VMware extended tentacles, EVO: RAIL Application Server Hypervisor integration architecture provides a complete infrastructure.

EVO: RAIL: VMware and server vendors, the launch of the new machine Hypervisor-based solutions recently, driven by the VMware software provided to facilitate the rapid deployment of software-defined IT infrastructure.

EVO RAIL

VMware in the recent VMworld 2014 conference, announced a partnership with Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, machine solutions net one, Super-micro and wave (inspire) and other six hardware vendor cooperation -EVO: RAIL.

This program is in a 2U / 4 node server platform, preloaded with vSphere, Virtual SAN (VSAN), vCenter Sever, vCenter Log Insight and other software to form a 100 percent driven by VMware software, including computing, networking, complete IT infrastructure elements, including storage and management, and pre-assembled and validated for quick deployment of products.

By EVO: RAIL this pre-assembled, test suite, VMware claims that users can greatly simplify the deployment of IT infrastructure, 15 minutes can be deployed to provide resources to the front-end user, not only the effectiveness of the product is pre-verified and predictable, but also by a single vendor responsible for the service.

Extended Hypervisor integration architecture.

Preloaded with VMware and other virtualization platform software infrastructure-type machine or an entire cabinet kit is not rare at present, almost all first-tier server and storage vendor can provide such products. Including the server, network, storage and other hardware unit, with virtualization software like VMware vSphere platform, pre-integrated into a converged infrastructure of (Converged Infrastructure) suite, and also all the demands of the following things: can be one-stop shopping for all the infrastructure necessary components, kits are pre-assembled, tested and tuned to quickly deploy the use of the boot, and is served by a single supplier window.

Compared with the existing converged infrastructure products, EVO: RAIL addition to the same infrastructure can provide a complete service to simplify deployment and other characteristics, there are differences between these 4:00:

(1) software and management environment VMware products are: from computing, storage to manage every aspect of the application features are 100% by VMware software to form.

(2) Hypervisor integration architecture: computing, storage, network and manage all functions are provided by the software embedded in the Hypervisor components.

(3) a complete software-defined type Infrastructure: computing, storage, networking and management of all functions are software-defined architecture based on common server hardware.

(4) common modular architecture: EVO: RAIL within each node are the same computing - storage units, four nodes constitute a basic unit, to facilitate lateral expansion (Scale-Out).

Software and VMware management environment are the product

of both the majority or the entire infrastructure-type machine cabinet kit, even with VMware's Hypervisor software to configure and use of hardware resources, due to the back-end contains a separate storage device, so must be used with individual hardware vendor management tools, and thus will not be 100% VMware software environment.

Infrastructure such as the current one on the market's most famous fusion style - by VMware, Cisco and EMC composition VCE Vblock coalition has launched a suite, although the software is based on VMware vSphere as part of the core, but in addition to VMware vCenter management software, such as Hypervisor , but also includes the management of Cisco UCS Manager management server used, EMC Unisphere storage devices used by management platform, but also with a higher level of UCS Director management platform. In the Block, VMware's vCenter and other software platforms can only provide a part of the management functions, many of the services and management functions must be a platform through Cisco and EMC to provide.

While the EVO: RAIL, because through embedded in the Hypervisor software components, to provide all the functional requirements, and even the back-end storage is provided by VMware VSAN, no independent storage or network device, so by VMware platform provides all function, also formed through the VMware software to provide all the services, and 100% execution management platform managed by VMware "pure VMware software environment."

Hypervisor converged architecture.

existing converged infrastructure product suite is composed of different elements come together to provide basic functionality, Hypervisor in which only plays a role in allocating resources, and to deliver to the end user role type VM resources, many basic functions Hypervisor are provided by outside elements, such as storage by an independent storage device to be responsible for, the larger suites also contain a separate LAN and SAN switches to provide network switching capabilities, or even have a dedicated to providing management functions management server.

The EVO: RAIL VSAN with the server through the host's own drive to provide storage capabilities, network switching function is also embedded in the core of the vNetwork vSphere host server with network card to provide, together with the allocation of resources to provide computing The ESXi, as well as the management of vCenter, all the basic features and services are embedded in the Hypervisor from components to drive, so it is a complete Hypervisor converged architecture.

Therefore, the integration of infrastructure is not unusual, EVO: RAIL special at this level then the Hypervisor to converged IT infrastructure, in order to emphasize the integration Hypervisor architecture features, VMware particularly given EVO: RAIL This integration architecture with Hypervisor as the core, contains a complete computing, storage, networking all IT infrastructure in-one product a name: "Super Converged Infrastructure Application Server (Hyper Converged Infrastructure Appliance, HCIA)."

Complete software-defined style infrastructure.

due to EVO: RAIL is computing, storage, networking and management by embedding elements arranged in the Hypervisor Hypervisor integration architecture, he became a completely software-defined type of infrastructure products, the underlying hardware device, by x86 servers, universal element SSD, hard disk and network card and the server installation composed entirely dependent on VMware software drivers, through virtualization technology to make these common hardware components to provide a wide range of basic services, and therefore a completely software-defined style infrastructure products.

