storage – Page 3

Independence and freedom is at the heart of the software-defined movement in IT today. Whether you are looking for your choice of hypervisors, from ESX to Microsoft to KVM, or building a cloud with OpenStack or CloudStack, to the networking world with the likes of Nicira (VMware NSX), Big Switch and even Cisco, the options seem almost endless. The options available in the Software-Defined Storage world are no less proliferate. Traditional storage has been migrating from the big iron of yesteryear to choices that include all flash arrays, hyper-converged solutions and hybrid arrays, all custom built for the requirements of today’s enterprise.

Nexenta has been at the leading edge of the Software-Defined Storage movement for years, with NexentaStor as one of the first software-only enterprise storage solutions. Over the past year we have continued to innovate, developing a hyper-converged solution around virtual desktops with NexentaConnect. Our software, however, is only part of the overall storage solution. Nexenta has built and continues to grow strategic relationships with some of the largest hardware companies in the IT world. Building upon success with Cisco, Dell, HP, IBM, Supermicro and others, Nexenta continues to enable our customers with the flexibility of hardware options.

This unique flexibility not only lets the customer separate the data and control plane, but also gives them the reassurance to know that the pieces will work together flawlessly. To further this reassurance and sense of reliability, Nexenta also provides reference architectures with tested and validated solutions for each vendor.

Let’s take our strategic partnership with Dell as an example. This week, CRN pointed out that Dell has built their software-defined vision around Nexenta. As a certified Dell technology partner, Dell and Nexenta continue to develop solutions covering most aspects of your enterprise storage needs, including the only solutions to deliver the lowest cost deployment for non-HA environments with shared pooled desktops and Fibre Channel support. The partnership also means that customers can not only purchase their entire storage solution from Dell with the flexibility of the Nexenta Software-Defined Storage options, but get the Dell global supply chain and world class support structure at the same time.

If you are looking for a next-generation storage solution that is cost effective and can easily scale from the smallest builds up to almost a petabyte in a single array, opt for the Dell PowerEdge storage array servers combined with PowerVault backup powered by NexentaStor software-defined storage. Or, maybe the project you are working on requires you to deploy virtual desktops. Then, opt for a solution based on NexentaConnect with Dell hardware. Validated solutions on Dell VRTX, PowerEdge R620s and R720s give you building blocks to make the transition from proof of concept to production less of a concern and more of the independence that software-defined enterprise storage gives to the IT teams of today and tomorrow.

Michael Letschin
Director of Product Management, Solutions

Ask any CIO what their greatest concern is, and they’ll invariably come up with some variation of concern over the budget. It’s a Catch-22 for many businesses when it comes to technology: There is always a faster, more reliable option, but it always comes at a cost. So how did the big guys get to the top? How have they learned to strike a balance between cost and effectiveness without compromising either entirely? When it comes to data, more and more have chosen to look at software defined data centers. Here’s why:

There’s no question that data is growing exponentially as we frequently use technology for every aspect of our lives – from shopping and paying bills to reconnecting with friends on social media. All of these things produce data – a lot of data in fact. Studies have estimated that we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day. All of this data needs to be stored, and it can be quite costly. Some organizations are spending as must as 40% of their IT budget on storage solutions.

Therefore, government agencies, credit card companies, health care facilities, social media sites, retailors and many other entities are constantly looking for ways to store this data efficiently and affordably. Software Defined Data Centers (SDDC) address all of these concerns and more because they take the virtues of virtualization and apply them to data storage. In fact, our customers have reported that they have saved as much as 75% in storage costs.

Here are just a few of the ways businesses can save using software defined data storage:

Scalability: Did you know that 90% of the data out there has been created in the last two years? Just think about what this could mean in terms of data storage ten years from now. As data grows, more and more hardware must be purchased to keep up with demand. Software defined data storage solutions are more easily scalable, with greater savings.

Operational Cost Savings: We talked about scalability, but what about the problems that traditional storage methods present in regard to operational costs? Energy costs to cool the storage system, labor costs to monitor and troubleshoot the system, and maintenance costs are just some things that are negated through a software defined storage system.

Open Source Opportunities: Hardware storage systems are closed systems. You are bound by specific vendors, which could limit your flexibility and opportunities to adapt when needed. Because software defined data storage solutions are often open-source, you can take advantage of the latest technologies and adapt your storage solution for the lowest cost.

For more information about the benefits of software defined data storage solutions, contact us today.

Independence and Freedom is at the Heart of the Software-Defined Movement

How Does Software Defined Data Storage Equate to Savings?