3PAR Introduces Utility Data Lifecycle Management
Utility storage company previews adaptive provisioning
Fremont, CA, U.S. -- January 24, 2006 -- 3PAR, a leading provider of utility storage, announced today Utility Data Lifecycle Management (DLM), an alternative solution for cost optimizing the storage environment that eliminates the expense and complexity associated with information lifecycle management (ILM) approaches. 3PAR also pre-announced 3PAR Adaptive Provisioning, a future software element of 3PAR Utility DLM that will deliver policy-based data service level optimization without mass information classification.
Utility DLM is 3PARs implementation of an integrated data lifecycle management (iDLM) strategy, a much simpler alternative to ILM-based strategies for cost optimizing storage. 3PAR Utility DLM consolidates the entire disk-based data lifecycle into a single, cost-effective, massively scalable, and fully tiered array. Though ILM is well-suited for its original purpose (document control and compliance), ILM has recently been recast by vendors as a means for cost optimizing a tiered storage environment. However, given ILMs cost and complexity -- involving multiple platforms and processes for classifying, moving, and storing data -- customers have struggled to find an acceptable ROI.
By contrast, an iDLM strategy delivers immediate ROI through the easy implementation and management of tiered storage. 3PAR has made this strategy possible with 3PAR Utility DLM, giving customers the opportunity to bypass incremental ILM processes and tools for tier control, and instead consolidate control within a single, intelligent, massively-scalable tiered storage array.
3PAR Utility DLM includes four core elements of 3PAR utility storage functionality and will later include a fifth element called 3PAR Adaptive Provisioning.
Single Utility Storage Platform with Multiple Tiers of Service: The 3PAR InServ creates dramatic management and capacity efficiencies by supporting multiple classes of service (wide variations of cost, performance, and availability) from a single system and a common pool of fine-grained capacity.
Simplified Storage Tier Administration: 3PAR Templates allow users to pre-construct the data volume service level definitions they require (e.g. gold, silver, and bronze), simplifying and standardizing iDLM deployments. In addition, 3PAR System Tuner automates performance maintenance within a given tier by load balancing tier disk resources.
Common Data Management Services: 3PAR Virtual Copy and 3PAR Remote Copy provide unified, space-efficient local and remote copy facilities that allow data from any storage tier to be simply protected or shared within or across any tier.
Online, Non-Disruptive Data Service Level Optimization: 3PAR Dynamic Optimization allows organizations to align application and business requirements with data volume service levels easily, non-disruptively, and on demand. Users achieve optimal data service levels at the lowest possible cost, at all times, across all stages of the disk-based data lifecycle, without resorting to complex and time-consuming data migrations.
Adaptive Provisioning: 3PAR Adaptive Provisioning will allow intelligent data-service-level optimization without the onerous task of mass information classification. Users simply configure an automation policy for data volume(s). Once activated, Adaptive Provisioning gathers and analyzes data-usage characteristics detected by the storage array. Based on this information, portions of data volumes are moved automatically between Quality of Service storage tiers. Data movement occurs transparently and non-disruptively to application hosts. 3PAR Adaptive Provisioning will be available next year.
"While many IT professionals are seeking to cost-optimize their storage environment, some strategies surrounding ILM lead to more complexity," said Dave Reinsel, IDC director of storage research. Solutions such as 3PAR's Utility DLM provide users with a simple, efficient option to manage data of varying importance and performance requirements."
About 3PAR
3PAR is a leading provider of utility storage, a simple, efficient, and scalable tiered-storage array for utility computing that lets customers serve more with less. To learn more, visit http://www.3par.com. Copyright 2006 3PARdata, Inc. All rights reserved. 3PAR, the 3PAR logo, Serving Information, InServ, InForm, and InSpire are all registered trademarks of 3PARdata, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.