Provider of all-flash storage solutions for SMBs Pure Storage has added a number of new features to its flagship FlashArray product. Among the updates, Pure Storage added iSCSI connectivity, ZeroSnap snapshots, and complete integration with (and management within) VMware via a new vCenter Web Client Plugin.
The new enhancements build on the company’s market entry early this year, which introduced the FlashArray as a scalable all-flash array. “The new release will enable Pure Storage to address a broader set of networked storage needs for SMBs who want to leverage flash memory for their performance-critical applications,” states a Pure Storage press release submitted to Channel Pro-SMB.
“The first generation of flash appliances predominantly focused on performance and were far too expensive to use in mainstream enterprise applications,” says Joe Unsworth, research vice president at Gartner. “Combining more affordable flash with enhanced support for performance critical applications and virtualized environments will be crucial to capture any significant share of the emerging mainstream flash appliance market.”
iSCSI offers substantial cost savings, compatibility, scalability and ease of use benefits that make it an ideal choice for newer, web-scale data centers as well as cost-conscious midsize enterprises.
Among the updates and new features to FlashArray are:
- ZeroSnap Snapshots — Snapshots with little overhead. As many as 1,000 can be taken in a single minute.†ZeroSnap snapshots are designed to require no planning or pre-allocation of space.
- VMware vCenter Web Client Plugin — Comprehensive management of the FlashArray within vCenter, a UI designed for use by Virtual Infrastructure VI Admins.
- VMware-Ready Certification & VAAI-Enabled — FlashArray has now achieved VMware Ready status in its HA configuration, meaning that the entire FlashArray 300-Series is fully-supported by Pure Storage and VMware for production deployments.†The FlashArray is also VAAI-enabled.
The new features will be made available to as a software upgrade to the Pure Storage Purity Operating Environment (Purity 2.5) at no additional charge for customers with a current maintenance agreement.†Purity 2.5 is currently in beta testing and will be made generally available in the fall.
