Server virtualization demands more from server I/O. Six to sixteen I/O connections per server is typical, which not only drives up I/O costs but also may dictate the use of larger, more expensive servers.
The Simpler Way to Scale Connectivity
Get all the I/O connections, redundancy, and bandwidth you need with just two cables per server. Xsigo virtual I/O consolidates the infrastructure to deliver an immediate 50% cap ex reduction (learn more about the cost savings here). In VMware environments, deploy up to 32 vNICs and 16 vHBAs per server, and get 20Gbs bandwidth to each server.
Drove the VMware Booth at VMworld 2009
VMware capitalized on Xsigo virtual I/O to consolidate 52 vSphere demonstrations from 14 half-height racks to one 60" high rack at VMworld 2009.
Predictable Application Performance
It can be challenging to guarantee application performance and isolation when relying on shared connectivity. Virtual I/O delivers predictable application performance in three ways:
Dynamically allocated bandwidth: 20Gb bandwidth to each server is dynamically shared among virtual machines.
Resource isolation: Connectivity can be assigned to specific VMs and terminated on specific external ports on the Xsigo I/O Director. It is the equivalent of a dedicated link without the need for dedicated cabling.
Quality-of-service (QoS): Ensures that critical applications receive the bandwidth required. Control both network and storage bandwidth to specific virtual NICs and HBAs.
Lower Server Cost and Reduced Power Consumption
Connectivity requirements for virtualization often drives deployment of larger, more costly servers. With virtual I/O, you can deploy all needed connectivity within a 1U or 2U server. Just two adapter cards lets you deploy up to 64 connections to any server.
Fewer I/O cards and external switch ports also means less power consumption, saving as much as 40 watts per server.
Development to Staging to Production, Without Disruption
Move a server or specific VM from one physical network to another without re-cabling. Simply direct the server's traffic to another external port on the Xsigo I/O Director. Get network isolation without relying on VLANs.
Faster VMotion
Accelerate VMotion with a "dedicated" high-speed link. Xsigo virtual I/O incorporates a low-latency switched fabric that enables exceptionally fast server-to-server communications. Within that fabric it is simple to configure an isolated VMotion network that is isolated from production traffic.
Less Latency
Server-to-server communications benefit from the high-speed and low-latency switching of Xsigo's underlying fabric. By sending information from one vNIC to another, servers move traffic at nearly 20Gb per second with a latency of less than 30 microseconds using standard TCP/IP protocols.
Scalable I/O for Blades
Escape the I/O constraints of blade systems. With virtual I/O, storage resources can be deployed as needed -- up to 32 virtual NICs and 16 virtual HBAs per blade -- so you can better support VMware best practices of dedicated connectivity for critical VMs and management functions.
Centralized I/O Management
Manage I/O from within the VMware user interface. The Xsigo graphical user interface is a browser based interface that provides centralized management of all I/O connections, system-wide, from a single screen. In addition to running as a stand alone system, the Xsigo Management System has been integrated with the VMware Infrastructure Client. This provides complete management of virtual machines and virtual I/O from a single application.
The Xsigo I/O Director
The Xsigo I/O Director is an enterprise-class, hardware-based solution that provides LAN and SAN connectivity for up to hundreds of servers. Under software control, any server may be configured with access to any LAN or SAN. Because the vNICs and vHBAs can be configured on-the-fly without a server reboot, the server's network connectivity is truly flexible and reconfigurable.
