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Containers in Windows Server 2016

If you’re a business owner interested in utilizing virtualization technology, you have a lot of options for how to go about that. However, there is one virtualization vendor you’re probably already comfortable with: Microsoft. Read on for more information on the new and exciting features packaged with the Windows operating system.

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17 May, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Uncategorized category
Containers in Windows Server 2016

If you’re a business owner interested in utilizing virtualization technology, you have a lot of options for how to go about that. However, there is one virtualization vendor you’re probably already comfortable with: Microsoft. Read on for more information on the new and exciting features packaged with the Windows operating system.

A brief history of Windows Server

The Windows Server operating system has been around for decades. As an advanced option for onsite servers, this operating system grants access to high-level access management settings, DNS customizations, and network configuration management. In fact, it’s such a complicated solution that Microsoft offers certification courses for each version of the operating system.

The most recent iteration of this operating system is Windows Server 2016 (WS16). Released on October 12th, 2016, Microsoft’s latest server software included countless improvements to its networking and user management features. Where it really shines however, is in the ways it handles virtualized computing.

Virtualization in Windows Server 2016

As with just about anything in the virtualization world, containers dominate the WS16 conversation. Containers use software to aggregate the bare minimum requirements that one application needs to run -- hardware, software and operating system -- and deliver that package across a network to computers that lack one or more of those requirements. For example, if you want to run a Mac application that requires a huge amount of processing power on a bare-bones Windows workstation, you can create a container with the necessary components on your server and let the workstation access it remotely.

WS16 users have access to two types of container deployments: Hyper-V and Windows Server containers. To the average business owner, the differences between these two options is minute, but what is important is Microsoft’s commitment to compatibility. If virtualization is important to you, choosing WS16 is a great way to ensure that you’ll be ready for whatever develops among the disparate providers.

Another great virtualization feature in WS16 is software-defined storage (SDS). It’s a complicated solution, but it essentially allows you to create hard drive partitions outside of the confines of hardware limitations. You can create a single drive by pooling storage space from three different servers, or you can create several separate drives for virtualized workstations to access.

Obviously, managing a server is no easy task -- regardless of whether or not you implement a virtualized infrastructure. That complexity comes with some compatibility issues; if your business relies on old software, it may not have been updated to run with WS16. For everything from creating a transition plan to managing your virtualized framework, give us a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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How virtualization roots out malware

Every IT solution in your organization will encounter malware at some point or another. Some solutions are malware liabilities, others are assets. When it comes to virtualization, there are several cyber security benefits for improving your malware readiness.

The post How virtualization roots out malware appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

28 Apr, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in category
How virtualization roots out malware

Every IT solution in your organization will encounter malware at some point or another. Some solutions are malware liabilities, others are assets. When it comes to virtualization, there are several cyber security benefits for improving your malware readiness. One of our favorites is called sandboxing, and it’s a good one for you to know about.

What is sandboxing?

Sandboxing is one of the rare concepts in virtualization that the average person can usually grasp in just a couple short sentences. Essentially, sandboxing is the practice of tricking an application or program into thinking it is running on a regular computer, and observing how it performs. This is especially useful for testing whether unknown applications are hiding malware.

Obviously, it gets far more complicated once you delve into the details of how you implement a sandboxing technique, but the short answer is that it almost always involves virtualized computers. The program you want to test thinks it’s been opened on a full-fledged workstation of server and can act normally, but it’s actually inside of a tightly controlled virtual space that forbids it from copying itself or deleting files outside of what is included in the sandbox.

An effective way to quarantine

Virtualization is no simple task, but the benefits of sandboxing definitely make the effort worth it. For example, virtualized workstations can essentially be created and destroyed with the flip of a switch. That means:

  1. You aren’t required to manage permanent resources to utilize a sandbox. Turn it on when you need it, and when you’re done the resources necessary to run it are reset and returned to your server’s available capacity.
  2. When malware is exposed inside a sandbox, removing it is as simple as destroying the virtual machine. Compare that to running a physical workstation dedicated solely to sandboxing. Formatting and reinstalling the machine would take several hours.
  3. Variables such as which operating system the sandbox runs, which permissions quarantined applications are granted, and minimum testing times can be employed and altered in extremely short periods of time.

