Managing Local User Accounts with Windows PowerShell
by Jeff Hicks – may 17, 2012 Printer Friendly Version
In my previous article, I demonstrated how to create a local user account with Windows PowerShell. In today’s article, I want to cover some basic management tasks that can be done with PowerShell.
Using ADSI
The first step is to use ADSI and get the local user account object.
PS C:> [ADSI]$HelpDesk=”WinNT://CHI-FP01/HelpDesk,User”
Remember, the WinNT moniker is case sensitive.
One task you are most likely to need is changing the local account password. If you pipe the ADSI object to Get-Member, you won’t see any methods; you just have to know they are there, such as SetPassword(). this is the same method we called when we set up the account.
PS C:> $HelpDesk.SetPassword(“P@ssw0rd”)
The change is immediate and there is no need to call SetInfo(). By the way, if you want to see how old a password is, you can look at the PasswordAge property.
PS C:> $helpDesk.PasswordAge1775
This is a value in seconds. So if you wanted to get the age in days all you need to do is divide it by 86400.
PS C:> [ADSI]$Admin=”WinNT://CHI-FP01/Administrator,user”PS C:> $admin.PasswordAge.value/86400269.749664351852
When I set up the HelpDesk local account, I added it to the Power Users group. Well, the account needs to belong to the local Administrators group so I need to fix group membership. first, I’ll remove the account from the Power Users group.
PS C:> [ADSI]$power=”WinNT://CHI-FP01/Power Users,group”PS C:> $power.Remove($HelpDesk.Path)
The change is immediate. now I’ll get a reference to the local administrators group and add the help Desk account.
PS C:> [ADSI]$Admins=”WinNT://CHI-FP01/Administrators,group”PS C:> $Admins.Add($HelpDesk.path)
I don’t think it can get any easier.
There may come a time when you need to disable the local account. this is part of the accounts’ userflags bitmask value, which requires some little bitwise operations. We’ll need to work with the value that indicates if an account is disabled.
PS C:> $AccountDisable=0×0002
First, I’ll verify the account is currently enabled by performing a bitwise AND operation:
PS C:> ($HelpDesk.UserFlags.value -band $AccountDisable) -as [boolean]False
I cast the result as a Boolean to make it easier to interpret the results. To disable the account, I’ll need to do a bitwise OR and assign the value to the userflags property.
PS C:> $new=$HelpDesk.UserFlags.value -bor $AccountDisablePS C:> $HelpDesk.put(“userflags”,$new)PS C:> $HelpDesk.SetInfo()
I can verify by refreshing my cached copy of the object and re-running my –band expression.
PS C:> $helpdesk.refreshcache()PS C:> ($HelpDesk.UserFlags.value -band $AccountDisable) -as [boolean]True
To re-enable it almost uses the same steps, except you need to use a bitwise XOR operation.
PS C:> $new=$HelpDesk.UserFlags.value -bxor $AccountDisablePS C:> $HelpDesk.put(“userflags”,$new)PS C:> $HelpDesk.SetInfo()PS C:> $helpdesk.refreshcache()PS C:> ($HelpDesk.UserFlags.value -band $AccountDisable) -as [boolean]False
Finally, the day may come when you want to delete the account all together. Remember, the account is a child object of the computer so that’s where we need to do the deletion. first, get an ADSI object for the computer.
PS C:> [ADSI]$server=”WinNT://CHI-FP01″
Then call the Delete() method, specifying the type of object and its name.
PS C:> $server.delete(“user”,$helpdesk.name.value)
The change is immediate and there is no need to call SetInfo().
Managing local user accounts obviously can also be done just as easily with the legacy NET commands, which you could easily incorporate into a PowerShell remoting command or session. If you have a larger PowerShell based task that involves local user accounts, using ADSI object is the right approach.
Sanbolic to Add Integration with System Center 2012 to Provide Distributed Data Management in Private Clouds
WALTHAM, Mass., April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –Sanbolic®, a market leader in distributed data management, today announced support for system Center 2012. system Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager is available today, and system Center Operations Manager and system Center Orchestrator support will be available by the end of Q2. Sanbolic Melio(TM) can be used both to manage storage for Windows Server Hyper-V, and to manage application data for physical or virtual Windows Server application servers. using Melio with system Center 2012 will simplify the provisioning of highly available physical or virtual Windows Server workloads on heterogeneous SAN or DAS storage while adding improved data protection, storage live migration, and granular QoS management. Melio supports virtualized Windows Server workloads or private cloud environments across heterogeneous hypervisors.
Sanbolic Melio is purpose-built to alleviate the data management and performance challenges encountered in distributed physical and virtual application environments. by abstracting logical storage from heterogeneous storage hardware and providing a centrally managed shared pool of storage across physical and virtual Windows Servers, Sanbolic enables scale-out and high availability for critical enterprise services such as SQL Server, file and web serving, and virtual desktops.
