Incase you missed the EMC VSPEX BLUE announcement earlier today, you can still access the launch presentation here. The VSPEX BLUE offering is a hyper-converged infrastructure appliance that integrates VMware’s EVO: Rail software stack with EMC’s management software. In keeping with the EVO:Rail reference architecture, each VSPEX Blue appliance has four server nodes in a 2U rackmount form factor.
Here are some links to Demos from the announcement:
VSPEX BLUE Manager Demo
VSPEX BLUE and EMC CloudArray
VSPEX BLUE Whiteboard
FAQ:
-Tuesday, February 17th 2015
-VSPEX BLUE will include vDPA EMC Avamar technology for backup
-VSPEX Blue does not come bundled with NSX in the current version. But it is on the roadmap
-EVO:RAIL V1.0 based supports up to 4 appliances (16 nodes). Soon this will double.
-No, EVO:RAIL is based on VSAN
-Converged implies convergence of storage, compute, and networking. by the same token they can all be scaled out in a linear fashion and one cannot choose to scale storage but not compute.
-It’s EMC’s whitebox. For V1.0, it’s the same box as ECS (2U/4N) but different configuration.
-VSPEX BLUE comes with RecoverPoint for VMs 15 VM license with support for free for every appliance.
-A customer will be entitled to protect 15VMs per appliance. A single appliance can have 60 to 100 VMs on it. If replication is needed beyond 15VMs, a customer will need to purchase extra licenses for RP4VM
-No. EVO:RAIL assumes VSAN controls all the disk and provides a single datastore.
-It will be dependent on your workload for each of the VM’s. However the current breakdown is 100 VM per appliance with a total of 4 appliances in currently supported configuration will mean 400 VM’s
-VSAN 1.0 currently does not support HA. This is being addressed
-Support of vVOL is two folds: VMwware EVO:RAIL does support vVols, but you will not be able to replicate vVOLS with the current RP4VM version 4.2. This will occur in future releases where both EVO:RAIL VMware stack and RP4VM supports vvol deployment end to end
-ViPR currently does not support VSAN today, so no.
Complete Transcript:
Technical Support: Welcome to today’s presentation! We are here to answer any questions you have during the session.02/03/2015 10:06AM
0OZYTKH4WJ@INXPO.COM: how much $02/03/2015 10:08AM
Pete Richardson: Please contact your local Partner or EMC sales personnel for pricing.02/03/2015 10:10AM
JFL3WQPOLF@INXPO.COM: Can we use this link for marketing? This will be live tomorrow as well?: http://bit.ly/1ygG9P0 02/03/2015 10:05AM
Pete Richardson: Yes this link will be live for replay tomorrow 02/03/2015 10:10AM
6GHKUIBRXA@INXPO.COM: Is it based on vSphere 5.5 or vSphere 6 02/03/2015 10:10AM
Curtis Edwards: currently it is based on vSphere 5.5 02/03/2015 10:10AM
C0L9FTO5LX@INXPO.COM: Who is the networking partner w/in the VSPEX BLUE? Thanks – aaron 02/03/2015 10:08AM
Jim Doustou: The Blue appliance does not include networking hardware02/03/2015 10:11AM
JFL3WQPOLF@INXPO.COM: Will this link be available from today so we can use this in all Awareness campaings?http://bit.ly/1ygG9P002/03/2015 10:07AM
Pete Richardson: Yes the link will be available tomorrow for replay02/03/2015 10:11AM
B5RG4V0XL0@INXPO.COM: What does EMC squared stand for 02/03/2015 10:11AM
Jim Doustou: It’s the initials of the founders02/03/2015 10:11AM
LDYF58VDB9@INXPO.COM: Are the appliances a choice like EVO? 02/03/2015 10:12AM
Rieko Sato: With hyper-CI storage is SDS (software). 02/03/2015 10:12AM
JVLS3WWARD@INXPO.COM: What backup solution is going to be pushed with this?02/03/2015 10:12AM
Michael Issa: VSPEX BLUE will include vDPA EMC Avamar technology for backup02/03/2015 10:13AM
B7CE2QSRLA@INXPO.COM: who manufactures the Nodes? 02/03/2015 10:12AM
Jim Doustou: Final system integration is completed by our distribution partners.02/03/2015 10:13AM
85LRLAW9N9@INXPO.COM: Do you have a virtual lab that a consultant can use to get more exposure to VSPEX? 02/03/2015 10:12AM
Rieko Sato: Yes, VSPEX BLUE will be available in vLab. 02/03/2015 10:14AM
B7CE2QSRLA@INXPO.COM: Will this utilise NSX 02/03/2015 10:11AM
Pete Richardson: VSPEX Blue does not come bundled with NSX in the current version. But it is on the roadmap02/03/2015 10:14AM
RLX0AFXEBF@INXPO.COM: so the vspex still needs to plug into a managed fabric?02/03/2015 10:13AM
Rieko Sato: 10 GbE TOR switch. Not FC.02/03/2015 10:14AM
3BDJDP1VIR@INXPO.COM: Where is VSPEX Blue manufactured? 02/03/2015 10:10AM
