Jan 13, 2017
Hybrid cloud is a term that describes when an organization uses the services of a public cloud provider which can be usually Microsoft Azure, IBM BlueMix… in addition to its private cloud. By having parallel cloud networks accessible through the same architecture, businesses have the ability to utilize the benefits of both, including faster data transfer and increased privacy.
Hybrid networks generally offer more flexibility, scalability and security over other types of hosting, whilst also being able to perform in ways that cloud and traditional hosting can’t.
Some major hybrid cloud advantages include:
- Increased data speeds – hybrid networks can be configured to push essential data through private servers instead of public ones, greatly improving load times and data transfer speeds.
- Improved security – Sensitive data can be secured on private servers with many layers of encryption that can only be accessed in house, whilst non-sensitive and publicly-accessible data and applications can be accessed through a public server.
- Decreased spending – Utilizing the public cloud for applications that don’t require security is likely to be more economical in the long run.
- Better cost visibility – Leveraging the power of a public cloud will showcase the exact amount of expenditures your are incurring making it easier to estimate your total cost and therefore estimating the right margin that is more likely to generate profit.
- Lowering downtime risk – Most of the time, having both private and public cloud at your disposal means your end customers don’t have to worry about downtime.
- Improving local network operations – Hybrid hosting also allows you the added advantage of being able to shift resource heavy processes through a separate private or public cloud network, greatly improving local network operations.
Nov 16, 2016
As it is known in Microsoft SPLA, SharePoint Server Standard and Enterprise licenses are provided under the Subscriber Access License, which means that each end customer’s internal users who can directly or indirectly access the SharePoint Server would need a license. Service Provider will use the software in this case to provide internal users access to content, information, and applications. Therefore, use of SharePoint Server software to provide content, information, and applications that are limited to internal users must be licensed under SharePoint Server SALs.
SharePoint Hosting – Licensing Based on Processors Used
In contrast and in order to provide SharePoint Server as a Website or Hosted and therefore, allowing an unlimited number of external users to access it, in this case, the licensing scheme would shift from SAL to Processor License. Customer may use the software to provide External Users access to content, information, and applications. Customer may also use the software to provide internal users access to content, information, and applications so long as that same content and information and those same applications are also accessible by External Users.
To run Instances of the server software in the Physical OSE on a Server, you need a license for each physical processor that the Physical OSE uses.
To run Instances of the server software in the Physical OSE on a Server, you need a license for each physical processor that the Physical OSE uses.
Scenario 1
SharePoint Hosting roles are deployed on 1 physical server with 2 physical processors. Therefore, in this case, SharePoint Hosting would require a total of 2 licenses equal to the number of physical processors.
To run Instances of the server software in Virtual OSEs on a Server, you need a license for each virtual processor that each of those Virtual OSEs uses. If a Virtual OSE uses a fraction of a virtual processor, the fraction counts as a full virtual processor.
Scenario 2
SharePoint Hosting roles are deployed on 1 Virtual Machine with 8 Virtual Cores. This Virtual Machine is created on a Physical Server with 2 physical processors and 4 Cores per Processor. In this case partner would need 8 (Virtual Cores) / 4 (Cores per Processor) = 2 licenses.
Sep 28, 2016
Windows Server 2016 & System Center 2016 will be available in SPLA in October.
Licensing Summary:
- Per core license model replaces processor license model on October SPUR.
- Each physical processor needs a minimum of 8 core licenses.
- Both Windows Server Standard & Datacenter Editions provide support for unlimited Windows Server containers.
- Windows Server Standard Edition requires all physical cores to be licensed in order to run 1 Windows Hyper-V container (or Virtual Machine).
- Windows Server Datacenter Edition requires all physical cores to be licensed in order to run unlimited Windows Hyper-V containers (or Virtual Machines).