Melio will integrate easily into environments managed by system Center 2012. Extensive storage level reporting can be used by system Center Operations Manager to manage service performance. Cluster -wide snapshots within Melio can be backed up by system Center Data Protection Manager. system Center Virtual Machine Manager can use Melio as a shared storage resource for Windows Server Hyper-V, adding performance and scalability, as well as features like granular quality of service management and storage live migration.
Melio can be managed through its own interface and through a WMI API, and can be managed through PowerShell commandlets in the new release. Integration with system Center Orchestrator simplifies the automation of logical storage management in private clouds, allowing administrators to easily migrate workloads across storage hardware, manage quality of service for critical workloads, and mirror data across sites for disaster recovery using any industry standard SAN storage or a Sanbolic SoftSAN using local server-side hard disk or solid state storage.
“Sanbolic provides advanced software-based storage management capability for Windows Server virtual machines that can be managed using system Center Virtual Machine Manager,” said Sergio Klarreich, Director Strategic Alliances, Management and Security Division, Microsoft Corp. “With the addition of Melio’s management packs for system Center 2012, Sanbolic now extends the ability to provide infrastructure as a service that is elastic, self-service, and usage- based in a Microsoft private cloud.”
Sanbolic Melio’s management pack for system Center Operations Manager, PowerShell Commandlets, and system Center Orchestrator integration pack will be available in Q2.
About Sanbolic, Inc.Founded in 2000, Sanbolic® is a global leader in distributed data management. its Melio(TM) software suite delivers dramatically increased levels of application availability, scalability, protection and performance while decreasing cost and management complexity across enterprise data center applications such as SQL Server, SharePoint and Windows Server file-/web-serving, Citrix XenDesktop virtual desktop (VDI), and Windows Server Hyper-V private cloud environments. For further information please visit the Sanbolic website at: www.sanbolic.com or email: info@sanbolic.com.Join the conversation – follow Sanbolic on Twitter.
© Sanbolic, Inc. 2012. Sanbolic and Melio are trademarks of Sanbolic, Inc. all other brands and product names contained in the press release may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.PR Contact:Nicole GormanCorporate CommunicationsSanbolic, Inc.M: 508-397-0131nicole.gorman@sanbolic.com www.sanbolic.com
SOURCE Sanbolic, Inc.
Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. all rights reserved
March 2012: twelve Cisco vulnerabilities
Apr22012
The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) has published twelve important vulnerability advisories:
Cisco IOS Software Reverse SSH Denial of Service VulnerabilityThe Secure Shell (SSH) server implementation in Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software contains a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability in the SSH version 2 (SSHv2) feature. An unauthenticated, remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by attempting a reverse SSH login with a crafted username. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to create a DoS condition by causing the device to reload. Repeated exploits could create a sustained DoS condition.
Vulnerable ProductsCisco devices that are running affected Cisco IOS Software or Cisco IOS XE Software versions are vulnerable when they have the SSH server enabled and allow SSHv2 logins. Only SSHv2 is affected.
DetailsThe SSH server implementation in Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software contains a DoS vulnerability in the SSH version 2 (SSHv2) feature that could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause a device to reload. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by attempting a reverse SSH login with a crafted username. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to create a DoS condition by causing the device to reload. Repeated exploits could create a sustained DoS condition.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to create a DoS condition by causing the device to reload. Repeated exploits could create a sustained DoS condition.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-ssh
Cisco IOS Software RSVP Denial of Service VulnerabilityCisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software contain a vulnerability in the RSVP feature when used on a device configured with VPN routing and forwarding (VRF) instances. This vulnerability could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause an interface wedge, which can lead to loss of connectivity, loss of routing protocol adjacency, and other denial of service (DoS) conditions. This vulnerability could be exploited repeatedly to cause an extended DoS condition.
Vulnerable ProductsOnly devices with specific configurations are affected. Cisco devices that are running affected Cisco IOS Software or Cisco IOS XE Software versions are vulnerable when they are configured with RSVP and also have one or more VRF interfaces. a device is vulnerable if both the following criteria are met:
- At least one VRF is configured without RSVP
- At least one other interface (physical or virtual), not in the same VRF, is configured with RSVP
DetailsA device is vulnerable if it is configured with VRF and none of the interfaces in that VRF have RSVP enabled, but any other interface (physical or virtual) does have RSVP enabled. An attacker with some knowledge of the affected infrastructure could exploit this vulnerability by sending RSVP packets to vulnerable devices. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an attacker to wedge the receive queue of any RSVP ingress interface.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of this vulnerability will result in an interface queue wedge, which can lead to loss of connectivity, loss of routing protocol adjacency, and other DoS conditions. This vulnerability could be exploited repeatedly to cause an extended DoS condition.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-rsvp
Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS Software Traffic Optimization FeaturesCisco IOS Software contains a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability in the Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Express feature that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the router to leak memory or to reload. Cisco IOS Software also contains a DoS vulnerability in the Measurement, Aggregation, and Correlation Engine (MACE) feature that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the router to reload.
