A world-class research university requires first-class computing power. The IT professionals at the UK's University of Nottingham were adept at managing an environment that spans five UK campuses, hosts file services for nearly 40,000 students and faculty, and provides sufficient storage for terabytes of research data.

However, a vital research program presented a challenge: The university needed to create a huge data storage pool and make it highly available to many people. The sheer size of the project rendered hardware-based replication solutions ineffective, yielding poor performance and unsustainable costs.

To learn how university researchers can not only enjoy safe, reliable access to their vital data, but also increase capacity as needed, download the case study.

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On April 2, 2013, SIOS Technology announced the launch of SteelEye DataKeeper Cloud Edition, the first and only high-performance data replication solution to deliver unmatched, real-time SQL Server data protection in Amazon EC2 environments. A joint effort with Amazon, SteelEye DataKeeper Cloud Edition is the only solution to enable native SQL Server failover clustering in the Amazon Cloud without requiring shared storage (SANs).

It’s Here, Native Microsoft SQL Clustering in the Amazon Cloud

SteelEye DataKeeper Cloud Edition enables easy deployment of high-availability systems in the cloud. As a result, companies can now take advantage of the flexibility and scalability of Amazon Web Service (AWS) cloud deployments, enabling Amazon customers to achieve optimal performance while lowering total cost of ownership.

Read the full press release here.

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If your organization is like most, you're constantly looking for ways to cut costs and improve efficiency. But you've probably already made plenty of organizational changes. So where do you look next?

Improving energy efficiency in your data center is a smart way to tackle these perpetual problems. To reduce energy consumption, start by looking at a common source of the problem: your SAN.

High energy = high costs

As SAN technology became the predominant storage solution, data centers grew more and more expensive to assemble and maintain. As organizations struggle to streamline operations and minimize costs, reducing the energy footprint of these bulky data centers can be the key.

The Allegheny Front reports that collectively, data centers use nearly 2% of all electricity consumed in the United States. It also highlights a 2007 EPA report that attributes half of that energy footprint to cooling of servers and data-storage equipment. Many organizations are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on maintenance and cooling alone.

Although new data center construction is beginning to utilize energy-saving strategies like onsite renewable energy sources, such changes are often too expensive or difficult to implement in existing data centers. What options are a good fit for data center and infrastructure managers of established operations — that won’t reduce data availability or end-user satisfaction?

SANLess clusters

Many are looking to achieve high availability without shared storage, sometimes called a "SANLess cluster." Instead of using shared storage systems, the SANLess cluster utilizes internal and/or direct attached storage, such as traditional HDDs or flash SSDs. Redundancy is provided via host-based software replication, such as SIOS’ DataKeeper Cluster Edition.

These types of solutions take up less floor space and demand less power for both running and cooling, significantly reducing the data center's energy footprint. They also require less administrative overhead.

Of course, redundancy is still a must for data protection and availability. And end users still expect instant access to data. That's why it's important to choose a SANLess solution that provides real-time data replication, without sacrificing availability. InformationWeek points to designs that use internal PCIe-based flash storage or SSDs as providing the best performance.

Which mission-critical workloads can benefit from SIOS SANLess clustering solutions?

• Windows: Microsoft SQL Server, Hyper-V, file servers, and more!
• Linux: SAP, Oracle, DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL, NFS, Apache, and more!

Balancing availability and efficiency

Our SteelEye DataKeeper Cluster Edition replicates data volumes at the block level, using fewer system resources and ensuring efficient replication. For organizations that demand fast replication, DataKeeper Cluster Edition can achieve more than 90% bandwidth utilization. Nine levels of integrated compression and bandwidth throttling allow the organization to balance network bandwidth and CPU utilization for each application.

One example of DataKeeper SANLess clustering in action is the Supermicro SuperSQL Appliance. This solution combines DataKeeper Cluster Edition’s replication technology with high-speed Fusion-io drives in an energy-efficient Supermicro appliance. The pre-configured two-node Microsoft SQL Server Failover cluster contains two hot-pluggable nodes in a compact 2U form factor. The result is a high-performing HA solution that demands only a fraction of the space and energy of a traditional SAN-based cluster.

