical equipment.

At first, this may seem somewhat obvious. Of course, a building must have an electrical infrastructure by which power can be distributed from the utility company to all the electrical equipment throughout an office building.

However, many additional considerations need recognition: Underestimating the significance of the overall performance of your electrical infrastructure could be costing you thousands of dollars annually.

An integral component to your technology infrastructure lies in understanding the importance of load-flow analyses and the cost-saving opportunities presented by measuring load flow and how power is distributed throughout your business.

Thus, the design of a comprehensive and reliable power grid within your business ultimately requires consideration of the needs of the end power consumers both now and in the foreseeable future.

Load-flow analysis empowers you to objectively measure whether or not electricity is being efficiently distributed throughout your business. An inefficient or unbalanced load can cause unpredictable behavior in your localized power grid, raising the risk of damage to any equipment using electricity. Also, inefficient loads (something very common) also cause undue power consumption and unnecessary wear on electrical equipment. Load-flow analysis objectively tests for dirty electrical power, unusual voltage fluctuations and just how efficiently electricity flows throughout the building.

In addition, simply using the technology currently deployed, may be insufficient for long-term use. The computer industry is, after all, developing bigger, better and more power-hungry technology despite claims of energy-efficient equipment.

For most businesses, the data center almost assuredly will need more power as the business grows and expands. During the initial planning and design phases your IT staff should proactively plan for increased growth and the resource requirements to facilitate that growth. Should you already have a technology infrastructure in place, it behooves you to at least have some sort of third-party testing to test the performance of all electrical systems. Doing so often results in huge cost savings if done correctly.

Power surges, a somewhat common occurrence in most commercial buildings, rate as one of the greatest dangers to computers, servers and other electronic devices.

Power surges often originate from multiple sources, including human error and lightning strikes to a building or to the power lines providing power to the building. Also, by unforeseen events (as listed previously) occurring elsewhere and away from your building, sudden voltage fluctuations in electronic devices can result.

Sensitive electronics that employ low-voltage devices, like transistors or microprocessors, are highly susceptible to damage caused by sudden voltage spikes in the system. A particularly powerful power surge could interrupt the function of a computer microprocessor, causing the computer to either lose data or even completely stop functioning.

Designing systems against power surges can be assisted with a combination of basic strategies. The first step is to conduct a comprehensive site walk-through to see what is currently installed to distribute and transform electricity throughout the building. Once completed, the next step is to have a qualified electrician offer you insight to common power problems he or she sees in your local geographic area. If necessary, conduct a load-flow analysis and test to assess how power is flowing throughout the building.

Over the past 40 years, power distribution models and load-flow analysis tools have changed significantly. Commercially available Internet-browser-based software now quickly and accurately measures the effects on electronic devices as well as power flowing through one or multiple buildings. Use of these system monitoring tools allows IT staff to quickly pinpoint problems or susceptibilities within your power grid, thus allowing them to determine the origin of where the problem resides.

A successful load-flow analysis is not a definitive answer to all causes of power surges. While load-flow analysis may pinpoint areas of susceptibility, it cannot identify the origin of all power surges, spikes and intermittent power fluctuations in your local power grid. You must consider taking steps to prevent the damage of electronic devices due to power surges. TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors) devices can be placed “in front” of electronic devices on your local power grid. “Surge protectors,” as they are often called, minimize power surges, providing electronic devices connected to them a safe, “clean” line flow of power.

Designing an electrical infrastructure correctly can be a daunting task, but it is well worth the expense, time and effort to be as thorough as possible. If not properly designed, your electrical infrastructure could cost your business thousands of dollars in damaged equipment, lost revenue due to downtime and wasted power consumption. Remember this: Never assume, when you occupy a used or even a new building, the suitability of its electrical infrastructure.

Get started with the four simple steps below:

1. Have an experienced electrician calculate the total power requirements required to run your business operations in a building you are considering and find out from the utility company (in advance) if the required power can be distributed into the building.