Vulnerable ProductsCisco devices that are running Cisco IOS Software are vulnerable when they are configured with the mace enable or waas enable interface configuration commands on one or more interfaces. Additional configuration is required for WAAS Express or MACE to be configured; more details follow.
DetailsCisco IOS Software contains a DoS vulnerability in the WAAS Express feature that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the router to leak memory or to reload.
This vulnerability is documented in Cisco bug ID CSCtt45381 (registered customers only) and has been assigned Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) ID CVE-2012-1314.
Cisco IOS Software contains a DoS vulnerability in the MACE feature that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the router to reload. This vulnerability is documented in Cisco bug IDs CSCtq64987 and CSCtu57226 and has been assigned CVE ID CVE-2012-1312.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the router to leak memory or to reload. Repeated exploits could allow a sustained DoS condition.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-mace
Cisco IOS Software Multicast Source Discovery Protocol VulnerabilityA vulnerability in the Multicast Source Discovery Protocol (MSDP) implementation of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to cause a reload of an affected device. Repeated attempts to exploit this vulnerability could result in a sustained denial of service (DoS) condition.
Vulnerable ProductsThe following products are affected by this vulnerability:
- Cisco IOS Software
- Cisco IOS XE Software
DetailsAn MSDP packet containing encapsulated Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) data, received from an external MSDP-configured peer router, can cause an affected device to reload. This vulnerability can only be exploited if the router is explicitly joined to the multicast group. the MSDP packet destination address is a unicast address and can be addressed to any IP address on the affected device, including loopback addresses. Transit traffic will not trigger this vulnerability.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of this vulnerability may cause the affected device to reload. Repeated exploitation may result in a sustained DoS condition.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-msdp
Cisco IOS Software Network Address Translation VulnerabilityThe Cisco IOS Software Network Address Translation (NAT) feature contains a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability in the translation of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) packets.
Vulnerable ProductsCisco devices that are running Cisco IOS Software are vulnerable when they are configured for NAT and contain support for NAT for Session Initiation Protocol.
DetailsNAT SIP application level gateway (ALG) translation of SIP packets could cause a memory resource exhaustion condition that can lead to a DoS condition, which could cause the reload of the vulnerable device.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of this vulnerability may cause incrementing use of memory that will not be released until the device is reloaded. This memory consumption could lead to a DoS condition and cause the vulnerable device to become unresponsive or reload.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-nat
Cisco IOS Internet Key Exchange VulnerabilityThe Cisco IOS Software Internet Key Exchange (IKE) feature contains a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability.
Vulnerable ProductsCisco devices that are running Cisco IOS Software are vulnerable when they are configured to use IKE version 1 (IKEv1).
A number of features use IKEv1, including different Virtual Private Networks (VPN) such as:
- LAN-to-LAN VPN
- Remote access VPN (excluding SSLVPN)
- Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN)
- Group Domain of Interpretation (GDOI)
There are two methods to determine if a device is configured for IKE:
- Determine if IKE ports are open on a running device
- Determine if IKE features are included in the device configuration
DetailsCisco IOS Software supports IKE for IPv4 and IPv6 communications. IKE communication can use any of the following UDP ports:
- UDP port 500
- UDP port 4500, NAT Traversal (NAT-T)
- UDP port 848, Group Domain of Interpretation (GDOI)
- UDP port 4848, GDOI NAT-T
The IKEv1 feature of Cisco IOS Software contains a vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a reload of an affected device.
An attacker could exploit this vulnerability using either IPv4 or IPv6 on any of the listed UDP ports. Spoofing of packets that could exploit this vulnerability is limited because the attacker needs to either receive or have access to the initial response from the vulnerable device.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of the vulnerability may cause the vulnerable device to reload.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-ike
Cisco IOS Software Smart Install Denial of Service VulnerabilityCisco IOS Software contains a vulnerability in the Smart Install feature that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a reload of an affected device if the Smart Install feature is enabled. the vulnerability is triggered when an affected device processes a malformed Smart Install message on TCP port 4786.
Vulnerable ProductsDevices configured as a Smart Install client or director are affected by this vulnerability. to display Smart Install information, use the show vstack config privileged EXEC command on the Smart Install director or client. the outputs of show commands are different when entered on the director or on the client.
DetailsA vulnerability exists in the Smart Install feature of Cisco IOS Software that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a reload of an affected device. Smart Install uses a Cisco proprietary protocol that runs over TCP port 4786. to exploit this vulnerability, an attacker needs to establish a TCP session on port 4786 of an affected device that has the Smart Install feature enabled, and then send a malformed Smart Install message.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory may cause a reload of an affected device. Repeated exploitation could result in a sustained denial of service condition.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-smartinstall
Cisco IOS Software Command Authorization BypassA vulnerability exists in the Cisco IOS Software that may allow a remote application or device to exceed its authorization level when authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) authorization is used. This vulnerability requires that the HTTP or HTTPS server is enabled on the Cisco IOS device.