Jim Doustou: Final system integration is completed by our distribution partners at various locations. 02/03/2015 10:14AM
A8IOZVIHA5@INXPO.COM: when will be available for LATAM? 02/03/2015 10:12AM
Curtis Edwards: availability will be Feb 17th. For further specifics please contact your local EMC distributor/partner.02/03/2015 10:15AM
IR0Y7SVXJ6@INXPO.COM: he said you can add a new appliance if you need more space. how many appliances can you manage under the software? 02/03/2015 10:14AM
Rieko Sato: EVO:RAIL V1.0 based supports up to 4 appliances (16 nodes). Soon this will double. 02/03/2015 10:15AM
DUYBNY9YMU@INXPO.COM: any plans for a non evo:rail (i.e. other hypervisor) hyperconverged system? 02/03/2015 10:11AM
Michael Issa: Non EVO:RAIL like hpervisor is something we are considering as well but not for the SMB segment 02/03/2015 10:15AM
3GZCVWULDC@INXPO.COM: Will it be compatible with ScaleIO? 02/03/2015 10:15AM
Rieko Sato: No, EVO:RAIL is based on VSAN. 02/03/2015 10:16AM
TY5KH057K9@INXPO.COM: Is this then provided as a single skew? 02/03/2015 10:12AM
Pete Richardson: Yes, there is a single SKU for the applicant, software and maintenance. So 3 line items on the quote.02/03/2015 10:16AM
JBR1PABOOF@INXPO.COM: Can this run on any x86 server hardware? 02/03/2015 10:16AM
Rieko Sato: No. This is an integrated appliance with hardware. 02/03/2015 10:16AM
BPGTBE4RW3@INXPO.COM: So what is difference between converged and hyper-converged? Isn’t this same as vBlock offering?02/03/2015 10:11AM
Michael Issa: Converged implies convergence of storage, compute, and networking. by the same token they can all be scaled out in a linear fashion and one cannot choose to scale storage but not compute. 02/03/2015 10:17AM
LP0BE7CCDN@INXPO.COM: what EMC hardware do you have in the backend of the blue? 02/03/2015 10:15AM
Rieko Sato: It’s EMC’s whitebox. For V1.0, it’s the same box as ECS (2U/4N) but different configuration. 02/03/2015 10:17AM
ST8FI9EVSN@INXPO.COM: will there be hardware variations to support customer need?02/03/2015 10:16AM
Jim Doustou: the current offerings include a standard and performance model (different memory configurations) and either copper or optical network connects.02/03/2015 10:17AM
JBR1PABOOF@INXPO.COM: Does it include VMware NSX? 02/03/2015 10:12AM
Pete Richardson: NSX is not included in the current version of VSPEX Blue but it is a roadmap item 02/03/2015 10:18AM
6GHKUIBRXA@INXPO.COM: will this be upgradable to vSphere 6 02/03/2015 10:12AM
Curtis Edwards: it will be upgradeable when the EVO:Rail bundle supports and is released with vSphere 6. It will be a future release. 02/03/2015 10:18AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: Can you integrate it to existing vmware environments?02/03/2015 10:15AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE based on EVO:RAIL comes with vSphere ENT+, VSAN, vCenter Server, and vRealized LogInsight. For centralized management. if you’d like to use existing vRealize Operations/Automation you can then treat VSPEX BLUE as a vSphere end point.02/03/2015 10:19AM
LDYF58VDB9@INXPO.COM: Isn’t this now competing with EVA:Rack? 02/03/2015 10:18AM
Pete Richardson: EVO:Rail and EVO:Rack have different use cases.02/03/2015 10:19AM
SXHWB8CDEG@INXPO.COM: is this running VSAN 6? 02/03/2015 10:17AM
Curtis Edwards: The current released version is running vSan 5.5 and vSphere 5.5. Future release will support vSan 6.002/03/2015 10:19AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: is hardware monitoring included? 02/03/2015 10:19AM
Rieko Sato: Yes. VSPEX BLUE Manager plays a key role along with ESRS.02/03/2015 10:19AM
B7CE2QSRLA@INXPO.COM: what is the maximum amount of nodes/appliances?02/03/2015 10:18AM
Pete Richardson: each appliance has 4 nodes, and today the cluster can scale to 4 appliances 02/03/2015 10:19AM
D2LW7RHDIW@INXPO.COM: If a company already has an EA with VMWare will it still be required to pay for the VMWare licenses that come with VSPEXBLUE? 02/03/2015 10:19AM
Rieko Sato: Unfortunately, ELAs are not supported by VMware for EVO:RAIL.02/03/2015 10:20AM
ZIZ6UB2SQN@INXPO.COM: What is the basic configuration for this appliance (CPU, Memory, storage capacity)? How much can grow?02/03/2015 10:18AM
Jim Doustou: The standard model includes 8×16 G memory, 3@ 1.2 T HDD and 1 12G SDD per node. Performance models up the memory to 6@ 32G 02/03/2015 10:20AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: what is the range of available storage capacities02/03/2015 10:18AM
Pete Richardson: The VSPEX Blue appliance comes in one capacity 14.4 TB Raw 02/03/2015 10:20AM
