As a member of the VMware Technology Alliance Partner Program, Pillar Data Systems 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, multi-pathing 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 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
• 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.”