Fujitsu Introduces VAAI Support with ETERNUS Disk Storage Systems

Fujitsu announced today the immediate global availability of vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI) with ETERNUS DX400/DX8000 series disk storage systems, delivering new levels of performance to customers by optimizing storage efficiency in VMware environments. The combined solutions for ETERNUS DX400/DX8000, particularly when teamed with Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers (*1), deliver the ideal platform for high-performing and reliable datacenter virtualization.

 

The support enables offloading of storage operations, which previously required server resources, onto the higher performance ETERNUS DX400/DX8000, therefore integrating VMware with disk storage functions, reducing server workloads, and making them ideal platforms for large-scale datacenter virtualization and consolidation.

 

VAAI enhances the performance of VMware vSphere™ 4.1 on ETERNUS DX400/DX8000, making it more flexible and operationally efficient, as well as improving the effectiveness of the storage systems.

 

The high performance ETERNUS DX400/DX8000 now support the following three functions:

 

1.     Full Copy Data copy operations are performed using the resources and hardware acceleration features of the storage array. This frees the server from read and write operations, and speeds up the overall process. Server workloads are therefore reduced and more effective use is made of all available resources. Data center operators can expect faster virtual machine creation and accelerated movement of data via Storage VMotion.

 

2.     Block Zeroing This function enables hardware accelerated initialization for the allocation of new storage capacity. The server now only sends one command to the array, which delegates the task of filling the initialized capacity with zeroes to the storage system. This feature further reduces server workloads, speeds up virtual machine provisioning, and results in fewer servers needed to handle application performance.

 

3.     Hardware Assisted Locking With locking mechanisms being offloaded from the server to the array, locking can be performed at a block level rather than at LUN level. This functionality results in greater granularity that reduces the size of locked sections and improves the performance of common tasks such as virtual machine migration, the powering of many virtual machines on or off, and template-based creation of virtual machines. This feature helps to make virtualized data centers with high VM counts, much more efficient and operationally flexible.

 

Says Jens-Peter Seick, Senior Vice President Datacenter Systems at Fujitsu Technology Solutions: “According to VMWare’s VMmark benchmark, Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers in partnership with Fujitsu ETERNUS storage systems make the ideal virtualization platform across the widest range of customer needs. By supporting all three storage integrations for VAAI with VMware VShpere 4.1, our virtualization-optimized ‘Dreamteam’ stays at the front of the race for reliable and significantly-improved efficiency and performance.”

 

The ETERNUS VAAI Plug-in (*2) requires the latest V20L60 firmware for ETERNUS DX400/DX8000 series disk storage systems. Fujitsu provides both the firmware and plug-in software free of charge. For the Full Copy functionality the ETERNUS Advanced Copy feature (3*) is required. Fujitsu is a certified member of VMware's vStorage API for Array Integration Partnership Program.

 

 

 

- Ends -

 

 

For further information please see:

ETERNUS Disk Storage Systems

http://www.fujitsu.com/eternus

 

Glossary and Notes

(*1) Fujitsu PRIMERGY server

Additional product information: http://www.fujitsu.com/primergy

PRIMERGY servers are the virtualization platform, proven by leadership in VMmark V1.1.1 benchmark of the classes 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 cores:

 

VMware® VMmark™ is a product of VMware, Inc. VMware utilizes SPECjbb2005® and SPECweb2005®, which are available from the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC). For more information please see: http://vmware.com/products/vmmark/v1/results.html

(*2) ETERNUS VAAI Plug-in

Software installed in the VMware vSphere^TM environment which provides a special interface between VMware vSphere^TM and the ETERNUS disk storage systems, allowing the storage to directly understand and act on commands from vSphere. This software can be downloaded free-of-charge, from the following URL:

http://www.fujitsu.com/global/support/computing/storage/system/vaai.html                                                                           

 

(*3) ETERNUS AdvancedCopy feature

Paid option required to use the AdvancedCopy function for high-speed copying.

 

 

Press Contact

Fujitsu Technology Solutions

Sigrun Harsch, Senior Manager Public & Analyst Relations

Tel.: + 49 (0) 89 62060 4454

Mobile: + 49 (0) 170 855 06 08

sigrun.harsch@ts.fujitsu.com

 

About Fujitsu Fujitsu is a leading provider of ICT-based business solutions for the global marketplace. With approximately 170,000 employees supporting customers in 70 countries, Fujitsu combines a worldwide corps of systems and services experts with highly reliable computing and communications products and advanced microelectronics to deliver added value to customers. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.6 trillion yen (US$50 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. For more information, please see: www.fujitsu.com

 

About Fujitsu Technology Solutions

Fujitsu Technology Solutions is the leading European IT infrastructure provider with a presence in all key markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, plus India, serving large-, medium- and small-sized companies as well as consumers. With its Dynamic Infrastructures approach, the company offers a full portfolio of IT products, solutions and services, ranging from clients to datacenter solutions, Managed Infrastructure and Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Fujitsu Technology Solutions employs more than 13,000 people and is part of the global Fujitsu Group. For more information, please see: ts.fujitsu.com/aboutus .

 

All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.