New Licensing SKU’s:
| Part Number |
Item Name |
| 9EM-00562 |
WinSvrSTDCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
| 9EA-00039 |
WinSvrDCCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
| 9EN-00494 |
SysCtrStdCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
| 9EP-00037 |
SysCtrDatactrCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic |
| 9GA-00006 |
CISSteStdCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
| 9GS-00495 |
CISSteDCCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic CoreL |
Licensing Scenarios:
- Scenario 1: A physical server with 2 Physical Processors and 4 Cores would require in the new licensing method:
In case of Windows Server Standard:
| Part Number |
Item Name |
Quantity |
| 9EM-00562 |
WinSvrSTDCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
8 |
In case of Windows Server Datacenter:
| Part Number |
Item Name |
Quantity |
| 9EA-00039 |
WinSvrDCCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
8 |
- Scenario 2: A physical server with 2 Physical Processors, 4 Cores and 2 Virtual Machines would require in the new licensing method:
In case of Windows Server Standard:
| Part Number |
Item Name |
Quantity |
| 9EM-00562 |
WinSvrSTDCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
16 |
In case of Windows Server Datacenter:
| Part Number |
Item Name |
Quantity |
| 9EA-00039 |
WinSvrDCCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
8 |
- Scenario 3: A physical server with 2 Physical Processors and 16 Cores would require in the new licensing method:
In case of Windows Server Standard:
| Part Number |
Item Name |
Quantity |
| 9EM-00562 |
WinSvrSTDCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
16 |
In case of Windows Server Datacenter:
| Part Number |
Item Name |
Quantity |
| 9EA-00039 |
WinSvrDCCore ALNG LicSAPk MVL 2Lic Core |
16 |
*The total licenses needed is divided by 2 since each reporting SKU covers 2 core licenses
Partners whose Microsoft SPLA Agreement is not yet expired, can still report the Windows Server Per Processor License until the expiry date of their Agreement.
Aug 2, 2016
Are you finding it difficult to scale your hosting business due to difficulty managing multiple XenApp and XenDesktop domains? Is it difficult to audit customer service assignments and perform business analyses? Is your go to market strategy and multi-customer management affected by the complexity in setting up multiple offerings?
If you are finding yourself in any of the above situations, we have some good news for you. The latest release of the Hosted App and Desktop Service (HAaD) in CloudPortal Services Manager will wipe these challenges off your plate.
What is the Hosted Apps and Desktops Service?
CloudPortal Services Manager Hosted Apps and Desktops Service enables Citrix Service Providers to deliver and manage multi-tenant hosted XenApp and XenDesktop services from a single management interface – reducing complexity and helping scale across multiple customers/tenants.
Get Optimized Multi-Tenant Hosted Apps and Desktops Delivery with Latest HAaD Service
With the latest HAad Service, adopt enhanced ways to grow your margins, strengthen your portfolio and drive customer satisfaction:
- Deliver Hosted App and Desktop Services: Deliver hosted offerings at lower cost and with higher margins using a multi-tenant architecture and comprehensive control panel.
- Easily Scale a Multi-Tenant Hosting Business: Quickly scale your business with simplified onboarding, powerful automation and design flexibility – all managed within a single platform.
- Increase Technical Bench Productivity: Enable fast access and management of app and desktop services – 10x faster performance when managing service offerings.
- Simplify and De-risk Upgrades: Gain peace of mind with a flexible multi-site architecture that reduces downtime and improves risk management during upgrades and delivery of services.
New Features Supported in the Updated HAaD Service
- Here is how the latest HAaD service will empower you:
Easily Scale Multi-Tenant Environments and Maintain Version Flexibility
- Multi-site Support: Scale your infrastructure independently while maintaining flexibility with multiple versions of XenApp and XenDesktop.
- Upgrade via Migration: Independently manage multiple XenDesktop sites within a single platform – allowing a simple low risk upgrade and migration path.
Multi-site management for hosted apps and desktops.
Co-existence of Multiple Versions: Version agility allowing the use of existing infrastructure and onboard new customers to latest version of XenApp and XenDesktop.
Streamline Service Delivery with Simplified Management
- Simplified/Faster Onboarding: Quickly onboard new customers and applications with simplified app onboarding and bulk user provisioning.
- Optimized Service Delivery and Usability: Identify and assign offerings as shared or private in a couple of click without the need for a complex naming convention.
- Simplified Offering Management: Quickly understand offering assignment across all multi-tenant sites and Shared/Private modes from an intuitive management portal.
Deliver Multi-Tenant Offerings Faster with Improved Performance
- 10X Faster Performance for Delivery of Offerings: Rapidly deliver offerings in a muti-tenant environment for “A” customer and “B” offerings across a set of “C” users.
- Detailed Usage Insights: Gain detailed insights into service usage and customer assignments – helping decisions that enable faster delivery of services.
Site deployment, usage and assignment.
Achieve continuous delivery of services
- Robust Design and Architecture with Enhanced Support: Independently update various versions of XenDesktop, StoreFront and VDA versions by leveraging flexible architecture.
- Risk Management: Manage upgrade risks by independently validating update and migration procedures thereby eliminating downtime.
Aug 2, 2016
#1: Trend Micro is a Market Leader
Trend Micro is the market share leader in the worldwide SMB content security market*, and has been growing its lead over the nearest competitors. With 25+ years of continuous product innovation, 5,000 employees, including 1200 security experts and support engineers, and offices in 38 countries, Trend Micro is a global security software company that delivers proven security solutions to meet the ever-changing demands of your customers.
