NATO and IBM to use Cloud technology
NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT) has selected IBM for a strategic technology project to gain experience with emerging information technologies to improve data center efficiency and increase data sharing by its 28 member nations. The initiative will enable the organization to explore and demonstrate a new cloud computing model that could be used to consolidate and integrate technology capabilities for critical Command and Control programs.
The project supports NATO’s efforts to restructure the alliance to meet 21st century technology challenges, and will be developed by IBM at the Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT)in Norfolk, Virginia.
The on-premise cloud will be used to test and develop network solutions for
we can use them to create a leaner and more agile organization,” said Johan Goossens, Head of ACT’s Technology & Human Factors Branch. “Through this collaborative project, we hope to be able to realize the potential of cloud computing to tackle new challenges more efficiently, ultimately benefiting the NATO member nations.”
command, control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance projects. The goal is to demonstrate how recent developments in cloud computing can reduce ramp-up time for enhanced technology capabilities, while improving important operational functions, such as increasing situational awareness and faster decision-making.
“We look forward to working with IBM to help us understand emerging information technologies and see how
Meeting stringent SLAs
F5’s BIG-IP WAN Optimisation Module accelerates data centre to data centre replication and improves bandwidth efficiency in Dell EqualLogic storage environment. CSG Systems’ Content Direct, a platform of solutions that empower content creators, aggregators, and distributors to easily and effectively market, monetise, and manage content and customers, uses F5® BIG-IP® solutions to accelerate data replication across wide area networks (WANs) and improve bandwidth utilisation.
CSG designed its Content Direct solution to give digital content owners a premier online content monetisation and merchandising platform. Developed using the best web technologies available, Content Direct
delivers on a simple promise to client companies: deliver an operating platform, partner ecosystems, and business model to help clients promote and extend their brand, monetise digital content, and engage consumers through increased interactivity. Companies like Universal Sports and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) choose Content Direct as the solution for launching, scaling, and evolving a smart, results- focused digital content strategy.
Data protection and availability services are critical for Content Direct, which replicates data from its production data centre in Illinois to a backup data centre in Arizona, 1,700 miles away. A WAN with dedicated bandwidth links the two facilities, but
6| DATA CENTRE SOLUTIONS |
www.datacentresols.com
IBM will develop the computing environment to share a common operating environment across many mission processes, allowing the environment to be built in a way that is more secure, scalable and robust than the many disparate operating environments that have been used in the past. By aggregating and sharing disparate computing resources, from networks to servers to storage, a cloud computing model will help the Alliance deploy IT capabilities more broadly, quickly and cost effectively.
low throughput and long data transfer times typical of WANs made remote replication difficult. Content Direct overcame the effects of the WAN’s limited bandwidth, high latency, and packet loss using F5’s BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager™ (LTM®) and BIG-IP WAN Optimisation Module™ (WOM™) solutions.
“The BIG-IP WAN Optimisation Module perfectly complements the EqualLogic iSCSI SAN devices we use for data replication, making it a terrific solution for us,” said Geoff Preston, CTO of Content Direct at CSG. “We’ve dramatically reduced data replication times, and virtually all replications are now completed well within our target window. We’ve also seen a 3-to-1 improvement in bandwidth utilisation. Overall, we’re thrilled with this solution because it helps us meet our customer SLAs.”
February/March 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44