SanDisk unveils Integrated Data Service for VMware vSphere

SanDisk Corporation announced FlashSoft software for VMware vSphere 6 as a virtual data service through integration with VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering (VAIO). This latest version of FlashSoft software represents a significant advance in terms of platform integration, usability and performance, increasing customer peace of mind and confidence in host-level storage acceleration. The new VAIO-integrated FlashSoft software will provide write-back caching support for all VMware datastores including VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS), Network File System (NFS), VMware vSphere Virtual Volumes and VMware Virtual SAN.

“We are excited about this significant leap forward for our FlashSoft software for VMware vSphere, which will significantly reduce the storage latency that constrains application performance in virtualized servers,” said Sumit Sadana, executive vice president, chief strategy officer and GM of enterprise solutions, SanDisk. “We have been collaborating closely with VMware for more than a year in order to seamlessly bring the benefits of server-tier flash acceleration to the VMware vSphere platform and ecosystem.”

The VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering will enable integration of third-party data services with vSphere, allowing partner technologies to contribute to VMware’s software-defined storage capabilities through Storage Policy Based Management (SPBM). As the design partner for caching solutions built on VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering, SanDisk collaborated with VMware in the specification and development of this new capability to bring partner technologies into close alignment with vSphere.

“VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering will bring third-party data services into the closest possible level of integration with VMware vSphere,” said Charles Fan, senior vice president and general manager, Storage Business Unit, VMware. “As a design partner, SanDisk has helped us develop a framework for not only incorporating its own FlashSoft software, but also enabling storage acceleration data services for our entire partner ecosystem. This helped us further extend our software-defined storage vision through unique software-based data services.”

“Over the years we have observed many different strategies to bring the performance benefits of flash storage to virtual computing infrastructures,” said Jeff Byrne, Senior Analyst at Taneja Group. “We are excited to see VMware enabling the integration of third-party solutions for solid-state acceleration into the VMware vSphere platform, which will provide customers with greater choice for improving storage performance in software-defined storage environments.”

FlashSoft software for VMware vSphere 5.1 and 5.5 is a VMware Partner Verified and Supported Product (PVSP), and is available today. The new FlashSoft software for VMware vSphere 6 is certified VMware Ready and will be available for purchase from SanDisk and its enterprise channel partners later this year.