Registration Link to MyVMUG.org site

Nutanix, Wyse, Liquidware Labs, and the VMware View team are sponsoring a special meeting on the topic of VDI. It will focus on the two key components of a successful VDI deployment, the hardware and the software. The hardware to make the VDI responsive with the same rich experience as a local desktop and the software to mange all the little settings and tweaks every user does to make their Windows environment their own while still allowing administrators to use a single master OS image for users. So come out to the Triad VMUG’s first special sponsored meeting and find out how you can reduce you PC count, desktop management headache’s, and still provide users a great work experience.

Each sponsor will have a single 60 minute session to present a technical look at one or more aspects of their solution and what problems it solves.  Room assignments and session schedule finalized the day of event, but the session topics are:

Wyse cloud computing: Delivering ROI to the View desktop

Wyse believes that the PC cannot be sustained in the corporate world and is helping customers move from complex, slow and expensive traditional desktops to cloud-delivered virtual desktops, with a high-performance end-user experience. Learn how our devices can help to reduce IT overhead while increasing IT staff productivity, deliver green benefits to your organization, enhance the corporate bottom line, while keeping the rich user experience required in today’s consumer-centric computing environment.

Nutanix: Why VDI is now ready for prime time

IT managers are concerned with storage costs dedicated to supporting VDI, SAN management specific to a VDI implementation, while needing a cost effective architecture that can be scalable in the future, & how to calculate a quantifiable ROI to justify it all.  Come see Brad Wagner, a Senior Systems Engineer for Nutanix and two time VMUG presenter, explain how Nutanix’s Complete Cluster’s converged compute and storage architecture can answer these questions.

Liquidware Labs: FlexApp – The last piece of the VDI puzzle

Do you have too many VDI images to manage just to accommodate the needs of different sets of users and their discrete application portfolios, then you need the last piece of the VDI puzzle, Liquidware Labs’ FlexApp.  By combining VMware View and ThinApp with ProfileUnity and FlexApp technologies delivers “fresh” non-persistent desktop VM with persistent user profiles and application portfolio’s by department and/or end user. FlexApp enables Windows 7-compatible applications to be stored separately from the OS and ‘snapped-in’ in at login based on the user profile.  So more of your users become viable candidates for VDI because they can have “their” desktop experience while you streamline application virtualization strategies, manage your desktop images, and keep end users happy.

VMware View Team: Session TBD

Meeting Agenda
11:00 a.m. Registration and Member Mixer
11:15 a.m. Announcements, Agenda, and Introductions
11:30 a.m. Session 1 – 60 minutes – Hardware in Rooms 1/2 – Software in Rooms 4/5
12:30 p.m. Break/Overflow Q&A/Makeup late start/etc
12:45 p.m. Session 2 – 60 minutes – Hardware in Rooms 1/2 – Software in Rooms 4/5
1:45 p.m. Meeting Wrap-Up & Giveaways

Meeting Notes
Since this is a exclusively sponsored meeting its format will be different from our past events.
The sponsors have committed to better food and prizes then a normal meeting.
There maybe more a significantly higher number of flashing pens, give away schwag, and such if that is your thing.

Registration Link to MyVMUG.org site

Moses Cone Woman’s Hospital
Education Building – Rooms 1 & 2
801 Green Valley Road
Greensboro NC, 27408
Click here for driving directions.

Join us for the upcoming Greensboro/Triad VMUG meeting taking place on Friday, January 27, 2012.

This is a great opportunity to come together with your fellow VMware users to discuss virtualization trends, best practices, and the latest technology!

Registration is open and included as part of your VMUG member benefits. Please note, in order to register for this meeting we ask that you sign up for a complimentary VMUG membership at MyVMUG.org, if you haven’t already done so. Click login below to sign up today.

Meeting Agenda

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. Registration and Member Mixer
11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Announcements, Agenda, and Introductions
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Brocade – Dr. Chip Copper: Introduction and Overview Ethernet fabrics

Brocade is offering a workshop around the country called Fabrics 101: Essentials of Ethernet Fabrics, now we do not have three hours for that presentation so Dr. Chip Copper is going to scale it down.  So strap on your learning caps as we get some Ethernet Fabric knowledge dropped on us!

