Internet Research Group’s White Paper on Storage Virtualization Software: The Cornerstone for Affordable Business Continuity

http://www.datacore.com/Libraries/Document_Library/IRG_brief_Storage_Virtualization_and_Business_Continuity_Final.sflb.ashx

Find out what other Analysts are saying about DataCore on our Analyst and Opinions Page

http://www.datacore.com/Testimonials/What-Others-are-Saying/Analyst-Reports.aspx

So here’s the question raised by VMware’s demonstration that is disrupting the storage market. If business continuity can be supplied as part of a software virtualization platform (with all the convenience and flexibility that implies), what future do hardware-specific storage virtualization solutions have? After all, just as server virtualization eliminates the need for specialized server hardware, shouldn’t storage virtualization eliminate the need for specialized storage hardware or appliances? In fact, doesn’t the fundamental logic of virtualization eventually demand a hardware-agnostic storage management solution that can itself run in a virtual machine in one of the general-purpose x86 servers that make up today’s ideal data center?

IRG brief Storage Virtualization and Business Continuity

Cloud Infrastructures For MSPs

http://www.crn.com/news/cloud/229219171/os33-avazpour-combine-to-automate-cloud-infrastructures-for-msps.htm;jsessionid=JV282X7ggXxBY9kz5aGh1Q**.ecappj03

OS33, a provider of cloud portal management technology to MSPs, unveiled a new Infrastructure-as-a-Service platform it says will increase the performance and flexibility and simplify the management of cloud infrastructures.

The OS33 Grid provides a full range of integrated cloud resources to MSPs who might otherwise have to work with multiple cloud service providers, said Jim Avazpour, president and CEO of Avazpour Networking Services and president of OS33's Infrastructure Division.

As an example of OS33's attempt to provide a consistent SLA to its MSP customers, Avazpour said that the OS33 Grid integrates storage technologies from two long-term partners.

The first is CommVault, which provides a complete data backup solution suitable for companies ranging from small businesses to large enterprises facing regulatory concerns. "For companies that require high availability, CommVault can provide data snapshots on an hourly basis," he said.

For tiered storage to the cloud, OS33 works with DataCore Software. DataCore's storage virtualization technology can tie multiple SANs together for high availability and performance, and automate the migration of data to the cloud, he said.

MSPs looking to implement disaster recovery can use the CommVault and DataCore offerings to replicate backups to offsite data centers, including OS33 data centers in Secaucus, N.J., Overland Park, Kansas, and Santa Clara, Calif.

"We can provide cold, warm, and hot disaster recovery, depending on the customer's budget," he said.

Virtualization Review and Jon Toigo Webcast on DataCore SANsymphony-V, February 22, 2011 at 11:30am EST

DataCore Software announced that it has partnered with Virtualization Review to host a live webcast entitled “Overcome the ‘Big Problem’ Stalling Server and Desktop Virtualization Projects.” This webcast, which takes place on February 22 at 11:30am Eastern Standard Time, will be recorded and it will address how IT organizations can eliminate the storage-related barriers preventing them from realizing the financial and operational goals of their virtualization initiatives.

Included will be a brief product demonstration introducing key functionality inherent to SANsymphony-V, a new generation of storage virtualization software designed to simplify and automate the three most important storage functions – Capacity Management, Performance Management, and Data Protection Management – needed to create a dynamic storage infrastructure for the virtual world.

Who: Moderator – Jon Toigo, CEO Toigo Partners International, Chairman Data Management Institute. Storage expert Jon Toigo is a columnist for Enterprise Systems and contributing writer for Virtualization Review. He is a consultant, blogger and author of 15 books on business technology, disaster recovery and data storage.

Presenter #1 – Augie Gonzalez, director of product marketing, DataCore Software.

Presenter #2 – George Teixeira, president and CEO, DataCore Software.

What: Webcast: “Overcome the ‘Big Problem’ Stalling Server and Desktop Virtualization Projects”
Unanticipated storage hardware investments and inefficient storage use are often the most critical factors that bring server consolidation and desktop virtualization projects to a standstill. During this webcast, attendees will learn:

•The root, storage-related causes behind the “big problem” stalling virtualization projects;

•A proven, cost-effective way to overcome the "big problem" using storage virtualization software;

•Contrasts between software-based approach and expensive “rip and replace” hardware proposals;

•How simple it is to manage a virtual shared storage infrastructure in concert with your virtual servers and virtual desktops using the newest DataCore™ product, SANsymphony™-V; and

•How data centers can use existing equipment and conventional storage devices to achieve the robust and responsive shared storage environment necessary to support highly dynamic virtual IT environments.

