Deployed as a virtual appliance on the virtualization host server, the software provides caching services to multiple virtual machines over the host FLASH resources.
Storage acceleration and virtualization company SANRAD has launched its VXL software, which is designed to maximize server virtualization environments for enhanced system performance, higher FLASH utilization, and lower cost.
The VXL software provides caching services to multiple virtual machines over the host FLASH resources. Deployed as a virtual appliance on the virtualization host server, it distributes the FLASH resources on demand across the application virtual machines to maximize performance of such key applications as Microsoft SQL, VDI, and Microsoft Exchange.
“Many organizations are adding FLASH resources to their virtual server environments, but aren’t able to use them efficiently,” says SANRAD’s vice president of product management Allon Cohen. “By combining our software with their infrastructure, they instantly have faster access, more secure data, and resilience.”
VXL’s caching algorithm provides application-optimized strategies for use in deciding which data to cache on the FLASH. The algorithm is transparent to the virtual machines, which are exposed to an accelerated virtual volume. With caching over highly available mirrored volumes, it ensures the same amount of FLASH is used to accelerate both copies of the data, doubling the efficiency of FLASH utilization. Meanwhile, no guest virtual machine agents are required due to support of nearly all modern operating systems, including all variants of Windows and Linux servers via optimized virtual iSCSI connectivity.
Running on VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Xen-based hypervisors, VXL ensures VM migration among hosts without loss of cached data and enables cache migration for vMotion.
SANRAD’s VXL software supports:
- Application-optimized FLASH acceleration
- Dynamic FLASH allocation
- SLA protection for high-priority applications
- vMotion (including cache migration)
- Live data migration
- High availability and data mirroring
“SANRAD’s VXL software provides organizations with the most efficient and cost-effective way to accelerate performance of virtual applications without having to reconfigure their virtual server applications,” Cohen adds.
