Network Storage

Nasuni announces file storage partnership with Google Cloud

Nasuni Corporation has announced that it has formed a strategic collaboration with Google Cloud to address the growing need for enterprise file storage that is simple, reliable, and low cost. Nasuni is bringing to market a modern enterprise cloud file storage offering that pairs Google Cloud’s object storage economics with Nasuni’s cloud-native global file system.   The new solution from Nasuni delivers low-cost primary file storage for enterprise customers seeking to modernise their on-premises file servers and network attached storage (NAS) infrastructures. The integration between Nasuni’s cloud-native file storage platform and Google Cloud’s object storage provides high-performance primary file storage, backup, disaster recovery (DR), multi-site file synchronisation and edge caching -- all for up to 70% less than traditional file infrastructures.   “We’re delighted that Nasuni will deploy its solutions for cost-effective and agile file storage on Google Cloud,” says Manvinder Singh, Director, Partnerships at Google Cloud. “Bringing their cloud-native solution to Google Cloud enables customers to deploy file storage as-a-service on our scalable, global, and secure infrastructure, with simplified procurement and billing via the Google Cloud Marketplace.”  As organisations of all sizes continue to pursue digital transformation with cloud-first strategies, they are turning to Nasuni for its primary file storage and backup SaaS solution built on cost-effective cloud object storage, to realise significant cost savings compared to refreshing traditional on-premises file storage. With Nasuni’s partnership with Google Cloud, customers can now take advantage of an innovative cloud file storage solution that offers more dramatic savings using always-available, Google Cloud Storage archive class object storage, without sacrificing end-user performance. Google Cloud’s cost-optimised object storage is achieved through economies of scale across its global internet infrastructure and network.   “We’ve seen IT continue to evolve with the cloud, with files storage traditionally trailing behind due to complexity and cost,” says Andrew Smith, research manager at IDC. “The dynamics in the marketplace are now shifting, putting file storage in a pole position for disruption around simplicity and cost savings. The new partnership between Nasuni and Google Cloud is significant, as it is designed to address evolving customer expectations for cloud storage.”  Nasuni’s offering, available on Google Cloud enables customers to consolidate departmental and organisational file shares, traditionally stored in on-premises file servers and NAS, in a single global file system in Google Cloud. Benefits include:  File storage silo consolidation: Nasuni eliminates primary and backup storage silos by consolidating all files in the cloud under one global file system that is accessible from anywhere. Built-in backup and disaster recovery: Nasuni Continuous File Versioning technology stores all file changes as they happen in Google Cloud Storage for fast recoveries to all locations, eliminating the need for traditional file backup. No file storage limitations: Nasuni’s UniFS global file system resides in and scales with Google Cloud Storage to offer a single, global namespace that can be accessed from anywhere, without traditional limits on the size or number of files, directories or snapshots. Fast end-user file access and sharing: Nasuni’s unique caching architecture, which can be deployed in cloud-only or hybrid cloud configurations, gives customers the flexibility to access files in local Google Cloud regions or in multiple on-premises locations. End-users and applications enjoy extremely fast file access, even for demanding workloads and large files, while cloud data egress costs are minimised. Better access to Google Analytics: Once organisations consolidate their files from all locations into one global file system in Google Cloud Storage they can begin to take advantage of services like Document AI, Vision AI, Video AI and Natural Language.  The right object storage class: Customers can build their primary file storage around the Google Cloud Storage class appropriate for their business model. Simple migrations: Organisations can easily and rapidly migrate Windows file servers and NAS file shares to Google Cloud, reducing the cost and complexity of managing these environments.  “As part of our infrastructure modernisation efforts, we wanted to move to an enterprise-class file storage solution that would better meet the needs of our global business,” says Aaron Tiner, Director, Information Technology at Morrow-Meadows Corporation. “Knowing that Nasuni would work with any object storage, we selected Google Cloud as its back-end. Google Cloud’s Object Storage provides immediate, and long-term cost savings, and Nasuni enables local, tier-one performance with built-in backup. This combined offering was the obvious choice.”  Paul Flanagan, CEO of Nasuni comments, “As companies move data to the cloud for simpler management, better resiliency and cost savings, they will be able to retire overhead technologies previously needed to protect their file investments, such as NAS, file servers, backup hardware and software, and redundant storage infrastructure replicated at remote sites for disaster planning. Nasuni’s simpler, cost-effective solution on top of Google Cloud delivers the on-demand file access, flexibility, built-in backup and file sharing that today’s distributed workforce needs.” 

