Cisco-EMC-VMware Vblock Group Adds New VDI, SAP Support

One year ago, Cisco Systems, EMC, VMware and Intel introduced a new, compartmentalized way to build cloud computing systems with something they called vBlocks - with a small "v."

On Nov. 8, under the banner of the VCE [Virtual Computing Environment] joint venture, the four IT giants did two things: They capitalized the "V" in Vblock (easier for customers and editors) and also launched new, branded Vblock Powered Solutions designed for shops using older SAP applications and for those deploying VMware View 4.5 for virtual desktops.

Vblocks are modular, preconfigured computing systems consisting of servers and networkware from Cisco, storage/security/system management from EMC, and virtualization software from VMware.

Resulting cloud computing blocks can range in size from hundreds of virtual machines to more than 6,000 virtual machines, depending on the customer's needs.

Vblock Powered Solutions, like Vblocks themselves, are preconfigured, pretested enterprise software packages certified to work on the Vblock platform with end-to-end Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCOE) connectivity. No iSCSI to be found here.

Preconfigured, prebuilt systems

The VCE companies contend that by rebuilding and preloading these systems so they can be deployed basically out of the shipping cartons, midrange and smaller companies that want to create their own virtualized IT systems won't have to deal with the time-consuming and costly planning, architecting and testing processes that consume most current-day IT resources.

Vblock PS for VMware View 4.5 enables IT managers to scale up virtual desktop deployments while maintaining tight security and adhering to compliance requirements.

Vblock PS for SAP allows IT staff to hasten the transition of new or legacy SAP applications to a virtual environment running on Vblocks.

Vblocks in general now support automated storage tiering; support for EMC PowerPath V/E for intelligent path routing; optimized load balancing across all configurations of the Vblock platform; and automating and optimizing server, storage and path utilization in a dynamic virtual environment.

To go with the new software packages, the VCE group also introduced new B250/B440 and the B230 UCS blade servers using Cisco UCS (Unified Computing System) servers running Intel Xeon 5600 Series processors.

"VCE has beaten the industry to the punch with the first turnkey solution of end-to-end Ethernet with FCoE," said Wikibon Senior Analyst Stuart Miniman.