PernixData FVP is a Flash Hypervisor software that aggregates server flash across a virtualized data center, creating a scale-out data tier for accelerating reads and writes to primary storage in a simple and powerful way. Was one of first (probably the first) to implement a fault-tolerant write back acceleration.

Stating from version 2.0 they add both memory support (instead or with flash) and NFS support (previously they where only block level).

Now the latest version of PernixData FVP software (version 2.5) will add following new features:

• Memory performance at the price of flash with DFTM-Z adaptive compression. A decoupled storage architecture uses the latest in high speed server media for the fastest VM performance and cost effective scale-out. PernixData FVP is the only software that leverages both flash and Distributed Fault Tolerant Memory (DFTM) for this purpose, letting companies deploy storage acceleration on virtually any host.
  Given that memory (i.e. RAM) typically offers less capacity than flash, it historically has been used to accelerate only small footprint, low latency workloads like virtual desktops. To make memory cost effective for all applications, including data intensive tier 1 apps like virtualized databases, PernixData introduces DFTM-Z. This is a new feature that compresses data in a DFTM environment, maximizing the capacity of the underlying RAM hardware by 4x or more on average. With DFTM-Z, customers can now obtain the performance of memory at the price of flash.
  DFTM-Z compression is adaptive based on traffic characteristics, dynamic, and transparent to the workload. This ensures compression overhead never adversely impacts VM performance.

• Optimize what you can, bypass what you must with intelligent I/O profiling. PernixData FVP has always had the ability to accelerate on a per VM basis, applying unique acceleration policies to individual workloads.  PernixData has taken this one step further by adding a new intelligent I/O profiling function to PernixData FVP software.
  With this new feature, PernixData FVP dynamically detects in real-time which workloads are suitable for server side acceleration and which are not (e.g. large sequential reads and writes). In the latter environment, reads and writes are automatically sent right to shared storage, bypassing local server media. This not only maximizes the performance of these workloads, but it maximizes the performance of workloads using server side acceleration by ensuring server flash and RAM is available for storage acceleration when needed.

• Granular visibility with Role Based Access Control (RBAC). PernixData FVP software is increasingly being installed in private cloud deployments and from service providers with Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offerings. To facilitate this trend, PernixData recently introduced a subscription version of PernixData FVP software to align with managed service offerings. In addition, these environments usually have multiple tenants who desire unique views into their own infrastructure and application environments. To support this functionality, PernixData has added Role Based Access Control (RBAC) to the latest version of PernixData FVP software, letting administrators control who has access to the PernixData user interface (UI) and what information they can see.
  In addition, RBAC can be used within an IT department to give granular access to acceleration data. For example, a database administrator (DBA) can be given visibility into database statistics while excluding visibility into other VMs.

The new intelligent I/O profiling and RBAC features are available now in the latest version of all PernixData FVP editions (Standard, Enterprise, Subscription, VDI and Essentials Plus).

DFTM-Z is available now in version 2.5 of FVP Standard, Enterprise, Subscription, and VDI editions.

See also:

• Introducing PernixData FVP Software, Version 2.5
• FVP 2.5 Server side storage intelligence in the post flash era

Andrea Mauro

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.