IXcellerate expands to support growing Russian Data Centre Market

Caterpillar has announced that IXcellerate has selected Cat dealer Zeppelin Power Systems Russia to support the company’s growth by increasing the power capacity of its data centre campus in Moscow. Zeppelin recently installed and commissioned eight Cat 3516B-HD and two Cat 3512B diesel generator sets for the expansion of IXcellerate’s Moscow One and Moscow Two data centres, which have received the Uptime Institute’s Tier III certification for design requirements.  To date, Zeppelin has delivered a total of 21.4 MW of standby power supplied by 16 Cat diesel generator sets, including four Cat 3412 units installed and commissioned in the first stage of cooperation. Cat Financial is supporting the contract, and Zeppelin will provide ongoing maintenance and service to help deliver optimum performance and value over the lifetime of the installation. “The ecosystem of IXcellerate data centres, uniting cloud, network and IT infrastructures, is built and developed to satisfy the needs for storing and processing large volumes of data,” says Konstantin Borman, managing director of IXcellerate. “Zeppelin and Caterpillar have delivered a robust standby power solution with built-in flexibility to grow our business, and we will rely on their expertise as we continue to expand and upgrade our infrastructure.” IXcellerate’s year-over-year revenues increased by nearly 30% in 2019, and the company’s growth rates are 50% higher than the Russian data center market average due to several major hypercloud deals signed during the year. Cat power solutions help data centres meet uptime commitments at hundreds of facilities around the world. Caterpillar’s portfolio includes efficient generator sets with high power densities integrated with automatic transfer switches (ATS) and switchgear specifically customized for continuous, standby, and temporary power applications at data centres. “The market for data centre services in Russia has grown immensely, and IXcellerate has quickly risen to a strong position through the quality and reliability of their offerings,” comments Bart Myers, general manager, Caterpillar Large Electric Power. “We look forward to providing IXcellerate with the additional power systems support that will further enhance the company’s capabilities.” Caterpillar delivers innovative power systems engineered for exceptional durability, reliability and value. The company offers worldwide product support, with parts and service available globally through the Cat authorized service and dealer network. In addition, dealer technicians are trained to service every aspect of Cat equipment.

When it comes to data storage: What's love got to do with it?