Note: It does not hurt to overestimate, thus allowing you to easily adapt to future additional power requirements.

2. Design your electrical infrastructure to include TVSS equipment, surge protectors and electrical load-flow monitoring devices.

3. On any new TI (tenant improvement), take the time to conduct a load-flow analysis on the building and certify that data and phone wiring is up to specification.

4. If necessary, redesign and/or modify the electrical infrastructure before you occupy the building. Doing so usually extends the life of your electrical equipment and eliminates numerous potential future problems. Make sure all electronic devices sit behind TVSS equipment for an added level of protection.

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Now imagine those same customer service employees having a comprehensive menu on their computer screens describing the exact technical knowledge about that specific product or service, as well as other detailed information the inquiring customer can use to make an informed decision right away.

In the world of UC (Unified Communications), technical customer service calls are handled and processed much differently than they were just a decade ago.

Transitioning to a UC platform improves communications both internally and externally by arming employees with better technology tools that add value to the overall communication process. This article contains helpful knowledge and insights to assist you in the transition to a unified communications platform. 

UC is essentially a unified platform for communications in all its forms. Potentially, this can include land-lines and cellular phones, e-mail, instant messaging (IM), VoIP, IP-PBX, fax, voice mail, conference calls, video conferencing, whiteboard and unified messaging. Your employees will have presence within your business communications - whether they are physically in the office or not.  

The concept of presence is easy to understand within instant messaging where a “buddy status” is available at a glance. UC takes this a step further by grouping these “buddies” together by specialized skills and attaching them to specific knowledge areas. All of this would be available at a glance.  

UC allows for real-time delivery of all these forms of communication within a single environment that users can access within a simple interface. For example, customer service staff could have a list of employees knowledgeable about a product, along with the best method for immediately contacting that person who has the correct answers about the details of the product.  

By clicking on a contact icon, a call can be made, or even a page or a whiteboard session accessed to bridge key information on the product, customer and employee contacts simultaneously.   If your business doesn’t already have it, Unified Messaging (UM) can offer communications integration, albeit on a smaller scale than UC.

Unified Messaging is capable of grouping together communications from different sources, such as e-mail, faxes and voice mail, but does not allow (in all instances) real-time delivery. Unified   Messaging systems store these multi-platform communications for the user to access information at his or her discretion.

Still, nowadays, UM does provide improved communication synchronization to an extent that was not available just a decade ago.   It is important to understand that while UM does offer efficiencies by grouping communications together; it is not the same thing as UC. Oftentimes, these terms are interchanged and interpreted to have the same meaning.

Again, they are not the same. Tying communications together in a UC platform can have a tremendous positive impact on productivity at your business. Businesses with offices across the globe have an excellent opportunity to synchronize communications as they occur around the clock in real time. Additional functionality allows calls to be routed according to preset rules.  

For example, if an employee is working at a remote location outside the office, the UC system can route a call to their cell phone and then a voice message into their voice mail.   At the heart of UC is the Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology that allows analog phone conversations to be transmitted over the Internet. UC basically expands that functionality by allowing other communications through the same protocol.   Transitioning to UC does not have to be an overwhelming process.

First, consider what usable technology your business already has and how those assets could be integrated into the new platform. Consider what communications are already transmitted utilizing the Internet Protocol (IP). It could be that your business is only a few steps away from integrating these into a truly unified format that dramatically increases productivity. 

Another benefit of introducing UC to your business is enhanced security within your company’s communications that was never present before. Without UC, communications occur over multiple data formats using multiple protocols, and you may not have control over certain information. Integrating these data formats using UC gives your company the ability to better manage the overall communications process. 

The necessary equipment for creating a UC infrastructure includes various software applications and hardware equipment. The Microsoft version of the UC solution is built around the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and the Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 for the interface. Microsoft, of course, is geared toward the software UC solution. Its server software is designed to be deployed on a dedicated communications server.  

