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Tag: datacore

  • DataCore Now Supports Fibre Channel over Ethernet

    DataCore announced support for native Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) connectivity for its its SANmelody and SANsymphony storage virtualisation solutions.

    The company has added the Emulex and Brocade FCoE converged network adapters (CNAs) and Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches to its FCoE-qualified support list.

    FCoE software drivers are currently available for Microsoft Windows and VMware ESX/vSphere.

    FCoE is a new way of using Ethernet in data centres. It is primarily used to consolidate back-end cables in a data centre – enabling network administrators to use the Ethernet infrastructure for FC and IP protocols. What is needed to make it work is a converged network adapter (CNA), which serves as an FCoE card, along with a network switch.

    According to DataCore, their customers can now transition to an FCoE infrastructure while still supporting existing Fibre Channel investments.

    Customers can run both FCoE and IP traffic through the same port and on the same wire, eliminating the need and expense for separate SAN and LAN adapters and cables.

    The ability to run FC protocol over existing Ethernet cabling is significant for network administration, the company claims. It means that administrators do not need to have a separate network for running Fibre Channel protocol.

    Augie Gonzalez, director of product marketing in DataCore stated that their customers can take advantage of FCoE in their “highly scalable, non-stop storage pools without having to replace or modify their existing back-end storage, which may well include DAS, iSCSI and Fibre Channel interfaces.”

  • DataCore and Citrix to Distribute Free-To-Try DataCore Virtual SAN Appliance

    DataCore Software, the provider of storage virtualisation, business continuity and disaster recovery software solutions, announced that it has teamed up with Citrix Systems to distribute a free to try, downloadable, DataCore Virtual SAN Appliance. The company also released a Citrix StorageLink adapter to integrate its storage virtualisation solutions with Citrix Essentials for XenServer and Microsoft Hyper-V.

    The Virtual SAN Appliance evaluation software enables to try Citrix Essentials with a StorageLink-certified, iSCSI shared storage SAN that can pool up to 1 Terabyte of disk space, efficiently “Thin Provision” storage to virtual machines, speed up application performance and create snapshots for Instant Volume Cloning and Fast Disk-to-Disk Backups.

    The DataCore Virtual SAN Appliance and StorageLink Adapter can be downloaded at www.datacore.com/virtualSANappliance.

    “Customers want performance, productivity and manageability in a dynamic virtual infrastructure. Through StorageLink, DataCore presents to Citrix Essentials virtual disks that are well behaved, non-stop, lightning fast and waste-free, even though the physical storage behind it may come from a variety of manufacturers and be of a price, age and quality very different from one another,” said George Teixeira, DataCore president and CEO.

    DataCore has developed a fast-track “ramp up” programme for its partners, which provides them with NFR software and the opportunity to build their DataCore businesses at their own pace. The DataCore solutions are verified Citrix Ready through the Open Storage Program.

  • Optimism Seems High in the Storage Efficiency World

    Optimism remains high in storage efficiency world despite recession and talks of possibly impending depression. The focus seems to be on doing more with less and optimizing on existing capacities.

    Nick Broadbent, UK Managing Director of DataCore Software says: 
“Virtualisation and hence consolidation has transformed all that with IT managers able to meet the business data growth needs by re-utilising external storage solutions already in their network.”

    Joyce Putscher, In-Stat analyst feels that there is a significant shift towards higher capacity models. He says, "While the overall market is maturing, growth is shifting towards higher capacity models… The 1.5TB+ segment is forecasted to see the highest growth, exceeding 100 per cent CAGR."

    Data deduplication, 6 GB’s SAS, FCoe, Virtualization, automation, optimization and cost savings seems to be the mantra that is doing the rounds.
    Deduplication is seen as a means of generating a quick return on investment and several vendors are pushing the technology this week.
    Storage capacity optimization appliances for primary and backup storage also have generated a lot of interest.
    Data reduction solutions from Hifn, backup acceleration options for virtual tape libraries, data reduction technology for cloud form Nirvanix and Ocarina are significant in this scenario. Virtualization and automation gained favor and disaster recovery advisor from Symantec was unveiled. NetApp has announced new storage and data management features for VMWare for virtual desktop environments. SAS attracted attention for its high performance, low cost solution, while ATTO announced FastStream SC 8200 controller and 3PAR unveiled its InSery F-Class Storage Servers. Data Robotics announced its DroboPro.

    In this backdrop there the venture funding announcement from Lightspeed Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Dell ventures and Focus Ventures, Jerusalem Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, Valhalla Partners and HarborVest Partners, further signals that the interest in the Storage sector has not died down. Fusion_IO received a whopping $47.5 million and Sepaton netted $15.5 million.

    All this keeps optimism high and market watchers agree that while the Storage industry seems to be slowing down due to the recession the slow down is minimal and not very alarming. It is true that external disk storage system numbers are being affected by market conditions, but storage efficiency technologies are picking up. Sean Haffey, storage product manager at FSC, says that there is no doubt that the external disk market is slowing. “When things were booming 18 months ago it was a question of how fast you could go to market,” he said. “Now it is a case of how efficiently you can run.