Vulnerable ProductsAny device running Cisco IOS Software release after 12.2 that has an HTTP or HTTPS server configured is affected by this vulnerability if AAA authorization is used.
DetailsA vulnerability exists that may allow the Cisco IOS command authorization to be bypassed, allowing a remote, authenticated HTTP or HTTPS session to execute any Cisco IOS command that is configured for their authorization level. This vulnerability does not allow unauthenticated access; a valid username and password are required to successfully exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, the vulnerability does not allow a user to execute commands that are not configured for their privilege level.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of the vulnerability may allow the Cisco IOS command authorization to be bypassed, allowing a remote, authenticated HTTP or HTTPS session to execute any Cisco IOS command that is configured for its authorization level.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-pai
Cisco IOS Software Zone-Based Firewall VulnerabilitiesCisco IOS Software contains four vulnerabilities related to Cisco IOS Zone-Based Firewall features. these vulnerabilities are as follows:
- Memory Leak associated with Crafted IP Packets
- Memory Leak in HTTP Inspection
- Memory Leak in H.323 Inspection
- Memory Leak in SIP Inspection
Vulnerable ProductsCisco IOS devices running vulnerable versions of Cisco IOS Software are affected by four vulnerabilities in the Cisco IOS Zone-Based Firewall. the vulnerabilities are independent of each other. Details to confirm affected configurations are provided below.
DetailsThe vulnerabilities described in this advisory affect the Zone-Based Firewall feature. the Zone-Based Policy Firewall (also known as Zone-Policy Firewall or ZFW) updates the firewall configuration from the older interface-based model to a more flexible, more easily understood zone-based model. Interfaces are assigned to zones, and inspection policy is applied to traffic moving between the zones. Inter-zone policies offer considerable flexibility and granularity, so different inspection policies can be applied to multiple host groups connected to the same router interface.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of these vulnerabilities may result in a reload of the affected device. Repeated exploit attempts may result in a sustained denial of service (DoS) attack.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120328-zbfw
Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances and Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series ASA Services ModuleCisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) and Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series ASA Services Module (ASASM) are affected by the following vulnerabilities:
- Cisco ASA UDP Inspection Engine Denial of Service Vulnerability
- Cisco ASA Threat Detection Denial of Service Vulnerability
- Cisco ASA Syslog Message 305006 Denial of Service Vulnerability
- Protocol Independent Multicast Denial of Service Vulnerability
Vulnerable ProductsCisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances and Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series ASA Services Module are affected by multiple vulnerabilities. Affected versions of Cisco ASA Software will vary depending on the specific vulnerability. Consult the “Software Versions and Fixes” section of this security advisory for more information about the affected version.
Cisco PIX Security Appliances may be affected by some of the vulnerabilities described in this security advisory. Cisco PIX has reached end of maintenance support. Cisco PIX Security Appliance customers are encouraged to migrate to Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances.
Details
- Cisco ASA UDP Inspection Engine Denial of Service Vulnerability: the Cisco ASA UDP inspection engine that is used to inspect UDP-based protocols contains a vulnerability that could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to trigger a reload of the Cisco ASA. the vulnerability is due to improper flow handling by the inspection engine. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted sequence through the affected system.
- Cisco ASA Threat Detection Denial of Service Vulnerability: the vulnerability is due to improper handling of the internal flaw that is triggered by the shun event. An attacker may exploit this vulnerability by sending IP packets through the affected system in a way that triggers the shun option of Threat Detection scanning feature.
- Cisco ASA Syslog Message 305006 Denial of Service Vulnerability: a denial of service vulnerability is in the implementation of one specific syslog message (message ID 305006), that can cause a reload of the Cisco ASA if this syslog message needs to be generated. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a sequence of packets that could trigger the generation of the syslog message.
- Protocol Independent Multicast Denial of Service Vulnerability: a vulnerability exists in the way PIM is implemented that may cause affected devices to reload during the processing of a PIM message when multicast routing is enabled. the vulnerability is due to improper handling of PIM messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted PIM message to the affected system.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of any of the vulnerabilities described in this security advisory may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to reload the affected system.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120314-asa
Cisco Firewall Services Module Crafted Protocol Independent Multicast Message Denial of Service VulnerabilityThe Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Firewall Services Module (FWSM) contains a Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) Denial of Service Vulnerability.
Vulnerable ProductsThe Cisco FWSM is affected by a vulnerability that may cause affected devices to reload during the processing of a PIM message when multicast routing is enabled. Multicast routing is disabled by default, however when multicast routing is enabled on the Cisco FWSM, PIM is automatically enabled on all interfaces.
