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Volume 5, Issue 3 - March, 2010 - © 2010 by Moose Logic, All Rights Reserved
Cover Story: Citrix Announces Virtual Appliances
St. Patrick's Day Humor
Fenwick's Fitness Tips
Get More From the Next Trade Show You Attend
Kissing the Blarney Stone
Moose Logic Coming Events
March Is...
(Moose Views is a monthly newsletter prepared by Moose Logic to bring you information and tips on maintaining a trouble-free network)
Citrix Announces Virtual Appliances
We wanted to include a picture of the new virtual appliances, but they're, well, virtual. So here's a picture we found on the Internet of a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Several years ago, when Citrix first announced the Citrix Access Gateway Appliance, I remember scratching my
head and thinking, “Wait a minute—Citrix is in the software business. Why in the world do they want to start
selling hardware, with all of the warranty, repair, and support issues that come along with being a hardware
manufacturer?”
The answer, of course, was that in order to build out the complete application delivery solution they envisioned, they needed components that, at the time, couldn’t be delivered using software alone.
But the world turns, and technology marches on, and today Citrix has a world-class virtualization platform that runs on off-the-shelf server hardware that is itself mind-bogglingly powerful compared to what was available five or six years ago. So it makes all the sense in the world for Citrix to turn all of those hardware devices into virtual appliances as quickly as they can.
Earlier this month, Citrix formally announced virtualized versions of both the Access Gateway and the Branch Repeater. Both will be supplied as virtual appliances that can be imported directly into XenServer. The Access Gateway VPX is available now, and costs only $995 per instance.
It is fundamentally a virtualized version of the 2010 Access Gateway Appliance, but with the added ability to directly support “SmartAccess” policies rather than requiring you to stand up a separate “Advanced Access Control” Web server on your protected network.
Because it runs on XenServer, it fully supports live motion, XenServer HA, and NIC bonding, making it easy to provide high-availability, which was not easy with the 2010 hardware appliance.
Citrix has also announced that you no longer need to purchase VPN client licenses if you’re just running an Access Gateway (physical or virtual) in “CSG Replacement” mode. They are therefore eliminating the Access Gateway Standard licenses, which will no longer be sold as of June 30.
For more information on this announcement, and what’s cool about the Access Gateway VPX, please see our March 2 blog post.
The answer, of course, was that in order to build out the complete application delivery solution they envisioned, they needed components that, at the time, couldn’t be delivered using software alone.
But the world turns, and technology marches on, and today Citrix has a world-class virtualization platform that runs on off-the-shelf server hardware that is itself mind-bogglingly powerful compared to what was available five or six years ago. So it makes all the sense in the world for Citrix to turn all of those hardware devices into virtual appliances as quickly as they can.
Earlier this month, Citrix formally announced virtualized versions of both the Access Gateway and the Branch Repeater. Both will be supplied as virtual appliances that can be imported directly into XenServer. The Access Gateway VPX is available now, and costs only $995 per instance.
It is fundamentally a virtualized version of the 2010 Access Gateway Appliance, but with the added ability to directly support “SmartAccess” policies rather than requiring you to stand up a separate “Advanced Access Control” Web server on your protected network.
Because it runs on XenServer, it fully supports live motion, XenServer HA, and NIC bonding, making it easy to provide high-availability, which was not easy with the 2010 hardware appliance.
Citrix has also announced that you no longer need to purchase VPN client licenses if you’re just running an Access Gateway (physical or virtual) in “CSG Replacement” mode. They are therefore eliminating the Access Gateway Standard licenses, which will no longer be sold as of June 30.
For more information on this announcement, and what’s cool about the Access Gateway VPX, please see our March 2 blog post.
St. Patrick's Day Humor
Q: When is an Irish potato not
an Irish Potato?A: When it's a French fry!
Q: What do you get when you cross a pillowcase with a stone?
A: A sham rock!
Q: Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
A: Because he couldn't afford plane fare.
Q: What happens when a leprechaun falls into a river?
A: He gets wet!
Q: Why do people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day?
A: Because real rocks are too heavy!
Q: Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover?
A: Because you don't want to press your luck!
Q: What does Ireland have more of than any other country?
A: Irishmen!
A man from Texas was traveling through Ireland and met a farmer. After taking a look at the Irishman’s farm, the Texan said, “It takes me a whole day to drive from one side of my ranch to the other.”
“Ah, sure,” the Irish farmer said. “We have tractors like that over here too.”
An American tourist was driving in the Irish countryside when his engine stopped. He got out to see if he could locate the trouble. A voice behind him said, “It’s the transmission.”
He turned around and only saw an old horse. The horse repeated, “The trouble is the transmission.” The American nearly died with fright, dashed to the nearest pub, had a large whiskey, and told Finnegan the bartender what the horse had said to him.
Finnegan said, “Sure and ye don’t want to pay any attention to him; he knows nothing about cars anyway!”
Fenwick's Fitness Tips
The days are getting longer (which is one of the reasons we love the Northwest), and Daylight Savings Time is
about to begin. So how about using some of those extra daylight hours at the end of the workday to get in
better shape?Walking is a great way to get more exercise. Not only can you improve your fitness level, but you can enjoy the outdoors at the same time. There are some great walking/cycling/skating trails in the Greater Seattle Area — although you do have to dodge the occasional careless cyclist or skater — and if you live elsewhere, there are probably trails near you too.
