Univa Announces UniCloud 2.0
Cloud enabler provides new capabilities for public, private, and hybrid cloud computing
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Univa UD, a provider of software solutions for enabling dynamic IT environments, has released UniCloud 2.0 that includes unique capabilities for enabling private, public, and hybrid cloud environments.
UniCloud 2.0 enables the formation of an elastic compute infrastructure or cloud environment that unifies provisioning, configuration, and virtualization management with application configuration into a single RESTful Web-services-based framework. By integrating this flexible, powerful framework with management of resources and policies, UniCloud 2.0 simplifies the deployment and operation of both physical and virtual (i.e., “dual-mode”) compute infrastructures. As a result, users can maximize software license optimization, throughput, and resource utilization
The new release simultaneously manages “dual-mode infrastructures” that consist of both physical and virtual resource nodes, the most common use case in a cloud scenario. In addition, it integrates provisioning, infrastructure configuration, application configuration, and physical and virtual resource management into a single, unified product.
UniCloud 2.0 can help high-throughput engineering organizations trying to optimize expensive software licenses or fair-share compute resources that require check-pointing. UniCloud is also valuable for small business HPC and ISV appliance manufacturers that need a cloud enablement component for their customers.
Simultaneous Dual-Mode Support
UniCloud 2.0 operates and supports simultaneous dual-mode infrastructure instead of requiring users to choose between deploying physical or virtual compute nodes in a cloud environment. The built-in descriptive policy management ensures applications automatically use the best available mode by switching the hardware profile or live-migrating workload as required to achieve the service level objective. This means all workloads and users get the fastest possible throughput performance and the greatest possible utilization.
Simple to Use
UniCloud 2.0 provides a single construct to manage complex infrastructures and workloads using service level objectives. A workload of any type is automatically managed through integration with powerful Sun Grid Engine software. A workload requiring expensive application licenses, or meeting other prescribed priorities, can be run immediately without having to restart current jobs -- check-pointing and live-migration are fully supported, so all workloads finish within a predictable amount of time. Integrated policy management enables automation by harmonizing workloads, resources, and hardware profiles. Changing system behavior is as simple as publishing a policy -- new actions instantly become available.
UniCloud 2.0 allows any typical cluster administrative functions to be supported in a cloud environment and also supports many capabilities that are not typical or possible with incumbent solutions such as basic check-pointing. UniCloud can dynamically add virtual or physical compute resources to the cluster infrastructure automatically, delivering real-time resource optimization based on available memory, licenses, power consumption, CPUs, and even data locality. With UniCloud 2.0, users can place multiple applications safely on the same compute resource without worrying about swapping or application interference and can reduce power consumption significantly by shifting workload to less expensive data centers.
Coverage of Top Cloud Use Cases
UniCloud 2.0 addresses these top use cases:
- Cloud clustering: Provision an entire cluster in a public cloud
- Cloud bursting: Add virtual compute nodes to internal clusters by provisioning nodes in a public cloud
- Private cloud computing: Create an internal virtual cluster that uses policies to place jobs on the most appropriate infrastructure, live-migrate or checkpoint jobs, and add virtual compute nodes by cloudbursting
UniCloud 2.0 is available as a standalone product or in an Enterprise package. Both packages include Sun Grid Engine software; the Enterprise package also includes Oracle VM, Oracle Enterprise Linux and a version of Reliance, Univa’s proprietary infrastructure and application service governor.
More information is available at www.univaud.com.