Intelligent Storage Fabrics By Don MacVittie
Moving SAN services from hosts and arrays to switches is a concept whose time has come. We examine what makes a Fibre Channel fabric intelligent, what benefits you can expect from it, and why some storage pros are still skeptical.
Intelligent Fibre Channel Switches By Don MacVittie
We tested four smart SAN switches with a keen eye toward determining whether adding intelligence to the fabric introduced latency in the environment. Each product performed well but faltered in SAN interoperability.
WAN Services By Bruce Boardman and Amr Ahmed
We sent out an RFI for our fictional company, which is considering a move from frame relay to MPLS. Our Editor's Choice is a mature offering with a wealth of integrated options. But was it the best value?
Affordable IT: Managing Staff Time By Ted Kemp
We show you how adopting new tools and strategies to manage staff time can give productivity a shot in the arm.
Workshops
SOA Demystified By Lori MacVittie
We built a service-oriented architecture in our NWC Inc. business apps lab for our fictional widget manufacturer. Find out what we learned.
Buyer's Guide: Vulnerability Assessment Scanner By Jordan Wiens
A comprehensive security program should include a vulnerability assessment scanner, which can help decrease IDS false positives as well as with asset tracking. Here's what to look for.
Sneak Previews
Red Hat Directory Server 7.1 John H. Sawyer
The latest version includes LDAP compliance, making it a solid entry into the enterprise directory market.
Bumblebee Wi-Fi Spectrum Analyzer By Lee Badman
Berkeley analyzer precisely discovers wireless and RF interference but lacks full-spectrum support.
Departments
Last Mile: Weekend at Bernie's Big House Edited By Tim Wilson and Tom LaSusa Check out the Top 11 reasons Bernie Ebbers' prison time will be harder than Martha Stewart's, "Feed the IT Guy" and the Big Tiki Drive.
Vulnerability Detection By Patricia Thomas
This edition looks at a network vulnerability solution from Cambia Security, data recovery software from Ontrack and more.
Letters: Assign Blame By NWC Readers
Tom Smith charges, "Failing to develop, implement and oversee sound security practices is like building a bank with no vault locks."
Columns
Down to Business: The Value of IT Leadership By Rob Preston
No single executive has more visibility across more business processes than the CIO. It's time for companies to recognize the importance of this position.
Reality IT: The Power of Persuasion By Hunter Metatek
Hunter discovers that it's not always easy convincing management that a technology is necessary, especially if it's a 'proactive purchase.'
Air Time: The Internet as a Legacy System By Dave Molta
The private sector alone is not capable of addressing the Internet's architectural flaws. Government and quasi-governmental organizations must play a bigger role.
BuzzCuts
Users May Benefit From HP Cuts By Peter Morrissey Recent slashes in staff were alarming, but a closer look suggests that HP is retooling its business processes in a way that could benefit both customers and shareholders.
Is Microsoft's Foray Into MSP Market Folly? By Tim Wilson
Microsoft recently acquired a managed security provider. But after the exposure of so many flaws in its software, will enterprises take Microsoft seriously?
REPORTS
Analyize In-Line NAC strategies and products.
ANALYTICS Plan and design your enterprise blade server deployments
InformationWeek U.S. IT Salary Survey 2008
Salaries for business technology professionals are falling. Here's what you need to know in order to make good hiring decisions and personal career choices. Purchase Today: $299