Dell: Multicloud on Your Terms with VxRail

By Nancy Hurley, director, CI/HCI product marketing, Dell Technologies, Inc.

With VMware Explore 2022 underway, we provide more depth on how VxRail helps customers realize their multicloud reality.

VxRail continues to be the only jointly engineered HCI system built for VMware, with VMware to enhance the VMware experience. ⁽¹⁾ According to IDC, Dell HCI has led the HCI systems market for 20 consecutive quarters, in great part due to the success of VxRail. In 6 short years, we have over 19,000 customers and have deployed almost 250,000 nodes.

The VxRail advantage, our VxRail HCI system software automated lifecycle management, provides a common operational model from core to edge to cloud. Our VxRail team conducts over 800,000 ⁽²⁾ hours of automated and human testing for each major release of VxRail. Why make that investment? To simplify technology adoption for our customers. At a recent customer forum, we surveyed attendees asking ‘Does VxRail HCI System Software simplify technology adoption?’ Every customer responded ‘yes‘.

We continue helping customers simplify technology adoption with innovations that enable customers to accelerate breakthroughs, thrive at the edge and realize their multicloud reality.

Redefining infrastructure of future
In accordance with our 30-day synchronous release commitment, VxRail will support VMware vSphere 8, VMware vSAN 8 and VMware Cloud Foundation 4.5. One of the most anticipated new features is vSphere 8 on DPUs, previously known as Project Monterey.

VMware vSphere 8 on DPUs improves performance and security posture by offloading network infrastructure services to the DPU. ⁽³⁾ Our initial offering of DPUs is on VxRail and takes advantage of a new element of ESXi (vSphere Distributed Services Engine), moving network and security services to the DPU.

• Industry’s only jointly engineered hyperconverged system running vSphere Distributed Service Engine (DSE) on DPUs

• Customer lifecycle management experience with VxRail HCI System Software, automating every phase of the upgrade path including the VMware ecosystem and the new DPUs

Next evolution of vSAN and vSphere on VxRail
Another anticipated feature is vSAN 8.0 Express Storage Architecture, the industry’s first single-tier HCI storage solution that delivers optimized performance, greater efficiency and resilience. ⁽⁴⁾ We introduced all NVMe VxRail models optimized for vSAN Express Storage Architecture, increasing performance by up to 4x, enabling users to run more high-performance applications in VxRail environments while maintaining the consistent, automated operational model.

• Automated lifecycle management of vSAN Express Storage Architecture

• Easily add vSAN ESA NVME cluster configurations to existing VxRail environments

• Simplify with a common operational model for traditional vSAN and vSAN Express Storage Architecture

Ultimate compute and storage flexibility
When it comes to businesses and IT, one size does not fit all. For applications that need ultimate storage and compute flexibility, the VxRail Dynamic AppsON enables connectivity between VxRail dynamic nodes and PowerStore storage appliances so users can scale compute and storage independently. The key new element to this announcement is the planned addition of PowerStore OS to the end-to-end, automated lifecycle management enabled by the VxRail HCI system software.

• Scale compute and storage separately as business demands

• Consolidate to a single interface with native integration of VxRail HCI and PowerStore storage management in vCenter

• Automate lifecycle management of PowerStore OS via the VxRail HCI System Software ^(*)

Thrive at Edge with VxRail
Taking advantage of opportunities near to where data is created generates immediate, essential value. We announce new VxRail edge nodes in the smallest, most flexible, and self-contained form factor ever. ⁽⁵⁾ VxRail modular nodes will be the industry’s only vSAN HCI system utilizing a built in and purpose-built hardware witness for 2-node clusters ⁽⁶⁾ enabling deployment in high latency, low bandwidth locations.

Additional innovations include:

• Ruggedized, modular, half width blades can be racked, stacked, or mounted

• Scale with your business requirements from 2-64 nodes

• Extend VMware benefits to the edge with a common operational model

Bringing These Innovations to Market
As with all VxRail innovations, we hope one common theme stands out – VxRail is designed to simplify the adoption of new technology. Stop by our booth at VMware Explore to learn more. We have some virtual reality experiences featuring some of our key VxRail customers including Top Golf, New Belgium Brewing and Mercy Ships. Experts will also be on hand to answer questions. If you are not at the show, we invite you to drop by our VxRail Expect Exceptional page to learn more about how VxRail delivers a future where anything is possible.

⁽¹⁾ Based on Dell analysis, August 2022.
⁽²⁾ CLM-005567: With over $125 million invested in VxRail labs and more than 100 staff dedicated to system and ecosystem testing of over 6,000 unique tests and up to 800,000 test hours per release utilizing automated, unique test frameworks for VxRail minimizes the need for IT staff to do their own research and testing.
⁽³⁾ CLM-005559: VxRail is the only jointly engineered HCI system optimized to run vSphere 8 Distributed Services Engine with Data Processing Units (DPU)
⁽⁴⁾ CLM-005558: VxRail Is the only jointly engineered HCI system automating lifecycle management with VMware vSAN Express Storage Architecture.
⁽⁵⁾ CLM-005557: Dell provides the smallest, most flexible, and self-contained VxRail form factor.
⁽⁶⁾ CLM-005470: VxRail modular nodes will be the industry’s only self-contained 2-node vSAN appliance utilizing an integrated and purpose-built hardware witness.
^(*) Expected availability 1Q23