Pillar Data Systems Extends Application-Aware Storage Capabilities to Meet the Requirements of VMware Virtual Environments

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As a member of the VMware Technology Alliance Partner Program, Pillar Data Systems, a leading provider of Application-Aware Storage Systems, today announced compatibility of its Application-Aware Axiom with virtualized VMware environments. The Pillar Axiom and Axiom MC are now listed on the VMware SAN compatibility guide for VMware ESX 3.5 and ESXi 3.5.

This new level of functionality reinforces Pillar’s long-standing commitment to providing application-centric storage services that are optimized to the specific performance requirements of each virtual machine in VMware deployments. The Pillar Axiom extends the benefits of server virtualization by enabling a virtualized infrastructure which features basic connectivity, multipathing with HBAs, and storage port failover on VMware ESX 3.5 and 3i Servers.

Similar to the functionality of VMware at the server level, the Pillar Axiom creates virtual storage LUNs and file systems tuned specifically to the needs of each application. The Pillar Axiom also enables a level of performance, scalability, reliability and value that is unobtainable with traditional infrastructures. Customers realize the full potential and savings of virtualization when the Axiom storage system is managed as a single functional unit within the VMware virtual infrastructure.

The Pillar Axiom has the ability to dynamically assign or re-assign priorities to applications users deem most important to improve overall storage performance, while reducing the I/O bottleneck seen in legacy storage systems. Because the Axiom is tuned to work effectively in these types of environments, it can support 50 percent more virtual machines than competitive storage environments.

Additional business benefits include:

• Production server and storage consolidation and containment by running software applications on fewer servers;
• Advanced business continuity protection at a lower cost, and high availability for critical applications;
• Software test and development consolidating disparate development, testing and staging environments with multiple operating systems on the same hardware; and
• Industry leading disk utilization rate (80 percent), allowing customers to use more of what they purchase.

“As virtual environments become ubiquitous in nearly every enterprises’ IT infrastructure, the Pillar and VMware relationship continues to deliver substantial benefits to customers through a close, symbiotic linkage of server and storage virtualization,” said Bob Maness, vice president of marketing at Pillar Data Systems. “Together, Pillar and VMware are delivering great technology innovation and value to our joint customers.”

About Pillar Data Systems

Founded in 2001, Pillar Data Systems develops Application-Aware Storage systems for midsize and enterprise organizations. With the highest utilization rates in the storage industry, the Pillar Axiom solution is the most efficient storage system on the market today. The Pillar Axiom cuts administrative time and total cost of ownership by more than 50 percent as well as provides the only storage system that can differentiate services based on application priority. Designed from the ground up as the only true Application-Aware Storage system, the Pillar Axiom allows users to match multiple application characteristics to the appropriate service levels within a single storage platform. Pillar Data Systems is privately funded by Tako Ventures, LLC, the venture arm of Larry Ellison. The company is headquartered at 2840 Junction Avenue, San Jose, California 95134. The company can be reached on the Web at http://www.pillardata.com, by phone at 408-503-4000 or by email at sales@pillardata.com.

Pillar Data Systems, Pillar Axiom, and the Pillar logo are all trademarks of Pillar Data Systems. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.