DetailsA vulnerability exists in the way PIM is implemented that may cause affected devices to reload during the processing of a PIM message when multicast routing is enabled. the vulnerability is due to improper handling of PIM messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted PIM message to the affected system.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of the vulnerability may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to cause the affected system to reload.
Link: http://tools.cisco.com/…/cisco-sa-20120314-fwsm
Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliance Clientless VPN ActiveX Control Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityThe affected ActiveX control is distributed to endpoint systems by Cisco ASA. however, the impact of successful exploitation of this vulnerability is to the endpoint system only and does not compromise Cisco ASA devices.
Vulnerable ProductsCisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances that are running one of the following versions contain the affected ActiveX component:Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software 7.x: 7.1, 7.2Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software 8.x: 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.6
DetailsWhen a browser that supports Microsoft ActiveX technology is used to create the Clientless VPN tunnel, the Cisco Port Forwarder ActiveX control may be sent to the endpoint system on which the browser is running. This control contains an exploitable buffer overflow vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker who can convince a user to visit a malicious website to execute attacker-controlled arbitrary code on the endpoint device. the attacker-supplied code would be executed with the privileges of the user who invoked the browser used to visit the attacker-controlled website. If the user has administrative privileges, a complete compromise may occur.
ImpactSuccessful exploitation of the vulnerability may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected end-user system with the privileges of the user who invoked the web browser. If the user has administrative privileges, code execution may result in a complete compromise of the affected system.
Cisco Survey Shows Network Tops Challenges for Cloud Adoption – Network Computing
Posted by Robert Mullins May 08, 2012
Enterprise cloud adoption is expected to grow significantly in 2012, but some serious obstacles remain, according to a survey released by Cisco at Interop 2012 this week in Las Vegas. Also at the networking industry’s premier event, Cisco unveiled a new router and related technology that provides to voice networks the same level of security and control that enterprises demand on their data networks.
The 2012 Cisco Global Cloud Networking Survey reveals that while only 5% of those surveyed use cloud computing to deliver the majority of the software applications in their businesses, the adoption rate is expected to grow to 20% by year’s end. The survey polled 100 IT executives in each of 13 countries.
“The reason so many are moving the majority of their apps to the cloud is because there are more cloud applications out there, more choice, and then there’s the maturity of the process,” says Inbar Lasser-Raab, senior marketing director of the Cisco Services Routing Technology Group (SRTG).
The cloud adoption process is maturing, she says, because enterprises are becoming more familiar with what cloud computing is, how it works and how it can be implemented within their organizations.
While the adoption of cloud computing is on a growth curve, the process is nonetheless complex, time-consuming and includes many pitfalls, the survey shows. The No. 1 challenge to cloud adoption is networking issues, identified by 37% of the IT professionals surveyed.
Cloud computing started in the data center, but as cloud adoption grew, enterprises discovered the limitations of their wide-area network (WAN) infrastructures, Lasser-Raab says. Depending on the application, the infrastructure may require upgrades. In the case of a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployment, for example, a typical WAN link today can support 20 virtual desktop sessions but may not deliver the sub-50-millisecond latency limit required in a service-level agreement (SLA).
“So there are a lot of considerations that they didn’t plan for as they moved the applications to the cloud, but they found out through the process,” she says.
Security of cloud deployments was also a top worry–particularly the protection of corporate data on the network, identified by 72% of respondents. The next biggest concerns were availability and reliability of cloud apps (67%), device-based security (66%), visibility and control of applications across the WAN (60%), and overall application performance (60%).
In a series of tongue-in-cheek questions focused on how daunting a cloud project can be, 27% of respondents said they’re more knowledgeable about how to play angry Birds or change a tire than they are about how to migrate their network to the cloud. Twenty-four percent said that during the next six months, they think they would be more likely to see a UFO, a unicorn or a ghost before they’d see a cloud project go from start to finish.
Related Reading More cloud-computing Insights
Cisco Survey Shows Network Tops Challenges for Cloud Adoption – Network Computing
ZX Spectrum: 30 years old, and still one of the cheapest computers ever made
Today is the 30th birthday of the ZX Spectrum, one of the most popular home computers ever made, and probably the single most important factor in the creation of the IT industry in the UK. The ZX Spectrum, made by Sinclair Research in Cambridge, England is usually considered the UK equivalent of the US-made Commodore 64.
Hardware-wise, the ZX Spectrum was completely unremarkable. there was an 8-bit Zilog Z80A CPU, a graphics chip capable of outputting 32 columns by 24 rows (256x192px) with 15 colors, and either 16 or 48KB of RAM. At just £125 ($200), however, the ZX Spectrum was incredibly cheap. The Commodore 64 cost $600. The BBC Micro, made by Sinclair’s arch rival Acorn Computers, cost £299. Despite costing just a fraction of its contemporaries, the ZX Spectrum had comparable functionality. All three computers had similar amounts of RAM and processing power, and all three had similar editions of the BASIC programming language.
