At GoGrid, we are experts in “Hybrid Hosting“! What is hybrid hosting you ask? Essentially it takes the best of the physical and virtual hosting worlds and combines the two in order to provide a compelling and flexible infrastructure offering in the Cloud. If you desire the elasticity of virtual servers, being able to horizontally scale on demand, with GoGrid, you have that option with a variety of GoGrid and Partner virtual server images available. However, if you or your clients require compliance certification or you are simply accustomed to working with bare metal servers, a GoGrid physical server may be the solution you need.

If you haven’t experienced the power of Windows Server 2008 or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 running on a dedicated machine, we have come up with a program to get you using them quickly. Not only can you instantiate Windows Server 2008 or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as a GoGrid Virtual Server, you NOW have the option to deploy them as GoGrid Physical Servers.

So, for a limited time, we are providing a $500 discount on dedicated servers running Windows Server 2008 or Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

Getting your infrastructure into the Cloud with GoGrid has always been quick and easy. Now, with the physical/dedicated server offering that we recently added, you have the added flexibility of being able to choose the type of infrastructure you desire as well as mix virtual and physical environments, and all of it on-demand, without contracts and within the same network infrastructure.

In order to qualify for this $500 promotional credit, customers must contact a GoGrid sales representative AND mention this offer. And be sure to tell them that you read about it on the blog. You can also find more information as well as a sign-up form here.

Currently, GoGrid Dedicated Servers require a one monthly commitment but you can get 2 Months for free if you choose the annual pre-payment options. Also, you can choose to install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 on a Windows Server 2003 operating system. The GoGrid Sales Team will work with you in figuring out the best solution for your needs. Current Dedicated Server offerings available on GoGrid are:

Windows Server images (that qualify for this limited-time promotion) include:

• Windows Server 2008 Standard 64-bit, 4 Core License.
  $69.99 / month
• Windows Server 2008 Standard 64-bit, 8 Core License.
  $129.99 / month
• Windows Server 2008 Standard 64-bit, 4 Core License. + Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Ed. 64-bit, 4 Core License
  $319.98 / month
• Windows Server 2008 Standard 64-bit, 8 Core License. + Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Ed. 64-bit, 8 Core License
  $629.98 / month
• Windows Server 2008 Standard 64-bit, 4 Core License. + Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard 64-bit, 4 Core License
  $319.98 / month
• Windows Server 2008 Standard 64-bit, 8 Core License. + Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard 64-bit, 8 Core License
  $629.98 / month
• Windows Server 2003, Standard 64-bit, 4 Core License. + Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Ed. 64-bit, 4 Core License
  $289.98 / month
• Windows Server 2003, Standard 64-bit, 8 Core License. + Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Ed. 64-bit, 8 Core License
  $559.98 / month
• Windows Server 2003, Enterprise 64-bit, 4 Core License. + Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Ed. 64-bit, 4 Core License
  $319.98 / month
• Windows Server 2003, Enterprise 64-bit, 8 Core License. + Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Ed. 64-bit, 8 Core License
  $589.98 / month

For additional information, please contact a GoGrid Sales Representative.

Yesterday GoGrid finished the rollout of a series of updates designed to make the GoGrid Windows end user experience even better. While not a major feature release, there are some important items to note moving forward.

Windows Image Updates

With this update, there are a few things that GoGrid users should be aware of, specifically:

• The following GoGrid Windows images have been updated with the latest (as of February 2010) Microsoft Windows Security Hotfixes (see table below).
• Windows image names are now more consistent with Microsoft naming standards
• This only applies to GoGrid Virtual Server Images and does not affect Partner or Personal GoGrid Server Images (MyGSIs).

The full list of updated Windows images is below.

For more details, please visit the Windows Server Images section on the GoGrid Wiki.

New RAM Allotments for Windows Virtual Servers

In order to ensure stability and optimal performance, we are now setting recommended RAM Allotments minimums and maximums for Windows Server Images. We have been working closely with Microsoft to implement the best range possible for any new servers that are deployed on GoGrid. Do note, these limits do not affect currently deploy Windows Virtual Servers.

We are excited to announce a new event for GoGrid and WebsiteSpark which will be taking place on Tuesday, March 30 from 10am to 6pm Pacific Time in the San Francisco Bay Area. For those of you who are new to WebsiteSpark, it is a powerful program designed to help Web Designers and Developers drive new business opportunities through connections and customers around the world. I posted some detailed information about the WebsiteSpark program and how GoGrid can be your preferred hosting partner in this program.

