There is no better way to describe EMC World than “Bigger and Better”, 13,000+ record attendees, WOW!!! In my now annual ritual, I do some research going into the conference. Just like last year, I wondered what session I should attend to get the latest information on EMC/Microsoft Integration. For EMC world 2011, I found 17 sessions dedicated to, or referencing, Microsoft Applications. This year is even bigger. A quick search of the EMC World 2012 agenda yields 25 sessions with Microsoft related content. Fortunately, most of the sessions are repeated. Adrian Simays recently posted a great recap of the Microsoft related sessions on his blog at Virtual Winfrastructure. There’s no need for me to relist them here.
It’s also interesting to note that Microsoft is a Premier Sponsor of EMC World 2012, just like last year. You can expect to find more details of the Private Cloud Fast Track Reference Architecture as introduced at the Microsoft Management Summit and reviewed here at Inside the Partnership.
One of the big keynote announcements last year at EMC World was VFCache, the PCIe server based cache solution designed to dramatically increase application IO while maintaining protection. Performance AND Protection! I blogged about the SQL Server performance increases back in February.
A year later, the customer adoption has been outstanding. So, what’s all the fuss about? Find out at EMC World. There are 4 Sessions and a Keynote dedicated to EMCs VFCache, and Flash strategy… I would expect some announcements at the conference. Stay tuned for more details.
Introduction to VFCache (Monday 8:30-9:30 and Wednesday 4:15-5:15)
This session provides an introduction to different ways in which Flash technology can be used inside the server, specifically PCIe-based EMC VFCache. It covers the performance considerations and best practices which should be followed to get optimum performance from server-based Flash technology. This session also covers the different ways in which EMC storage systems like Symmetrix VMAX and VNX interact with these Flash-based solutions in the server.
Leveraging EMC VFCache with Enterprise Applications (Monday 4:00-5:00 and Thursday 10:00-11:00)
This session describes how EMC VFCache can be leveraged with enterprise applications like Oracle, SQL Server, and Microsoft Exchange. This presentation introduces various VFCache deployment scenarios for enterprise applications and also provides some best practices to maximize performance benefits. This session also shares the results from various benchmark tests done at EMC Application Performance labs in both physical and virtual environments.
Leverage VNX for Your High-Performance and High-Bandwidth Microsoft SQL Server Applications
This session discusses how you can leverage the VNX platform to deliver predictable and sustained performance with the VNX unified storage platform for your high-bandwidth SQL Data Warehouse / Business Intelligence requirements. Solutions including VNX all Flash array and VFCache are discussed. Best practices around deploying SQL data warehouse on VNX are also discussed as well as how you can leverage VNX with the Microsoft SQL Fast Track program to get a balanced repeatable deployment design.
Birds-of-a-Feather: Implementing Flash Technologies and Cisco UCS in Mission-Critical Application Environments
This BoF session explores the ways customers implement Flash technology to improve performance in mission-critical application environments. The session will also discuss how customers are implementing Cisco UCS to deliver higher performance computing needed in a virtualized data center environment. Customers will have the ability to review how EMC’s new VFCache and EMC Flash-enabled storage systems dramatically improve application performance.
KEYNOTE: Flash Deconstructed: Understanding The What, Where, Why, and When of This Mega-Hyped Movement. (Thursday 8:30-9:30)
Keynote with Steve Duplessie In this session, Steve will overview the various Flash technologies - those available now and those on the horizon - and the potential each technology offers. Steve will drill into implementation and technology options and what users can expect from each - where they work, and where they don't. Users will leave the session with a better understanding of how Flash will evolve and gain insight on what to expect from the industry - along with what questions to ask prospective vendors.
Even more interesting is “Area 51” (Tuesday 5/22 at 2:45) Check your agenda. Even as an internal EMC Blogger, I can’t find any details! What could that be about? You’ll get them after, that’s for sure!
Look for me at EMC World. Follow-me on Twitter @EMCMSFT for all the latest updates, and check back for Videos and Podcasts from EMC World.
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by Sam Marraccini (@EMCMSFT)
This Blog title comes directly from today’s press release, even better is the sub title "EMC Portfolio Enables 80% Faster Provisioning, 4X Better Performance and Up To 30X Less Backup Storage for SQL Server Applications."
EMCs commitment, across divisions and products, is by far the largest partnering effort I have experienced in my 13 years at EMC. This sponsorship is being covered across the globe and covers just about every technology here at EMC. I spend some time in Redmond, Washington tracking down EMC engineers to find out exactly what they have been doing to prepare for the Microsoft SQL 2012 launch event.
