The challenge today's solution providers face is to deliver the same or better application performance while, at the same time, managing more and more data. In response, many providers are turning to the combination of Dell PowerStore and VMware for data storagethat is flexible, scalable, and easier to manage.

The vSphere Standard

VMware's vSphere virtualization platform currently runs in 80% of organizations. Not only does it perform server virtualization, but it also provides network and storage management and cloud capabilities. In addition, it enables both virtualized and containerized applications to run together on the same storage appliance.

• Another significant strength of vSphere 7.0 is the integration of external storage
• vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI) - which allows the offloading of storage-heavy operations to the storage array
• vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) - which enables the system to find and recognize storage arrays
• vVols - A management framework for external storage that enables containerized applications, traditional VMs, object storage, and other workloads. VVols automates VM registration, VSA provider registration, container creation, and data store creation.

Built with VMware in Mind - The Dell EMC PowerStore

As Dell's premier storage appliance, PowerStore is built from the ground up to run and be managed by VMware frameworks. In addition, it can host virtualized applications natively.

By leveraging PowerStore, VMware administrators can:

• Efficiently manage storage, VMs, and containers directly from VMWare applications
• Reduce latency by hosting data and virtualized applications on the same appliance
• Scale up and scale out linearly to allow for improved performance and storage capacity
• Leverage SCM and NVMe storage technologies
• Minimize their vVols storage footprint with data compression and deduplication
• Secure customer data through built-in encryption

The PowerStore Advantage

To accommodate today's applications' scale-up and scale-out needs, the Dell PowerStore is designed to act as a data center in a box. It provides a single data store that can span an entire cluster. As a result, solution providers don't have to worry about manual load balancing, storage capacity administration, or overrunning storage.

PowerStore also offers Dell's exclusive AppsOn capability, which features an embedded ESXi hypervisor to enable solution providers to run VMs, applications, and PowerStore OS on a single 2U appliance.

Working closely with Intel and VMware, Dell Technologies can offer additional PowerStore features, including:

• NVME plug and play capability - which allows administrators to add new drives without bringing down the server or storage array
• PCIe pass-through to allow for better hardware performance resulting in lower application latency
• Elimination of the 'noisy neighbor' problem in which one VM monopolizes control of system resources to the detriment of others
• Third-party connectivity of storage to enable administrators to manage internal and external storage at the same time, using the same tools

Use Cases Where PowerStore and vSphere Shine

End-users are demanding better performance from their applications while operating remotely. Solution providers are leveraging the tight integration of PowerStore and VMware applications to accomplish two objectives. The first is to provide improved application performance via Edge Computing.

The second objective is the consolidation of the storage and computing resources. Whether it's to conserve rack space in an existing data center or to power applications from remote locations where space is limited, the mark VMware's applications with Dell Powerstore enables the consolidation of many servers into one.

Dell SmartFabric Storage Software (SFSS)

The benefits of Dell's partnership with VMware don't stop with hardware. By developing SFSS, Dell Technologies brought the capability for end-to-end automated and integrated NVME/oF Ethernet fabric to market.

Through leveraging the Non-Volatile Memory Express protocol, SFSS offers a standards-based, centralized controller that provides storage service discovery, connectivity, end-point registration, and zoning services.

At the same time, an SFSS-based system can operate at nearly a 75% lower cost than a similar fiber channel storage configuration and manage the entire system through a single pane of glass.

And despite delivering significantly lower CAPEX and OPEX compared to fiber channel storage, SFSS still provides comparable performance. Moreover, compared to iSCSI configurations, SFSS substantially outperforms.

To Support Your Solution's Storage Needs, Look to Dell Technologies and UNICOM Engineering

As a solution provider, you've undoubtedly already invested time and personnel to build a world-class application. To continue your solution's growth, you do not have to redirect your software experts to build and support hardware.

In addition to being a three-time Dell Technologies Americas OEM Partner of the Year, UNICOM Engineering has spent decades providing expert systems integration support and advice. Today, we leverage our position as an Intel Technology Provider and a Dell Technologies Titanium OEM Partner to drive seamless transitions and support for even the most demanding applications.

Armed with various experts, we can not only help power your existing solutions but also limit the risk of bringing new ones to market. To learn more about how UNICOM Engineering can help drive your solution forward, watch our Why Build on Dell Video or visit our website to schedule a consultation today.