Virtualization is great for servers, but tough on storage.

Most companies have virtualized many if not all of their servers—and the benefits of that consolidation are clear. But a virtual server environment isn’t always storage friendly. Backup, capacity allocation and taking advantage of new technologies like VMware’s VMotion put new stresses on the storage infrastructure—and the IT resources who are managing those storage assets.

During this hands-on seminar, noted independent storage and data center expert Greg Schulz will share insights and facilitate the conversation around these key challenges:

• Storage technology choices in virtual server environments
• Tips for optimizing storage in tough economic times
• Choosing storage projects when you have enterprise data needs and SMB budget and resources
• Backup and Disaster Recovery Planning: Challenges with availability, reliability and recoverability
• Evaluating ‘new’ technologies: data dedupe, cloud storage and backup, FCoE, solid state disk and more

Join us for an informative breakfast seminar with your peers -- IT pros with storage and data center/server responsibility in companies with less than a thousand employees – to focus on solving the key challenges that you face right now.

As we move beyond one of the worst economic climates in history – and its effect on IT departments and IT infrastructures -- now is the time to step back and evaluate lessons learned and discuss what’s ahead for 2010 and beyond.

Companies in the 100-500 employee range have the same fundamental server/data center and storage needs as Fortune 500 enterprises – efficient infrastructure and smart data management and data protection. But you don’t have the specialized staff, resources, or budgets that large enterprises do. So, it is absolutely critical that you make smart, informed decisions.

This breakfast seminar is FREE for qualified IT pros, but space is limited and applications are being approved on a first-come, first-served basis. Please apply online today or call Delegate Relations Manager Jen Tobin at 617-431-9722.

ABOUT THIS BREAKFAST SEMINAR

Bring your checklist of key challenges and get practical advice over a sit down breakfast and coffee with a few dozen of your true peers – all right in your back yard. Our goal is to share information, present ideas, ask each other questions, and to learn from one another. You’ll benefit from Greg Schulz’ expertise, the shared knowledge of your peers and valuable input from technology experts from sponsors Dell and Microsoft.

Expanding on the five essential topics listed above we should all consider the following:

• Steps to choosing projects that will make a real impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of your IT operations
• Best-in-class server virtualization and storage strategies
• Highly virtualized and easy-to-manage network storage deployments
• Use cases, experiences and lessons learned deploying server virtualization and network storage
• What works in the data center - getting back to fundamentals, evaluating new technologies, and insights on innovative approaches
• What still keeps you up at night? Discussions on availability, reliability and recoverability in the data center on a budget
• Cost control ideas and strategies
• The evaluating the impact of emerging technologies and solutions such as IT Clouds, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, FCoE, data dedupe, SSD / EFD
• Disaster recovery planning for SMBs
• Optimizing backup – choosing the right mix of product and process
• Priorities going forward in 2010 and beyond

And the entire discussion happens in the context of your organization size – so the approaches your peers are taking, the expert advice you’ll get from Greg Schulz and the solutions you’ll hear about from sponsors Dell and Microsoft are right-sized to your specific needs.

ABOUT GREG SCHULZ

As founder of the independent IT industry analyst and consultancy firm StorageIO (www.storageioblog.com), Mr. Schulz has worked as a programmer, systems administrator, disaster recovery consultant, and capacity planner for various IT organizations from an applications, systems, server, and storage networking perspective. He has worked for several vendors before joining an industry analyst firm and later forming StorageIO. In addition to his analyst consulting and research duties, Greg is one of the most sought-after consulting analysts, writers and speakers on a global basis in the space of Green IT, server and storage virtualization, IT optimization and efficiency having latterly written the book on the topic “The Green and Virtual Data Center” (CRC). He is also the author of “Resilient Storage Networks – Designing Flexible Scalable Data Infrastructures” (Elsevier) as well as having written over a thousand articles, reports, tips and columns in addition to numerous webcasts, podcasts and videos.

 

To reserve your seat, apply online or call Delegate Relations Manager Jen Tobin at 617-431-9722.

Seating is limited – please apply right away!

Click here to register
for this free, half-day seminar