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I’ve already write about Atlantis ILIO USX in some previous posts (for example look at the one related to Virtualization Field Day 3). Their solution is a in-memory software-defined storage solution that pools existing SAN, NAS and DAS from across the datacenter and then optimizes how server applications and VMs consume this storage.

Now Atlantis Computing has announced the new version 2.0 of this product with the promise to enable enterprises to deliver better than flash performance, for half the cost of traditional SAN.

With USX they are jumping in the storage world making their ILIO solutions more than an storage acceleration product, but also a full software-defined storage that can work also as a storage virtualization.

In addition, this software-only solution will extend the life of existing SAN/NAS by up to five years, enable IT to reclaim 80% of existing storage capacity to support additional workloads, and turn DAS into enterprise storage.

Atlantis-Save

The Atlantis USX Platform can be used as an entire storage system (to build an hyper-converged storage solution), or also as a storage virtualization layer to add more features and accelerate existing solutions. The solution supports any type of enterprise storage (SAN/NAS/DAS/ Flash / Converged / Hyper-converged).

Atlantis-USX-Platform

I’ve already wrote how Atlantis USX could be complementary to VMware Virtual SAN and now they have also announced a full support to VMware VVOLs (a new feature of the next major release of vSphere) making any storage VVOL compatible thought USX APIs (this could significantly accelerate adoption of VMware VVOLs).

I’ve got the opportunity to talk with Chetan Venkatesh, Chief Technology Officer of Atlantis Computing, and know some of the other news related to the new release of their new product release.

Actually the two main user cases for Atlantis USX are:

  • Storage consolidation (and storage saving on new purchases)
  • Performance acceleration (support all the virtualized workload)

And actually is only for VMware, but other hypervisor will be supported soon ( Hyper-V probably on Q1 2015).

One of the coolest new feature will be the data mobility one called USX Teleport: it will act as a vMotion like operation to move VMs, VMDK and files across storage, clusters, datacenter, sites. This could be amazing for several user cases, included DR scenarios.

Another promising feature (actually will be only experimental) will be the cloud gateway function in order to build hybrid cloud environment for the storage layer (initially only Amazon S3 will be supported, but other public cloud storage provided will be added, depending also with the users requests).

Atlantis-Hybrid-Cloud

This will work not necessary for the vaulting or backup storage, can work also for the production storage, due to the acceleration capability of Atlantis USX. Or could be used to build an storage redundancy with private and public cloud. Combined with the USX Teleport feature could be something interesting and potentially disruptive in a more massive public cloud storage adoption.

Can this product shake up the storage world? Actually a full-software (or only-software) solutions has lot of pro but some cons: several people prefer build a complete solution instead of compose it but putting together several piece. Pre-build systems save not only the configuration time, but all the compatibility check, the sizing aspect, and so no. For this point of view Altantis Computins has established some OEM partnership or is working on some complete bundle (like the one with VMware that included VMware Horizon with Virtual VSAN and Atlantis USX.

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Virtualization, Cloud and Storage Architect. Tech Field delegate. VMUG IT Co-Founder and board member. VMware VMTN Moderator and vExpert 2010-24. Dell TechCenter Rockstar 2014-15. Microsoft MVP 2014-16. Veeam Vanguard 2015-23. Nutanix NTC 2014-20. Several certifications including: VCDX-DCV, VCP-DCV/DT/Cloud, VCAP-DCA/DCD/CIA/CID/DTA/DTD, MCSA, MCSE, MCITP, CCA, NPP.