CZU56BIY5H@INXPO.COM: might have missed it, what are the replication options?02/03/2015 10:20AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE comes with RecoverPoint for VMs 15 VM license with support for free for every appliance.02/03/2015 10:21AM
RKRY41ZRD6@INXPO.COM: Is this available to buy this from Avnet in the UK?02/03/2015 10:21AM
Pete Richardson: Yes 02/03/2015 10:21AM
Jim Doustou: Yes! 02/03/2015 10:21AM
C0L9FTO5LX@INXPO.COM: What are the key differentiators vs. Nutanix? 02/03/2015 10:12AM
Michael Issa: VSPEX BLUE differentiate against Nutanix as follows:02/03/2015 10:17AM
Michael Issa: 1. VSPEX BLUE mfg process allows for higher margin 10+ points for partners. 2. simplicity and ease of deployment with EVO:RAIL VSPEX BLUE MANAGER 2. EMC ESRS call call with global tech support 3. overall architecture vsan and EVO:RAIL has intrinsic low latency path as they are embeded within the ESX kernel space vs. NUTANIX OS, requires a VM staged as a controller with APIs to vCenter , VAAI etc. 5. We do have value added software on the appliance like cloudArray to increase on prem storage with secure optomized encyption to any public cloud 3. RecoverPoint for VM granular sync, semi sync or async replication 02/03/2015 10:21AM
ST8FI9EVSN@INXPO.COM: what is the minimum/maximum amount of nodes supported by the hypervisor 02/03/2015 10:19AM
Curtis Edwards: VSPEX Blue will currently support 4 appliances. Unit of Purchase will be an appliance. Each appliance has 4 nodes. So a total of 16 nodes currently. You can start with one appliance and grow by adding more appliances. 02/03/2015 10:22AM
ST8FI9EVSN@INXPO.COM: Can multiple clusters be integrated with each other?02/03/2015 10:20AM
Rieko Sato: Each VSPEX BLUE appliance has 4 nodes, and it’s a cluster. You can expand the cluster by adding additional appliances, up to 4 (which is 16 nodes). EVO:RAIL management manages all the nodes across appliances as a cluster. The next EVO:RAIL refresh (soon) will provide a single-pane-of-glass for multiple clusters.02/03/2015 10:22AM
8O560LDBOI@INXPO.COM: Can VSPEX BLUE be configured as an all-flash appliance?02/03/2015 10:21AM
Jim Doustou: Unfortunately not. The configuration is set to the supported models. IE and “appliance” model.02/03/2015 10:23AM
RLX0AFXEBF@INXPO.COM: does this or can tis product run inline with x86 HW?02/03/2015 10:17AM
Rieko Sato: No, this is not SW and cannot run with general-purpose HW. Appliance includes HW. 02/03/2015 10:23AM
D84IC4UYX1@INXPO.COM: Just saw CDW on the Video – is the Product Avail. from CDW today? 02/03/2015 10:21AM
Pete Richardson: The product is available on Feb. 17th. 02/03/2015 10:24AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: Can I attach external storage? fc support?02/03/2015 10:23AM
Rieko Sato: No. EVO:RAIL assumes VSAN controls all the disk and provides a single datastore. 02/03/2015 10:24AM
V2VU3ZRX8R@INXPO.COM: is there a link to the hardware specs/node connectivity options available? 02/03/2015 10:16AM
Curtis Edwards: yes there is. you can go to emc.com/vspex for all VSPEX BLUE information. 02/03/2015 10:24AM
0OZYTKH4WJ@INXPO.COM: Can I replace my VMAX with this? 02/03/2015 10:14AM
Michael Issa: some workloads on VMAX can be moved to VSPEX BLUE but it depends on the application latency and IOPS02/03/2015 10:24AM
OGKX66DYIQ@INXPO.COM: Is it Easy to replicate accross sites? 02/03/2015 10:24AM
Curtis Edwards: Yes it is. Using RP4VM (RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines). 15 licenses plus support are included with each VSPEX Blue appliance.02/03/2015 10:25AM
3BDJDP1VIR@INXPO.COM: Where can we find more information on the VSPEX Blue supply chain. 02/03/2015 10:15AM
Pete Richardson: Please contact you partner/distributor for supply chain questions. 02/03/2015 10:25AM
B7CE2QSRLA@INXPO.COM: what happens when you go over 4 appliances?02/03/2015 10:24AM
Michael Issa: You may encounter perf issues, and it will not be supported with the service contract in VSPEX BLUE release 1.0. We do have plans to scale out beyond 4 appliance in subsequent VSPEX BLUE releases 02/03/2015 10:25AM
0VRILZ04ZB@INXPO.COM: Is there a try before you buy for additional features that can be bought for VSpex blue? 02/03/2015 10:23AM
Jim Doustou: Eval systems are something you can arrange with your distributor or VAR. Blue comes with several Value Added software options including RP4VM and Cloud Array. 02/03/2015 10:26AM
4SQAA5QBPW@INXPO.COM: differentiating factors vs Nutanix? 02/03/2015 10:20AM
