September 18, 2008: NetApp is targetting VMware virtualised environments with new product offerings that incorporate deduplication technology.

Storage Solution for VMware VDI is a combination of hardware, software, and services that enable VMware customers to do large-scale virtual desktop deployments by increasing flexibility while reducing risk and lowering cost.

Able to provide mass provision hundreds of secure, virtual desktops in minutes, it enables continuous availability of virtual desktops, and allows regular backup of all client data while using as much as 90% less capacity than conventional storage for improved storage efficiency.

NetApp FlexClone technology has been enhanced to enable rapid, space-efficient cloning of volumes, LUNs, and even individual files.

Meanwhile, the NetApp Performance Acceleration Module (PAM) is an intelligent-read cache that improves virtual desktop performance for end users. It does this by storing virtual machine data in high-performance cache, which is especially effective for addressing the simultaneous system boot of hundreds of virtual desktop systems, which can overload a traditional storage system.

Finally, NetApp SANscreen VM Insight software allows storage and server administration teams to more easily manage their overall storage and server architectures in tandem. Further enhancing VM Insight is the new VM Insight Plug-in for VMware VirtualCentre, VMware’s centralised management console. It enables VM administrators who are leveraging heterogeneous storage solutions to better monitor SAN resources in their virtualized environments and communicate with SAN administrators for improved flexibility and operational efficiency.

“This next wave of technologies designed for VMware environments is evidence of our close and ongoing work with VMware to help provide customers with the most robust and complete storage and server virtualization solution,” said Patrick Rogers, vice president of Solutions Marketing at NetApp.

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