Of course, this is only one example. This type of solution is not limited to Windows or SQL Server environments or devices that use Fusion-io. SIOS also provides super-efficient, highly available solutions that can be implemented using VMware systems or Amazon EC2 cloud storage. Any kind of direct attached storage (DAS) can be utilized with the DataKeeper approach on Windows or Linux. Any footprint on any OS can be reduced.

For HA architectures, the key is integrated data replication. There's no need to replace existing servers and storage: Simply use the type of storage that makes the most sense for your environment, implement Windows or Linux-based virtual machines instead of physical servers — or even use Amazon EC2. The result is a smaller data center price tag now and going forward.

For more information about how SIOS supports super-efficient SANLess clustering for Linux or Windows, consult the experts at SIOS. Tweet

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By Geoff Hiten, Microsoft SQL Server MVP

Experience matters, especially when administering database systems. The lessons we learn early in our careers, particularly the painful ones, stick with us a long time. This is mostly a good thing, but sometimes we apply the wrong lesson to the task in front of us. In database administration, it’s easy to head in the wrong direction, especially when we’re trying to balance the need for both efficiency and performance.

New lesson, different day

Most database administrators did not begin their careers as DBAs. Most of us started in development or system administration and eventually specialized in database systems. Unfortunately, some of the lessons learned along the way in those other fields are the exact wrong ones for a database system.

For example, system admins have to manage storage as efficiently as possible. Many central storage systems are sold to reduce storage use through consolidation. System and storage virtualization also seek to efficiently use technical resources by assigning the minimum resources possible to a particular workload.

DBAs also have to manage storage resources. The problem comes when DBAs manage storage the same way they did as general IT system administrators.

As DBAs, our primary goal is to make data usable for the business. While we don’t want to waste our platform resources, we also don’t want to cause problems through false efficiency. Managing for best resource efficiency often leads to performance problems. This is especially true when trying to minimize the storage footprint of a Microsoft SQL Server database system.

5 Database Practices That Are Hurting Your Performance

• Using Auto-Grow to manage free space
• Shrinking databases
• Shrinking logs
• Not rebuilding or reorganizing indexes
• Shuffling backup files to offline storage

The last practice in the list is particularly frustrating. All businesses should have adequate backup storage to meet their recovery targets. Saving a small amount on the cheapest resource available (second- and third-tier storage) while wasting the most expensive resource available (skilled DBA time) is mismanagement at its worst.

Business management emphasizes cost savings, mainly because that is easily measured. But what business executives and users really want is a zero-problem IT infrastructure, including a database platform that performs quickly and consistently. Saving a few hundred dollars worth of storage space probably won’t even get you an “attaboy” from your boss. A slow database system or a missing critical backup will get noticed — just not the way you want.

When you are looking at your database management practices and processes, ask yourself, “What goal does this process enable?” Are you managing for performance or managing for space?

We are heading out on a SQL Saturday Road Trip.

There has been a lot of excitement here at SIOS focused on the world of High Performance SANLess Clustering. We are hitting the road and kicking off our SQL Summer. Our first stop, SQL Saturday Atlanta.

Our in-house Microsoft Cluster MVP will be joining Vin Prasad from Fusion-io present the SANLess Cluster. Think about this: two servers, two PCIe Flash Cards and high availability in one 2U box. . . Just install SQL and you have your own SQL Server in a box.

The application of an appliance like this is limitless: SQL Developers can focus on fine tuning their custom apps and flows based on user requirements rather than optimizing for performance. SQL Administrators have the power of a SAN without the single point of failover.

SQL Saturday Atlanta Details

Date: May 18, 2013 Time: 9am-5pm Location: Georgia State University – Alpharetta SQL Saturday Atlanta Homepage Twitter: #SQLSatAtl

Interested in learning more?

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As a leader in business-continuity planning solutions, SIOS has a history of helping organizations of all sizes achieve the right levels of data and application protection. Take advantage of our expertise: Register for an upcoming educational webinar or visit us at an industry event.