Cisco, the IT hardware equipment manufacturer most widely known for its routers and switches and its reputation as the “backbone of the Internet,” also offers software UC solutions, along with the necessary hardware equipment. Cisco is more widely known as a hardware company; so naturally, the company’s UC solution is more hardware-based.  

The two big players in the world of IT have developed UC solutions. Which one is best for you is really a function of your specific requirements and your company’s monetary resources to support and maintain the technology. Keep in mind that there are tailored solutions available from both Microsoft and Cisco customized for the size of your business. 

Microsoft’s Office Communications Server 2007 comes in two editions: Standard and Enterprise. The Standard Edition is intended for SMBs that have one server platform on one machine. Along with the accompanying Standard Client Access License (CAL) it allows for messaging, peer-to-peer video and voice, and file transfers all to occur within an integrated and familiar Microsoft Office environment.   

An advantage Microsoft has in the small-business world is the familiarity of its products. As with any Microsoft application, upon installing Office Communications Server 2007 and starting up the application, you become instantly familiar with the interface and notice that it is very intuitive based on your familiarity with Microsoft products.

The Standard Edition is intended for organizations that do not require server clustering and does not utilize the virtual server environment. 

The Enterprise Edition is intended for larger businesses running more than one server. With this edition, your organization gains the features offered by the Standard Edition, with the purchase of a Standard license, along with additional enterprise features. These include the sharing of applications, VoIP backed by a software solution, Web conferencing and comprehensive telephony management.  

The Enterprise Edition requires that Standard Edition licensing be purchased. Once the correct licenses are purchased, full access to the entire range of features offered by the Enterprise version and the Standard version of the Microsoft Unified Communications platform becomes available. 

Communicator is the client application for the Microsoft UC platform. Accessing the application allows the user an integrated communications environment, including instant messaging, voice and video communications. Of course, all communications are easily integrated into Microsoft software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the newer ones such as SharePoint, Groove, and OneNote.  

Deploying the solution within a pre-existing Microsoft environment allows for easy integration of address books and other directories established at the corporate level. Calendars are also integrated within the UC platform, even out-of-office messages previously established within Outlook. 

With UC in place, users find they can easily change modes of communication. A conversation could begin with a simple IM, for example, and then with a quick click on a button, users can switch to a video conference should the need arise. Or, users could transfer files back and forth from the Communicator interface. However communications occurred previously, by using various Microsoft applications, these are all integrated into one interface within Communicator. 

Cisco’s approach to a UC solution is quite different from Microsoft’s. Cisco offers a set of managed services at the SMB and mid-market level, and a different set of managed services customized for the enterprise-sized business.

Cisco approaches the UC platform with both hardware and software solutions.   At the SMB level, Cisco’s UC platform solution is the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business. This system supports varied common communications needs within a small business including voice, video, secure wireless access and productivity enhancements for external users.

Deploying the solution enhances network security at your small business with tried-and-true Cisco technology. This edition is designed for businesses with 50 or fewer users of the system.   Depending on the size of your SMB, the Cisco UC solution is available at increased levels of accessibility.

The Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express is designed for up to 240 users, the Business Edition for up to 500 users and the full version of Cisco Unified Communications Manager is extensible from 150 to an unlimited number of users. 

Advanced features are available with the Cisco system even at the SMB level. Features such as music on hold and basic call-center capability are built into the UC platform.  

At the enterprise level, Cisco’s UC solution includes routing, switching and security hardware along with the software applications used to manage the entire network. Security on the enterprise is enhanced with the Cisco hardware and software approach, including wireless communications, which are notoriously susceptible to a security breach.

The enterprise solution is tailor-made for your business, taking into consideration the lifecycle of your network, and includes the option to outsource management of network resources to Cisco and the installation of third-party communications software.  

The hardware bundled with the Cisco UC platform includes the VoIP-enabled phones and various other hardware options, depending on the size of your business. SMBs get software that monitors and manages the VoIP phones on a single server, while enterprise-level organizations also get routers and switches, as needed. Enterprises that already have Cisco routers and switches find the UC platform an added feature that only needs to be enabled to use. 