When: Tuesday, February 22nd at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (duration: 90 minutes)

Where: Register for the webcast at:
http://virtualizationreview.com/webcasts/2011/01/datacore-overcome-the-big-problem-stalling-server.aspx?tc=page0

SANsymphony 7.0 a Storage Magazine and SearchStorage Products of the Year Award Winner in the Storage Managment Category

http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/productsOfTheYearWinner/0,296407,sid5_gci1526911_tax317276_ayr2010,00.html

While we have been launching SANsymphony-V Release 8.0, we found out that we were selected by Storage Magazine and SearchStorage as the 2010 Bronze Award Winner in the Storage Management Tools category for SANsymphony 7.0!

SANsymphony-V Blog highlights Continuous Data Protection [CDP] features

To learn more about SANsymphony-V CDP check out:
http://sansymphonyv.blogspot.com/2011/02/cdp-continuous-data-recovery.html

...unlike Snapshots which capture specific points in time for a volumes, CDP "copies on write" and "time stamps" ALL new write IO from the source Virtual Volume to a history log (as opposed to snapshot volume) enabling VERY granular "Roll Back" support..."Dial the Clock Back"...

DataCore Announces New Generation of Storage Virtualization Software that Solves the “Big Problem” Stalling Today’s Server and Desktop Virtualization Projects

 

SANsymphony-V delivers the critical “third dimension” to virtualization: software to cost-effectively shape the shared storage infrastructure required by virtual IT environments

Read the full product announcement at: http://tinyurl.com/6j65pyz
Check out the new material on the SANsymphony-V launch page: http://www.datacore.com/SANsymphony-V.

Read the New Enterprise Strategy Group White Paper:
DataCore's SANsymphony-V Storage Virtualization Software

Music to the Ears of Server Virtualization Users Stalled by Storage Challenges http://www.datacore.com/Libraries/Document_Library/ESG_Datacore_SANsymphony-V_Whitepaper.sflb.ashx

DataCore Software today announced the availability of SANsymphony™-V, the next-generation storage virtualization software solution that enables IT organizations to eliminate storage-related barriers preventing them from realizing the financial and operational goals of their virtualization initiatives.


The “Big Problem” Stalling Desktop and Server Virtualization Projects: Storage

“Unanticipated storage hardware investments and inefficient storage use are often the most critical factors that bring server consolidation and desktop virtualization projects to a screeching halt,” said Richard Villars, vice president of storage and IT executive strategies at IDC.  “Storage virtualization software solutions like DataCore’s SANsymphony-V allow IT teams to maximize the use of existing storage assets while also dramatically reducing administrative burdens. They frequently play the key role in ensuring the success of organizations’ server and desktop virtualization efforts.”

Two years in development, SANsymphony-V software enables datacenters to use existing equipment and conventional storage devices to achieve the robust and responsive shared storage environment necessary to support highly dynamic virtual IT environments. This contrasts sharply with the expensive “rip and replace” approaches being proposed to support desktop and server virtualization projects.

The new software helps to cost-effectively avoid the many performance problems caused by I/O bottlenecks and the lost business suffered from downtime that make customers very hesitant to virtualize crucial business applications, such as mail and databases systems. SANsymphony-V uses adaptive caching and performance boosting techniques perfected over the past 10 years to absorb wildly variable workloads while simultaneously removing storage as a single point of failure and disruption.  SANsymphony-V offers a flexible, open software platform from which to provision, share, reconfigure, migrate, replicate, expand, and upgrade storage without slowdowns or downtime.

Bottom-line: DataCore™ uses software to reshape server and disk resources already in use to meet the largely unpredictable and unforeseen workloads that virtual machines and virtual desktops throw at newly consolidated data centers – delivering compelling operational and economic value.

“With the launch of SANsymphony-V, DataCore has redesigned its software for virtual server and desktop environments. However, DataCore’s key benefits of extending the useful life of hardware, cutting hardware costs and removing vendor lock-in are still intact, and apply to both the physical and virtual world,” said Carla Arend, program manager, European infrastructure software research at IDC.  “By driving down storage cost and thus removing a major obstacle for adoption, DataCore makes server and desktop virtualization affordable for the broader IT community.”

The Business Advantage: Lower Costs, Reduced Risks, Enduring Value and Recurring Payoff
For some enterprises, DataCore has meant the difference between the success and failure in their virtualization projects.  “When we first received bids for our server virtualization project, we were shocked that the accompanying costs to adequately centralize and protect our disk farm would have eaten up most our budget,” said Judy Pieper-Young, manager, information systems, North American Stainless. “DataCore literally saved our project.  Its software dramatically reduced the storage costs and hassle factors by enabling us to use our existing resources.  At the same time, it eliminated the performance and availability risks that switching to consolidated storage would have created for our newly virtualized workloads.”


More Information

Extensive reference material and supporting videos of SANsymphony-V may be found at the SANsymphony-V launch page: http://www.datacore.com/SANsymphony-V.

In conjunction with the availability of SANsymphony-V, DataCore is also relaunching its company blog, “The Virtual Viewpoint: Storage Virtualization Blog.”

The blog can be found on the company’s website at: http://www.datacore.com/storage-virtualization-viewpoint-blog.aspx.