Thursday 28 June 2012

DataCore Launches “The Storage Hypervisor for the Cloud”

DataCore Launches Large Scale, Automated Infrastructure-as-a-Service Enhancements and Empowers Enterprises with “The Storage Hypervisor for the Cloud”


DataCore Software, the storage hypervisor leader and premier provider of storage virtualization software, announced far-reaching innovations required to manage enterprise-wide storage and quickly roll out agile, scalable cloud storage infrastructures. Aptly described as “The Storage Hypervisor for the Cloud,” DataCore’s SANsymphony™-V 9.0 offers customers superior flexibility, powerful automation and exceptional value.

The new capabilities are driven by:

•Organizations planning private cloud deployments

•Large data centers seeking responsive, cloud-like services

•Cloud service providers (CSPs) developing public, private and hybrid cloud offerings.

“DataCore’s latest storage hypervisor innovations, together with both its pricing and rental models, are extremely well tailored for building out cloud storage infrastructures, whether a user is starting out with a modest trial or is well on their way to a full-blown, large scale rollout,” said Mark Peters, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. “It has succeeded in abstracting the storage-related aspects of the Infrastructure-as-a-Service layer so that cloud-storage is easy to drop into place, and can be flexed or expanded at will. It makes perfect sense – even for contemporary data centers that don’t yet have cloud on the brain.”

Manage Storage Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) to Meet Unpredictable Demands
Storage has long been managed as static, motionless hardware. Each request for capacity requires IT specialists to manually intervene anytime new applications or users demand new storage. That means provisioning space using complicated, device-specific procedures and permanent connections. In contrast, self-service requests for cloud storage come fast and furious in unpredictable patterns. Resources across multiple purpose-built devices with tiered levels of protection must be quickly reserved and subsequently released to make room for the next subscriber. Manual intervention, especially in large scale systems, is overwhelming and simply not an option. It is made even more difficult by the sheer number of devices and the variety of equipment necessary to satisfy the different classes of service.

“IaaS modules supported by SANsymphony-V 9.0 orchestrate the dynamic coordination between the catalog choices subscribers see and the storage devices enlisted to meet their needs,” said George Teixeira, president and CEO, DataCore Software. “It’s what makes cloud storage work unattended.”

Powerful Infrastructure-wide Storage Management and Dynamic Asset Optimization
CSPs can programmatically call the IaaS functions in SANsymphony-V 9.0 to satisfy each client’s individual storage needs. The DataCore storage hypervisor provides an extensive and comprehensive set of capabilities that can be centrally managed and work infrastructure-wide. Storage devices can be profiled and organized into different tiers and optimized dynamically to maximize the efficient use of more expensive and higher performance assets. The software dynamically sets up or tears down virtual disks on cue, reclaiming space when done. For complete control and visibility of the infrastructure, SANsymphony-V 9.0 offers IaaS modules that integrate with popular server hypervisors from VMware and Microsoft, as well as broad systems management products like Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager and VMware vCenter.

Device-Independent Storage Virtualization Scales Up and Out
Variable size is an intrinsic property of cloud infrastructures, dictating that storage pools be segmented, readily expandable and even shrunk according to the changing needs of users. In response, SANsymphony-V 9.0 scales up and scales out, automatically adapting to new requirements quickly and without disruption. That means key storage elements beyond disk space - including the horsepower to multiply IOPS, throughput and caches - can be harnessed quickly for added performance when demand calls for it. The SANsymphony-V 9.0 centralized management console scales accordingly, supporting operations on large groups of related objects for convenience and synchronization, yet allowing experts to troubleshoot and tune on a granular basis.

Scale to Federate Diverse Resources; Automate to Optimize Utilization and Performance
The storage hypervisor excels at pooling distributed storage assets regardless of vendor make or model, whether co-located or many miles away. The hardware-agnostic design harnesses the value of purpose-built storage devices (solid state disks, external storage systems, internal server drives and public cloud storage) while eliminating management confusion and complexity. Automatic storage tiering combined with automatic load balancing results in optimal use of disk space and the ultimate I/O performance. These features are key to fulfilling the dynamic and variable needs of users, applications and the business at a reasonable cost.

