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Integrated stacks haven’t yet won over IT shops
While the Vblock, FlexPod, vStart, VirtualSystem, CloudBurst and Exadata systems promise to simplify matters in the data centre, customers seem reluctant to go with integrated stacks. Feature
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FlexPod vs. Vblock: How the integrated IT stacks stack up
EMC and NetApp partner with Cisco and VMware for their integrated storage stacks, but the management, support and sales strategies are different. Feature
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Storage management for virtualized servers
Storage and virtual server management can now go hand-in-hand with new tools that offer single-console control of both storage and virtual servers. Feature
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Is a virtual backup appliance right for your environment?
A virtual backup appliance is easily deployed and offers latency reduction, scalability, integration and costs savings. But is one right for your environment? Feature
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How to use VMware High Availability: A VMware HA guide
In this VMware High Availability guide, learn how VMware HA works, how to enable Admission Control Policies and other VMware HA implementation tips. Tutorial
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Block vs file for Hyper-V and VMware storage: Which is better?
Is block- or file-based storage better for Hyper-V and VMware virtual server environments? The answer depends on the precise needs of your virtual server environment. Feature
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Managing storage in a VDI environment
The success of a VDI environment is dependent on user experience, and storage may be the area that has the biggest impact on users. Find out what steps to take to properly manage your VDI environment. Feature
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Virtual server management: Top tips on managing storage in virtual server environments
We’ve collected our top tips and articles on virtual server storage management. Find out how to best manage your data storage for a virtual server environment. Tutorial
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Storage performance monitoring for virtual servers takes app approach
Storage performance monitoring is moving from siloed tools toward overall system-health solutions. But some proven tools are needed in complex virtual environments. Tutorial
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Virtual server tutorial: Managing a server virtualization environment
This virtual server tutorial evaluates network storage options for virtual servers, describes the VMware vStorage APIs and discusses VMware virtual servers. Special Report
- See More: Essential Knowledge on Data Storage Solutions for a Virtual Environment
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Virsto sets sites on improving VMware storage performance
Virsto launches Virsto for vSphere to improve VMware storage performance, two years after it launched with a similar product for Micrsoft Hyper-V. News | 16 Jan 2012
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Atlantis ILIO Diskless boots VDI faster, reduces VDI storage
Atlantis ILIO Diskless VDI software can speed boot times but doesn’t completely eliminate the need for VDI storage. News | 16 Jan 2012
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NexGen emerges with virtual machine storage system with QoS twist
NexGen Storage launches n5 virtual machine storage system, which uses flash, hard drives and RAM and lets admins set quality-of-service tiers based on IOPS. News | 08 Nov 2011
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Pivot3, GreenBytes launch VDI storage systems
Pivot3 and GreenBytes address unique requirements of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) storage with new iSCSI SANs. News | 19 Oct 2011
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Tintri upgrades VM storage appliance, features
Startup Tintri adds dual-controller, larger-capacity versions of its virtual machine storage appliance with a VM auto-alignment feature. News | 18 Oct 2011
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Integrated IT stack: Packaging the pieces of the virtualization puzzle
Integrated storage stacks offer one-stop shopping and deployment for virtual environments, but cost and support in multi-vendor bundles raise concerns. Trends | 30 Sep 2011
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VMware previews next-gen vStorage APIs for vSphere
VMware previews its next generation of vStorage APIs for vSphere at VMworld, promising to facilitate more granular levels of data management. News | 31 Aug 2011
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VMware performance, capacity, scalability improvements pave way for mission-critical apps
Improvements in VMware performance, scalability and capacity are leading enterprises to run more and more of their mission-critical applications on the platform. Trends | 30 Aug 2011
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Nutanix launches dense storage appliance for storage clouds, VDI
Nutanix rolls out its Complete Cluster storage appliance with SSDs, hard drives, compute and a file system that can be used to build clouds and virtual desktop infrastructures. News | 16 Aug 2011
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Astute Networks launches flash appliance to speed performance of VMware storage
Astute Networks rolls out ViSX G3 flash appliance designed to improve the performance of storage for heavy-duty VMware environments. News | 15 Aug 2011
- See More: News on Data Storage Solutions for a Virtual Environment
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Virtual storage appliances drill-down: Optimizing VSAs
Read about one type of virtual storage appliance, the optimizing VSA, which improve the performance of storage access either via large caching mechanisms or via customized file systems. Tip
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VMware’s vSCSI filter: What it does and how it works
Find out how VMware’s vSCSI filter tool operates upon iSCSI data to handle data loss prevention as well as to offload replication tasks from the host and save money on replication. Tip
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vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness improve view into arrays in VMware environments
The new vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) improve visibility into storage arrays that support VMware environments. In this tip, find out how VASA can help admins better manage storage. Tip
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Virtual storage appliance market: Categories, capabilities
A virtual storage appliance (VSA) enables shared storage without dedicated storage hardware. Learn about the four loose categories of VSA as well as the capabilities of each category. Tip
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Server virtualization storage performance metrics: Which ones matter?
