Virtual Computing Environment: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:52, 11 August 2013

Revision as of 22:09, 11 August 2013

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==Products and services==

[[File:Vblock 300 FX.jpg |thumb |upright |alt= Black rack of computer equipment |Vblock 300 FX at CA World 2011 ]]

VCE sells products it calls Vblock systems as [[converged infrastructure]] that combine [[VMware vSphere]] software running on [[Cisco Unified Computing System]]s (UCS) connected with [[Cisco Nexus switches]], attached to [[EMC Symmetrix]] storage. Despite the "block" in the name, the storage can be accessed as either a [[block device]] or a [[file server]].

Vblock systems are marketed for large-scale [[data center]]s which run applicationssoftware suchapplications including [[Microsoft Exchange]] , [[Microsoft SharePoint]] or [[SAP ERP]].
They are delivered in standard [[19-inch rack]] units to aid in planning for coolng and power requirements.<ref name="bets"/><ref name="hana">{{Cite news |title= VCE Intros Entry-level Vblocks, Unveils Pre-Configured SAP HANA Appliances |author= Joseph F. Kovar

|date= February 21, 2013 |work= CRN |url= http://www.crn.com/news/storage/240148969/vce-intros-entry-level-vblocks-unveils-pre-configured-sap-hana-appliances.htm |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref>

===Original systems===

In 2009, the Virtual Computing Environment coalition announced three models of Vblock Infrastructure Packages.

Vblock 2, intended for high-end data centers, was designed to support 3,000 to 6,000 [[virtual machinesmachine]]s using Cisco UCS, Cisco Nexus 1000v and multilayer directional switches (MDS), as well as EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage and VMware vSphere software.

Vblock 1, intended for the midmarket, was designed for 800 to 3,000 virtual machines and had had a similar configuration to the Vblock 2, but with EMC Clariion storage rather than EMC Symmetrix VMAX.

Vblock 0, the intended low-end configuration, was projected for release in 2010 to support 300 to 800 virtual machines and use a similar configuration, but with EMC Unified Storage.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Virtual Computing Environment Coalition |date= November 5, 2009 |author= Joerg Hallbauer |work= Gestalt IT |url= http://gestaltit.com/all/tech/storage/joerg/virtual-computing-environment-coalition/ |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref>

===Enterprise-level systems===

The Vblock System 700 was unveiled at EMC World 2012, as the most expensive Vblock System, supporting applications running over thousands of virtual machines. The Vblock System 700 introduced the inclusion of EMC data protection to give Vblock Systems backup, recovery, replication, business continuity and data mobility for virtualized environments. Applications include EMC Avamar, EMC [[Data Domain]], and EMC RecoverPoint. The Vblock System 700 also included [[VPLEX|EMC VPLEX]] workload mobility and business continuity software, as well as support for new features in EMC Unified Infrastructure Manager, improved VMware integration, and centralized monitoring of multiple Vblock Systems.<ref>http://www.crn.com/news/storage/240000838/vce-intros-new-higher-end-vblock-integrates-emc-data-protection.htm</ref>

In February 2013, VCE announced the Vblock 300 and Vblock 700 with increased performance and data throughput, with upgrades to their server and storage components.<ref name="hana" />