The Role of Scale in Realizing Resiliency and Meeting Looming Performance Expansion
In large scale scenarios, SANsymphony-V 9.0 uses N+1 redundant grids to ensure necessary performance expansion and to make cloud storage continuously available. The storage hypervisor anticipates equipment periodically being taken out-of-service for planned and unplanned reasons, redirecting suitable storage resources to take their place in accordance with service level agreements. In effect, a configuration that requires two storage virtualization nodes to handle peak workloads is configured with an active third node to which information is mirrored. The third node is able to take over transparently for any of the others. As the cloud expands, additional nodes can be seamlessly inserted to add performance and facilitate growth.

For evidence of continuous availability with DataCore’s architecture in large scale deployments, one need only look at Host.net, a provider of enterprise private cloud as well as colocation, offsite backup and network solutions. Jeff Slapp, chief technology officer at Host.net explains, “We’re fast approaching 1,000 days of 100 percent uptime thanks largely to the DataCore platform – and we continue to check off days on the calendar without a hitch. All this while we expand, upgrade, change out storage devices and even reconfigure networks in the background. It offers flexibility and interchangeability at its best.”

Unlike traditional data centers, clouds don’t just expand at the core, they expand at the periphery, particularly to remote locations. The satellite locations provide extra safeguards against regional disasters and bring the data closer to distant subscribers. SANsymphony-V 9.0 stretches outwards to connect these sites with 1-to-many and many-to-1 replication options. Disaster recovery procedures can be periodically tested and verified without disturbing production activities at other points in the cloud. Similarly, the software allows rapid resynchronization and resumption of a temporarily suspended site.

Licensing, Pricing and Availability
The new licensing structure for SANsymphony-V 9.0 aligns perfectly with the broad range and scale of the product. It is available in five different virtualization models spanning from very large deployments to small pilot programs and branch applications. Customers can upgrade across levels without any software “throw-away,” disruption or retraining, ensuring maximum ROI.  SANsymphony-V 9.0 will be generally available from DataCore-authorized partners around the world beginning July 2, 2012. For more information, please visit – http://www.datacore.com/storagehypervisor .

Wednesday 13 June 2012

DataCore Software has released new plug-in to integrate DataCore’s Storage Hypervisor and Management with VMware vCenter™

DataCore Software has released a new plug-in software to integrate the powerful enterprise-wide storage management capabilities of DataCore’s SANsymphony™-V Storage Hypervisor with VMware vCenter™ Server. The management plug-in software is available immediately for download to all SANsymphony-V customers.

VMware vCenter is the de facto standard for managing VMware virtual infrastructures and the SANsymphony-V Storage Hypervisor combines powerful storage virtualisation and enterprise-wide storage management. Together, these capabilities are seamlessly integrated to allow a VMware administrator to efficiently manage all their virtual machines (VM) and storage resources from a single console.

DataCore and VMware – A Combination Delivering Compelling Benefits

VMware administrators are now able to provision, monitor and manage their storage and server resources from a single pane of glass and perform common storage tasks and complex scheduling workflows to clone, snapshot and restore datastores and VMs without having to become storage experts

The vCenter Plug-In helps VMware administrators increase productivity and respond faster to user needs in a number of ways, including:
Enabling an end-to-end view for VMware to storage from a virtual machine, host or virtual disk perspective; central monitoring and management of storage resources

Rapidly provisioning virtual disks to VMware vSphere®/ESX® hosts

Creating and restoring snapshots of datastores where VMs are housed
Scheduling tasks to coordinate workflows between vSphere and SANsymphony-V servers

Taking consistent snapshots of a datastore for validation or before making changes to the environment

Scheduling recovery clones (full copy) or efficient differential snapshots to rapidly restore VMs

Employing high-availability mirror protection to virtual disks

Visualising current conditions in easy-to-understand terms to simplify troubleshooting and performing root cause analysis for virtual machines and their storage
•Lowering OpEx and enhancing administrator productivity – through automated workflows, task wizards and lesser need for storage training and specialised skill sets




Simplify Difficult Storage Tasks: Snapshots, Clones and Restorations
The software’s built in wizards and simple command menus take the complexity out of creating, scheduling or capturing snapshots of VMs. Administrators simply select the datastore housing the specific VMs of interest. The plug-in signals the VMware vCenter Server to quiesce those VMs and then triggers SANsymphony-V to take snapshots of the corresponding datastore. Both full clone and differential (lightweight) snapshots are supported. The known positive state in those online snapshots may be used to set up new VMs or quickly recover from malware and user errors that may have damaged their integrity.

