Drew Robb

When was the last time you went on a roller coaster ride like the famous Cyclone at Coney Island, or perhaps a more modern ride like Scream at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles? Remember the terror (or joy, depending on your temperament) as you went up and down, and up and down? Well, […]

The Web Services Spin A core element of the move to on-demand computing is web services and this topic came in for discussion again and again at CA World. From a traditional systems management perspective, some view web services as a new layer on top of the conventional management layer that simply maps devices and […]

The idea that IT is in a recession looked pretty ludicrous at Computer Associates (CA) annual CA World event last month, held at the Mandalay Bay convention Center in Las Vegas. While other trade shows have scaled back over the past two years, CA World appeared to be bigger and more lavish than ever. 14,000 […]

There was a certain simplicity to old-style warfare. The opposing troops would line up facing each in their colored uniforms and fire on command. Battles could only take place on certain designated days. There was no question about who was the enemy, where the front line was or when you were under attack. Protecting a […]

For years now, Open Source advocates have been saying Linux will take over the entire UNIX field. And unlike its aging uncle, Linux’s inherent design necessitates unity. ”Because of the nature of Linux, the vendors have to cooperate and have a common operating system, unlike UNIX,” says Larry Augustin, chairman of VA Software Corporation, which […]

By longstanding IT practice, enterprise backups encompass data stored on servers, not workstations. If you want your files backed up, the mantra goes, don’t store them on your desktop. And as for laptops? Forget it. It’s up to the user to back up anything vital. Unfortunately, this mindset runs into the teeth of the explosive […]

There is something very enticing about the word ”free”. It has a nice ring to it. But all types of free are not the same. That free dessert comes after the $50 dinner. The free silk tie only comes when you buy three suits. And don’t forget the free oil changes — which would cost […]

By longstanding IT practice, enterprise backups encompass data stored on servers, not workstations. If you want your files backed up, the mantra goes, don’t store them on your desktop. And as for laptops? Forget it. It’s up to the user to backup anything vital. Unfortunately, this mindset runs into the teeth of the explosive growth […]

That computer your company is getting rid of might not be as clean as you think it is. In fact, it might still be holding critical financial, legal and personnel information — even as it goes out the door into someone else’s hands. A recent study by two MIT graduate students found massive amounts of […]

As enterprise storage capacity continues to grow exponentially, storage is simultaneously spinning out of control in many corporations. The widespread utilization of multiple technologies, manufacturers, operating systems, and methods of connection means that without tools that operate across all these devices and platforms, many companies are struggling to understand exactly what they have and how […]