Cisco’s most advanced phones, the Unified IP Phones 7900 Series, are capable of integrating voice data and video straight through the phone. Voice mail can be accessed using a computer, and applications can be run on the phone itself, including clock-in functions for payroll services, on-screen display of information customized for your business needs and support for wireless communications standards.  

Cisco hardware provides an extra level of security for your network. For example, the Catalyst 6500 Series switch, Cisco’s flagship model, virtually guarantees confidential communications between client and customer with the ability to instantly detect threats and contain them. Network administrators have control over whom and what can attach to the network and can define specific security policies. 

Cisco routers are where communications integration occurs. Security is also standard here through firewalls, data encryption and built-in protection from would-be hackers. These routers are modular in nature, so as your business expands, more devices can be easily added, as needed.   Basically, switches are used to connect various IP-enabled devices within your network, and routers are used to tie the networks together. Switches can be managed or unmanaged in that a managed switch is programmable, while an unmanaged switch comes fully ready upon shipment. Routers become the first line of defense to your network against outside Internet threats.  

Whichever solution is best for your business, it’s important to keep in mind that a UC solution will provide enhanced security within your network. Inherent within Unified Communications is the ability to integrate the various forms of communications that occur at your business.

The transparency involved also provides an enhanced level of management including the ability to back up all the communications including voice mail.  At first, it may seem unnecessary to back up all the communications at your company, but if your organization needs to comply to Sarbanes-Oxley requirements, as all U.S. publicly traded companies are, then you have a need to create these backups.

Additionally, if you work in a health-care-related environment, your company may have to be compliant to certain HIPPA mandates.   Consider a situation where you have a need for disaster recovery. Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, forced many executives in the New Orleans area to act on the urgent need for disaster recovery.   

Remember, UC allows for real-time delivery of communications in its varied forms within a single environment that a user can access using a simple client interface. This interface is standardized across the business environment. UC also enhances employee collaboration regardless of where employees are physically located. 

For example, employees brainstorming about a new project could establish a live whiteboard session and work interactively in real time even if the office sites are thousands of miles apart.  

It is important to consider what communications platforms you already possess at your business and how integrating these would enhance productivity in your operations.

Do you utilize instant messaging? How about voice mail or whiteboard sessions? Are any of these communications transmitted over IP already? By further tying your communications together on a true Unified Communications platform, your customers and employees are able to communicate in multiple data formats.  

In retrospect, the concept of UC began with the development of VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol), which allowed analog phone conversations to be transmitted in a digital format over the Internet. With core-business processes becoming more and more digitized, UC basically expands that concept by allowing other forms of communication to be transmitted digitally. 

Another important consideration when you decide to transition to a UC platform is the enhanced level of security that will be introduced to your business communications. Without UC, the varied forms of communication are transmitted over a diversity of media minimally controlled by your company. Bringing these together under a UC platform gives your company the ability to manage and monitor these transmissions just as it would with basic e-mail. 

Transitioning to a UC platform can help your business accelerate past the competition and streamlines your business operations. 

Below are some important considerations when making the transition to a unified platform. Answering these questions will help you understand how transitioning to a Unified Communications platform can significantly improve both internal employees and external communications with customers:  

1. Does your business really need to transition to a UM platform at this time or can it wait until later?  

2. What current technologies and assets do you currently own that can be integrated into a UC platform?  

3. What resources (including all equipment, software, technical skills, training and maintenance) will it take to make this transition over to a Unified Communications platform?  

4. How will the transition to a UC platform affect communication internally within your business and externally to your customers?  

5. By what means and methods will your company communicate the rollout of a Unified Communications system?  

For many companies, introducing Unified Communications to your business will enhance productivity and give your employees access to more useful information in real time.  It’s critical that management objectively calculate the total cost of owning and managing its own internal UC platform versus having certain of the components outsourced through a hosted solution.

Many companies find it more cost effective to own some components and outsource others. Companies that at least consider the options available to them by adopting a fully integrated UC platform position themselves to differentiate their company from the competition with high-impact, time-sensitive communications across the enterprise.  

