Tegile Systems combines FlashVols with deduplication, compression

FlashVols are volumes that are pinned in SSD so applications run at maximum performance without the potential delay due to caching algorithms or tiering policies. Combined with Tegile’s de-duplication and compression technologies, this enhancement allows large and medium enterprises that need high-performance and high-availability storage to benefit from flash-grade performance without incurring the costs traditionally associated with high RPM disk drives.

“DBAs spend a lot of time looking at storage latency. During our Microsoft FastTrack Data Warehouse testing, we saw latencies in the 1-10 millisecond range which is in line with what one would expect from an all-flash array,” said Larry Chestnut, Senior Architect with Scalability Experts in an interview with Microsoft SQL Server MVP Rick Heigis. “Tegile’s eMLC NAND flash implementation is very durable as well. Each SSD drive in the system can withstand 3.5 petabytes of write data before you may start to see signs of write wear.” The system in the Microsoft FastTrack test was configured with 10 SSD drives, yielding an aggregate write duty cycle of 35 petabytes.

Tegile Zebi hybrid storage arrays simplify the deployment, configuration and management of SQL Server databases by delivering consistently low latencies while providing the right amount of IOPs for appropriate workloads. Featuring a pool of DRAM, flash and optimised disks, Tegile’s Zebi arrays deliver significant acceleration for most Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence workloads when compared to traditional disk arrays or tiered solutions. Pinned volumes remain in DRAM or flash close to the SQL Server without any involvement from the DBA administrator for ultimate ease of use.

In conjunction with Tegile’s VSS provider, organisations can use the Zebi array to present multiple copies of the same data from a single source. When copies are updated, only deltas are saved. Using this feature can result in dramatic savings when dealing with testing and development environments that utilise multiple instances of the same database. Inline deduplication and compression reduce overheads for highly repetitive SQL Server workloads.

“We’ve engaged with Microsoft to optimise performance and reduce the cost of SQL Server storage by eliminating the need to create multiple copies of the same data necessary to deliver the required IOPs, saving time and capacity requirements in test and development and database environments,” said Rob Commins, Tegile vice president of marketing. “These savings, in conjunction with deduplication and compression, help organisations ensure that flash resources are better utilised and more efficient. Additionally, SQL workloads are automatically optimised by the MASS architecture, ensuring that administrators can focus on their database environments rather than their storage infrastructure.”