What better time to discuss relationships than around Valentine’s Day? Finding the right match can mean a lifetime of happiness together; but not all relationships are between two people. Today we look at those between IT organisations and their data storage. How can end users find love? When successful relationships are based on long-term commitment, how can IT administrators find the one, rather than end up disappointed after a flash-in the pan (pun intended)? The approach to finding the right match, when it comes to data storage products, should be similar to that a person would apply to finding a suitable romantic partner: there are qualities an IT solution has to have that are non-negotiable, others less so. Eric Polet, product marketing manager at Spectra Logic, explains “There are some traits that your match must absolutely have, such as honesty, kindness, sense of humour, intelligence, etc. These essentials will vary from person to person.” He compares this human element to the search for a storage solution: “An end user organisation must go through the same initial process: the IT team must determine what it requires for its long-term success and happiness such as business priorities, critical needs, future plans, shared values, preferences and limitations.” Eric also gives us an example of such matchmaking when it comes to technology: “Choosing between a private cloud, hybrid cloud, pure cloud, or multi-cloud is a good example of how it is essential to identify your non-negotiable criteria during the selection process.” Saimon Michelson, field CTO at CTERA, takes a slightly different approach: “A good way to start is to conceptualise the finish. Decide what you’re trying to get out of the new solution. Are you looking for more cost-effective means of storing unused data? Are you trying to enhance the productivity of remote workers post-COVID?” Those deal-breakers Eric mentions are crucial when putting together a plan, be it with a life partner or for a storage solution. Ensuring they are taken care of means that organisations can relax knowing that their must-haves are covered. Scott Sinclair, principal analyst at ESG Global, tells us what he believes some of these priorities should be: “For data storage, the essentials, such as high availability, performance, cost, and ease of use, are still important, but those are really just the beginning of finding the right solution.” Scott also explains how some organisations can underestimate their growth: “Once the essentials are met, prioritise storage solutions that provide the most flexibility to change with the needs of your organisation, and not just in terms of adding capacity or even more performance.” As Veniamin Simonov, director of product management at NAKIVO explains, success depends on both the storage solution and the organisation involved: “A good understanding from the organisation, explaining its needs, and fairly accurate projection for the next few years are crucial. Then it's a matter of searching for a solution which is not only a good fit at present, but is also likely to be suitable in the coming years. Afterwards, one or more selected products should be evaluated and tested.” This is useful advice: as many people in the dating game will tell us, sometimes you may think you know what you are looking for in a partner, but it is only when you sit down and write a list of priorities that you form a clear idea of the attributes your match needs to bring to the table. Another consideration when trying to identify the one, is how much you are willing to invest in the relationship. Spectra Logic’s Eric spells out what should be examined in terms of cost: “The initial and ongoing costs, the time requirements, and the flexibility of the solution must all be weighed before choosing ‘the one’.” Whether the chosen one will be reliable is another factor: lack of reliability can lead to a severe breakdown of trust and reputation, leading to the demise of the relationship and damaging future ones. In this case that could be an end user discounting a particular technology altogether due to a bad experience. Doug Williams, Northern Europe Alliance and Channel Director at Scality, points this out: “It is vital to find a reliable match that will always show up for you, whether that is your partner or your data storage array; this is a deal breaker.” He goes on to add. “IT organisations should also look for longevity in their chosen solutions to allow for growth and development over the years.” Any IT administrator wishing to enjoy a fruitful, long-term relationship with its IT environment, also needs to think of anyone else who may be affected by this partnership. If their new match is going to affect other users in their company it is important that their needs are also taken into consideration during the selection stage. CTERA’s Saimon explains, “It's also important to engage with business folks to understand their requirements. After collecting/analysing the data and getting business input, it's time to formulate your functional requirements and start looking for the most appropriate storage solution(s).” Another essential step when looking to build a long-term relationship, is to look ahead: an IT organisation scouting around for a new match should look beyond the here and now. Just like a person may not tick all the boxes on the first date, upon learning more about them, additional, desirable, highly-compatible aspects may come to light. The same goes for a data storage product: an IT administrator should not dismiss a solution because it may not tick all the boxes at the start because new, useful features may be on the roadmap. NAKIVO’s Veniamin spells this out, “While, for example, a product may appear to lack a critical feature required in the next two years, there is a chance it may be on the roadmap, or in development.” Having said that, if one of the end user’s deal breakers is not on the cards for the potential product match in the foreseeable future, they should walk away. “In case the organisation needs a deal-breaking feature today, and the vendor does not offer it, it is probably better to go on looking for another supplier.” The IT admin has a right to expect the product to offer a number of appealing features to the partnership, such as reliability, ease of communications and integration from the product. At this point, with all of that in mind, what would make an IT organisation ‘swipe right?’ Reviews are a great source of first-hand feedback: whilst they are quite hard to come by when it comes to romantic candidates, in the case of IT products they are easier to come by. These reviews can often help sway an organisation who is toing and froing between two or three different solutions. NAKIVO’s Veniamin mentions the benefits of reviews and customer opinion: “It makes great sense to look for online reviews and case studies, paying specific attention to negative reviews. The goal of such research is making sure the selected vendor is customer-centric and is focused on user satisfaction.” Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is another important factor in an IT organisation-data storage solution relationship. Whilst TCO is something couples may often laugh about as they once again spend money on each other for anniversary gifts and spontaneous presents, it is no laughing matter for vendors, as Veniamin summarises: “Organisations with limited budget may prefer to go with a more affordable product, provided that it meets the critical needs.” Finding the ideal match takes a fair investment of time and effort: however, before starting their searches, organisations need to be very clear with regard to what their needs and constraints are and what they are prepared to compromise on. If the process is given the commitment it warrants, love can be in the datacentre air after all! By A3 communications