In order to help educate you on this outstanding business opportunity that can save your startup or small business literally thousands of dollars in licensing & hosting costs, Microsoft and GoGrid have teamed up with an event called “WIN with GoGrid & Microsoft WebsiteSpark” that will be taking place on the Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus. Wondering if you should attend? Please take a look at the bullet points below to help determine if this is a good event for you:

Are you a Web Professional…

• Interested in free software and support to grow your web development business?
• Who needs help getting your customers’ websites to the top of the search rankings?
• Looking for tips and tricks to design and develop next generation web experiences?
• Looking to make your web development business more profitable?
• Looking to streamline the way you design, build and deploy websites?
• Looking to mix the best of Open Source with the best of Microsoft in your customer’s websites?
• Questions on how to deploy Microsoft infrastructure in the Cloud?
• Learn about Windows Azure Application Lifecycle Management on GoGrid!

But wait! There’s more! All attendees of this event are entered into a drawing to win one of the following:

• HP Netbook with Windows 7
• Xbox 360 Elite
• ZuneHD
• 8GB Zune

More About GoGrid & WebsiteSpark

By selecting GoGrid as your Hosting Partner, you can get nominated for the WebsiteSpark program, and also get the most flexible and easy to use cloud hosting infrastructure to run your client web sites and applications on. Get servers in just minutes, with no commitment and easy self-service through GoGrid’s web portal or our API, plus you can add physical dedicated servers on the same network for higher SQL Server performance from a hybrid architecture.

GoGrid has some exclusive offers specific to WebsiteSpark customers. For more info, please visit the WebsiteSpark page on GoGrid.

How to Register for the Event

First, this is a FREE event with food and beverages included. The registration page is located here. And you can sign up via the embedded form below:

We will be publishing a schedule & agenda for this meeting in the coming week so be sure to check back shortly. Space is limited so we encourage you to sign up early!

Whoops! Missed a day there. I was busy planning out events for 2010 for GoGrid! I realize now that this is somewhat difficult writing about Cloud News every day so I’m going to start something for Fridays called “This Week in Cloud” which will have some of the bigger Cloud Computing news stories that I came across. I may still do the regular “Cloud News” if there are events or items that warrant coverage. Without further ado, here’s what I read about that got my interest:

• Amazon’s Data Center Outage Reads Like a Thriller
  “When an Amazon Web Services data center lost power early Wednesday, the company wrote about the unfolding event with the brevity and tension of one its bestselling pot boilers.” (Source: CIO/ComputerWorld)
  • Commentary: Ok, we all know that outages happen, whether in the cloud or not. The cloud is under intense scrutiny so when there is even the most minor of hiccups, people scream and yell and pull out their SLA’s and demand immediate recourse. It’s never fun when I read about an outage since we are all birds of a feather working towards a common good. The reason I linked to this article in particular is because of the nature in which it was written…truly like a technology thriller! The funny thing is, I have been through a few outages in various companies that I have worked for and they are never fun. You are torn in many directions of trying to find out internally what is going one, and figuring out the best way to communicate with customers in a way where they won’t freak out but still understand that an “event” is being actively working on. When there is an outage, it truly does unfold organically (and hopefully not catastrophically, causing a cascade effect). Third party monitoring is important as is a good backup and disaster recovery strategy. (GoGrid recently partnered with Stratonomic who provides real-time DR solutions.)  Regardless, the Amazon Data Center outage did not last long and everyone was back on track (but hopefully thinking about making their IT infrastructure more resilient). It was nice to see that GoGrid had (and still seems to have) the highest marks on the Apparent Networks Cloud Provider Scorecard.
• Hackers Find a Home in Amazon’s EC2 Cloud
  “Security researchers have spotted the Zeus botnet running an unauthorized command and control center on Amazon’s EC2 cloud computing infrastructure. This marks the first time Amazon Web Services’ cloud infrastructure has been used for this type of illegal activity, according to Don DeBolt, director of threat research with HCL Technologies, a contractor that does security research for CA.” (Source: PCWorld)
  • Commentary: I don’t want to turn this into an AWS bashing, that is not my intent (even though they are a direct competitor to GoGrid). But this news (old by internet news speed standards) is important to look at. Hackers are an inquisitive (yet destructive) bunch. Recently, I heard about how some hackers created a service (called AutoWhaler) to pull account details from phishing sites. Now if that isn’t innovation, I don’t know what is! Seriously though, hackers can cause a variety of damage to infrastructures that are not protected and actively monitored. The problem is, they are so innovative (or perhaps “creative” is a better word), that it is often difficult to prevent or plan for intrusions within one’s infrastructure. Obviously this and other examples simply prove that while Cloud Computing can help many, we still have a ways to go. On the flipside, this same type of invasion could well have happened within a server farm of physical servers. It’s just the Cloud has the spotlight now.
• Microsoft buys Opalis to strengthen cloud management capabilities
  “Moving to strengthen its management tools related to virtual environments, Microsoft Friday said that it has purchased IT process automation vendor Opalis for an undisclosed sum. Microsoft said the acquisition, which had been rumored for nearly two months, adds to its System Center portfolio needed tools that can manage highly automated and scalable virtual environments. The tools complement Microsoft’s strategy to stretch its management tools across on-premises environments and the cloud.” (source: NetworkWorld)
  • Commentary: And so the Cloud acquisitions begin (or continue). 2010 will have many more of this with M&A activities heating up, especially within the Cloud. Smaller vendors and niche market players will have their 15 minutes of fame next year as they innovate and then potentially get sucked up into the bigger clouds out there. Microsoft is going full steam now into the Cloud with Azure and other Cloud-ish offerings (e.g., Office 2010) so there will be lots to watch in 2010.

