We've recently spent a fair amount of time talking aboutcloud syncing solutions for PCs and mobile devices. In addition to syncing files and data across multiple devices, these services also provide as much off-site backup as most home users need. But power users andbusinesses often need more controlthan the typical cloud sync service can offerwhether its over what data is backed up and how, which users can use the service, how that data is secured both in transmission and at rest, or any combination of those flavors of control.

For users and system administrators who are less worried about syncing and more worried about keeping their data safe, a cloud backup solution could be the answer. Among cloud backup solutions, CrashPlan is one of the most competitive, both in features and in pricing. For consumers and small businesses, CrashPlan offers a range of versatile and highly configurable products that can back up client data to CrashPlan's cloud servers without requiring users to pay for and maintain their own file servers or network-attached storage devices. Larger businesses and enterprises can also back data up to CrashPlan's cloud, but are given the added option of creating their own on-site backup servers, which should calm security hawks distrustful of using other companies' servers to store important or sensitive data.

Some of the CrashPlan plans.

Though the details sometimes differ, all versions of CrashPlan operate in the same basic way: using client software installed on the computer you want to back up, you specify what files you'd like to back up and where you'd like to back them up to. All versions of CrashPlan can use CrashPlan's hosted servers, but other versions can also back up to locally hosted CrashPlan servers, external drives, or even other client computers. Once backed up, you can use the client to restore files and folders to your system.

Selecting files for backup. Hidden files can also be backed up if desired.

CrashPlan clients are available for Windows, OS X, Linux, and Solaris operating systems. There are also apps available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone that let you view and download any file stored on a CrashPlan server.

All versions of CrashPlan protect user data with client-side encryption. The paid plans encrypt files with 448-bit Blowfish encryption before transmission, and transmissions are protected by another layer of encryption. For CrashPlan+ and CrashPlanProE, that's 128-bit Blowfish; for CrashPlanPro, it's AES encryption. Users can specify their own passwords or 448-bit encryption keys from the client, meaning that no one at CrashPlan can actually access your data. The free version of CrashPlan uses (relatively) less-secure 128-bit Blowfish encryption to protect files.

Just a few of the settings available to CrashPlan users. These can be defined either in the CrashPlan client or, in the Pro plans, by system administrators.

CrashPlan also stands apart from other backup solutions through the power of its client software. Regular end-users can easily perform routine tasks like selecting files and folders for backup and restoration, but power users can also set their own encryption passwords, dictate how much network bandwidth and processor time the backup process can use when the computer is in active use and at idle, and even configure what networks the client can use for backup. You can get pretty specific with that last partnot only can you distinguish between different network media (wired Ethernet vs. WiFi or cellular, for example) but you can also choose between individual wireless networks (letting your computer back up while it's on your desk, but not while you're at Starbucks). The professional versions of CrashPlan also allow you to dictate default values for these settings.

Most backup clients either present a user interface that's so simple that it's restricting (like Dropbox), or so complicated that it's bewildering (likeSpiderOak). CrashPlan does a good job of making user-facing functionality accessible while providing access to advanced options for power users and administrators.

Original post:
Hands-on with CrashPlan: cloud backup for all

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Lenovo (HKSE: 0992.HK - News) (PINK SHEETS: LNVGY) today announced two new additions to the ThinkServer familythe ThinkServer RD530 and RD630 rack servers. Designed to easily integrate into existing IT infrastructures that handle complex workloads, the servers deliver the powerful processing power and memory capacity needed for compute-intensive deployments such as cloud and virtualized environments. Intelligent power consumption features help deliver a 160 percent improvement in performance per watt compared to previous generation Lenovo servers complement the servers raw horsepower. Additionally, built-in full redundancy reduces 90 percent of server downtime due to single point system failure, making the new ThinkServers ideal for IT departments needing high performance, scalability and high availability for even the most demanding applications.

The ThinkServer RD530 and RD630 servers offer a compelling value to companies seeking a rack server optimized to increase performance, maximize efficiency and ensure business continuity, as well as deliver the flexibility to manage different application requirements in the data center. Based on industry standard protocols and IPMI 2.0 compliant interfaces, customers can easily deploy the servers in hybrid server networks, allowing them to integrate the new ThinkServers without sacrificing their existing IT investments. IT managers can install the operating system and drivers using a two-click rapid deployment featureenabling the servers to go into production within minutes of being rackedand integrated remote management tools make simple work of monitoring and maintenance.

The size and scale of todays enterprise data centers requires IT organizations to balance needs for uncompromised performance and cutting-edge power efficiency, while at the same time manage increasing amounts of data with fewer resources, said Lu Yan, senior vice president, Think Product Group, Lenovo. Whether organizations need a server platform for IT and web infrastructure, collaboration, business processing or decision support, the RD530 and RD630 ThinkServers deliver high performance and simple management with the unmatched reliability and value of Lenovos Think-branded business products.

Available in either 1U (RD530) or 2U (RD630) configurations with tool-less rail kits for easy installation, Lenovos latest two-socket rack servers come equipped with choices of processors from the Intel Xeon E5-2600 product family. With up to eight cores per processor, the Intel processors achieve up to 30 percent greater CPU performance and more than twice the memory bandwidth compared to the current Lenovo server platform. Both servers feature up to 320GB of RAM deployable in 20 DIMM slots, hardware and advanced RAID (redundant array of independent disks) controller options and large memory capacity that provides full redundancy with up to eight (RD530) or 16 (RD630) hot-swappable hard drives.