Universal modular node architecture

existing converged infrastructure products, mostly stacked package, including the arithmetic unit constituted by the server, storage array of storage units, as well as the Internet from LAN and SAN switches constituted unit, and each unit then stacked into one package, and interconnected through the Internet unit.

The EVO: RAIL is different, with a versatile modular node architecture, each node is identical, and can simultaneously provide computing, storage and network resources generic module, and then to four such nodes module consisting of a basic unit. The current version 1.0, expandable up to 16 nodes. Compared stackable architecture, EVO: RAIL This versatile modular node architecture, easier lateral expansion, and the connection architecture is more simplified.

VMware Infrastructure software-defined natural extension.

EVO: RAIL launch of VMware software can be regarded as a natural extension of the definition of infrastructure. Hypervisor software platform started with VMware, the earliest start is server virtualization, which is the definition of software computing resources, then again Hypervisor core, gradually expand to software-defined network applications and storage resources , introduced with vSphere platform supporting products such as NSX and VSAN.

After the company had to provide network services and shared storage services NSX and VSAN, they will integrate these products in one unit, to become a fully VMware software-driven unit, and includes computing, storage, networking, such as complete IT infrastructure, the idea is logical, therefore, such a product that is today we see EVO: RAIL.

So EVO: RAIL launch, is the first software-defined VMware Infrastructure products extend under summative through EVO: RAIL such products will always develop VMware computing, storage and network virtualization products assembled together. On the other hand, EVO: RAIL raised, can also be considered for VMware menacing Nutanix response. Nutanix feature is to provide a single application equipment, which integrates server computing, storage capabilities, and become a converged infrastructure.

Now, however, the launch of EVO: RAIL just "super-converged infrastructure" product of the first step, the current configuration only supports a small application environments, VMware announced at VMworld 2014 General Assembly in the next application will provide greater scale, EVO included with the NSX and other vCloud Suite Advanced virtualization software: RACK solutions.

However, if the EVO: RACK come this far, it is possible and has a partnership with VMware's existing converged infrastructure products, such as VCE Vblock or NetApp FlexPod, forming more direct competition. By then, VMware addition to these partners converged infrastructure products, providing software components, the application itself also provides a similar scale converged infrastructure products, competition and cooperation between the various manufacturers will also become more complex .

VMware released EVO: RAIL converged infrastructure solutions.

VMware EVO RAIL

EVO: RAIL VMware EVO is the first member of the family, a basic four nodes per unit, which provides services to 100 generic VM, or 250 VDI users. Next VMware application will provide greater scale EVO: RACK.

EVO: RAIL universal modular node architecture.

Existing converged infrastructure products, mostly stackable kit includes an arithmetic unit constituted by the server, storage array of storage units, as well as LAN and SAN network unit by switching constituted, then each unit again stacked into one package. EVO: RAIL is used in universal modular node architecture, each node is exactly the same, can be provided simultaneously computing, storage and network resources in a common module, the module 4 so that a node of a basic unit consisting of easier to form Scale-Out's expansion, and the connection architecture is more simplified.

EVO: RAIL composition
EVO: RAIL contains two parts hardware and software, the hardware part is a 2U, 4 multiple births server nodes, each node minimum specifications include: ● two six-core processor Intel E5-2620 v2 ● 192GB Memory ● 1 Taiwan SLA form SATADOM or SAS hard disk as a boot device ESXi ● 3 sets of 10 000 rpm 1.2TB SAS interface hard disk, the data store space as VMware VSAN ● 1 station forms 400GB enterprise MLC SSD, as a read / Write caching ● 2 x 10GbE ports (10GBase-T or SFP + connection form) ● 1个1GbE IPMI management port. Software suite includes: ● EVO: RAIL rapid deployment, configuration settings and management engine vSphere Enterprise Plus ● ● Virtual SAN (VSAN) ● vCenter Server ● vCenter Log Insight Through the use of HTML5 interface EVO: RAIL management engine, you can quickly complete the EVO: RAIL environment deployment. Each 4-node EVO: RAIL Application Server Hypervisor constitute a four hosts share a VSAN Datastore storage area shared environment, the initial launch of EVO: RAIL VM version 1.0 can support the service and storage space in the table below. There are Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, net one, Supermicro and wave (inspire) and other six vendors that can provide the above specifications EVO: RAIL solutions, from the current IT point of view, the manufacturers product specifications should be similar, but said EMC will own EVO: RAIL in integrating into the Avamar, in order to provide a more complete backup services.

Supermicro's EVO: RAIL Solutions Products.

Supermicro is EVO: one of the suppliers of the first wave of six RAIL offers to SYS-2027TR-VRL001 / 002 2U / 4 server nodes of multiple births, with EVO VMware software consisting of: RAIL solutions.

EVO: Comparison of specific projects RAIL specifications
Scale	Basic	Maximum
Configuration	A single application server (4-node)	4 application server (16 nodes)
VM Service	100	400
VDI VM	250	1000
VSAN Datastore	13.1TB	52.4TB

See Video on YouTube:

1. Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Appliance - Q3 2014 EVO: RAIL

2. Dell - VMware EVO:RAIL Full Experience