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September 21, 2010

Put Remote Management to Work in your Branch Office

Filed under: Backup Best Practices — wayne @ 5:21 am

Remote system management is an increasingly important issue facing many businesses today. As corporate consolidation integrates additional locations within the same infrastructure, IT professionals face a more demanding environment. Recent surveys show that as many as 95 percent of branch offices operate without on-site IT personnel (1). Additionally, other surveys indicate that while spending on corporate IT staff still constitutes the largest component of most IT budgets, it continues to decline—from 42 percent in 2005 to 37 percent this past year. (2) These trends require IT professionals to do more with less and determine more effective ways to perform critical tasks.

These changes in IT staffing often result in non-technical personnel performing standard tasks, such as data backup, patch management, and system maintenance. Not only do these tasks detract from an employee’s primary responsibilities, it is difficult to assure that best practices and procedures are followed. In addition, failure to perform these tasks could result in vulnerabilities related to data loss and security.

In addressing the challenges and risks associated with remote site management, many IT professionals are implementing ‘intelligent’ management solutions. These solutions provide systems administrators with remote, bios-level access to all of their servers, network devices, and other critical equipment.

Remote management solutions offer significant benefits, including:

Reducing downtime and allowing administrators to bring equipment back online quickly

Decreasing operating costs by eliminating or reducing the need for IT staff or third-party service calls

Centralizing datacenter control, improving security and providing easier and more efficient processes to perform system administration, maintenance, and upgrades

Improving physical site security and monitoring, minimizing capital loss due to vandalism or theft of equipment (3)

Remote management solutions generally combine remote management, intelligent power, and environmental monitoring. Below are example solutions from Avocent and Raritan that enable IT professionals to easily integrate their remote locations into their centralized management process, as well as standalone solutions offered by other vendors.

Integrated Remote Management Solutions

Avocent

Remote Management: Avocent’s DSView 3 software provides an integrated platform for managing KVM switches, service processor aggregation appliances, and serial devices. Avocent’s DSR switches provide remote bios-level server and serial device control, and its service processor aggregation appliances, the OnBoard and the MergePoint, can be used to remotely manage devices with integrated onboard technologies.

Power: Avocent’s Cyclades AlterPath PM intelligent power distribution units enable remote power management and control of servers and network devices. AlterPath PM devices can be used with DSR switches and Cyclades console servers and integrate with DSView 3, combining system access and power control into a single interface. These devices come in both 208 and 110 models, with many variations in number of outlets and amperage available.

Console: Avocent’s Cyclades ACS console servers are available in single and dual power supply options. When combined with integrated power management and centralized administration, these devices provide secure and consolidated out-of-band infrastructure management. ACS console servers use a Linux operating system, are accessible both in-band and out-of-band, and have detailed logging capabilities and numerous security features.

Raritan

Remote Management: Raritan’s CommandCenter Secure Gateway Appliance provides centralized management of servers and IT devices managed by Raritan Dominion series switches and console servers, as well as IT equipment with service processors and embedded technologies. The CommandCenter can also integrate remote power strips connected to Raritan Dominion products. The CommandCenter features 128-bit encryption and third-party authentication through Active Directory, TACACS+, LDAP, and RADIUS, and provides strong password support.

Power: Raritan’s remote power switches enable the remote monitoring, reboot, and shutdown of all connected devices. Using the Command Center, they integrate with Dominion KX switches and SX console servers, as well as other Raritan products, such as the Paragon II and IP Reach switches. These devices feature relay-controlled AC power receptacles, which allow administrators to monitor variables such as voltage, power, and temperature.

Console: Raritan’s Dominion SX and XRO devices provide out-of-band remote KVM access and serial device control, power control, and feature a modem for access if a network goes down. Dominion XRO devices allow 1 digital and 1 local user to control 1-3 servers and 4-8 serial devices and integrate with the CommandCenter Secure Gateway Appliance.

Standalone Solutions

Centralized KVM Over IP Management –Minicom

Minicom’s KVM.net device allows administrators to leverage their existing investments by providing front-end out-of-band KVM over IP management for mixed server environments. KVM.net provides secure, centralized management with a Linux-based GUI, and is a scalable system that features automatic discovery of all IP devices attached to the system. The device provides authentication and authorization mechanisms for secure access to servers, “non-blocking” access, and the capability to group users and servers.