Avnet, Schneider Electric and Iceotope deliver Micro Data Centre

Avnet, Schneider Electric and Iceotope have been joined by Lenovo to deploy its Lenovo ThinkSystem SR670 servers in a highly scalable, GPU-rich, liquid-cooled micro data centre solution. Sealed at the chassis level, the new solution enables artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads to be deployed in close proximity to the location of data generation and use regardless of how harsh the environment is. Avnet is providing the integration services for the solution on behalf of Schneider Electric and Iceotope to help them deploy globally to a wide range of customers. The unique capabilities and technologies Avnet brings to the partnership include: Conversion of the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR670 to liquid cooling and integration of Schneider Electric’s APC NetShelter liquid-cooled enclosure systemSoftware development to deliver Out of Band Management (OOBM) capability. Through Witekio, an Avnet company, Avnet is working with Iceotope to offer a RedFish-compliant solution that is enabled by Avnet’s MaaxBoard IoT single board computerA full portfolio of lifecycle services such as warranty support, field installation and maintenance, advance exchange, repair/refurbishment, and IT asset disposition and value recovery The groundbreaking solution is based on Iceotope’s Ku:l 2 liquid-cooled chassis which provides unique value by completely isolating the critical IT from the environment with a perfectly sealed and resilient enclosure. This enables secure and tamper-proof computing, storage and networking, providing an extra level of physical and I/O connective security in the most extreme locations and climatic conditions. With Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure IT solution, remote monitoring and management is taken to a new level enabling proactive insights on critical assets that impact the health and availability of IT environments, so infrastructure performance is optimised and risk is minimised. “Liquid cooled servers that are cost effectively deployed at scale will revolutionise the server industry as well as computing in general by cutting energy usage, noise and space requirements,” says Scott MacDonald, President, Avnet Integrated. “As a leader in industrial solutions, Avnet Integrated is uniquely positioned to simplify the deployment of this solution for our customers in collaboration with Schneider Electric, Iceotope and Lenovo. Our ability to solve complex problems on a global scale for large customers while closely collaborating with all partners is what differentiates us as an advanced systems integrator.” David Craig, CEO Iceotope comments, “The infrastructure to provision edge expansion will be installed where space provides, outside traditional data centres – we call this the Fluid Edge. Iceotope is dedicated to ensuring the durability, reliability, efficiency and long-term viability of Fluid Edge facilities, where air cooled approaches have a limited future. Partnering with Lenovo to bring the Ku:l Micro DC to life has accelerated our capability to provide a proven and warranty-backed, chassis-level immersion cooled HPC design solution to this expanding market.” Steven Carlini, VP Innovation and Data Centre, Schneider Electric states: “This integrated, immersion cooled solution brings highly intensive and efficient edge computing capabilities that “drop into” applications from the edge to large scale HPCs. The ability to bring these ready-to-deploy liquid cooled solutions to market proves the strength of the Avnet, Schneider Electric and Iceotope partnership.”

Infinidat surpasses 7 Exabytes of enterprize storage deployed globally

Infinidat has announced that the company has deployed 7.1 Exabytes of enterprise storage capacity worldwide. This achievement marks a key milestone for the company as it enters its 10th year in business with tangible momentum, highlighted by a surging uptick in growth of half an exabyte in the fourth quarter of 2020. “Infinidat has exceeded expectations, which is a testament to the value that customers see in our unique mix of faster performance, high availability, reliability and affordability, despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic and the industry slowdown in 2020,” says Phil Bullinger, CEO of Infinidat. “Our growth of total storage deployed reflects a bigger trend around how an increasing number of companies want to improve operational efficiency, accelerate digital transformation and adapt to their own changing needs for enterprise-class storage.” Amanda Regnerus, EVP Business Development at US Signal comments “Infinidat’s continued growth and rapid achievements of key milestones are reassuring that we are working with an enterprise storage solutions provider demonstrating leadership.  Infinidat provides us with the high performance and 100% availability that we as a service provider need to meet our customers’ requirements established in service level agreements, while at a price that allows us to remain competitive.” Bernd Kisters, CIO at KISTERS AG, adds, “It’s impressive to see Infinidat reach these Exabytes because it reinforces how equipped the company is to grow with a large enterprise and continue to aim higher. Our experience with Infinidat has shown us their ability to scale up, so it’s not surprising to see the company make this leap forward.” Infinidat’s total storage deployed is higher capacity than the top eight primary storage all-flash array (AFA) vendors shipped in 2020. The rising customer demand for petabyte-scale systems is expected to accelerate the company’s continued growth in storage deployment.