Get advice on which storage performance metrics you should pay attention to when monitoring and assessing your server virtualization storage environment. Tip
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vSphere 5’s Storage DRS and storage profile function deliver control over storage resources
New to vSphere 5, Storage DRS load balances VMs based on I/O and capacity, and Profile-Driven Storage ensures that VMs are stored on devices that have specific characteristics. Tip
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VDI best practices: Making VDI cost-effective for SMBs
Learn how to make VDI cost effective for your company and get VDI best practices in this tip. Tip
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vSphere Storage I/O Control: What it does and how to configure it
vSphere’s Storage I/O Control enables segmentation of I/O demands by data store, to enable finer-grained I/O prioritization. Find out how Storage I/O Controls works. Tip
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vStorage APIs for Multipathing: How the APIs work
While using vStorage APIs for Multipathing improves storage efficiency, improper configuration and compatibility problems can affect their operation. Find out how the APIs work. Tip
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vSphere storage functionality gets big boost in vSphere 5
Learn about the vSphere storage enhancements in vSphere 5, including a storage-centric Distribute Resource Scheduler tool, a new API for storage awareness, a higher LUN size limit and more. Tip
- See More: Tips on Data Storage Solutions for a Virtual Environment
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Is SAN maintenance easier with virtualised servers than in a physical server setup?
Find out how SAN maintenance differs in a virtual server environment compared with a traditional, physical server environment. Answer
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Using RAID 1 and RAID 5 in a virtual server environment
We tell you the pros and cons of using RAID 1 and RAID 5 for your OS and applications in a virtual server environment. Data protection and recovery are factors to consider. Ask the Expert
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The server consolidation challenge, part 1
Ask the Expert
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raw device mapping (RDM)
Raw device mapping (RDM) is an option in the VMware server virtualization environment that enables a storage LUN to be directly connected to a virtual machine from the SAN. Definition
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vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA)
vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) is a set of application program interfaces (APIs), released with VMware’s vSphere 5, that enables vSphere vCenter to recognize the capabilities of storage arrays that support the API. Definition
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Profile-Driven Storage
Profile-Driven Storage is a feature in vSphere 5 that lets users to intelligently provision applications, mapping VMs to storage levels according to service levels, availability, performance needs or cost. Definition
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Storage Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS)
Storage Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) is a feature of VMware’s vSphere that enables intelligent virtual machine (VM) initial placement and load balancing based on storage I/O and capacity within a cluster. Definition
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vStorage API for Multipathing (VAMP)
vStorage API for Multipathing (VAMP) is a set of application program interfaces (APIs) from VMware that help to control I/O path selection in a host to storage devices. Definition
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vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI)
vStorage API for Array Integration (VAAI) is an application program interface (API) framework from VMware that enables certain storage tasks, such as thin provisioning, to be offloaded from the VMware server virtualization hardware to the storage arr... Definition
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vStorage API
A vStorage API is an application program interface (API) from VMware that enables third-party storage and backup vendors to integrate their products with VMware’s vSphere server virtualization platform. Definition
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Fibre Channel port names
Fibre Channel port names Definition
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Managing storage in a Citrix environment
In this podcast, find out how Citrix XenServer storage management functionality compares with that of VMware and Hyper-V environments. Podcast
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Primary storage deduplication helps with VMs and virtual desktops
Primary storage deduplication can supply dramatic results with server virtual machine images and hosted virtual desktops, but can lead to lock-in. Podcast
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VMware storage performance analysis
