VXL Cache and Virtualization Software V1.2

OCZ Technology Group, Inc. announced the availability of the next release of its VXL cache and virtualization software (Version 1.2), enabling host-based distributed flash volumes with advanced services that include HA and fault tolerance.

This release delivers ‘the next frontier’ of flash virtualization by
providing a solution that features enterprise caching, support for
virtualized services and distributed flash volumes that dynamically
share its SSD resources amongst any VM that resides on the local server
or on other servers in the virtualized environment.

The VXL software works in conjunction with the company’s Z-Drive R4 PCIe
SSDs to provide a combined virtualization solution that enables
efficient on-demand distribution of flash, maximizing application
performance. The transparent distribution of all unallocated flash as a
dynamic cache resource assures that the flash is optimally utilized at
all times, regardless of how many VMs are running concurrently. As an
added benefit, the software does not require guest agents or special
drivers within the application VM, and the solution works with any OS
supported by a virtualization hypervisor.

This Version 1.2 release of VXL enables Z-Drive R4 PCIe SSD flash
volumes to be virtualized so the software can perform such services as
HA and end-to-end fault tolerance from within the virtualization host
without the need for any back-end SAN or storage appliance. For these HA
and fault tolerance ‘SAN-less’ data center scenarios, flash data is
synchronously replicated through mirroring by VXL software (between
Z-Drive R4 PCIe SSD cards residing on redundant cluster servers) to
assure that host-based flash is treated as a continuously available
storage resource across virtualized clusters. This approach yields no
data loss and no VM downtime even during complete server failures.

"By combining the power of storage virtualization and PCIe flash
caching, and by working centrally with the hypervisor rather than with
each local VM, we have developed a solution that takes full advantage of
flash without losing any of the benefits associated with
virtualization," said Dr. Allon Cohen, VP of Software and Solutions, OCZ Technology. "VXL’s
ability to transparently distribute flash resources across virtualized
environments provides IT professionals with a simple to implement
solution that maximizes the return on investment from flash by
unleashing the full power of their virtualized data center servers."

VXL software includes advantages
over competitive products:

• Enables flash cache physically located in one host server to be shared across remote servers simultaneously
• Does not require guest agents within application VMs simplifying deployment
• Supports all guest OSs supported by hypervisors
• Supports dynamic VM migration from one server to another (e.g. vMotion) without the loss of cache
• Enables SAN-less data center virtualized services as part of an all-silicon cluster
• Reduces data traffic to and from the SAN by up to 90%
• Enables up to 10 times the number of VMs on the same physical host

VXL software has become a more robust solution with Version 1.2, and is
now being deployed at selective customer sites. With this availability
announcement, existing VXL software customers with support options will
be able to upgrade to this latest release through their OCZ enterprise
support contacts.