Join SIOS to chat about SANLess Clustering and learn how to eliminate the bottlenecks

SQLBits XI 2013, May 2-4 in Nottingham, U.K.

SIOS is a Gold sponsor for this event. The format for SQLBits XI is the same as always with leading speakers from all around the world — with a special touch of medieval hospitality thrown in for good measure! Thursday will be a series of full day sessions delivered by world renowned presenters including Kalen Delaney and Bob Ward. Friday is a day filled with regular sessions delivered by the high rated speakers and Microsoft superstars and will feature a unique SQLBits Social event that should not be missed!

SQL Saturday Atlanta, May 18 in Alpharetta, Ga.

SQLSaturday Atlanta is a free, one-day training event for SQL Server and Business Intelligence professionals. It features sessions on SQL Server 2012, DBA, Development, Business Intelligence, and Big Data. SIOS is a Platinum sponsor for this event and will be jointly presenting High Performance SANLess Clustering with our friends from Fusion-io.

SQL Saturday Philadelphia, June 1 in Malvern, Pa.

SQLSaturday Philadelphia is a free, one-day training event for SQL Server and Business Intelligence professionals. It features sessions on SQL Server 2012, DBA, Development, Business Intelligence, and Big Data. SIOS is a Gold sponsor for this event and will be jointly presenting High Performance SANLess Clustering with our friends from Fusion-io.

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SIOS Technology Corp. Product Management and Engineering are pleased to announce the immediate general availability (GA) of SteelEye Protection Suite for Linux version 8 update 1 maintenance 2 (v8.1.2).

This release adds:

• DataKeeper Enhancement
  • mirror_resize - new command
  • mirror_action - improved
• Platform Support
  • RHEL 5.9/6.4
  • CentOS 5.9/6.4
  • Oracle Enterprise Linux 5.9
  • Oracle Linux 6.3/6.4
• Application Support
  • MySQL 5.6
  • Sybase ASE 15.7
  • EnterpriseDB Postgres Plus Advanced Server 9.2
• Bug Fixes

Detailed product information can be found in http://docs.us.sios.com/.

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Jerry Melnick joins SIOS’ leadership team to further position the company as the enabler of emerging technologies for enterprise IT.

SAN MATEO, Calif. – April 9, 2013 - SIOS Technology, a leading provider of high availability and data protection solutions, today announces the appointment of Jerry Melnick to the position of chief operating officer (COO). Melnick’s appointment moves SIOS forward in delivering innovative software solutions that enable enterprise IT to rapidly adopt and benefit from emerging technologies.

With more than 25 years in the industry, Melnick brings significant experience in enterprise high availability and infrastructure software markets to SIOS. As COO, Melnick will drive the company’s focus forward, delivering industry-leading solutions that maximize the value and expand deployment of technologies such as virtualization, cloud-computing, SSD and SDN for use with critical enterprise applications.

"Jerry’s expertise in SIOS’ core business and markets combined with his background in mission-critical IT solutions is the perfect addition to SIOS’ leadership team," said Nobuo Kita, president and chief executive officer. "His expertise strengthens our ability to extend our strategy and build and acquire the enabling technologies that enterprise IT needs to be competitive in today’s market."

"This is an extraordinary time for our industry with the vast transformation of the data center and rapid adoption of virtualization and cloud computing," said Melnick. "SIOS, as a long-time leader in providing availability solutions to IT, is now uniquely positioned to address critical needs for scale, performance, and protection as customers migrate their most important applications across these new environments. This is a truly exciting era for the industry and a tremendous opportunity for our company."

Melnick most recently served as the CTO at Marathon Technologies, where he led the business and product strategy to drive sales for the company’s fault tolerant solutions. Prior to his work at Marathon, he held executive positions at PPGx, Inc. and Belmont Research, where he was responsible for developing a leading-edge software and consulting business focused on supplying data warehouse and analytical tools. His career started at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he led an entrepreneurial business unit to deliver scalable, mission-critical database platforms to support enterprise-computing environments in the medical, financial and telecommunication markets. Melnick holds a B.S. from Beloit College with graduate work in Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Boston University.

