Author Archives: VMware Cloud Provider Team

Dive into EVO:RAIL at VMworld!

One of the advantages VMworld attendees have is to learn the latest tech trends and VMware product updates.

This includes learning more about VMware EVO:RAIL. At VMworld, you’ll gain knowledge on the business advantages EVO:RAIL can provide, how EVO:RAIL can transform how you consume, deploy, and manage your software defined data center, plus much more!

Take a look at what we have planned for this year’s show:

Key EVO:RAIL Sessions:

  • SDDC6252 – EVO:RAIL Business Advantage: How VMware’s EVO:RAIL Hyper-converged Appliance enables Just-in-time infrastructure for SDDC – 8/31 – 8:00 – 9:00am
    • Get an in-depth overview of how the EVO:RAIL Hyper-converged Appliance changes the purchasing and IT processes for building a Software Defined Data Center (SDDC), especially compared to a traditional hardware-based data center.
  • SDDC5749 – Overview of EVO:RAIL – The Radically Simple Hyper-Converged Alliance for your SDDC – 9/2 – 3:30 – 4:30pm
    • Learn VMware EVO:RAIL dramatically transforms how you consume, deploy, and manage your Software Defined Data Center.
  • SDDC4797 – EVO:RAIL 2.0 Deep Dive – 9/2 – 4:00-5:00pm
    • Mike Laverick and Dave Shanley of VMware explain EVO:RAIL’s core prerequisites, how EVO:RAIL works, and what the vSphere environment looks like once the EVO:RAIL Configuration engine has done its work.

#RT2Win Contest

Do you follow @vmwevorail on Twitter? If you want to participate in our #RT2Win contest, you should!

During the week of VMworld US, @vmwevorail will be pushing out tweets on the handle, with the #RT2Win hashtag.

To enter is simple – just retweet the tweets that contain the #RT2Win hashtag for your chance to win some great prizes, including gift cards and EVO:RAIL swag! Winners will be selected through a random drawing.

EVO:RAIL Challenge at VMworld

New this year is the EVO:RAIL Challenge at VMworld!

During the show, we invite attendees to visit the HCI Zone in the Solutions Exchange to compete against each other to configure and deploy VM’s in the fastest time.

Each participant in the EVO:RAIL Challenge at VMworld will receive a T-Shirt.

To keep the competition level high, the top time of the day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will receive an EVO:RAIL backpack, along with a Basis Peak wearable!

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The top overall time throughout the whole conference will get the chance to compete for a pass to VMworld 2016!

The show is just under a week away and we can’t wait to see you all in San Francisco! Are you Ready For Any? The EVO:RAIL team certainly is. We’ll see you at VMworld.

For more updates around VMware EVO:RAIL, follow this blog and @vmwevorail on Twitter.

Partners: Become Software-Defined Storage Experts at Partner Exchange at VMworld 2015

At Partner Exchange @ VMworld 2015, partners will have exclusive opportunities to connect with the individuals who are transforming software-defined storage: from the Partner Lounge to targeted breakout sessions, there are plenty of opportunities to network, learn, and engage with customers. Not only will partners have access to all of the enablement, sessions, and information needed to succeed in selling VMware products, but also the opportunity to learn about the VMware partner roadmap to have well informed conversations with customers throughout VMworld.

VMware partners with a Partner Exchange Add-On Pass will be able to take advantage of the following activities and more during the week of VMworld.

Technical Boot Camps

Saturday, August 29th  |  VMware Campus  |  Palo Alto

Attend complimentary all-day technical Boot Camps at VMware’s newly renovated headquarters in Palo Alto. Transportation to and from the Moscone Center in San Francisco will be provided as well as breakfast, lunch, an afternoon networking reception, and a tour of VMware’s campus. For a full list of partner boot camps, visit the VMworld Content Catalog and begin building your schedule.

Partner Breakout Sessions

Sunday, August 30th  |  Moscone West  |  San Francisco

Attend partner-specific sessions to learn about the latest Virtual SAN features, tips to successfully sell software-defined storage solutions, and how to win SDDC deals against competition. For a full list of partner breakout sessions, visit the VMworld Content Catalog.

Partner Exchange Lounge

Sunday, August 30th – Thursday, September 3rd

Moscone West, Level 3  |  San Francisco

This year, the Partner Exchange Lounge will be bigger than ever with plenty of space for partners to network, relax, and unwind in-between sessions and meetings.  Partners will be able to use the Partner Exchange Lounge to book private meeting rooms, charge up their devices, grab coffee and snacks, and connect with peers throughout VMworld.  Special networking receptions will be held daily.

Having access to the Partner Exchange Lounge will give partners a unique opportunity to attend the Ask the Executives series everyday from 12:00-3:45pm and openly discuss any topic with various VMware executives such as Bask Iyer, CIO, and Chris Wolf, VMware CTO of Americas Sales.

To avoid long VMworld lines, partners will also be able to take a Hands-On Lab in the Hands-On Labs Hotspot located exclusively in the Partner Exchange Lounge. Completing this lab counts towards their Partner University Credits, Leaderboard Standing, and 2015 VTSP Accreditations.