More news raining from the Cloud:

• Microsoft Azure, Server teams form new cloud division
  “In a much anticipated move, Microsoft announced the combination of the Windows Azure group with the Windows Server and Solutions group into a new organization, titled the Server and Cloud Division. The new division, headed by Senior Vice President Amitabh Srivastava, will be a part of the Servers and Tools Business, headed by Bob Muglia.” (source: cnet – the Wisdom of Clouds)
  • Commentary: As always, James Urquhart breaks the news on his great blog, the Wisdom of Clouds. While it seems that this announcement has been some time in the making, it is good to see it materialize. It only makes sense to me that Microsoft blend the Server/Cloud environments. It’s important that synergies exist from the get-go since many of the features can be leveraged cross-departmentally and should be views as a “single solution.” I’ve mentioned this numerous times before but this is why we at GoGrid developed Cloud Connect which is a Hybrid Hosting solution of physical and cloud servers all connected via private dedicated physical connections. Buried in James’ article is the mention that CTO Ray Ozzie is no longer in charge of the Azure team which signifies Microsoft’s move toward making Azure an important part of their business offerings.
• Microsoft, Cisco, IBM and Others Form Cloud Computing Group
  “A group of companies is starting up an Enterprise Cloud Buyers Council in hopes of removing barriers to enterprise use of hosted cloud computing. Initial members include companies that offer hosted cloud computing as well as enterprises that use such services, including Microsoft, IBM, HP, Cisco, AT&T, BT, EMC, Deutsche Bank, Alcatel-Lucent, Amdocs, CA, Nokia Siemens Networks, Telecom Italia and Telstra. Two industry organizations, Distributed Management Task Force and the IT Service Management Forum, are also involved. The TM Forum, an industry association that helps information and communications companies create profitable services, came up with the idea of the council.” (source: PCWorld)
  • Commentary: It’s great to see so many big names joining together to form a “Council.” My only fear is that egos within each of the organizations will come into play as each company tries to promote their own agenda. I can only hope that this (and other similar organizations that have been set up) will actually do something constructive with their efforts. Working on avoiding “vendor lock-in” and “standards-based solutions” is great and all, but these are overly hyped buzz-words that have been discussed throughout 2009 (and back some). Perhaps by throwing some big names behind a council will help to mitigate the fear that so many enterprises have about the cloud (e.g., security, reliability, compliance, standards, etc.) Time will tell if this new organization will produce any effects or results whatsoever. I’m a bit skeptical myself.
• Top 5 cloud computing predictions for 2010
  “Cloud computing standards and major cloud computing outages top Linthicum’s list. Evidently it’s a requirement that all of those in the cloud computing world must chime in with their cloud computing predictions for 2010, so here are mine…” (source: InfoWorld)
  • Commentary: Oh boy, I’m already behind on my predictions. Guess I need to start on that really soon! David’s Linthicum’s top 5 is a pretty sensical list actually, although numbers 4 and 5 might indirectly go hand-in-hand. Hint, if you are thinking about a successful new-business to start, do a cloud computing startup since you will be snapped up by a large player once you are mildly successful. Well, that is a dramatic oversimplification of #’s 4 and 5. Read through his list though as they are distinct and good thoughts.