How did Sinclair Research pull it off? Innovative design and aggressive engineering. From the very start, Sinclair Research knew that it wanted the ZX Spectrum to be as cheap as possible, and so almost every component was engineered from the ground up with penny pinching in mind. The main printed circuit board was kept as small and dense as possible, which resulted in a very lithe chassis (just 23x14x3cm, compared to the monstrous 40x21x7cm Commodore 64 and gargantuan 40x35x8cm BBC Micro). instead of using a conventional keyboard with hundreds of moving parts, a rubber, chiclet “island” keyboard with just four or five parts was used. (In the eyes of original users, this resulted in the ZX Spectrum keyboard feeling like “dead flesh” — an early example of a tech meme.) The ZX Spectrum was wrapped in a plastic case and weighed just 550 grams (1.2lbs), compared to the metal, clunky 1.8kg (4lb) Commodore 64, and back-breaking 3.7kg (8.1lb) BBC Micro.
In short, the ZX Spectrum was simply better engineered than its contemporaries — much like iPhone, except Apple uses its engineering and supply line advantage to squeeze out higher profits, rather than slashing prices. like the ZX Spectrum, it’s not like the iPhone uses fundamentally different silicon or materials — Apple is still limited by the state of the art — but through design, engineering, and supply line expertise, Apple simply manages to cram more tech into the same (or smaller) space — and with a cheaper bill of materials.
The ZX Spectrum would go on to sell five million units — not bad, when you consider there are only 30 million homes in the UK — and net Clive Sinclair, the owner of Sinclair Research, a knighthood for “services to British industry.” Curiously, Sinclair, a serial inventor, recently admitted that he doesn’t actually use computers — he prefers the telephone to email.
To this day, even after 30 years of being hammered at by Moore’s law and accounting for inflation, there are remarkably few home computers that have been sold at a lower price point than the ZX Spectrum (it would cost around $450 today). The Raspberry Pi, a British-made Linux-based PC that will be sold for around $25, is the obvious exception, and the spiritual successor of the ZX Spectrum.
ZX Spectrum: 30 years old, and still one of the cheapest computers ever made
Caringo Offers VMs of Market Proven Cloud Storage Architecture for Rapid Evaluation
AUSTIN, Texas, Apr 18, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –Caringo(R) inc., the leading provider of object storage software, today announced virtual machine editions of CAStor(R), the leading object storage engine, and Content File Server (CFS), instant access to CAStor via standard file protocols (CIFS, NFS, FTP, and WebDAV). the VMs can run on any Windows server via VMware ESX and VMware Player, on Mac via VMware Fusion, and the CFS VM can also run on Oracle VirtualBox (Windows or Mac). the Virtual Editions were designed to enable the quick and easy evaluation of Caringo object storage software, which is ideal for cloud storage architectures. the VMs are available immediately for download with a free 2 TB license, bringing the benefits of object storage and cloud storage architecture to ANY organization within minutes.
“Cloud storage services built upon object storage provide scalability, ease of management, responsiveness and affordability,” said Mark Goros, CEO at Caringo. “With our Virtual Editions we are bringing the same technology to any company or individual to install and try in less than 30 minutes. Now anyone can easily experience the power of object storage and cloud storage architecture quickly and securely.”
Caringo’s object storage software Virtual Editions delivers cloud storage architecture and instant access by providing:
Data access and portability using HTTP 1.1, and customizable metadata that is stored with each object, enabling data mobility based on business value with content moving freely and securely system wide — even across different locations.
Automatic data protection driven by an integrated health monitor that continuously checks and fixes any issues encountered. all servers participate in recovery so as the system grows, recovery times decrease; even petabyte-size stores can be automatically protected without backups or RAID.
Zero provisioning scale-out and zero downtime servicing with automated, system wide optimization and balancing. Combined with rolling software and hardware upgrades results in no-downtime servicing, no single points of failure and no bottlenecks.
Secure multi-tenancy and multi-site storage in a single system with 128-bit unique universal identifier obfuscating all stored data; all account information is stored with an object allowing support for an unlimited number of tenants, employees, or subscribers on the same infrastructure.
Cloud economics using any x86 server hardware, any combination of servers, or even any size drives at up to 98 percent utilization.
Instant access for legacy applications or devices via CIFS, NFS, FTP, and WebDAV.
both VM Editions are available now at http://www.caringo.com/virtual-editions
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Caringo is the global leader in object storage and developer of the Caringo Object Storage Platform powered by CAStor — software that enables massive scalability and future-proof accessibility of unstructured data. Caringo object storage enables cloud storage solutions, big data repositories and general storage infrastructure replacing NAS, tape and VTL. Our field-proven technology utilizes any combination of x86 server hardware to build boundless storage solutions accessible via HTTP.