In this podcast interview, Mike Laverick discusses how storage performance analysis is handled in a VMware environment, the pros and cons of its implementation in VMware, and more. Podcast
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Hyper-V storage: Managing storage for a Hyper-V environment
In this podcast interview, Dennis Martin discusses Hyper-V storage best practices and tools and techniques to support and improve storage management in a Hyper-V environment. Podcast
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PCI Express extender approach to I/O virtualization
In this podcast interview, George Crump discusses PCIe-based I/O virtualization, its benefits to users, key vendors in the PCIe bus extenders space and more. Podcast
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Using NFS to support a virtual server environment
In this podcast interview, Eric Siebert discusses the pros and cons of using NFS to support a virtual server environment. Learn how to set up NFS to get the best performance from it, and more. Podcast
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Using iSCSI for virtual server environments
In this podcast interview, Mike Laverick discusses the pros and cons of using iSCSI for virtual server environments. Learn how to implement and configure iSCSI and more. FAQ
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Implementing Fibre Channel SANs in a virtual server environment
Eric Siebert discusses the pros and cons of implementing Fibre Channel SANs in a virtual server environment in this interview. Podcast
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VDI storage: Capacity and performance requirements for VDI implementation
Find out how to properly implement VDI storage in your environment in this FAQ. Learn about capacity and performance requirements, problems that arise, and how to fix them. Podcast
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SolarWinds Inc. Storage Manager 5.0.1
SolarWinds Storage Manager 5.0.1 monitors storage and virtualization systems, identifies performance bottlenecks and reports on storage performance across the infrastructure. 2011 Products of the Year
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Nutanix Complete Cluster
The Nutanix Complete Cluster is scale-out storage that integrates compute, networking and hypervisors with storage. The system supports live VM migration and high availability. 2011 Products of the Year
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NetApp Inc. OnCommand Insight Balance
NetApp OnCommand Insight Balance collects performance-related data, models app and component behaviors, and analyzes the app-to-storage route for performance bottlenecks. 2011 Products of the Year
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Managing storage in a Citrix environment
In this podcast, find out how Citrix XenServer storage management functionality compares with that of VMware and Hyper-V environments. Podcast
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raw device mapping (RDM)
Raw device mapping (RDM) is an option in the VMware server virtualization environment that enables a storage LUN to be directly connected to a virtual machine from the SAN. Definition
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vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA)
vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) is a set of application program interfaces (APIs), released with VMware’s vSphere 5, that enables vSphere vCenter to recognize the capabilities of storage arrays that support the API. Definition
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2011 Products of the Year finalists
Guide
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Virtual storage appliances drill-down: Optimizing VSAs
Read about one type of virtual storage appliance, the optimizing VSA, which improve the performance of storage access either via large caching mechanisms or via customized file systems. Tip
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Virsto sets sites on improving VMware storage performance
Virsto launches Virsto for vSphere to improve VMware storage performance, two years after it launched with a similar product for Micrsoft Hyper-V. News
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Atlantis ILIO Diskless boots VDI faster, reduces VDI storage
Atlantis ILIO Diskless VDI software can speed boot times but doesn’t completely eliminate the need for VDI storage. News
- See More: All on Data Storage Solutions for a Virtual Environment
About Data Storage Solutions for a Virtual Environment
The Data Storage Solutions for a Virtual Environment topics page provides news articles, tips, tutorials, guides, special reports and podcasts for data storage professionals looking for best practices information about data storage in a virtual environment. Look here for advice and guidance on data storage solutions, software, hardware and services for virtual machines, data storage management for a virtual environment, data storage products for a virtual environment, secure data storage for a virtual environment, as well as guidance around vendors and suppliers offering products and services for a virtual environment.