Environmental Monitoring—Netbotz

NetBotz provides robust standalone environmental monitoring solutions. For smaller spaces with limited future expandability needs, the Netbotz 320 provides integrated environmental monitoring (temperature, humidity, dew point, airflow, door, and audio) with a web interface that provides immediate sensor readings, real-time camera images, and immediate configuration. The NetBotz 420 offers similar functions for small to medium-sized spaces that require comprehensive monitoring with moderate expandability potential. For larger spaces, the docked camera pods and sensor pods of the WallBotz 500 can be placed up to 340 feet from a base station, allowing coverage of multiple rooms or cabinets. An add-on CCTV adapter allows a CCTV camera to be used as well.

Intelligent Power—Server Technology

Server Technology’s remote power management solutions allow administrators to cycle power to non-responsive systems from any location via a web interface. These products also leverage leading advances in power distribution, such as 3-Phase power, branch circuit protection, and intelligent power-up sequencing. Server Technology also offers environmental monitoring devices that work with its power solutions, such as onboard probes that integrate with the Power Tower XL, allowing administrators to view temperature, humidity, water sensors, and dry contact closure sensors from its Enterprise View software, the same interface used to manage and monitor power.

Which of These Solutions Is Right For You?

42U provides complete remote management solutions, including KVM over IP, intelligent power, environmental monitoring, rack cooling, and rackmount solutions. The team at 42U specializes in assessing needs, creating solutions, and supporting clients, to ensure that IT professionals maximize their use of current technologies to improve overall business performance. A 42U sales engineer can help you sort through potential remote management solutions and select the one most appropriate for your organization’s particular needs and environment.

References

(1) (2006) Gareiss, R. “Branch Office Support: A Distant Reality”, Network World, http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/branch/2006/1120branch1.html

(2) (2007) Rothberg, D. “Companies Will Spend More on The Channel, Less on Staff in 2007”, eWeek,

http://www.esp.eweek.com/article/CIOs+Will+Spend+More+on+the+Channel+Less+on+Staff+

in+2007/198665_1.aspx

(3) (2005) Hack, T. “Optimizing Remote Site Equipment Configuration, Monitoring, and Control.” Remote Site and Equipment Management, http://www.remotemagazine.com/images/EasternResearchJune2005.pdf

Lauren Nowenstein
http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/put-remote-management-to-work-in-your-branch-office-115140.html

September 18, 2010

Recovering Crashed Hard Drive

Filed under: Backup Best Practices — wayne @ 12:16 pm

The two biggest issues for the computer owners, especially business owners, are data hacking and hard drive crash. Prevention practices are being deployed so as to reduce the risks. When it comes to hard drive crash, user loses all the business critical records and information including documents, spreadsheets, access databases, music files, photos and others. Thus knowing the way to acquire hard disk recovery is the key term for business continuation and survival.

In almost all the hard disk crash cases, user can’t calculate the exact amount of lost data; just a rough estimation remains as data loss extent is large. The main causes causing hard disk crash include physical damage, file system corruption, virus attack, operating system corruption, unintentional disk formatting and user errors. But, the actual conditions are not as dire as appear to be. Hard drive recovery solutions have made recovery easier than ever. Apart from physical data loss cases, hard disk recovery is easily feasible through software utilities.

The reason why you can’t read and access data in such cases is the loss of file system entries and hard drive internal’s functionality in logical and physical data loss cases respectively. But, hard disk recovery software and service let you access lost data through the corresponding set of procedures i.e. scanning through software and manual repair and recovery through  hard drive recovery services.

Hard disk recovery software are the ‘Do-It-Yourself’ utilities to make data available. The limitations are that they can’t recover overwritten data, so hard drive recovery experts say that you should plug off the system quickly after data loss.

In case of physical crash, failed hard drive is needed to be sent to expert centre. Technicians analyze the exact status of problem and conclude hard disk recovery chances. The downsides of the service are the cost and time required. The process is complex, where internals are to be dealt with great care and expertise and that’s the reason why hard drive recovery is expensive and protracted.

Hard disk recovery solutions become vital to be used when the data backup fails or has not been taken at all. After using the tools, you can safely transfer recovered information to the same or replaced (after physical crash) hard drive.

Stellar Information Systems Limited advantages you with the best hard drive recovery software solutions, high in fetching results. Data recovery software for different operating systems retain the power to thoroughly scan the media with the effective algorithms and hence retrieve the lost data. Also, Stellar has a proven record in offering hard disk recovery service through Class 100 Clean Rooms.

shally spears
http://www.articlesbase.com/data-recovery-articles/recovering-crashed-hard-drive-748706.html

September 10, 2010

Crucial Roles Played by Peer and or Peer in the Healthcare Industry

Filed under: Backup Best Practices — wayne @ 9:55 am

In today’s continuously developing healthcare industry, state-of-the-art, standardized software tools and latest technology computer systems play crucial roles in ensuring quality of service and good levels of performance among many different branches of the healthcare system.