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Copyright Business Wire 2012
Caringo Offers VMs of Market Proven Cloud Storage Architecture for Rapid Evaluation
Cisco launches app-enabled router
The Cisco Connect Cloud portal lets you manage your home network, powered by a EA Series router, from anywhere in the world.
(Credit:Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)
While Netgear and D-Link introduced their approaches to app-supporting and cloud-enabled networking products at CES 2012, Cisco, which didn’t have anything to announce atCES, turns out to be the first to materialize the new concepts.
Cisco today unveiled a line of Linksys Smart Wi-Fi routers that promises to change the face, and the body, of home networking.
The Linksys EA4500, EA3500, and EA2700 — the “A” designation being short for “app-enabled” — look like models in the earlier E Series but have more-powerful hardware and support Cisco Connect Cloud, the next generation of Cisco Connect software. The EA4500, for example, looks exactly the same as the original Linksys E4200, but the differences inside are significant.
Cisco Connect Cloud is a Web-based portal that is designed to make it possible to quickly and easily manage multiple home networks from anywhere in the world. And in the category of “home network,” Cisco now includes home appliances, not just computers and electronic equipment. The company says it has been working with top device manufacturers to simplify the process of getting their network products — such as TVs and home appliances — connected, and to get them communicating more with one another to offer new consumer experiences.
In a demo, Cisco showed me how a user can remotely, via the Cisco Connect Cloud portal, carry out tasks that were quite impossible before, such as finding out the status of a refrigerator.
Brett Wingo, a Cisco vice president and general manager, said the new line of cloud-enabled routers will be game-changing products that “enable users to take total control of their home, and not just the Wi-Fi networks.”
Speaking of Wi-Fi networks, the new routers are all true dual-band Wireless-N routers, with the EA2700 supporting the 300Mbps standard on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, the EA3500 also supporting the 450Mbps standard on the 5GHz band, and the EA4500 supporting 450Mbps on both bands. they come with one USB port to host an external hard drive and work as a network storage server with media-streaming capability. they also support IPv6, guest networking, and other popular features found in the previous E Series models.
Cisco says that Cisco Connect Cloud will work with just the EA routers and not the existing E Series, with the exception of the Linksys E4200v2, which will get the support via a firmware update. The supported routers will also be able to run apps designed to quickly add or change their features and settings.
The new Linksys EA4500, EA3500, and EA2700 routers are available now and cost $199, $139, and $99, respectively. Cisco promises that a full range of its cloud-enabled services will be available by June. Check back soon for the review of the Linksys EA4500.
Microsoft names Windows Server 2012, commits to launch this year
Computerworld – Microsoft today gave its newest server software a name — Windows Server 2012 — and said it would release the operating system this year.
During the opening keynote at the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) 2012 in Las Vegas, which runs through Friday, company officials slapped the name on the new software — which previously had been dubbed Windows Server 8 — and announced it would ship before the end of the year.
Neither was a surprise, as Microsoft traditionally tags its server-side software with a date designation — unlike its client software — and experts expected that the operating system would launch alongside Windows 8 for Intel-based desktops and laptops.
While Microsoft has not laid out a release schedule for the next iteration of Windows, most anticipate it will mimic that of Windows 7, which launched in October 2009, in time to make the holiday sales season.
Windows Server 2008 R2, the server edition that corresponded to Windows 7, went on sale at the same time as Windows 7, although the company began rolling it out to volume license customers in August 2009.
At MMS today, Brad Anderson, the Microsoft executive who heads the company’s management and security division, said that Windows Server 2012 would reach customers this year.
Windows Server 2012 is available now in beta — it has been since March 1, the day after Microsoft released Windows 8 Consumer Preview — but the company did not detail additional dates today, such as targets for “release candidate,” or RC, or “release to manufacturing” (RTM), when the software is finished and ready to hand off for duplication and distribution to system makers.
If Microsoft follows the schedule it used for Windows Server 2008 R2, it will call RTM for Windows Server 2012 in late July.
Also today, Microsoft launched System Center 2012, a suite of client and server management tools. That software can be downloaded from Microsoft’s website.
Microsoft is pitching System Center 2012 as key to enterprises building private clouds composed of physical and virtual servers.
Yesterday, Microsoft made it official for other names as well when it said “Windows 8″ was the title of the OS for Intel-based client PCs and “Windows RT” was replacing the earlier “Windows on ARM,” or WOA, label for the tablet-centric edition the company hopes can compete with Android and iOS.
Windows 8 will be sold — and pre-loaded on new Intel PCs — in only two editions, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro, while a third version, Windows 8 Enterprise, will be offered to volume customers that subscribe to the Software Assurance upgrade program.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at 
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Microsoft names Windows Server 2012, commits to launch this year
Best Database? MS Access Vs SQL Server
MS Access
Microsoft Access is provided with Microsoft Office Professional and as such is free for those that have that software anyhow. But what makes MS Access attractive compared to the other advanced database systems?
