Equallogic

(editor's note - this comes to us from Tim Sherbak - one of our EqualLogic virtualization masters)

As you may have heard VMware recently introduced a new initiative they call vStorage.  In a nutshell, it’s all about making VMware work better with storage. Many of our readers are moving to virtual environments using VMware – and this has important storage implications. vStorage helps you integrate and automate solutions to manage and protect your data more efficiently. 

So, what are some examples?

Previously, we’ve talked about Auto-Snapshot Manager/VMware Edition (ASM/VE) and Site Recovery Manager for EqualLogic iSCSI arrays. One of our customers, Donald Wilkins from Navicure presented at VMworld breakout discussion highlighting SRM. Here is a webcast replay of similar material that we presented together just before the show.

Let’s talk about what’s coming.

At the show, we also demonstrated some additional vStorage-enabled features that we’re cooperatively developing with VMware but are not yet shipping to customers..things like the ability to offload the ESX server from data copy operations like Storage VMotion, creating a virtual machine from a template, or creating a clone of a virtual machine. Instead of copying data from the SAN to the ESX server and back to the SAN, the VMware Virtual Center sends instructions to the EqualLogic array as to what needs to be moved, and the arrays offload the data copying from the ESX servers to the arrays. The operation is faster and more efficient.  Here’s a quick demo that you can watch.

vStorage is also coming to the provisioning realm.  In the future you’ll see the coordination of thin provisioning management between the ESX servers and the EqualLogic arrays for protection of the workload in the case that the virtual machine were to run out of space. Here’s a quick demo.

And lastly, here’s a demo of linked clone technology hosted on a prototype EqualLogic 10GbE solid state disk (SSD) disk array.  Linked clones technology optimizes storage utilization by eliminating the duplicate storage inherent to multiple virtual machines. With the 10GbE SSD disk array, it means that we’re not only optimizing storage utilization but also insuring highest possible performance given the large number of virtual machines accessing the underlying shared virtual machine data.  Here’s another demo.

A lot of people don’t realize this, but as of Q2, about 83% of Dell’s revenue came from business products, and that's been pretty consistent for a while now.

That being the case, we receive a lot of feedback from customers looking for new features and functionality in their corporate systems. It’s pretty clear that commercial customers want desktops that are easier to manage, have improved security features and are more energy efficient. They also ask for the services and support options that help IT managers strip cost and complexity out of deploying hundreds or even thousands of desktops.

All that is part of the reason we’re introducing a new line of OptiPlex desktops, Flexible Computing products and desktop managed services designed to help IT departments reduce costs while simplifying their IT.

The new OptiPlex line is the most powerful, secure and energy efficient business desktops Dell has ever developed. Headlined by the OptiPlex 960, the new desktops are up to 43 percent more energy-efficient, include at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled plastic and shipped in 89 percent recyclable packaging. They surpass Energy Star 4.0 and EPEAT Gold certification requirements and are the greenest corporate desktop Dell builds.

Update: If you want to learn more... starting at 10am Central Time, you can view the webcast followed by a Q&A with Dell execs at http://www.dell.com/seriousbusiness.

The OptiPlex 960, 760 and 360 systems include more improvements like:

• Simplified management including remote system maintenance and ProSupport options
• Robust security features like full disk encryption, SSDs, Dell Control Point software and a stronger chassis to prevent intrusions
• More stability to support up to 36-month product lifecycles

For a bit more context behind these new OptiPlex desktop systems, here’s a vlog overview from Darrel Ward, a director in Dell’s Product Group.

Another thing we’re launching today is the FX 160, which is our first true thin client for Flexible Computing. The FX160 supports both embedded and streamed operating systems for virtual desktop deployments. New assessment, design and deployment services are now available to help customers get their Flexible Computing operation up and running. I’ve blogged about on-demand about a year ago when we first introduced it to customers in the United States. Now with today’s announcement, we’re making on-demand desktop streaming available to our global customers.

You can learn more about the concept of Flexible Computing from Jeremy Ford in this vlog.

To go along with these business systems, we’re also rolling out a new suite of managed services for IT departments to more efficiently manage desktop deployments by resolving more than 90 percent of desktop management issues. Delivered through a new cloud-optimized platform, these services give customers the flexibility to select the services that make the most sense for their business, including:

• Remote desktop management
• Software inventory and usage
• Back-up and restore
• E-mail Management Services
• Crisis Management and Alerting
• ImageDirect

(editor's note - this post comes to us from Tony Ansley of Dell’s storage product group which will be supporting hands-on labs at SNW next week.)

 If you’re interested in what Dell is doing with enterprise storage, make every effort to get to Dallas (OK, Grapevine…) for the Computerworld Storage Networking World conference that is starting on October 13^th.  Please come by and see us in booth #400.

Here's a list of some of the things we'll be doing at the show:

• Agenda Session: Data Infrastructure Track: “Yes, Fibre Channel and iSCSI Can Co-Exist” by Praveen Asthana, Director of Dell Enterprise Storage and Networking (Monday Oct 13, 4:45)
• Hands-on-Labs (running all week), staffed by Dell product management, engineering and user experts
  • Establishing a Virtual Storage Environment – Get to experience the advanced features that make Dell EqualLogic PS Series SANs the best mid-range storage solution providing enterprise class features and true virtualized storage. 
  • Configuring IP SANs – Experience how easy it is to deploy and provision storage with iSCSI SAN solutions.  Both the MD3000i entry-level iSCSI AND the Dell EqualLogic mid-range SAN solution will be available.
  • Protecting and Securing Your Environment – Be the first to experience the PowerVault DL2000 - Dell’s new integrated disk-to-disk data protection solution.

