EMC VMAX and Disk Library for Mainframe

Highlights:

• New VMAX All Flash delivers industry-leading mainframe support
• EMC VMAX3 automated storage performance extended to mainframe environments, helping reduce TCO and simplify operations
• Industry’s first-to-market on-array, automated snapshot protection for mainframe environments added to VMAX3 and VMAX All Flash
• EMC Disk Library for Mainframe removes data silos through new holistic views across production and DR VTLs

EMC Corporation announced new capabilities for its VMAX and Disk Library for mainframe storage products.

EMC Disk Library for mainframe

With VMAX support for mainframe, in both the VMAX3 and the new VMAX All Flash products, customers can modernize, automate and consolidate disparate data center technologies within a simplified, high-performance and trusted data services platform. The additional capabilities of VMAX3 extend its automated performance tiering functionality to the mainframe. The VMAX family now offers twice the processing power in a third of the footprinti for mainframe customers. Modernizing data protection for the mainframe, EMC is announcing the first-to-market scale-out automated snapshot solution for mainframe storage, called zDP (Data Protector for z Systems).

EMC is also announcing updates to its EMC Disk Library for mainframe (DLm) technology. The new DLm4.4 breaks down data siloes associated with disk libraries by creating an all-encompassing view of two virtual tape systems with the ability to read from, write to and update the other.

Mainframes continue to power critical workloads at a number of large enterprises, including support for Third Platform mobile applications that drive substantial data traffic back to mainframes, increasing demands on storage as well as pushing the limits of physical mainframe tape systems. EMC has continued to innovate its primary storage and data protection solutions, adapting specific features designed to enhance mainframe operations helping to ensure performance, availability and reliability.

Performance Optimization and Simplification
With VMAX support for mainframe, EMC is changing the game for mainframe storage performance. With dense array packaging, processor cores and efficient use of power, the VMAX3 requires 40% less floor space, 23% less cooling and 21% less power than its closest mainframe storage competitorii, resulting in the best TCO.

EMC is extending its Service Level Objective (SLO)-based storage tiering functionality across the VMAX3 range of products to now support mainframe. It is designed to simplify data management across the mainframe, automating tiering to pre-defined service levels based on response time demands for data. The new VMAX All Flash further simplifies the equation to a single service level (diamond), while delivering consistent response times, with the trusted mission-critical availability of VMAX.

Simplified Data Recovery
VMAX All Flash and VMAX3 feature zDP technology, a data protection solution to simplify and automate the process of data protection, offering the capability to create snapshots at regular intervals. The zDP feature eliminates the need for mainframe admins to rely on a restore from their Business Continuance Volume (BCV) ‘gold copy’ file in the event of data corruption. zDP is designed to take snapshots as frequently as every 10 minutes, slashing mainframe RPOs by up to 144x.

Modernizing Disk Library
With the introduction of DLm 4.4, EMC is breaking down the silos associated with tape libraries by creating an all-encompassing view of two virtual tape systems that allows each to read from, write to, and update the other. This global virtual library improves availability, since either DLm can act as a substitute for the other. It also enables businesses to site-swap between geographically distributed pairs of EMC DLms, switching use from production storage to protection storage for prolonged periods of time. When used with the EMC Data Domain 9500, DLm 4.4 can offer four times the capacity of its nearest competitor, leading to reduced TCO.

Stefan Kraft, systems manager, IVV GmbH, said: “Our requirements for mainframe aren’t going away; if anything, they’re getting more sophisticated. That’s why we need a vendor that continues to evolve its mainframe offering to help us modernize our data center. We have chosen VMAX3 for our mainframe storage as its premium performance and ability to simplify operations enables us to consolidate workloads and reduce TCO. As a trusted technology partner, EMC understands our mainframe storage needs and consistently innovates to meet them.”

Thomas J Meehan, VP of technology advancement, INNOVATION Data Processing, said: “Mainframe purchase decisions tend to be a long-term commitment not to be taken lightly. Customers are always hoping for a quantum leap forward in their next buying cycle, so we’re excited about being able to participate in showing them the dramatic changes in performance, manageability and security that EMC is bringing to the table. We expect mainframe customers planning to acquire new VMAX3 storage, will be pleased to find INNOVATION Data Processing business data protection, business resiliency and information management solutions ready to leverage the unique advantages VMAX3 storage architecture will make possible.”

Randy Kerns, senior strategist, Evaluator Group, said: “Some people think of mainframe as ‘yesterday’s’ technology – but mainframe is often in the background powering a lot of the mobile and agile applications that are revolutionizing modern businesses. Businesses relying on mainframes can’t afford for their vendors to get complacent on the mainframe as they focus on other areas of their portfolios. We expect organizations to value EMC’s mainframe enhancements, offering the usability, visibility and performance required for the modern data center.”

Fidelma Russo, SVP and GM, enterprise and mainframe solutions, core technologies division, EMC, said: “Leading companies around the world have come to rely on VMAX3 for its transformational capabilities. Now, we’re proud to extend our flagship enterprise data services platform to the mainframe, bringing automated storage performance, improved TCO, operational simplification and an industry-first data protection. Furthermore, customers pivoting to a completely modern data center now have the option to realize the potential of flash in their mainframe environment by accessing all these features in VMAX All Flash. Taken as a whole, these new capabilities will allow our customers to take a quantum leap forward in their data centers, empowering them to achieve their business goals.”