1. Easy to deploy. No database server is required on the client machines. Simple copy the database file (.MDB) and you are done. Note that the client must have the same or later version of Access installed or install the free Access Runtime environment.
2. As a file based database it is very easy to copy and make backups.
3. it has a very simple interface that allows you to develop forms and reports quickly and easily. Either, use a wizard or drag and drop.
4. Combined front and back end. MS Access software provides all the features in one package – design tables and queries then add forms and reports, then all in the same software.
5. Rapid Application Development, Access allows you to create a solution quickly. Access solutions often require significantly less code than alternatives. It’s an effective platform for prototyping.
6. For the novice programmer MS Access is ideal. it has a powerful database engine as well as a fully featured language in VBA. it can start simple and be extended to be a fully functioning application.
The main limitation of MS Access is that it cannot handle large numbers of users very well. a combined Access database (front end and back end together in one file) is pushing the limits at about 8 users. a split design is more stable and can support 50 to 100 users with clever programming (caching data locally etc.).
SQL Server
Microsoft’s SQL Server is the big brother of MS Access. While Access is targeted at the smaller organization SQL Server is targeted at the medium to large organizations with a range of versions to suit.
The benefits of SQL Server are:
1. Fully scalable. From the free version (SQL Server Express) to the Enterprise Edition you have a straight forward upgrade path and unlimited potential.
2. Powerful. with features such as stored procedures, user defined functions, referential integrity, triggers and so on you will be able to develop fully fledged, fast and powerful applications.
3. Secure. with SQL Server you can use transaction logs, automated backups, replication and transactions to ensure that your data is never lost and you can recover from disaster.
4. Centralized. SQL Server keeps all of the data in one place and you can attach any front ends you like. your database may have a collection of windows forms applications, web applications even MS Access applications attached – all sharing the same data and ensuring consistency.
One downside of SQL Server is its complexity. it can be difficult to set up particularly the advanced features such as automated backup, log shipping and replication. it can also prove difficult for the novice developer to work with its disconnected model and lack of wizards to simplify development.
Additionally, SQL Server is purely a Database Server, it does not provide any User interface programming features like Forms, Reports so you will have to develop a User interface with another tool.
At the end of the day it is a question of horses for courses
You have to decide which is more suitable for your requirements.
If you decide to go with MS Access, you can always upscale the data to SQL Server later on.
Existing Windows Phone handsets may or may not get Apollo upgrade
Windows Phone
Published on Apr 18, 2012
Within hours of each other two contradicting stories have hit the web regarding the future of current Windows Phone devices.
It started with a Microsoft ‘evangelist developer’ alleging that existing smartphones will be upgraded when Windows Phone 8 Apollo hits this year, unfortunately there are also sources now saying quite the opposite.
WMPoweruser started the ball rolling when it reported that Windows Phone developer Nuno Silva, who has been in direct talks with Microsoft, was interviewed by Portugese mobile site Zwame at an event in Portugal. during said interview, which is on video, Silva quite adamantly states that:
‘What Microsoft said/stated and what I’m allowed to tell you is that all actual devices will get upgrade to the next major version of Windows Phone (we´re talking about Apollo).’
To cement his assertion further, Silva clarified this as all devices ‘since the first generation that were bought. The LGs and SAMSUNG’s OMNIA 7 which were the first devices with Windows Phone reaching the market.’
Contradicting this is IntoMobile with ‘two independent sources,’ both allegedly from inside Nokia, who claim there’s no truth to Silva’s statement. The Verge also has its own ‘trusted source close to Microsoft,’ who reportedly says the same thing and ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley cited her anonymous sources in March with similar claims.
Microsoft has previously set the record straight when rumours suggested Windows Phone 7 apps wouldn’t be compatible with future Microsoft platforms, including Windows Phone Apollo and Windows 8 for tablets and PCs.
We’re not so sure about all of this, we think Microsoft would be crazy to not push the update to older phones. In relative terms, even the oldest of these current handsets are not particularly old, and when you have a demonstrably negative impact of fragmentation on Android on the one hand, and Apple doing so well with a unified system on the other, it simply makes no sense.
Cross-compatibility of apps could be argued as a workable compromise on this, however, and that has, of course, already been confirmed.
Certainly IntoMobile’s push that it must be true because Eldar Murtazin said back in January this year that current phones wouldn’t be updated to Apollo, is a bit difficult to buy into, because, he made the same assertions about lack of app compatibility and look how that turned out.
For the time being, Microsoft is keeping quiet about things, aside from reiterating its statement that apps will be compatible.
If this is all true, however, it’s bad news for anyone who either just bought, or was about to buy, a Windows Phone 7 device, particularly one of the flashier ones from Nokia.
Existing Windows Phone handsets may or may not get Apollo upgrade
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