Now is the time for a truly global DX event, to bring together the leading minds from the technology world in a conversation about Digital Transformation. DX encompasses the continuing technology revolution, and is addressing society’s most important issues throughout the entire $78 trillion 21st-century global economy.
DXWorldEXPO® has organized these issues along 10 tracks, 22 keynotes and general sessions, and a faculty of 222 of the world’s top speakers.
ManageEngine’s OpManager has gone through a number of transformations over the past two years and the latest edition, v12.3, delivers even more new features. Its revamped web console makes problem detection and troubleshooting even easier, it has over 39,000 vendor templates for accurate device identification and virtual host support now includes Citrix XenServer.
Licensing doesn’t get any simpler: it’s based purely on monitored devices, regardless of the number of interfaces, sensors or elements each one has. The Essentials version is great value too, with prices starting at only £1,850 for a 50 device license pack.
OpManager also stands out for its advanced virtualization monitoring. A standard license includes VMware, Hyper-V and XenServer support – something many other vendors only offer as an optional, paid-for feature.
OpManager’s light touch on its host system also gets our vote. We downloaded the small 135MB executable, installed it in 15 minutes on our Windows Server 2012 R2 host and watched it load a single Windows service and default PostgreSQL database.
Discovery doesn’t take long either with the wizard-driven routine asking for IP address ranges, sets of device credentials and schedule details. Our discovery profile took 7 minutes to scan the lab network and we could see a list of all discovered devices from the Inventory tab. OpManager offers accurate identification; it correctly spotted our HPE network switches, Windows 10 desktops, Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V hosts, printers and NAS appliances.
The new console sees all menu options moved to the top with a ribbon bar providing easy access to features such as dashboards, device inventories, alarms and maps. Existing users will like the option to switch the page layout back to the previous version, which has a menu bar down the side and network summary across the top.
The enterprise dashboard provides a widget-based overview of device availability, alarms, the busiest devices and an infrastructure snapshot showing a list of device categories. The new design supports drag-and-drop customisation and although you can’t remove any widgets from the default views, you can create your own dashboards.
The heat-map widget is a must-have feature in any dashboard, as it presents a grid of coloured blocks representing each device, their status and quick links to each one. Another valuable feature is the NOC (Network Operations Center) views where you can select dashboards and present them on a big screen for your support department.
OpManager provided plenty of virtualization details with a summary dashboard, separate ones for Hyper-V, VMware and XenServer plus another showing VM sprawl. For our Hyper-V host, we viewed a page showing VMs using the most host resources with separate tables for CPU, memory, storage and network utilization.
Workflows automate responses to events or errors and associate sequences of conditions and actions. These are simple to create using the Workflow Builder, where you drag and drop conditions and actions into its central pane and apply them to selected devices.
The optional Application Performance Management (APM) add-in snaps neatly into the OpManager console and provides in-depth details on a huge range of applications, databases and cloud services. The Storage add-on is less appealing as many of the RAID, FC switch and tape library devices listed as supported are obsolete.
OpManager’s new iOS app delivers monitoring on the move. With it loaded on our iPad, we logged into the OpManager host and viewed our custom dashboards, all monitored devices, alarms and the APM module.
This latest version of OpManager delivers a wealth of new features and remedies most of its predecessor’s shortcomings. It’s swift to deploy, includes integral virtualization monitoring tools and looks great value for SMBs.
Enterprises are rapidly accelerating the pace at which they’re moving workloads to Amazon Web Services (AWS) for greater cost, scale and speed advantages. And while AWS leads all others as the enterprise public cloud platform of choice, they and all Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) providers rely on a shared responsibility model where customers are responsible for securing operating systems, platforms and data.
In the case of AWS, they take responsibility for the security of the cloud itself including the infrastructure, hardware, software, and facilities. The AWS version of the shared responsibility model shown below illustrates how Amazon has defined securing the data itself, management of the platform, applications and how they’re accessed, and various configurations as the customers’ responsibility:
Included in the list of items where the customer is responsible for security “in” the cloud is identity and access management, including Privileged Access Management (PAM) to secure the most critical infrastructure and data.
Stolen privileged access credentials are the leading cause of breaches today. Forrester found that 80% of data breaches are initiated using privileged credentials, and 66% of organisations still rely on manual methods to manage privileged accounts. And while they are the leading cause of breaches, they’re often overlooked — not only to protect the traditional enterprise infrastructure — but especially when transitioning to the cloud.
Both for on-premise and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), it’s not enough to rely on password vaults alone anymore. Organisations need to augment their legacy Privileged Access Management strategies to include brokering of identities, multi-factor authentication enforcement and “just enough, just-in-time” privilege, all while securing remote access and monitoring of all privileged sessions. They also need to verify who is requesting access, the context of the request, and the risk of the access environment. These are all essential elements of a Zero Trust Privilege strategy, with Centrify being an early leader in this space.
