Storage management solution for VMware environments

The StorMagic SvSAN is designed to enable the deployment of a high-availability shared storage solution for VMware ESX environments for less than GBP1,400, allowing users to take advantage of enhanced server virtualisation functions without the need to purchase expensive shared storage. For a limited time, by contacting StorMagic or one of its resellers, end-users can obtain a promo key for a free copy of SvSAN, with no expiration date.

StorMagic SvSAN includes features users would expect from an enterprise-class SAN and provides optional licenses for high availability and capacity management. By turning unused storage capacity into a virtual SAN, the solution is designed to enable users to take advantage of high-end features of VMware environments such as VMware VMotionTM, without the need for an external SAN. StorMagic SvSAN is also designed to work with VMware vCenter, so that administrators are able to manage datastores, the StorMagic iSCSI SAN, and the internal RAID controller from one interface.

With capacity that starts at 2 TB and scales to unlimited storage, the SvSAN enables administrators to create, manage and provision datastores through a single-step process, which allows them to rapidly deploy datastores without managing multiple applications.

“After a simple software download, we set up our virtual SAN in minutes, and we are now able to manage the SAN, datastores and internal RAID through one tool. Having integrated management made things a lot easier for us,” said Gavin Murrill, network administrator at Make-A-Wish Foundation. “The StorMagic SvSAN pretty much takes control of our storage, leveraging internal storage resources. We can now easily and cost-effectively build a highly available environment without the complexity of traditional systems.”

“StorMagic recognises that the key to unlocking many of the problems SMB VMware users face is simplicity,” commented Steve Duplessie, founder and senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. “By eliminating the complexity of storage in a virtual server world, and by letting people continue to use the internal disk devices they already own, everybody wins. This is a smart play all around.”

“Our customers’ IT budgets are still shrinking while their data needs continue to grow,” said Mike Stolz, vice president of marketing at StorMagic. “With SvSAN, we are enabling these organisations to create, manage, and provision storage in their VMware environments through a highly affordable and easy-to-use console.”

Add-on features include active-active mirroring for high-availability and capacity management upgrades.