The release of Server 2008 marks one of the most significant upgrades Microsoft has made to its server line of software. Perhaps only the release of Windows 2000 was a more significant advance to the product line. Before the release of Windows 2000, only NT 4.0 was available for servers. The new technologies present within Server 2008 will prove to be more beneficial to businesses than previous releases.

Server 2008 marks the first release of a new Microsoft server product since Server 2003 R2. The innovations in the new release have been well worth the wait. With the release, as with Vista, Microsoft makes full use of the 64-bit processing environment that has been around for several years now.

Some of the key advances in the new release are an upgrade to the Active Directory (AD) infrastructure, which has been around since Windows 2000 was released. However, many features within Server 2008 are quite powerful and have taken the newest Microsoft server OS in a radically different direction.

Small Business Server 2008 Standard and Premium Editions

The Small Business Server 2008 Standard Edition comes bundled with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Windows Server Update Services 3.0, Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Windows Live OneCare for Server and Integration with Office Live Small Business. 

The Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition includes all of the products in the Standard edition plus Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard for Small Business.

Server Core

Server Core is one of these radically new features. Server Core allows for a minimal version of Server 2008 to be installed on machines that only need specific functionality. For example, Server Core can be configured to take on common functions that servers normally perform such as those of the DHCP server, DNS server, file server and Active Directory, as well as operations such as streaming media, print services or even Windows virtualization.

Server Core is meant for the use of network administrators and server management personnel who could develop a highly specialized and efficient computing environment utilizing Server Core. A Server Core installation is very different from other Microsoft OS installations on a PC or server. The interface is minimal – mostly by command line, though a Task Manager or Notepad window can be called up.

IT professionals will appreciate a Server Core installation where it is needed. Maintenance under such an installation is at an absolute minimum since the server on which the software is installed is only focused on one particular function rather than the multiple functions on a full installation of Server 2008. There are also inherently less vulnerabilities for a would-be hacker to exploit under this setup, so security is a breeze. The simpler installation also guarantees less software bugs arising when they are least expected – such as when an application is installed that is not fully compatible with Microsoft software.

Considering all these benefits to a minimal installation, it becomes obvious that the management time involved with these specialized servers is also considerably reduced. Less management time translates into less maintenance by IT staff or, at least, a staff that does not waste time making sure the firewall is holding up or pinpointing a problem through multiple functions on a typical server.

Hyper-V

Also in Server 2008 is the Hyper-V option, which enhances Microsoft’s presence in the world of virtualization. Virtualization allows for a single machine to take on the functions of two or more machines, utilizing resources simultaneously without causing overlap or conflict. Virtualization has so many benefits to the business world that they are difficult to number. The reduced number of machines in a virtual environment can save money for a business in many different ways. Fewer machines use less power in less space and can be effectively managed by fewer employees.

Today’s machines can handle the additional functionality that virtualization demands; oftentimes processor capacity, primary memory and hard drive space are wasted or never even used. Virtualizing a server environment is a trend we will continue to see over the next decade.

Microsoft’s previous virtualization release, Virtual Server, uses a popular virtualization technique called “host-based virtualization” where the primary OS installation runs a service called “Virtual Machine Monitor” (VMM) that provides the virtual environment to another operating system.

Hyper-V functions in a completely different way by using a hypervisor. A hypervisor creates an abstraction layer at the boot level, performing only minimal functions of the kernel, then abstracting the environment required to run multiple operating systems and their associated applications on top of the kernel. This translates into a much faster and more scalable virtual environment than the VMM methodology.

However, an important consideration is that Hyper-V is largely hardware dependent. To fully take advantage of the speed and scalability of a Hyper-V virtualization infrastructure from Microsoft typically requires hardware acceleration. This type of hardware is not uncommon, however. Examples of such are the AMD Pacifica and Intel VT extensions of their respective Opteron and Xeon processors.