In the Dell Booth#400

• Dell EqualLogic – See the latest PS Series array, the PS5500E that packs 48 TB into only 4U of rack space, and experience new Auto-Snapshot Manager software with VMware and Microsoft Exchange integrations and take a glimpse at technology demonstration of what’s possible in the future with SSD and 10Gig technologies in the EqualLogic family.
• Dell | EMC – check out the new CX4 with unprecedented flexibility in a SAN with UltraFlex Modular I/O which allows you to easily add more ports in both iSCSI and Fibre Channel
• Dell PowerVault MD Series – Find out what makes MD an ideal entry-level iSCSI storage solution
• Dell PowerVault DL2000 – See the latest in data protection from Dell with the new appliances powered by CommVault and Symantec Backup Exec software delivering integrated solutions for de-duplication and faster disk-based backup and recovery.

Also, while you're at the booth don’t forget to enter for your chance at winning a brand new Dell Inspiron Mini-9 laptop!

HP made an interesting move today with the intent to acquire LeftHand Networks. Obviously HP is coming to recognize what Dell did a long time ago – simple, intelligent, automated storage is what the mid-market wants.

That’s why we moved to buy EqualLogic almost a year ago. What really interested us was the ease-of-use, intelligence and automation of EqualLogic’s systems. That was a big advantage that others don’t have.

As an example, let’s look at investment protection: With EqualLogic, you can expand using the latest and greatest hardware regardless of the EqualLogic generation you initially purchased. Load balancing between unequal nodes on LeftHand’s architecture is a much different proposition.

We now offer full integration of EqualLogic into Dell servers – particularly blades - and application solutions, so we can help our customers manage and protect their data center growth.

It’s no secret that Dell is #1 in iSCSI SANS worldwide.

Looks like HP is playing catch up.

(editor's note - this post comes to us courtesy of Tim Sherbak, one of our virtualization gurus)

The VMworld show is next week in Las Vegas and we'll be there in a big way.  We'll be there to show solutions highlighting data protection, disaster recovery, consolidation, virtual desktops, and systems management.  We’ve got a series of live demos in the booth including a full VMware environment built from our new blade and rack servers and the new Dell EqualLogic PS5500E.  We’ll be demonstrating VMware Site Recovery Manager as well as the new Auto-Snapshot Manager/VMware Edition, Blade Server Management, Chassis System Controller and our OpenManage system management tools. 

In addition, we’ve got some exceptionally innovative technology demos that VMware and Dell engineering have put together. 

Some of the new products we'll have there include the new quad core M905* blade and 4 socket 6 core R900* rack Power Edge servers, Dell EqualLogic PS5500E, Auto-Snapshot Manager/VMware Edition, our integration with VMware’s Site Recovery Manager, the Dell | EMC CX4, our on-demand desktop streaming (ODDS) and virtual remote desktop (VRD) solutions.   We’re even raffling off a couple of new Dell Latitude E laptops to some lucky attendees. 

Here’s a few of the breakout sessions that Dell is participating in or contributed content to and gives you an idea of some of the areas of our focus and energy.

• Dell Keynote Presentation: The Intelligent, Automated IT Infrastructure (KNDell)
• Managing Power and Cooling with Virtualization (PO2514)
• Server and Storage Sizing Best Practices for VMware VDI (VD2505)
• Planning and Implementing Simple, Affordable, Automated Disaster Recovery Through Dell | Virtualization Solution (BC2512)
• Operational Readiness – Truth and Fiction (PO2535)
• Fulfilling Regulatory Requirements in the Healthcare Industry Using VMware Virtualized Infrastructure (BC2411)
• VM-Aware Storage: A Blueprint for VMware Infrastructure Integration with Storage Hardware (TA1465)

A couple of interesting notes on a few of these breakout sessions. 

· John Joseph is providing our keynote presentation.  As you may or may not know, John comes to Dell as a part of the EqualLogic acquisition and has been fully involved in the virtualization market and intimately tied in to EqualLogic’s VMware partnership over the past several years.

· BC2411 is being delivered by Donald Wilkins of Navicure Inc. highlighting his virtualized environment built on Dell equipment and his experience in being one of the first to deploy VMware Site Recovery Manager.  For more on his implementation, check out our case study.

· TA1465 is being presented by Scott Davis, from VMware’s CTO office and reflects upon some interesting developments underway to optimize the integration of VMware and SANs (and smartly ties into the technology demos we’re demonstrating at the Dell booth – more on that later).

· VD2505 reflects upon a joint engineering project between VMware and Dell to analyze and understand infrastructure sizing requirements for virtual desktop workloads (a sneak peak of this presentation was just broadcast over the web. See it here. More than 700 people have signed up for the breakout session!  Virtual desktops are the new hotness.

· BC2512 is effectively a free hour of disaster recovery consulting from our Dell professional services group that also details implementing VMware Site Recovery Manager as a disaster recovery solution.

Also, be sure to check out the Akorri booth (#1314) where they will have a “Live” demo of Akorri BalancePoint managing multiple VMs in an ESX cluster running on Dell PowerEdge servers with Dell EqualLogic storage. It’s a great example of a Dell virtualized data center in a box.

And of course we’ll have a whole slew of virtualization experts on hand to consult with VMworld attendees. In fact, there will be presentations on a variety of topics all day long right in our booth. We'll also have people from our PartnerDirect program on hand for those interested in our channel program.

So please stop by the Dell booth (#1000).  You can’t miss it.  It looks like this:

And if you can’t make it to the show, our TechCenter has put up a Dell site at the VMworld virtual exhibitor booth so keep tabs on us there.

* These generations of servers were specifically engineered from the ground up with virtualized environments in mind and they hit the mark.  We just released VMmark scores for the M905 and R900 configurations and they are smoking!