Economical NAS extensions to its comprehensive SAN software target non-stop NFS/CIFS requirements in server and desktop virtualization rollouts
LAS VEGAS and FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – March 21, 2011 – Today at the start of Microsoft Management Summit 2011, DataCore Software, the industry’s premier provider of storage virtualization software announced that its SANsymphony™ software addresses the three major roadblocks – cost, performance and business continuity – that have made it impractical for critical virtualization projects to utilize Network Attached Storage (NAS). SANsymphony overcomes these shared storage shortcomings and makes it feasible to employ the widely used NAS services already built into the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 platform in those environments. DataCore’s powerful feature set can be easily configured to enhance these Microsoft services. The integrated combination cost-effectively speeds up performance and adds a new level of fault tolerance to clustered network file system (NFS) and common Internet file system (CIFS) sharing.
The new solution is particularly well-suited for IT organizations that prefer to store their VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V and Citrix XenDesktop virtual machine images under NFS or CIFS. Many of them are eager to eliminate bottlenecks and disruptions in their underlying storage systems, but not willing to spend a lot of money doing it.
Jeff Boles, senior analyst and director of validation services, Taneja Group, notes, “SANsymphony can be easily configured to significantly accelerate performance and add a new level of data protection to Microsoft’s Clustered File Shares. This resulting combination of SANsymphony and Microsoft is additive; it is simple to set up, requires no additional purchases and best of all it allows organizations to meet both their NAS and SAN requirements from one virtual infrastructure.”*
Enterprise-class NAS with No Premium-priced Specialty NAS Hardware Required
Prior to DataCore’s breakthrough, virtual data center managers concerned with single points of failures in their vital NFS/CIFS files shares had few alternatives. They could either pick from a few specialty devices that provided the needed redundancy at a steep price, or take the risk that a storage-related disruption would cripple their entire virtual infrastructure. Those without the required funding have little choice but to postpone virtualizing their more important applications.
The new development announced today employs standard Windows servers with off-the-shelf disks to achieve the required levels of uninterrupted shared file services at a reasonable price. Moreover, these systems now scale to performance levels once achieved only by ‘enterprise” NAS hardware.
DataCore’s novel design employs mirrored copies of the SANsymphony software layered beneath clustered file shares (NAS) integral to Windows Servers 2008 Enterprise. Any standard storage device can be used for disk space, ranging from the basic internal hard drives packaged by the server manufacturers, to bigger external disk arrays offered by the popular storage systems vendors.
Two High Availability/High Performance Configurations to Choose From
The versatile software combination can be fielded in two high availability arrangements based on the scale of the file shares.
- In the smallest configuration, the DataCore software co-resides with the clustered file share functions on each of two (2) redundant Windows Enterprise servers. SANsymphony performs adaptive I/O caching directly on top of Hyper-V to speed up block disk access while mirroring updates to the other server’s virtual disk copy. All disk space is thin provisioned to maximize utilization. Snapshots and Continuous Data Protection (CDP) can be turned on for added protection helping customers recover from events like ‘virus attacks’ and inadvertent deletions.During normal operation both servers actively handle file requests. Should one of the two systems fail or temporarily be removed from service, the surviving machine transparently takes over all duties using the mirrored disk copy. Then when the idle machine is put back into action, the system automatically returns to its original active-active state.
- For larger environments, the file share cluster remains split across two machines, while the DataCore software runs on two separate servers dedicated to block storage virtualization. The cluster then accesses the DataCore virtual storage pool over an iSCSI or Fibre Channel SAN.
Customers who start small and later outgrow the two servers can simply reassign their DataCore software licenses to the two additional servers. Incremental capacity licenses may also be added at any time to cover expansion.
John Bocskor, vice president of product management, DataCore Software, points out, “Unlike other attempts at converged SAN/NAS, the DataCore approach optimizes each layer for what it does best, yet both are managed from the familiar Windows Server administration console via a user-friendly interface with self-guided wizards.”
* Excerpt from Taneja Group Product Profile, “Building the Virtual Infrastructure with DataCore SANsymphony-V”, February, 2011.
Available Now
Existing DataCore SANsymphony customers running Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise with Hyper-V do not need to buy additional software to support the clustered NAS file sharing features. For those new to DataCore, SANsymphony software, including the NAS capabilities, can be professionally installed through DataCore-authorized solution providers across the globe.
See DataCore at Microsoft Management Summit 2011 in Booth 529
Microsoft Management Summit 2011 runs March 21-25 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Please visit DataCore in Booth 529.
About DataCore Software
DataCore Software is the industry’s premier provider of storage virtualization software. Its software-as infrastructure platform solves the big problem stalling virtualization initiatives by eliminating the storage-related barriers that make virtualization too difficult and too expensive. For additional information, visit the DataCore website at www.datacore.com, email info@datacore.com, or call (877) 780-5111.
DataCore, the DataCore logo and SANsymphony are trademarks or registered trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. Other DataCore product or service names or logos referenced herein are trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. All other products, services and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Media Contacts:
Stuart Smith
DataCore Software
954-377-6032
stuart.smith@datacore.com and publicrelations@datacore.com
— or —
Toni Iafrate
Davies Murphy Group (DMG)
781-418-2406
datacore@daviesmurphy.com