Setting up a VM through Hyper-V is a breeze with the Wizard, and console access to the virtualized environments is simple and expedient. Hyper-V is built into the Server 2008 release and is managed just as print and file services are, so configuring and management are also very simple and familiar for those experienced with previous versions of Microsoft Server.

Easier Server Management

Previous server installations had a separate management console for each role contained within the Manage Your Server dashboard. Manage Your Server was a convenient enhancement over previous server releases where management consoles were not all so neatly gathered together. However, with Server 2008, this convenience is taken a step further with the completely new Server Manager.

With Server Manager, system administrators have a one-stop shop for server management for the first time. It is very likely that for a majority of the time, IT staff won’t ever need to use another tool to manage the Server 2008 system, and they will be very thankful for it. Once again, with this tool, Microsoft lessens the time it takes to perform simple tasks.

Within Server Manager are the roles and functions installed on the Server 2008 system such as the DHCP server, DNS server, file services, domain services, etc. All of them are available for management and monitoring at the click of a mouse. Very handy troubleshooting tools are also conveniently located within Server Manager such as Windows Firewall, Device Manager, Event Viewer and WMI Control. The completely new Windows Server Backup tool is also located here and will be discussed further, as it is a considerable enhancement in its own right.

Clicking on any of the management tools located within Server Manager takes the administrator to a dedicated home page, which provides pertinent information to the role in question. From here, more information can be gathered such as troubleshooting tips, further knowledge about the task or function and links to other helpful tools that help administrators in virtually any particular situation.

Terminal Services goes hand in hand with server administration. This is the capability that allows administrators to remotely configure PCs. In previous releases, Terminal Services only allowed the entire PC installation to be deployed remotely, rather than specific applications. The changes with the Server 2008 release are through the rehashed Remote Desktop client, where a user logs in to download and install the application without the administrator having to oversee the operation.

Other Enhanced Server 2008 Features

Windows Server Backup has been enhanced for faster backups with new technology. Whether servers are fully backed up or incrementally backed up, IT staff will notice the difference from earlier versions of Microsoft Server. Restoration from a backup has also been made much easier. Previously, this had to be done manually from multiple backups if an incremental backup had been performed, but now only the date of the backup has to be chosen for the restoration to occur.

Other enhancements to the backup service in Server 2008 include the ability to recover the operating system on another machine if necessary, the ability to recover applications and improved scheduling for the automation of daily backups. The backup service also allows for remote administration by adding the backup snap-in to the Server Manager console.

BitLocker is another new Microsoft technology available in Server 2008. First debuting with the Vista release, BitLocker allows for the encryption of entire physical hard drives as a first line of defense against physical theft of sensitive data that may be contained within. BItLocker provides more peace of mind for organizations that have branch offices where physical security may not be what it is at the central office.

Another new function is the Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC) that allows IT staff to configure the Active Directory infrastructure as read-only. Such a configuration keeps Active Directory replication unidirectional, rather than bidirectional, as it is normally configured. An organization could use this setup once again in the branch office location where connections back to the central office may not be as fast or as reliable. In this situation, Active Directory would be configured at the central office and then sent out to remote sites before it is accessed.

Combining configurations of Server Core, BitLocker and RODC provides a level of security in the Server 2008 release impossible in prior releases. Configuring machines as read-only guarantees the data cannot be compromised even if a hacker were able to penetrate perimeter defenses. Also, if a theft were to occur in which a server was stolen at a remote site, BitLocker guarantees  the data contained on the machine to be indecipherable, while RODC controls allow for administrators to reconfigure the network with a few clicks of the mouse.

Internet Information Services (IIS) is the server-side technology that first became available with Windows NT 3.51 back in 1995. With the seventh full release of IIS available for the first time in Server 2008, the service becomes fully configurable. Web administrators specify precisely which services they would like to enable – and which services they would like to disable.  All of IIS 7 is also supported by the new Server Manager console.

