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Modernize Your Network for EMC Unity Storage

By Scott Shimomura posted May 02, 2016 09:20 AM

  

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Truer words were never spoken, plus he’s my boss… The reality is flash is having a huge impact on infrastructure requirements. Legacy networks were not designed to maximize the potential of flash storage, creating potential performance bottlenecks and degradation to application availability. The all-flash data center requires a modern network purpose-built for high performance storage.

 

Today, EMC launched EMC Unity System, a modern midrange storage solution, engineered from the ground-up to meet customer requirements for flash, affordability and simplicity. This is a game changing product line that will address just about any storage need from block, file, to VMware VVol support as well as Fibre Channel and IP connectivity. It can be deployed as all flash, hybrid, converged, or software-defined depending on the requirements and cost considerations. It’s a compelling value proposition that addresses simplicity, flexibility, and performance requirements in affordable flash configurations.

 

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To achieve maximum value from EMC Unity storage, organizations require a modern storage network that is easy to deploy and manage without sacrificing performance or reliability. Today, Brocade announced that its Gen 6 Fibre Channel and IP storage networking technologies are providing the network foundation for EMC Unity storage.

 

Brocade’s Gen 6 Fibre Channel and IP storage networking technologies provide an agile and easy-to-deploy storage networking for EMC Unity systems that eliminates bottlenecks for high-transaction, mixed workloads in flash-based arrays. When it comes to performance, the network matters and Fibre Channel is the de facto standard for most enterprises.

 

The graph below illustrates that in flash environments, legacy networks will bottleneck flash storage. Bottom line, the testing demonstrated that there’s always a benefit with connecting flash storage to a network that delivers the highest available speed and throughput to maximize the performance of an all flash array. We did the testing with Emulex/Broadcom using the TPC-H benchmark. The all-flash array had eight 8 Gbps links connected in different tests to: 8 Gbps switches and adapters; Gen 5 FC 16 Gbps switches and adapters; and Gen 6 FC 32 Gbps switches and adapters.

 

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There’s much more than performance when considering the right networking for storage. Complementing EMC Unity System's simplicity and ease of use, Brocade Fabric Vision technology simplifies Fibre Channel and IP network management through innovative monitoring and diagnostics to anticipate and preempt problems before they impact operations.  It leverages Brocade’s 20 years of best practices to automate complex tasks, resulting in a dramatic reduction in operational costs.

 

Brocade and EMC are building affordable storage and networking solutions that combine simple management, incredible performance, and flexible deployment options. EMC Unity Systems with Brocade Fibre Channel and IP storage networking sets a new standard for the modern data center built on the power and simplicity of flash.

 

If you are going to attend EMC World, be sure to visit our event site for EMC World 2016 to keep updated with all of our sessions and related resources.

 

Also stop by our Brocade Booth # 612 to learn what else Brocade and EMC are doing and at the same time maybe win a great prize.

 

Two relevant breakout sessions for EMC Unity storage include:

 

Breakout Session: Designing a Modern Network for EMC IP Storage

Date: Monday May 2, 2016

Start Time: 1:30 PM

Room Location: Lido 3001A

Breakout Session: Transforming The Data Center: Optimizing the FC Network for Flash Storage

Date: Wednesday May 4th, 2016

Start Time: 8:30 AM

Room Location: Murano 3203

 

Follow me on Twitter @scottshimo

 


#flashstorage
#gen5
#fibrechannel
#Strorage
#BrocadeFibreChannelNetworkingCommunity
#emc
#EMCWorld
#Gen6
#IPstorage
#brocade
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