05-03-2019, 07:51 AM
You're considering the Tegile T3600? That's definitely a piece of tech that warrants a close look. This hybrid SAN does some neat stuff that combines spinning disks with flash optimization layers, and it's sure to have a significant impact on your performance metrics. The way it manages to interleave flash storage and hard drives is pretty clever. You can think of it as a way to balance speed and capacity - flash is great for performance, but hard drives pack in the storage you might need. It uses Intelligent Flash, which prioritizes high-demand workloads for flat-out speed while offloading less criticial data to the slower drives.
You'll find that the Tegile platform really excels with its tiering capabilities. You get automated tiering across SSDs and HDDs, which allows you to promote frequently accessed data to flash while relegating less-used data to the slower drives. This dynamic data movement can improve how quickly your applications respond and minimize latency. Plus, you can configure this to your specific needs. You can specify how aggressively you'd like it to manage those tiers. If you're running heavy database tasks or OLTP applications, it might be wise to crank that setting up, which will also help you avoid common performance bottlenecks that usually accompany HDDs.
Another aspect you may want to consider involves deduplication and compression. Tegile integrates that in real-time. This technology will significantly boost your storage efficiency, especially if you're dealing with a lot of repetitive files or raw data that needs to be compressed. The T3600 incorporates inline deduplication, which means it scans and removes duplicates on the fly. This results in a marked reduction of the storage footprint, allowing you to save on both hardware and operational costs. It's definitely helpful if you're planning your storage budget, but remember that too much compression can introduce some overhead, which might counteract the benefits of using high-performance flash.
Looking at the user interface, you'll love its simplicity, but don't let that fool you. While it seems straightforward, it supports extensive configuration options, enabling you to fine-tune your environment. It's web-based, so you can access it from anywhere without worrying about your OS. You can set up alerts, monitor performance in real-time, and perform management functions all from a clean dashboard. If you have a lower tolerance for complex setups, this could make your life easier. However, if you want to deep-dive and customize every little setting, you'll appreciate that the functionality lets you get into the nitty-gritty details.
Performance metrics are another big point you've got to consider. The Tegile T3600 delivers impressive IOPS, and that's typically why some businesses choose it over others like Pure or Nimble. With its ability to scale up and down as needed, you'll be able to handle varying loads efficiently. There's a lot to unpack when evaluating throughput and latency. With demanding applications, like those running on SQL Server, you may want to closely monitor latency patterns during peak usage. You'll find that it manages to keep latency to tolerable levels thanks to its flash layers, but extensive reads or writes at peak times can still pose issues.
One thing that stands out about the T3600 is its snapshot capability. This feature facilitates quick backups and restores, acting like a safety net when things go sideways. You're not just looking at regular snapshots; these also allows for multiple versions over time. If you're running an application and you accidentally mess something up, you can roll back to a previous state without that much hassle. But keep in mind that snapshots do consume space. If you have a high frequency of changes, it might require more planning on how many snapshots you're actually going to keep around.
Besides that, let's talk about the integrations. The T3600 plays well with a range of hypervisors, cloud solutions, and backup software. Compatibility with VMware and Hyper-V is straightforward, making it an option for environments where those technologies are in play. The hybrid nature means you won't experience as much friction as you do with some purely flash arrays. You could set it up alongside traditional storage methods without making massive infrastructure changes, allowing for a smoother transition if that's the route you're considering. However, that hybrid approach can lead to complexities in environment management that may require a bit more monitoring and potential tuning.
Ultimately, your choice of SAN should reflect not just current demands but also future growth plans. If your application mix looks set to change or you anticipate increased workload, consider capacity scaling options. Fortunately, the T3600 offers fairly seamless scalability that can match your future needs without requiring you to replace your whole setup. But, evaluating how easily you can expand will also require you to consider the available support and upgrade paths offered by Tegile. The options and flexibility are there, but they need to align with your strategic storage plan.