Several different product editions of Windows Server 2008 are available. Depending upon the version, each type is configured for specific hardware platforms, such as 32 bit or 64 bit, and versions are available with virtualization capability built in, while others leave the function out.

It is important to understand Microsoft’s different available methods of licensing when purchasing server products. The Microsoft Open License is intended for smaller customers with less than 250 desktop computers in their network. As few as five licenses can be purchased and with these licenses, the owner has the right to transfer images to different machines or transfer a license to another machine.

Microsoft Volume Licensing is intended for networks serving more than 250 computers. Within this group are several account levels that offer flexible payment scheduling. The same rights are established as with the Open License, but there are added discounts for the volume purchases.

Both types of licensing come with the option to add Microsoft’s Software Assurance plan, which provides maintenance for Microsoft products.

Software Assurance includes comprehensive support including training and the ability to speak with Microsoft representatives to assist in deploying and managing Server 2008 software.

Software Assurance should not be overlooked in any Microsoft purchase. With the purchase, software upgrades are included in addition to Version Rights, which guarantees the purchaser the right, at no extra charge, to new editions of the product purchased should one become available during the length of the Software Assurance contract.

Web Server 2008

This version is specifically configured to give a machine the ability to function as a Web server and little else. This setup does not allow the domain controller configuration and does not include Microsoft’s new virtualization technology, Hyper-V.  However, Web Server 2008 does support a Server Core installation. This version can be purchased either in the 32-bit or 64-bit editions and supports a maximum of four processors.

Windows Server 2008 Standard

The Standard version comes with all basic functionality of the new enhancements and technologies described in this article. It is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions and also supports a maximum of four processors. The Standard edition can be purchased with or without Hyper-V virtualization. If the version with virtualization is purchased, it also comes with five Client Access Licenses (CALs). It is worth noting that Hyper-V is only available with 64-bit editions of Server 2008. One virtual instance can be configured with the Standard edition.

Windows Server 2008 Itanium

The Itanium edition is highly customized for specific-function servers that perform either as database or application servers. Itanium does not support Hyper-V, nor does it support Server Core. It is only available in the 64-bit edition, is purchased per processor up to a maximum of 64 supported processors and supports up to 64 gigabytes of RAM.

Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

Enterprise can also be purchased in 32-bit or 64-bit editions and with or without Hyper-V virtualization. At the Enterprise level, 25 CALs come standard with the installation and instead of the maximum of four processors, this edition allows for the support of eight. Enterprise also allows for support of a great deal more system memory (RAM) with the increased number of processors supported: two terabytes versus the maximum of 32 gigabytes in the Standard edition. Four instances are available with the Enterprise edition.

Once again, the Datacenter version can be purchased to support either 32 bit or 64 bit and with or without Hyper-V virtualization. At the Datacenter level, licensing is purchased per processor and with the purchase, an organization is granted unlimited virtual instances. The Datacenter edition is purchased in conjunction with the Enterprise edition for machines that could benefit from unlimited virtualized environments. The Datacenter edition supports up to 64 processors in the 64-bit edition.

It is also worth noting that Hyper-V technology can be purchased as an add-on to editions purchased without the functionality. However, at a cost of only $28, it is almost inconceivable why anyone would choose to purchase Server 2008, at any level, without this technology.

Other editions expected to become available in the near future are Windows Small Business Server and Windows Essential Business Server. Both these new editions, no matter the specific configuration chosen, will only be available in 64-bit editions. As their names portray, these editions are targeted for SMBs with up to 50 desktops in the Small Business edition and up to 250 desktops in the Essential Business edition.

Additionally, specific functionality within each edition can be chosen with these new versions.  Small Business Server Standard will come with Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, SharePoint Services 3.0, a one-year subscription to Forefront Security for Exchange Server and Windows Live OneCare, all in one package. The Premium version will include all the above plus another copy of Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 Standard, which allows for installation on two machines.

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 can be installed on three different machines and includes Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, System Center Essentials 2007, and the next release of Acceleration Server and Internet Security when they become available. The Premium version also adds SQL Server 2008.

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