The following are six best practices for increasing security in AWS and are based on the Zero Trust Privilege model:
Given how powerful the AWS root user account is, it’s highly recommended that the password for the AWS root account be vaulted and only used in emergencies. Instead of local AWS IAM accounts and access keys, use centralised identities (e.g., Active Directory) and enable federated login. By doing so, you obviate the need for long-lived access keys.
When it comes to IaaS adoption, one of the inhibitors for organisations is the myth that the IaaS requires a unique security model, as it resides outside the traditional network perimeter. However, conventional security and compliance concepts still apply in the cloud. Why would you need to treat an IaaS environment any different than your own data center? Roles and responsibilities are still the same for your privileged users. Thus, leverage what you’ve already got for a common security infrastructure spanning on-premises and cloud resources. For example, extend your Active Directory into the cloud to control AWS role assignment and grant the right amount of privilege.
Shared privileged accounts (e.g., AWS EC2 administrator) are anonymous. Ensure 100% accountability by having users log in with their individual accounts and elevate privilege as required. Manage entitlements centrally from Active Directory, mapping roles, and groups to AWS roles.
Grant users just enough privilege to complete the task at hand in the AWS Management Console, AWS services, and on the AWS instances. Implement cross-platform privilege management for AWS Management Console, Windows and Linux instances.
Log and monitor both authorised and unauthorised user sessions to AWS instances. Associate all activity to an individual, and report on both privileged activity and access rights. It’s also a good idea to use AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch to monitor all API activity across all AWS instances and your AWS account.
Thwart in-progress attacks and get higher levels of user assurance. Consistently implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for AWS service management, on login and privilege elevation for AWS instances, or when checking out vaulted passwords.
One of the most common reasons AWS deployments are being breached is a result of privileged access credentials being compromised. The six best practices mentioned in this post are just the beginning; there are many more strategies for increasing the security in AWS. Leveraging a solid Zero Trust Privilege platform, organisations can eliminate shared Amazon EC2 key pairs, using auditing to define accountability to the individual user account level, execute on least privilege access across every login, AWS console, and AWS instance in use, enforce MFA and enable a common security model.
Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss subjects like this and sharing their experiences and use-cases? Attend the Cyber Security & Cloud Expo World Series with upcoming events in Silicon Valley, London and Amsterdam to learn more.
IDC has revealed that cloud infrastructure has generated more revenue for tech businesses compared to traditional IT infrastructure for the first time ever.
During the third quarter of 2018, cloud infrastructure components, such as servers, enterprise storage, and Ethernet switches grew by 47.2%, with the research firm estimating this will result in 37.2% growth for the entirety of 2018.
Cloud-related revenues accounted for 50.9% of the total worldwide IT infrastructure vendor revenues, up more than 7% year-on-year.
“The first three quarters of 2018 were exceptional for the IT Infrastructure market across all deployment environments and the increase in IT infrastructure investments by public cloud datacenters was especially strong driven by the opening of new datacentres and infrastructure refresh in existing datacentres,” said Natalya Yezhkova, research director, IT Infrastructure and Platforms.
However, the company has predicted this growth will start to slow in the next 12 months as cloud vendors make some changes to their operational structure, specifically in supply chain.
“After such a strong year we expect some slowdown in 2019 as the overall market cools down and some cloud providers work through adjustments in their supply chain. However, IDC expects the shift in IT infrastructure spending toward cloud environments will continue.”
Dell continued to dominate the market, with 50.7% revenue growth in Q3 2018 compared to the same quarter of 2017, although Lenovo’s revenue growth was perhaps the most impressive – its cloud-related revenues grew by 182%, increasing its market share from 2.5% in Q3 2017 to 4.8% in Q3 2018. Little-known vendor Inspur also made great strides, with growth of 179.4% year-on-year and taking 6.3% of the market share.
By 2022, IDC expects traditional IT infrastructure spending to decrease to 42.4% of the total worldwide IT infrastructure spend as more businesses move away from traditional architecture to embrace the cloud.
Salesforce has updated its Commerce Cloud platform, adding AI integration, visual search, and inventory availability services to businesses in the retail sector.
Through these new additions to the company’s e-commerce marketing platform, businesses can connect with customers throughout their entire buying journey and not just when they reach the company’s site.
For example, the Einstein Recommendations API can offer targeted product recommendations to customers that may have expressed an interest in other products, whether using mobile apps, devices, customer service channels or more. Another Einstein-powered feature is Einstein Visual Search, which allows customers to search for products using images rather than text. When a customer uploads a picture or screenshot of a product, they’re presented with similar products from your store that match their needs.
“Digital commerce no longer starts with just a shopping cart,” said Mike Micucci, CEO of Commerce Cloud at Salesforce. “With Salesforce Commerce Cloud, companies have a trusted partner who can help them meet their customers wherever they are and deliver commerce everywhere through a platform full of AI-powered commerce services, APIs and a robust partner ecosystem.”