About SIOS Technology Corporation

For more than a decade, SIOS solutions have been protecting thousands of mission-critical applications and countless volumes of data for customers of all sizes, across every industry, in all parts of the world. Our innovative high availability and data protection software solutions for Linux and Windows deliver superior RTO and RPO at a lower cost of ownership, whether deployed on physical machines or in virtualized or cloud environments.

SIOS products (SteelEye Protection Suite and SteelEye DataKeeper) are easy to implement, easy to use, and easy to manage — eliminating the complexity and capital expenditures associated with traditional high availability and disaster recovery approaches. This makes them ideal for quickly extending protection to new and existing enterprise applications, systems and databases migrating from UNIX to Linux, managed SaaS applications, and projects that must satisfy stringent SLAs and regulatory requirements.

Comprehensive support, professional services, and a global network of partners help our customers optimize the performance and maximize the value of their SIOS investments.

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In October 2012, the names of the partners who had received the new SAP certification—for products that protect NetWeaver v7.3 availability—were announced.

These products—now certified under the catchy term NW-HA-CLU-730 (NetWeaver High Availability Cluster 730 Certification)—typically focus on clusterware. One such product is the SteelEye Protection Suite for Linux, made by US-based firm SIOS Technology Corp. Michael Kramer, Partner Alliance Manager at Agheera (a spin-off of Deutsche Post DHL), spoke to Gerd Jelinek, Managing Director of CC Computersysteme und Kommunikationstechnik. The company, based in Dresden, is a SteelEye partner and has provided the regional Competence and Support Center for clients in Central and Eastern Europe since 2004.

Michael Kramer: Mr Jelinek, tell us a little bit more about what SIOS does in the European SAP market.

Gerd Jelinek: SIOS's core product is LifeKeeper, an application-oriented cluster solution. The product has been on the market since the 1990s and was originally developed by NCR for MP-RAS, a UNIX derivative. Lifekeeper's features were taken over by SteelEye, an NCR spin-off, in 2000. Since then CC Computersysteme und Kommunikationstechnik has been SteelEye's partner and software distributor. At CeBIT 2004 we signed a contract allowing us to operate as the first SteelEye Competence and Support Center, for Central and Eastern Europe. It was important to us to be able to offer regional support in the high availability industry and be at the disposal of both partners and clients.

Kramer: What are the key aspects of your work?

Jelinek: One focus of our work lies in SAP systems, but also in many other business-critical applications. I have been responsible for the SteelEye Competence Center since its inception.

Kramer: SIOS—still known to many in the industry as SteelEye—is one of the first companies to receive the new High Availability Certification (HA). Why is it so important to have achieved this certification?

Jelinek: LifeKeeper has been available on x86 server platforms since porting from MP-RAS to Microsoft Windows and Linux in 1999. The core module's modular architecture was retained, along with the combinable recovery kits, to protect individual resources for the running of applications. SAP has been a protectable application since the very beginning. The knowledge and experience we posses of how to monitor the application have been incorporated into these application-specific recovery kits. They were tested and upgraded with each new version. We have direct access to information from the SAP system through the SAP interface, which provides the basis for HA certification. This is a valuable extension to our tests and forms a stable basis for future NetWeaver versions.

Kramer: Achieving a certification gives customers an indication of a solution's quality. On the other hand, it means costs, time, and effort for SAP partners. Does this make sense for clusterware, which functions as middleware between the operating system and application?

Jelinek: It is certainly true that LifeKeeper, as middleware, was implemented for a long time as an HA cluster to protect NetWeaver systems, without being subject to certification. A new level of quality has been reached with HA certification. On the one hand, information was made available from NetWeaver, but—and this seems very important to me—restrictions were placed on the cluster product, ensuring interoperability. One such example is that no changes whatsoever could be made to the Linux kernel through the HA product. These limitations pay off when using, supporting, and upgrading systems.

Kramer: What benefit do clients get from certification?

