Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Citrix & NetApp to Bring Server & Storage Virtualization Worlds Together

Citrix Systems and NetApp have entered a global, strategic partnership to deliver a complete server virtualization solution capable of leveraging the power of NetApp storage solutions.

Citrix XenServer Adapter for NetApp Data ONTAP is a jointly developed certified solution that aims to simplify virtual machine creation and management by allowing customers to centrally manage storage configuration and provisioning from a single console, which according to Citrix makes this solution “one of the industry’s few virtualization solutions optimized for storage environments.”

The growth of virtual servers has complicated the way in which many IT professionals approach networked storage by requiring additional new layers of management software or disruptive changes to the underlying storage architecture.

Citrix XenServer features an open architecture that allows customers to manage storage in the same way for both their physical and virtual server environments. The Citrix XenServer Adapter for NetApp Data ONTAP takes this one step further by allowing customers to access all the storage features in NetApp Data ONTAP directly from the XenServer management console. This approach simplifies the process of implementing virtual servers in NetApp networked storage environments and enables customers to leverage their existing investments in storage infrastructure without retraining users or implementing new layers of management when using the NetApp V-Series systems.

“ManageOperations has successfully deployed both Citrix XenServer virtualization software and NetApp Storage for customers such as T-Systems and Daimler, automating the management of their large computer centers running anywhere from 3,000 – 8,000 servers,” said Jim Corrigan, Founder of Manage Operations.

“After looking at the beta product for Citrix XenServer integrated into NetApp, we are excited about a storage-optimized virtualization solution that will enable our customers to leverage familiar software to add server virtualization capabilities and manage it all through one central management console.”

The Citrix XenServer Adapter for NetApp Data ONTAP is included with XenServer 4.1 and is available today at no additional cost.