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VMware's vCenter Server (once called VMware VirtualCenter) is a central management tool for VMware vSphere virtualized computing environments.  The use of vCenter will allow IT services personnel to improve their level of control over the virtualized environment and proactively manage resources.  Like all robust virtualization IT solutions, vCenter is a fully scalable platform.

As applications grow and improve, it is sometimes necessary for businesses to move to not just an updated version of their existing product, but to a new product altogether, one that may take a radically different approach to format and organization. 

A recent study conducted by Symantec has found that server virtualization is spreading to business enterprises around the world, with more than three-quarters of large businesses reporting that they either have implemented the strategy or are in the process of adopting some aspects of it.  These findings include hybrid cloud computing as a virtualization strategy.

IT services are now being provided by managed services providers, and most of these providers offer a variety of software choices suitable for the small and medium enterprise market.  For starters, customers can often choose between VMware and Microsoft's Hyper-V to supply their virtualization needs.  How then can such an enterprise know with confidence which of the available options will best support their IT needs so that their clients' employees can concentrate on workflow related to the firm's core competencies?

Before Exchange 2010 was released, networked users of Microsoft workstations had fewer options for the creation of email archives.  The most typical method used was moving email into Microsoft Outlook and creating personal archives using its functionality. 

Data centers occupy a key place in most business organizations these days, with their use growing each year among small and medium-sized businesses.  IT services in the 21^st century can help enterprises take the next step in data center functions, turning them into highly efficient dynamic data centers that optimize all aspects of their operations from the use of applications to network storage capacity.  What makes these data centers dynamic as opposed to the previous generation of data centers is their ability to consume resources on an as-needed basis rather than having large amounts of dedicated resources routed to them whether those resources were needed or not.

Citrix, an industry leader in software providing virtualization platforms, has released an upgrade to its popular XenServer program.  XenServer 6 has been optimized to work even better with cloud infrastructure and features enhanced scalability and better performance for both networking and virtualized desktop use.  

In addition, the new version of XenServer will allow users to link into System Center Virtual Machine Manager's 2012 Console, a feature eagerly awaited from Microsoft.  

XenServer 6 is still based on Xen hypervisor version 4.1, but includes new features that should prove of use to enterprise users.  One of the most exciting is the use of Open vSwitch as the network stack.  Since Open vSwitch now manages the stack by default, virtual networking features can be distributed network-wide.  These include programs such as RSpan, NetFlow, and a variety of security ACLs.

A managed programs approach that includes installation and maintenance of XenServer 6 will allow business enterprises to scale out to the cloud.  One strong feature of scaling out in this way is that users can continue to maintain close integration with existing Citrix products such as NetScaler, which helps optimize the use of wide area networks or WANs.  Another added feature will allow XenServer host computers as well as virtualized machines to be remotely managed by the Microsoft System Center mentioned earlier.  This provides users with an alternative to VMware's competing vSphere product.  The XenServer 6 system, when used with the System Center, will allow users to create and utilize private clouds.

In many businesses and particularly in small to medium-sized enterprises, IT budgets can be very tight, with departments and on-staff support personnel eager to save money in any way they can.  The temptation, therefore, to choose a free data storage solution can be quite strong.  Companies now exist that offer free storage server software, but there are several compelling reasons why enterprises are actually better off opting for a managed programs approach to server functions.

Even the smallest of business enterprises can have a complex internal structure, particularly when you consider how the IT solutions in use may have evolved over time.  Many small and medium-sized enterprises find themselves in a situation in which they are working with a different vendor for each of their IT needs.  Incompatibility among the software systems and hardware installed is a natural consequence of such an arrangement, but there is another important consequence that is potentially even more problematic for an enterprise trying to reduce expenditure. 

It is not enough in today's business environment to comply with all of the governmental mandates that apply to your industry.  A business enterprise must also be able to demonstrate without question that it has done so.  Since it is difficult to pass an audit without sufficient proof of compliance, enterprises are left searching for IT solutions that will help them streamline the processes required by mandate as well as automate the creation of necessary documentation regarding compliance.