I was impressed from what I saw at VMworld using CA. I do not think this is science fiction at all for numerous reasons. For one I saw a live demo and I don’t think VMWare would have done a smoke and mirrors on us. The second point - this is what is needed in the datacenter. The ability to work eve in the event your main location happens to be shut down (e.g 9-11, earthquakes, Katrina etc…). It is so important to keep the system up 24/7 especially when looking at the financial and Gov’t sectors. One glitch even in minutes could mean so much. As bandwidth becomes more available and the pipes wider I see this technology as extremely useful and very possible in the datacenter. As algorithms improve and the fact we can transfer content at the delta level I think this is anything but scifi. Of course when looking at this technology we cannot only look at the virtual solution, but also the infrastructure surrounding the virtual infrastructure. What I mean by this is redundant WAN connection, two switches etc…. Bringing the whole system in a continuous availability and not looking just at the VM level.

New Blades Could Ease DRP Planning
A string of new blade server systems promises to hit new heights in processing capabilities, energy efficiency and ease of use, producing even more choices for enterprise users in what is turning into an increasingly crowded field. The latest entry comes from Dell, which introduced the new PowerEdge M1000e rack enclosure that the company claims can be installed and operational within 15 minutes. The 10U rack can hold up to 16 half-height blades, including the M600 and M605 units outfitted with quad-core Xeon or Opterons. The M1000e will replace the outgoing M1955 enclosure, although it will use the same OpenManage toolkit. IBM has added a new Power6 blade to its line-up, the JS22 Express, which matches a pair of the dual-core processors engineered with the Advanced Power Virtualization system to host up to 10 virtual servers per core. Unix users might be interested in the system’s Live Partition Mobility feature that enables live migration of operating systems and applications among servers.

“New” Killer Whale Types at Risk From Antarctic Warming
Newly identified types of Antarctic killer whales feed off of ice shelves that may soon be gone, due to global warming.

disaster Recovery Sites Impacted by Wildfires by Closings ofr San Diego High Tech Firms
(Computerworld) — High-tech San Diego-area groups such as the AeA San Diego Council, as well as local employers, are keeping a cautious eye on winds and warnings as Southern California’s wildfires edge closer to industry centers in the region. The executive director of the AeA chapter, lives in San Diego County in what is now termed a voluntary evacuation area. On drive through San Diegos high technology areas many technology companies, including Hewlett-Packard Co., have closed local facilities but none have been damaged by fire, although houses within miles of these firms have been damaged.  How would your company operate if its DRP site were there? 

IT Caught Off Guard by Warning
(Computerworld) — LAS VEGAS — Gartner Inc. is recommending that businesses complete planning by the second quarter of next year for a possible avian influenza pandemic and in particular stock up on supplies that would be needed by data center workers who might be quarantined together. Among the suggestions offered last week by Gartner at the consulting firm s annual data center conference here: Store 42 gallons of water per data center employee enough for a six-week quarantine and don t forget about food, medical care, cooking facilities, sanitation and electricity.