This paper written by the Taneja Group will detail the critical storage management challenges engendered by virtualized server infrastructure and then discuss how DataCore addresses these critical challenges.

Server virtualization today is a hot topic. Enterprises everywhere are rapidly implementing virtualized servers in a quest for better resource utilization, simplified management, and a more flexible infrastructure. Over 85% of these virtualized servers use a SAN and a shared storage model. Unfortunately, server virtualization with shared storage exacerbates pre-existing storage management issues, and in many cases creates new challenges not present in a purely physical world. In particular, storage networks derived from point-to-point physical architectures and high-availability configurations often work to undermine the portability and flexibility promised by virtualized servers.

Forward looking enterprises have found that pairing storage virtualization with server virtualization offers a solution to these unique storage management challenges. DataCore, an early pioneer of the network storage virtualization product category, was one of the first storage virtualization providers to recognize the power of deploying storage virtualization in concert with server virtualization. As a result, its SANsymphony 6.0 product is optimally tailored to address the critical challenges of managing storage in a virtualized environment.