This strategy has been around for nearly two decades, and some cybersecurity experts have spent their entire careers working toward the perfect virtual sandbox.

Containers: the next step in this evolution

Recently, the virtualization industry has been almost totally consumed by the topic of “containers.” Instead of creating entire virtual workstations to run suspicious applications in, containers are virtual spaces with exactly enough hardware and software resources to run whatever the container was designed to do.

Think of the metaphor literally: Older sandboxes came in a uniform size, which was almost always significantly larger than whatever you were placing into them. Containers let you design the size and shape of the sandbox based on your exact specifications.

Quarantined virtual spaces fit nicely into the sandbox metaphor, but actually implementing them is impossible without trained help. Whether you’re looking for enhanced security protocols or increased efficiency with your hardware resources, our virtualization services can help. Call us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Hands-on virtualization with a 1990s Mac

Even if virtualization has been explained to you before, it's entirely possible that the definition didn’t stick. There are so many variations of this technology that we take it upon ourselves to periodically review its most basic functions. And because these variations aren't concrete enough to easily understand them, this time we’re including a virtualized desktop for you to play with!

What is virtualization?

The simplest definition is this: It’s the act of creating a virtual (rather than physical) version of something, including hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources.

The post Hands-on virtualization with a 1990s Mac appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

13 Apr, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in category
Hands-on virtualization with a 1990s Mac

Even if virtualization has been explained to you before, it's entirely possible that the definition didn’t stick. There are so many variations of this technology that we take it upon ourselves to periodically review its most basic functions. And because these variations aren't concrete enough to easily understand them, this time we’re including a virtualized desktop for you to play with!

What is virtualization?

The simplest definition is this: It’s the act of creating a virtual (rather than physical) version of something, including hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources. But that doesn’t do much for those outside of the IT industry.

We could paint a colorful analogy to try to better explain it, or we could let you paint with your very own virtualized demo. Follow these steps so you can see how virtualization works:

  1. Visit this website.
  2. Wait while your virtualized 1991 Macintosh boots up.
  3. Double-click the ‘Kid Pix’ desktop icon.
  4. Write “This is virtualization” on the blank canvas.
  5. Click (and hold) File, and select Save As.
  6. Click the Save button in the new window.
  7. Quit ‘Kid Pix’.

Voilà! Your picture was saved to that old-school Mac's virtual hard drive. That’s because everything -- from the operating system to the processor -- is running on a server located somewhere else on the internet. And it’s not just some remote desktop viewing trick, this ’90s-era Mac and its hardware have been created by software installed on a server that is concurrently processing a million other tasks.

It’s a fun demonstration, but modern-day virtualization can accomplish much more.

Divide up hardware resources

The dated nature of that machine actually helps us better illustrate the biggest benefit of virtualization. The software that lets us create virtual machines also allows us to define exactly how much hardware each workstation gets.

For example, this Mac has only 3.8 MB of hard drive space, but if your virtualization server has 10,000 GB of space, you can create 100 virtual desktops with 100 GB of storage space. It’s a bit of an oversimplification, but that’s essentially how it works with storage hardware, CPUs, RAM, and other hardware.

Reduce on-site costs

The bulk of your workstation and server hardware is usually hosted off-site, which means lower utility bills, computer equipment requirements, and maintenance overhead. Instead of patching and upgrading each workstation’s software and hardware individually, virtualization allows you to apply changes to all your machines at once.

Disaster recovery

If your virtualization server is hosted off-site, what happens when natural disasters, power outages, theft, or vandalism strikes your office? Or, as a simpler example, where did you store your Kid Pix masterpiece? Certainly not on the machine you’re reading this blog from.

Virtualization allows you to keep mission-critical data stored safely away from the office so your team can get back to work as soon as your IT provider gets them access to the server again. And with a single point of management (i.e., your off-site server), that can take place in virtually no time at all.

Ending your dependence on individual machines and their hardware is just one of the many ways to utilize the power of virtualization. You can define network hardware and configurations with software, run applications on any operating system, and so much more. To find out which solution is best for your business, call us today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Hands-on virtualization with a 1990s Mac appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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