MediaTek, Swisscom, Ericsson and OPPO enable 5G carrier aggregation

MediaTek has announced it has reached a 5G carrier aggregation (CA) and Voice over New Radio (VoNR) milestone in collaboration with Swisscom, Ericsson and OPPO, advancing 5G networks across Europe. Through this joint initiative, 5G CA between frequency division duplex (FDD) low band and time division duplex (TDD) mid band was achieved in both Non-Standalone (NSA) and Standalone (SA) network architectures. FDD was deployed simultaneously with LTE using the same spectrum resources and utilizing the Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technique. Aggregating the FDD band with its wider coverage capabilities together with the TDD band will help to extend the coverage of the higher peak rate capabilities of the TDD band and increases network capacity. FDD-LTE and FDD-TDD are both important in paving the way for 5G SA deployment, ensuring a seamless 5G user experience and extended capacity. “As a 5G innovation pioneer, MediaTek has a long history of working with Swisscom, Ericsson and OPPO on 5G to usher in this new era of ultra-fast connectivity,” says JS Pan, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership at MediaTek. “This is just the beginning of the 5G SA journey in Europe and MediaTek is committed to bringing it live to its full extent. We are prepared to meet the increasing demand in new 5G services and applications. Our Dimensity series of powerful and energy-efficient 5G SoCs are designed to support NR CA across multiple configurations, as well as native VoNR support, to ensure a seamless user experience.” VoNR represents a major step towards the migration to 5G SA systems. This will allow OEMs to bring innovative new services to market. With SA networks, 5G applications will be able to go beyond enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) targets of high data throughput to meet the ultra-low latency and reliability requirements of mission-critical use cases and enable next generation of massive IoT deployment. Both accomplishments were made on Swisscom’s commercial 5G network using Ericsson’s network infrastructures including its RAN, Core Network and IMS solutions. Additionally, the milestones were reached on commercially available OPPO Reno 4Z 5G devices powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 800 SoC and MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ SoC test user equipment (UE). “In our labs we are showcasing that the technologies we invest in today will benefit our customers tomorrow. This was confirmed again recently with Swisscom topping the latest Umlaut Connect best network test in Switzerland for the fourth year in a row,” comments Christoph Aeschlimann, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Swisscom. “The future of 5G services will be centred around 5G standalone networks, and by investing in 5G standalone, we are also investing in new opportunities for Switzerland, such as through network slicing and dedicated on-premises 5G deployments.” “Through this joint initiative, we’re taking another big step towards the commercialization of 5G standalone networks in Europe,” adds Maggie Xue, President at OPPO Western Europe. “As 2021 will be a pivotal year for accelerating 5G rollouts, we’re eager to bring the best 5G experiences to European consumers with the help of MediaTek, Ericsson and Swisscom.” “Bringing 5G standalone to the market requires a strong collaboration with our customers and partners. This latest achievement using industry-leading solutions like 5G carrier aggregation is an important step towards realizing the full benefits of 5G,” concludes Hannes Ekström, Head of Product Line 5G RAN, Ericsson. “Ericsson is proud to drive the innovation in this area together with MediaTek, Swisscom, and OPPO. We are enabling a reliable, secure, and flexible 5G standalone architecture that will push Europe’s digital transformation forward.”