Rieko Sato: One of the key reasons customers are interested in EMC is the global support that is consistent with arrays. This is the same reaction customers had with Data Domain and Isilon prior to acquisition. VMware’s roadmap with vSphere, VSAN, management, and cloud addresses technical gap and creates additional value. EMC will be taking advantage of EVO:RAIL extensibility to create more differentiation.02/03/2015 10:26AM
V2VU3ZRX8R@INXPO.COM: if there are greater than 4 host appliances, the 5th would just become its own separate management domain? 02/03/2015 10:27AM
Pete Richardson: Yes, which you can aggregate together with SSO.02/03/2015 10:27AM
02A8CXO5AS@INXPO.COM: how good is this product if the environment has vmax with very less amount of vmware handling02/03/2015 10:11AM
Michael Issa: For deployments with low VMs and very low budget this product will not be a good fit price wise. We are consider perhaps a 2 node non EVO:RAIL option to compete with VRTX DELL02/03/2015 10:27AM
SXHWB8CDEG@INXPO.COM: when VSPEX Blue is running VSAN 6, will it be able to be configured as an all-flash appliance?02/03/2015 10:24AM
Jim Doustou: Blue configuration is set at the supported models. Each node includes 3@ 1.2T HDD and 1@12G SDD02/03/2015 10:28AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: how does vspex blue protect against silent data corruption?02/03/2015 10:24AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE’s EVO:RAIL is based on VSAN for storage. VSAN’s resilience is based on replicating the object (VMDK) and rebuilding instead of “RAID”.02/03/2015 10:28AM
B7CE2QSRLA@INXPO.COM: if there is a problem with the EVO Rail software do you contact EMC or VMware? 02/03/2015 10:27AM
Pete Richardson: EMC. This is an EMC OEM product, so it will be supported just like it was a VMAX, VNX, etc.02/03/2015 10:28AM
LP0BE7CCDN@INXPO.COM: how many VM’s is recommended to run within a blue system?02/03/2015 10:27AM
Curtis Edwards: it will be dependent on your workload for each of the VM’s. However the current breakdown is 100 VM per appliance with a total of 4 appliances in currently supported configuration will mean 400 VM’s. 02/03/2015 10:29AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: Is there a maximum capacity for VDP Advanced backups? 02/03/2015 10:27AM
Michael Issa: The limiting factor is not VDP but the VSPEX BLUE on prem storage capacity 02/03/2015 10:29AM
H7VJA144OK@INXPO.COM: Will there be a 10G switch with vspexblue? or will there be the recommended 02/03/2015 10:29AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE does not include a TOR switch but VSPEX partners do. Brocade, for example, will offer a bundle for VSPEX BLUE. 02/03/2015 10:29AM
Curtis Edwards: Your EMC partner/distributor will recommend 10G switches. 02/03/2015 10:30AM
SXHWB8CDEG@INXPO.COM: What are the key differentiators vs. Nutanix? 02/03/2015 10:19AM
Michael Issa: 1. VSPEX BLUE mfg process allows for higher margin 10+ points for partners. 2. simplicity and ease of deployment with EVO:RAIL VSPEX BLUE MANAGER 2. EMC ESRS call call with global tech support 3. overall architecture vsan and EVO:RAIL has intrinsic low latency path as they are embeded within the ESX kernel space vs. NUTANIX OS, requires a VM staged as a controller with APIs to vCenter , VAAI etc. 5. We do have value added software on the appliance like cloudArray to increase on prem storage with secure optomized encyption to any public cloud 3. RecoverPoint for VM granular sync, semi sync or async replication 02/03/2015 10:30AM
ST8FI9EVSN@INXPO.COM: Will there be options in the HW configurations of the VSPEX appliance 02/03/2015 10:29AM
Jim Doustou: There are 4 available models Standard/Performance each with copper and optical interfaces. Standard has 8@16G memory vs 6@32G for the performance model. 02/03/2015 10:30AM
4SQAA5QBPW@INXPO.COM: How is it superior then Nutanix? 02/03/2015 10:19AM
Michael Issa: 1. VSPEX BLUE mfg process allows for higher margin 10+ points for partners. 2. simplicity and ease of deployment with EVO:RAIL VSPEX BLUE MANAGER 2. EMC ESRS call call with global tech support 3. overall architecture vsan and EVO:RAIL has intrinsic low latency path as they are embeded within the ESX kernel space vs. NUTANIX OS, requires a VM staged as a controller with APIs to vCenter , VAAI etc. 5. We do have value added software on the appliance like cloudArray to increase on prem storage with secure optomized encyption to any public cloud 3. RecoverPoint for VM granular sync, semi sync or async replication. Note that in VSPEX BLUE rel1.0 we lack global dedupe for on prem capacity a feature NX brag about, but we provide expansion of capacity to cloud02/03/2015 10:31AM