Learn more about PEX at VMworld and register today. To stay up-to-date with the latest Partner Exchange news, follow @VMwarePEX on Twitter.

Take the EVO:RAIL Hands-on Lab Challenge!

Some modifications were made to the EVO:RAIL configuration and it is up to you to figure out what happened! You will have 60 minutes to complete the three tasks in the challenge lab.

Are you up for the EVO:RAIL Challenge?

If you’d like to take a shot at the EVO:RAIL Hands-on Lab Challenge and potentially win a free conference pass to VMworld 2015 or some free EVO:RAIL swag, simply take the lab. There is plenty of time to participate in the challenge which will run through August 20, 2015 with new winners selected monthly.

What are the rules?

  • It is open to everyone, everywhere (except VMware employees).
  • Competition starts May 1, 2015 and ends on August 20, 2015. Winners will be announced on or about the 1 st of each month and we will notify each winner by email.
  • You can take the challenge each month but you can only win once.

To learn more about the EVO:RAIL Hands-on Lab Challenge including the prizes, rules as well as terms and conditions, go to: https://www.vmware.com/promotions/evorail-challenge

To learn more about VMware EVO:RAIL, please visit us at: http://www.vmware.com/products/evorail

Explore VMware Virtual SAN and More at VMworld 2015

VMworld is quickly approaching, and this year’s agenda is packed with software-defined storage sessions, booth demos, and hands-on labs – from Virtual SAN to Virtual Volumes. Attend VMworld 2015 to learn how you can simplify your IT infrastructure and lower storage costs in the below sessions.

New & Noteworthy

Learn the latest VSAN technical trends, customer successes, and the future of virtualized storage at these must-see sessions.

STO5954-S Rethinking Enterprise Storage: The Rise Of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure
STO5333 Building a Stretched Cluster with Virtual SAN
STO5947 Virtual SAN Operations Management Using vRealize Operations
STO5883 Software Defined Storage: The next Evolution in Storage Architectures
STO4650-QT Five Common Customer Use Cases for Virtual SAN
STO6558-QT 10 Reasons Why VMware Virtual SAN Is the Best Hyperconverged Solution

Continue reading →

Are You a Storage Expert? Prove It. Enter the Virtual SAN Challenge!

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Think you know all there is about hyperconverged storage? Put your knowledge to the test and visit the Virtual SAN Challenge for a chance to win a GoPro Hero4 video cam!

We’re kicking off the Challenge today and are offering you three chances to win:

Quiz 1: July 21 – Aug 03

Quiz 2: Aug 04 – Aug 16

Quiz 3: Aug 17 – Aug 28

Ready to get started? Here’s what you need to know:

  • Visit our study page and improve your chances to ace the test on your first go. You only have one chance to ace each quiz so be sure to study up!
  • If you get stuck, don’t panic – we’ll provide you with helpful hints along the way.
  • No time? No problem. Each quiz is only 6 questions, so you can take it on your coffee break!

Now that you’re armed with everything you need to prove your storage mastery, click here to join the Virtual SAN Challenge – your GoPro Hero4 could be just a few clicks away!

We’ll announce winners across our social channels at the end of each challenge, so be sure to follow @VMwareVSAN on Twitter or ‘like’ us on Facebook to see if you’ve won. Good luck!

For more information about Virtual SAN, visit vmware.com/products/virtual-san, and keep an eye on the blog for upcoming tips and best practices for using Virtual SAN.

Virtual Blocks Blog Recap: Top Posts from June

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Every month, we compile a list of the top Virtual Blocks posts from the previous month for you to enjoy.

Here are the top Virtual Blocks posts from June:

Helping IT Professionals Make Informed Choices Around Storage
The Virtual Blocks blog brings you up to speed on some recent discussion on how VMware Virtual SAN stacks up in some head-to-head performance tests.

Oracle on Virtual SAN 6
Chuck Hollis talks about Oracle RAC and its ability to scale linearly as more instances were added.

10 Things You Need to Know About VSAN
VMware Virtual SAN fundamentally changes the way vSphere admins do storage. While there are several items of great material, this blog post covers the bare essentials for busy IT professionals.

The Collapse of Storage
The storage industry is undergoing rapid structural change that has not been seen in decades. Going forward, everything we’ve come to know about storage will be changing. Chuck Hollis takes a closer look at what this means.

VSAN in 3 Minutes YouTube Series
Sometimes, there is never enough time in the day to sit and learn something new. To make things easier, we’ve started a new video series, “VSAN in 3 Minutes”. Quick, bite-sized and digestible videos to get you going in the right direction.

Be sure to subscribe to the Virtual Blocks blog, or follow our social channels at @vmwarevsan and Facebook.com/vmwarevsan for the latest updates.

For more information about VMware Virtual SAN, visit http://www.vmware.com/products/virtualsan.

