Issue 27
Publisher: Jack Burlin Editor: Patti Hammonds
September 6, 2007
IN THIS ISSUE
Your success story
Monthly product special
Kevinisms
Trivia
Articles of Interest: Examining Cable Management Software The Pope Visits Texas
Here are a couple of recent testimonials where a quick delivery was very important.
Hi Lisa,
Just got the shelf. That was quick. This is a nice
surprise to work with a vendor that actually performs way
over par.
Thank you again.
Jesper
Jack:
Thanks
for working with me on my portable rack order. The
PTRK-1426 I ordered is a great value, but my
problem was timing.
You were great at getting my order placed so it
would ship same day. I really needed in on
Thursday, and was concerned about only ordering two
days in advance. You made us all very happy when
the rack arrived on Wednesday.
Thanks again for the
great service.
Scott
Cross
Vice President
*The 5% discount will be applied to retail customers only,
|
|
||||||
Examining
Cable
Management Software
Get A Handle On Your
Physical Layer Assets
by Sixto Ortiz Jr.
from the
April 27, 2007 issue of
Cabling, as the main conduit through which corporate
data flows, is part of Layer 1 of the OSI Model (Open Systems
Interconnection Basic Reference Model), also called the physical layer.
As data centers grow, so do the cabling requirements to interconnect all
that gear, so that physical layer can quickly become difficult to
manage.
Without knowing the layout of your cabling infrastructure,
troubleshooting a cabling problem can be devilishly difficult. Savvy
administrators understand this and rely on cable management applications
to help them understand this important part of the data center’s
infrastructure. Let’s take a look.
The
Cabling Marketplace
According to research done by the Info-Tech Research Group, cable and
asset management, or CAM, solutions run the gamut from simple databases
incorporating graphical support to enterprise-class solutions that
include active monitoring of cabling and other assets, integration with
network management software, real-time graphics, etc.
While pricing for simpler solutions starts at $1,000, pricing for
enterprise-class asset management suites can run upwards of $100,000,
according to Info-Tech Research Group’s findings.
Frank Murawski, president of FTM Consulting (www.ftmconsultinginc.com),
a market research firm focused on the cabling marketplace, predicts the
cabling marketplace will enjoy a compound annual growth rate of 18.6%
from 2007 to 2012. In FTM Consulting’s forecast, Murawski defines
the cabling marketplace as both copper and fiber cabling and inclusive
of both the cabling media and the interconnecting apparatus devices.
These findings make sense: As data center infrastructures continue
to grow, it should come as no surprise that the amount of dollars spent
on cabling will also increase. Until data centers go 100% wireless,
cabling will continue to enjoy solid growth.
Cable
Management Apps
CAM applications can help administrators and technical personnel
untangle the cabling jungle and get a clear idea of how things
physically fit together. These tools prove their mettle whenever cabling
problems occur and can save a tremendous amount of technician time by
supplying the physical layer knowledge required to accurately pinpoint
issues.
CAM applications can be a boon for administrators who manage data
centers and networks, where the quantity of cabling can be overwhelming,
even in small and medium-sized enterprises. An accurate picture of the
physical layer and how assets are interconnected is the first step
toward properly troubleshooting and resolving physical layer issues.
It’s important to note that cable management applications may be part of
an overall asset management bundle, as in HP’s OpenView solution. So,
administrators should carefully evaluate the specific solutions they are
looking to acquire and ensure that they are not paying for extra
features that aren’t needed just to provide cable management
capabilities.
Buying
Tips
Network compatibility. A cabling/infrastructure management application
should be fully compatible with all your networking equipment. Don’t get
locked into a vendor-specific, inflexible implementation.
Standards compatibility. Make sure whatever application you
purchase is also compatible with whatever Telecommunications Industry
Association, American National Standards Institute, or International
Standards Organization specifications that make sense for your business.
Interface issues. Make sure the interface is easy to use and
navigate; otherwise, the implementation will be DOA as soon as it’s
deployed.
CAD compatibility. The software should work well with whatever
CAD (computer-aided design) application you use. For example, you should
be able to import and/or view CAD drawings in the application.
Standardized database. ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity)
compliance makes integration with other apps easier.
ISC has the perfect solution for
helping to manage your KVM cables,
and in organizing and protecting your high value equipment.
Don't put your hardware in danger, call the
rackmount ranger!
Call 800-458-6255 for help in selecting the correct product for your
application.
A Kevinism is a funny or intriguing statement or idea from our Vice President of Sales, Kevin Hunt. Kevin is a big fan of Sandra Bullock, Pizza Inn black olive pizza, and Dr. Pepper (not necessarily in that order). He is not a big fan of Chinese food, seafood, or other types of "dead" stuff.
In previous articles I have commented Kevin's scheduled lunch rounds. On Mondays we eat at Pizza Inn, on Wednesdays at El Chico, and the other days of the week rotate around through a short list of local restaurants. Well Kevin has been experiencing some bad luck with the regular routine. His favorite Pizza Inn has fallen on hard times. They can't seem to keep the required quantities and types of basic supplies on hand. Running out of black olives (for the black olive pizza) or cardboard (for the thin and crispy crust) is just anathema for Kevin. So we have been trying some other places.