NAKIVO launches v10.2 with support for S3 object lock

NAKIVO launches v10.2 of NAKIVO Backup & Replication. The latest release expands the scope of Microsoft 365 data protection with support for SharePoint Online, adds ransomware protection for backups with Amazon S3 Object Lock Support and introduces Tenant Resource Allocation. The new features are powerful additions to the core functionality of the award-winning solution, which continues to meet the evolving needs of its 16,000+ customer base.  SharePoint Online Backup  With the skyrocketing adoption of Microsoft 365, cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting data in the cloud for financial gain. In addition to cyber threats, Microsoft 365 data faces other data loss threats like accidental data deletion and retention policy gaps. To help companies address SaaS data protection issues, NAKIVO Backup & Replication provides comprehensive data protection and recovery for Microsoft 365 data with support for Exchange Online and OneDrive for Business. The latest 10.2 version adds another layer of protection for Microsoft 365 users with support for SharePoint Online.  SharePoint Online Backup allows companies using Microsoft 365 to:  Back up SharePoint Online sites and subsites. Recover document libraries and lists to the original or a different location. Use the search functionality to locate and recover items quickly for compliance and e-discovery purposes.  Ransomware-Proof Backups with Amazon S3 Object Lock  After introducing Backup to Amazon S3 in 2020, NAKIVO adds support for Amazon S3 Object Lock in v10.2 to help businesses mitigate the threat of ransomware to their backups and backup copies. The Amazon S3 Object Lock functionality uses the write-once-read-many (WORM) model meant to ensure that objects are immutable for as long as required. Once set, the retention period cannot be shortened or disabled, not even by the root user.  Amazon S3 Object Lock support allows companies to: Protect their backups stored in Amazon S3 from overwriting and deletion. Set retention periods to keep objects immutable for as long as you need. Protect their backup data against ransomware and meet compliance requirements.  Tenant Resource Allocation  NAKIVO Backup & Replication v10.2 offers more control and flexibility for managed service providers (MSPs) and large enterprises using the multi-tenant mode. The new Tenant Resource Allocation feature provides an effective means of allocating data protection infrastructure resources to tenants. Administrators can assign hosts, clusters, VMs, Backup Repositories and Transporters to the tenants.   This feature complements other tenant configuration options in multi-tenant deployments of NAKIVO Backup & Replication. In addition to allocating resources, administrators can implement role-based access control and grant permissions to tenants to perform specific data protection activities in the Self-Service Portal.   Feature Availability  SharePoint Online Backup is available with a Backup for Microsoft 365 subscription, which is licensed per user and comes with 24/7 Support. Data protection for SharePoint Online starts at as low as $0.75 per user/month for a three-year subscription. NAKIVO customers can combine a subscription license for Backup for Microsoft Office 365 with any NAKIVO Backup & Replication edition and license.  Ransomware-Proof Backups with Amazon S3 Object Lock is available with perpetual or subscription licenses for Enterprise, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Plus editions of NAKIVO Backup & Replication.  Tenant Resource Allocation is available in multi-tenant deployments of NAKIVO Backup & Replication. For MSPs, multi-tenancy is available with a monthly or annual subscription with the MSP Pro, MSP Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions. For large enterprises, multi-tenancy is available with subscription or perpetual licenses in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions. The 15-day Free Trial comes with full access to all NAKIVO Backup & Replication features, including Backup for Microsoft Office 365, Amazon S3 Object Lock Support and Tenant Resource Allocation. “We’re always trying to anticipate business needs when it comes to data protection. NAKIVO Backup & Replication v10.2 expands Backup for Microsoft 365 functionality with SharePoint Online Backup and addresses ransomware threats with the S3 Object Lock functionality,” says Bruce Talley, CEO of NAKIVO. “The move to cloud storage and cloud services continues, and we are always ready to meet evolving market trends, so our customers have the tools they need to keep their data safe wherever it resides.” 

Delta expands its UPS product line with high-performance DPS 300kVA

Delta has recently added a new Ultron DPS model to its family of uninterruptible power supplies. This latest Ultron online UPS is rated at 300kVA. With it, the Ultron DPS series from Delta now offers capacities ranging from 300 to 600kVA. Up to eight units can be run in parallel for megawatt-scale installations. This makes DPS 300 online UPS systems suitable for mission-critical applications that demand high performance. “The latest generation of our Ultron DPS series was developed especially for use in hyperscale data centres seeking to lower operating costs. Our conversations with colocation and cloud service providers revealed that, in addition to reliability and efficiency, other requirements have become extremely important, too. Megawatt-scale power capacity, a compact footprint, and ease of operation,” explains Rakesh Mukhija, Head of Mission Critical Infrastructure Solutions (MCIS) at Delta EMEA. “With the Ultron DPS series, we now cover the entire power range from 300 kVA to 600kVA. Soon, we’ll be expanding the Ultron family again and launching the DPS 1000kVA and the DPS 1200kVA to offer megawatt capacities in a single unit. This way, our customers can choose the Ultron DPS UPS that is an exact fit for their needs.” The DPS 300 kVA is a monoblock UPS system with the highest available power density and the smallest footprint on the market. By conserving space, it provides more room for revenue-generating IT racks. The new Ultron DPS achieves AC-AC efficiencies of up to 96.5% during normal operation and 99% in ECO mode, reducing energy costs considerably. In addition, it delivers the full rated power (output power factor > 0.99) for maximum availability without power loss. The ability to choose valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) or environmentally friendly lithium-ion batteries also offers a means of optimising battery investments. Dual CAN bus systems are one example of how redundant core components ensure the availability of this new Delta UPS system. The DPS series offers proactive intelligence to warn IT managers of impending failures before they occur. This reduces the risk of downtime as well as the time and expense that maintenance work involves. Advanced event analysis including up to 10,000 event logs and waveform capturing allow abnormalities to be identified, ensuring high availability. The user-friendly 10in LCD screen of the UPS displays information on security, temperature, fire protection, and cooling as required to simplify local control. Optional battery management software also allows operators to view battery status information on the touch panel. IT managers can access all the components of the UPS from the front of the unit. This way, they can easily replace the modular components as needed, considerably reducing mean time to repair (MTTR). Key features of the Ultron DPS series • Currently the highest power density and smallest footprint compared to competing products • Self-diagnosis with early warning system • Unity output power factor (> 0.99) • AC-AC efficiency of up to 96.5%, 99% in ECO mode • Parallel configurations of up to eight units • Designed with redundant key components • Li-ion-battery-ready • 10in colour touchscreen with graphical user interface