5WFEY03UFP@INXPO.COM: Can VM’s be migrated from cuurent VCenter to EVO:Rail ?02/03/2015 10:30AM
Pete Richardson: Yes. Standard VMware capabilities are native to VSPEX Blue.02/03/2015 10:31AM
JVLS3WWARD@INXPO.COM: How much of the limitations that have been spoke about are due to vsan/vsphere 5.5? 02/03/2015 10:29AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE V1.0 based on EVO:RAIL 1.0 is targeting a moderate environment. The scale is supporting up to 4 appliances (16 nodes). This will soon be lifted to 8 appliances (32 nodes) soon with the EVO:RAIL refresh. EVO:RAIL will refresh with vSphere 6.0/VSAN 6.0 later.02/03/2015 10:32AM
ST8FI9EVSN@INXPO.COM: How much rack space does a appliance take up?02/03/2015 10:31AM
Pete Richardson: Each appliance consumes 2U 02/03/2015 10:32AM
Jim Doustou: One appliance is 2U and include 4 nodes. 02/03/2015 10:32AM
ML0JEMEM54@INXPO.COM: have to analyse TCO , 02/03/2015 10:28AM
Pete Richardson: The TCO tools for VSPEX Blue are currently a roadmap item.02/03/2015 10:32AM
ST8FI9EVSN@INXPO.COM: Can I plug VSPEX into my existing storage array?02/03/2015 10:31AM
Curtis Edwards: no 02/03/2015 10:32AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: Does it use VMware HA? Is FT supported?02/03/2015 10:32AM
Rieko Sato: VSAN 1.0 currently does not support HA. This is being addressed,02/03/2015 10:33AM
B7CE2QSRLA@INXPO.COM: how many clusters can be managed together?02/03/2015 10:32AM
Curtis Edwards: Currently only one cluster within the management interface. However with additional capabilities of vSphere and the use of SSO you could have multiple clusters in the vCenter. 02/03/2015 10:33AM
B7CE2QSRLA@INXPO.COM: will VSPEX be added to the Vblock stack? 02/03/2015 10:31AM
Michael Issa: VSPEX BLUE is a stand alone appliance and complements Vblock. One topology will be to deploy VSPEX BLUE around the edge(ROBO) and using vDPA and/or RP4VM to fan into a main data center having VBLOCK or Data domain.02/03/2015 10:33AM
O71WLDFUCA@INXPO.COM: what is the upgrade path for storage? 02/03/2015 10:32AM
Pete Richardson: There currently is no planned upgrade path for storage.02/03/2015 10:34AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: is support for vvols on the roadmap 02/03/2015 10:33AM
Michael Issa: Support of vVOL is two folds: VMwware EVO:RAIL do support vVols, but you will not be able to replicate vVOLS with the current RP4VM version 4.2. This will occur in future releases where both EVO:RAIL VMware stack and RP4VM supports vvol deployment end to end02/03/2015 10:35AM
D84IC4UYX1@INXPO.COM: Can you highlight the primary differences btw. this and running VSAN SW independently? 02/03/2015 10:32AM
Rieko Sato: EVO:RAIL management radically simplifies the cluster management experience of deployment, upgrade, cluster expansion etc. that you can’t get. It’s HTML5/Javascript that is fast and easy. Because VSPEX BLUE is an appliance, not HCL. Plus the total value you get from EMC VSPEX with the additional SW products included for free, and integrated VSPEX BLUE Manager extension to EVO:RAIL.02/03/2015 10:35AM
LP0BE7CCDN@INXPO.COM: how many VM’s can I protect with RP for VM within this solution? 02/03/2015 10:34AM
Curtis Edwards: each appliance currently has 15 RP4VM licenses with support included. 02/03/2015 10:35AM
B7CE2QSRLA@INXPO.COM: Will VSPEX be sold by VCE similarly to VCE sells Avamar and Data Domain? 02/03/2015 10:34AM
Rieko Sato: No. VSPEX BLUE is offered by distribution partners but EMC direct sales are paid. 02/03/2015 10:36AM
0VRILZ04ZB@INXPO.COM: Does this work with recoverpoint devices? 02/03/2015 10:33AM
Michael Issa: Only with RP4VM , we replicate to another instance of RP4VM on the secondary 02/03/2015 10:36AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: What happens to my VMs if a node fails? 02/03/2015 10:34AM
Pete Richardson: The DRS policy will automatic cause the VM’s to restart on a surviving node. Standard VMware functionality. 02/03/2015 10:36AM
I7EUTAWF5X@INXPO.COM: Does VSPEXBLUE support data at rest encryption?02/03/2015 10:36AM
Curtis Edwards: Data at rest encryption is a roadmap item. 02/03/2015 10:37AM
IR0Y7SVXJ6@INXPO.COM: confused about the storage options. so are you supposed to use cloud storage for your file and block level data? What iif you dont want to go cloud now. can you store directly on the box? how many TBs available? 02/03/2015 10:36AM