*For the past five years, more small businesses worldwide have trusted Trend Micro for our complete content security than any other provider. (Canalys – 2015 )
#2: Trend Micro helps you increase profits
We know key pain points for MSPs are fixed fees and slim margins. With Trend Micro cloud-based security services, you can increase recurring revenues, annuity streams, and cash flows. Also, you can increase your average deal size with the opportunity to cross-sell or up-sell to existing clients other Trend Micro solutions such as Hosted Email Security. And with no up-front investment in unnecessary product licenses coupled with flexible usage-based pricing that automatically aligns with your business model, Trend Micro can help improve the profitability of your business.
#3: Trend Micro helps you increase productivity
Trend Micro knows that another issue for MSPs is productivity. With our cloud-based security solutions, you will be able to centrally manage accounts and automate monthly usage, streamline usage data and billing with RMM/PSA integrations, and eliminate time consuming-renewal tracking and administration. And with automated transaction processes for billing and provisioning licenses, this can free up your staff to focus on other business activities.
#4: Trend Micro helps you grow your business
Trend Micro has a monthly pay-as-you-go billing option. This gives you the flexibility you need when you’re trying to build your business. We are also the only vendor that provides MSP partners with specific tools like the License Management Platform and Worry-Free™ Remote Manager. Our success depends on your success.
#5: Trend Micro is 100% channel friendly
Trend Micro has been a trustworthy partner for over 25 years, known for being “100% channel friendly.” We are committed to MSPs and developing long-term, stable, mutually beneficially, partnerships. We don’t sell direct so we never compete with you. Our channel vision is to empower you with the personal attention, tools, and resources you need to initiate, grow, and sustain a profitable Trend Micro practice. With partners, we will continue to grow Trend Micro sales, increase market penetration, and deliver superior customer service and support to our mutual customers.
#6: Trend Micro is focused on Internet security
Unlike other companies that diversify or narrowly specialize, Trend Micro is the world’s largest independent security vendors and maintains a strict focus on Internet content security and threat management.
#7: Trend Micro lets you focus on your business
Our MSP solutions assist you by automating processes so you can focus on running your business and increasing your value to your customers. With a Trend Micro hosted security solution, you get centralized management that will help you lower costs, increase your productivity and profit, and, ultimately, grow your business.
Aug 1, 2016
Acronis®, a leading provider of hybrid cloud data protection, today at HostingCon announced its latest update of Acronis Backup Cloud, a cutting-edge backup-as-a-service (BaaS) solution for service providers, hosters, and cloud resellers that provides complete data protection for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Today’s SMBs have been left exposed to data loss and malicious attacks due to inadequate solutions that do not protect the full spectrum of servers and user endpoints, including mobile devices, and Cloud services and applications, such as Microsoft Azure and Office 365. Acronis enables service providers to rapidly address these new and critical SMB data protection needs with the latest release of Acronis Backup Cloud – its easiest, fastest, most complete cloud backup solution ever.
Acronis Backup Cloud provides service providers, hosters and cloud resellers with a turn-key backup as a service solution that is so easy to use, they can be up and running within minutes. Acronis Backup Cloud protects all servers, workstations and mobile devices, and extends to cloud services and applications to provide complete protection.
Acronis Backup Cloud easily plugs into the most common platforms in use by service providers and hosters today, including Linux, Virtuozzo, Azure, Docker, Open-Xchange, XEN Server, and KVM. The solution also backs up data and workloads across the full range of customer environments, including Microsoft, Amazon EC2, Windows and Office365, Linux, Mac, VMware, Hyper-V, RHEV, XEN, Oracle VM, Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint, Active Directory, iOS, and Android.
Acronis Backup Cloud also integrates with the most popular cloud management solutions to automate customer billing, monitoring, and provisioning. This includes Odin Service Automation®, WHMCS®, HostBill®, APS Standard, LabTech, Windows Azure Pack, and Flexiant® Cloud Orchestrator.
Service providers can use a use a single powerful dashboard to deploy the software, manage customers, and monitor backups, all while supporting clients’ distributed business environments with multiple IT tiers and administration controls for users and groups.
Within hours, service providers can also deploy secure, private cloud destinations with their own storage or third-party cloud storage, and now with Acronis Software Defined Storage using commodity hardware. The new Acronis Storage option substantially lowers scale-out storage costs while overcoming the capex challenges related to traditional high-end storage offerings.