Lenovos new ThinkServers also deliver impressive power savings and are up to 45 percent more efficient than previous generation Lenovo servers. Exclusive Smart Grid power management technology leverages Intel Node Manager to scale power management to the data center level, simultaneously managing as many as 1,000 servers. SmartGrid can be used at each level of the data center hierarchyrack, row, room or groupto provide IT policy-based, power management that increases server utilization while significantly lowering energy consumption and operating costs.

A new chassis design that improves thermal efficiency 30 percent and helps ensure uninterrupted performance in ambient temperatures up to 104F (40C), above the industry average of 95F (35C) enhances the power efficiency of the ThinkServer RD530 and RD630. The design also delivers an added benefit with improved fault tolerance, resulting in a 40 percent lower risk of failure due to vibration and shock issues. The servers further improve power consumption in the data center with high efficiency 80 PLUS Gold-rated power supplies, optional low voltage memory and fan speed control algorithms that compensate for altitude and temperature.

Intel welcomes Lenovos new generation of server platforms. By utilizing the Intel Xeon processor E5 familys leadership performance and breakthrough I/O capabilities, Lenovo is able to offer optimized solutions for customers across a broad spectrum of workloads, said Boyd Davis, vice present and general manager of Intels Datacenter Infrastructure Group. Lenovos new server platforms also take advantage of Intel Node Manager technology to provide customers with greater flexibility, control, and power management in their datacenters.

Pricing and Availability1

The ThinkServer RD530 and RD630 are available mid-June at http://www.lenovo.com or through Lenovo business partners. Prices for the ThinkServer RD530 and RD630 start at $2,399 and $2,699, respectively.

See original here:
Lenovo Expands Server Portfolio with New ThinkServers for Cloud and Virtualization Deployments

Excerpt from:
TechWiseTV @ Interop: Cisco Intelligent Automation, Starter Edition - Video

SAN MATEO, CA--(Marketwire -05/10/12)- Dome9 Security, the leading provider of cloud server security management for public and private clouds, as well as for dedicated and virtual private servers (VPS), today announced that its leading cloud security service supports HP Cloud Services with automated security and centralized access management. As a result of this agreement and technology integration, subscribers to HP Cloud Services (http://hpcloud.com) can leverage Dome9's proven security management capabilities to secure their HP Cloud Compute servers.

Under an agreement with HP, Dome9's cloud security service integrates with HP Cloud Services out-of-the-box. The two services offer integration via an agent or API, for unparalleled flexibility and ease of use for cloud security. Customers simply enter their HP Cloud Services API key or install the lightweight Dome9 agent. Dome9 automatically connects to HP Cloud Services and begins managing the cloud server security, providing policy-based automation to secure an infinite number of servers with highly elastic controls.

HP Cloud Services is HP's initial public cloud infrastructure, platform services and cloud solutions for developers, independent software vendors (ISVs) and businesses of all sizes, enabling organizations to build the next generation of cloud infrastructure. Built with a developer-friendly integration of OpenStack technology, HP Cloud Services offers a no-vendor lock-in approach that when coupled with Dome9 provides centralized, multi-cloud, dedicated, and virtual private server management across any public, private, and hybrid cloud infrastructure. With Dome9 automating HP Cloud Services' security, Dome9 secures access to users' cloud servers to prevent attack and keep IT and developers' cloud information protected. HP Cloud Services customers can sign up for Dome9's subscription service at http://www.dome9.com/HP-Cloud.

"We are very pleased to build the next generation of secure cloud computing with HP Cloud Services, and to be the first vendor to manage HP Cloud Security Group policies leveraging the OpenStack API," said Dave Meizlik, Dome9 VP of Marketing and Business Development. "As an initial partner in HP Cloud Services' partner ecosystem, we're working closely together to innovate cloud computing security and make HP Cloud servers virtually invisible to hackers."

Dome9 Security is the only cloud security service to automate cloud firewall management for public and private clouds, as well as for dedicated and Virtual Private Servers (VPS), across all platforms, including the new HP Cloud Services. Dome9 closes a critical gap in today's cloud computing server security -- ports such as SSH, RDP, and MYSQL left open so administrators can connect to and manage their cloud servers. This common practice leaves servers vulnerable to hackers who need only guess the correct username and password or exploit any protocol vulnerability to gain unauthorized control of a server. Dome9 secures all administrative ports -- for all servers and clouds -- enabling secure access, on-demand. Advanced capabilities, including policy automation and API-based management and the new Dome9 Chrome Extension, are available in Dome9's Business Cloud, which costs 4 cents an hour per server. The Dome9 Lite Cloud is free for an unlimited number of servers.

About Dome9 SecurityDome9, the leader in cloud security management, automates and centralizes cloud firewall management across all servers and clouds. Available for both enterprises and hosting providers, and as a free offering, Dome9 supports clouds, VPS, dedicated servers, OpenStack, and Amazon Web Services, across all major operating systems and service providers. Dome9 is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with U.S. offices in San Mateo, Calif., and is venture backed by Opus Capital Ventures. For more information, visit: http://www.dome9.com/.

Dome9, Dome9 Central, Dome9 Connect, Dome9 Cloud Lite, and Dome9 Agent are registered trademarks of Dome9 Security. All other trademarks are registered to their respective companies. Copyright Dome9 2012.

See the rest here:
Dome9 Security Enables Secure Cloud Computing With HP Cloud Services