Rieko Sato: No, storage for VMDK comes from VSAN which is iSCSI via VMFS. For the guest OS apps, you can get file services from Cloud Array. Cloud Array provides both iSCSI and CIFS/NFS, which can be a virtual volume that uses capability in the public/private cloud.02/03/2015 10:37AM
ST8FI9EVSN@INXPO.COM: does the system have self-healing capabilities02/03/2015 10:36AM
Michael Issa: The VSPEX BLUE appliance relies on VMWare VM HA and fault tolerant technologies. It will also initiate an automatic EMC Support Service incident in case all fails, or something was not recoverable both SW or HW wise.02/03/2015 10:38AM
L8APHO71R4@INXPO.COM: why should I choose VSPEXBLUE instead of going OEM?02/03/2015 10:11AM
Rieko Sato: EMC is an OEM partner of VMware EVO:RAIL. VSPEX BLUE provides an integrated appliance through distribution partners to end-customers. The appliance is 100% supported by EMC, HW & SW including VMware SW. 02/03/2015 10:39AM
UBKKDBMP0E@INXPO.COM: what is list price of evo rail? 02/03/2015 10:39AM
Rieko Sato: Distribution partners provides the list price – Avnet and Arrow can generate quotes before VSPEX BLUE is GA on 2/17. 02/03/2015 10:40AM
KI5IK939IF@INXPO.COM: Do the appliances in the cluster have to be identical or can upgrades be performed by adding an additional appliance (within the 16 node limit) and the VMs migrated and the original nodes then removed? 02/03/2015 10:39AM
Jim Doustou: Support for mixed node clusters is supported however will complicate sizing. You can upgrade at the “appliance” level (i.e.. 4 nodes at a time).02/03/2015 10:40AM
C0L9FTO5LX@INXPO.COM: Is VSPEX BLUE utilizing Foxconn compute? Are there other partners to be added? 02/03/2015 10:16AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE distribution partners are Avnet, Arrow, Tech Data for example. Not Foxconn. 02/03/2015 10:38AM
Pete Richardson: It is currently using Foxconn compute. Please contact your distribution partner for further details about reselling VSPEX Blue. 02/03/2015 10:40AM
SXHWB8CDEG@INXPO.COM: what type of servers can be used in VSPEX Blue?02/03/2015 10:39AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE comes with HW, so you cannot run with your general-purpose server. EVO:RAIL controls the specs. It’s a 2U/4N form factor.02/03/2015 10:41AM
VOOM21H1U7@INXPO.COM: how is an existing VM infrastructure migrated to VSPEX Blue?02/03/2015 10:39AM
Pete Richardson: You would be able to use the native VMWare tools to migrate to a VSPEX Blue appliance. 02/03/2015 10:41AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: Will ViPR support VSPEX Blue? 02/03/2015 10:40AM
Rieko Sato: ViPR doesn’t support VSAN today, so no. 02/03/2015 10:41AM
VOOM21H1U7@INXPO.COM: Will this appliance evolve to support SCALEIO?02/03/2015 10:40AM
Michael Issa: No this appliance relies exclusively on vSAN and EVO:RAIL technology 02/03/2015 10:42AM
H7VJA144OK@INXPO.COM: what version of vsan does vspexblue ship with and will it be upgradable? 02/03/2015 10:41AM
Pete Richardson: It is currently bundled with VSAN 1.0. It will be upgraded in the next release of the EVO:Rail software.02/03/2015 10:42AM
BPGTBE4RW3@INXPO.COM: What is the difference between vSpexBlue and vBLock offering? 02/03/2015 10:41AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE is hyper-converged. Storage is VSAN software running on compute, co-resident with application VMs. Vblock is based on external arrays, so it’s converged not hyper-converged. 02/03/2015 10:43AM
BX9Q056L4V@INXPO.COM: Is the server hardware in VXPEXBlue coming from Cisco like Vblock? 02/03/2015 10:42AM
Jim Doustou: No, the hardware is an EMC design. 02/03/2015 10:43AM
UBKKDBMP0E@INXPO.COM: Hello. I have 16 node Nutanix – can I add EMC Blue to it?02/03/2015 10:43AM
Pete Richardson: Unfortunately no. They are two completely different technologies.02/03/2015 10:43AM
LP0BE7CCDN@INXPO.COM: so I can only protect 15 VM’s per appliance? But the solution itself can host up to 400 VM’s?02/03/2015 10:41AM
Michael Issa: A customer will be entitled to protect 15VMs per appliance. A single appliance can have 60 to 100 VMs on it. If replication is needed beyond 15VMs, a customer will need to purchase extra licenses for RP4VM, an up-sell opportunity.02/03/2015 10:44AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: so the market is primarily smb market? 02/03/2015 10:42AM