12:40 – 1:40 p.m. VCDX – Jason Nash: The Journey to 100%: Virtualizing Tier 1 Applications

Jason Nash will provide an approach/outline for what to consider when trying to virtualize Tier 1 database and email servers.  Jason will discuss the pros and cons of making MS SQL and MS Exchange into virtual machines and how to estimate capacity to produce a predictable outcome.

1:45 – 2:00 p.m. Meeting Wrap-Up & Giveaways

We would like to say a special thank you to our meeting sponsor: 

Register Today to join us for this free informative event.

Please note: You will need to log into the VMUG web site to register for this meeting. If you have not already obtained your VMUG login credentials, please visit the Username and/or Password Help page to request your username and password.

Friday, October 28, 2011
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Moses Cone Woman’s Hospital
Education Building – Rooms 5 & 6
801 Green Valley Road
Greensboro NC, 27408
Click here for driving directions.

Join us for the upcoming Greensboro/Triad VMUG meeting taking place on Friday, October 28, 2011.

This is a great opportunity to come together with your fellow VMware users to discuss virtualization trends, best practices, and the latest technology!

Registration is open and included as part of your VMUG member benefits. Please note, in order to register for this meeting we ask that you sign up for a complimentary VMUG membership at MyVMUG.org, if you haven’t already done so. Click login below to sign up today.

Meeting Agenda

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. Registration and Member Mixer
11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Announcements, Agenda, and Introductions
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Nimble Storage – Converged iSCSI Storage, Backup, and Disaster Recovery

Nimble Storage has a unique storage solution and technology in their CASL™ architecture so come find out what makes it unique by spending “a day day in the life of I/O on Nimble Storage”

12:40 – 1:40 p.m. VMware vSphere Security & Hardening – Overview & Tips for Securing your Virtual Environment

Jason Nash (VCDX#49 ,vExpert ) will provide an overview of security for vSphere and discuss securing your vSphere environments.  He will talk about DMZ architectures, hardening vSphere and vCenter, use cases for the components of the vShield suite, as well as some 3rd party products.

1:45 – 2:00 p.m. Meeting Wrap-Up & Giveaways

We would like to say a special thank you to our meeting sponsor: 

Register Today to join us for this free informative event.

Please note: You will need to log into the VMUG web site to register for this meeting. If you have not already obtained your VMUG login credentials, please visit the Username and/or Password Help page to request your username and password.

Category: Hardware for Virtualization

Winner: Arista Networks, Arista EOS with VM Tracer / Auto Segmentation
The VM Tracer links Arista switches to VMware’s vCenter and creates an infrastructure in which the network responds to changes in VMs, among other capabilities.

Category: New Technology

Winner: Veeam Software, Veeam Backup & Replication v6
Version 6 of Veeam’s popular tool provides image-based data protection that companies need for traditional file-based backups. It impressed the judges because it takes virtual data protection further.

Congratulations!

First up (since they responded first) – Veeam (Team Green) is showing off version 6 of their Backup/Replication tool but follow the link at the end for the entire VMworld activities ($6K giveaway) – Link

Next we have Quest Software (Server Virtualization/Management) who has about three or four ways to win some money and several sessions they would like you to attend – Link for details. For a listing of recent product announcements go here.

Of course the VMUG organization will be there and would like for you to see them and save some money on your VMUG Advantage subscription – Go here for details.  You must be registered with myvmug.org to see the page.

Arista Networks (VMworld Labs sponsor) will be showcasing a key new data center networking technology developed jointly with VMware, drop by booth #1328 for details.

That is all for now – more to come if sponsors/partners get back to me.

