J. Peter Bruzzese's blog

Why you should embrace memory overcommits for your VMs

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

The independent analyst firm Burton Group recently released a proposed set of standards for server virtualization -- some required, some preferred, some optional -- to help IT see beyond the data sheet marketing check boxes for EMC VMware's ESX, Microsoft's Hyper-V, and Citrix's XenServer.

Hyper-V: To VMM or not to VMM, that is the question

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

This week I'm at the Connections conference in Las Vegas, and the buzz is all about the release of Exchange 2010 (congrats to the Exchange team on that going live this week) and SharePoint 2010 (coming soon). But still hanging on as the No. 1 subject is virtualization.

SharePoint Workspace: The renamed Groove has gotten groovier

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I loved Groove. And I can say that openly without all the Microsoft haters jumping down my throat because it wasn't created by Microsoft. Ray Ozzie's company Groove Networks put this incredible collaboration solution together and Microsoft scooped it up when it scooped up Ozzie a few years back. However, unlike other software products that get shelved when gobbled by the big fish, Groove was valuable, and Microsoft saw that.

Don't upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 until you read this

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I love the latest and greatest: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, Exchange 2010, SharePoint 2010, and the list goes on. My recommendation is to upgrade everything you have.

8 key tips for transitioning to Exchange 2010

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

The features in Exchange 2010 are compelling enough for IT decision-makers to already set in motion their plans to adopt it. Requirements for those implementations depend, of course, on where you're coming from. Exchange 2007 shops are only one hop away, while those running IBM's Lotus Domino/Notes will have to consider a few more hops. All in all, the move is possible with a little help.

Is Windows 7 really worth the investment?

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

The concept of return on investment (ROI) goes back to the beginning of time and is perhaps best defined by Machiavelli in the phrase "the ends justify the means." As IT and users alike prepare for the rollout of Windows 7, that same cold calculation has to be made on when, if not whether, to move to Windows 7. The question is simple: Will my investment in purchasing, rolling out, and training for Windows 7 provide my business with a positive ROI?

Don't be caught without a SharePoint recovery solution

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

SharePoint is being deployed in more organizations each year. In fact, it has become for many companies a mission-critical solution because it provides such capabilities as wiki, blog, document library, photo gallery, and more, thus comprising a collaboration hot spot.

Deploying unified messaging without going insane

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

The release of the Unified Messaging server role in Exchange 2007 had many administrators curious about their ability to deploy the features without having an extensive telephony background. Many administrators hesitated, fearing the unknown. However, Exchange 2010's unified messaging capabilities and management features should make administrators reconsider the pros of using the Unified Messaging server role to provide a universal inbox.

Client-side virtualization goes bare metal

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I've been running Type 2 hypervisor apps for years, and whether it's VMware Workstation, Virtual PC, or Parallels, each has proved vital in allowing me to test and run a wider array of applications and OSes off my client machines. But what of the notion of running a bare-metal hypervisor on the client? What benefits might that bring?

As it turns out, quite a few -- some of which could point the way toward a new future in client-side computing.

An early look at SharePoint 2010

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I avoided Microsoft SharePoint for many years. It wasn't personal; I simply had too many other things to keep up with from Exchange, Office Communications Server, and a host of other releases. However, about a year ago I decided to begin working with SharePoint, and while I wouldn't say I fell in love with it, I loved the features it afforded me as an IT administrator. With it, I could quickly put together a site collection that included a document library, a blog, a wiki, a forum, and so on. Simply put, SharePoint 2007 is an excellent intranet or extranet tool set.