The ITAM Roundup: 6/23/24
Oracle Updates Cloud Licensing Policy
Oracle recently updated its policy document regarding the licensing of core technology software in cloud environments, specifically focusing on major providers like AWS, Azure, and now GCP. The update clarifies that Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is covered by the document and provides additional examples for licensing scenarios. The document allows organizations to license Oracle software by virtual CPU (vCPU) metrics instead of physical processor metrics, offering a reliable way to do so in public cloud environments.
Nick Walter
Flexera Doubles Down on Oracle with Second-Verified Application for Oracle E-Business Suite
Flexera announced that SAM on Snow Atlas, part of its ITAM offerings, has been verified for Oracle E-Business Suite applications, reinforcing its commitment to helping organizations maximize their Oracle investments. Flexera is the first ITAM provider to hold all Oracle third-party SAM tool verifications, ensuring customers can trust the accuracy of their Oracle usage data. With new features and enhancements, Flexera continues to provide valuable insights and optimizations for Oracle investments, helping customers save millions in costs.
AWSâ debut to FinOps X: recap and product announcement highlights
At the 2024 FinOps X conference, AWS introduced several new capabilities to enhance FinOps practices, with a focus on trust, flexibility, and standardization. AWS launched the Cost Optimization Hub for aggregating cost-saving recommendations and provided new RDS rightsizing recommendations for MySQL and PostgreSQL. Additionally, AWS announced features such as customized data exports and the FOCUS v1.0 schema to streamline financial data management across hybrid environments.
Bowen Wang
Spot by NetApp Achieves FinOps Foundation's Certified Platform Certification
Spot by NetApp has received the FinOps Certified Platform certification from the FinOps Foundation, validating its ability to deliver comprehensive cloud financial management solutions. The company has also announced the general availability of Cost Intelligence and Billing Engine, further expanding its FinOps portfolio. These solutions aim to help organizations optimize cloud costs, improve resource utilization, and drive digital business growth by providing actionable insights and intelligent cost allocation capabilities.
CloudZero FOCUS Adaptor Eases FinOps Burden
CloudZero has introduced its new FinOps Cost and Usage Specification (FOCUS) AnyCost integration, which enhances its cost data ingestion and analysis capabilities. This integration allows FinOps professionals to easily ingest, analyze, and manage cost data from any FOCUS data source, simplifying multi-vendor cost analysis for end users. CloudZero will be showcasing this integration, along with its other platform capabilities, at the FinOps X conference in San Diego.
CloudZero
A Comprehensive Guide to SQL Server End of Life
SQL Server 2014 will reach its extended end-of-life on July 9, 2024, meaning no more patches, security updates, or support from Microsoft unless an Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription is purchased. Organizations using SQL Server 2014 or older versions face significant risks, including security vulnerabilities and compliance issues, if they do not upgrade to supported versions or acquire ESU. To mitigate these risks, options include upgrading to SQL Server 2019, migrating to Microsoft Azure, or purchasing ESU for temporary extended support.
Esben Dochy
Mid-size orgs: Your Enterprise Agreement days are numbered
Microsoft is likely to enforce a higher user/device requirement for Enterprise Agreements (EAs), pushing smaller and mid-size customers towards the Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA). This shift may lead to increased costs and complexity for 'Level A' EA customers, who may lose existing benefits and face new licensing challenges. Organizations should prepare for potential changes, explore options like working with Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs), and anticipate impacts on contracts and pricing.
Mary Jo Foley
How to Simplify Audits with Multi-Level Access Reviews
Managing access permissions can be complex and error-prone, especially for growing businesses with numerous applications and users. Zluri's Multi-Level Access Reviews simplify this process by automating reviews, involving multiple stakeholders for thorough evaluations, and providing complete visibility into user permissions. The platform also offers automated access remediation, detailed audit-ready reports, and helps organizations meet regulatory compliance, thereby enhancing security and minimizing insider threats.
Linux version of RansomHub ransomware targets VMware ESXi VMs
The RansomHub ransomware operation, launched in February 2024, is now using a Linux encryptor targeting VMware ESXi environments in corporate attacks, with connections to ALPHV/BlackCat and Knight ransomware. The ESXi variant, written in C++, features various command-line options and ESXi-specific commands, and it uses intermittent encryption for faster performance while also disabling critical services to evade detection. A bug in the ESXi variant allows defenders to neutralize it by creating a file with '-1' in '/tmp/app.pid,' causing the ransomware to enter an infinite loop.
