War Stories: Switches Lying about Duplex Mismatches

Software Support - Are You Getting Value?

Companies pay a lot of money for software support. But do they always get value for it, and do vendors sometimes prolong the “supported” life of a product simply to bank extra revenue? We should hold vendors to account, and demand better.

Can't Start HP IMC on Linux?

I was recently asked about how to start IMC on a Linux server. After the initial installation, the system had been restarted, and now IMC wasn’t running. How to start it again?

HP Restricting Access to Server Firmware Updates

HP has announced that they will only provide firmware updates to customers with a valid warranty, Care Pack or support agreement. HP says:

HP Wireless Future: Reading the Tea Leaves

Recently I posted some speculation about where HP is going with their Comware and ProCurve networking lines. But what about the wireless gear? Where’s that going? As before, I have no inside information on this, and I’m just speculating based upon public information: Do your own research and thinking before making major purchasing decisions.

HP Comware vs ProCurve: Reading the Tea-Leaves

HP acquired 3Com in 2009. This added a large range of routing, switching and wireless networking to HP - but they already had existing ProCurve wired and wireless hardware. Clearly there’s overlap, so what’s the future of HP Networking? Where do they go with hardware and software? Here’s some speculation on my part.

ScienceLogic Architecture Overview

This is a basic overview of the ScienceLogic EM7 system architecture, describing the various components, their functions, and how they can be combined or split across multiple systems. I’ve been deploying ScienceLogic systems recently, so this blog acts as my own notes/summary.

War Stories: Loops that Permanently Broke the Network

HP NNMi Licensing Changes

HP has made some changes to the way Network Node Manager (NNMi) is licensed. These changes are a Good Thing, as they address two key pain points - license calculation, and access to extra features.

Too Many Communities

I have come to realise that I’ve tried to take part in too many communities, and it’s getting me down. Too many forums filled with too much noise, too many people not doing basic research. Too much time on my part to scroll through various RSS feeds & email lists. Time to re-evaluate what I’m doing, and why.