Citrix – Direct Integration for EqualLogic PS storage

(editor's note – The virtualization news from VMworld continues to abound…this post comes to us from Achmad Chadran in our EqualLogic solutions group)

Citrix just released an integration module that sets a new high-water mark for virtualization. We’ve already begun work documenting the experiences of customers who’ve deployed our EqualLogic SANs in virtual-server environments, and I’m psyched to post their stories. But by incorporating key EqualLogic functionality directly into their XenCenter user interface, the integration module goes even further, by:

· Streamlining the VM provisioning process all the way through the creation and assignment of virtual disk drives

· Relieving XenServer resources from having to perform burdensome storage tasks

· Taking storage technology further out of its traditional “black arts” realm and into a more business-focused IT culture

I believe the industry will soon see much more integration along these lines, as expanding virtualization breaks down walls that once separated different domains. But the embrace of virtualized storage is especially significant. Much of virtualization’s promise lies in resource consolidation and centralized control; paradoxically, these trends also make IT assets more vulnerable to catastrophic outages. To head off such catastrophe, enterprise networks need storage solutions that can guarantee vital levels of data protection, process automation and operational simplification.

Citrix’s new module, made available today as part of its new XenServer 5.0 Dell Edition, is a very cool piece of engineering, but one that only hints at the shape of IT to come.

Check out this streaming-video demo or download a Solution Brief for more information.

About the Author: David Graves