Tier two carriers: finding the ideal data centre operator

Paul Gazzard, Head of Major Accounts, Telehouse gives forward-looking advice for tier two carriers seeking the right data centre provider. Challenging the established preeminent carriers is a significant obstacle for newer and smaller carriers, causing many tier two carriers to seek business arrangements with a larger carrier to profit from using its superior network. Taking this route is a shrewd method for carriers looking to expand into new regions where they lack any network infrastructure. But to achieve success in this journey, the smaller carrier needs to find the right data centre (DC) operator to host hardware and provide connections to other carriers and services. The tier one carrier’s network will offer the reliability critical to the tier two carrier upholding a good reputation and growing its customer base. Even so, it can be a challenge to stand out in a congested and highly competitive market. In order to expand their market share by delivering a service equal to any of the larger carriers, the smaller carriers must choose wisely when partnering with a DC operator. Whether it’s a new carrier that’s trying to become better established in the market, or one that is looking to extend its reach into a new region, there are specific attributes smaller carriers should look for in a DC operator: The right connections One of the most crucial things tier two carriers need to look for in a DC operator is access to other carriers, especially tier one carriers, in their client base or wider DC network. Being housed in the same facility or sharing a network with other carriers will make it as straightforward as possible to connect with those desired carriers’ networks. This will also provide peace of mind that the DC operator is trusted by those other networks. Connecting to tier one networks also provides a global reach for voice and data traffic and peering options (such as those provided by the) are key for tier twos in reaching other carriers. Room for growth Growth will always be high on the agenda for smaller carriers, but to increase market share, they need the computing power to support their networks making it essential the DC operator can provide scalability. The right DC operator will have additional rack space readily available for its customers, providing the flexibility they need to scale up their storage space as and when required. Securing your data Robust security is an essential attribute in any DC operator. Cyber attacks, data breaches and loss of service can lead to reputational damage and loss of customer trust, fines from industry regulators and financial damages. As well as best practice cyber security protocols, carriers should also enquire about physical security. Each site should have on-site security staff, reinforced walls, locked server cabinets and cages, as well as environmental controls that detect unexpected changes to temperature and humidity. The right location Geographical location of a DC is important to consider as it can impact the speed and latency of the carrier’s service. Essentially, the further servers are away from the carrier’s users, the further data will have to travel across the network. Carriers’ customers will typically be using the network as they move around, meaning the DC network will need to cover as much of the region the carrier wants to operate in as possible. AI and power considerations AI and machine learning will begin to play a greater role in DC operations, predicting and reacting to operational issues before they happen without any human intervention, or at least notifying engineers of issues before they take place. It’s worth asking DC operators if, how and when they will use – or are already using – AI and machine learning to manage their facilities. Additionally, carriers will want to avoid network outage as much as possible. Consequently, one measure every DC operator should take to prevent outage for its customers is implementing both an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and backup generator that will keep the DC operational during worst case scenarios such as grid outages, extreme weather, or any other events that may affect the power supply. Each DC should also have a team of engineers onsite 24/7 to respond to any issues as soon as they unfold. Taking the next steps The steps outlined in this article are the best way to start the journey to identifying the most suitable DC operator to support a tier two carrier. Additionally, engaging with an industry expert for a detailed conversation about what’s required and what the right operator should provide will provide valuable insight. Ultimately, the right DC operator will be able to offer the carrier a bespoke service that is ideally tailored to its own unique needs.