Another new addition to Salesforce Commerce Cloud is High-scale Inventory Availability Service, which allows businesses to sync their inventory across all sales channels, including in-store and fulfilment centre, plus digital channels to enable powerful features such as real-time customer stock checks throughout the year.
“With Salesforce, Michaels has launched new branded e-commerce sites, unified our in-store and online experience, and integrated user-generated content from social media,” added Steve Carlotti, executive vice president of marketing at Salesforce customer The Michaels Companies.
“We are also bringing together commerce, service and marketing to drive more effective audience engagement and ensure that every customer communication is timely and relevant.”
SSE is teaming up with Tigerspike and AWS to deliver smart city services to the masses via its Internet of Things (IoT) platform.
Part of the threesome’s strategy is to develop SSE’s Mayflower smart lighting solution, which is comprised of the entire infrastructure for smart lighting in cities, including sensors and devices to light up cities autonomously.
But that’s just the start of Mayflower. SSE and Tigerspike will develop new connected solutions, such as smart parking and assisted living, road temperature, weather stations, air and gully monitoring to build an entire connected city ecosystem. It will also include a framework for the management of multiple sensors, devices and associated communications protocols, which can be provided to third-party developers to create even more apps.
“SSE Enterprise has long been one of the leading providers of street lighting services in the UK, so this partnership will allow us to develop next-generation technology that will help make the smart city revolution a reality,” said Stephen Stead, head of strategy, new markets and digital services for SSE Enterprise.
“Applications we expect to develop will help local authorities address many of their key issues whether this be air quality, urban parking management, deployment of EV charging or the challenge of supporting vulnerable people in their own homes.”
Stead added that the new partnership will benefit city councils and town planners, helping them create new applications to meet local authority demands, whether that’s conserving energy or providing better solutions to residents.
“We’re very excited to be working on this programme with SSE. Tigerspike’s continued involvement in smart cities projects such as this one demonstrates our commitment to improving people’s lives through technology,” added Josh Haagsma, general manager of Tigerspike Europe.
“We’re passionate about being at the forefront of the Smart Cities revolution and helping to deliver the benefit of the digital transformation of government services to millions of citizens. We look forward to using AWS to create the digital products for SSE that enable this revolution.”
Atmosera delivers modern cloud services that maximize the advantages of cloud-based infrastructures. Offering private, hybrid, and public cloud solutions, Atmosera works closely with customers to engineer, deploy, and operate cloud architectures with advanced services that deliver strategic business outcomes. Atmosera’s expertise simplifies the process of cloud transformation and our 20+ years of experience managing complex IT environments provides our customers with the confidence and trust that they are being taken care of.
As a Gold-level, nationally Managed Microsoft Partner, Atmosera is a leading certified Azure Service Provider offering cloud automation, compliance (HIPAA/HITRUST, PCI, SOC 2, NIST, IRS-1075), InfoSec, data resiliency, mission-critical IT infrastructures and other services.
To learn more about Atmosera and how we can help with getting started or optimizing your cloud infrastructure, visit www.Atmosera.com, read our blog and follow us on Twitter @Atmosera.
Artifex Software began 25-years ago with Ghostscript, a page description language (PDL) interpreter software prevalent in printing and related applications requiring rendering and/or conversion from one software language to another. Founded by renowned computer scientist Dr. L. Peter Deutsch, our company has thrived on the basis of our sharp focus on this area of expertise, a zealous commitment to quality and a strong customer service orientation.
Over 100 OEM partners representing some of the biggest names in technology and related categories depend on Artifex technologies. We partner with leaders, building long-term relationships on the basis of strong technical knowledge, outstanding service, and a commitment to invest in our partnerships.
The dream is universal: heuristic driven, global business operations without interruption so that nobody has to wake up at 4am to solve a problem. Building upon Nutanix Acropolis software defined storage, virtualization, and networking platform, Mark will demonstrate business lifecycle automation with freedom of choice and consumption models. Hybrid cloud applications and operations are controllable by the Nutanix Prism control plane with Calm automation, which can weave together the following: database as a service with Era, micro segmentation with Flow, event driven lifecycle operations with Epoch monitoring, and both financial and cloud governance with Beam. Combined together, the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud OS democratizes and accelerates every aspect of your business with simplicity, security, and scalability.
Cloud Storage 2.0 has brought many innovations, including the availability of cloud storage services that are less expensive and much faster than previous generations of cloud storage. Cloud Storage 2.0 has also delivered new and faster methods for migrating your premises storage environment to the cloud and the concept of multi-cloud. This session will provide technical details on Cloud Storage 2.0 and the methods used to efficiently migrate from premises-to-cloud storage. This session will also discuss best practices for implementing multi-cloud environments.