Nimble Storage SmartStack for Exchange, SharePoint, and SQL Server

Nimble Storage, Inc. announced a converged reference architecture leveraging Cisco Systems, Inc.‘s Unified Computing System (UCS) and vSphere.

At the core of this infrastructure are vSphere 5.1, flash-optimized Nimble Storage CS-Series arrays, and Cisco UCS B-Series blade servers. Together, these components allow IT organizations to scale as needed to respond faster to changing business needs, while lowering project risks and capital expenses.

Nimble launched a series of SmartStack pre-validated reference architectures that minimize the challenges associated with deploying application, server, hypervisor, networking and storage components as an integrated solution. At the heart of every SmartStack solution is a pre-validated reference architecture leveraging Nimble Storage CS-Series and strategic partners’ solutions. By testing and validating the combined solutions, it creates prescriptive architectures that help organizations accelerate deployment and minimize risk associated with deploying solutions in the data center, whether it be for server virtualization, VDI or data protection.

Highlights of Business Critical Applications
Prescriptive Reference Architecture:

• SmartStack for Business Critical Applications reference architecture, which includes Cisco and VMware components, is designed and validated by Nimble Storage. The reference architecture minimizes the guesswork involved in planning, sizing, provisioning and operating business critical applications.
• The reference architecture has been validated to support department scale deployment of 500 users for Exchange, SharePoint, and SQL server.
• The converged infrastructure delivers storage and compute performance and scalability that enables organizations to improve the responsiveness of business-critical applications, and scale to fit changing business needs without high acquisition costs.
• The solution is designed and engineered for the ‘downtime-intolerant’ enterprise, making it a platform for non-disruptive 24/7 operation in the enterprise data center.

"Having access to a pre-validated framework comprised of our exact networking, storage and hypervisor is a huge advantage that simplifies the deployment process," said Jacob Wilde, lead systems engineer, Virtual Radiologic. "Our IT environment has a combination of Cisco, VMware and Nimble Storage to support our SQL databases. After deploying Nimble arrays we obtained a 50% decrease in storage costs and 2x in performance gain."

"We implemented Nimble storage arrays during a technology refresh of our aging IT infrastructure," said Amado Garcia, senior systems administrator, Community Health Plan of Washington. "When looking for a new storage solution we knew it needed to have cost benefit and the ability to reduce our footprint since we have limited data center space. We deployed Cisco UCS servers and vSphere 5.1 in addition to our Nimble storage arrays where we’re currently running SQL, SharePoint and fileshares. Having a reference architecture is an ideal scenario when looking to deploy disparate solutions."

"Our customers are constantly seeking ways to minimize IT complexity as they deploy new solutions that enable them to scale to meet their growing business needs," said Sanjay Katyal, VP, global alliances and OEMs, VMware, Inc. "Providing a pre-validated structure that outlines storage planning and architectural design has become an imperative for a successful deployment."

"When managing business critical applications, such as Exchange, SQL server and SharePoint, to drive business operations, organizations are burdened with constant increases in cost and complexity," said Radhika Krishnan, VP of product marketing and alliances, Nimble Storage. "SmartStack for Business Critical Applications provides a truly modular approach, simplifying the management and deployment process of virtualized business applications. With this pre-validated architecture, organizations are better equipped to respond to changing business needs with the ability to scale as needs grow."

Customer Experience: Community Health Plan of Washington
Customer Experience: Virtual Radiologic