I've talked a lot about the I/O blender in the last decade or so.[1. I've even been told I invented the term!] I've always said that information is the solution, allowing arrays to de-multiplex data. But a new enterprise storage company, Infinidat, claims that they can beat the I/O blender using math. Here's their concept. You should check out my I/O Blender series: History, … [Read more...] about Infinidat’s Solution For the I/O Blender: Math
VAAI
VMware’s Hardware Partner Strategy: Heads I Win, Tales You Lose
VMware is in an enviable but tricky situation: The company must work closely with hardware partners, keeping these prime sales and promotional channels happy and supportive. But VMware must also innovate around proprietary OEMs, subverting their products with integrated software before a rival steps up with an integrated alternative. This two-prong "coopetition" strategy has … [Read more...] about VMware’s Hardware Partner Strategy: Heads I Win, Tales You Lose
Storage Changes in VMware vSphere 5.1
As I have done since version 3.5, I'm charting the storage changes in VMware's latest release of vSphere, 5.1. Detailed at VMworld but not released as of this writing, vSphere 5.1 is lauded for eliminating the "vTax" and bringing features like replication, a revised backup application, and shared-nothing vMotion. Unlike version 5, which included many new technical storage … [Read more...] about Storage Changes in VMware vSphere 5.1
The I/O Blender Part 3: Behold the Power of the Demultiplexer
Virtualization has disrupted the I/O path, reducing the value of enterprise storage arrays. But all is not lost: An effort is afoot to make things right by increasing communication between hypervisor and array and demultiplexing data before it is stored. “What we have here is a failure to communicate” The core problem with the I/O blender is that virtual machine disk images … [Read more...] about The I/O Blender Part 3: Behold the Power of the Demultiplexer
The I/O Blender Part 2: What Does Virtualization Do?
Virtualization is a disruptive technology in every sense of the word. By abstracting and simplifying physical resources, virtualization enables dynamic utilization. But this “translation” from physical to virtual disrupts the assumptions that enable performance and flexibility of physical devices such as storage arrays. Your Assumption Is Invalid See Storage Arrays Do A … [Read more...] about The I/O Blender Part 2: What Does Virtualization Do?