Snapshots with a click of the mouse may be scheduled at regular intervals, for instance, Saturday morning at 3:00 a.m. when it will not disrupt daily operations. The workflow can also define how long the snapshots should be retained before being deleted.

Saturday 9 June 2012

TechEd 2012: DataCore Software Selected to Present Storage Virtualization Best Practices Sessions for Building, Deploying and Managing Private Clouds



Microsoft Enlists Longtime Partner and Creators of the First Storage Hypervisor to Showcase Joint Cloud Solutions at Worldwide TechEd 2012 Events in North America, Europe and APAC

DataCore Software, the storage hypervisor leader and premier provider of storage virtualization software, today announced it has been chosen to participate worldwide at multiple TechEd events and to present the “Private Cloud Design and Management” session at Microsoft’s TechEd North America 2012 aimed at helping organizations understand and overcome the difficult storage related challenges needed to build, deploy and manage successful private clouds. TechEd is Microsoft's premier technology conference for IT professionals and developers and takes place June 11-14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. DataCore, who introduced the first storage hypervisor with its SANsymphony-V, will be delivering a session titled “Private Cloud Design and Management: Speeding the Transition to a Responsive, Virtualized Storage Infrastructure,” scheduled for June 12 at 10:15 a.m. ET in room S210A (387).

Microsoft’s selection of DataCore to present the session marks the continuation of a long relationship between the companies, highlighted by the success of thousands of joint customers and partners around the world using the combination to build highly available and flexible virtual infrastructures. For those unable to attend the session in North America, please note that DataCore has also been chosen to present multiple sessions at Microsoft’s TechEd Europe and will have a booth at TechEd Australia showcasing private cloud design and management, as well as its pioneering storage hypervisor, SANsymphony-V.

“Private Cloud Design and Management” will detail how to transform operations into a robust, private cloud, utilizing existing storage assets and without putting a massive strain on IT departments or budgets. The session will provide recommendations for achieving performance, availability and flexibility through a virtualized storage infrastructure. Focus will be placed on incorporating storage hypervisor functions to rapidly provision resources, dynamically distribute workloads across multiple tiers and types of storage, non-disruptively refresh hardware to expand capacity, while tapping into the latest and most cost-effective disk technologies. Emphasis will be placed on leveraging and optimizing Hyper-V, clustered shared volumes and Microsoft System Center. Attendees will take away concrete, actionable steps considered standard practice by seasoned colleagues in IT for building and enhancing private cloud infrastructure. The session will include a live demonstration and a discussion of various real-world customer scenarios.

Conducting “Private Cloud Design and Management” will be DataCore’s Director of Worldwide Business Development, Rob Griffin, an expert in helping original equipment manufacturers, independent software and hardware vendors take advantage of private cloud and virtualization technology. Griffin was formerly involved in OEM Server business development at Microsoft Corporation and was a server product manager at Lenovo. He also possesses nearly a decade of experience as an IT director.

“Advancements in private cloud and virtualization have been very dramatic and rapid, so it’s important IT professionals get a real handle on proven approaches before proceeding down a path that can be costly and frustrating,” said Griffin. “Improperly handling storage is an area that can bring such projects to a grinding halt. With DataCore’s breakthrough storage hypervisor, and our long history in virtualization, we can draw off real-world examples to provide attendees with solid and precise recommendations that will help them achieve the great benefits of private cloud in the easiest, most cost-effective way possible.”

“Private Cloud Design and Management” is an intermediate level breakout session, though it is valuable for anyone interested in learning more about successfully harnessing the technology. Additionally, DataCore will be exhibiting at TechEd and invites attendees to visit booth #509 for further information.