I have added a page to the site for “Tools” –> http://triadvmug.com/tools/ so let me know of your must haves!

triadvmug@gmail.com

You can register here or –>http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GFHLK8F

Thanks as always for your support

You can follow Arista Networks on LinkedIn or Facebook

You can follow Mark on LinkedIn

And the podcast that I mentioned is Packet Pushers – Episode 45

As to the Packet Pushers podcast in general I would highly suggest you subscribe if you have any interest in networking technologies! – packetpushers.net

Next up is Matt Portnoy of VMware for rolling up his sleeves (literally) and digging into the licensing issues around vSphere 5 and vRam.

The biggest thing to remember is that physical RAM != vRAM, but assigned RAM = vRAM.

The “script” that I mentioned is actually several different options that do the same thing, which is basically scan you vCenter server for the currently managed hosts and compile the assigned RAM versus what allowed based on your license type and (assuming the rumor about a change in the values is not correct) the announced entitlements.

Link to one version, a second,  and  another.  The third is “official VMware” since it is by Alan Renouf and here is the VMware page.

Note for all you late adopters (like me)  - Remember vSphere 5 is ESXi only – ESXi Chronicles - a great resource on migrating and working with ESXi.

And finally, to you the member/attendee – Thanks for showing up, eating my food, taking my stuff, and most of all signing in for the event so I knew you where there!

Congratulations to the winners of some VMware schwag – Leslie L. & Doug P., Jim E. who won an Apple TV from Arista, and Muki N. who won a one year subscription to the VMUG Advantage!

Friday, July 29, 2011
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Moses Cone Woman’s Hospital
Education Building – Rooms 5 & 6
801 Green Valley Road
Greensboro NC, 27408
Click here for driving directions.

Join us for the upcoming Greensboro/Triad VMUG meeting taking place on Friday, July 29, 2011.

This is a great opportunity to come together with your fellow VMware users to discuss virtualization trends, best practices, and the latest technology!

Registration is open and included as part of your VMUG member benefits. Please note, in order to register for this meeting we ask that you sign up for a complimentary VMUG membership at MyVMUG.org, if you haven’t already done so. Click login below to sign up today.

Meeting Agenda

• 11:00 – 11:15 a.m. Registration

• 11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Introductions

• 11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Arista Networks – The network perspective on the changing data center

  Explosive data growth is a reality and the trajectory is continuing to be strong.  In order to accommodate and support this level of intensification, robust and powerful networks are becoming more important than ever before. Virtualization driven data generation and the diversification of data use drive the adoption of more role-based storage solutions within the data center.  These factors, coupled with the transition to highly virtualized data center environments, affects how organizations buy and manage server, storage, and network assets and are key drivers in what is propelling Big Data into an everyday reality.  The outlook is Big Data in the Cloud.

  Mark Berly is the senior systems engineer in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast region for Arista networks. He is one of Arista’s senior design architects and leads Arista’s extensibility and open source initiatives. Prior to joining Arista Mr. Berly spent 14 years at Cisco Systems. During his time at Cisco he led Cisco’s Data Center solutions architecture group, was the senior product line manager for Cisco’s NX-OS and Nexus 7000 product lines, led the world-wide engineering FSI escalation group focused on Catalyst 6500 and helped start the Cisco IOS SafeHarbor testing initiatives. Mr. Berly is a trusted technical (CCIE#5898) advisor for various fortune 500 companies.

• 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. VMware vSphere 5 – Overview & Highlights of what is New

• 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. VMware vSphere 5 – Q & A: What do you want to know

  The 7/12 announcement by Paul Maritz and Steve Herrod of vSphere 5 is changing the data center again, come to the VMUG meeting to get an overview of the next generation of data center/cloud infrastructure, select highlights of what new with the next generation of vSphere, and bring your questions about how these changes will affect you.

  Matt Portnoy is a VMware Senior System Engineer in Raleigh and is a frequent speaker to area VMUG’s.

• 1:30 – 1:45 p.m. Meeting Wrap-Up & Giveaways

We would like to say a special thank you to our meeting sponsor:    

Register Today to join us for this free informative event.

Please note: You will need to log into the VMUG web site to register for this meeting. If you have not already obtained your VMUG login credentials, please visit the Username and/or Password Help page to request your username and password.