Pure storage announces availability of pure as-a-service in AWS Marketplace

As part of its focus on simplifying hybrid architecture mobility, Pure Storage, the IT pioneer that delivers storage as-a-service in a hybrid world and an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Technology Partner, today announced two new offerings to make it easier than ever for enterprises to consume and deploy storage – the availability of Pure as-a-Service in AWS Marketplace and a new Cloud Block Store Efficiency Guarantee program backed by Pure’s promise to reduce cloud storage consumption with no feature trade-offs. Pure Storage works with AWS to drive applications that run across AWS Regions and AWS Outposts and leverage the agility and innovation of private, edge, SaaS, and clouds simultaneously. Today’s announcements are the latest innovations that reinforce how Pure and AWS work together to serve customers' modern data needs. Pure as-a-Service helps enterprises get the value of cloud economics, operational excellence and an outstanding customer experience in a “pay as you go” flexible model. This allows organizations to place capacity and performance in locations that make sense to the business utilizing a single unified subscription whether on-premises, in a colocation facility, or in the cloud. With availability in AWS Marketplace, AWS customers can now deploy Pure as-a-Service capacity in locations that service cloud, on-premises and edge workloads. "Customers are looking for flexibility and choice as they procure, store, and manage their data across the enterprise as part of a comprehensive digitization initiative," comments Garth Fort, Director of Product Management, AWS Marketplace, Amazon Web Services, Inc. “We are delighted to welcome Pure Storage to offer our shared customers enhanced flexibility, mobility, and consistency between on-premises and edge applications to AWS storage.” "Working with Pure Storage and AWS is an essential part of our business, and today's announcements are a strong demonstration of their value together," says Lance Broderick, Director of Technology Finance and Enterprise Architect, NuSkin. "We can see the power of Pure as-a-Service on the AWS marketplace for our on-prem and edge workloads." New Cloud Efficiency Guarantee Also announced today, Pure’s Cloud Efficiency Guarantee program allows customers to take advantage of Cloud Block Store in a risk-free manner with guaranteed cloud operational cost savings. Customers can rely on Pure’s Cloud Block Store to achieve specific efficiency gains over and above what they had with cloud-native storage options, backed by Pure as-a-Service credit guarantees. “Pure and AWS share a commitment to customer obsession – focused on the cloud principles of agility and flexibility to deliver best of breed technology for customers in our respective areas,” says Michael Sotnick, Vice President, Global Alliances, Pure Storage. “Having a hybrid architecture strategy and the right technology partners helps enterprises achieve more than ever in today’s environment.” Pure Portfolio and AWS Outposts Ready Designation                                                                                    Pure’s unified fast file and object solution, FlashBlade, achieved the AWS Outposts Ready designation in September. Fully tested and supported, FlashBlade for AWS Outposts delivers a hybrid cloud solution with all-flash performance, cloud scalability, and operational simplicity to accelerate modern applications, support cloud native application development and break down IT silos. This combination is the industry’s first portfolio of modern block, fast file, and object storage that is AWS Outpost Ready, ensuring simplified and proven deployment options for customer and partners.FlashArray recently achieved AWS Outposts Ready designation as part of the AWS Service Ready Program. Pure Storage FlashArray has been tested for ease of deployment, performance and high availability, and is approved by AWS to run alongside Outposts in customer and partner data centers. Now, Pure FlashArray provides AWS Outposts customers with enterprise class, 100% NVMe all-flash block storage to address traditional enterprise databases, low latency and local data processing applications on premises consistent with AWS services, APIs and tools in the cloud.Additionally, Portworx by Pure Storage achieved the AWS Outposts Ready designation enabling Kubernetes applications to run across AWS Regions and AWS Outposts for maximum flexibility. Portworx by Pure Storage and AWS  Portworx by Pure Storage, an AWS Advanced Technology Partner and available in AWS Marketplace, is designed to deliver the benefits of container-granular storage, data protection, data security, and capacity management for applications running on Kubernetes.  A complete data services platform, Portworx enables more applications to run on Kubernetes on AWS with the performance, reliability, and security of traditional applications. Portworx PX-DR enables up to RPO disaster recovery between AWS Availability Zones and AWS Regions, and PX-Autopilot enables customers to achieve flexible consumption of storage on AWS, reducing storage costs.