Rieko Sato: SME, large ROBO, enterprise departmental. One of the effective use case is VDI as you can start with an appliance and grow without much planning.02/03/2015 10:44AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: is there a program to trade-in existing nutanix for vspex blue? 02/03/2015 10:44AM
Michael Issa: Competitive Technology Migration program is something we will be considering 02/03/2015 10:45AM
E8ZGDUPJ5S@INXPO.COM: What is the price of 1 appliance? 02/03/2015 10:44AM
Pete Richardson: Please contact you partner/distributor for details on pricing02/03/2015 10:45AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: Can you mix EVO:RAIL systems from different vendors?02/03/2015 10:44AM
Pete Richardson: Not today.02/03/2015 10:45AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: what are the computer characteristcis? (# of sockets, cores, ram, etc? 02/03/2015 10:43AM
Jim Doustou: Proc – 2@ E5-2620v2, memory 8@16G or 6@32G, HDD 3@1.2T, Sdd 1@12G. These are all per node specs.02/03/2015 10:45AM
H7VJA144OK@INXPO.COM: so there will be a limitation of 4 vspexblue when it GA’s?02/03/2015 10:43AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE 1.0 is based on EVO:RAIL 1.0, so it’s limited to 4 appliances. Soon this will double with EVO:RAIL 1.1 refresh. 02/03/2015 10:45AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: is vipr on the roadmap 02/03/2015 10:42AM
Michael Issa: Vipr and ScaleI/O are being considered but not for EVO:RAIL vsan HCIA appliance. 02/03/2015 10:46AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: how many average vdi desktops wil lthis support02/03/2015 10:45AM
Curtis Edwards: it will depending on the workload for each desktop but the current numbers are 250 virtual desktops per appliance with a total of 4 appliance and 1000 virtual desktops. 02/03/2015 10:46AM
LP0BE7CCDN@INXPO.COM: are there any SSD options available for the blue solution?02/03/2015 10:46AM
Jim Doustou: Each node is configured with 1@12G SDD drive. 4 total per appliance02/03/2015 10:46AM
A8IOZVIHA5@INXPO.COM: 2/17 GA applies to Mexico & LATAM markets as well?02/03/2015 10:46AM
Curtis Edwards: Yes. 2/17 applies to all markets. 02/03/2015 10:47AM
I2MI1AJT5H@INXPO.COM: Typical lead time for delivery in Europe? 02/03/2015 10:46AM
Jim Doustou: Contact your partner/distributor for lead time information.02/03/2015 10:47AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: 12G SSd is pretty small. do you mean 128GB ssd?02/03/2015 10:47AM
Jim Doustou: Sorry typo. 400G02/03/2015 10:47AM
UBKKDBMP0E@INXPO.COM: that must be a mistake – 12G ??? 02/03/2015 10:47AM
Pete Richardson: It is a 400GB SSD. Typo.02/03/2015 10:47AM
8NGNUFGQBB@INXPO.COM: who manufactures the compute nodes02/03/2015 10:39AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE distribution partners not only sell/distribute but manufacture the appliance. The manufacturing process is all controlled by EMC’s automation process. Support is 100% from EMC, SW and HW including VMware SW. 02/03/2015 10:48AM
93CXENP4MI@INXPO.COM: how much useable on a single appliance is provided by VSAN?02/03/2015 10:46AM
Curtis Edwards: usable space on a single appliance is 13TB that will be assigned to vSAN to be used for various policies.02/03/2015 10:48AM
H7VJA144OK@INXPO.COM: Are you saying EVO:RAIL 1.1 will include vsan 6?02/03/2015 10:46AM
Pete Richardson: EVO:Rail will be bundled with VSAN 1.0 02/03/2015 10:48AM
LP0BE7CCDN@INXPO.COM: how does those SSD drive work? As an cache or is it configurable? 02/03/2015 10:48AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE is based on EVO:RAIL/VSAN. VSAN uses SSD as read and write cache. 02/03/2015 10:48AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: How much IOPS can I expect? 02/03/2015 10:46AM
Michael Issa: About 250K IOPS for one vSAN datastore per appliance (4 nodes)02/03/2015 10:48AM
4J0BH3PDQ2@INXPO.COM: How many IOPS can one appliance deliver? 02/03/2015 10:48AM
Michael Issa: 250K IOPS per appliance (4 nodes) one vsan datastore02/03/2015 10:49AM
UBKKDBMP0E@INXPO.COM: SSD per node is 1 x 400GB eMLC 2.5″ SAS SSD02/03/2015 10:48AM
Pete Richardson: That is correct02/03/2015 10:49AM
LP0BE7CCDN@INXPO.COM: what other disk types you have in the blue solution?02/03/2015 10:49AM
Curtis Edwards: there are only 2 preselected disks types in the VSPEX Blue solution. It is SSD and SAS drives.02/03/2015 10:50AM
SXHWB8CDEG@INXPO.COM: Why do you say “Each node is configured with 1@12G SDD drive”? isn’t each SSD 400GB?02/03/2015 10:50AM
