The Play

Virtualization Solution for VMware SMB & ROBO Environments

   

Background:
VMware Infrastructure 3 (VI3) is the industry’s most widely deployed software suite for optimizing and managing IT environments through x86 virtualization. VI3 offers businesses a scalable and cost-effective way to optimize utilization of technology assets, simplify IT management, and protect the data and IT environments that run their businesses.

Due to the superior benefits of a virtualized environment with VI3, implementation by enterprises has continued to increase and has reflected in VMware stellar growth over the last few years. As this accelerated adoption continues, there is now movement of VI3 from the enterprise into the Small & Medium Business (SMB and corporate firms with Remote Offices or Branch Offices (ROBO) who also want to take advantage of the great TCO benefits a virtualized environment provides.

The Pain:
In order to deploy and fully utilize the feature-rich benefits of VMware VI3,a physical SAN is required. Most SMB or ROBO customers simply do not have available resources nor are able to justify the costs to procure and maintain a physical SAN environment. This barrier has kept many in this segment from being able to deploy VI3.

The Solution:
LeftHand's VSA (Virtual SAN Appliance) - which utilized LeftHand's innovative SANiQ technology - can be loaded onto a VMware ESX server. When deployed, VSA is able to pool available disk storage resources from within that server and create a Virtual SAN. A virtual SAN is ideal for customers who are looking to realize the benefits of advanced server virtualization in environments where physical SAN deployment is inhibited by space and/or budget constraints. It provides SMB and ROBO customers an affordable alternative to traditional physical SANs and since it runs on the same server and pools the disks within that server it saves space, power, cooling and managing an additional piece of hardware. By eliminating the need to purchase physical SAN this removes the barrier of the SMB and ROBO customers to install and leverage the full features of VMware VI3.

Combined with the new VMware VI3 Acceleration Kits targeted to the SMB and ROBO customer base, you can now offer your customer a compelling, complete and very cost-effective virtualization solution.