By optimizing important healthcare levels such as secure patient data access and healthcare provider – patient interaction, by increasing the efficiency and success rates of computer-assisted medical procedures, and by adding quality to the healthcare education system, many software tools have recently achieved good levels of notoriety among various types of healthcare providing institutions, currently being regarded as indispensable in many sectors of the healthcare industry. With the help of today’s technology, healthcare providers can maximize the efficiency of the medical services delivered to patients, while healthcare beneficiaries can rest assured that they only receive professional, high-quality medical care and proper medical guidance.

At present, PEER and OR PEER are two of the most reliable, effective and extensively utilized tools in the healthcare industry. The acronym for Personal Electronic Education Resource, PEER consists in a latest generation software package which enables the medical staff to easily create, maintain and access a sophisticated, interactive educational resource with minimal computer skills. Used in the healthcare industry, PEER enables the medical staff to rapidly access and acquire critical medical information regarding various medical interventions and procedures, evaluate the risks involved by specific medical procedures, predict changes in patients’ conditions, and so on. In addition, PEER empowers medical professionals to rapidly exchange opinions and receive advice on the best medical practices and interventions before delivering various healthcare services to patients.

A software tool that shares the same characteristics as PEER, OR PEER (Personal Electronic Education Resource for the Operating Room) is a powerful software package especially designed for use in the operating room. OR PEER corroborates reliability and efficiency with the ease to use, the program enabling nurses, medical technicians, circulators, PA’s, anesthesiologists and surgeons to rapidly access an interactive resource available to consult. With the help of OR PEER, medical professionals can easily choose the most adequate procedures at the right time, significantly reducing the risk of malpractice, especially among medical teams who have little practical experience or lack the theoretical knowledge required to perform certain medical procedures on patients. OR PEER gives step-by-step instructions, including pictures, movies and text to setup the operating room for specific surgical procedures.

The two major benefits of utilizing PEER and OR PEER are that you dramatically reduce the amount of time spent training new staff, while also teaching them how to consult a detailed resource when they can’t receive direct advice from experienced medical professionals. In addition, OR PEER encourages your staff to take a proactive approach when it comes to solving both common and delicate problems which involve serious risks. However, OR PEER is not only appropriate for the inexperienced medical staff; the software can be used by the experienced staff as well, in which case medical professionals can refresh their memory for rare or emergency procedures and also stay in touch with newly developed medical procedures.

Other advantages of utilizing PEER and OR PEER are: increased patient safety (you can ensure that each patient is taken care of the right way – each PEER comprises specific patient safety instructions, including positioning and solutions to common problems); 5 minute case refresher (in less than 5 minutes, you have the possibility to consult a extensive resources with pictures, text and videos about specific procedures); PEER and OR PEER significantly reduce tension and anxiety among the medical staff (the programs allow medical practitioners to setup for procedures without feeling embarrassed or having to admit that they have forgotten certain procedures or procedure setups); improved staff relations and job satisfaction (helps nurses and techs rapidly learn what each surgeon needs and expects in order to perform certain procedures); increased value and reduced staff turnover (clearly defined roles and responsibilities help your staff feel more comfortable and confident in the OR); reduced inventory waste (thousands of dollars can be saved every day if you consult a PEER to find out what instruments are PULL/HOLD until needed); simplified nurse and technician education (PEER standardizes the education and orientation process for new employees and travelers).

PEER and OR PEER are extremely versatile and flexible software programs, which means that they are fully customizable to your hospital’s needs and requirements. In addition, as soon as you purchase PEER or OR PEER, you will receive complete guidance on the implementation of these tools in your healthcare providing institution.

The services you receive once you purchase either of the mentioned software tools include PEER training workshop (a PEER consultant teaches the entire process and computer program to your employees to create their own PEER library); remote PEER development (the service includes remote database and PEER library management for technical assistance and future updates via the Internet); PEER installation and training (the service includes both installation consulting and hands-on training – upon completion of the training program, your staff will be able to successfully create a library of hundreds of PEER’s. Additional preferential services include PEER and OR PEER database administration, remote backup and changes to program.

For more information about PEER or even about OR PEER plaese review this web site http://www.orpeer.com

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/crucial-roles-played-by-peer-and-or-peer-in-the-healthcare-industry-112458.html

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