Nimbus Data Sets New Standard for VMware View VDI Scalability and Affordability, Says Evaluator Group

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Nimbus Data Systems, Inc., the leading provider of unified all-flash storage systems for enterprise and cloud infrastructure, today shared third-party validated test results showing that Nimbus Data's Gemini all-flash arrays and 16 Gb Fibre Channel deliver a cost-effective, scalable and high density storage solution for VMware View desktop virtualization. The Evaluator Group IOmark-VDI test results dispel the conventional notion that hybrid arrays are more affordable and that all-flash arrays are too expensive for VDI, showcasing Nimbus Data's sub-$40 per VDI image storage cost and impressive 100,000 VDI images per rack cabinet density.

"This is the first all-flash 16 Gb Fibre Channel-based storage system with audited results," said Russ Fellows, Senior Partner of Evaluator Group and architect of the IOmark test suite. "Nimbus Data has set a new standard in VDI economics and scale, fully exercising the incredible potential of all-flash technology and 16 Gb Fibre Channel infrastructure, to simplify VDI and ensure its success."

Importance of VDI
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is increasingly being deployed due to the enhanced security, manageability and in many cases, lower costs than traditional desktops.  Although challenges remain with VDI, organizations have found that VDI can provide both operational and capital cost reductions when compared to the cost of upgrading and maintaining traditional desktops. That said, VDI is one of the most demanding storage workloads that exists in enterprise environments. As a result, VDI adoption has been constrained by storage cost and complexity.

About the IOmark-VDI Test
Due to the multitude of claims around VDI, Evaluator Group and other industry partners created a benchmark to measure VDI storage cost and performance, enabling direct comparison of results.
IOmark-VDI measures storage array performance using a real VMware View workload, not simulations or synthetics, to determine the maximum number of VDI images possible without breaching thresholds in response and boot time. This maximum VDI image value is then weighed against the purchase price of the solution to arrive at a storage cost per VDI image. The test uses Nimbus Data's Gemini F420 high-availability all-flash array connected to redundant 16 Gb Fibre Channel switches. Load-generating servers, running IOmark-VDI, connect to this all-flash SAN using 16 Gb Fibre Channel HBAs.

Industry-Leading VDI Scalability and Affordability
The IOmark-VDI test results show that the Nimbus Data Gemini F420 system in a 24 TB configuration supports up to 4,032 linked clone VDI images at a cost of $39.68 per virtual desktop. This is accomplished in just 2U of rack space and 350 W of power consumption. By comparison, a Cisco-validated design to support 4,000 VDI images features an EMC VNX7500 hybrid SSD/HDD array that requires 20U of rack space (10x larger footprint) and 1,720 watts of power (5x higher energy and cooling costs). Nimbus Data's Gemini also scales down to meet midsize requirements, supporting 2000, 1000, and 500 VDI images when using the 12 TB, 6 TB, and 3 TB Gemini configurations, respectively. Results also showed that 16 Gb Fibre Channel delivered high bandwidth and low latency to ensure an ultra-fast 2ms average response time for each of the 4,032 VDI images.

"Customers have struggled with the cost and complexity of VDI for too long," stated Thomas Isakovich, CEO and founder of Nimbus Data. "Tiering, hybrids, and other half-measures only multiply the challenges by putting the incredible burden of VDI storage assessment on the backs of end-users and ineffective data placement algorithms. Gemini all-flash arrays put all data in ultra-fast, ultra-efficient flash memory. The Evaluator Group report not only demonstrates the scalability of this solution, but it also shows that Nimbus Data all-flash storage delivers an exceptionally low cost per virtual desktop."

About Nimbus Data Systems
Nimbus Data develops an award-winning portfolio of all-flash memory storage systems purpose-built for virtualization, databases, cloud infrastructure, and technical computing. Combining unified multiprotocol storage, comprehensive data management software, and patent-pending hardware architecture, Nimbus Data all-flash systems deliver the industry's best performance, data center efficiency, scalability, and total cost of ownership. For more information, visit nimbusdata.com, or follow us at twitter.com/nimbusdata.

About Evaluator Group
Evaluator Group is an IT analyst firm dedicated to delivering unbiased in-depth information on storage architectures, products, and management strategies. For more information, visit www.evaluatorgroup.com.

About IOmark
IOmark.org was created as a coalition of industry organizations, vendors and IT users. The purpose of the organization is to create and maintain benchmarks that allow IT users to accurately and fairly characterize storage systems running VDI workloads. IOmark tools may be used to assess storage performance in real-world environments using actual application workloads for performance testing and benchmarking. For more information, visit www.iomark.org.

SOURCE Nimbus Data Systems, Inc.