I did my best to capture as much as possible in the latest edition of “Inside the Partnership (EMC/MSFT) – SQL Server Special Edition” (Episode #21)
The video is a little longer than normal, ok a lot longer, but it does capture a significant amount of work being done, and yet I didn't get to cover everything. So stay tuned to this blog for more episodes, and maybe a podcast? ;-). The video could have been 6 or 7 separate episodes of Inside the Partnership but I wanted to look more holistically at SQL 2012 and EMC integration across divisions.
I started with Brian Martin (Sr. Director Microsoft Technical Alliance) then spent a little time on the EMC Storage Portfolio in general before visiting: Colin Bailey (Sr. Director Symmetrix Product Marketing), and Jon Siegal, (Sr. Director Product Marketing EMC Unified Division).
I spent some time with Eyal Sharon and Haiyan Hyang in the solutions lab. Eyal spent some time in the video demonstrating the advanced performance we are seeing with EMC Fast Cache and Microsoft SQL Server 2012. Eyan and Haiyan are leading the team of engineers working on the two Proven Solutions highlighted in today’s press release.
EMC SQL Server 2012 Readiness – Performance with VMAXe FAST VP and SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn Local Availability Groups – This solution documents technology considerations for utilizing the new SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn Availability Groups with EMC FAST VP and EMC VMAXe. The focus of this solution is to create availability groups on a FAST VP enabled VMAXe to support business requirements for read-only secondary database replicas. This approach allows for the dedication of the primary replica for mission critical online transaction processing (OLTP) workloads while isolating OLAP/BI demands.
EMC SQL Server 2012 Multi-Site Disaster Recovery – Enabled by SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn Availability Groups, EMC VNX and FAST Suite – This solution documents technology considerations for utilizing the new SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn Availability Groups, with EMC FAST Suite and EMC VNX unified storage. The focus of this solution is to utilize the new SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn transaction-level replication technology to maximize the availability of a set of user databases between two distant sites while enabling the database storage efficiency and performance to be optimized by using EMC FAST Suite on VNX 5700.
In addition to the solutions work Txomion Barturen (Sr Manager, Partner Engineering) spent some time reviewing remote clustering and specifically the work EMC is doing in the SQLCAT labs. Get the Whitepaper here SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn: Multisite Failover Cluster.
And in case you missed the Why EMC for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 introduction here it is:
As mentioned previously EMC is a Diamond Sponsor of the Microsoft SQL Server 2012 launch, that sponsorship included a virtual presence in the exhibit hall, not to mention speaking sessions in the global symposiums. Here is what the EMC booth looked like at the Virtual Launch Event:
To be notified of the latest Inside the Partnership videos, follow me on twitter @EMCMSFT and follow this blog emcmsft.typepad.com
Stay tuned for some BIG news regarding Inside the Partnership!
For all of the latest information regarding EMC and Microsoft, including a special SQL Server 2012 launch page, be sure to join the Everything Microsoft at EMC Community
by Sam Marraccini (@EMCMSFT)
Back at EMC World in May 2011 EMC showed, and promised, a server side PCIe Flash based IO accelerator. In case you missed it, earlier this week EMC introduced VFCache, the promised deliverable from EMC World.
As always virtualgeek is all over the announcement, the background, technology and overall impact associated with VFCache.
VFCache moves the most frequently used data to the server-based PCIe card, putting the most active data closer to the application, thus reducing the need to traverse the storage network and array. Bottom line: Decreased response time = Increased Performance. That’s all cool, what does it mean to my Microsoft Apps?
A key point of the announcement is the extensive “Real World Application Testing” already completed by EMC engineering. Specifically, the work done with Microsoft SQL, resulting in 87% better response with VFCache enabled. Even more impressive is the small print.
“Solutions architecture consists of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, Cisco UCS, and EMC VNX5300. Testing employed a standard TPC-C like OLTP workload with a 750GB database and a 90/10% read/write mix. VFCache enabled on all data LUNs, but not on log LUNS. No tuning of SQL database.”
That’s 87% better performance with no SQL tuning using SQL 2008 R2. As you have heard here and on Inside the Partnership, EMC is a diamond Sponsor of the SQL2012 launch. If we are seeing this type of improvement with SQL2008, what could you expect from a SQL2012 deployment? Stay Tuned….
In the meantime, here is the full whitepaper “EMC VFCache Accelerated Microsoft SQL Server”, detailing the SQL testing. As always, you will find all of the latest information on the Everything Microsoft at EMC Community site.
To be notified of the latest Inside The Partnership videos, follow me on twitter @EMCMSFT and subscribe to Inside the Partnership on the YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/sammarraccini.
For all of the latest information regarding EMC and Microsoft be sure to join the Everything Microsoft at EMC Community