Jim Doustou: Correct. 12G was a typo02/03/2015 10:50AM
BX9Q056L4V@INXPO.COM: How does VSPEXBLUE compare to Oracles new Virtual Compute Appliance? 02/03/2015 10:45AM
Michael Issa: I’ll have to get back to you on this comparison 02/03/2015 10:50AM
ML0JEMEM54@INXPO.COM: Is there Web based console or management interface GUI availability along with RBAC so that end user customer can directly access the console and allocate / buy Virutual server on payment basis02/03/2015 10:39AM
Rieko Sato: EVO:RAIL management is completely new, HTML5/Javascript and stateless. It uses vCenter database. Currently, EVO:RAIL does not provide extensibility / API. As far as purchasing the appliance, it is not a SaaS model. You have to purchase the entire appliance HW/SW.02/03/2015 10:50AM
T91MC33X7T@INXPO.COM: Plans for mixing VSPEX with VPLEX and using external arrays?02/03/2015 10:50AM
Michael Issa: No, but we are considering in future releases to embed vVPLEX onto VSPEX BLUE for Active Active HA appliance deployments 02/03/2015 10:51AM
SXHWB8CDEG@INXPO.COM: when will VSPEX Blue support Intel’s Grantley (Xeon E5-2600 v3) processors? 02/03/2015 10:51AM
Rieko Sato: Haswell HW refresh is planned when EVO:RAIL supports as mainstream later this year. 02/03/2015 10:52AM
H7VJA144OK@INXPO.COM: With Vspexblue will I be able to levearge my vmware ELA?02/03/2015 10:50AM
Curtis Edwards: VSPEX BLUE is a new Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Appliance that offers a brand new delivery and consumption model, and a new way to stack and scale the core virtualized infrastructure services in a simple and easy way. It is not currently included as part of any existing ELA agreement or on the VMware pricelist. 02/03/2015 10:52AM
Technical Support: We are hosting an Ask-the-Experts session panel on the EMC Community Network (ECN) post event — simply go to community.emc.com for more details.02/03/2015 10:52AM
WG7V8BLK0T@INXPO.COM: Is there anything to consider when using Networker and Data Domain? 02/03/2015 10:51AM
Michael Issa: No just run vDPA and prevent upsell of Commvault , Veeam or Symantec02/03/2015 10:52AM
GBZL8MDX8A@INXPO.COM: Are these Lenovo servers in Blue? 02/03/2015 10:53AM
Rieko Sato: No. EMC’s white box. V1 is based on the same 2U//4N as ECS but different configuration. 02/03/2015 10:53AM
93CXENP4MI@INXPO.COM: can an iSCSI datastore (outwith VSPEX blue) be presented to the VSPEX Blue cluster? 02/03/2015 10:52AM
Rieko Sato: No. Because EVO:RAIL/VSAN assumes control of disks and present a single datastore. 02/03/2015 10:54AM
Michael Issa: No as the underlying storage OS on VSPEX blue is vSAN. however, you can cache to the cloud using CloudArray and run iSCCI protocol 02/03/2015 10:55AM
B9F5AH3JAK@INXPO.COM: can vDPA integrate on VSPEX Blue integrate with DD?02/03/2015 10:54AM
Rieko Sato: Yes. And because VDPA 6.0 is free, VSPEX BLUE customers can download VDPA 6.0 from VSPEX BLUE Market and backup to DD.02/03/2015 10:55AM
SDD6O6Q2H2@INXPO.COM: any integration with ViPR or XtremIO ? 02/03/2015 10:55AM
Rieko Sato: ViPR does not support VSAN. VSPEX BLUE this product is based on EVO:RAIL. We are exploring SIO based and would like to get your feedback.02/03/2015 10:56AM
INS2OEI4XS@INXPO.COM: Can external ESX hosts be added the the VSPEX Blue vCenter ?02/03/2015 10:55AM
Rieko Sato: No, because EVO:RAIL assumes entire cluster control to deliver the amazingly simple appliance experience.02/03/2015 10:56AM
UBKKDBMP0E@INXPO.COM: When is it configurable in channel express?02/03/2015 10:54AM
Rieko Sato: Only the qualified VSPEX BLUE distribution partners who are doing the manufacturing can order from EMC CXP.02/03/2015 10:57AM
Technical Support: We are hosting an Ask-the-Experts session panel on the EMC Community Network (ECN) post event — simply go to community.emc.com for more details.02/03/2015 10:58AM
GBZL8MDX8A@INXPO.COM: What top of rack switching are we using to cluster nodes02/03/2015 10:56AM
Rieko Sato: VSPEX BLUE does not include any TOR switch. VSPEX partners do. Brocade, for example, provides a bundle for VSPEX BLUE. 02/03/2015 10:58AM
Technical Support: We are hosting an Ask-the-Experts session panel on the EMC Community Network (ECN) post event — simply go to community.emc.com for more details.02/03/2015 11:01AM
Technical Support: We are hosting an Ask-the-Experts session panel on the EMC Community Network (ECN) post event — simply go to https://community.emc.com/events/3084 for more details. 02/03/2015 11:20AM
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