Kevin also had to miss some of the regular Wednesday visits to El Chico. He was even forced to eat at a place called Love and War in Texas. This was because Kevin's brother was on a stop-over at Dallas airport, and the restaurant is very close to the airport, being at Grapevine Mills Mall. So Kevin and Robin went to meet Kevin's brother Roy, then went out to lunch, before taking Roy back to the airport to catch his continuation flight. Here is one of the specialties at this restaurant:
THE HUNT, TEXAS ...$24.95
The Hill Country mixed grill. A marinated, mesquite grilled
South Texas Nilguy Antelope Filet, Smoked Venison Sausage,
Grilled Quail. Served with garlic whipped potatoes and Texas
Caviar.
Naturally, if my family name was Hunt, I could not resist ordering
something like this. However, all these different meats hold
little interest for Kevin, being "mostly" vegetarian. So he had to
find something else on the menu, and then lamented that he did not get
to go to El Chico that day.
With all the complaints about missing out on El Chico, I could not avoid getting a full report about all the "dead" things on the menu and was very intrigued when he brought up the Hunt, Texas dish. After saying how bad it was, and that Kevin would never consider eating any of these things, I suggested that Kevin change his name from "Hunt" to "Gather."
Kevin did not get the joke.
|
SIGN UP
TO RECEIVE The ISC Newsletter |
||
 |
Subscribe! | |
 |
Subscribe a Friend! | |
Q: If you had one each of every paper note the United States currently considers as legal tender, how many dollars would they add up to?
All correct answers will be placed into a pool for a
random drawing at the end of the month. The winner will receive a
free Multiple Outlet Strip (Model 4-MOS) with 4 right angle outlets and
six foot cord, plus free ground shipping. Send your answers to:
Jack Burlin
See next month's newsletter for the winner and the correct answer.
Answer from August's Newsletter.
Q: An antimacassar is a small cloth placed over the backs or arms of chairs or sofas, to prevent the fabric from being soiled. Why are they called antimacassars?
A: In the Victorian era (mid-to late 1800s) men used macassar oil on their hair. To prevent the horse-hair upholstery from being ruined by the macassar oil, people started putting the cloth covers on the furniture for protection. They eventually became known as antimacassars.
The winner was John
Bojorquez (our first three time winner!)
|
|
|
In 1979 Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to the United States. This was a huge event with a number of large masses scheduled in honor of the Pope. The first big event was in San Antonio, Texas, where the Pope was scheduled to lead a mass in a large stadium, with millions of people watching on television. San Antonio was selected due to the large Catholic population in central Texas.
The weather is often unpredictable in Texas and this occasion was no exception. With thunderstorms all over Texas, the Pope's plane was diverted to New Orleans. A limousine was dispatched to pick up the Pope and his party, and they started heading west on Interstate 10.
Recognizing the tight schedule and wanting to make up any lost time, the Pope asked if the driver could go a little faster than the 55MPH speed limit. The driver agreed and they were soon doing 65. The Pope asked for a little more speed and the driver pushed it up to 75. When the Pope asked for more speed, the driver felt he could really not go any faster. Being very understanding of the difficult position he was putting the driver in, the Pope suggested that he could drive. Still being a young man in 1979, this was not a problem for the Pope, so the driver pulled over, the Pope took over the wheel, and soon the limo was doing 110MPH down I-10.
On the outskirts of Lake Charles, Louisiana, the limo was spotted by a motorcycle policeman. He pulled the limo over and went up to the driver side window. The window opened and the policeman asked for license and registration. He was handed the Pope's passport and driver's license from the Vatican City. The policeman looked at the documents, looked at the driver, turned white with fear and ran back to the motorcycle. He got the Lake Charles police chief on the radio and the following conversation ensued:
"Chief? This is Beauxdreau, and I just pulled over a limo doing 110MPH. I was about to give out a ticket but I think they may be too important." The chief said, "Beauxdreau, are they more important that me, the Police Chief of Lake Charles?" Beauxdreau said, "Oh, yes, way more important than you, chief." The chief said, "Well Beauxdreau, are they more important than the Governor of the Great State of Louisiana?" Beauxdreau replied, "Yes chief, way more important." The chief then asked, "Are they more important than the President of the United States, James Earl Carter?" Beauxdreau said, "Yes chief, I'm sure they are way more important!" The chief said, "Beauxdreau, I can't think of anyone more important than the President. How do you know? Who are they anyway?" Beauxdreau said, "Well chief, I don't really know who they are, but the Pope's driving 'em!"
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this month's
newsletter. Thanks to
Dr.
Lucian Conway for the joke!
Please direct your comments to
Jack Burlin.
© 1998-2006 All Rights Reserved - But feel free to forward
this or email it to all of your friends.
For reprint permission,
please call 800-458-6255
Copyright ISCDFW.COM, 1998-2006
Information Support Concepts, Inc.
Mansfield, Texas
