Joyent Unveils Its Next-Gen Cloud System

Cloud system software maker Joyent Jan. 19 introduced a new version of what it calls its cloud operating system, SmartDataCenter 6, an integrated suite of software and services for enterprises and service providers to launch and maintain public, private and hybrid clouds.
The company said SmartDataCenter is utilized by thousands of customers on Joyent’s public cloud, JoyentCloud.com, and Dell Data Center Solutions.
Service providers deploying the suite can manage the compute, storage and network of multitenant cloud environments through a single development platform. This system enables the data center to work like a single unified computer allowing for optimal data center management, Joyent said.
Key features of the platform include complete automation of the data center, with virtualization that supports complex, multidevice architectures, virtual LANs, load balancing, routing and virtual private networks (VPNs); a Web-based portal to manage the entire collection of cloud services; scalability that delivers unlimited scalability in a multitenant cloud; and an environment that ranges across numerous physical data centers.
Joyent uses lightweight virtualization for Web stacks (PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails), and offers as high as 70 percent higher utilization rates, the company said.
Dell was the first customer to license Joyent’s SmartDataCenter in March 2010, and the company currently delivers public and private cloud services to its customers. Joyent also services China Cache, a service provider in mainland China using the platform to deliver to customers the latest in cloud services.
SmartDataCenter 6 will be generally available in March 2011, though service providers can currently get access to the technologies through Joyent and its partners.