3 Things You Should Know about VMware Virtual SAN

How much do you know about Software-Defined Storage and Hyper-converged Infrastructure? Are you interested in hearing about specific use cases, performance data and how your peers are deploying it?

In our upcoming webcast, you’ll learn from Jase McCarty, Senior Technical Marketing Manager of VMware Storage and Availability, who will share how VMware Virtual SAN is leading the charge in Software-Defined Storage and making the jobs of IT managers easier, while saving money.

Registration is now open for this webcast that you won’t want to miss! Sign up and mark your calendar for Tuesday, July 30, 2015 at 11 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.

The webcast will cover:

  • Why Virtual SAN is the platform of choice for running your business critical apps in your vSphere environment.
  • How Virtual SAN provides high, predictable performance that can tailor to your application needs.
  • Why and how customers like Union Hospital and Adobe are using Virtual SAN for their tier-1 applications.

Don’t miss the webcast! Register today.

Share Your Virtual SAN Story and Win a Pass to VMworld!

Radically simple storage.

Elastic scalability.

High performance.

Budget-friendly scaling.

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You’ve heard what VSAN has to offer. Now, we want to hear what you have done with VSAN!

Businesses and organizations like Indonesian Cloud, Oregon State University – School of Business, Peter Cremer and several others use VSAN for a variety of use cases and applications. Here’s your chance to tell us your story – what have you accomplished with VSAN, and how has it changed your approach to storage?

Every valid submission will be entered into a random drawing for a pass to VMworld 2015 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California! [The fine print: 10 passes will be awarded, does not include travel, hotel and additional expenses. You must be a valid customer of VMware Virtual SAN to be eligible.]

Winners will be announced August 15th, so submit your story today!

Fill out the form here.

For the latest updates, be sure to subscribe to the Virtual Blocks blog, or follow our social channels at @vmwarevsan and Facebook.com/vmwarevsan.

For more information about VMware Virtual SAN, visit http://www.vmware.com/products/virtual-san/.

Helping IT Professionals Make Informed Choices Around Storage

Recently, on the Virtual Blocks blog, we’ve discussed how VMware Virtual SAN stacks up in some head-to-head performance tests. The results, intriguing as they were, caught the eye of some and generated some great conversation.

Let’s bring you up to speed:

  • Chuck Hollis then followed up these initial impressions with a second blog post, “VSAN vs Nutanix Head-to-Head Performance Testing — Part 2,” where transparency became key to backing data findings. With the VMware Virtual SAN competitor’s refusal to allow any side-by-side comparison of their product for publication. That reaction increased interest around the Virtual SAN-only data results.
  • In Part 3 of the blog series, Hollis explored the comparisons as to how VMware Virtual SAN stacked up against the competition in terms of relative cost and performance. This piece demonstrated that VSAN accomplishes more with less money.

The results from this performance testing got the IT community talking.

For example, CRN, broke down Hollis’ comparison in “6 More Reasons Why VMware Thinks Its Hyper-Converged Tech Beats Nutanix.” The Register, too, published their own side-by-side comparisons of the data findings in, “A testing time for storage – it’s VMware from Nutanix, by a nose.“

“When software is decoupled from hardware, customers win,” said Hollis.

We encourage all customers to make informed choices around storage.

Want to give your two cents? Sound off in the comments!

Virtual Blocks Blog Recap: Top Posts from May

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Every month, we compile a list of the top vSphere Storage posts from the previous month for you to enjoy.

Here are the top Virtual Blocks posts from May:

The Future Of Hyperconverged Is Already Here

Chuck Hollis recently sat down with Gabriel Long to talk about a VSAN cluster that was built that utilizes Diablo’s Memory Channel Storage technology flash storage. Chuck and Gabe talk about this hyperconverged environment and more.

Virtual SAN Health Check Plug-in Now Available

Now generally available is the VMware Virtual SAN Health Check Plug-in. Created to address one of the paint points many storage solutions suffer from, Rafi Kabesa details helpful features of the plug-in, as well as the checks it implements.

20+ Common VSAN Questions

What makes VSAN so fast? How does VSAN protect my data? Chuck Hollis discusses a list of interesting questions the Virtual SAN team encounters most often, along with answers for each question. You don’t want to miss this one.

Virtual Volumes: VM-centricity And Why Its Important

With VM-centricity, Virtual Volumes eliminates a costly tradeoff that our customers have faced with traditional storage for years. Juan Novella discusses the concept and importance of VM-centricity.

VAAI Licensing Now Aligned with Virtual Volumes (VVol)

We believe the right way to manage storage is through VM-centric, policy-based management. When it comes to environments with traditional SAN and NAS storage, Virtual Volumes is the way to go. One necessary feature to enable a successful Virtual Volumes implementation is vSphere APIs for Array Integration (VAAI). Mauricio Barra talks about this and more in his blog.

Be sure to subscribe to the Virtual Blocks blog, or follow our social channels at @vmwarevsan and Facebook.com/vmwarevsan for the latest updates.

For more information about VMware Virtual SAN, visit http://www.vmware.com/products/virtualsan.