NEW ORLEANS, May 6, 2003 — Today at the 12th annual Windows®
Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), Microsoft Corp. announced broadened support for its Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI), an effort that will dramatically simplify and automate how customers build, deploy and operate highly scalable applications. Industry-leading hardware vendors Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, IBM Corp., NEC Corp. and Newisys Inc. are joining early DSI supporters Dell Computer Corp. and HP. These additional hardware vendors have already begun collaboration with Microsoft through the testing and integration of Automated Deployment Services (ADS), a powerful new server provisioning and administration tool, with their respective server hardware platforms and deployment solutions.
Their commitment to collaborate with Microsoft on ADS and future DSI-related technologies will result in the creation and delivery of Dynamic Data Centers (DDCs), a combination of industry-standard servers, storage and networking hardware that is connected in a prescribed manner, and dynamically provisioned and centrally managed by Microsoft®
software. The software driving the DDC will enable customers to automatically deploy a distributed application; provision the associated server, storage and networking resources required for that application; and dynamically allocate resources to grow and shrink based on business and workload demands. DDCs will enable customers to more effectively harness the power of industry-standard hardware, delivering improved flexibility, higher hardware utilization and lower operational costs.
“Solutions that address the complexity our customers face in their IT environments can only be delivered through the combined efforts of a strong partner ecosystem,”
said Bill Veghte, corporate vice president of the Windows Server Group at Microsoft.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with this growing group of industry-leading vendors around innovative DSI technologies that bring simplicity and automation to our customers’ IT infrastructure.”
Collaborative Efforts to Benefit Joint Customers Are Already Under Way
Microsoft and these hardware vendors have already begun joint DSI-related development around the System Definition Model (SDM), the core component of the DSI software architecture that provides a common contract among development, deployment and operations. These efforts involve ADS, which enables customers to rapidly and automatically deploy and redeploy from one to hundreds of highly customized Microsoft Windows Server System (TM) images across their environments in a matter of minutes. ADS uses portions of the SDM for server provisioning, and it is through testing and integration of ADS with their server hardware and associated server deployment solutions that hardware providers are able to deliver an improved server-deployment experience to customers.
Fujitsu Limited will work with Microsoft to integrate Automated Deployment Services with its PRIMERGY servers and SystemcastWizard product for the Japanese market.
“Combined, these products will enable our joint customers to dramatically simplify and automate the provisioning and administration of Windows Server (TM) in their IT environments,”
said Chiaki Ito, corporate vice president of Fujitsu Limited.
“Fujitsu is committed to building long-term relationships with customers by offering infrastructure solutions that increase operational efficiency and add value to their businesses.”
NEC will focus on integrating ADS with the ESMPRO server management suite to help realize the VALUMO, NEC’s own autonomic computing concept, across the family of NEC Express servers.
“Delivering customer solutions that result in lower operational costs and increased business agility is critical to our business,”
said Yasuo Iwaoka, executive general manager of the Computer Software Operations Unit at NEC.
“We recognize the important role the SDM can play in unifying our hardware, software and management solutions and look forward to our collaboration efforts with Microsoft delivering near-term customer value.”
“As a leading Intel-based hardware vendor, IBM is committed to providing customers with open and flexible solutions that result in maximum system availability, increased productivity and lower costs,”
said Deepak Advani, vice president of high-performance xSeries systems at IBM.
“We feel customers will benefit as a result of the work IBM xSeries is doing with Microsoft around ADS and the System Definition Model.”
Microsoft Delivers Prescriptive Guidance for Building Dynamic Data Centers
In addition to announcing growing industry support, Microsoft today also issued a technical white paper titled
“Building a Dynamic Data Center”
to assist server, storage array and networking switch vendors in developing these innovative new solutions. The white paper provides vendors with required and recommended guidelines around hardware design features and software components for building a DDC.
About the Dynamic Systems Initiative
The Dynamic Systems Initiative is a broad Microsoft and industry effort that unifies hardware, software and service vendors around a new software architecture that will enable customers to harness the power of industry-standard hardware and will dramatically simplify and automate how customers build, deploy and operate highly scalable applications. Core to this new architecture is the System Definition Model, a live Extensible Markup Language (XML) blueprint that provides a common software contract between development, deployment and operations. The SDM will be supported by application development tools, operating systems, server applications, management solutions and industry-standard hardware, resulting in a new generation of dynamic systems.
About Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 is a comprehensive, integrated and secure infrastructure designed to help customers reduce costs and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of information technology (IT) operations. Building on Windows 2000 family strengths, the new server platform helps customers extend existing resources while laying the foundation for building a new generation of connected applications that improve business productivity. Windows Server 2003 is the foundation for the Microsoft Windows Server System integrated server infrastructure designed for building, deploying and operating agile business solutions.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server System and Windows Server are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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