If you find yourself needing a reliable backup solution after choosing a SAN, check out BackupChain Server Backup. It's a well-regarded backup solution that has tailored functionalities for SMBs and IT professionals, protecting everything from Hyper-V to VMware and Windows Server. This platform could potentially simplify your backup process and fit gracefully alongside whatever storage strategy you decide on.
You'll find that the Tegile platform really excels with its tiering capabilities. You get automated tiering across SSDs and HDDs, which allows you to promote frequently accessed data to flash while relegating less-used data to the slower drives. This dynamic data movement can improve how quickly your applications respond and minimize latency. Plus, you can configure this to your specific needs. You can specify how aggressively you'd like it to manage those tiers. If you're running heavy database tasks or OLTP applications, it might be wise to crank that setting up, which will also help you avoid common performance bottlenecks that usually accompany HDDs.
Another aspect you may want to consider involves deduplication and compression. Tegile integrates that in real-time. This technology will significantly boost your storage efficiency, especially if you're dealing with a lot of repetitive files or raw data that needs to be compressed. The T3600 incorporates inline deduplication, which means it scans and removes duplicates on the fly. This results in a marked reduction of the storage footprint, allowing you to save on both hardware and operational costs. It's definitely helpful if you're planning your storage budget, but remember that too much compression can introduce some overhead, which might counteract the benefits of using high-performance flash.
Looking at the user interface, you'll love its simplicity, but don't let that fool you. While it seems straightforward, it supports extensive configuration options, enabling you to fine-tune your environment. It's web-based, so you can access it from anywhere without worrying about your OS. You can set up alerts, monitor performance in real-time, and perform management functions all from a clean dashboard. If you have a lower tolerance for complex setups, this could make your life easier. However, if you want to deep-dive and customize every little setting, you'll appreciate that the functionality lets you get into the nitty-gritty details.
Performance metrics are another big point you've got to consider. The Tegile T3600 delivers impressive IOPS, and that's typically why some businesses choose it over others like Pure or Nimble. With its ability to scale up and down as needed, you'll be able to handle varying loads efficiently. There's a lot to unpack when evaluating throughput and latency. With demanding applications, like those running on SQL Server, you may want to closely monitor latency patterns during peak usage. You'll find that it manages to keep latency to tolerable levels thanks to its flash layers, but extensive reads or writes at peak times can still pose issues.
One thing that stands out about the T3600 is its snapshot capability. This feature facilitates quick backups and restores, acting like a safety net when things go sideways. You're not just looking at regular snapshots; these also allows for multiple versions over time. If you're running an application and you accidentally mess something up, you can roll back to a previous state without that much hassle. But keep in mind that snapshots do consume space. If you have a high frequency of changes, it might require more planning on how many snapshots you're actually going to keep around.
Besides that, let's talk about the integrations. The T3600 plays well with a range of hypervisors, cloud solutions, and backup software. Compatibility with VMware and Hyper-V is straightforward, making it an option for environments where those technologies are in play. The hybrid nature means you won't experience as much friction as you do with some purely flash arrays. You could set it up alongside traditional storage methods without making massive infrastructure changes, allowing for a smoother transition if that's the route you're considering. However, that hybrid approach can lead to complexities in environment management that may require a bit more monitoring and potential tuning.
Ultimately, your choice of SAN should reflect not just current demands but also future growth plans. If your application mix looks set to change or you anticipate increased workload, consider capacity scaling options. Fortunately, the T3600 offers fairly seamless scalability that can match your future needs without requiring you to replace your whole setup. But, evaluating how easily you can expand will also require you to consider the available support and upgrade paths offered by Tegile. The options and flexibility are there, but they need to align with your strategic storage plan.
If you find yourself needing a reliable backup solution after choosing a SAN, check out BackupChain Server Backup. It's a well-regarded backup solution that has tailored functionalities for SMBs and IT professionals, protecting everything from Hyper-V to VMware and Windows Server. This platform could potentially simplify your backup process and fit gracefully alongside whatever storage strategy you decide on.
