VirtualInstruments

Identify failed multi-pathing

IT staff often only become aware of multi-pathing issues at the worst possible time, when the fail-over feature fails to work. VirtualWisdom can identify failed links (single paths), along with less critical issues like active/passive configurations.

Determine performance impact of storage virtualization

The typical answer of a storage virtualization vendor to the question “how will this impact my application performance” is “we don’t know, go ahead and try it”. A better answer would be, “by using VirtualWisdom to establish a baseline, you will know precisely what the impact is”.”.

Validate new technologies and ease migrations

Key goals of many admins include accelerated deployments of new software or hardware technology, reduced risk of implementing new technology, and verification of vendor claims for new SAN technologies while minimizing impact on existing applications. VirtualWisdom can accelerate deployments by providing real-time visibility to rollouts; to ensure that all is performing as expected, with no mis-configurations or version incompatibilities among the various multi-vendor components. This 35 minute on-demand webcast explains how to de-risk migrations.

Identify how configuration changes affect SAN performance 

It is nearly impossible to hold all SAN variables constant in an effort to identify how configuration changes affect performance. It is difficult to plan and deploy datacenter consolidation due to a lack of data about “what if” scenarios. A properly instrumented SAN, with VirtualWisdom, offers real-time evidence. IT staff can baseline the performance before any SAN configuration change and measure after the changes, including zoning, LUN mapping, and VSAN modifications. With VirtualWisdom’s “what if” capabilities, IT staff can provide extremely accurate forecasts by using actual historical data and applying configuration changes to that data. See this tech brief for more information.

Plan FC SAN networking capacity needs

Operations management desires to identify opportunities to utilize current resources as needs grow; and maximize utilization of new resources. VirtualWisdom provides trending of dynamic resource loads, enabling better decision making and reducing CAPEX.

Find best backup windows

IT operations management wants to find optimal times to run backups, to speed jobs and avoid contention on the SAN. VirtualWisdom can easily report on the “quiet times” to enable the backup admins to reduce the backup window.

Audit trail for compliance / audit / SLA adherence

Often, the CFO and CIO are charged with supporting auditing - e.g. HIPAA, BASEL II. This can be supported by monitoring the SAN with the complete set of VirtualWisdom roving or dedicated probes. VirtualWisdom provides reports showing utilization, latency, other performance metrics and SLA parameters pertinent to auditing functions.

Find unused or under-utilized LUNs

Operations mgmt wish to identify LUNs that are rarely or never accessed, to either free up space, or move them to less expensive storage, or even to save on expensive core switch ports, storage ports and related cables etc. Zero activity LUNs are detected by comparing the LUN discovered by the VirtualWisdom SAN Performance Probe to an external inventory of provisioned LUNs. Low LUN activity reports can show LUNs that are rarely accessed. Verification that LUNs aren't actually utilized can be done prior to removing LUNs thought to be unused but lacking proper documentation.

Reduce risk of implementing a cloud computing model

Cloud computing offers many benefits, but IT staff lose the ability to “see” behind the cloud, jeopardizing their ability to troubleshoot problems and assure performance meets application SLAs. What happens when an application slows? Virtual Instruments provides IT managers the ability to see inside the cloud. VirtualWisdom allows the cloud infrastructure to be instrumented, monitored, and constantly, yet unobtrusively, measured to see how it is affecting applications. For more information, see this whitepaper and this tech brief.