But if you don’t have a good walking trail near you, here are some tips for walking safely on the road, especially as dusk falls:
- Wear a reflective vest or clothing. Be sure that the reflective area is large enough to be seen well and is exposed from every angle. (Many brands of walking shoes have reflective material on the heels.) Also dress in light-colored clothing to maximize your visibility.
- Walk facing oncoming traffic. Walk defensively; even though pedestrians have the right-of-way, it doesn’t mean a driver will always yield. Be aware of the traffic around you.
- If you are walking on a pedestrian path or trail, stay to the right so that faster walkers, joggers, skaters, and cyclists can easily pass.
- Never walk alone. If you have no one to walk with, be sure to tell someone the route you will be on and when you expect to return.
- Go easy on those headphones—it’s difficult to hear potential dangers if you have the mp3 player cranked up.
- Increase the intensity of your everyday movements. Whether you’re walking the dog, working around the house, or just walking around your office, you can make each movement count. Walk a bit quicker than you normally do; take the stairs instead of the elevator; or turn on some music while you move. Increasing the number of steps you take and the amount of upper body movement you do will increase your body’s ability to burn calories.
- Eat more, but smaller, meals. There have been many studies that show that eating meals around 400 to 500 calories spaced throughout the day is healthier for you than fewer, larger meals. This strategy has been linked to greater calorie burning after meals, a better response to insulin, and lower cholesterol levels. It also controls your hunger levels and keeps you from binge eating because you are very hungry.
- Increase your small movements. Researchers have found that people who fidget, tap their feet, prefer standing to sitting, and generally move around more burn up to 350 more calories per day than those who sit still. These small movements over the course of a day help to increase your body’s metabolic rate, thus burning more calories.
- Everyone knows that you should drink eight glasses of water a day. It is good for your body. But did you know that it can also increase your metabolism? Researchers have found that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increases your metabolic rate by 30%. This comes from the body warming the water and then working to absorb it. The best time to drink water is before meals and snacks, and during exercise.
Get More From the Next Trade Show You Attend
- by Shane KallesWe all love getting free stuff, entering contests, playing fun little putting games, or even rocking out to a little Guitar Hero like we did at the Moose Logic booth at ITEC ’08. (OK, maybe you don’t, but I love it.) The problem is that’s not a good way to attend a trade show if you actually want some business benefits from your attendance. So here are some tips for the next one you attend:
Plan Ahead
Try to know which breakout sessions you want to attend, and keep in mind the times you normally eat lunch or take a coffee break so you can plan around those activities as well.
Set Some Goals
Make a point of accomplishing something other than just getting out of the office (not that that’s a bad thing ). Focus on a key concept you want to learn more about, or make a goal to network with a minimum of 15 people. Whatever your objective is, your day will be much better spent if you’re focused on something rather than just wandering back and forth until they start handing out drink tickets (not that that’s a bad thing either).
Bring a Paperclip
It will help hold your lanyard and name badge in the proper name-out position – or name-in position if you enjoy tormenting the booth attendees who are trying to figure out who you are.
Bring Your Own Pen
You will walk away from most trade shows thinking you were at a Bic shareholders meeting, but in my experience most promotional pens don’t last long, if they work at all. Better to have your own.
Bring Your Own Notepad
For the same reasoning that your own pen is better, your own notepad is better, because you’re more likely to hold on to something you own and not misplace the phone number of that amazing IT consulting company you met (BTW, it’s 206-774-0619…that’s “By The Way” in Twitter-speak).
Look For New Ideas For Your Business
Don’t just pass by because you’ve never heard of a vendor that has a booth, and don’t automatically assume that you already know what they do – their business model may have changed, or they may have introduced new products or services. They may have products or services to help your business, and your competition may already be using them. At least make sure you know what you’re walking away from.
Stay Late
Use the morning to walk the floor, spot items of interest for later follow up, go to the breakout sessions, and enjoy lunch with your new friends (the ones you’ve made through your networking efforts). Then use the afternoon, when most trade show attendees have gone home or back to work, to go back to the booths that caught your attention earlier and get the one-on-one attention that you deserve. You will now be more likely to get complete answers and not have to fight for the reps’ time.
For more reasons why trade shows are still worth your time, see our Moose Logic Blog entry: “Why You Should Still Attend Trade Shows.”
Kissing the Blarney Stone
Tradition has it that kissing the
Blarney Stone gives the gift of "blarney" or "gab" to the kisser. This is the ability to talk well at a great
length, tell a good story, chat up the girls (or boys), flatter a person, and even coax birds out of a tree.But what is the Blarney Stone? Well, one legend holds that it was a stone plucked from the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem during the Crusades. It was brought back to Ireland and placed in the battlement walls of Blarney Castle in 1446.
Another tale describes how it was a pillow used by St. Columba of Iona, one of the patron saints of Ireland. Finally, some believe it was a piece of the Stone of Scone given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce. Whichever is true, it is certain that it has the ability to draw crowds of tourists to County Cork.
Millions of people, famous and common, have kissed the Blarney Stone. Visitors used to be held by the ankles over a very high drop to kiss the stone. Today, there are guide rails and crossbars to keep people from falling, allowing you to kiss the Blarney Stone without any risk. You do still need to bend backwards on the parapet's edge, but this is part of the good luck! You do need to be careful though. Tripadvisor.com recently ranked the Blarney Stone as the most unhygienic tourist attraction in the world.
