Unpacking Microsoft FCI

The Windows File Classification Infrastructure (FCI) is new to the first release candidate of Windows Server 2008 R2, which was made available last month and is due to be released in October, states Computerworld.

FCI is a robust identification system that allows users to set up rules that assign values to files based on their location or content. They can then take various actions based on those values, or instruct Windows to take those actions automatically.

Since this is a brand-new feature in the newest Windows Server release candidate - unusual if you look at Microsoft's history of locking down features in the final beta - Computerworld takes a look at how it might be useful, how to get started and some of the caveats in this release.

The 'When the dust settles' series of reports focuses on some of the key ways the IT hardware industry may change once we exit the current economic downturn. This report in the series focuses on how the server market could evolve in coming years, writes Barrons.

Credit Suisse believes blade servers will be the most strategic segment for vendors.

It believes blades will represent the key source of industry profit and revenue growth in coming years. Its forecast suggests blade servers will account for 21.3% of server revenue in 2012, up from 10.3% in 2008.

According to new report by Global Industry Analysts, the high-end enterprise server market is set to reach $12.5 billion by 2012, states CXOToday.

North America will continue to remain top consumers, while the Asia-Pacific region is expected to show the fastest growth, said analysts.

All technology segments, geographies and vendors felt the impact of the weakening market conditions and deepening global recession, especially during the last quarter of 2008 and high-end enterprise servers market was no exception.