Hardware
Network Security Appliance
Thwarting hackers and data loss is the focus of Retina Appliance 651, a new security hardware product from eEye Digital Security. The Retina appliance monitors network traffic and monitors any suspicious activity, and then recommends solutions for stopping or minimizing the impact of unauthorized access. The device also includes eEye Blink Professional intrusion detection and the Iris Network Traffic Analyzer. Network scanning can be done from a client using terminal services, while IP settings can be managed using an LCD on the front panel without the need for a keyboard, mouse, or monitor. “The Retina Appliance 651 helps businesses battle cyber crime, which can originate from a wide variety of potential sources,” said Morey Haber, eEye VP of Product Management. “Medium-sized organizations looking for a turnkey network vulnerability solution will benefit from its small footprint and a device that was designed from the ground up for rapid configuration.” Pricing for the eEye Retina Appliance 651 begins at $2,495. For more information, contact eEye at 866-282-8276 or visit www.eeye.com.
Hard Disk Management
Copy, Troubleshoot, and Recover Drive Partitions
Paragon Software has released Partition Manager 9.0 Server, the latest version of its disk partition management software. Partition Manager 9.0 Server introduces a new initial backup facility that archives important drive data—such as the partition table, boot information, track 0, and the Master Boot Record (MBR)—at the start of the boot process. The software also allows administrators to manage server disk partitions, convert file systems, and supervise the boot process on drives with multiple operating systems.
Paragon has also announced Paragon Partition Manager 9.0 Enterprise Server, an enhanced version of the product for large enterprises. Partition Manager 9.0 Server and Partition Manager 9.0 Enterprise Server are available now; pricing begins at $299 for the server edition and $999 for the enterprise edition. For more information, contact Paragon Software at 1-888-347-5462 or visit www.paragon-software.com
Hardware
Low-Voltage CPUs
Intel has introduced the Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processor L5420 and L5410 low-voltage processors for servers and workstations. According to an Intel news release, these new processors are “as much as 25 percent faster and have a 50 percent larger cache size than Intel’s previous-generation, low-voltage Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors.” The L5420 operates at 2.50GHz, while the L5410 runs at 2.33GHz. Both also feature a 1333MHz front-side bus (FSB) and 12MB of cache memory. For more information, contact Intel at (408) 765-8080 or visit www.intel.com.
Mobile Connectivity
Apple iPhone Support for Microsoft Exchange
Apple has announced that the iPhone 2.0 firmware update will introduce support for Microsoft’s ActiveSync protocol, a move that will allow IT departments to integrate the iPhone with Outlook email, contacts, address lists, and calendars. Admins will also be able to erase data on lost iPhones, manage passwords, and configure VPN settings on iPhones used in the enterprise. The iPhone 2.0 firmware update will also support Cisco IPsec VP and the WPA2/802.1x wireless protocol. For more information, contact Apple at 408-996-1010 or visit www.apple.com.
SharePoint
Accessibility Tools and Utilities
HiSoftware has shipped the Accessibility Kit for SharePoint (AKS) 1.1, a collection of programs and utilities that add additional functionality to SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. According to HiSoftware, AKS includes almost two dozen new software adapters for blogs and wikis, and also provides new support for cascading style sheets (CSS), master pages, and other enhancements. AKS also includes the latest release of Compliance Sheriff for SharePoint, which allows users to create content in SharePoint Server 2007 before publishing using a streamlined workflow process. AKS is available free of charge and can be downloaded from http://aks.hi software.com. For more information, contact HiSoftware at 1-603-578-1870 or visit www.hisoftware.com.
Network Monitoring
Manage and Optimize Network Bandwidth
SolarWinds has announced Orion NetFlow Traffic Analyzer 3.0, a new module for the Orion Network Performance Monitor. This new product allows network administrators to analyze network bandwidth more easily with an assortment of new data display options. Improved reporting features allow administrators to find and display information about which users and applications are consuming the most network bandwidth, while configurable reports allow IT pros to create their own custom views into network performance. Orion Netflow Traffic Analyzer is available now, and pricing begins at $1,795 for 100 interfaces with one year of free maintenance. For more information, contact SolarWinds at 866-530-8100 or visit www.solarwinds.com.
Heterogeneous Active Directory Management
Manage Linux and UNIX Using AD
Using Active Directory (AD) to manage a heterogeneous network of Windows, Linux, and UNIX systems is a feature on the wish list of many IT pros, a desire that Symark International hopes to address with the release of Power- ADvantage. This new product extends AD to UNIX and Linux systems and employs a cross-platform login system. PowerADvantage installs an agent on Linux and UNIX machines that communicates with AD domain controllers, which allows authentication requests and access to Group Policy Objects (GPOs) for configuration. PowerADvantage also features an import tool that imports and maps Linux/UNIX user information, and also stores all user information in a central store within AD. The product also integrates with Symark’s PowerBroker to provide improved access to UNIX and Linux networks. For more information, contact Symark at 818-575-4000 or visit www.symark.com.
File Virtualization
Manage Files Across Mixed Storage Environments
Attune Systems has announced the Maestro File Manager-Entry System (ES), a file virtualization solution that provides analysis and reporting of storage environments across mixed file systems. “We offer our customers the option to learn what they do not know about their existing environments, and we help them identify potential storage savings based on planning for tiering, consolidation, and deduplication projects,” said Jill Kyte, vice president of marketing and business development for Attune Systems. “Our entry solution based on our latest file virtualization technology allows organizations to take advantage of file virtualization in a gradual way through an out-of-band device.” Pricing for Maestro File Manager-ES begins at $14,995. For more information, contact Attune Systems at408-855-1015 or visit www.attunesystems.com.