Jelinek: SAP partnership isn't just a badge to attract customers with. An important part of the certification process is demonstrating an integrated support path from customers, through SAP support to the HA product manufacturer—the SteelEye Competence and Support Center in our case. We were quickly able to find a practicable solution for this through our long-standing cooperation with the SAP LinuxLab and the regional presence of the manufacturer representative. This means that support for the Steel?Eye Protection Suite is completely integrated into the relevant SAP processes. Another important point is the guaranteed future of the monitoring interface we use, and the guaranteed product quality that is achieved through frequent re-certification.

Kramer: In our discussion earlier we spoke about the possibility to incorporate the SteelEye Protection Suite's protected SAP environment into the management of the NetWeaver Adaptive Computing Controller (ACC). Can you tell us about that?

Jelinek: Alongside system deployment, SAP services, among other things, can be started and stopped by the NetWeaver Adaptive Computing Controller. Until now, this conflicted with the HA cluster's function, which had taken over the authority for starting and stopping the system. Using the ACC framework that forms part of the certification, it is possible to start and stop SAP systems from the Adaptive Computing Controller—thus solving the conflict. Protected systems can be controlled via ACC using the SteelEye Protection Suite.

Kramer: A growing number of newly installed SAP systems are realized in virtual environments. Is it not a bit late to be offering HA certification?

Jelinek: HA certification isn't just restricted to physical systems, but can also encompass virtual servers. The NetWeaver interface we chose doesn't set any limitations in this regard. As a result, the certified SteelEye Protection Suite for Linux is available for both physical and virtual systems. Virtualization offers many opportunities to make the installation, operation, and support of systems more effective. It is also important that virtualization is an additional layer in the software stack, which—and we are talking about high availability here—recovers operational risk and creates additional links between products.

Kramer: vSphere, for example, offers integrated HA functionality. Does this make clusterware products such as the SteelEye Protection Suite redundant?

Jelinek: No. The HA functions that are part of vSphere relate to the availability of the operating system itself. They don't offer any way to monitor the processes and resources necessary to run the application. The SteelEye Protection Suite delivers this as an additional function and thus secures increased availability for the entire system. The suite can also be used to set up disaster recovery scenarios. We are currently using SAP LinuxLab scenarios to work out how and under what conditions data replication can be used in conjunction with application protection. One possible goal for this replication could even be in cloud systems.

Kramer: Are there any clients that have already implemented this solution?

Jelinek: Some preparation is necessary in order to implement new products in an active SAP environment. This is nothing new, and three months is certainly not a long time. The certified version of the SteelEye Protection Suite has already been used in practice by one of our long-standing clients, Phoenix Contact, in Blomberg. Intensive tests are currently underway at Fritz Egger Holzwerkstoffe in St. Johann, Tyrol. At Fritz Egger, SteelEye application protection is already in use in second generation infrastructure: we started with Blade servers and are now protecting the SAP services in a virtualized environment, after replacing the hardware.

Kramer: Thank you very much for such an interesting discussion.

www.steeleye.de
www.cc-dresden.de
www.ha-cc.org

Gerd Jelinek is the managing director of CC Computersysteme und Kommunikationstechnik. He is responsible for the SteelEye Competence and Support Center, Central and Eastern Europe region.

Michael Kramer is a partner alliance manager at Agheera, a Deutsche Post DHL spin-out. As a long-standing ERP expert and board member of B4Bmedia AG, he is in regular dialog with organizations in this industry.

View the original article in E-3 Magazin (German). This interview was translated by Transfluent.

The post It’s Never Too Late – SAP NetWeaver High Availability Cluster 730 Certification appeared first on SIOS.

Are you considering migrating your SAP environment from Unix to Linux?

Companies running SAP applications on Linux benefit significantly from faster processing times, enterprise reliability, scalability, non-proprietary hardware, and security.

A joint webinar by REALTECH and SIOS reviews proven migration results from over 700 successful OS/DB migration projects and how to deliver enterprise-class high availability as part of the migration process.

View the recorded "SAP Migrations / High Availability Matters" webinar:

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