Why Now’s the Time to Move to Acronis Backup Cloud
- Powerful Cloud Automation – Simplifies the sale of BaaS by combining proven Acronis backup technology with a scalable hybrid cloud architecture that integrates with the most popular cloud management tools.
- True Multi-Tier Solution – Offers a multi-tier solution that enables cloud resellers to provide varying levels of capabilities to their customers from a single data protection platform.
- Flexible Storage – Provides flexible storage options for customer backups, including local, on-premises, service-provider hosted, Acronis-hosted, and 3rd-party hosted, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3, and IBM SoftLayer.
- Powerful Multi-Tenancy – Reduces costs and overhead by consolidating customer views and administration into one, easy-to-use, unified management console, available anywhere.
- Unmatched Control Over Services – Allows service providers to offer a unique blend of customer self-service and white glove management to fit the needs of their customers.
Jul 19, 2016
What’s new in SpamExperts software, Frontend/GUI, and Plugins & Integration, and its updates for Q2 2016?
Archive Indexing Upgrades
The SpamExperts email archiving product allows searching within not just the text content in emails, but also the message headers, text found in images attached to messages, and text in PDF and Microsoft Word attachments. Via the Control Panel, clients can now disable and re-enable indexing of each type of content via the archive “Settings” page for each domain.
Custom Cluster Configuration
SpamExperts have implemented new capabilities in the way SpamExperts support server roles within the cluster. It can now allow the use of multiple logging servers or quarantine servers when needed. This is especially useful on large clusters that use multiple servers for a single role to help with the logging and quarantining tasks.
SSO for LDAP
As of June, SpamExperts have added the possibility to use SSO against an LDAP server. Basically, what this entails is that email users can log in to the web interface using their credentials in the company’s own internal system, by authenticating against an LDAP server.
UI Improvements
- Upgraded Attachment Restrictions Page
The “Attachment Restrictions” page has received a few new features that will improve the user experience, such as the option to block potentially unwanted attachments and those messages that contain many defects. To better convey the functionality of the “Block dangerous attachments” option, SpamExperts renamed it to “Block attachments that contain hidden executables”. Furthermore, SpamExperts reorganised the “Blocked Extensions” section, so that it’s easier to work with.
- Locking Senders from the Control Panel
SpamExperts clients can now immediately lock the problematic user directly from the web interface so that they aren’t able to do any more damage while they contact them to resolve the problem.
New/Updated Features
SpamExperts have created a new method to verify ownership of a domain without implying that the control panel give access to all domain level users. For incoming filter, it’s pretty straightforward, but for outgoing, things got a little bit trickier. The new method simply lets a user (at domain level or higher) demonstrate that he/she controls the DNS for a domain, by adding a simple CNAME record. This functionality is found on the dashboard in the “Domains” section, under “Domain ownership”. In later updates, SpamExperts will be making use of this functionality to provide secure and private access to the outgoing filter users’ mail at levels lower than super-user.
- Select Archived Message Download
There’s a new feature available for users to easily download a range of messages that match whatever search criteria they choose. The download will happen in the browser, and users will be delivered a .zip archive that contains the message in the standard RFC 5322 format. It’s the most convenient method of retrieving specific messages quickly, rather than using the more complex export functionality to get the bulk of messages, all at once.
- Exposed Statistics Page at the Admin Level
The “Manage Admins” page in the web interface has been updated to show admins and their sub-admins. A super-admin will be able to see a list of all admins and their related sub-admins in the cluster.
Jul 19, 2016
Microsoft released a new licensing update for products that are licensed under the Per Core licensing method such as Microsoft SQL and Microsoft BizTalk. Microsoft discontinued the Core Factor when calculating the licenses required for these products. In the new Services Provider Use Rights, you calculate the number of cores on the physical server or the number of virtual cores on the VM. You just need to report a minimum of 4 cores per VM/physical core. You can find below the explanation from the SPUR Document.
For Products under the Per Core License Model, Customer must choose either licensing by Physical Core on a Server or licensing by Individual Virtual OSE. The terms for each are set forth below.
Server Licenses (per core) – Licensing by Physical Core on a Server
1. Customer may use the server software on a Licensed Server, provided it acquires sufficient Licenses as described below.
2. The number of Licenses required equals the number of Physical Cores on the Licensed Server subject to a minimum of four Licenses per Physical Processor.
3. For enterprise editions, Customer may use any number of Running Instances of the server software on the Licensed Server in the Physical OSE and/or any number of Virtual OSEs.
4. For other editions Customer may use any number of Running Instances of the server software only in the Physical OSE on the Licensed Server.
Server Licenses (per core) – Licensing by Individual Virtual OSE
1. Customer may use any number of Running Instances of the server software in any Virtual OSE on the Licensed Server, provided it acquires sufficient Licenses as described below.
