Cisco, Microsoft, NetApp chum up against VMware
The Blockening
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Who needs VMware? NetApp, Microsoft and Cisco are releasing validated server/hypervisor/storage designs for Hyper-V cloud data centres. We definitely won't call them vBlocks.
These template designs are part of Microsoft's clumsily named Hyper-V Cloud Fast Track program and NetApp's storage component is called the even less-catchy "NetApp Hyper-V Cloud Fast Track with Cisco data center architecture," which defeats acronym shortening. Perhaps El Reg will call them Hyper-V blocks, which sounds better than H-blocks.
The design uses Cisco UCS servers and Nexus switches, and NetApp FAS storage running ONTAP. A NetApp OnCommand 3.0 plug-in for Microsoft will be included and available in August. The Microsoft components include Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V R2 and Microsoft System Center components. These are System Center Virtual Machine Manager, System Center Operations Manager, System Center Service Manager, and Opalis Integration Server.
With no trace of irony and no mention of EMC and VMware, Soni Jiandani, an SVP in Cisco's Server Access and Virtualization Technology Group, said: "With this validated architecture design, customers can confidently take advantage of the Cisco Unified Computing System and the NetApp infrastructure to accelerate their journey to the private cloud."
Microsoft's channel partners can use the pre-validated designs to implement private public cloud infrastructures using the Cisco-Microsoft-NetApp combo. Other Microsoft partners in this program include Dell, Fujitsu, HDS, HP, IBM and NEC. We don't think it is likely EMC will show in the list, but you never know. ®
COMMENTS
"Journey to the cloud"?
I'm sick of hearing such vacuous and pretentious bollocks. You need to have a word with yourself, mate.
NetApp & Cisco Cover the bases
Same players have a VMware allaince http://www.netapp.com/us/company/news/news-rel-20100126-cisco-vmware.html or just research FlexPod. This is business to the 2 big players cover the largest virtualization players and you can make money with bundled solutions. When basically people could probably build the samne solution using any Network provider, Storage Provider and VIrtual Provider...just sounds nice when you say "Certified Solution" touches nicely on companies Support Fears...
Surprise?
Even inside EMC there is a Microsoft Alliance. Are you all actually unaware of pseudo-strategic corporate structure and comp plans that don't require that all march in the same direction? Co-operatition is rife throughout the industry. EMC had alliances in recent history with email archiving vendors (see Centera) that competed with their own EmailXtender...that wound down ever so slowly after Symantec purchased Veritas that purchased KVS. I would not be surprised to see packages focusing on Microsoft virtualization from EMC under this context depending on the internal structure, MBOs, and compensation of the year.
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