Nexenta Debuts NexentaVSA for View to Solve the Complexity of Deploying VDI

Nexenta® Systems, a world leader in OpenStorage solutions, today at the start of its OpenStorage Summit EMEA, announced the official release of NexentaVSA for View, a breakthrough solution that expands Nexenta’s proven ZFS-based storage software into virtualized desktop environments. A result of Nexenta’s strategic partnership with VMware, NexentaVSA for View simplifies the process of configuring and deploying virtual desktops — dramatically reducing the storage and management costs that hinder VDI adoption.

NexentaVSA for View simplifies management of virtual desktops and VDI environments – turning a process that normally takes 150 pain-staking steps into a quick four-step process. Using the ZFS file system with commodity hardware, enterprises can save up to 80 percent on the management and storage costs associated with VDI. In the last three months, a number of organizations have participated in the beta program of NexentaVSA for View, including Clark College. Initial results include up to 10X improvement in the time taken to deploy new virtual Windows desktops.

“When implemented properly, desktop virtualization can yield savings in management costs and staff efficiencies associated with deploying a large number of machines to end-users,” said Patrick Taylor, network systems manager, Clark College. “We tested NexentaVSA for View and found that the implementation was relatively simple. Clark College appreciated the detailed analytics and benchmarking Nexenta provided, which enabled us to easily monitor and make adjustments to our VDI environment after deployment.”

Boasting more than 4,500 commercial deployments, Nexenta’s OpenStorage software is an ideal approach for breaking down the barriers that have prevented wide-scale enterprise adoption of VDI.

The key benefits of NexentaVSA for View include:

  • Fast VDI Provisioning, Configuration and Tuning: NexentaVSA for View includes a user interface that guides administrators through VDI deployment, benchmarking, calibration and reconfiguration.
  • Automated and Intelligent Configuration: NexentaVSA for View enables out-of-the-box VDI deployments and automates the processes of configuring and rebalancing the desktop infrastructure.
  • Performance Visibility: Built-in benchmarks measure end-to-end performance, from the client endpoint through storage devices.
  • Calibration and Analytics: NexentaVSA for View automatically modifies configurations based on specified criteria, reducing administrative input.
  • Low-Cost, Performance-Optimized VDI: NexentaVSA for View simplifies deployment of commodity storage as Hybrid Storage Pools, with caching that accelerates write-sensitive VDI performance.

“Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) minimizes the headaches associated with desktop upgrades, security patches and software provisioning,” said Valdis Filks, research director for storage technologies and strategies, Gartner Research. “Systems and processes that allow enterprises to better implement and manage VDI will further accelerate adoption and allow IT managers to demonstrate the value of this powerful technology.”

In a Nexenta survey of 208 IT managers (conducted on a VMware online vForum and through Storage Newsletter), nearly half (44.4 percent) of all respondents indicated they were currently using or piloting VDI. This survey also covered VDI’s barriers to adoption. 75 respondents (36.1 percent), for example, said VDI was too complex to deploy; 40 individuals (19.2 percent) said VDI costs were prohibitive and 25 people (12 percent) said VDI was too difficult to manage and scale.

“We’re proud to be a key VMware partner simplifying the implementation and reducing the cost of adopting virtualized desktop environments,” said Evan Powell, CEO of Nexenta. “NexentaVSA for View helps IT break through the bottleneck of deploying virtualized machines quickly and easily, ultimately improving end-user productivity and accelerating VDI’s return on investment. NexentaVSA for View takes complexity and guesswork out of implementing this powerful technology.”

The solution officially launched at Nexenta’s OpenStorage Summit EMEA, in Amsterdam. Running from 22-24 May at the Mercure Hotel, Amsterdam, the event is aimed at IT directors, storage administrators, storage architects and storage and virtualization resellers looking for low-cost, high performance solutions to solve the complex storage issues in the virtualization, VDI and cloud environments.