2. The number of Licenses required equals the number of Virtual Cores in the Virtual OSE, subject to a minimum of four License per Virtual OSE.
3. If any Virtual Core is at any time mapped to more than one Hardware Thread, Customer needs a License for each Hardware Thread to which it is mapped.
Jul 11, 2016
With the SUSE Cloud Service Providers Program, Service Providers can allow their customers to get the most from their SAP HANA and SAP business application software with decreased downtime, greater operating efficiency, and accelerated innovation. They can utilize their business data in real time with the power of SAP and the reliability, availability, and serviceability of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications. This is the only solution that supports both x86-64 and IBM Power Systems servers.
- Better Overall Performance & Time to Value
SAP and SUSE validated and certified the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications jointly to eliminate potential software incompatibilities. As a result, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications consistently delivers outstanding uptime and performance—even under full CPU loads and high memory stress.
- Increased Service Availability
Modern SAP systems running critical workloads need to meet the highest standards for availability for their SAP services. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications is engineered to maximize service availability of SAP HANA databases and mission-critical SAP applications. Full system rollback reduces downtime resulting from unexpected application problems following an update. By adding the SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching extension, the Linux kernel can be updated with zero downtime for SAP applications.
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Decrease Your Deployment Time
Reduce your SAP deployment time from days to hours with SUSE’s installation wizard. The installation wizard in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications installs both SAP software solutions and their underlying Linux infrastructures, guided. This process seamlessly integrates and simplifies the installation of SAP applications.
Jul 11, 2016
The SUSE Cloud Service Providers Program allows you to give your customers access to a broad portfolio of SUSE products – including SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications and SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension – on demand or in a managed hosting environment.
Compete more effectively though improved uptime, better efficiency, and accelerated innovation using SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, a versatile server operating system for efficiently deploying highly available enterprise-class IT services in mixed IT environments with best-of-breed performance and reduced risk.
What’s New in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
- Docker
Docker is an open source technology that automates the deployment of applications inside software containers. It provides an additional layer of abstraction and automation of OS-level virtualization on Linux. Docker and Linux Containers are great ways to build, deploy and manage applications. Docker is supported in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 for your production environments.
- Just Enough Operating System (JeOS)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server JeOS is a minimized form factor of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. JeOS is delivered as minimized, ready-to-run virtual images to make the virtualization deployment more efficient. JeOS is also delivered as a KIWI template for customers and partners to use to start golden images.
- Network Teaming
Network Teaming is a technology that applies to various methods of combining multiple network connections in parallel. Similar to Network Bonding, which is already supported in SUSE Linux Enterprise 12, the Network Teaming feature increases throughput beyond what a single connection could sustain and provides redundancy to increase network uptime.
- Rollback on service pack upgrade
When you upgrade to a new service pack for your SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, the full system rollback capability minimizes the risk and allows you to rollback easily.
- Interactive and unattended upgrades
Using this feature, system administrators can quickly and easily upgrade their SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating systems, reducing downtime, lowering administrative costs and improving quality. In fact, SUSE Linux Enterprise has been supporting (manual) major version upgrades for ten years. With YaST, you can interactively prepare a suitable profile and then use AutoYaST to automatically upgrade groups of servers.
- Shibboleth
Shibboleth is a single sign-on (log-in) system for computer networks and specifically the web infrastructure. It allows people to sign in using just one identity to various systems across different domains. Shibboleth software is now included in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1.
- Security standards compliance
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 GA was successfully certified after Common Criteria Certification at EAL4+. In addition multiple cryptography security modules are validated to fulfill the requirements of FIPS 140-2 at Level 1 and Level 2. Those modules are OpenSSL, OpenSSH client and server, Strongswan (IPSec-based VPNs), the Kernal Crypto API, Mozilla NSS (Level 2) and libgcrypt. For details see our security certification and features page. The certified modules can be installed on SP1 from the “Certification Module.”
- Modules
Modern innovation can outpace the traditional enterprise software delivery model. The moduales available in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 meet this need by providing faster integration with upstream updates. This design approach lets you balance the flexibility of the modules and stability of the infrastructure.
- The subscription management tool (SMT)
The Subscription Management Tool is our proxy solution to help large organizations centrally receive patches and updates for their SUSE Linux Enterprise software. It provides our customers a way to easily migrate and gain much simpler and faster access to updates and patches. SMT is also the prescribed way for large organizations to gain the benefits of the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Modules. Systems management functionality beyond a pure proxy is provided by SUSE Manager.
